CRAZY teachers (& company) going to Disney in July...HOT HOT HOT!!!

[bangzoom6877]

DH and I are teachers, and since we prefer to go to WDW for 10 nights AND we drive down there from NYC, we need the time and so....we go in July! A little about ourselves ("the case" of this trip!):

1. Me: will be 33 in June; LOVE all things Disney; been to Disney in August 1985, August 1989, May 1992, May 1994; then fell in love with WDW all over again in 2008 on our first family trip there; a Disney planning NUT!

2. DH: will be 33 in May; went to WDW for the first time Spring Break 1999 (drove all the way from Buffalo, NY!!); loves WDW but leaves all the planning to me!

3. Older DS: is 5 years old; remembers some details from our first family trip to WDW in 2008; is VERY excited to go back to WDW and we watch the DVD from the 2008 trip all the time!

4. Younger DS: will be 3 in May; was only 14 months old on our first WDW family trip; is excited to go to what he calls "Disneys World" and eat at "Chef Mickey's...& Minnie"!

In 2008, DH and I took the boys to WDW for 5 nights...we stayed at Pop Century. It was a really fun resort but DH complained that he wanted a queen bed or larger, and asked me how much it is to stay at a deluxe resort. When I informed him, he started asking about the Disney Vacation Club. After much research, we bought a resale at Boardwalk Villas. We bought enough points to be able to stay there for 10 nights in a 1-bedroom villa every other July. In the years in between, we will do a different type of vacation. In 2009 we did Hershey, PA and in 2011 we will go on a cruise, for example.

Our itinerary:

1. We leave NYC July 8, 2010 and drive to Lumberton, North Carolina
2. We drive to St. Augustine, FL for overnight stay
3. We drive to Boca Raton, FL to visit relatives...my parents, sister, her fiance, and her 2 daughters will be joining us...staying there for 3 nights
4. We all go to WDW on July 13, 2010...the rest of the family leaves on July 17th but we stay until the 23rd. The rest of the family is staying at Pop Century.

And there you have it! The beginning of our plans...I will report back with a little more info about me and DH and our history, our ADRs (so far...I tend to change them around!), our park touring plans and our full detailed WDW itinerary. Stay tuned.........

 

[bangzoom6877]

I teach high school Italian and Spanish. I love Disney and all the planning involved! My first Disney trip was in August 1985 when I was 8 years old. My parents and grandparents took me and me sister (she was 10). The only theme parks were MK and Epcot and we LOVED them! We stayed at a Days Inn in the area. Most memorable moment of this trip: at the afternoon parade in MK, my sister and I were eating ice cream cones. It was so hot that they were dripping before we could eat them fast enough, and the guy standing in front of us ended up with melted ice cream all over the back of his shirt...I didn't know this until my mom told me later that day...that's why we RAN after the parade! Looking back we should have said something to him and if it were today I definitely would have apologized.

My second Disney trip was August 1989 with my parents and sister. I was 12 and my sister was 14. MGM had just opened that year and I remember all the billboards that advertised that Universal was going to open in May 1990. We had a wonderful trip...went to MK, Epcot, MGM, Sea World and a one-day cruise to nowhere on "SeaEscape". We stayed at the Hyatt Orlando in Kissimmee, FL. Most memorable moment of the trip: in MK it started raining so hard one afternoon and we were the only idiots running through the park to leave while everyone else was ducking for cover. We definitely looked like morons...well at one point, my dad and I were walking a little ahead of my mom and sis, and we heard my mom yell out, "WAIT! COME BACK!" So we went back and my sister was on the ground (she had fallen of course) and couldn't get up...she had spun around a few times too. My mom had trouble getting my sister off the ground (and my sister only weighed 97 pounds!)...we all helped and she finally was able to get up...she had been suctioned to the ground and when she got up it actually made a sort of slurping noise! My mom's sneakers NEVER dried from that day...

My third & fourth Disney trips were both in high school, with the chorus. We performed in the All American Music Festival. In 1992, we made 4th place...in 1994 we made 1st place! We went to MK, Epcot, Universal and Wet 'n' Wild. In 1992, we took a bus down from NY. In 1994 we flew down. Very fun and memorable trips! Most memorable moment from the school trips: in 1992 when I was at Epcot this boy from Delaware started talking to me...he told me he was an actor and would be appearing on "One Life to Live" that summer. His friends vouched for him. I never believed him. Then that summer, I saw him on "One Life to Live". That actor was RYAN PHILIPPE!!!

In 1999, DH went to WDW with a couple of friends. He went to SUNY Buffalo and it was senior year Spring Break. They drove from Buffalo to Key West and stopped in Disney on the way.

In 2008, we took our kids to Disney for the first time. Most memorable moment of the trip: older DS at Woody's Cowboy Camp on the first day at MK! Priceless and on DVD!

More coming...stay tuned...

 

[bangzoom6877]

OK, so I will continue my story here....

DH and I met freshman year of high school. We became really good friends, then he asked me out. He was a little shorter than me so I said no. I didn't tell him that was the reason of course! We remained good friends though. I set him up with my friend and they went out for a few months. We still remained good friends throughout all of that. At the beginning of sophomore year we were in a class together. It was Medical Issues and we had this debate project to do. We worked in the same group, but on opposing sides. The rule was that both sides had to share all information and research with each other. One night, I called him to ask him for some of his and he refused to give it to me. I hung up on him. I tried to call him back right away but he hung up on me! That was it for the rest of high school......

He went to SUNY Buffalo and I went to Univ. of Maryland. When I got back from college, I started teaching at our old high school (I'm at a different school now though). He was going to start substitute teaching there, and his former lacrosse coach (who is also my former gym teacher) set us up. I called DH to reconnect and we became friends again. 3 weeks later we started dating and 16 months later we were married. We have 2 boys. The older one is 5 and the little guy will be 3 in a few weeks.

DH is a Health Teacher and a Dean. He is also a licensed massage therapist.

At WDW, what will we be celebrating? Well...DS5 is "graduating" from Pre-K in June and going into Public School in September!! So I added that to our resort reservation as well as our dining ADRs.

 

[Leshaface]

BANGZOOM!!! So excited you started it!!! Can't read through it right now, gotta go have lunch, but I'll be back!!! Subbed..

 

[Leshaface]

So how did you like Hershey??? I've been twice...once when I was 12 and then again in 2008. It's pretty fun! Not Disney that's for sure, but still great! I love Chocolate, so this place was right up my alley!

I love your "Memorable Moments"!!! Can you imagine that guy taking his shirt off and seeing all kinds of gunk on it!! I'm sure it smelled to...dairy + hot = gnarly!

You're telling me, you ran into RYAN PHILLIPE!!!!??? I would have DIED!!! He's so gorgeous! Was he flirting with you, is that how you guys started talking?!?!

So not only is your husband a teacher, he's a massage therapist!! Hopefully you're reaping the benefits of that!!!

Can't wait to hear the rest!!!

 

[bangzoom6877]

So how did you like Hershey??? I've been twice...once when I was 12 and then again in 2008. It's pretty fun! Not Disney that's for sure, but still great! I love Chocolate, so this place was right up my alley!

I love your "Memorable Moments"!!! Can you imagine that guy taking his shirt off and seeing all kinds of gunk on it!! I'm sure it smelled to...dairy + hot = gnarly!

You're telling me, you ran into RYAN PHILLIPE!!!!??? I would have DIED!!! He's so gorgeous! Was he flirting with you, is that how you guys started talking?!?!

So not only is your husband a teacher, he's a massage therapist!! Hopefully you're reaping the benefits of that!!!

Can't wait to hear the rest!!!

We loved Hershey! We love Lancaster County, PA (we stayed in Lancaster) because it is so different from home. It's also only about 3 hours from here so it was convenient. No, Hershey is not Disney, but it was a lot of fun! We also took the kids to Dutch Wonderland which they loved. We stayed in Lancaster for 5 nights. Last summer, we also bought season passes to Sesame Place and took several day trips there. It's about an hour and a half from home so we didn't stay over. We went 4 or 5 times though and the boys loved it!

Reaping the benefits of my DH being a massage therapist? Sometimes...there's just not a lot of time and he works very hard so I hate to bother him with that too often! But I haven't gone to a spa and paid for a massage since 2002!

Yes, it was THE Ryan Philippe. Yes, he was gorgeous back then too. Yes, I do believe he was flirting with me. A friend of mine from HS who I roomed with on that trip still has a picture of the 2 of us. A couple of years ago she showed it to me for the memories! I have my pics from that trip somewhere in the basement along with all my other old photos. LOL, think I should call the tabloids or what?!?!?!

OK, I will continue on....

 

[bangzoom6877]

After researching the Disney restaurants over and over again (and then a little bit more!), our ADRs are finally complete. Mind you, I was on the computer at 6AM exactly 180 days out...yes I am that obsessive!

Today I tweaked some and here they are:

Day 1 (check-in): Chef Mickey's dinner 5PM
Day 2 (DHS): Sci-Fi lunch 12PM; Whispering Canyon Cafe dinner 6:10PM
Day 3 (MK-EMH morning): Cinderella's Royal Table dinner 5:15PM
Day 4 (Epcot): Akershus lunch 12:10PM (planning to eat around the World Showcase for dinner)
Day 5 (no theme park; the rest of the family checks out): 1900 Park Fare breakfast 9:25AM; Cape May Cafe Clambake dinner 5:30PM
Day 6 (Epcot-EMH morning): San Angel Inn lunch 12PM; Le Cellier dinner 5:30PM
Day 7 (DHS-EMH morning): 50s Prime Time lunch 11:35AM; Sanaa dinner 5:45PM
Day 8 (no theme park): Captain's Grille dinner 5:30PM
Day 9 (MK): Crystal Palace breakfast 8:05AM; Kona Cafe dinner 5:35PM
Day 10 (Epcot World Showcase only): Chefs de France lunch 12PM; Biergarten dinner 5:30PM
Day 11 (check-out): Cape May Cafe character breakfast 7:30AM

So that will give you an idea of how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE to eat on vacation!! We wanted a balance between character meals & entertaining meals for the kids and also a few more low-key places. Also didn't want to feel like we're eating the same food all the time, so we looked for variety. The above list will also give you an idea of our park touring plan! One EMH-morning at each park, one non-EMH morning at each, plus one relaxing World Showcase day at Epcot! The plan is to go to Spectromagic the night before, and let the kids sleep in the next morning (World Showcase doesn't open until 11AM). Being within walking distance of the WS also helps with this plan!!

 

[cinderella crazy]

Joining in! Loved the story about you and your DH! Looks like you already have some great plans.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Joining in! Loved the story about you and your DH! Looks like you already have some great plans.

Thanks!! We're very excited about this trip. Yesterday we hit 99 days until we check in to BWV!!! Double digits are so nice!!!!!

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

As a fellow crazy teacher going in July, I thought I'd join your PTR.

 

[bangzoom6877]

As a fellow crazy teacher going in July, I thought I'd join your PTR.

YAY!!! I would rather go on a longer trip in the July heat than cut my trip short AND have to go right back to work right after my trip! We teachers are spoiled...the rest of the world go right back to work as soon as they get home from vacation!!!

 

[Leshaface]

We loved Hershey! We love Lancaster County, PA (we stayed in Lancaster) because it is so different from home. It's also only about 3 hours from here so it was convenient. No, Hershey is not Disney, but it was a lot of fun! We also took the kids to Dutch Wonderland which they loved. We stayed in Lancaster for 5 nights. Last summer, we also bought season passes to Sesame Place and took several day trips there. It's about an hour and a half from home so we didn't stay over. We went 4 or 5 times though and the boys loved it!

Reaping the benefits of my DH being a massage therapist? Sometimes...there's just not a lot of time and he works very hard so I hate to bother him with that too often! But I haven't gone to a spa and paid for a massage since 2002!

Yes, it was THE Ryan Philippe. Yes, he was gorgeous back then too. Yes, I do believe he was flirting with me. A friend of mine from HS who I roomed with on that trip still has a picture of the 2 of us. A couple of years ago she showed it to me for the memories! I have my pics from that trip somewhere in the basement along with all my other old photos. LOL, think I should call the tabloids or what?!?!?!

OK, I will continue on....

Is NYC only 3 hours from Lancaster??? Hmm...sounds like i'm gonna have to make a trip that way when I'm in PA this summer...had no idea how close it was!!

Wow since 2002!!! Sweet!!

Wow so you actually got a pic with him!!!??? That's too neat! Tabloids watch out! here comes bangzoom!!!

 

[Leshaface]

After researching the Disney restaurants over and over again (and then a little bit more!), our ADRs are finally complete. Mind you, I was on the computer at 6AM exactly 180 days out...yes I am that obsessive!

Today I tweaked some and here they are:

Day 1 (check-in): Chef Mickey's dinner 5PM
Day 2 (DHS): Sci-Fi lunch 12PM; Whispering Canyon Cafe dinner 6:10PM
Day 3 (MK-EMH morning): Cinderella's Royal Table dinner 5:15PM
Day 4 (Epcot): Akershus lunch 12:10PM (planning to eat around the World Showcase for dinner)
Day 5 (no theme park; the rest of the family checks out): 1900 Park Fare breakfast 9:25AM; Cape May Cafe Clambake dinner 5:30PM
Day 6 (Epcot-EMH morning): San Angel Inn lunch 12PM; Le Cellier dinner 5:30PM
Day 7 (DHS-EMH morning): 50s Prime Time lunch 11:35AM; Sanaa dinner 5:45PM
Day 8 (no theme park): Captain's Grille dinner 5:30PM
Day 9 (MK): Crystal Palace breakfast 8:05AM; Kona Cafe dinner 5:35PM
Day 10 (Epcot World Showcase only): Chefs de France lunch 12PM; Biergarten dinner 5:30PM
Day 11 (check-out): Cape May Cafe character breakfast 7:30AM

So that will give you an idea of how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE to eat on vacation!! We wanted a balance between character meals & entertaining meals for the kids and also a few more low-key places. Also didn't want to feel like we're eating the same food all the time, so we looked for variety. The above list will also give you an idea of our park touring plan! One EMH-morning at each park, one non-EMH morning at each, plus one relaxing World Showcase day at Epcot! The plan is to go to Spectromagic the night before, and let the kids sleep in the next morning (World Showcase doesn't open until 11AM). Being within walking distance of the WS also helps with this plan!!

Haha!! I was up at 3am PT to make ADR's as well...then again when we had to reschedule our trip! So wait that's obsessive?? And here I thought that was normal!!!

Whispering Canyon...GOTTA try that next time...DH is a little iffy about this one, but please let me know how this place is! Same with Sanaa...we wanted to try it this last time, but figured we would give it time for everybody to 'learn the ropes' of the new restaurant..you know how places can be when they are BRAND new...the menu looked amazing though!

I must say your ADR's look spot on! Got you planning mapped out perfectly!

Pretty amazed that you're doing three EMH mornings! Especially with kids!!! I applaud you!!

Also, Akershus lunch...is that the Princess meal, or is that only in the morning for breakfast?

 

[bangzoom6877]

Haha!! I was up at 3am PT to make ADR's as well...then again when we had to reschedule our trip! So wait that's obsessive?? And here I thought that was normal!!!

Whispering Canyon...GOTTA try that next time...DH is a little iffy about this one, but please let me know how this place is! Same with Sanaa...we wanted to try it this last time, but figured we would give it time for everybody to 'learn the ropes' of the new restaurant..you know how places can be when they are BRAND new...the menu looked amazing though!

I must say your ADR's look spot on! Got you planning mapped out perfectly!

Pretty amazed that you're doing three EMH mornings! Especially with kids!!! I applaud you!!

Also, Akershus lunch...is that the Princess meal, or is that only in the morning for breakfast?

I will definitely let you know how WCC and Sanaa are! I understand about going to a brand new restaurant. But Sanaa opened almost a year ago already, so I think that it should be fine. I read a lot of great reviews about it. Yes, lunch at Akershus is also a princess meal. We were debating about that one, but since the rest of the family will be with us the first 4 days of our trip, and my nieces LOVE the princesses, we decided to join them. My boys are young enough that they are excited (they love Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Princess Jasmine, etc.). DH and I are curious to try the food there, and I think this may be the only time we get away with a princess meal besides the castle! We are also going to the castle...so 2 princess meals but the boys are excited just to be eating in the castle!

As far as EMH mornings, they're not that difficult for us because the boys are used to waking up very early in the morning. When we have work and school, DH and I wake up at 5AM and they wake up at 5:45. They go to bed by 7:30PM at home. So getting to the park before 8AM rope drop is not a problem. We leave the park shortly after lunch for an afternoon break at the hotel (the kids nap!), and we go to dinner either at a resort or back in the park. That way, we are in air conditioning during the hottest part of the day.

And for what it's worth, I think it is perfectly normal to get up at 3AM PT to make ADRs...TWICE!!! Then again, I also think it is normal to rethink and tweak ADRs a bazillion times before finalizing them!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Hi everyone! I'm back, ready to post more on our vacation itinerary!

As I had said, we are driving down to Florida from NYC...DH, me, the 2 boys, a portable DVD player with Disney movies, TV shows we recorded and burned onto DVD, DS5's Nintendo D.S., and DS3's Buzz Lightyear portable game (he doesn't really *know* how to play but always thinks he is winning and is happy so that's good enough for me )!!!

Here is our itinerary (pretty detailed!):

Day 1: DH and I wake up at 4:30 AM ; we get ready, put all the luggage into the car; I wake the kids and get them dressed while DH goes out to the bagel store (beauty of NYC=24-hr. bagel stores with delicious bagels!!!) to get us some bagels for the road; I give the kids each a small snack (like a cereal bar) to hold them over; we leave the house by 6AM. We drive until about 9AM then stop and eat our bagels for breakfast, gas up the car (may not be necessary yet though) and bathroom break!! We continue driving until we reach our destination of Lumberton, North Carolina to stay overnight. We will stop for necessary bathroom and fuel breaks, lunch, and that's it! It's a 9 hour, 45 minute drive from Brooklyn, NY to Lumberton! We will probably do what we did last time for dinner...there was a really good BBQ place down the road and DH went and got take-out from there...I printed out the menu before we went, that is how obsessive I am!!! This is what we did last time on the first day and it worked like a charm.

Day 2: We have breakfast at the hotel in Lumberton (hopefully I will wake up early enough to sneak in a workout!), then we leave and drive down to St. Augustine, Florida. It is about a 6-hour drive from Lumberton to St. Augustine. We will stop for the necessary bathroom, fuel and lunch breaks on the road (hopefully all at the same time, only one time hopefully!). We stay over in St. Augustine, FL for one night.

Day 3: We have breakfast at the hotel, then hit the road and head 4 hours south to Boca Raton, our first official vacation destination of this trip! There, we will meet up with my parents, my sister, her fiance, and my 2 nieces. We will spend 3 nights in Boca Raton at the same hotel, and we will be visiting my great uncle (he will be 87 in August, G-d bless him!), my mom's best friend who she grew up with and has known for almost 50 years, and other family friends who were close with my grandparents and knew my mother since she was a baby!! So, lots of family fun and relaxing in Boca!

Days 4 & 5: We will be spending with all the loved ones mentioned above!

Day 6: We leave the hotel in Boca Raton after breakfast (all 10 of us!!). We drive up to WDW (takes about 3 hours). DH, the boys and I check in at Boardwalk Villas. The rest of the family is staying at Pop Century so they will go check into their resort. We will probably have lunch at Downtown Disney at a CS (my sister and I are thinking Earl of Sandwich!). My dad has a cousin in Orlando and we're going to see if she can join us for lunch and the afternoon. We have dinner at Chef Mickey's at 5PM. No theme park that day, just checking in and taking it all in! Starting out with that character dinner for the kids though (OK, it's for all of us too!! ).

Day 7: DH, the boys and I are going to DHS for the day. No EMH hours that day at all. Going to arrive for rope drop. Lunch at Sci-Fi. Afternoon parade for sure, since the boys LOVE Pixar movies and characters and this is the place to see them! RIght after that, take the boat back to BWV, rest for a little while, then dinner at Whispering Canyon at 6:10 PM. The rest of the family goes to Sea World that day (we're waiting for our little one to get a little older before taking the boys there, since we do WDW every other year). They are also going to Medieval Times for dinner. So we may not see them that day, but I did invite them to have breakfast with us in the villa that morning before we head to DHS, and they can hang out in the villa if they need to leave later than we do!

Day 8: The whole family goes to MK for EMH-morning hours!!! We head right into Fantasyland first for the kids, then Tomorrowland and Frontierland (Space Mountain for the thrill seekers, Big Thunder for me and the kids and also the thrill seekers who laugh at it because it's so mild!). Then we head into Toontown for the kiddie roller coaster (more my style...believe it or not I still get nervous on this type of ride!). Maybe head back into Tomorrowland. Lunch at a CS. DH, the boys and I will take an afternoon break some time shortly after lunch. Not sure about the rest of the family. Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table at 5:15. Then a few more attractions, then DH, the boys and I leave the park (no parade that night for us...getting up too early the following morning).

OK, I will come back and continue!! Enjoy reading, more later for you!

 

[TokyoDina]

Wow you've got you trip planned out to a the very smallest detail! That's crazy! But makes for such a great read~ I can't wait to find out more!!!! Subbing.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Wow you've got you trip planned out to a the very smallest detail! That's crazy! But makes for such a great read~ I can't wait to find out more!!!! Subbing.

I have even more specific park touring plan details on a Word document! I will continue posting more of our itinerary later on today after I get home from work! Glad you're enjoying it!!

 

[Leshaface]

I will definitely let you know how WCC and Sanaa are! I understand about going to a brand new restaurant. But Sanaa opened almost a year ago already, so I think that it should be fine. I read a lot of great reviews about it. Yes, lunch at Akershus is also a princess meal. We were debating about that one, but since the rest of the family will be with us the first 4 days of our trip, and my nieces LOVE the princesses, we decided to join them. My boys are young enough that they are excited (they love Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Princess Jasmine, etc.). DH and I are curious to try the food there, and I think this may be the only time we get away with a princess meal besides the castle! We are also going to the castle...so 2 princess meals but the boys are excited just to be eating in the castle!

As far as EMH mornings, they're not that difficult for us because the boys are used to waking up very early in the morning. When we have work and school, DH and I wake up at 5AM and they wake up at 5:45. They go to bed by 7:30PM at home. So getting to the park before 8AM rope drop is not a problem. We leave the park shortly after lunch for an afternoon break at the hotel (the kids nap!), and we go to dinner either at a resort or back in the park. That way, we are in air conditioning during the hottest part of the day.

And for what it's worth, I think it is perfectly normal to get up at 3AM PT to make ADRs...TWICE!!! Then again, I also think it is normal to rethink and tweak ADRs a bazillion times before finalizing them!

Wow has it already been a year since the opening of Sanaa?! Goodness, it just seems like yesterday I was reading on Allears.net about a new restaurant called Sanaa opening at AKL!! Anyways, I'm sure your sons will LOVE the experience in the castle! I know I would!! Just knowing that they're eating in a huge castle would get them totally excited!

This past trip, since we went in the off season, we didn't need to wake up early for EMH...but in June we SURE did...we wanted to get the heck out of the parks by 12 if possible! Wow can't believe your boys get up that early! For the past 8 years, I worked at Starbucks and would have to be up at 3am to get to work at 4am Mon-Sat So waking up early is NO problem for me!...DH on the other hand, that's another story!!

 

[Leshaface]

Wow! Nice itinerary so far!!!

I'm quite surprised you don't have a CS picked out for you MK day!!! I have yet to eat a CS at MK so no suggestions here!

Aww the Pixar Parade is sooo cute!! They're gonna love it so much! Especially when Monsters Inc comes around!!!

Goodness, I can't believe you're driving! Makes it easier on you guys probably with the little ones though, so that your not restricted on what you want to take with you...plus with fees going up flights and baggage it's crazy!!! AND yesterday I believe, there was a thread over on the budget board about how the Spirit airline is now charging for Carry-on baggage!!! And a European airline is charging for bathroom usage! Talk about "ur-ine trouble!" That's my pathetic attempt at making a gnarly joke!!

Although, it must be fun to have a long drive like that...being able to see different sights...I would LOVE to do this up the coast line over here all the way up to Oregon or something...that would be beautiful!

Can't wait to hear the rest!!!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Wow! Nice itinerary so far!!!

I'm quite surprised you don't have a CS picked out for you MK day!!! I have yet to eat a CS at MK so no suggestions here!

Aww the Pixar Parade is sooo cute!! They're gonna love it so much! Especially when Monsters Inc comes around!!!

Goodness, I can't believe you're driving! Makes it easier on you guys probably with the little ones though, so that your not restricted on what you want to take with you...plus with fees going up flights and baggage it's crazy!!! AND yesterday I believe, there was a thread over on the budget board about how the Spirit airline is now charging for Carry-on baggage!!! And a European airline is charging for bathroom usage! Talk about "ur-ine trouble!" That's my pathetic attempt at making a gnarly joke!!

Although, it must be fun to have a long drive like that...being able to see different sights...I would LOVE to do this up the coast line over here all the way up to Oregon or something...that would be beautiful!

Can't wait to hear the rest!!!

Oh, I already thought about CS at MK!! But I don't know what the rest of the family is going to want to do on our MK day with them...I don't want to make them mad at me by picking the lunch place!!! I know Cosmic Ray's was very good when we went there in 2008. Columbia Harbor House gets good reviews. And there is also Main Street Bakery, which I love for baked goods, and they have sandwiches too. Although, seating in there is limited, especially considering we're a party of 10!

For our second MK day when it is just the 4 of us, I'm not sure if we're going to end up grabbing lunch there or not. We'll be going to Crystal Palace for a buffet breakfast an hour before the park opens. We have dinner at Kona planned that evening at 5:35, so we may just end up snacking in between. Maybe that will be the one meal we can actually be spontaneous and decide what to do when we are there!

We actually enjoy the drive down to Florida. We break it up over a couple of nights so it makes it easier. My boys love sleeping in a hotel, and sleeping in a few different ones is even better to them! Flights get expensive, but we feel it is easier to drive, since like you said, we can bring anything we want. We also have our car when we get there so no need to rent one. DH loves driving. I offered to do some of the driving on our last trip but he wanted to do all of it. My parents and sister are taking the Amtrak Auto Train down. My mom hates flying, but she has a bad back and can't spend all those hours in the car, even over a couple of days. So they drive about 5 hours (manageable for her) to Virginia, the car goes on Amtrak, and they take a 17-hour train ride to Sanford, FL (about 40 minutes from Disney). They sleep on the train overnight, dinner is included and so is breakfast. My mom can walk around on the train too so she is not confined to one spot, which is better for her back. DH prefers to drive though and so do I. My little one is still not fully potty-trained, and I can't imagine changing a diaper on a train! And to get a sleeper car is much more expensive for the 4 of us...we're just more comfortable driving.

OK, more itinerary coming right up!