~~ Daily Dose of Disney ~~ Photo Intense Pre-trip Report ~~ One Year & Counting!

[Melora]

Howdy All!

I've got a whole year until our next trip and I can't think of a better way to pass the time then lots and lots of photos!

Here is my 2008 trip report, all finished and available for your reading pleasure: 8 People, 8 days in 2008

A brief introduction before I get started....

We have a blended Yours, Mine and Ours family.

Jeff (49)
Me (Melora, 46)

Chris 25 (mine)
Sarah 24 (mine)
Emily 22 (mine)
Erin 19 (his)
Alex 16 (mine) Lives with us
Kevin 16 (his)
Katherine 12 (ours) Lives with us
Jeffrey Jr 10 (ours) Lives with us



Our trip next year will most likely consist of us (the parents) (who enjoy it as much as the kids).
This was the only pic on the computer I could come up with. (We're the ones on the right)

Alex, our resident scholar. After having raised 3 teens before him we feel like we hit the jackpot with his easy going and sunny personality.
Katherine, our resident princess. To read about how Katherine joined our family: Our Russian Adoption
And Jeffrey Jr, the biggest ham on the planet

I love to take pictures while at Disney and I have a ton.
I also feel like my trip really starts when I start planning and since I love to plan a year doesn't seem like too much time!

Here are a few photos of our very first trip to the World back in 2001.

Our first time at EPCOT
In this pic is Chris, Emily, Sarah and Alex.
(I think Chris is trying to look cool by not smiling)

Alex's first kaki-gori (shaved ice sold in Japan in EPCOT):

Our first time in the Sci-Fi Dine-in
Jeff, Alex and Jeffrey:

Please feel free to join in with pictures or comments.
Planning together is more fun than doing it by yourself.
I have a free standing blog just for my countdown if you'd like to check that out once in a while.

Countdown to Disney 2012

 

[antnyh]

Count me in!! Planning the trip is fun all in itself!

 

[ladytink75]

Count me in

 

[Melora]

I adore the Animal Kingdom.
I know it's not everyone's favorite but I love the way it feels like you are really in Africa or Asia.
I also love the food here. (but then again I love the food everywhere at the World).

There are so many great opportunities for great photos.
Here are some photos with Jeffrey and Katherine on The Maharajah Jungle Trek:

 

[Melora]

Back in August 2008 we had the good fortune to be at the World during Tropical Storm Faye who got stuck right over central Florida.
Even though it kept the temperatures down (but not the humidity) trudging through the parks in a torrential downpour got old after a while.
We spent several afternoons in the room watching the Olympics until the worse was over.

One day at EPCOT we were trapped inside "Honey I Shrunk the Audience" while this was going on outside:

Here are two shots from DHS as we were leaving for the day when the rain and the wind got just too much:

And once we got to Old Key West it was coming down so hard it was hard to get to the room:

I thought I would be budget conscious and brought ponchos from the dollar store... might as well have brought saran wrap!

This is Alex and our family friend Bri trying to stay dry at the Animal Kingdom.

Here Erin & Katherine are wearing the ponchos we ended up with after forking out a small fortune at the parks.
On the upside when the kids each tore their ponchos at least once, they replaced them for free.

So I have to make sure I can find the ones I bought on that trip and take them with us in case something like this happens again.

I have a "travel trunk" that belonged to my mom which is an antique steamer trunk that I keep all the stuff for my trips in that I dont use at other times. I think I may have stuffed the ponchos in there but I'm not sure. The trunk is currently stored in the garage so I have to dig it out and bring it in so I can start loading it up with Disney vacation items to look through as the year goes on.

I LOVE looking through things I have set aside for the trip.

(Feel free to say Hi.... that way I know you are out there!!!)

 

[kokotg]

I'm in--love all the photos!

 

[Melora]

I have some goals I want to reach by the time we go on this vacation.

The first is I want to be at my goal weight. I have yo-yo'd up and down over the past years due to financial (and occasional family) stress.
Last year I lost 50 pounds and was really feeling good. Unfortunately I put a portion of it back on and now want to take it (and the rest of it) back off.

I have gone to the parks at my all time high weight and didn't find it very pleasant.
I got tired walking too easily and felt awkward hauling my rear out of rides like Space Mountain and Test Track.
Since even at my thinnest I have a double chin, I HATED ride pictures of me because I thought my face looked like a big blob.

In this lovely example where I am in the middle seat on the right:

I've gotten back on the band wagon this week and plan to really achieve being in shape hopefully quite a bit before we get there.

I welcome anyone who wants to come along for THIS ride as well!

 

[Melora]

So my tentative plans include swooping in at exactly the right time and grabbing a 2 bedroom villa at Old Key West at the 40% off rate.

Usually they offer that in the late summer (or sometimes in the spring when I can't go) and if you can find the promotion before everybody else (and their brother) has, you can score a decent rate.

This means I will have to keep my eyes open at the beginning of the year and just keep looking and have that extra down payment money set aside for a moments notice.

I LOVE Old Key West.. it has the prettiest grounds and just feels like you are on vacation!

 

[Melora]

My favorite country in EPCOT would have to be Japan
(even though Norway runs a close second since that's where my grandfather is from).

I could spend hours in the store looking at all the Japanese stuff.
And the kids of course HAVE to get candy.

Shrimp chips anyone?

Soy Sauce (or other dipping or small item) dishes:

Jeffrey always wants one of these but they are pretty pricey:

Gorgeous!

I always wonder how you are supposed to get a Bonsai tree home?

I can't wait!!!!

 

[Melora]

So my goal is stay probably 9 days. I like to stay long enough so when it's time to go I actually feel like I've had a good long vacation.

Being from the west coast it's hard to get up and started at rope drop. Usually in the summer that's about 8 AM which is 5 AM our time. That means if we want to get there and get a good spot for opening we have to be up about 6:30 EST to eat, dress and get a bus there... and that means getting up at 3:30 PST and that's just not going to happen even if we are all beyond excited to get there.

So we try to take it slow and end up at the parks about 10 AM, enjoy the morning, get as much done as possible, get some lunch and head back to the room to get out of the mid day heat (since it's usually been August). We take a shower, watch some TV, relax and then head back to the parks around 4 when a lot of the people are leaving. Then we can stay late because even at midnight, it's only 9 PM to our body clocks.

But because we like the afternoon siesta, we need to be able to stay long enough to get everything done.

Is it weird to be this excited about something that's so long away?

Love these signs from the jungle cruise.

This one is from the line right before you get on the boat:

And this one is right when you get off the boat:

If I could ask a quick favor..can you guys let me know that you are out there and I'm not sitting here talking to myself??

I would be eternally grateful...

 

[Melora]

There are so many great things to take pictures of in the Animal Kingdom.
Not to mention yummy places to eat like the Tusker House and the Yak & Yeti.

Those are definitely on my "to eat" list for this trip.

Here are some of my favorite shots in Asia:

 

[Melora]

So those of you who plan WAAAAAY early..when do you actually book your trip?
I need to get that 40% off the villas if we have any hope of staying at Old Key West.

Otherwise I will have to consider a family suite.

But they dont have a washer and dryer and thats such a huge thing for us because I dont have to pack a lot. Just about 3 -4 days clothes (we always buy T-shirts while we are there) and I wash a load of clothes every evening.

I don't know what I would do if I had to take actually take my clothes someplace and wait for them. I hate the washers at hotels because they never seem to clean well and the dryers usually over dry.

I will have to look and see when the 40% off usually is offered.

The biggest expense is going to be the plane fare. We live all the way across the country and its just about the most expensive place to fly from in the continental US.

I've seen fares as low as $249 but we've paid upwards of $450 when bought last minute.

We used to only use Delta because we had frequent flyer miles from going to Russia twice during the adoption but those are all gone and Delta has gotten stupid expensive.

Looks like Southwest will be our choice and I have to have the money in hand when its time to get the tickets. (Maybe in February).

This is when it hurts the most to have 5 people in the family. Airfare will be close to $2000 and thats if I am lucky.

 

[Melora]

Checking in!

I'm putting together my old trip reports that I have never posted here and am going to post them over in the trip report section.

I realized I cannot book air travel until I have my dates booked and I cant figure that out until they put out discounts for next year. I hope I can coordinate the two to get the best deal.

 

[Melora]

Happy Labor Day! This time next year I should be planning the following years trip, having recently returned from our vacation!

The 50's Prime Time Cafe (which I always call the 50's Diner) is one of my favorite places to eat. I love the waiting area.
I never realized how many TVs there were there until I looked through all my old pictures:

And there were even more than these!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

 

[tzeitel]

Hi! I stumbled upon your PTR while looking for others (like me) planning a trip a year in advance (hoping for Sept '12 with FD). Since there was a link I just HAD to click it so I read your adoption adventure - you said it took just 6 months but I bet it felt like a lifetime!

We are going to the World in April but I did not plan it - the in-laws wanted all the grandkids in WDW at the same time so they are taking care of everything. I just have to figure out the flight down...so exciting

Loving all the photos I really should use the term chicken-esque in more conversations. I have a small collection of those dipping dishes from Japan.

 

[Melora]

HI!

The weird thing about the adoption was that I never felt like it was real, the whole time we were in the middle of it. I kept feeling like it was never going to happen.
Even when we left the orphanage with her I was worried we wouldn't make it out of the country because of her TB exposure or some other issue.

"I really should use the term chicken-esque in more conversations."

 

[Melora]

Keeping with my love of EPCOT...

Here are the kids getting a mask done in Morocco:

What great windchimes:

The tile work is so pretty:
(Have you met my children, the pack mules... Could they be carrying any more stuff??)

 

[Melora]

Usually when we are at DHS, Jeffrey and I do not partake in the bigger rides (Rockin' Roller Coaster or Tower of Terror) so that leaves us by ourselves to go out and play together... as seen here!

I'm enjoying reading other people pre-trip and finished reports! It gets me excited for our trip, even though its not exactly around the corner.

 

[Melora]

Maybe this trip I will actually buy one of these animals instead of just taking pictures of them!

 

[Melora]

Just finished my 2008 trip report:

8 people, 8 days, 2008

I'm working my way through my 2009 report and plan on starting to post that one in a day or two.

Here's a picture of the group with the troll in Norway....
At least no one was trying to stick their finger up his giant nose!