karalecia26
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2014
Welcome to my first real try at a Pre Trip report! I have attempted to start one before for one of our other trips and it failed miserably, but as you can tell from the title of this report it has been a pretty rough year for our family so I NEED to do go to my happy place and where better to share the fun planning and experiences than with my DIS family!
So let's start with the Cast of this trip report!
Me: Mom of 3 and crazy Disney wife! I am an Early Childhood Educator and spend my week days with my amazing group of littles. It is so amazing to see all of "my children" grow each and every year. There are days that I just want to pull my hair out, but I wouldn't have it any other way!
DH: Puts up with his crazy Disney Wife and her insane trips, but in reality loves to come and eat Dole Whips and any other food that he can find at Disney. He has "let" 
me plan 2 Mom and me trips along with our family trips (he went along with my parents and sister and her family and didn't commit any homicides along the way either). He works in the music education business and was a former music teacher.
DD 13 Hannah E: Oh the wonders of a teenage daughter! She keeps us on our toes and has found her love of music with singing this year and has auditioned and made a few honor choirs, including a state wide honor choir this fall. She goes along with our Disney Trips and at times is a teenager and decides that she doesn't want to join, but thats okay! We still lover her anyway!
DS 11 (will turn 12 just before our trip) Nicolas: He is my Disney FANATIC! Loves every thing Disney and Mickey and has a goal to be an Imangineer when he gets older (because he said he will never grow up)! He is one of the smartest kids I know and can drive us all up the wall with all the questions that are rattling around in his head! He is my music and sports nut and will play his trombone then pick up his trumpet all before running to soccer or basketball.
DD 8 Maddalynne: Oh my little drama queen! She rounds out our family and when she is around there is never a dull moment in our lives. She loves all things princess, rainbow, glitter and bows. She was my dancer and decided that this year she wanted to do Cheer and gymnastics so her focus changed and now spends 3 nights a week at the gym and absolutely loves it.
Our trip! The why, the when, the where, the how, and the craziness of the holidays!
The Why: This past June we had a trip planned with my parents who have never been to Disney before and wanted to see what me and my kids were always talking about. So we planned a week at Coronado Springs, tickets, and dining all planned out when my little sister decided that they wanted to go too, but they couldn't stay at Coronado, so we switched to All Star Sports, changed dining (get the theme of this trip yet?) and got tickets and FP. I knew that this was going to be a little different (well a lot different) of a trip than we have taken before and tried to prepare myself for it. Long story short, I will NEVER travel with my sister and her 3 kids again! From them not wanting to eat anything we had planned to being "bored" (who gets bored at Disney World!) and screaming at my sister, my kids were ready for the trip to be over. We had talked about another trip in a couple years so that helped them some, but I felt like we needed a redo! Besides this crazy trip, this past February we lost my DH mom. It was a very hard few months for our family as she fought a great fight, but her body was finally done and she passed away the day after Valentines Day. This Christmas will be the first without her, and as hard as Thanksgiving was for all of us, I can't imagine what Christmas will bring. I began taking with DH and decided that we wouldn't have a whole lot of time at Christmas since we wouldn't be leaving until the day after Christmas (and driving 1500 miles one way from Iowa!) that we should just do a couple days at Universal as DD13 was into Harry Potter and we would do 3 days there. Well, after planning this I was having a really hard time with being so close to Disney and not going that I "talked" him into doing Disney for 2 nights! And the best part?!? THIS IS A SURPRISE! The kids have no idea that we are going and will have their gifts and such ready for them on Christmas Day with their "Hogwarts Letter" and Disney Magic Bands! I CAN NOT WAIT!!!
The When: December 26-January 3rd
The Where: 27th-31st at Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort and 31st-2nd at All Star Music Family Suite! We are planning 3 days at Universal and New Years Eve at MK and park hopping on the 1st
The How: We are driving! Leaving NW Iowa on Wednesday December 26th and then driving back on the 2nd. Yeah we are crazy, but we have done this before and flights are too ridiculous right now!
The Craziness: Yes we are crazy, but we are looking forward to being in our happy place after this emotional year!
I think that this first post is long enough! I hope I didn't bore you tons and that you stay for more planning and excitement with me!
So let's start with the Cast of this trip report!
Me: Mom of 3 and crazy Disney wife! I am an Early Childhood Educator and spend my week days with my amazing group of littles. It is so amazing to see all of "my children" grow each and every year. There are days that I just want to pull my hair out, but I wouldn't have it any other way! DH: Puts up with his crazy Disney Wife and her insane trips, but in reality loves to come and eat Dole Whips and any other food that he can find at Disney. He has "let" me plan 2 Mom and me trips along with our family trips (he went along with my parents and sister and her family and didn't commit any homicides along the way either). He works in the music education business and was a former music teacher.DD 13 Hannah E: Oh the wonders of a teenage daughter! She keeps us on our toes and has found her love of music with singing this year and has auditioned and made a few honor choirs, including a state wide honor choir this fall. She goes along with our Disney Trips and at times is a teenager and decides that she doesn't want to join, but thats okay! We still lover her anyway! DS 11 (will turn 12 just before our trip) Nicolas: He is my Disney FANATIC! Loves every thing Disney and Mickey and has a goal to be an Imangineer when he gets older (because he said he will never grow up)! He is one of the smartest kids I know and can drive us all up the wall with all the questions that are rattling around in his head! He is my music and sports nut and will play his trombone then pick up his trumpet all before running to soccer or basketball. DD 8 Maddalynne: Oh my little drama queen! She rounds out our family and when she is around there is never a dull moment in our lives. She loves all things princess, rainbow, glitter and bows. She was my dancer and decided that this year she wanted to do Cheer and gymnastics so her focus changed and now spends 3 nights a week at the gym and absolutely loves it. Our trip! The why, the when, the where, the how, and the craziness of the holidays!
The Why: This past June we had a trip planned with my parents who have never been to Disney before and wanted to see what me and my kids were always talking about. So we planned a week at Coronado Springs, tickets, and dining all planned out when my little sister decided that they wanted to go too, but they couldn't stay at Coronado, so we switched to All Star Sports, changed dining (get the theme of this trip yet?) and got tickets and FP. I knew that this was going to be a little different (well a lot different) of a trip than we have taken before and tried to prepare myself for it. Long story short, I will NEVER travel with my sister and her 3 kids again! From them not wanting to eat anything we had planned to being "bored" (who gets bored at Disney World!) and screaming at my sister, my kids were ready for the trip to be over. We had talked about another trip in a couple years so that helped them some, but I felt like we needed a redo! Besides this crazy trip, this past February we lost my DH mom. It was a very hard few months for our family as she fought a great fight, but her body was finally done and she passed away the day after Valentines Day. This Christmas will be the first without her, and as hard as Thanksgiving was for all of us, I can't imagine what Christmas will bring. I began taking with DH and decided that we wouldn't have a whole lot of time at Christmas since we wouldn't be leaving until the day after Christmas (and driving 1500 miles one way from Iowa!) that we should just do a couple days at Universal as DD13 was into Harry Potter and we would do 3 days there. Well, after planning this I was having a really hard time with being so close to Disney and not going that I "talked" him into doing Disney for 2 nights! And the best part?!? THIS IS A SURPRISE! The kids have no idea that we are going and will have their gifts and such ready for them on Christmas Day with their "Hogwarts Letter" and Disney Magic Bands! I CAN NOT WAIT!!!
The When: December 26-January 3rd
The Where: 27th-31st at Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort and 31st-2nd at All Star Music Family Suite! We are planning 3 days at Universal and New Years Eve at MK and park hopping on the 1st
The How: We are driving! Leaving NW Iowa on Wednesday December 26th and then driving back on the 2nd. Yeah we are crazy, but we have done this before and flights are too ridiculous right now!
The Craziness: Yes we are crazy, but we are looking forward to being in our happy place after this emotional year!
I think that this first post is long enough! I hope I didn't bore you tons and that you stay for more planning and excitement with me!
