The Darlings Caved Already! A Sept. '12 PTR -- Sept. 26 - TR link posted!

[teekathepony]

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Wendy. She was five years old. Her parents took her to the most magical place on Earth – Walt Disney World. She fell in love.

Fast forward 16 years and Wendy was 21. It was the year 2007 and it had taken this long, but she and her parents were finally going back.

The very next year Wendy took Johnny and together they found they had even more in common than before – a love of Disney.

In May 2009, Wendy traveled to Europe with her parents, and they were lucky enough to get to see Disneyland in Paris.

In 2010 just after Wendy and Johnny were married, they knew there was only one place to celebrate such a joyous occasion, so back to WDW they went.

In 2011 Johnny decided to surprise Wendy with a first anniversary present she would never forget and once again they were planning a trip to see the Mouse.

Originally the title of this PTR was "The Darlings' Disney Drought" and referred to the fact that we were not going until 2015. We joked that we would probably cave and go earlier, hence the new title. If you read the first post about our reasons for waiting, that was before caving.

This is now the story of our Walt Disney World vacation in September, 2012.

 

[teekathepony]

Chapter 1: Introductions!
Chapter 2: Run, run as Fast as You Can?
Chapter 3: The Reasons for the Wait
Chapter 4: Some early considerations.
Chapter 5: Resort Talk.
Chapter 6: Caving.
Chapter 7: Meet my family
Chapter 8: Plans! Real plans!
Chapter 9: We Caved Already!
Chapter 10: These are the plans, folks!
Chapter 11: Life update & weight loss hopes.
Chapter 12: Possible resort change? It's shiny and new!
Chapter 13: The official ADR list!
Chapter 14: Art of Animation - HERE WE COME!
Chapter 15: How to Count Down the Days
Chapter 16: My new/old job!
Chapter 17: Clothing sorting, packing already!?
Chapter 18: Welcome to Disney's Art of Animation Resort.
Chapter 19: Halifax Trip Report.
Chapter 20: Where would YOU like to be right now?
Chapter 21: A change in plans; we're off to see the Wizard!
Chapter 22: 100 Days to go and the start of the daily plans!
Chapter 23: 99 Days to go and Day 1 part two!
Chapter 24: The List Begins! & My Cape Breton Home
Chapter 25: Bought my first trip item + Day 2 Part 1!
Chapter 26: Another item crossed off the list + My first time Disney movie review!
Chapter 27: Day 2, Part 2!
Chapter 28: Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party -- dashing some dreams.
Chapter 29: A Mini-update -- PIF DANCE!
Chapter 30: Dessert Party Story; Any Baby Makes... Three?
Chapter 31: Day 3, part 1!
Chapter 32: Day 3, part 2!
Chapter 33: Day 4, part 1!
Chapter 34: 25 days to go + trip updates!
Chapter 35: Day 4, part 2!
Chapter 36: General pre-trip updates!
Chapter 37: Day 5!
Chapter 38: Online Check In!!!!
Chapter 39: One week to go! + Day 6 plans
Chapter 40: 5 days to go! + Day 7 & 8 plans!
Chapter 41: 42 hours until check in!
We're HOME!
Trip Report is found here!

 

[MEK]

I so want to be first!

Back to read!

 

[MEK]

I hope you do cave before 2015, but even if you don't you are going to have a fabulous time planning and you were so lucky to have a 2010 trip (honeymoon) and a 2011 (anniversary trip).

Happy Planning. Looking forward to reading all about it!

 

[teekathepony]

I hope you do cave before 2015, but even if you don't you are going to have a fabulous time planning and you were so lucky to have a 2010 trip (honeymoon) and a 2011 (anniversary trip).

Happy Planning. Looking forward to reading all about it!

We have been so blessed and so lucky to have been able to do what we've done already that I'll never complain (much) about having to wait until 2015. Knowing Johnny and I though, we won't wait. It's going to be interesting to see when we will actually end up going!

 

[amazingact21]

I'm joining in! I couldn't imagine having to wait until 2015 to return to WDW, but if you do have to hold off until then, imagine how absolutely magicial it'll be.

 

[teekathepony]

I'm joining in! I couldn't imagine having to wait until 2015 to return to WDW, but if you do have to hold off until then, imagine how absolutely magicial it'll be.

Welcome!
Ohh I'm freaking out a little at the thoughts of no trip for that long. I don't know if we can do it without folding! But you're right, how magical it will be (and so much new stuff by then!)

 

[teekathepony]

Well hello again! I figured I might as well get started on the boring background info and stuff, get that out of the way. For those of you who may not know me or Johnny, let me introduce you!

I am Wendy.

26 years old. I am a scatterbrained photographer and animal lover. I am a Disney nut and hopeful world traveler.

Favourite park: Epcot
Favourite ride: Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster
Favourite Disney classic: 101 Dalmations
Favourite Disney/Pixar: Monsters Inc
Favourite character: Sulley
Favourite Disney Experience: Christmas at Magic Kingdom, 2010 trip.


I am married to Johnny.

He is a 25 year old plumber and army reservist. Also a Disney lover and child at heart. He is always hesitant about trying new things and new places but follows me and always ends up telling me I’m right.

Favourite park: Epcot
Favourite ride: Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster
Favourite Disney restaurant: Boma
Favourite Disney/Pixar: Monsters Inc
Favourite character: Mickey Mouse
Favourite Disney Experience: Our whole honeymoon trip

We met while at our first job at Burger King in the summer of 2002. You know how romantic those whoppers can be. We started dating in June of 2003, were engaged on my birthday in January 2009. We were married on October 16, 2010.

Together this will be our fourth Disney trip. It will be my 6th time to Walt Disney World, and 7th to a Disney Park. We can't wait to go (literally, the "when will we cave?" isn't just a clever title, it's an actual question on my mind!) and we talk every day about plans, hotels, rides, and restaurants.

Coming up next, I'll tell you the real reason behind the wait!

 

[MEK]

Wendy - That is a lovely wedding picture of the two of you and I love your dress. It's beautiful.

So - the "real" reason for the wait? I guess I have some guesses in mind.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Joining in!!! Beautiful wedding photo!

 

[jpmom97]

What a beautiful wedding photo! My husband is in the Army but didn't wear his uniform for our wedding, I wish he did, I always remind him of that LOL.

I hope you get to go sooner than 2015! I was just like you, my parents took me when I was 5 and then we didn't go back until I was 24 and they took my kids and I while my husband was deployed. We have gone every other year after that, I need to make up for lost time

Can't wait to hear more of your plans!

 

[teekathepony]

Wendy - That is a lovely wedding picture of the two of you and I love your dress. It's beautiful.

So - the "real" reason for the wait? I guess I have some guesses in mind.

Aww thank you!
Don't let your imagination run wild, it's not a particularly fun reason

Joining in!!! Beautiful wedding photo!

Glad to have you on board! And thank you

What a beautiful wedding photo! My husband is in the Army but didn't wear his uniform for our wedding, I wish he did, I always remind him of that LOL.

I hope you get to go sooner than 2015! I was just like you, my parents took me when I was 5 and then we didn't go back until I was 24 and they took my kids and I while my husband was deployed. We have gone every other year after that, I need to make up for lost time

Can't wait to hear more of your plans!

Thank you, I was very happy that he decided to wear the uniform, he looks so good in it.
I hope we go sooner too! That's a good way of looking at it, making up for lost time!

 

[TanzUnited99]

Woohoo for another PTR!!

Can't wait to read all about your plans

 

[teekathepony]

Woohoo for another PTR!!

Can't wait to read all about your plans

Yayyy you're here! Welcome aboard!

 

[amazingact21]

What a great wedding picture. Your dress was beautiful!

I think it's great that you both have the same favorite park and favorite ride. I bet that makes planning a little easier, because you both have similar WDW interests.

 

[teekathepony]

What a great wedding picture. Your dress was beautiful!

I think it's great that you both have the same favorite park and favorite ride. I bet that makes planning a little easier, because you both have similar WDW interests.

Thank you
Johnny and I are surprisingly compatible when it comes to Disney! I was very happy to learn that. Unless we're hungry.

 

[Queenofallthings]

Thanks for the heads up Wendy!

Stunning wedding pic...you are gorgeous and your hubby so handsome in his uniform!

Can't wait to follow along from the very beginning on this one...and I think we should all wager how long until you cave

 

[teekathepony]

Thanks for the heads up Wendy!

Stunning wedding pic...you are gorgeous and your hubby so handsome in his uniform!

Can't wait to follow along from the very beginning on this one...and I think we should all wager how long until you cave

Awww thank you!
It's gonna be an interesting one! I love the idea of a wager!!

 

[teekathepony]

I've done a lot of things at Walt Disney World so finding something new to do on each trip is always a bit of a challenge. I want to thank amazingact21 for a great idea in so many ways! If you check out her PTR, "The Family That Runs Together...Vacations Together", you will see that she and her family are running in the Expedition Everest 5K Challenge. She posted a link to the Couch to 5k Program and I followed it. I bought a treadmill before Christmas and have been lacking the motivation to really push myself. Now I have it! An easy to follow work out schedule along with the promise of running through Disney? What could be better motivation?

I am in such terrible shape that I have modified the program a little. I've added a "Week -1" which is even easier than week one (5 min. warm up, 30 seconds run, two minutes walk, repeat for 20 minutes) also I plan to do each week twice so as not to push myself. I officially started last night doing Day 1 of my Week -1. I felt pretty good and with a lot of stretching after, managed to not be sore today

In other news...

I found a real gem while going through old picture CDs last night. A while ago I had found some old negatives so I brought them into work to scan (I work at a camera store). Here they were my Disney trip in 1991! So I put them on a CD and forgot about them, until last night. Here's a few for your entertainment!

The video camera!

My Dad and I

Not strictly Disney, but I have a point to make about this, lol

My Mom and I (I have always hated smiling for pictures!)

That's me!

So I learned a lot from looking back at these pictures.

-My parents don't smile in pictures either. Why should they expect otherwise of me?
-Disney has changed a lot
-Seaworld has not changed at all
-Fanny packs were never ok.

 

[MEK]

Wendy - those pictures are awesome! I love looking at old pictures. I never went to WDW as a kid. Well, wait, I went on a school trip in 11th grade and spent most of the day in the infirmary at the MK because I was hungover. Great first trip. What did I know?

Good luck on your couch to 5K. I have been running for years so here's a few of my tips.

Don't cheap out on your running shoes. You really do get what you pay for. Try on multiple brands and pick the brand that works best for your feet. For example, I will never buy a Nike or adidas shoe because my feet are wide. You may not like the most popular brand. I love Asics! Only shoe I buy.

Buy comfortable clothes to run in. These you can always get on sale. put your money in your shoes.

When you run on the treadmill change up your interval routine so you have something to focus on. If you do the same thing over and over again you will start to hate it.

Run outside when you can. Eventually you will get that endorphin kick (runner's high). But it takes awhile. Be very patient. Find new outdoor places to run even if you have to drive there. If you focus on the adventure you will focus less on the discomfort.

And my most important tip - You will ALWAYS feel better after a run then before one. No matter how much you don't want to do it the satisfaction at the end of the run makes it worth it.