the will we, won't we ? pre trip report

[OurLuce]

hi all.

My name is Lucy. I live in a small village in Northamptonshire which is in the east midlands of England. My other half (oh) is called Rob. he doesn't love Disney. We have two children, Amelia who is 11 going on 15, and Zach who is 9.

we all visited in may 16 a 10 day trip staying at AKL . it was a totally amazing. trip report here. https://www.disboards.com/threads/boys-can-go-to-space-too-a-may-june-2016-trip-report.3530416/

So oh said something on the lines of ' which bit of once in a lifetime holiday dont you understand?' and z ( Who is too clever for our good) replied 'the once bit'.

So the two of us nagged and cojoled and kept going on about it. i suggested that he would not have to come too. i can manage 2 kids in disney on my own. and he said, with witness, ok book it then. so i did.

there was a UK deal on to book for 2018 with free dining. as work was always busy in may and the summer is just too darn hot i went for the october half term plus a bit. 10 days at the beach club for 3. £150 deposit paid. the rest not due till august 18.

not sure oh that happy about it.

So that was a couple of months ago. i started reading the dis boards again and getting excited about a holiday well over a year away.

then last month i lost my job, which was quite careless of me. so no extra money to spend on a very expensive holiday. very sad me.

then I got a letter from a saving policy that is there to pay a bit of the mortgage off. i thought it would cover the minimum but it might be better than expected. I'm not sure I believe the amount but it pays out in June so we will know then. if the amount is big enough we might just make it. even if im not working...

So in hope rather than expectation the planning is back on.

 

[luckylady]

Sorry to hear about your job. Hope you find a better ome.

 

[OurLuce]

Sorry to hear about your job. Hope you find a better ome.

thanks. the only problem is I'm not sure what to do next. so for now im in the 2nd week of the 6 week summer holiday with the kids
its the longest time I've ever been with them both without any childcare. then I get to do the looking.

 

[OurLuce]

so I'm now trying to work out how to do photos without photobucket. managed to resize some on the phone. so here goes. us in Tucker house may 16.

and a far more recent one, to show how much they grow.

now that was much easier than photobucket. and easier than expected.

 

[SuperPreparo]

I don't usually comment on trip reports, but I enjoyed your other one so much and I'm glad to see you're back! Hope everything works out!!

 

[OurLuce]

I don't usually comment on trip reports, but I enjoyed your other one so much and I'm glad to see you're back! Hope everything works out!!

thank you so much. it is really nice to know they are read and enjoyed.

 

[OurLuce]

so a bit about the main players.

there is me, Lucy aka mummy and from school i was our luce. i am going to be 50 next year, so am hoping for this trip to be the big celebration. i first went to meet the mouse in 1990.. with my dad. we went back several times in the 90's with various friends and hangers on. we stayed off site and only ever did a couple of days in the park each time we went to Florida. i am currently being mum full time. but I started out as a programmer and ended up doing data analyst work in hr departments. not sure what to do next. met the oh in 2003 on holiday in Sri Lanka. we went to Florida in 2006 were we found out that our first was on the way. more about her later. favourite park. epcot.
favourite movie. probably the new beauty and the beast.

child 2 turned up 20 months after. zach is now 9 but will be 11 when we go in Oct 18. he is wearing my hat, the one I bought in epcot for me, here.
he is incredibly clever. reads books and spends too much time watching you tube. his favories are:
park. akl
film. lion king


then there is his big sister amelia. who is 11 and will be 12 by then. she is currently at scout camp and has engineering tendencies being good at maths and building things. as she isnt here i can't check the favourites. but I guess epcot and princess Jasmine...

that's enough typing for now. at some point I must get on with some first thoughts on plans but there is a long way to go.

Our Luce
x

 

[mdsouth]

Hello Lucy!

I, too have a hubby that does not like Disney. He will tolerate it but really has no desire to go again. Whereas I am constantly thinking about and dreaming about my next trip to Disney. I do not have a trip currently planned but would love to go in 2018 but it will likely be in 2019 if then.

I live here in United States but live 1, 112 miles or 1,770 kilometers away from WDW so not as far away as you are but still a distance away. It takes over 17 hours in the car to drive there and that does not include any stops along the way.

It is great that you are planning a trip with you and the kids. On my last trip in 2014, I went down to WDW with just my DD who was eleven at the time so the same age that your Annabelle will be when you go. We spent five days on our own and then my husband joined us for three since my son's high school marching band went there too and marched in the Magic Kingdom. My DD and I really enjoyed our time together and it worked out well for my husband since he was only there a few days. I have a trip report that I wrote and the link is in my signature.

I am sure you and your kids will have a wonderful time. I was very comfortable taking a plane and going to WDW on my own with my DD since Disney makes it so easy.

You may want to check out Across the Pond's Pre-trip report. Like you she lives in the UK. I have been reading and responding with her on her trip report. She will be going in August 2018 with the same discount deal that you have the free dining offer.

 

[abarriger]

I totally understand having a significant other who says stuff like "once in a lifetime..." each trip I plan my wife says "This is getting out of hand, we just said X days" and then every next time it becomes x+2 or so!

 

[OurLuce]

I'm so amazed people are reading. thank you. hopefully I can keep this going for over a year! It really is a long time away As OH doesn't get disney he doesn't understand how safe and happy the place makes me feel. It has been quite a tough year as my father died last December then I lost my job. I really need some pixie dust in my life right now. my dad and I had some great holidays in Florida. We went for the first time just after I left university. we spent a week in Orlando and a week in st. Pete's, over the Christmas holidays. Christmas day was spent at epcot first then we hopped over to the mk and had dinner at the liberty bell tavern and watched the parade. It was totally magical. new year was down on the beach, we drank champagne twice, once for the UK and once for America. I loved being warm at Christmas. you could so tell the brits. we were wearing shorts and t shirts whilst the locals were in jumpers.

Meanwhile in the rest of my life we've been buying school uniform .. both are starting new schools in September. a because she is going up to secondary school, the local comprehensive. we have got so fed up of the primary that we are moving z to a little village school about 5 miles away (the old school is a couple of hundred yards down the road in our village) he will be one of 9 in his class so cross fingers.

next week we really ought to get ready for this year's holiday. we are going to the lake district . warning: there will be photos. I think we are driving to Manchester on Friday evening, stating at mil' s house and then taking her with us on saturday. she will be babysitting when we go out for our posh meal when we are away. every year we take each other out for a Michelin starred meal for our birthdays. we've been doing it since oh was 40. this year we going to leclume. very excited. kids are going on a sailing course. there will be lots of walking with lots breaks in cake shops. battery is going so better stop for now.

Our Luce

 

[OurLuce]

hi all.

it is official. exercise is bad for you. went cycling with the kids last Tuesday. we stopped for a picnic. It was sunny and beautiful. then 2 miles later I fell off. one x-ray later and I've broken my elbow. luckily it doesn't need a cast but I have a sling and can't drive for a bit. so great for the holiday we are now on.

So we are now away. staying in the lake district. It is all very beautiful.

first the cottage... bit small for 5. (we have brought mil with us). barely any internet and no phone.



more to follow
Our luce

 

[OurLuce]

I will do a mini trip report of the holiday in the lakes, but children don't go back to school till next week so have been trying to herd them. so it won't be till next week.

Meanwhile, we have been thinking about next year's trip. it's zach's turn to choose and he wants to go on a cruise.. he has been chatting to neighbours who go on a few a year .. I thought I'd converted him to wdw hence the deposit paid for october 18. but he was chatting with oh on a walk and he does want to cruise.

So we started looking at disney cruises, maybe we could move the deposit over. and oh said he would come too, he would be ok on a big boat (he doesn't like boats under 50 foot as they are "small" and he thinks he will end up in the water) and he has always wanted to visit Vancouver... so, maybe it's a 7 night Alaska trip with a couple of days in Vancouver to start and a couple of days in Montreal on the way home (first look at flights had us changing in Montreal on the way back so we might as well stop there and visit another city). the cruise would depart Aug 20th the exact dates would depend on flights but we need to be back for school start in September.. what do you think?

 

[OurLuce]

long time no write

Sorry

but I'm on the wrong board now... we have gone and booked flights, hotel and cruise. we've even paid a deposit. so it might just happen.

So we are flying air Canada to Vancouver then staying for 3 nights before the Alaskan disney cruise on the wonder. for our first ever cruise. excited.

I hooked up with a friend from school who is now a travel agent who has sorted it for us.. I've known Alison since we started school..so we were 5 when we first met. we share a birthday. she is going to South Africa for her 50th birthday holiday which also sounds awesome but her child is all grown up and she even has a granddaughter who looks just like her at the same age.

kids are both at new schools. a is loving being at secondary school. she has joined the science club and the textiles club. with those, scouts and playing in a county orchestra life is busy for her.

we moved z from our village primary to an even smaller one. he seems to have settled in ok. however they are worried about his social skills so are getting in the ed physc. we think the only problem is that the other kids aren't quite like him and he would rather be reading a book than playing football with the boys. we shall see what they come up with.

So back to the important stuff..we ate cruising next August!!!!! I think I'm going to need a plan..