PreTrip: The Curse of the Annual Pass: The Gray Gables Girls Christmas Extravaganza
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graygables · 12-04-2005, 08:13 PM

AKA: The woman who planned a little trip and came down with a vacation.

It all started with the Curse of the Annual Pass. November 2004, the Big 4-0 in 0-4 at WDW was supposed to be my last trip until the 25th Anniversary of my 18th Birthday at Epcot trip in 2007. I promised DH. As I was packing our bags at the AKL to head home from a wonderful time, my cell phone rang. My eldest called to tell me that she had been accepted into the WDW college program for Jan 2005. Oops, dear, I did NOT mean to lie to you, but I am OBLIGATED to visit my DD on her WDW CP! So, my mom decided she wanted to come along and it turned into a trip. Because of the great discounts still available to AP holders, and since N could get me an AP at the CM discount, I went for it! Now that the evil thing was in my grasp, my mind started calculating ways to make it WORTH something. Just a few days when 365 were available to me was NOT going to cut it. Then, DH and Dds gave me a solo trip to visit CP DD for Mother’s Day in May. While I was there, I got to see some of the glories of the Happiest Celebration on Earth and decided that S and B NEEDED to see this. So, the plan was hatched. I would bring them down to WDW for a “few days” in early December to catch some of the Christmas things, too.

Now, let me back up here to say that the original, *original* plan was for us to take the 4 day Wonder DCL in mid-November for my b-day, and to celebrate DD2’s graduation, but all that was scrapped last year as DD was moving to my parents and going to attend a public school. I was still a bit bummed b/c all of Dds had sooooo looked forward to the cruise, and I had promised them someday, so the Evil AP led me to the DCL site more than once, certainly there just might be a way to combine the two.

Early in the year, we were cleaning out the attic and I found a bunch of my old stuff. I listed it on eBay, along with some dishes I no longer wanted and I must have hit it right b/c I raked in some moola! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] It didn’t take me long to realize that there was a little bonus to be had here…so back to the DCL site I went and, sure enough, there was a 3 day Wonder cruise that fit very nicely with my early December trip! Oh, Maureeeeeeeen! (TA at grandgetawaystravel…she’s the best!!!) The down payment was made for a party of 3 in a Cat 11 on the 12/8 Wonder. The plans started to really solidify at this point. Pop on 12/6, DCL on 12/8, then back to Pop until 12/13. Plane tickets purchased on USA 3000 at a great rate…we were all set! Woo-hoo!

My parents had to go pick DD1 up from her CP in August and my dad was the MK veteran of the day on his birthday. I was devastated that I couldn’t be there with them, but they took lots of photos and I got to listen on the cell phone. My dad is NOT a Disney person, but he is a telecommunications professor and was amazed and impressed by what he saw. He decided to contact WDW and see if they would give him a tour, gee, sometime in early December when his daughter and granddaughters would be there??? Yep, sure enough, Disney agreed! So, another change of plans. I didn’t want to just spend a day and a half with them, so I looked up USA3000 return flights. Since they are a charter, they only fly certain days and my next option was the 16th, OK…works for me!!! My mom was also waffling about where to stay, she is a resort snob and wanted AKL, but my Dad wouldn’t spring for it, so we settled on CBR. After looking over my eBay sales again, I decided to upgrade Dds and I, too. I changed the rental car to add the extra few days, and we were all set! Woo-hoo!

USA3000 called to tell me that our direct flight had been changed to a stopover. Ordinarily, not a big deal, but with S’s issues, it’s very hard to do more than “one up, one down” on a flight, so after going through a new computer system obstacle course, they refunded my money and I was able to purchase direct flights on Continental for $50 LESS than I had spent w/ USA3000! The only catch was we had to stay an extra day, awwwww, darn! LOL! Then, someone came up with a discount code for Alamo and I was able to change us from a full size car to a midsize SUV with an extra day for $45 less! NOW, we were all set! Woo…

DD2 decided the grass was NOT greener in public school and decided to quit and finish home schooling her senior year, to graduate in December and start full time college in January. Guess what? She wasn’t limited in vacation time anymore, so dear Maureen found out that it would only cost $350 or so to add her to our cruise! Done! I made up a card for my mom to take to her to announce that she was getting to go on the cruise after all and she was ecstatic! It’s her Christmas/graduation gift from me and she is thrilled. Now, are we all set??? Hoo!!!

Poor Maureen had to go through all of the who’s coming in when and who needs what DME. It’s all very confusing and she’s handled it so well! Thanks, Maureen!

I also made arrangements for us to see the Candlelight Processional at Epcot (hoping my dad can get a pass of some kind from the people he’s meeting with) and bought tix for us all to go to MVMCP one night together. I’m sure Dad will be ho-hum, but I’ll be at WDW with my dad…first time in 24 years! They are leaving a few days before the younger Dds and I (that pesky charter flight thing! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]), so we have a few days to relax, go to waterparks, have a VMK day at the MK, whatever strikes our fancy before returning to cold Ohio to prepare for Christmas. That is the one thing that is worrying me about this trip is that we are missing a LOT of Christmastime at home, and a lot of time w/out DH, and that seems really weird to me. I’m hoping that it doesn’t throw me off much. You think Disney World will have enough Christmas to tide me over for awhile??? [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smileysanta.gif[/img]

11/3- Maureen has been trying to convince DME that even though my Dad is not on my Mom’s ressie (he’s on mine a day later b/c he didn’t need tickets), he still should be able to use their service. They are really cracking down and the CM I spoke to was VERY Unmagical, so we scrapped their incoming DME in favor of Quicksilver town car. I’m paying for it b/c I know how they are and they’d just freak out over it, so I just told them it had been “arranged”. I’m trying to make this vacation as seamless and painless as possible for my Dad!!!

11/8-Just checked the DCL site for the millionth time and we got our cabin assignment and…an UPGRADE! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/woot.gif[/img] Doin’ the happy dance! We were in a GTY 11 and got cabin 5502...a cat 8!!! Dds will have their porthole after all! Answers to prayers, I’ll tell ya!

11/13-I’ve been working on some of the scrapping things I need to get done before the trip (autograph book, journals, gifts, door signs) and I’m really starting to panic a little. The to-do list still seem so long, but the calendar keeps getting shorter and shorter. I don’t know about anyone else, but this is one time that the trip is actually coming too fast and I wish I could slow it down and make the anticipation last longer. L I know a lot of it is my fault for procrastinating, but I really thing subconsciously I was trying to put the whole trip off. Weird, I know. I’m also terrified that something’s going to happen and we are going to get sick. I tend to get a “birthday cold” (it’s 11/16) that can linger, so I’ve been plying Dds and myself with all kinds of “immune enhancers”. Problem is, theirs is called “Sea Buddies” and I think S is starting to suspect something. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/ukid.gif[/img] I tried to explain that’s a brand name, but I think my slip up in the summer about saving money for the cruise, (er, I mean NEXT year [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] ) might have blown it just enough that she has her suspicions. I’ve also been working with Caribbean-themed papers and things (although I’ve lied and told her they were for hktmom…[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/thanx.gif[/img] for being my alibi Heather!!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img])

11/17-My mom just called to tell me that my Dad can’t go on the trip. He is a college prof and read his calendar wrong, I guess, so he has to give finals the week we are supposed to be there. He is very upset about it and I feel so badly for him, but he still wants the rest of us to go and have fun. I was able to get a refund for his MVMCP ticket and his CP package, so that’s good. That’s the only money we had in it just for him. It did change some of my dining thoughts a little…I was looking forward to enjoying a Kitchen Sink (he’s a *huge* ice cream lover) with he and Dds, but that’s not to be. L This also means that my mom will be coming in alone a day before we get back from our cruise. She’s been having some problems with brain mis-firing and dizziness, so, after some emails with some people (Maureen AGAIN…poor thing!), we decided to upgrade to the preferred view to have a better chance of having some requests met (connecting rooms, ground floor, close to OPR) So, my little, cheap Curse of the Annual Pass trip has just snowballed into a full-blown (cha-ching!) vacation. All I can say is “Thank you to all the wonderful Japanese people who bought my old stuff for entirely too much money!” [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] and a very sincere, “Thank you!” [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grouphug.gif[/img] to my clients this year for making this trip possible!!!

So, Maureen and Courtney…are we all set NOW??? [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] WOO-HOO!!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/woot.gif[/img]

11/26 - another little update since we told S and B about the cruise at dinner tonight! DH came to the table with a pirate patch on and gave them “coins” I’d gotten on eBay to scrapbook with to see if they could figure it out. They had a “ding” moment and it was priceless! S reacted so beautifully and I was all verklempt! You have to understand that this is the child who pouted and crossed her arms frowning in all of her 5th b-day pictures b/c we surprised her with the bike she’d been asking for. She hated the surprise element of it (was embarrassed) and refused to ride it…ever. This type of thing happens frequently, so we weren’t sure how she would take THIS surprise. She took it VERY well and they are so excited they still can’t sleep. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

12/2 - Tying up last minute loose ends. Realized that St. Nicholas had forgotten the chocolate Santas for the shoes on Monday (we’re doing it a day early), so I had to make a run to the store. I also decided to go ahead and get all the Christmas gifts wrapped and I was out of tape…figures! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smileysanta.gif[/img]

So, here’s the current itinerary (but from the looks of things, is subject to change at ANY TIME! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] Hopefully WITHOUT involving Maureen! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]):

12/5: drive up to the airport for a night at a park and fly hotel.

12/6: board am flight to MCO, schlep luggage to rental and drive to Pop
Swim and relax until time for MVMCP. Go to MK and cry.

12/7: Behind the Seeds tour at Epcot, lunch at the Land, then wander.
515 CP (cry some more) and dinner at Garden Grill
17yo DD flies in today and DMEs to resort

12/8: check out, pack up and drive to Port Canaveral
Board Disney Wonder and cry.
Hang out on the ship, pray for no seasickness and lots of sunshine and I plan to cry lots and lots while I watch my Dds faces. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502yes_prv.gif[/img]

12/11: debark and drive back to WDW to check in at CBR and meet my mom (who arrives the 10th)
Lunch at Epcot, then over to MGM to ride ToT (and cry [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img] ) and see the Osborne lights (pssst…I’ll probably cry again!)

12/12: AK day, watch Jingle Jungle Parade and (you guessed it) cry. Dds are going to party with Peter Pan while I take my mom and 17yo to the Garden Grill and the CP. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get back to them in time for me to take 17yo to the Adventurer’s Club, but I’m not banking on that one.

12/13: resort hop and look at Christmas decorations. Relax and get ready for yet another MVMCP! I’m sure I’ll cry again, b/c I’m a sap.

12/14: free/makeup day. Today is unplanned to catch up anything my mom feels like she wants to do. We have dinner ressies at Boma. It’s our last night all together as Mom and M are leaving via DME in the morning.

12/15: breakfast at RFC (Dds insist) and if the weather is decent, it’s Typhoon Lagoon today. This is always something we’ve put off and put off, so I’m hoping we can get it in! We have dinner at Raglan Road, then some shopping at DTD before returning to Raglan Road for dessert/music/dance.

12/16: Breakfast with Lilo and Stitch and a MK/VMK day. Today is all about VMK and doing whatever Dds want to do since it’s our last day at WDW for quite some time. Dinner is at Akershus w/ the princesses and I hope we can catch Illuminations before we leave. Walking out under the arch of lights, guess what I’ll be doing??? CRYING!

12/17: Breakfast at 1900 Park Fair, then back to CBR to hang out (if we have time) before catching DME back to jet home to the rest of a long, dark winter. L

I’m hoping I’ve planned things slower and richer this time.