Escaping to the Bubble TR About This Page:

[lfredsbo]

Okay - I was a bit hesitant starting this PTR for a few reasons:
1) I did one for our 2011 trip and never got around to completing the TR - it is actually all typed up and ready to upload, but without photos ~ although those are all put in folders on the computer too, but not uploaded.........life got in the way
2) We were not 100% sure that this trip would actually occur - and there is still a possibility that it might get postponed............there are so many health issues with our family right now that if something happens, we might have to make adjustments (we have purchased the trip insurance, so hopefully that is my insurance that I don't have to use it and spent $79 on nothing!).

So anyway - I am going to start this and hope that I can come back to the complete the TR, fingers crossed!!!

This trip originated back in March while DH (Scott, 44) was home recouperating from shoulder surgery...........too much time on his hands!!! We had originally said that we were either going to skip Disney this year, or only go for a long weekend as we had gone on a cruise during the April spring break. Well, this trip was originally booked as a long weekend - Thursday 10/4 - Monday 10/8. Well.........as the planning occurred, we were starting to feel like we were going to be missing out quite a bit of our favorites - it would be a 14 months since our last visit after all! So after checking the flights a bit, we found that it was much cheaper to fly back on Tuesday 10/9, so added that day on! Then a few weeks later, checked Southwest again, flights went way down to fly out on 10/3........hmmm.....added another day!!! ..................well a few months later, things started getting even crazier here on the homefront.....................checked Southwest AGAIN ............yep, flights down $50pp to fly out on 10/2!!!!! Called Scott again............we discussed it, because now we would be taking DD (Emily, 13) out of school for 5 days now............and we agreed - to heck with it, we NEED this..........and BAM................there we go, now our trip is a FULL week, with us arriving on Tuesday, October 3rd very early (taking a 6:05 am flight, arriving in MCO at 9:10 a.m.!!! )...........and NOT coming home until Tuesday, October 9th on the 6:50pm flight, getting back to CT at 9:25pm!!! 7 full nights, 8 days in the BUBBLE!!!!

We will be staying at Saratoga Springs (our home resort) in a studio - we are conserving our points for next summer! We originally tried to get into BLT, but no luck - then BWV, no luck there either ..........guess it is meant for us to stay at SSR!

I am so EXCITED to be going in October!! That used to be our favorite time of the year to visit, of course when Emily was much younger, and we didn't have to worry about school so much. We LOVE the MNSSHP!!!! And Scott and I have never really been able to enjoy much of the F&WF, as Emily was younger and her interests were more into MK than Epcot, and we also used to visit in October with another family and they were never interested in F&WF.............so this time we get to explore it all on our OWN!!!



A little back info as to why this is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo needed.............we have had a few years of just plain ol' yucky, horrible, can't make this stuff up type of life.......... I will give a brief synopsis of what we are dealing with (I have elaborated some on the family forum)...........

• *Scott was diagnosed last year with 2 types of Thyroid Cancer, had the surgery, treatment, etc, but still has some effects from it.
• *I suffered from endometriosis for year, had to have hysterectomy
• *My mom was diagnosed with lung cancer, COPD, fibro myalgia 2 yrs ago
• *Scott's dad diagnosed/treated/recovered from bladder/prostate cancer 2 years ago.............now has stage 4 mesoththiolma (having 5th chemo treatment as I write this).
• *Scott's mom suffers from mental health issues, they have flared considerably with all that occurred.
• *Scott's grandparents (ages 100 & 94) are still with us, however, grandpa had a heart attack/stroke 1 week after turning 100 in June, been in nursing home since, recently moved both grandparents into nursing home together, but they are not well

And then all the little things that happen in between! Sigh...................it's been a rough time................so we are escaping to the Bubble, even if just a short time, we are hoping to get quality, uninterrupted time with each other.

So as of now..............of course, I keep changing things on a daily basis, so any of this is subject to change! Our plans are looking like this:

• 10/2: Arrival day, hoping to check in by 10:30ish, fingers crossed that a room is ready! Head to DTD for some Earl of Sandwich, renew our AP's & TIW and then head straight for MK!!! Then for dinner, we are trying out the Spirit of Aloha Luau at the Poly (a first for us!).
• 10/3: Either MK or AK in the morning, followed by a break by the pool for the afternoon, with dinner at Akershus with our Princess Friends, and hopefully catch Illuminations!
• 10/4: Breakfast at Tusker House with our favorite server, Neil ~ and of course, some of our favorite characters, Donald, Mickey, Goofy & Daisy! Then we will spend a few hours at AK before heading back to resort for a break and to get ready for the MNSSHP!!! We still have to make our Halloween tees for the party!
• 10/5: Start the day off at DHS, with an early lunch at 50's Prime Time (another first for us!), then venture over to Epcot for some F&WF fun!
• 10/6: Breakfast with Pooh & Friends at the Crystal Palace and some more fun at Magic Kingdom, dinner at 1900 Park Fare with Cindy and gang............then no real set plans for evening - possibly DTD or mini golf.
• 10/7: Start the day in Epcot, we currently have an early dinner booked at La Hacienda, however, probably going to cancel, as it no longer accepts TIW . Evening will be spent at MK for EMH!
• 10/8: Not sure where will begin day, possibly AK, probably sleep in a bit. Dinner at Via Napoli, then onto DHS for EMH!
• 10/9: Departure day ....BUT we have most of the day! Breakfast early at Ohana, back to room to finish packing, then hit up any park we want, late lunch at Tony's Town Square (this is tradition for us, we always eat here on our last day before heading to airport!)

So that's it for now.............as I said, I am hoping to make a few tweeks here and there...........hoping to move Ohana to a different morning. And we are going to be taking full advantage of the DVC discount on the Premium AP's, so we are hoping to surprise Emily with some DQ time somewhere in there! Haven't been there since she was 5!

[lauriep]

Sounds like a great and very much needed vacation! I sure can see why you got the trip insurance. Let's hope spending the $79 insures that you won't need it. Glad you upped the time to get a full week!

[lazanya]

You really have been through a lot. Hoping that spending the $79 means that you won't need it.

[Principessa_di_Fata]

I hope you don't need the trip insurance - it sounds like you really need the trip!!

[chezp]

Wow, it sounds like you really need this vacation!

[KMB733]

After reading your thread in the Family Room forum, there is not doubt that you guys need this trip!! And I notice that you'll be arriving on my Birthday, so you have to make sure to have extra fun for me

[MikeL]

Lisa great to see you back. I remember about the time you were doing 3 LISA tr and the one regarding you family trip SADDLECRAP just broke out for all of you. Glad to see some things have settled down a bit.
Your plans look great But can't understand why so little time at DHS not looking to meet up with Kermit and get him to enjoy an AB or two???

[MayraLR]

Great plans! It sounds like you really need this trip. Hope it works out!

[Cam22]

No doubt you all deserve this trip! I still hope we manage to meet you all!

[disneymom57]

Great plans!

[kingfamily1129]

so glad you, scott, and Em are heading to the world for this MUCH needed trip that you don't have to use your vacation insurance...

[mushu22]

Great start

[lfredsbo]

Originally Posted by lauriep

Sounds like a great and very much needed vacation! I sure can see why you got the trip insurance. Let's hope spending the $79 insures that you won't need it. Glad you upped the time to get a full week!

Thanks, I sure hope that by purchasing it means that I have wasted $79!!!

Originally Posted by lazanya

You really have been through a lot. Hoping that spending the $79 means that you won't need it.

Thanks, I sure hope so!

Originally Posted by Principessa_di_Fata

I hope you don't need the trip insurance - it sounds like you really need the trip!!

thanks, I hope we won't either!

Originally Posted by chezp

Wow, it sounds like you really need this vacation!

Thanks - YES we do!!!

Originally Posted by KMB733

After reading your thread in the Family Room forum, there is not doubt that you guys need this trip!! And I notice that you'll be arriving on my Birthday, so you have to make sure to have extra fun for me

Thanks, we certainly do! And I will be sure to get a "birthday" hug from Mickey for you!

Originally Posted by MikeL

Lisa great to see you back. I remember about the time you were doing 3 LISA tr and the one regarding you family trip SADDLECRAP just broke out for all of you. Glad to see some things have settled down a bit.
Your plans look great But can't understand why so little time at DHS not looking to meet up with Kermit and get him to enjoy an AB or two???

Thanks Mike - yes, it had settled for a little bit, but unfortunately it all broke loose again . Kermit, well, that might be hard this go around considering that my "frog" will be coming along for this trip..........but I will be sure to have plenty of AB's with my true frog!

Originally Posted by MayraLR

Great plans! It sounds like you really need this trip. Hope it works out!

Thanks! We do! It's looking better each day!

Originally Posted by Cam22

No doubt you all deserve this trip! I still hope we manage to meet you all!

Thanks Cam! I do hope that we get to at least say hi!!

Originally Posted by disneymom57

Great plans!

thanks!

Originally Posted by kingfamily1129

so glad you, scott, and Em are heading to the world for this MUCH needed trip that you don't have to use your vacation insurance...

Thanks Shelley! I really hope that I have wasted that $79!!!

Originally Posted by mushu22

Great start

Thanks!

[Colexis Mom]

Great plans Lisa! I hope you're able to get in this vacation!

[lfredsbo]

hello again...................told you there would be some tweeks! As soon as I finished typing the beginning yesterday..........I went onto the and started looking at dining AGAIN...........starting to think I have an obsession?!?! And I have added another ADR for 10/3 for a late breakfast at 1900 park fare.............now, not sure that my family is going to want to keep it ~ Scott is worried about taking time out of the parks! - he keeps reminding me that this is a shorter trip than we usually do (11-12 days) BUT I have to keep REMINDING him that we DO have 7 nights and 8 days!!!! He is SUCH a kid!!! Cracks me up! I believe I had mentioned that we were taking advantage of the DVC Premium AP special, and when I told him about it, he said, "well we aren't going to take away park time to go to the water parks, we will use that next summer".................uh, NO dear..........it now means that we are saving $$$ by purchasing the Premium and don't have to pay extra to enter the water parks or DQ so therefore if we only go for a couple hours, so be it!!! I just can't pull that boy away from the parks!

Oh yeah - and I also checked the park hours again, because you know I am a bit obsessive about checking everything each day (which reminds me I have to check dining again when I am done here..........) and originally when we started planning most of the parks were to close by 9 or 10 each night.............well now we have LATE nights!!! We LOVE late nights at the parks!!! Who needs sleep when you are in the bubble???!

I also realized that I forgot to give better intros to our little cast ~ sorry, no pics right now ~ as I am at work.............shhhh! But I am sure you can figure out who is who with my sig pic! ~ but I will try to do it from my phone in a bit!




[IMG]So I am Lisa, 40 and LOVE all things Disney!!! I also LOVE to travel, photography (especially where I travel), scrapbooking (especially where I travel). I am a social worker (most days really love my job, others not so much!), blessed to be a mom to a terrific daughter who teaches me new things every day, and have been married to Scott for 15 years, however, we started dating when I was only 16!!! Many people find it humorous that 2 of 3 of my bestest friends are also named Lisa! 2 of the Lisa's turned 40 last year and spent an entertaining "Lisa only" trip to the bubble (you can find the link to that completed TR below in my sig if you would like!), the other Lisa, well she is still a youngin'! My favorite characters are: Tinker Bell, Stitch & Goofy!




Then there is Scott, 44 - my husband. Scott has grown to LOVE to travel thanks to me! he never went anywhere really as a kid (although he did visit WDW when he was 12, driving in a station wagon with no a/c from CT!) ~ whereas I grew up a military brat and can't sit still! He just got his first passport this past winter! Scott originally started his career life as a mechanical engineer, then took a wide turn into a career change and is now a career fire fighter in one of the major cities in our state (he actually works about an hour from home!) and he has been very happy with his career since he change 14 years ago! Most of the men in his family are either fireman or police (with the exception of his Dad) so I knew he would eventually end up there! Scott also owns his own mowing/plowing business which usually helps funds the vacations! He also has a hard time sitting still and has to always stay busy ~ which is why the last year and a half was hard on him - as he is now officially a "cancer survivor"!!! Scott favorite characters are: Tigger, Goofy, Mickey & the Villans.




Emily is our only child (we are very blessed and lucky to have her!) - she is 13 going on 30!!! And she too LOVES to travel! She already has it planned that her and I are visiting Paris when she graduates! Em had inherited the type A gene from both parents and really does NOT sit still for long! Her life revolves around Dance ~ she has been dancing since she was 3 (she actually asked for it on her 3rd birthday to sign up for dance!) and hasn't stopped since! She takes ballet, pointe, modern, tap and jazz! She had danced with the Rockettes in NYC and the cast of Billy Elliott for workshops! Her dance studio has a group that you have to audition for that goes out into the community to perform at nursing homes, special events, they have danced for Make a Wish fundraisers and families at the Ronald McDonald house - she has been part of that for 3 years now - we are VERY proud of her! Emily also has a plan that she will become a marine biologist ~ she has been able to spend some time at camps near us that focus on marine biology. So her plan is that she will go to college in FL and study by day and dance for Disney in the parades or shows at night! Her favorite characters are: Stitch, Cinderella, Ariel & Thumper.

So there you have it! That's us in a nutshell!