"Hey, Mom, Dad, get on plane and go to Disney" Trip report - "Finding shelter from the fireworks" - **Updated 11/13** About This Page:

[PrincessSharon]

Your ADRs look It sounds like a fabulous trip in the making, for sure!

[chezp]

You've got some great plans there Nala! And that's too funny about the reason Grumpy wants to go to the luau....

[bsblady01]

more please

[DoraDoug]

It sounds like your plans are coming together nicely. You are going to love CG! That is one of our favorite restaurants. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water!

[DyanKJ130]

Glad you were able to get all of your ADRs!! YUMMO!!

[lindawdw]

Sounds like some great ADR's Nala!!! You're going to really enjoy the CG. We were just there for dinner this past week and had a fantastic meal.

[angiek1024]

Just getting caught up with your pre trip report! Looks like some wonderful plans!

[bonphil]

Wonderful plans. Looking forward to the fun stuff!

[ArielsMomto2]

Great looking ADR's. Hurry back with more.

[MontiMouse]

Sounds like you have some great plans for your upcoming trip!!! I am also a big fan of California Grill so I can't wait to hear what you think of it.

[ilovedisney0_0]

I remember reading in your other TR about how much Grumpy enjoyed his birthday meal at CS, so I am sorry you won't get to go back. But CG, oh my gosh, how exciting!! Have a magical time!

[KandJluvdisney]

Sounds great nala
everything sounds wonderful
spoiled girl with the poly ip
hurry back with more

[Nala]

With the hotel choices and the ADRs booked, I was down to the last big detail of the trip. Booking our flights. AirTran out of Bloomington, Il was really our only option and other than having to make a connecting flight in Atlanta, we have no problem flying with them. While I would love to have the luxury of a direct flight, getting one meant driving to St Louis or Chicago, both three hours away, and paying a small fortune in parking fees for ten days. So we stuck with AirTran. For months I watched the fares and they never got to where I wanted them (and had been lucky enough to get in the past) and with the flights filling up, I caved in and booked at a rate that was the highest we have ever paid on AirTran. And wouldn’t you know it, two weeks after I did, the rates dropped by $40 a ticket each way!

And for the record, I made certain before I hit the send button on our reservation that I did not book our return flight on the same day as our arrival flight.

But as a side note to this TR, I do have a funny story about that very thing. I overheard a co-worker of mine talking with another co-worker about all the nightmares she had with booking a flight for her upcoming trip to FL. Now mind you, this is the same co-worker that I overheard talking about booking a flight on Allegiant several months prior and warned her not to do it. I felt compelled to share my horror stories about this airline and did my best to warn her. But she didn’t listen, booked her flight and low and behold, it was cancelled and she was left high and dry to find another flight. She then decided to fly AirTran out of Bloomington but the funny part was I heard her say that she went to print out her confirmation a few days before she left and discovered her return flight was on the same day as her arrival flight!

Been there, done that.

But thankfully, I had caught my error as soon as I had done it. She did not and since she was well past the four hour window (like weeks past it) to make a change without additional charges, paid the price. I had to share my story of how I had done the same thing and thought it was a glitch in their website, and as I walked away, heard her say to the other co-worker involved in the conversation that maybe this was a scam on the airline’s part to get more money out of people. Yeah, I bet that’s it.

Anyhow, back to the trip at hand.

To pass the time as we waited for the days to go by, I entertained myself by working on an autograph book for Kiara. Grumpy had shamed me on the last trip for not making her one (all in good fun) so I decided I would pull out all the stops and make her a whopper of a book. What should have been a simple autograph book turned into a overly bright, busting at the seams, obnoxiously loud, monster of a book. And one I am sure I will be stuck carrying all over the parks.

In an effort to break up the type with some pictures, here are a few of the pages of the book:





A few months ago, Kiara and I made a trip to the mall to hit our local Disney store. We also took a side trip to the Hallmark store and I discovered a deck of playing cards with vintage Mickey’s on them. I had no idea what I would do with them, but they were so cute, I bought them. Several weeks ago, another trip to the Disney store was in order to pick up Kiara’s costume for MNSSHP (but more on that in a minute) and we took another side trip through the Hallmark store. This time, I discovered a deck of Tinkerbell playing cards! And unlike the Mickey ones, I did know what to do with these. They would make perfect tags for her autograph book. So I backed them with white paper, attached a ribbon and she now had cute little tags for the characters to sign. (the tops of the cards can be seen sticking out of the pockets)

I really have a point here, so hang with me. As I made those tags for Kiara‘s book, it hit me that these would be perfect for CM Thank you cards! And so would the Mickey playing cards I had stashed away. When I showed the Tink cards to Grumpy, he also came up with the same idea. Great minds. So, I set to work on those and here is what they look like:



This time, I left a blank space under the words "Thank You" to write in the CM's name on the card and make it more personal.

I really can’t wait to hand these out to those special, hard working CMs who bring so much magic to our trip. And this trip, I won’t be shy about passing them out to the guests who do the same.

As far as the other fun stuff planned, I have already said that we are doing MNSSHP on two nights. We loved it so much last year, but there just wasn’t enough time to do it all. I can’t wait to see the Headless Horseman make his ride down Main Street. And this year I hope to take in more of the trick or treat trails and hit a dance party. And as for Hallowishes, Grumpy and I plan to exit the park about a half hour before, ride the monorail around the resort loop and hopefully return to the party. I may have to load Kiara up with some sugar before we leave the park to keep her awake on our detour. Another option would be to find a CS with a closed door that we could slip in and take a little break.

Much to my dismay, I couldn’t come up with an idea for new costumes that appealed to Grumpy. I suggested Kiara going as Snow White, Grumpy as Grumpy (would a costume really be required for that one?) and me as the Evil Queen (again, would a costume be required?). He didn‘t like that idea. So I shot him the idea of Lucy Pevensie, Mr. Tummus and the White Witch (notice a theme here in my wanting to dress as a wicked villain?). He also shot that idea down and stated it was Peter Pan, Wendy and Tink, or nothing. We had the costumes from last year, (well, Kiara had outgrown her Tink costume which prompted a trip to the Disney store) and it was easy and cheap to wear them again. So I had no choice but to agree. And to be honest, it really was much easier than racking my brain for a new idea. For anyone who read my “Kiara’s Not So Scary Surprise” trip report from last year, the pictures of us at MNSSHP will look much the same this year.

So, this years pictures will look very much like this:



Thanks to the Poly IP office being able to fulfill my request, Kiara has an appointment at the new location of BBB. On the afternoon of our second MNSSHP, Kiara will be transformed into Tinkerbell and it will all happen in the castle. I know she doesn’t get all the details about this, but I am sure that once she is in the chair and being fussed over by her fairy godmother in training, her excitement will rival her mother’s. And the fact that it will happen in the castle, will just add to the magic!

And speaking of the Poly, I have a confession to make. I have developed an odd, geeky characteristic of forcing my family to dress the same when we go to WDW. A few trips back, when the Incredibles were hot, I couldn’t resist putting the three of us in the red tee shirts with the big “I” logo on them. I figured that at least one CM would pick up on our last name and make the connection when we checked in. To be honest, I don’t remember if anyone did. The last trip, when we went to the BC, I dressed all of us in some piece of attire that was navy blue. Navy blue to me seemed nautical and the logical choice. But, just the three of us wearing clothing of the same color, was not that obvious. This trip, however, I went overboard. Early in the summer, when I checked out a sale email from Disney Direct, I discovered a Mickey and friends Hawaiian print group of clothing fit for the entire family. It was perfect for our arrival at the Poly! So, I purchased a dress for myself and Kiara and a matching shirt for Grumpy. If we don’t look like total matching geeks in those outfits, we never will. I only hope that the weather in central IL will cooperate, as it could be warm or it could be snowing. If it is too cold for sun dresses and sandals for Kiara and I, and a Hawaiian shirt and shorts for Grumpy, we will move to plan B of whatever we can find that is not in the suitcase and save the matching, total geek, family attire for the luau.

What trip to WDW in the early fall would be complete without a tour or two of the F&W festival? While I did cover our plans for enjoying the festival, I also need to say that Grumpy and I are looking forward to seeing one of the bands playing there during our trip. Otis Day and the Knights! I mean, what self respecting “Animal House” fan will ever forget the scene in the Dexter Lake Club and Boon’s classic line of “Otis, my man”?

All I can say is, Shama Lama Ding Dong!

And I won’t be surprised if we hear the “Otis, my man” line a time or twelve (or even be guilty of saying it ourselves) and possibly see drunk people convulsing on the ground as they play “Shout”. Who knows, we may even see a toga or two.

Although, I have to say that after reviewing the bands that would be there for the F&W festival, Grumpy and I gave brief consideration to changing our trip to a few weeks later to check out the Village People!

There are also plans in the works for some PassPorter meets. Dr Dolphin and her traveling partner, FanofMickey, will be in the world at the same time. We have talked of having a “Stop, Drop and Roll” meet, as Dr. Dolphin called it, which would be meeting at MGM for a ride or two on RNRC and TOT. I hope this happens as Grumpy and I have been doing these two rides solo for so long, it would be nice to do them with someone we know sitting next to us and not a total stranger. Those rides are so much fun in on their own, but being with someone you know to laugh, scream and act silly with takes them up a notch. So I hope these two PassPorters are up for a double dip and a double flip! Plus, I would love to see Dr. Dolphin again and meet FanofMickey for the first time.

I also hope that we will be able to meet up again with Disneydani and her DH, who will be down for a short trip. Since she is a veteran of the GF and I am a GF lover who has yet to stay there, I hope we can get together so she can work her magic on Grumpy and convince him we must stay there some day. But all kidding aside, it would be wonderful to see her and her DH again!

And I know IdahoDisneyMom and her family will be at CP the same time as us before MNSSHP, so I will be on the look out for them. In fact, I think there is a lot of PassPorters going to MNSSHP on 10/4, so if you see a middle aged Peter Pan and Wendy with a really cute little Tinkerbell, say hello. Odds are good, it will be us.

Also, I hope to see some of the wonderful CMs who have made our trips magical in the past. We will be at the AK at least two times during our trip so I hope we will get to see Bryon at the Dawa Bar. I have also been in contact with Teena, the CM from the BC who sprinkled magic on us during our last trip. I hope that when we are at the YC, she will be on duty and and Kiara will have the chance to trade a pin with her again.

Well, I guess that is it as far as the pre-trip stuff goes. All I have to do now is count down the days and the hours and the minutes until I return to my happy place and start making more magical memories for myself and my pride.

And finally, after thirty six years of longing, get to fulfill my childhood dream.

[tammyd_rn]

Nala:
Your autograph book and thank you cards are great. They will definitely bring a smile to anyone who is priviledged to recieve one.
I think your MNSSHP will be just as great as last years if not better.
Thanks for sharing.

[chezp]

The autograph book and the CM thank you cards are just awesome. I really wish I could make things as beautiful as that.

Well, it sounds like you're all set - and even better, have a return flight that's on a different day from your arrival!