Northern Lights do the Southern Tip En Masse: Pre-Trip - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Northern Lights do the Southern Tip En Masse: Pre-Trip
First of all...thanks again to snoozin for the rocking TR title. I was having a brain-block!
Well, here goes nothing!! I've been so busy that I haven't bothered to gather all my thoughts together for a pre-trip report for you guys!
Some background on my affair with WDW....
As you may have read, we are taking another trip to my favorite place....Walt Disney World!! Actually, I really do love WDW, but the part of the trip that brings me the most joy is the escape from home. Don't get me wrong, I love Alaska. I've lived here for almost my whole life (about 30 of my 37 years). My Dad, Brother and DSIL live up here, so there's little chance that I would leave. Besides, my DH has a great job that would be near impossible to get down south. I'm sure we'll be here until retirement, and probably even after that. That said, after staying up here for 12 years straight, I had to escape! The first trip was in 2003. As far as my DH was concerned, we could wait another 12 years for trip number two. Silly, silly man! He didn't realise that a monster had been created. The planning, dreaming, organizing monster that was his wife! Muahhahahahah!
We had earned free plane tickets in 2003 by getting bumped on the way home, so our next trip came in October 2004. We were in Florida long enough to go trick-or-treating and play in the pool at our rental home, then I called home to find that my Mom was very ill. We flew home the next day. She passed away a couple days later and it devastated all of us. My Mom was my best friend, and DD Hailey was so very close to her. Mom had wanted me to wake her the morning that we left to say goodbye, but it was soooo early that I didn't want to bother her. I still feel guilty about that. I could've given her one more hug and kiss.
Along comes spring of 2005, Hailey and I were doing ok. I kept seeing ads for WDW on tv. I started thinking about trying another trip. My DH wasn't interested, but I managed to convince him that Hailey and I really needed to get away. That trip turned into a surprise trip! You may have read about that trip here. (http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...ed-9-13-a.html
) It was a huge success and we had a complete blast! It was the first time that I actually set up ADRs and what a huge difference that made, I can't even tell you. As I said then, I'll NEVER do another WDW trip without setting up at least one ADR per day. Even when we didn't use them, it was wonderful to have them to fall back on. Thank you Passporters. I was learning......
Spring of 2006 rolls around. Our DD Sheridan was 3 1/2 and ready for her first WDW trip! (The one in 2004 obviously didn't count! Never made it to a park.) Again, Mr. Crankypants (AKA DH) didn't want to travel! He wanted to be RESPONSIBLE and pay off bills with our tax return. Have you ever heard of such a thing? Me either. We decided to split it! The girls and I went to WDW for a week and once again had a great time. We stayed on property for the first time. I picked Pop Century for both the price and the child-friendly ambiance. I purchased an AP and DDE card. We got such a great AP rate that I actually came out a little ahead even with the extra cost of the AP.
I'll bet you can see where this is going........I had an AP in hand! Come spring of 2007 it was burning a hole in my pocket! Really! It was calling to me....."Shawna! Oh Shawna!!?? Why are you ignoring me? You know what fun I am. How could you let me sit here in your Passporter all alone? It wouldn't be responsible to let me expire without using me one more time. It would be like throwing money out the window. Think of all the free fun you are missing! Call Disney ....just call themmmmmmmmm...."
For real. It really happened that way! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
So, I talked my DH into a TINY Mom-only trip last March. I had a bonus from work, part of a tax return and an AP! I was good-to-go! I left my family at home and took off for 5 days to Pop again. My DDs were a little upset, but we had planned to go this fall anyway, and I explained that I couldn't afford to take them this time. They were amazingly great about it! The trip was nice, but I found out that I am just not set up for solo travel. I wasn't lonely, yet I found that I really couldn't love WDW as much without my girls. Even when they bug me to death, get whiney or tired, they are still my babies, and I missed them. It made me feel a little invisible! Like everyone else there was chatting, laughing and having fun with their families and friends, and I was floating along with nobody! (Wow, I'm quite the whiner aren't I? Oh well, that's how I felt half the time!) That's why I didn't do a TR for that trip. Who wants to read a half-hearted TR when they would LOVE to be at WDW? I wouldn't!
So, back to real life. I figured that we'd probably blow off taking another trip this fall. My DH could do without as usual, and I was feeling a little ambivalent about WDW after the solo trip. We had landscaping to do this summer, and the money was needed in other places. So what happened? My DH is what happened!
Tune in later to hear the insane idea that he came up with!
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What? What did he do? Are you taking tips from Amy on "cliff hangers"? Hurry back!
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Oct '99: CSR ~ May '02: CR ~ Nov '04: SOG ~ May '06: SOG ~ Dec '07: Solo @ Pop ~ May '08: Pop w/friends ~ Oct '08: SOG ~ Dec '09: Pop w/LeAnn ~ Sept '10: Solo @ Pop ~ Spring '11: AKL ~ Jan '12: Pop for 1/2 Marathon ~ Sept '12: 1st trip for DL 1/2 Marathon? ~ Feb '13: Pop w/pals? ~ Mar '13: Tokyo Disney w/PP's?
Last spring, not too long after I returned from my solo trip, my DBIL and DSIL decided that they were going to split up. They have had problems for a long while yet it was still a surprise! DBIL and the kids started spending a lot of time at our house on the weekends, which we enjoyed, cause our kids are about the same ages and get along great! DNiece and DD Sheridan are about 1.5 years apart and pretty much disappear together and we don't hardly see them at all! (DN is almost 7 and DD is 5). DNephew is only 6 months younger than DD Hailey at 13.
So, one Saturday, after a big barbeque and a few adult beverages, DH and I are sitting with DBIL and our picture album gets pulled out. It's from our first trip and we have TONS of pictures! DH starts going thru all the Kennedy Space Center pix with DBIL, explaining every little thing (he's got a killer memory for anything except what I tell him! ). DBIL says that he hopes to sometime get the kids down there. DNephew seconds that, of course! They haven't ever taken a vacation. Money has always been an issue. Or lack thereof!
The next thing I know, my DH is saying that they should go on our next trip with us! Then he's offering to take them all. Then he's talking about how we always rent a house and a car, so that's no extra money. He was kinda getting into it while I'm standing there like this ... which moves to this as he keeps talking. Who is this man? The one who has really only been on the very first trip? (the 2nd one doesn't count, even though he was there for all 2 days of it.) The one who kept telling me that I was blowing every bit of extra money on my addiction and it was time to spend money on something else? Mr. Crankypants himself?
I just shut my mouth and stayed out of it. I figured it was beer talking and he'd claim no knowledge of the conversation later!
The next day, I couldn't stand it any longer! Here's about how the conversation went:
Me: Hun? Did you really mean it when you offered to bring your brother and kids on our next trip?
DH: What?
Uh oh, this is what I thought would happen!
Me: Ah hah! I knew you were tipsy and out of your mind!!
DH: Of course I meant it! Would I offer if I didn't mean it?
Me: shocked silence that he would admit it to me.......
DH: Not that we have to go this year. I didn't say for sure.
Me: When did you mean to go?
DH: Well, I like when we usually go in October.
Me: Like, this October? The dividends are suppposed to be big! (Alaska Permanent Fund Dividends, paid every year to every Alaskan, out of a ginormous savings account from the oil industry money. They've ranged anywhere from $200 to $2000 per person, per year. Thanks to the insane price of oil the last few years, the dividends have been going up every year! They are paid in early October. I still won't go into Wal Mart yet. CRAZY!!!!)
DH: I don't want a crappy flight like your last one! (he likes the one-stop flight thru Minneapolis with Northwest) And I want to rent a house. And stay 2 weeks. It's not worth it to fly down for just a week. Too much travel time. (well, yeah. True!)
Me: I'll take a look online!
I moved quickly away, must escape before he changes his mind! He didn't think I could make it happen. Silly, silly man. Oh, the wheels were a turnin!
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
So, now I was in full RESEARCH mode! We've stayed in some very nice rental homes, and I had to find the PERFECT one for 7 of us. At least 4 bedrooms and a great pool. Not too far from WDW. We've stayed at Highlands Reserve Golf Resort on our first trip and it is beautiful! So, I started searching the internet for private owners in that resort. There are tons! I had found a home a couple years ago that I had actually bookmarked so I wouldn't forget it. It has 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a kick-butt pool area. Huge and private. So I dropped the owner an email. And waited. And waited. Left him a phone message. And waited. They live in New Jersey, and apparently have more going on in life than worrying about renting their vacation home. So, I went back to the gal at Orlando Pool Homes, who we usually rent from. She sent me pictures of a couple homes. They always gave us great service, yet it is not possible to guarantee a specific home. So they give you an idea of the house, general area, price, etc. The first home was perfect. The second home that we stayed in (the short trip), not so much. Very tropical decor. Peach and green, palms, and all glass topped tables....not really safe with DD 2 at the time. Too much of a neighborhood. The home next door had a car being worked on in the driveway, etc. Didn't have to suffer long in that one, as we left early.
The third house, for our surprise Mom and DD trip, was GORGEOUS! But way the heck down Poinciana Blvd. Took about 25 minutes to get into Disney area.
Just when I thought that I might have to settle for the unknown at a good price, I get an email from the guy with the great home! Yeah!! I was expecting the quote to be $159-$179 per night according to his rate chart. (yes, that is for the whole house! ) He gave me a kickin deal at $135 per night! Even with paying extra for pool heat (we're wienies) and tax, we'd be paying $1971 for 11 nights!
About This Page: 
Thank you Passporters. I was learning......
Me either. We decided to split it! The girls and I went to WDW for a week and once again had a great time. We stayed on property for the first time. I picked Pop Century for both the price and the child-friendly ambiance. I purchased an AP and DDE card. We got such a great AP rate that I actually came out a little ahead even with the extra cost of the AP. 
Come spring of 2007 it was burning a hole in my pocket! Really! It was calling to me....."Shawna! Oh Shawna!!?? Why are you ignoring me? You know what fun I am. How could you let me sit here in your Passporter all alone? It wouldn't be responsible to let me expire without using me one more time. It would be like throwing money out the window. Think of all the free fun you are missing! Call Disney ....just call themmmmmmmmm...."
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Waiting for more!!!
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which moves to this 
as he keeps talking. Who is this man? The one who has really only been on the very first trip? (the 2nd one doesn't count, even though he was there for all 2 days of it.) The one who kept telling me that I was blowing every bit of extra money on my addiction and it was time to spend money on something else? Mr. Crankypants himself? 
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