Pre-Trip Change of Plans..Several Times

Hi!! So I'm sure you all have seen me posting a million questions.. (Thanks for all of the answers!).

My son is out of town this week, so I'm taking the opportunity to create this thread and put all of my madness in one place :)

He does not know about any of it yet (I booked back in March), and I'm also going to try and create an awesome scavenger hunt for the cruise reveal when he returns next weekend.

This is my sweet, crazy, adventurous Kiddo.

For several months now he's been asking to "go back to Disney World", and "Mommy, can we go on a Disney Cruise? I want to go on the big yellow slide!"

He loves all things Christmas.
He also obviously loves Disney.
So what better than to combine the two?
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Now for the Stress Zone-

Here's a little background,
In September 2015 we did a 16 night WDW/SoFla combo. I know some of you love extended time in WDW..but for me-10 days was too much (admittedly I mad a ton of mistakes with my planning)!!
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This year I decided to "do Disney with less stress"-- a Disney Cruise!!
Sounds easy, right?


After choosing the ship (Fantasy), itinerary (Western Caribbean), and travel week (11/26-12/3) I thought I was all set.

That's not how I roll though. I'm an over doer. At pretty much everything. So..I decide,
"Well, we've never been to Disney during Christmastime, and we're going to be flying into MCO anyway.. So I'll just book a quick 3 nights at WDW!"

After going back and forth between Poly and the Contemporary for weeks.. I finally decided to do the Contemporary this trip.

But Wait!! It wasn't that easy! The 3 nights that I had just priced the day before, were no longer available! Wait, what?!?! I don't understand! So I call, and I sit on hold, and then I'm told that there is a "Length of Stay Requirement on a Theme Park View Room that week." I'm utterly confused because it was available when I checked last night!
I call a travel agent. She contacts Disney for me..same response. So, I booked a Lake View for 3 nights. The more I thought about it, the more it drove me crazy. So what do I do? I call my TA and tell her to add a night so I can get my darn Theme Park View.
Now we're at 4 nights post cruise.

Bravo Disney. You got me.

Fast Forward a few months and I think "Well, we have to stay somewhere before the cruise, might as well stay at WDW." Then I stress over that.

Here's what I ended up with-

11/24-11/26 AKL Club Level (no parks)
11/26-12/3 DCL Fantasy
12/3-12/7 Contemporary TPV (parks and MVMCP)

The Contemporary will be a complete
SURPRISE for kiddo!
On the last morning of our cruise he will receive a package from Santa, in it will contain our magic bands, and a "ticket" to the MVMCP. Once we arrive at the contemporary Santa will have also left us a few surprises in our room. (I'm ordering the Christmas In Room Experience from Disney Floral and Gifts ahead of time).

Ok so, this is the start of my madness.. Any tips on a scavenger hunt cruise reveal, things to do that time of year, etc are much appreciated!
 
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21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Ok I am frustrated... I am still not able to move my 1900 PF reservation, which means I will miss the end of the OSU game :( :(

I also have still not been able to get the following ADRs-

Minnie's Holiday Dine.
Ohana.
Garden View Tea Room.

I DID secure the Jingle Bell Jingle Bam Dessert Party, so I guess that's a win.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Side note that I have to share..

This is the convo I had with my kid today...

"I wish my loose tooth would fall out already!!!"

"It will soon."

"It needs to hurry. I want my 100 Dollars from the Tooth Fairy."


"Wait, WHAT? The Tooth Fairy doesn't give you $100."


"Yes. She does. You haven't been a kid for a long long time, so you don't know. She takes your tooth from under your pillow and leaves a note and $100. Only for your first and last tooth, the rest are ONLY $20, but at least I'll get $100 two times. How many teeth do I have in my mouth?"

?????????????
Sorry, buddy. Your tooth fairy doesn't leave hundred or twenty dollar bills.


Poor boy is going to be heavily disappointed when he finds a $5 bill under his pillow, for the first tooth. The rest will be $1. lol
 

prfctlyximprct

Well-Known Member
And I thought planning my trip was tough! You must be the ultimate planner now :) Glad you were able to switch everything around, and I'm sure your son will have the most amazing trip ever!
 

Courtney6682

Well-Known Member
Ok I am frustrated... I am still not able to move my 1900 PF reservation, which means I will miss the end of the OSU game :( :(

I also have still not been able to get the following ADRs-

Minnie's Holiday Dine.
Ohana.
Garden View Tea Room.

I DID secure the Jingle Bell Jingle Bam Dessert Party, so I guess that's a win.

We still need one more TS meal and we can't decide..I threw out 'Ohana and couldn't believe my daughter said no:eek:! Maybe she's not mine? Gimmie some ideas pal...have u guys ever done Teppan Edo...it's just like a regular Hibachi right? Keep trying for your PF ressie...you never know!
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We still need one more TS meal and we can't decide..I threw out 'Ohana and couldn't believe my daughter said no:eek:! Maybe she's not mine? Gimmie some ideas pal...have u guys ever done Teppan Edo...it's just like a regular Hibachi right? Keep trying for your PF ressie...you never know!
I'm going to jump over to your PT report and look at what you already have. Last year was the first time I have ever done character meals..besides one trip with niece and nephew when we did Crystal Palace. Before that I was mostly eating, and drinking, at the booths at F&W during my trips..lol. Anyway, I'm heading to your thread!
 

CtDisneyGuy33

Well-Known Member
I just wish some of the others could have made it past the censors. I had a great "Lawrence of Arabia" pose going on EE that was my favorite.

I really need to work on my poses for this next trip. I would have died on the spot if I had gotten my pic back and there was a shirtless guy in the back....hilarious!!! And the Lawrence of Arabia had to be another great one. There has to be someone who screens these pictures- can you imagine the pictures they see? I'm sure some of these have made the screeners top ten...
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Alaska Cruise Update--

My closest friends live in SoFla..I live in the Midwest. 2 of them have decided to meet me in Seattle and go on this cruise with us!

Called last night and they booked a cabin 2 doors down from mine.

I'm so excited!!!!!!!!! Even though I'm dreading turning 40..I think it will be one of the best bday celebrations of them all!
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Eeek! These just showed up on my "On This Day". Thanks FB for freaking me out and making my mind imagine horrible scenarios this year.
1st and only time that kiddo had a broken bone and surgery...hoping that trend continues! Luckily we didn't have a Disney trip planned that Winter.
Less than a month til our trip..everyone needs to stay healthy! I think we'll go get flu shots soon..at least that part I can control.
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21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
And I thought planning my trip was tough! You must be the ultimate planner now :) Glad you were able to switch everything around, and I'm sure your son will have the most amazing trip ever!

I hope so!!! I'm still trying to get a dessert party for MVMCP as well...and the GF tea, hopefully people will cancel soon!
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Omgggg! What did he do last yr? And he is just too cute

This was 3 years ago. He broke his upper tibia while going down a slide and a big kid came flying down into him. His foot went into the side, the other person had pressure on him, so his leg bent back and it fractured the bone. Not my most fond memory at a park.

His knee filled with fluid and needed to be drained. They couldn't put a cast on until the swelling was all the way down so he was non weight bearing for 1 week. I took off of work and gave him a bell to keep by his bed so he could ring for me in case he woke up and needed something. He was a champ during all of it. We still joke that after he woke up from the anesthesia his first word was "Aflac", then he told us that he was in a spaceship and just went to visit aliens.lol. .I'm hoping we got a broken bone out of the way at an early age and won't have another one :)

I attached some more photos...superman was a little battered that Halloween ;), but kiddo thought it was kinda cool that he matched his great grandfather with a walker.lol
 

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Courtney6682

Well-Known Member
Wow! Must have been scary! How cute is that little walker tho? LOL.

My daughter was 11 the first time she broke something...yes, the FIRST time...she's broken her pinky(in a basketball game) twice...a thumb(her hand got trampled on as she was covering home plate, she's a catcher) her ankle at 11 was also blocking home plate...and then when she was 14 she dislocated her elbow at a tumbling class. Her cast was supposed to come off a week before our Disney trip...except we got a blizzard which left the doctor's office without power for 2 days. Finally got the thing off a few days before we left which was lucky because the night we flew out there was also a storm...our flight was delayed and we ended up being the last flight out of PHL that night! It was a crazy few weeks lol...

How is your son's leg now? Any lingering pain? @21stamps
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Wow! Must have been scary! How cute is that little walker tho? LOL.

My daughter was 11 the first time she broke something...yes, the FIRST time...she's broken her pinky(in a basketball game) twice...a thumb(her hand got trampled on as she was covering home plate, she's a catcher) her ankle at 11 was also blocking home plate...and then when she was 14 she dislocated her elbow at a tumbling class. Her cast was supposed to come off a week before our Disney trip...except we got a blizzard which left the doctor's office without power for 2 days. Finally got the thing off a few days before we left which was lucky because the night we flew out there was also a storm...our flight was delayed and we ended up being the last flight out of PHL that night! It was a crazy few weeks lol...

How is your son's leg now? Any lingering pain? @21stamps
Oh wow! Hopefully she's done with the broken bones now! So glad that her cast was removed before your trip..I bet you were flipping out.

There hasn't been any residual pain, he had physical therapy for 12 weeks after the cast came off..cast and splint were 6 weeks total, if I remember correctly.

At that time (2013) I had a high deductible HSA, you better believe that I switched my insurance around for 2014 and after. I thought at that age I was safe having a relatively high deductible.. After 2 ER visits, surgery, and everything else involved with that accident, I realized that obviously I was very wrong.

One of my favorite pics of him was when he was pouting at a birthday party because he couldn't run around due to the cast..5 months later he ran his first "marathon" though! :) (one mile-not 26.2 lol).
 

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21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Well that's good that the physical therapy helped. My daughter has had some pain in her pinky to this day. Was that a kids race? So cute!

Yes, we have a marathon here called the Flying Pig. His preschool does a 'Flying Piglet' event every year.- they seriously train for almost 3 months. He ran the entire mile :) It's adorable.

That stinks about your daughter's pain :(
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Latest Update-

Was able to move my reservation at 1900 PF to 11am. Then I decided to rent a cabana (to watch at least part of the game) for 4 hours..which starts at 10am, not willing to pay for full day rental. Now I'm desperately trying to get a different day for 1900 PF.

One of my friends is driving up from Ft Lauderdale to spend the day with us. She's a Michigan fan, Me and kiddo are OSU fans..this should be fun..please pray that my team wins and I don't have to listen to the gloating all day long!! ;)

Advice please- can 1900 PF be cut out completely? Or is it a 'must do'?
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Non trip life update-

Kiddo's team won the league championship, and then won the first game of the City Tournament..next games are at 9am Saturday morning- if they win we play again at 2pm..and then 2 more games on Sunday. We also have Cub Scouts on Sunday and an Indoor Soccer game on Sunday. This will be a busy weekend..but I'm excited and I am really hoping they win it all and move on to State!!!

Our indoor team doesn't look so good, over half of the team is first time players and we lost 5-0. No practices in the indoor league..so hopefully things improve.

Halloween- kiddo's first choice of a zombie costume was sold out, as was his next 4 choices. We ended up with Mario and I thought it was adorable. (I have about 8 photos of the crouched pose, apparently it's his new 'thing' lol)
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How was everyone's Halloween? It's so different than when I was a kid..we stayed out for hours, filling up pillow cases with candy, and didn't have school the following day.
Now things are totally different. They stay out for an hour and a half and then bedtime and school the next morning. Poor new generation;)

Oh, and at least 5 houses on my street were giving "treats" to the adults as well- in the form of adult beverages..one had an ice cream machine for the kids, and a margherita machine for the adults. The others had beer. Is this a new trend?! Anyone else experience this? Also, not to bring politics just thought this was funny- my son was asked --"Is your Mommy a Republican or Democrat?" before he was handed candy at one house. It was an older man and kiddo looked confused...that was kinda odd.lol

Lastly, The kids had to bring 10 pieces of their candy to school with them today, they are making treat bags with their 8th grade "big sibs" and are going to deliver them to an inner city school. My son was actually excited and carefully chose what he thought the kids would like. I think this was a great idea by the school.
 
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Courtney6682

Well-Known Member
Wow! Going to State would be SO EXCITING! Good luck!

Halloween is SO different than when we were younger. I really noticed a change around here after 9/11. Now people go out during daylight...that's so weird lol. There was no one out after 8:30 in our neighborhood. 8:30 was EARLY back in the 90's when I was in elementary school!

That's nice what your sons school did, always nice for the kids to remember there are less fortunate kids around them. I always remind my daughter...you never know what someone else is going home to at night.
 

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