The Backstory:
My Darling Husband and I have been together for 10 years, but have never actually taken a real vacation. We've gone places for weddings or to visit very sick family members, or to attend funerals, but haven't ever had the time or money to intentionally go on vacation.
This year, I got a raise, and an opportunity to take on some extra part time work, and we decided that instead instead of the practical things we always do with money...we would go on vacation. A real vacation. A vacation to Walt Disney World.
Going to Walt Disney World has always been on my bucket list to do with my son, but I never thought it would really happen. We kept a change jar and labeled it "Disney Money". From when he was in Diapers, he'd drop change in the jar. When he was three, we started returning bottles and cans, and all the change would go into Disney money. Two years ago, we moved to a nicer neighborhood, and bought a house. About a year ago he started getting more vocal about wanting to go, and wanting to check on how much we had saved. I wanted to plan it out for when he would be old enough to remember the trip, but young enough to have it still feel magical. Over the past year, we've all busted tail, and saved money, reminding each other to pack lunches, and choosing dinner at home instead of going out...so now, we are less than 30 days away from our trip and I am SO VERY EXCITED! Husband was last at WDW when he was 10, I went with a colleague in 2005, and as a kid when I was 10, and when I was maybe...6? I am so excited. Yes, we are going in August, yes it is going to be hot, but I am an administrator at a school, so this was really when I could take off.
The trip:
August 13-18, 2017
The Plan:
August 13
Wake up excited at 2am, 4am, 5am. Fall back asleep. Kiddo will bust in excited about 15 minutes after when ever it is I actually fall asleep.
Drive to train. Realize we forget something. Drive back home. (Lather, rinse, repeat). Train to airport
Flying from to Orlando, arriving 7pm
Magical Express to All Star Sports
Hotel Room dance party that we Finally Made It. Cue Tears. Remember whatever the actual thing is that we forgot, not care because we Finally Made It.
We will have clothes packed in carry on, so that we don't have to worry about when luggage arrives.
We also ordered food from gardengrocer.com
August 14
Get up EARLY. Locate coffee.
Bus to Hollywood Studios for 8 am breakfast reservation solely for purpose of getting in early to get signed up for Jedi Training.
Other fast passes, etc, but really its all about Jedi Training. Great Movie Ride will be closed, and we'll see what else will be under construction!
August 15 - Magic Kingdom.
Kiddo requested Pirates League -- apparently kids at school have done it and it is So Cool. We got a reservation for 9am, which happened after I made this, so we'll be at Pirate's League, and then see where we are at! I had originally thought we would do Mine Train then, but we got a FP for later in the day!
August 16 - Epcot - aka, why I got into education in the first place. I became an English as a Second Language teacher because I wanted to travel the world, and I wanted to travel the world because I had seen it at Epcot. I'm looking forward to getting my moment of nostalgia before they change more of it and do the updates. Lunch reservation at Garden Grill. Energy adventure will be closed, as they are renovating for Guardians of the Galaxy. Hopefully Mission Space will open up!!!
August 17 - Animal Kingdom, then maybe a water park or back to Magic Kingdom
August 18 - No idea. We could go anywhere. Our flight is at 5, so we likely need to be back at hotel by...2 ish, so leaving parks by...noon? 1 ish?
Basically, the one thing I want to happen is for kiddo to get to do Jedi Training, and to get to show him Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Everything else is gravy, a bonus. I am just so thankful for the abundance in our lives. I'm trying to plan enough that I don't feel like I'm making a bad decision/feel not prepared. I'm also trying to leave enough flex so it can be fun. But...I've never been on vacation. I usually work weekends, and check email in the middle of the night. And, I'm going to take work email off my phone while I'm at Disney. Whaaaaaat?!!? I've been practicing by doing less work on weekends, and taking one-off vacation days mid-week -- and seeing that nothing explodes while I'm gone! We recently hired some amazingly brilliant people, so I have been able to relax more.
So... what do you think?
Any tips from other workaholics for how to actually Be on Vacation?
Thoughts on how to take a first vacation?
How do you get into vacation mode and get into that mindset - or is this just a very NY'er kind of problem?
My Darling Husband and I have been together for 10 years, but have never actually taken a real vacation. We've gone places for weddings or to visit very sick family members, or to attend funerals, but haven't ever had the time or money to intentionally go on vacation.
This year, I got a raise, and an opportunity to take on some extra part time work, and we decided that instead instead of the practical things we always do with money...we would go on vacation. A real vacation. A vacation to Walt Disney World.
Going to Walt Disney World has always been on my bucket list to do with my son, but I never thought it would really happen. We kept a change jar and labeled it "Disney Money". From when he was in Diapers, he'd drop change in the jar. When he was three, we started returning bottles and cans, and all the change would go into Disney money. Two years ago, we moved to a nicer neighborhood, and bought a house. About a year ago he started getting more vocal about wanting to go, and wanting to check on how much we had saved. I wanted to plan it out for when he would be old enough to remember the trip, but young enough to have it still feel magical. Over the past year, we've all busted tail, and saved money, reminding each other to pack lunches, and choosing dinner at home instead of going out...so now, we are less than 30 days away from our trip and I am SO VERY EXCITED! Husband was last at WDW when he was 10, I went with a colleague in 2005, and as a kid when I was 10, and when I was maybe...6? I am so excited. Yes, we are going in August, yes it is going to be hot, but I am an administrator at a school, so this was really when I could take off.
The trip:
August 13-18, 2017
The Plan:
August 13
Wake up excited at 2am, 4am, 5am. Fall back asleep. Kiddo will bust in excited about 15 minutes after when ever it is I actually fall asleep.
Drive to train. Realize we forget something. Drive back home. (Lather, rinse, repeat). Train to airport
Flying from to Orlando, arriving 7pm
Magical Express to All Star Sports
Hotel Room dance party that we Finally Made It. Cue Tears. Remember whatever the actual thing is that we forgot, not care because we Finally Made It.
We will have clothes packed in carry on, so that we don't have to worry about when luggage arrives.
We also ordered food from gardengrocer.com
August 14
Get up EARLY. Locate coffee.
Bus to Hollywood Studios for 8 am breakfast reservation solely for purpose of getting in early to get signed up for Jedi Training.
Other fast passes, etc, but really its all about Jedi Training. Great Movie Ride will be closed, and we'll see what else will be under construction!
August 15 - Magic Kingdom.
Kiddo requested Pirates League -- apparently kids at school have done it and it is So Cool. We got a reservation for 9am, which happened after I made this, so we'll be at Pirate's League, and then see where we are at! I had originally thought we would do Mine Train then, but we got a FP for later in the day!
August 16 - Epcot - aka, why I got into education in the first place. I became an English as a Second Language teacher because I wanted to travel the world, and I wanted to travel the world because I had seen it at Epcot. I'm looking forward to getting my moment of nostalgia before they change more of it and do the updates. Lunch reservation at Garden Grill. Energy adventure will be closed, as they are renovating for Guardians of the Galaxy. Hopefully Mission Space will open up!!!
August 17 - Animal Kingdom, then maybe a water park or back to Magic Kingdom
August 18 - No idea. We could go anywhere. Our flight is at 5, so we likely need to be back at hotel by...2 ish, so leaving parks by...noon? 1 ish?
Basically, the one thing I want to happen is for kiddo to get to do Jedi Training, and to get to show him Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Everything else is gravy, a bonus. I am just so thankful for the abundance in our lives. I'm trying to plan enough that I don't feel like I'm making a bad decision/feel not prepared. I'm also trying to leave enough flex so it can be fun. But...I've never been on vacation. I usually work weekends, and check email in the middle of the night. And, I'm going to take work email off my phone while I'm at Disney. Whaaaaaat?!!? I've been practicing by doing less work on weekends, and taking one-off vacation days mid-week -- and seeing that nothing explodes while I'm gone! We recently hired some amazingly brilliant people, so I have been able to relax more.
So... what do you think?
Any tips from other workaholics for how to actually Be on Vacation?
Thoughts on how to take a first vacation?
How do you get into vacation mode and get into that mindset - or is this just a very NY'er kind of problem?
