*~*~* MJ's Chatter Boxes *~*~*

[maggiegrace1]

Thanks Freddy and Nibbs...
Its just so frustrating...I try to please everyone and in the end no one is happy including me..I try to do whats best for the other people involved..but then they get mad at me when all I am doing is trying to protect them also..UGH!!!
Sometimes just when I think it will be better..something goes wrong again...
I need a vacation..bad...Just me and Maggie.

 

[nibblesandbits]

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The first order of business, was to fill out all that paperwork! I spent the evening carefully filling out all the forms. I was still having a hard time believing that this was really happening, so I sure didn't want to be disqualified for a stupid mistake!

The next day, we made the trip to mail it back...so we headed to North Canton. Well, there just happens to be a Disney store in the mall there...so of course, we made a stop. I figured if we weren't paying for the trip, at least, I could get something new I found the cutest jean jacket with Mickey on the back! DD found a baseball cap for Mickey to autograph...

It was so much fun to see the look on the store manager's face when I told her that we won the "Keys to the Kingdom"
As a matter of fact, we had so much fun all weekend telling all of our friends and family about our trip. It really was mind boggling when you think about it. I was trying to understand how out of all those entries, they picked us. It just didn't feel like it could be real!

Well, Disney called and the paperwork was complete! Whew! That's a relief! This was like being given something too good to be true and you are just waiting for something to happen that will make it disappear! It's like living in a dream and you're just waiting for that alarm to go off!

The next few weeks was all about receiving phone calls...discussing travel arrangements, giving them some background information about what each member of our family would enjoy doing, making sure that any question I had was answered. I couldn't have been more pleased with how wonderful everyone was to deal with! They were just as excited about this as I was!

At home, we were trying to get a handle on all the necessaries before taking a trip! Making sure we had everything we needed, getting ahead at work, and OH...the homework!
The kids spent some serious time on the homework!

But the day was finally here...travel arrangements are made, homework is done, everything is packed, work is done, and the animals are taken care of...


AHHHHHH! We're going to Disney World!!!

 

[nibblesandbits]

next post

Entry #3

WOW! We were leaving in the morning! It appeared to be really happening...and a part of me still didn't believe it
I made sure that we all went to bed early-it was going to be an early morning.
I set the alarm for 4:15 AM and tried to sleep. I say "tried" because it really was pointless. I was way too excited to fall asleep!
I was imagining and speculating about what it was going to be like...what was going to happen and what surprises were in store for us!
While I knew a few details, I really hadn't been told much. I had talked to my Disney contact on Friday and she had sounded really excited! She said that everyone couldn't wait for us to arrive and they were plannning some surprises for us!
Knowing how great Disney was...made me crazy wondering what it was going to be like! But, I tried to get some rest anyway-it was going to be busy, busy, busy. Time was ticking...the countdown was into hours at this point and I was feeling like a 5 year old on Christmas Eve!

The alarm goes off, but I have been awake for about a 1/2 hour...Time to get everyone moving. There stands DD at my door...wide awake and so excited! This is going to be one morning where NO ONE is going to complain about getting up!

We head out the door AHEAD of schedule and get to the airport before morning rush hour traffic. Hey, I would rather be early, than rushing through...
Well, now we just sit and wait for our flight...

They call for our flight and here we go!!!
DH looks at me as we buckle into our seats and whispers...just think, we'll be having lunch at Disney World!

The flight was pretty uneventful...other than both kids being excited that the snacks and drinks were free!!!

We touch down in Orlando and I look at DH and say..."OK, I think it's real!"

 

[nibblesandbits]

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As we get off the plane, I can't help but think how crazy all this is!
Three weeks ago, I was only wishing that this would come true! Now, here we are in Orlando
On go the Minnie ears as we take the tram towards baggage claim, and begin to descend on the escalator. As we near the bottom, my DH says..."Hon, there's your name" as a gentleman is holding up a sign with my name on it. OK...that is so cool! He helps us get our luggage and we wheel it outside. Oh, it is so warm here
He asks us to wait there while he retrieves his little, yellow bus...(there were these yellow shuttle buses going all over). So we stand there chatting and DH says, "Oh my...look!" I look and here comes our guy driving a stretch limo!

Surprise!!! We've never been in a limo! The kids were so excited...and mom was too!!! He lets us know that there was some cold bottled water inside, in case we were thirsty! It was too cool The kids climbed in and we took off for our resort!

We knew that we were staying at the Grand Floridian, but nothing prepared me for how beautiful it was as we pulled into the resort. This place was just gorgeous! We pull up to the front and our Disney contact is standing there waiting to greet us. The next few minutes were a flurry...introductions were made and as others attended to our luggage, we begin to walk into the resort. Inside, we are met by a member of the staff who will show us to our room!
As we make our way to the elevator...surprise! We will be staying on the concierge level! Of course, my kids have no idea what that means
We walk into our room and it was absolutely beautiful! For us, this is a dream come true...this is somewhere we would never get to stay!

They mention that they thought we might be a little hungry, so they had set a little something out for us to eat, while we go over some details for the week. I couldn't help but think of how thoughtful that was !
DS was thrilled...because, as usual, he was starving!!! He dug into the food and drinks, along with DD. It was quite a "little something"

So while, the kids stuffed themselves with yummy food, she gave us a quick rundown of some places that we needed to be during the week. Really, we didn't need to know a whole lot-we had just been introduced to Joey, our VIP tour guide for the week. He had an itinerary and he would make sure that all would be taken care of!

Now that all the necessaries were taken care of...it was off to Epcot!!!

 

[nibblesandbits]

Next:

By the way, I had no idea what having a personal VIP tour guide meant, but I was about to find out! As we go to leave the hotel, I find out that our guide will be with us for the week. He will make sure that we have everything that we need and that starts with a ride to the park! It seems that there will be no Disney transportation for us-he will drive us everywhere! So off we go!

Surprise! That also means that we will be treated like VIP's all week and not just on Wednesday, as I originally thought!

We arrive at Epcot....

What a beautiful day
DS wants to ride Mission Space and Test Track first...so that's where we go...Next onto Soaring! As we are coming off of Soaring, there is a small group waiting there to meet us! It was the Epcot Dream Squad and they seemed so excited to meet us! They asked for the kids autograph...and they thought that was cool!

We did so many things in such a short time!!! It really was amazing
We sampled some Cheddar Cheese soup from Canada and the fabulous Creme Brulee in France. We visited all the places that we wanted and just had a blast. Evening was rapidly approaching and we were dining at the Rose and Crown tonight.
Surprise! Our table was right on the lagoon! We had never seen Illuminations before and it was such a beautiful night! As we sat there, waiting for our dessert, the server comes over and asks DD if she would like to light the fireworks. DD was running low on steam, but this perked her right up!

The server took her over to the stairs and gave her a wand. She asked her to circle her wand to the music and as the music got louder and faster, she would need to circle her wand in bigger circles and faster. When the server said, "Now" DD pointed her wand toward the lagoon and like magic...a white stream of light flew over the lagoon and exploded in the center-the beginning of the show!

What a perfect way to end an exciting day!!! Now time for some rest...It's off to MGM next!!!

 

[nibblesandbits]

Next:

You know thinking of going back to the resort for the night, makes me remember finding a new "something" in our room when we return.
When we arrived earlier in the day, one of the surprises was a few welcome gifts! I remember the looks on the kids AND DH's face when they saw the wonderful things that had been given to us. There were beach towels for the kids along with a WD lunchbox full of goodies! There was a WD bag for both my husband and I, along with a photo album and Mickey ears for us all-complete with our names on the back of them!

But as my husband walked to the table, there were two (stemware) glasses, a bottle of Evian, and a gold-wrapped box that had the GF Spa embossed on the top...all put together with gold string.
When we opened the box, inside was a box that was made from dark chocolate that had chocolates inside! It doesn't get any better than chocolates inside chocolate!!!
It was just a wonderful touch of class!

Well, we all just crashed...DS was thrilled to be going to MGM in the morning...It's his favorite park!!!

We got up early (no need to waste any time!)...we are at Disney World!
We headed to the concierge lounge for a light breakfast. OH MY! What a wonderful way to start the morning. It was more than I imagined it would be...there were cheeses and cold meats, sweet breads and danishes, a spread of all kinds of fruit, yogurt and cereals. There were all kinds of juices, coffees and teas...and there wasn't a plastic bowl or spoon in sight!
We enjoyed our breakfast as we looked out the window to the lagoon. It was the perfect way to start the day!

We met Joey in the lobby and headed out to the SUV...it was a Suburban, that was roomy enough for us all. We drove over to MGM to spend most of the day there. We were about to discover just how fabulous Joey was at his job! See while we had certain times and places that were scheduled in, Joey had taken the time to listen to many of the things that we wanted to do and see...and then he made sure that everything happened! It really was amazing! I feel like sometimes we would just think something or mention it in casual conversation and Joey would make sure that it happened! We learned very quickly that Joey knew the place way better than we did and we just let him do his thing!

 

[nibblesandbits]

sorry...work called...

Well, we get there and head right in by the Rock N Roller coaster! We head over to the Tower of Terror...it will be DS's first time! DD says "not this time", so we wait until DH and DS finish and then we head over to the Rock 'N Roller coaster. This will be DD first time and her first big coaster. We go through fast pass so that she can see the movie and get the whole story. We ride and WOOHOO! She loves it!

Next we head over to Star Tours...the guys were talking about this ride at dinner the night before! DH and DS are HUGE Star Wars fans!!!

So we head over to the ride and a CM stops us right before we go in. He greets us with a big "Hey, It's the Spanglers! We are so glad that you are here!" He asks us to wait there for just a minute and then they'll get us in. We wait for a moment and then they walk us through a little walkway...with DS and DH in the lead...they walk right into and a few of his troopers...AAHHHHH!

Are you kidding me? Joey was right on with this one!!! This is what I meant when I said Joey listened and then would just make really cool things happen! DS had a perma grin for the rest of the afternoon! I couldn't believe this...

So after Star Tours, we head over to Indiana Jones...of course, VIP seating...

Funny story with this one...when we were talking the night before about going to this show, Ashley stated that she would never want to sit in the front row of that show because it would be too hot when things exploded. Joey said, "Well, how about the 2nd?" She said "No, I think it would be hot in the 2nd row too." That was all that said...Guess where we sat? In the 3rd row... As we were seated, DD looks at me and says, "And he has a sense of humor too!"

After Indiana Jones, we head to the Primetime 50's Cafe...

We've never been here before and as "Aunt Claire" plops down beside DS and starts asking him where he's been...he just starts cracking up...then she tells him it's a good thing he already took off his hat!!! The meal was a blast! At this point, we trust Joey to do whatever and this choice didn't let us down! The kids loved this lunch...it was just so much fun! They loved it when Aunt Claire put a Little Mermaid bib on Joey!

We head over to Beauty and the Beast...we've never seen it before...again VIP seating in the front! I loved it!!! It brought tears to my eyes...the costumes were so beautiful, the dances so wonderfully choreographed, and the beast scene was so moving! I am so glad that we didn't miss it. Joey had a way of getting everything in that we wanted to do...

We went and did some of other favorites...the Great Movie Ride, the Muppets, and some shopping. But we needed to head over to the MK for a little meeting about some of the things that would be happening on Wednesday...so we leave MGM and take off for the MK.

 

[nibblesandbits]

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We get to the MK and walk in somewhere around Tony's Town Square...we finish watching the Family Parade and go over to guest services. There is some rooms behind there, where we were meeting some folks from Disney.

It was a pretty warm day and they had set out some refreshments for us! (Just one of the many thoughtful things that were done for us during our trip)

There were about 5 people there-all who were working on this particular event. A few of them I had already spoken to on the phone-but it was nice to meet them face to face. They really just wanted to give us a rundown on the events for Wednesday to make sure that we were comfortable and well informed. They filled us in on time frames and what would actually happen during those times. You know, I really appreciated the time that everyone took to make sure that we knew the plan...of course, everyone now knows that they still had a few surprises in store for us!!!

We took a walk out onto Main St. and they let us know where they wanted us to stop and turn around for that picture in front of the castle. I think it started to hit me just how incredible this was-when they started talking about how this has never been done before! That this is the first time that they had gotten a picture with just one family in front of the castle! It was going to be my family!!! How crazy and how wonderful!!!

I did happen to ask the question if we needed to wear anything in particular and they really just asked that we dress like we would normally dress to go to the park...just to be comfortable. Later, someone did remember to ask us to wear our ears and hats later in the day...they didn't want to cast shadows on our face with the morning sun.... No problem...and the nice thing was no pressure...just be comfortable... just be ourselves!

With all that out of the way, we headed back to MGM for dinner at the Hollywood and Vine...that was the one meal that we requested. The kids love to eat there!!! So we tooled around the park visiting all the places that we wanted to and had great seats for Fantasmic! We all love that show! It was a beautiful night and we were back in our room by 8:40. We snuck out a back way and took a quick trip in the SUV.

We needed to get some sleep...it was going to be an early morning and a LONG day!!!

 

[nibblesandbits]

next:

The alarm goes off at 5:15 AM...today is the BIG day!!! We need to be ready to go by 6:30. To be honest with you, I didn't sleep a lot. The anticipation was overwhelming, and the fear of oversleeping consuming!

Everyone was pretty tired this morning, but no problems with getting up and moving. Joey arrived and we met everyone else on the monorail platform. Ashley was all ready in her "Lucky" T-shirt because she said she was a very lucky girl. We all needed wired with mics for the big morning and our interview with GMA. We met our photographer and the videographer and waited for our time. When it was time, we boarded the monorail (in the front...That was really cool! ) and headed off for the MK. It was such a beautiful morning with the sun rising as we rode to the park.

We get there and meet a few more Disney folks, some we've met and others we haven't. I was really glad to get to meet the guy who gave me that wonderful phone call to tell us that we won!

They remind us that they won't be going with us...that this moment is just for us! OK...this is really happening!

You know as we walked into the park, it was just so amazing! The park was quiet and still. As we walked in, there was no one in sight! Soft music was barely audible and you didn't want to do or say anything to spoil the silence. It was just so beautiful! As we get a little farther in, for the first time we noticed just how visible the carousel was through the castle. Not that we had never noticed that it was there, but when thousands of people are running through trying to get to Dumbo first, you lose that full effect!

As we find our way walking down the red carpet, we were looking in all the shops and just noticing little details, that we just tend to overlook. Disney is tops because it pays attention to detail and I think sometimes we miss the beauty of it.

I will tell you, we looked in every shop window and there was nothing to be seen! Disney is also the master of disguise!

We reach the center of Main St. and we turn around to face the station for that castle shot and at the moment, the enormity of it all hit me! There standing on the Main St. station platform was more cameras then I could possibly imagine would ever be there for me!

I wanted that moment to be etched in all of our minds forever! This was the most incredible moment. I remember being so thankful that my children were old enough to remember this! That they would be able to comprehend the magic of this memory was a blessing.

As we are waving, the buglers appear on the tops of the buildings. You hear that royal announcement bugle call and it was breathtaking! The music begins to get louder and then we hear, "Tammy, Ray, Derick and Ashley! Welcome to YOUR Magic Kingdom!"

Are you kidding me? Our names were being announced over the sound system at Disney World welcoming us personally? This was just too much!
Of course, all that dissolved into a burst of "Be Our Guest" along with an explosion of characters and CMs flooding the streets to welcome us "Disney-style"

A moment to remember? Unbelievable!!!
Overwhelming? Yes!!!
Fabulous? Of course!!!
Once in a lifetime? Definitely!!!
I think Disney pulled off the surprise of a lifetime for us! I still don't know where all those people were, but they were not visible or audible and we were standing right in the middle of it! It was amazing!

The next few minutes were crazy!!! They were hugs and high fives Everyone was just energized by the moment! They were clapping and congratulating us!!! Unbelievable!!!

We make our way down the red carpet and there on the tip boards...No Wait on anything! That was genius! What a great touch!

Most of you have seen the clip of us boarding our "little red truck" and heading over to Tomorrowland! But, I'll tell you, to look back and see all those people waving and cheering , it was incredible! Who gets that ever?! I would've never thought it would be us!

We get to Space Mountain and board...DD is a little nervous and to be honest with you...I didn't notice the camera until about halfway through the ride! How cool is it to get your entire first ride on Space Mountain on film?

Our next stop is Fantasyland, where we'll have our GMA interview...
We take a ride over there and as we round that corner...
OH MY!

The carousel is full...except for four horses! There is Marie, and some of the dwarfs, Jasmine and Aladdin, Captain Hook, Peter Pan and Wendy...Belle and Cinderella...we couldn't see them all yet, but it was the most incredible sight this 38 year old woman had seen in all her life!!!
A dream come true? Absolutely amazing! You know I will never look at that carousel again and not see it full of the history of Disney magic!

We do our little GMA bit and then we mount our horses. Ray is riding next to Belle, and Cinderella comes and sits next to me! To ride the carousel chatting with Cinderella was incredible! It was the best carousel ride I've ever taken! It was pure Disney magic!

At this point, I am on sensory overload...It's like living in a fantasy. We get off the carousel and Mickey and Minnie direct us to Dumbo. OH...and guess what? They are riding with us!!!! Can you imagine that? I got to ride Dumbo with Mickey Mouse! Ashley rode with Minnie!!! I know I sound like a three year old...but this was the coolest thing ever!!!

It was so much fun!!! We went to the Haunted Mansion next...I have to admit...It was a little creepy riding all by ourselves! But we had a blast! We rode Thunder Mountain and headed towards Pirates of the Caribbean...

As we approach, who pops up on the balcony? It's Jack Sparrow of course! AAAHHHH! This was unbelievable! He was amazing!!! He hopped down off the balcony and "commandeered" our vehicle! We drove the whole twenty feet to the ride and we got off...The next part was a hoot! He took us all through the line all the while performing this bit about the treasure. We were all laughing so hard He was the best!!!
He gave 110% and all for us!!!

We rode Aladdin with Aladdin and Ashley got to drive the Jungle Cruise and the whole morning was just awesome! By the time, we got off the cruise the park was open and we just got to enjoy the rest of the park. We hit the Peter Pan ride and It's a Small World...all the ones that we enjoy. It was so fun meeting everyone and they were so excited to meet us!!!

We had some time to do whatever until all those interviews before lunch!!! We had a blast!!!

 

[nibblesandbits]

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All morning we had a crew with us! And you know what? They were so good at what they did...we were completely comfortable! It didn't seem weird at all! DD spent time talking with Mayah and DS chit-chatted with Stockton. Our photographer was hilarious and great at getting candids while the film crew just hung out and did their thing! It was so much fun!

We needed to be at Main St. station for interviews, so we headed over there. That was a whirlwind time! The most fun was knowing during the one interview that we were live on TV back home! We did quite a few and then we were interviewed by Delilah (what a nice lady!) for her radio show...while she was interviewing us, there was a big screen TV off to the right of me. All of a sudden, we realized that it was footage of the big morning surprise! We hadn't seen it yet and it was amazing to watch! Of course, I got all choked up again and seeing it on the screen just brought another flood of emotion! It was just magical!

After all that, we headed to Cinderella's Castle for lunch. This was the first time that we would dine there and this turned out to be my most favorite meal while we were there! Let me tell you why...

We are greeted and seated and the atmosphere is wonderful! Our server tells us how excited she is to meet the first family! She gives us a certificate for all the princesses to sign and then presents us with a beautiful glass slipper. It is my favorite souvenir from the trip! They serve our meal and it was fabulous! I had the herb crusted pork tenderloin and it was so yummy!
The princesses begin to stop by...first Alice...

Then Snow White...

Of course, Jasmine and the others...
It was just so much fun to have them all stop and chat...as they begin serving our dessert, the fairygodmother stops by...

We notice that our desserts are special...that no one-not even Joey-got one like ours!!! They were special just for us and they were incredible!

Gorgeous!!! WOW!!! It was almost a crime to eat them!

As we were leaving, we stopped to get a picture with Cinderella. I will never forget this...DD is talking to Cinderella and Cinderella looks at my daughter and touches her cheek and says in the sweetest voice..."Oh my, aren't you beautiful. Why you look just like Belle when she was your age." My DD responds, "Really? You think I look like Belle?" Cinderella replies, "Yes, I do. You are precious."
It was an amazing moment...to have Cinderella tell her that she is beautiful was a tender memory that I will always cherish. When I think of that one...it just brings happy tears!
After lunch, we had about 4 or 5 hours to pretty much do whatever we wanted We went to Space Mountain and got to go into the tower and see how the ride worked! It was so crazy...as we were standing there some people were yelling..."It's the Spanglers!" and waving Everywhere we went, there were so many well wishers...it was just so much fun!!! We rode the "big white boat" as my kids call it and DD got to steer it. We rode Pooh, and saw Philharmagic (one of my personal favorites), we caught the afternoon show...



We shopped a little along Main St. DD got her hat autographed by Mickey...
One of the little things that Joey magically made happen...DS had expressed that he was interested in graphic design...He got to meet one of the graphic designers and the young man was so kind. He showed us some of the things that he had designed and let Derick look at his program. He also told him to pay attention in math and art because you really will need it someday!!! THANK YOU, JASON!!!

Another cool thing that Joey "made" happen...we had mentioned after chatting with the Dream Squad that it would be really awesome to watch a giveaway. So many wonderfull things had happened to us, we wanted to see the magic spread! It was so fun to see the looks on people's faces when they realized they had won something!!!

We were told that someone else wanted to meet us...we were taken to a small courtyard area to meet "Meg"... HELLO!? She's the president of Disney World and she wanted to greet us personally and welcome us!!! For us, this was very, very amazing and so much of what makes Disney...well, Disney! Her name tag was no different than anyone else's, there were no formalities...just a wonderfully, pleasant woman who was gracious enough to take time out her day, to make us feel welcome!


That's what made this week so special for us...it was the people!!! The visitors in the park who expressed their good wishes It was the CM's who got up so early to surprise us It was the servers, resort personnel, our tour guide, the people in the PR and the marketing department, the ones who put a lot of hours in working on this trip, the photographers and videographers who spent all day Wednesday at the park!!! So many people, so much time and so much effort and they were all so wonderful to spend time with! They made us feel welcome and special and pampered and I'll tell you for a family from the middle of nowhere (as DS puts it), we couldn't have been more grateful for the chance to live this dream!
What a journey...what a memory...

Oh by the way, did I mention that we were grand marshals for the afternoon parade?

 

[nibblesandbits]

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We walked over to the parade staging area and met the man in charge of the parades...as was the case everyone...he was great! He gave each of us a very special pair of ears...the blue "Where Dreams Come True" ones (the ears lit up). He let us know that we would be riding along the parade route and would have the opportunity to wave at everyone...then we would be followed by a marching band. I assumed that meant that the afternoon parade would follow the band.

It was so much fun...we rode through and they were announcing our names and people were waving and cheering!

We get to the end and leave the vehicle and enter a little corner section that they had roped off for us. It was in the shade and they had been thoughtful enough to have some cold water for us. We're just standing there chatting and I realize that there is no "rest of the parade"!! The afternoon parade would come shortly, but that marching band was just for US!!! Incredible!!!

We tooled around and did some other things here and there...Buzz Lightyear, a little more shopping...the kids got to decorate their own Mickey rice krispy treat. Our dinner reservations were at 6:30-We were dining at Tony's Town Square. We've never dined there...and we were looking forward to it.

When it was time, we head to the restaurant. We're seated and everything on the menu looks fabulous! It was really hard for me to decide what to eat, but I order the spaghetti and meatballs. I am not disappointed-It was so good!

After dinner, they come out with a surprise!!! An unbirthday party-just for
us! It was just one thing after another all week and I was on sensory overload! It was a great meal!!!
Afterwards, we looked around in the gift shop...I was looking for the perfect keepsake-and I just hadn't found it yet! Time was running out!

When we were finished, we headed over to the Main St. station-that was our special viewing location for the night time parade and the fireworks! Disney had some more magic in store for us!

They had prepared a very special dessert for us. When we walked up the stairs and into the roped off area, there stood a chef (in full chef attire). He was standing in front of a linen draped table with the most beautiful tray of desserts that I had ever seen! There sitting on a cloud of blue spun sugar was Cinderella's castle crafted out of white chocolate! Surrounding the castle were perfectly scrumptious and gorgeous chocolate hazelnut thingies (I think that's the official term ), strawberries dipped in chocolate, and tiny fruit tarts!!! AMAZING!!! He took the time to welcome us and explain what he had prepared for us. Guess what? They were just for us!!!

As we are seated at our special table, there are drinks that were specially made for the occasion...

It was beautiful!!! The parade started and we were able to just enjoy the magic! Spending time on that balcony made me realize that life is too short to not enjoy every minute! No one is guaranteed a tomorrow and there are no "do-overs"...now is the time to live, laugh, and love!

As I watched the fireworks surrounded by those who are most precious to me in this world, I just wanted to take it all in! The sights, the sounds, and their laughter. How blessed I truly am! I am so thankful for them and all that I have! I believe there is a master plan for everything, so for whatever reason I was there at that time and that place...WOW! I am just so grateful for that opportunity!

Well, the evening came to end...
As we headed back to the resort, there was silence. Each one of us were still trying to take it all in...What an incredible day!!!

 

[Uponastar]

Oh my gosh!
Thank you Nibblies!
What a time these people had!
I couldn't have dreamed up something as grand as this!

 

[nibblesandbits]

More:

Well...time was running out!!!
The big day was over and our trip of a lifetime was coming to an end. We still hadn't been to the Animal Kingdom, which is a park we love
So the goal was to get all the things in that we wanted to...in the shortest amount of time!
Joey arranged for us to get into the park before it opened, and to be the first ones on the safari. As we walked toward the safari, I made everyone stop! It was like empty! I remembered how crowded it always was and we were like the only ones there!



It was really awesome to just be there alone! It really is such a beautiful park and it was wonderful to be able to enjoy it with just my family.

Well, we get on the safari and our guide's name is Jack...

It was awesome to go on the safari when none of the other trucks were running. Jack was able to stop and linger, all the while sharing with us a wealth of knowledge. And because it was early, we saw many animals that we hadn't seen before...like the elusive warthog!!! A giraffe walked closer than I have ever seen! It was totally cool

We get off the ride and head out...what happens next is pure "Joey" magic ...
I have to back up slightly to when we were waiting for Fantasmic! to start...

We were chatting and telling Joey a "Derick" story. When Derick was younger(about 4), he loved the Jungle Book. He absolutely loved King Louie. When the big song and dance number with Baloo came on, Derick would "zone out" He had the complete number memorized and he would dance and sing and just be completely enthralled with the whole thing that nothing else was seen or heard! So we were just sitting there strolling down memory lane and chuckling at the memory of him scratching his armpits and walking funny all the while singing, "Yoo-hoo-hoo, I wanna be like yoo-hoo-hoo!" and then the big "Take me home, Daddy!" at the end....HYSTERICALLY FUNNY!!!

So anyway, we come walking out of the safari and start heading toward Asia...who comes walking out at just the right moment? Why, it's King Louie of course...

That's right...a big ol' hug from my 13 year old!
He thought that was so cool!

Well, we gather up for a family pic and guess who pops up from behind?

Why, it's Baloo, of course!

How fun is that?!!! It was just pure, spontaneous (for us anyway) FUN!!!

We head over to Expedition Everest...a first for all of us. What a blast! We all loved that ride!

We get over to the Lion King show...that's a no miss show for us! We have front row seats in the Warthog section. Ray gets to be the warthog...funny! That is probably my favorite show...you can see it every time you are there and it's just as good!

We get all the "have to's" in..."It's Tough to be a Bug", Expedition Everest (again), Dinosaur...we're in Dinoland and here comes one of my favorites from when I was a kid...

I just love them guys...they crack me up!

I was hoping that "Nemo" was open...but that's OK...I'll catch it next time

We finished with AK faster than I thought possible, but with Joey in the lead...we did it!

That was great...because I really wanted to end our time on Main St. in the Magic Kingdom! Besides, I still hadn't found that keepsake that I was looking for!

 

[nibblesandbits]

Last of it:

One of the ways that Disney really accommodated us was by giving us the latest flight out of Orlando. On our departure day, our flight didn't leave until evening-so that we could have as much time as possible at Disney
I really wanted to spend the last little bit of time at the Magic Kingdom. It's always hard for me to leave and I knew that this time was going to be rough!
My goal was to find something unique and special that would always remind me of this experience. Up until this point, I hadn't had much luck...
When we get to the MK, Joey has a couple of places that he thinks we should go and look for a keepsake. We go into the first shop and I look around and I just don't find anything that makes me think..."That's it!!!"
We try another shop and nothing there either...Now mind you, there are many things that were beautiful and nice to look at, but nothing that just screamed, "I'm it!!!"
Finally, we get to the crystal shop...it's called Arribas...
I look in all the glass cabinets and while I find a lot there that I love...I was looking for something unique that was just for me. The kids and DH were occupied by the guy making glass creations, so I had plenty of time to look and think.

Finally, Joey comes over and says, "What about a picture frame?" I say, "Show me." We walk over and there are these really pretty glass frames that have Mickey and the castle etched into them with the words "Magic Kingdom"....HMMM I'm thinking...
Joey suggests that we have something personal etched onto it that would make it a unique keepsake...
DH, who is listening at this point, starts giving suggestions...
OK...I'm liking it...
So we begin tossing around some phrases...
We come up with a personal message with our name and the date...
The guy that etches isn't there at the moment, so we go to lunch and come back...
As we return, he is just finishing up...
We are chitchatting with him, and Joey asks if he was there on Wednesday. He replies, "Yes, I etched your glass slipper"
Oh, Wow!!!
That made it perfect!!!
The really cool thing was as the lady was getting ready to ring it up, she begins to count words to price the etching. The guy steps over and asks, "We aren't charging her for the etching are we?" She replies, "Well, yeah"...He states, "No, we aren't..." He looks at me and says, "We want to do our part to make your trip special!"
AMAZING!!! These vendors are not Disney employees...so this isn't a Disney store and he didn't have to do that! It was so kind and thoughtful. It really touched me!
It really was the perfect keepsake and it is something that I will treasure forever!
Unfortunately, time has run out! It's time to go and pick up the luggage, say our goodbyes, and head to the airport.
As I look down Main St. that one last time, I try to capture it all...until next time, I think to myself as that tear runs down my cheek. DS puts an arm around me and says, "It's OK, mom..." I know...but it's so hard to leave. My husband takes my hand and we walk out trying to process everything that's happened...

We get back to the resort, retrieve our luggage, say goodbye to Joey and Christi (Disney contact), and climb into the limo...I know it's silly, but I wave as we leave and start to cry.
We spend our time in the airport looking at the press and clips from the past week. As we touch down, just before midnight, in Cleveland...DS looks at me and says, "Well, it's official. We're pumpkins again!"

 

[nibblesandbits]

Oh my gosh!
Thank you Nibblies!
What a time these people had!
I couldn't have dreamed up something as grand as this!

I know!!! It sounds absolutely wonderful! I'm so jealous...but then again I'm not because it sounds like it happened to an absolutely wonderful family!

And I figured that those of us here would like to hear this story as well...not just the Disboard people. :lol:

 

[Uponastar]

Huh... I don't know... I went to the kid's center.
Near/in... Frankford? Maybe?

There is a center in Frankford, on Frankford Avenue near Orthodox Street. I think that's Stacey's home base.
She's kind of all over the place. She's loving it and I'm so proud of her. She beams as she talks about her work. She's making a difference.

 

[Nemo14]

Thanks for posting this Nibbs - what an amazing trip!

 

[Connor002]

There is a center in Frankford, on Frankford Avenue near Orthodox Street. I think that's Stacey's home base.
She's kind of all over the place. She's loving it and I'm so proud of her. She beams as she talks about her work. She's making a difference.

How long has she been working there?
And what does she do?

 

[maggiegrace1]

Great Story Nibbs...

I needed something to cheer me up...

 

[Uponastar]

I know!!! It sounds absolutely wonderful! I'm so jealous...but then again I'm not because it sounds like it happened to an absolutely wonderful family!

And I figured that those of us here would like to hear this story as well...not just the Disboard people. :lol:

It really seems to me that they picked the perfect family!
I'm so happy for them!