5 kids, 7 grandchildren, 50 years of marriage & One Amazing Cruise on the Dream!

Well folks, it's that time. We're headed to the lake early in the morning, not to return until after our cruise. So it's that time in the pre- trip. You know? The time I should be
A) Packing
B) Getting everything else ready (pet sitters, etc.)
C) Finishing my sewing

And what am I doing?
D) Starting my trip report!!! :lol:

Tomorrow, June 25, my Mother and Father in Law will celebrate 50 years of Marriage :sohappy::sohappy::sohappy: No small feat marked by no small celebration. I joke with my husband that when we've been married 50 years we'll be taking a trip alone - and possibly by then we'll be so sick of each other, we'll even take it separately. :lol:

But not my in laws! Noooooooooo. They want to take all 5 of their kids, their grandkids, etc. WITH them - which works out to one sweet deal for us! A 4 night cruise on the Disney Dream!!! Woot! :sohappy:

Now, I'm not sure how comfortable all of my husband's family will be with me posting pictures of them all over the internet, so you'll probably be getting a lot of 'back of the head' shots, etc. when it comes to them, but here's the Cast:

MIL & FIL - married 50 years, MIL born and raised in Northern Germany, coming from Chicago
BIL & SIL & 2 of my nieces - coming from Manilla, Philippines
BIL & SIL & 3 of my nieces - coming from Maryland
SIL - coming from California
SIL & SIL - coming from Texas
aaaaand us:

Taken during our December 2010 Grand Gathering of MY family. Trip report here. coming from Alabama. Good thing my In Laws like to travel, huh?

 

[erstwo]

We stopped to watch the stage show.

I have no idea when they changed Mickey and Minnie's costumes (I haven't stopped to watch the show in forever) but I love them!

And then we headed for the Haunted Mansion.

First time to see then new queue in daylight:

And that folks is the final photo of this Trip Report!!!

After that we took a tour of the home of 999 happy haunts, joined back up with the boys, made our way back to our car and headed home!

I'm not sure how many adjectives I can use in one sentence, but this trip was an experience I will never forget. You really couldn't pay me enough to do anything differently and give up the memories we made as an extended family.

It was a total Disney Dream!
(wah- wah- wah )

And that's it folks! I may add some final thoughts, but I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing. Here's hoping some of you find something helpful in all of this to help you experience your own magical trip! :wave:

 

[erstwo]

Be still my beating heart... the July 4th attire is absolutely adorable! Seriously. Loving your review!

Isn't it amazing! And I have to give super props to the performers too. For a performance they do only once a year, they NAILED it! :sohappy:

Thank you so much for reading!!! Now please drag out your TR as long as possible (or start writing a new one right away!) so I'll have something to see me through until October!

 

[NewfieFan]

Loved, loved, loved the TR! (Did I mention I loved it!?!)

You capture a lot of great moments with your pictures and your kids are super cute! (I think our kids would be instand best friends!)

What an amazing time you had on the Dream! (These Dream TRs are killing me! :animwink One of these days...

I had a couple of crazies on a few past trips as well. I totally understand you getting upset about it. A person in a bad mood can really put a damper on the moment.

And the Chicken Little title had me laughing out loud. I wonder what my man would win... he's really short with short little legs! :lol:

Thanks for sharing your TR! :wave:

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I read your entire report last night on my iPhone. Talk about going cross-eyed! Lol! Totally worth it! You are so brave doing parks w/two littler kiddos. Big kudos to you! And those freak-shows you ran into...wow! I will say from experience that when it's hot outside people get nuttier than usual. (In law enforcement you learn to dread hot weather, full moons, and the onslaught of domestic disturbances that come on Sunday nights. Cold weather & rain does a lot to chill people out.) I loved that your son includes his dino in all his adventures! Does Mr. Dino have a name??? Add me to the list of the super-pumped for our upcoming cruise. Woot! I looove that your daughter is a princess at heart. I'm with you, if I could pull off a princess dress or even some of those adorable handmade personalized ensembles I toootaly would! I adore that stuff. I really do. I love that you do early morning runs while on vacation. I want to do that in September. I want to run the Castaway 5k, too, but the temps at 9 really scare the bejeezus out of me. I live in southeast Texas where heat & humidity are part of life. This is why I get up at 5 am on mornings I want to run. Generally I can get done before the temps get over 85 or so. In the Caribbean I knoooow it's gonna be hotter than 85 at 9 am. So now I'm seriously rethinking this Castaway 5k deal. I don't need to make myself heat-sick when we still have 7 more days of WDW ahead of us. Ya know? I dunno. Was it breezy? I find that days when the air is still and not moving it feels much hotter which makes the run much tougher to get thru. Ugh! I guess we'll just take it as it comes and not get too set in my planning. I suppose the Castaway 5k would be a good excuse to book a winter cruise, huh? Lol! It'd probably be cheaper to sign up for a Run Disney event. Lol!

All in all, fabulous TR! I was enthralled enough to spend a couple hours with y'all last night! Enjoyed every moment. Thanks so so much for bringing us along again. I can't wait for our September Dream cruise now!!!!

 

[joanna71985]

What a great TR! I absolutely loved it. And I am now anxiously awaiting my own cruise. Thank you so much for sharing

 

[Sarabell]

I LOVED your trip report!! may I say I´m in love with your family? you guys are adorable! I love the fact that you little girl is a princess. I guess that´s what all moms dream when they find out they´re having a girl, and your little one is the perfect princess. I´m really glad you had such a good time, and I´m glad you shared your wonderful memories with us. Thank you for that. I really enjoyed reading each and every part of your trip. :wave:

 

[erstwo]

Loved, loved, loved the TR! (Did I mention I loved it!?!)

You capture a lot of great moments with your pictures and your kids are super cute! (I think our kids would be instand best friends!)

What an amazing time you had on the Dream! (These Dream TRs are killing me! :animwink One of these days...

I had a couple of crazies on a few past trips as well. I totally understand you getting upset about it. A person in a bad mood can really put a damper on the moment.

And the Chicken Little title had me laughing out loud. I wonder what my man would win... he's really short with short little legs! :lol:

Thanks for sharing your TR! :wave:

Thank you! I think our kids would get along well too - maybe one of these days we'll end up at the World at the same time and we can let them hang out - what could be cooler than a WDW play date?
The best news was, the crazies didn't spoil everything - I guess it just made me realize what a bubble I live in - people I know just don't act like that and I'm so thankful!!!
That Chicken Little was so funny! My husband, of course, thought it was because he is so thin - but the lady that gave him the title actually said it was because he danced the Chicken Dance - so I guess it works both ways. :lol:

Thank you for reading!!!

I read your entire report last night on my iPhone. Talk about going cross-eyed! Lol! Totally worth it! You are so brave doing parks w/two littler kiddos. Big kudos to you! And those freak-shows you ran into...wow! I will say from experience that when it's hot outside people get nuttier than usual. (In law enforcement you learn to dread hot weather, full moons, and the onslaught of domestic disturbances that come on Sunday nights. Cold weather & rain does a lot to chill people out.) I loved that your son includes his dino in all his adventures! Does Mr. Dino have a name??? Add me to the list of the super-pumped for our upcoming cruise. Woot! I looove that your daughter is a princess at heart. I'm with you, if I could pull off a princess dress or even some of those adorable handmade personalized ensembles I toootaly would! I adore that stuff. I really do. I love that you do early morning runs while on vacation. I want to do that in September. I want to run the Castaway 5k, too, but the temps at 9 really scare the bejeezus out of me. I live in southeast Texas where heat & humidity are part of life. This is why I get up at 5 am on mornings I want to run. Generally I can get done before the temps get over 85 or so. In the Caribbean I knoooow it's gonna be hotter than 85 at 9 am. So now I'm seriously rethinking this Castaway 5k deal. I don't need to make myself heat-sick when we still have 7 more days of WDW ahead of us. Ya know? I dunno. Was it breezy? I find that days when the air is still and not moving it feels much hotter which makes the run much tougher to get thru. Ugh! I guess we'll just take it as it comes and not get too set in my planning. I suppose the Castaway 5k would be a good excuse to book a winter cruise, huh? Lol! It'd probably be cheaper to sign up for a Run Disney event. Lol!

All in all, fabulous TR! I was enthralled enough to spend a couple hours with y'all last night! Enjoyed every moment. Thanks so so much for bringing us along again. I can't wait for our September Dream cruise now!!!!

Oh, I hope that you get back and start your Trip Report before we leave again for WDW! I can't wait to hear all about your family's adventures!

I would say that you should just wait and see how you feel the night before the 5K before deciding if you are going to do it or not. Looking back, I have no idea what I was thinking. I was there to relax, not compete. I should have just gone with the flow and spent my morning under that umbrella with a nice fruity drink, nursing my head cold. I think I had just made up my mind that I was going to run that thing and normally running in the morning is my relaxation time (I know you understand that, being a mother and all! ) I wasn't happy with my time and that made me mad - but really what did it matter??? It didn't. It was just so silly of me! The high that day was only supposed to be 86, which is why I was shocked at how hot I was. There was a breeze, but about 80% of the course is the bike path, which is surrounded by foliage - which blocked the breeze. I wouldn't say it was super windy, but I bet that changes day to day. I think you should just go ahead and book a cruise for January. :lol: Run it then. :lol:

Mr. Dino is also called Karate Kid - I have no idea why. He has outfits too! Sadly, none of them made this trip. One of these days we're going to see if some of the Duffy bear outfits will fit him.

Thank you so much for all of your compliments and for reading!!!

 

[erstwo]

What a great TR! I absolutely loved it. And I am now anxiously awaiting my own cruise. Thank you so much for sharing

You are so welcome! I can't wait to hear all about your experiences! Thank you!

I LOVED your trip report!! may I say I´m in love with your family? you guys are adorable! I love the fact that you little girl is a princess. I guess that´s what all moms dream when they find out they´re having a girl, and your little one is the perfect princess. I´m really glad you had such a good time, and I´m glad you shared your wonderful memories with us. Thank you for that. I really enjoyed reading each and every part of your trip. :wave:

Thank you so much! It is nice to have such fun with all this princess stuff - I know it will all too soon be a thing of the past, so I'm trying to enjoy it while I can. Thank you for reading!!!

 

[Teachr4Disney]

:sohappy:LOVED, LOVED, LOVED reading your trip report. Truly a wonderful way to calm my Disney withdrawal!

Just a couple of other thoughts: Chicken Little....too funny! Loved the picture of your daughter with Belle dress fanned out around her and loved the pic of her and Daisy even more! I hadn't heard about the "leave the pillowcase" thing. That's very cool. I will definitely make sure I do that (the pillowcase and the photo mat too!) if and WHEN we ever get to go! *Big Sigh*

So, now I need to get my butt in gear and get my trip report written from our recent trip to WDW in June. It was a short trip but it was a really, really good one! I've started it in Word and you've inspired me to get the first day finished so I can post it. I just get so nitpicky about it and a little too OCD. I include so many details and then think I'm rambling so I edit and reedit! Anyway......I'll get it posted sometime soon, hopefully! Thanks for the inspiration!

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Oh, I hope that you get back and start your Trip Report before we leave again for WDW! I can't wait to hear all about your family's adventures!

I would say that you should just wait and see how you feel the night before the 5K before deciding if you are going to do it or not. Looking back, I have no idea what I was thinking. I was there to relax, not compete. I should have just gone with the flow and spent my morning under that umbrella with a nice fruity drink, nursing my head cold. I think I had just made up my mind that I was going to run that thing and normally running in the morning is my relaxation time (I know you understand that, being a mother and all! ) I wasn't happy with my time and that made me mad - but really what did it matter??? It didn't. It was just so silly of me! The high that day was only supposed to be 86, which is why I was shocked at how hot I was. There was a breeze, but about 80% of the course is the bike path, which is surrounded by foliage - which blocked the breeze. I wouldn't say it was super windy, but I bet that changes day to day. I think you should just go ahead and book a cruise for January. :lol: Run it then. :lol:

Mr. Dino is also called Karate Kid - I have no idea why. He has outfits too! Sadly, none of them made this trip. One of these days we're going to see if some of the Duffy bear outfits will fit him.

Thank you so much for all of your compliments and for reading!!!

I've actually never even run a 5k. I have no idea what my time would or should be. I just go out and run a sorta modified version of the 'Couch to 5k'. I don't really have high expectations...sorta like when I go with the old man to play golf. He gets upset if he shoots over par or whatever. I'm just happy to make contact with the ball. I guess in the case of the 5k I'd be happy just to make it back at all. :lol: I heard one of my brother-in-laws tell my hubby once that if he gets that frustrated with his golf game all he needs to do is lower his expectations. Love it. :lol:

Does Mr. Karate Kid (<--love that, btw!) wear Build-a-Bear clothes??? If so, most likely he could pull off Duffy's clothes. Then again, hard to tell how the neck, shoulders, and arms would do, huh?

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

LOVED it!! I love living vicariously through others and their TR's until it's time for me to go to the World!!

Sounds and looks like you guys had an amazing time!! (Not that any trip to Disney is ever short of amazing!! lol) What a way to spend the 4th of July!! The character costumes were sooooo cute!! Disney really hit a home run with those! :animwink:

And your children are adorable, I must say!

 

[disneygirl1]

Such a great report!!!:sohappy: You really got me in the full fledge Disney spirit. Now if the next few weeks would just hurry up and fly by I can be in Disney World!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

That was awesome!! I loved it all!!

I'm so glad you included all the 4th of July extras! I loved those outfits!!

I'm so glad you all enjoyed your first cruise!!:sohappy:

 

[erstwo]

I've actually never even run a 5k. I have no idea what my time would or should be. I just go out and run a sorta modified version of the 'Couch to 5k'. I don't really have high expectations...sorta like when I go with the old man to play golf. He gets upset if he shoots over par or whatever. I'm just happy to make contact with the ball. I guess in the case of the 5k I'd be happy just to make it back at all. :lol: I heard one of my brother-in-laws tell my hubby once that if he gets that frustrated with his golf game all he needs to do is lower his expectations. Love it.

Does Mr. Karate Kid (<--love that, btw!) wear Build-a-Bear clothes??? If so, most likely he could pull off Duffy's clothes. Then again, hard to tell how the neck, shoulders, and arms would do, huh?

Well, you are already doing better than me at golf! When we go as a family, I don't even get out of the cart. :lol: I'm strictly there for child control. You will do great at the 5K thing, I just know it - still, you might want to book that additional cruise for January. You know, just in case you want to run it again to be sure you did your best. :lol:

Mr. Karate Kid does wear some Build A Bear clothes! He is actually a Build a Bear from TRex in DTD. The biggest obstacle to dressing him is his tail - my son really wanted to get him the Duffy Buzz Lightyear costume that they sold on the ship, but alas - that suit didn't work with the tail. We're going to check T Rex next time we are there. Thank you again for reading! Can't wait for your trip report!! :wave:

LOVED it!! I love living vicariously through others and their TR's until it's time for me to go to the World!!

Sounds and looks like you guys had an amazing time!! (Not that any trip to Disney is ever short of amazing!! lol) What a way to spend the 4th of July!! The character costumes were sooooo cute!! Disney really hit a home run with those!

And your children are adorable, I must say!

I know! I love TR's too! We did have an amazing time. My husband actually said it was the best vacation of his life. And that's saying something - he's been everywhere. LOVED those costumes (in case you couldn't tell! ) I was hoping they would meet and greet in them, but as the cruise director said, there was no way they could have met the demand of all 4000 passengers to meet them in those costumes.

Thank you and thanks for reading!

Such a great report!!! You really got me in the full fledge Disney spirit. Now if the next few weeks would just hurry up and fly by I can be in Disney World!

Yay!!! Did I ever ask when you will be there? I think you won't be there when we are there, but just making sure! ETA - Now I can see it in your signature! Boo. Won't be there at the same time. But maybe one day!

That was awesome!! I loved it all!!

I'm so glad you included all the 4th of July extras! I loved those outfits!!

I'm so glad you all enjoyed your first cruise!!:sohappy:

Thank you so much! That's high praise coming from you.
I knew someone would enjoy the 'once a year' aspect of those July 4th photos! I wondered what they would do on a 'normal' day at sea as opposed to what we experienced. Guess we'll just have to go back and find out, right? :lol:
It was amazing, as I said above - my husband said it was the best vacation of his life. If he'd had his way, we would have booked again before we got off the ship. I vetoed that for a lot of reasons (one being my hopes of a trip to Disneyland!) but I'm sure we'll be wearing out Castaway Cay Club lanyards before we know it!

 

[pumpkin7]

what a lovely trip report. it looks like you all had a fab time

 

[erstwo]

what a lovely trip report. it looks like you all had a fab time

Thank you! It was a blast!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Thank you so much! That's high praise coming from you.
I knew someone would enjoy the 'once a year' aspect of those July 4th photos! I wondered what they would do on a 'normal' day at sea as opposed to what we experienced. Guess we'll just have to go back and find out, right? :lol:It was amazing, as I said above - my husband said it was the best vacation of his life. If he'd had his way, we would have booked again before we got off the ship. I vetoed that for a lot of reasons (one being my hopes of a trip to Disneyland!) but I'm sure we'll be wearing out Castaway Cay Club lanyards before we know it!

That's a good plan!!:sohappy:

 

[WDW_Princess24]

You have a beautiful family! What a great way to celebrate 50 years of marriage!! WOW!