Comin' at y'all with a
sun-drenched-, rain-soaking-, "you've got to be kidding me-", filled, 7-day TR!
To say that this adventure was like a "fantastical wooden roller coaster" would actually be...well..a spot on observation! And to be quite honest, personally I had more fun enjoying the magic of anticipation than I did the pilgrimage...lessons were learned, tears were shed, and blisters were endured.
As for the rest of my Disney-lovin' family, their journeys take on a different light, because as we know, "the reward is in the eye of the beholder"...or something like that. My DD's will tell you that they had a blast, so much so, that the oldest couldn't wait to get home and set up her own version of Test Track; and the youngest performed her own set of meet-and-greets with her toys the moment we returned home! Then there's my DH, who was just so happy to have a vacation, that the annoying fact that he was not able to use his room card for anything at one point, did not prove to be as frustrating as say, being followed by a cheer-chanting tour group from EP to MK via monorail (seriously, this happened).
To see what was on our original itinerary, I did a very short and sweet pre-TR:
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/the-rain-will-not-ruin-our-parade-ptr.866410/
Buuuuut, if you don't feel like perusing the above link, here's a quick re-cap of the particulars:
the WHO's:Just my little family of 4...
Me: Sara. I am a stay-at-home mom, and a proud owner of a pretty
I like to be behind the lens, plan the trips, and organize my family's memories into 12x12 albums. I am also the ear-plugger for my DD's (fireworks get them every...single...time), on-the-spot-boo-boo-soother, and an all around allergy sufferer. This venture marked my 15th visit (since 2003), and my 11th as a DVC member! DH: Joel. He is literally, "the bread winner," of our family, as his job entails operating his own baked goods delivery route...hey, it pays the bills and fuels our Disney habits. This guy is a germ-a-phobe, golf enthusiast (a self-taught 8 handicap, thank you very much), forever a child-at-heart, and producer of random movie quotes. With this trip complete, he has traveled to WDW 17 times (yup, he's got 2 up on me), and his 11th as a DVC member!
(Here's a family photo from our Oct./Nov. 2012 trip)
Photo0257FourBySix by journ116, on Flickr
DD7: Chloe, 7. Just finished up 1st grade, but reads at a 3rd grade level, and could not wait for summer break to start! She is our ballerina, asthma-sufferer, "can I have another piece of paper for my drawings" artist, and the silly story-teller of the family. No matter how many times she's been to WDW (this marked her 13th), she gets super excited just to be "in her element!"
(right before our trip, she had her first ballet recital)
DSC_1020 by journ116, on Flickr
DD3: Eliza, 3. She is still very much the precocious-peanut of the family, whose love of princess nightgowns has turned them into an every day, "wash it again," obsession! Amazingly, and comically, she correlates plane rides with bus rides, and bus rides with Disney parks! Would love to ride all the rides like her big sister, but her lack of vertical stature leaves her behind (more on this later)...so, she gets compensated with face painting and an occasional high-calorie treat. Her WDW passport has only been stamped 8 times, not too shabby for someone who hasn't hit her 4th birthday yet!
(hammin' it up for the camera after sneaking a piece of candy from her Easter basket)
DSC_0375 by journ116, on Flickr
*Surprisingly, I really missed having the in-laws along...and my DH and I agreed that for any future trips we take, that are more than 5 days, we are dragging them with us. I guess I am one of the few lucky people to have such caring, selfless, and gracious in-laws, even if my DH makes me sometimes question his upbringing
(here we all are during our Oct./Nov. 2012)
Photo0404FourBySix by journ116, on Flickr
the WHEN: June 5-12, 2013
the WHERE: A studio at the Boardwalk Villas (5 nights on points, 1 night on cash, and 1 night on points)
*Please enjoy this video courtesy of AllEars.net, as I took no room photos
:the WHY: Might as well take advantage of our premium AP's we bought (expire in October 2013)...that, and our next trip to WDW, in theory, won't be until late 2014, early 2015, because we making the trek to Disneyland in Jan./Feb. 2014!
the HOW: Flying via Frontier Airlines out of MDT (near Harrisburg, Pa). Scored an amazing round-trip, non-stop flight: $138/each + seat selection + checked bags.
