Pre-Trip Help... They're Making Me Go...

Hi Everyone! Remember us?

Let me refresh your memories... I'm the one who tends to not finish her TR's.

Well. in my defense, the last 3 or so years has been hectic and has had it's share of drama.. parent drama, work drama, homeschool drama, sibling drama, oh, and a global pandemic thrown in because... why not?

However...

Yep... it seems like it's a go.

Anyone want to plan along with us? Hope so - because I miss all my friends here terribly!

 

[fractal]

Glad to see you back!

 

[Loco_driver]

Welcome back! It’s been a while!

 

[joshsprincess921]

So good to see you back!!! Can not wait to hear more.

 

[rshell68]

This just made my day!!! I've been wondering how you all were doing!!!

 

[cgersic]

I'm here for the fun, the planning, the drama, ALL of it! Nice to see you all again!

 

[Swissmiss]

I am so glad you are back! I have thought of you over the past few years and hoped everything was ok and that life just got too busy.

 

[RememberWhen]

Yay! So glad to see you back!

 

[Tuvalu]

Here for the

 

[meggo819]

Remember us?

Yep! Glad to hear about your upcoming trip. And we’d still love to hear about the last trip too

 

[Bullseye1967]

Following along!!

 

[Songbird76]

I'm so glad you're back!!! I was wondering about you!!

 

[amjt660]

Max

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I'm glad to see you are back. It's weird though because just yesterday I was thinking of you and wondering if you'd ever be back with another trip report.

 

[LSV]

Add me to the list of recently thinking about you!

 

[Katiekitten]

Seeing this PTR has just put a big smile on my face this morning, I'm glad your back!

 

[Brwneyedgirl72]

So glad to see you back! I often wondered if all was ok - can’t wait to see what you have planned.

 

[Darstarr]

 

[Figment Forever]

Glad to see you back!

THANK YOU! It's good to be back!

Welcome back! It’s been a while!

Thank you! Too long! It feels good to be here!

So good to see you back!!! Can not wait to hear more.

Thanks so much! Going to try my best to keep posting.

This just made my day!!! I've been wondering how you all were doing!!!

Thanks so much! We are all doing well - life has just been crazy.

I'm here for the fun, the planning, the drama, ALL of it! Nice to see you all again!

LOL Thank you!! I can almost gauruntee you a lot of drama!!

View attachment 698368

I am so glad you are back! I have thought of you over the past few years and hoped everything was ok and that life just got too busy.

Thanks so much!! Everything is good - life has just changed so much -it's been just crazy and I couldn't keep up with things.

Yay! So glad to see you back!

Thank you so much!!! I apprecitate you reahcing out! And I'm really enjoying your TR!

Here for the

Oh those Crocs!! Do you know, he had the audacity to look at a pair a while back? I said - NO WAY!!!

Yep! Glad to hear about your upcoming trip. And we’d still love to hear about the last trip too

Thanks!! I'm not sure if I should dare try to finish the last one. Apparently I still have my notes, but unfortunately, a lot of my photos got deleted!!

Following along!!

Thanks so much!!

I'm so glad you're back!!! I was wondering about you!!

Thank you!! Looking forward to catching up with everyone!

Max

Thanks Max!!

I'm glad to see you are back. It's weird though because just yesterday I was thinking of you and wondering if you'd ever be back with another trip report.

Thaks so much! Hopfully I can be consistent. You guys better keep me on my toes! lol

Add me to the list of recently thinking about you!

lol Thank you!

Seeing this PTR has just put a big smile on my face this morning, I'm glad your back!

Thanks so much!! Good to be back!

So glad to see you back! I often wondered if all was ok - can’t wait to see what you have planned.

Thank you!! All is good - just so surreal and crazy. Feels good to be back here!

lol Yep - let's hope I can keep it going!

 

[Figment Forever]

Thank you guys so much for welcoming me back!! I promise to try to stay consistent here. lol

I guess I should start by explaining my title...

So this trip is our post-phoned 2020 trip. Originally, we were booked to stay at a suite at ASMusic in September 2020, since we were dragging Julia's boyfriend with us - we needed space for 5. He has NEVER been to WDW and is not impressed by any of it and wanted no part of it. He is also terrified of flying - never been on a plane. But we were doing our best to get him excited!

This is them in 2020 going to his sister's wedding...

Well... enter Covid and we all know what happened...

As WDW started to reopen, we were notified that ASMusic would not be opened in time for our journey, so they moved us to AoA in a Cars suite - no upcharge. Also, since the dining plan was cancelled, they credited us the full value of what we would have paid for the dining plan. (We were booked under the free dining plan.)

As we got closer to September, we were notified that AoA would not be opened so they moved us again at no up-charge to Saratoga Springs - or it may have been Old Key West, I honestly don't remember. But they put us in a 1 or 2 bedroom suite or villa.

Now people... I promise you, this would have probably been the ONLY time our motley crew would have stayed in a deluxe resort. We just can not ever justify the price. But as we got closer, we knew it would not have been worth it - however tempting it was! So many attractions and shows were still closed, no character interactions, and in the end, the complete deal breaker were the masks. No way we were gonna wear them. So Ross made the sad phone call and bumped our trip to 2021. Of course we lost all the comps and freebies they gave us including our original free dining promo.

As we approached September 2021, we still didn't feel that there was enough "normal" back, so we bumped again and of course the price went up again. We found other trips - closer to home that were really enjoyable. GWL was a lifesaver! Thanks to a great homeschool group that makes regular trips and gets unbelievable rates, we were able to go a few times and found it a very relaxing time away - so different from our WDW park days.

And then came all the announcements... No free dining, no dining plans at all, no magical express, no fast pass... you know it all. But I just got fed up and I had no desire to go back. I told Ross to bump our trip again - and he did.

My parents moved to LBI, so we've gotten to spend a lot of time at the beach and also rediscoevred our love for Lake George, a place Ross and I spent a lot of time at when we were young.

Then one day last September, Ross, Hope and Julia decided they wanted to go back. It made sense - the trip was paid for... They wanted our 2023 dates to be a done deal, but it was me that did not want to go back. I'm just not happy with Disney right now. None of it. But I was overruled. Last week we booked our plane tickets, so withstanding any major drama, (Please Dear Lord - no major drama!) we are going back.

But... I'm so sad!

I used to be so excited to plan things out and get us all ready to go. And now, I don't want any of it. I guess it's one of the reasons it's been so hard to get back on the boards. Funny because Hope said if I didn't want to do a TR - she would do it!

I am so humbled and grateful for all of you who reached out to me and checked in with us over the past couple of years. You are all so very special! So Magicians, I need your help. Please help me get excited for this trip! Help me get some of the magic back!! I'm counting on all of you!!