Pre-Trip OKW & POLY - Let the Island Living Begin (WDW Style)!!

While I've visited Disney World 8 of the last 10 years, it feels like it's been forever because I missed 2015 and it's been almost 2 years since being at my favorite place on the planet.

That'll change very soon!!!!!

I can't remember the exact reason I didn't go last year, but it had something to do with a ridiculous promise I made to my wife. (She loves Disney, but not on my level)
I frustratingly honored that promise and we ended up having a great vacation in Aruba, but now I'm ready for my triumphant return to the Hallowed Land southwest of Orlando.
Living in California for 40+ years, the Disneyland Resort has been a very important part of my life. And it's never more than a few months that I don't make the 95 mile drive to Anaheim from my home in Palm Springs.
But Walt Disney World is on a whole other level, and since my first trip there almost exactly 25 years ago, and especially since joining DVC 9 years ago, there's no other place I'd rather be.

THE TRIP -
August 31 - September 10, 2016
Old Key West Studio for 5 nts
Poly Studio for 5 more
10 Nights total
(Atleast for me. Wife flies in 2 nights later on Sept 2)

THE PLAYERS -
Jeff (49) + Tracy (34)
Married 8 years, together a lot longer.
Seems like a large age difference, but very understandable when considering how childlike I can be (especially around Disney).
I'm the Disney Nut. She likes it too, but revels in making fun of my extreme passion.

VACATION STYLE -
We tend to spend more time than most around our Resort. I especially love the pools and chillin' on our room balcony.
Tracy spends a lot of her downtime napping. The girl loves her sleep! Which gives me plenty of time for those pools and balcony.
But our main passion are the restaurants & lounges of Disney World. We spend a ton of time & money eating & drinking, and generally pack on some serious added poundage on our trips.
This vacation will be no different.
There are so many new places to try.
We're also huge fans of the H20 parks and Disney Springs (which was under massive construction 2 years ago, I can't wait to see it now!!)

 

[worldfanatic]

I know I'm not the only one that puts together these planning sheets.
But it's a bit ridiculous, isn't it?
I can't even begin to guess how many sheets of paper I've gone through, not to mention the liquid paper I use because I've convinced myself that "this is the last change I'm gonna make, no need for a new sheet". But of course that's never the case. Especially now that Disney has made it so easy to change ADRs & Fastpasses on their app.
This has gone on for almost 2 years since my last trip ended and my next one entered the planning stage.
Again, it's ridiculous. And the really crazy thing is that I always make changes as the trip is happening.
But nonetheless, I still love the planning end of a WDW vacation, and having a plan helps, even when you decide to mix it up.

But the absolute worst part of making a sheet like this is having to hide it from Tracy.
Because God Help Me if she finds it!
She loves to make fun of me for my Disney obsession, and this is like pouring gas on a fire for her.
Before one vacation around 5 years ago, she took my planning sheet into her work and showed her whole company. They all had a great laugh about her Disney World obsessed husband. Very nice.
And what makes it worse is after making fun of me, she then starts trying to override my plans and messing everything up.

No, never again.
She'll have to hire a team of private eyes and a bloodhound to find my little gem of a planning sheet.
She'll learn where we're having dinner at WDW when we get to the hostess stand.
Ba Ha Ha Ha!!!!!

In actuality, I do take a lot of input from her on where we go and what we do at WDW. She just thinks it weird that I write it down.

Our first trip together in 2002.

 

[FlaggNL]

You're just 5 days ahead of the trip! Plans looks great! Enjoy the final pre feelings and have a wonderful and magical stay!