Our last minute first ever trip without the kids: August 2009

Well, we did it. We actually took a trip to the world without our four kids. I really felt kind of bad about taking a trip without them, but after our fiascos on the plane I'm really glad we did it. I'm sure on our next trip our kids will be the best behaved young ones ever.

So let's back up a bit. It all started when my dh, Sam, came home from work after hearing about low airfares. He went straight to the computer and started looking at booking a quick trip for the two of us. I rolled my eyes at him and thought that he could look all he wanted, but there was no way we were taking a trip! Then, he started looking into disney...:lookaroun

I started thinking how we really deserved this trip...I had just finished school and got my license to teach, I had had eye surgery in June to correct a detached retina, Sam had been working a lot of overtime...we could use a break. Then we realized that if we used our points, we would only need to pay for air fare and food for this trip. Sold!!! :sohappy:

I booked the next day and the only thing available was Saratoga or Old Key West. We had never stayed at OKW, so we booked a studio. We waitlisted for BWV, but with only a month to be on the waitlist I figured we would never get it. We were happy to try something new anyway. We were very excited to get our vacation info in the mail!

Here we are all ready to go, when two days before we get off the waitlist it actually comes through!! Now we have to get into the mindset of staying at BWV. I think we can manage!

 

[mouselvrmom]

After we had a minute to relax in the room, we decided to go back out. We thought we would head to the Studios for some night time fun. Little did we know how difficult this would be for us.

We go out to the boardwalk and it immediately starts to sprinkle. Not that big of a deal, but it's also lightning. So we sit under some shelter and wait for the boats to resume running.

I was bored.

So we're waiting, waiting, waiting. Someone tells us that they are sending a bus since the boats can't run. It's really raining now, but we head to the front for a bus. Where we resume more waiting, waiting, waiting. There's a group of us there and a bus driver tells us we need to take a boat. Doh. We finally get our bus and are off to the studios.

Now I'm not a big lover of getting wet so we end up stopping in a gift shop for a poncho. Sam decided to tough it out. Not too many pictures tonight or most nights unfortunately with the rain.

So I tell Sam that we'll never get to ride TSM tonight but we'll try it another morning. We head to RRC to ride single rider. Did I mention that I love single rider lines? Anyway, a nice CM named Darrin was chatting with us for a minute while we waited. He followed us into the room and asks if we've been on TSM. We're like not yet. So he hands us fast passes that we can use tonight! Sweet!!! There is a guy and his two boys doing single rider as well and he's like, hey, what about us? So Darrin hands them some fastpasses as well.

We get down to wait and there is no need for single riders for quite awhile, so the CM there tells me and Sam to go together. Yay!!! We're just really lucky tonight! Well, except for the boats and the rain. :lol:

We headed to TOT before hitting TSM. I was bummed that I couldn't take any pictures because I didn't want to get my camera out. But there wasn't any line at all. Then, we were off to the main event. I had been talking smack to Sam about how I was working on my hand eye coordination. I'm usually horrible at these kinds of games. He was rolling his eyes at me.

Yay for fastpasses!

So we get right on the ride and Sam is beating me by a bit. But I'm really hanging in there...he's so mad to see me typing this right now....anyway, we get to the end and it's neck and neck, we have our bonus round and then the scores come up.....



I am on the right- oops I mean left! Sam could not believe that I had somehow managed to beat him.

We've done everything we wanted to here, so we decide to head back and hit the hay. We are pretty tired after all!

 

[mouselvrmom]

Jenn!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited you are already writing!!:sohappy::sohappy:

I love it! I totally understand about the "melt your face off heat". No words can describe it!:lol:

I am appalled you did not go see Mulan, but I understand.:lol:

Your flip flops are adorable, and you're right, that's a neat view!

Yes, I'm much quicker than you. Just teasing you! :lol:

At least you can feel my pain about the heat and not hold it against me that I wasn't a more aggressive character hunter, right?

And I completely love my new mickey shoes! Too bad I couldn't wear them after this day since they weren't broken in and were kind of rubbing. I am back to wearing them now at home though. :animwink:

 

[eagles]

jenn i love your new shoes. they are so cool, i want a pair that is great the cm gave you fp's for tsm. that ride is awesome.

i can relate about not stalking characters or getting in line for them in the heat. on our june trip i am not sure, but i think i only got a couple because i could not stand the heat. i can't even imagine what august heat feels like.

ok i am caught up now, so write some more

 

[mouselvrmom]

jenn i love your new shoes. they are so cool, i want a pair that is great the cm gave you fp's for tsm. that ride is awesome.

i can relate about not stalking characters or getting in line for them in the heat. on our june trip i am not sure, but i think i only got a couple because i could not stand the heat. i can't even imagine what august heat feels like.

ok i am caught up now, so write some more

you should totally get a pair of them! I bet you could get them online!

Oh, good, everyone seems to forgive me for not going after the characters! :lol:

What one day per day isn't good enough for you? :lookaroun:lol:

 

[HollyBelle]

The joys of single rider lines... we LOVE them! And like you, every once in awhile we'll get lucky and they throw us together anyway!

Love that you beat Sam at TSMM. :sohappy: I can never seem to accomplish that feat with Brett... so I'll just have to live vicariously through you.

Oh yeah... and unlike some others, I'm not giving you a pass on passing up the characters. How could you?! :lol:

 

[mouselvrmom]

The joys of single rider lines... we LOVE them! And like you, every once in awhile we'll get lucky and they throw us together anyway!

Love that you beat Sam at TSMM. :sohappy: I can never seem to accomplish that feat with Brett... so I'll just have to live vicariously through you.

Oh yeah... and unlike some others, I'm not giving you a pass on passing up the characters. How could you?! :lol:

I knew you'd be different, Holly! I know, I'm already regreting it! :lol: I guess I'll just have to really make up for it on our next trip. Although we did meet some characters, you'll just have to wait and see.

 

[HollyBelle]

I knew you'd be different, Holly! I know, I'm already regreting it! :lol: I guess I'll just have to really make up for it on our next trip. Although we did meet some characters, you'll just have to wait and see.

Oooh the suspense! I'll just have to sit back and wait... patiently. I've got all the time in the world now that I'm finally finished with my report.

 

[Coree]

What??!?! No Mulan, no food pics? What were you thinking, Jenn? Florida was definitely stinkin' hot. I'm very envious of the no kids trip. I miss those days. Great trip so far! And yes, those flip flops are really cute!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Extra Fastpasses!! Awesome!!:sohappy:

I knew Holly wasn't going to give you a pass.:lol:

 

[mousebymarriage]

Good for you, a trip with no kids is GREAT! We did it in Oct. 2005 all adults (left the kiddies at home), we were 8 adults ages 25-55. It was me and DH , my sisters and their Dh's and sisters friend and DH. We even did MNSSHP, we had a blast!

 

[disneygirl1]

Loving the report Jenn!!! Shoes are too cute by the way!!! Man I really, really want to stay at the Boardwalk!!!

 

[mouselvrmom]

Oooh the suspense! I'll just have to sit back and wait... patiently. I've got all the time in the world now that I'm finally finished with my report.

I'm sure you could find some time for.....scrapbook pages. :lol:

What??!?! No Mulan, no food pics? What were you thinking, Jenn? Florida was definitely stinkin' hot. I'm very envious of the no kids trip. I miss those days. Great trip so far! And yes, those flip flops are really cute!

I've already said, I wasn't thinking- I was too hot for that! :lol: I'm sure Anna would be none to happy if you decided to take an adults only trip!

Extra Fastpasses!! Awesome!!:sohappy:

I knew Holly wasn't going to give you a pass.:lol:

I knew it too- I was just hoping I could sneak it past her. :lol:

Good for you, a trip with no kids is GREAT! We did it in Oct. 2005 all adults (left the kiddies at home), we were 8 adults ages 25-55. It was me and DH , my sisters and their Dh's and sisters friend and DH. We even did MNSSHP, we had a blast!

Wow, a party without the kids! Mine would have definitely killed me!

Loving the report Jenn!!! Shoes are too cute by the way!!! Man I really, really want to stay at the Boardwalk!!!

Thanks! My goal of this trip report is to get everyone to buy mickey fit flops! :lol: My oldest just noticed them yesterday and was laughing at my dedication to both disney and fit flops.


And you should definitely stay at the Boardwalk! It's great! Although stay tuned at the end for my flipflop on attitute towards it...

 

[mouselvrmom]

Wednesday August 26

Today was to be an early morning at AK since we had breakfast reservations at Donald's Safari Breakfast. Sam loves breakfast food and really loves buffets. So even though I don't care to eat right away in the morning, I usually suck it up at least a couple times on a trip. This was to be our only breakfast of the trip.

Now I am really not a morning person. Sam claims that he isn't either, but says he has had to adjust to working early all these years and now just wakes up early. Yea, whatever, if you're not a morning person you never will be. So I really didn't want to get up this morning. Sam has this annoying habit of waking me up and continuously telling me what time it is. Like if I was really so interested in the time I couldn't turn my head and see the numbers for myself. Anyway, I eventually rolled out of bed and threw myself into the shower, but I think Sam was a little stressed that we were off his perceived time schedule. He was kind of giving me a hard time when it took me awhile to get ready.

So we walk out the lobby to find a bus at the stop. We walked quickly to be able to get on it and magically it was an AK bus. Now here's where I'm an idiot. The bus was freezing. We walk out into an incredibly humid morning and I don't give my camera one moment of thought as I whip it out to take this beautiful picture.

I'm sure you're all smarter than I am and can already imagine what my problem is going to be. Anyway, we get to the front and they're not letting anyone in for the breakfast yet. We're actually early!!! I gave Sam a little bit of crap for being so worried about time. :lol:

We get in and I decide to take a picture of the tree. My camera wouldn't turn on- well, at least I thought then that it wouldn't turn on. So I assumed it was a dead battery and changed it out for a new one. I take my picture.

And another...

And one more..

And here's where I figure out what's happening with the camera. It wasn't the battery, the camera was actually still on. I was thinking that I was flipping the switch to turn it off when it was actually staying on the whole time. It was black because the battery was turning it off to save power and I only needed to press the button again to turn it on. Now I'm freaking out thinking that my camera is broken and I'm at Disney where I obviously want my camera. I'm cursing myself for being such an idiot but at the same time being thankful that I purchased that extended coverage for it. :lol: Now I'm just fretting that eventually it will stop working all together.

 

[mouselvrmom]

I really don't like how they take your picture with Donald at the beginning of your breakfast and ask you to purchase it now. Just one more thing they can charge you for. I think the woman was a bit put off when I told her we would be skipping it today.

Sam with his giant plate that was gone in seconds.

We were chatting with a nice woman next to us- an by that I mean she was right next to us since the tables were so close- and she agreed to take a picture of us together for my daughter. She was taking her nephew to disney while his mom took their mom to Vegas. We all agreed that she got the better end of that deal!

I thought of you when Daisy visited us, Holly.

We got out of there before the park officially opened, so I snapped a few pictures while I waited for Sam to get out of the bathroom.

 

[mouselvrmom]

While we wait for them to drop the rope so we can grab fast passes to EE, we chat with some boys from Minnesota who are going to the same place we are. They actually don't live too far from us so it was nice to see some neighbors there.

They drop the rope and Sam gets a fast pass while I wait in the stand by line.

I think it's pretty clear from this picture that we were near the back of the train. I hate being near the back of the train! The backwards part really gets my head spinning and I feel that it is worse in the back. Again, I'm s__________g it up for Sam.

 

[Coree]

You got some great pics, Jenn. I have to admit I was chuckling at that first photo and you thinking your camera was broken. :lol: I'm SURE it wasn't funny at the time though!

 

[mouselvrmom]

You got some great pics, Jenn. I have to admit I was chuckling at that first photo and you thinking your camera was broken. :lol: I'm SURE it wasn't funny at the time though!

Yes, I'm glad my stupidity is amusing to you, Coree! I of course was freaked out at the time! :lol:

 

[HollyBelle]

Scrapbook pages?! What are those? :ROFLOL: I'm actually excited to have some time to work on my cruise book now.

Tusker House Daisy Duck is one of my favorites!! Love how she's posing in the picture with Sam. And I really like your "Island Girl" tank top. Very cute!

Oh yeah, and the Everest pictures are awesome!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Phew! Glad it wasn't broken!:lol:

Wow, Sam got his money's worth at the breakfast!:lol:

 

[mouselvrmom]

So after we rode standby we decided to head to Dinosaur while we waited for our fastpass time. Here is an instance where Sam is s__________g it up for me. He hates this ride, but I for some reason love it. He also hates Indy at DL while I love it.

Check out how humid it is this morning!

We came upon this scary creature.

I'm afraid that he got Sam.

I don't think I've ever seen this ride have a line long enough to go out here.

Now I'm s__________g it up again to ride Primeval Whirl. I hate to spin. I spent the wait time trying to figure out how best to load the car and which people in front of us would work best so that we wouldn't spin as much. :lol: