Who:
Us! Same Disney lovin’ crew from so many trip reports. Myself, Dh, Ds16 and Dd13. At the time of this picture we had been outside for about 4 minutes. And already I have humidity hair. There is a reason I don't live in Florida.
My parents – You’ve seen them on almost all of my trip reports. They love Disney but they love being with their grandkids even more.
My sister and her family – My sister was on my girl’s cruise on the Dream last January. Other than that, her family has been MIA for a lot of recent Disney trips. Something about the cost of airfare for 5 people, the cost of cruising for 5 people, wah wah wah wah wah. :lookaroun:lol: We do love spending time with them though, and I was very glad they could come on this trip! I love you Bonnie!
Friends – These friends haven’t been with us for 5 years! They’re great fun though and we’re really glad they could come too! The Dad’s a doctor – bonus!! You never know when having a doctor with you will come in handy. Thankfully, his medical skills were not needed on this trip!
When: August 28-September 3rd
Yes, the crazy hot time of year. We were trying to work out a time when everyone could make it. Ds is a junior in high school and it’s getting harder and harder to pull him out. My dad is a principal so it’s hard for him to get out sometimes too without causing bitterness around the teachers!
At first we thought we’d go in October which is one of our usual times. Then we found out we were moving (again!) to Washington DC. We checked the school calendars hoping for a fall break! No such luck. But the schools here start crazy late!! We weren’t starting school until September 6th!! Score!!
Since everyone else had to take their kids out either way, we decided it may be the perfect time! Other than the heat of course.
Once we got to DC we found out that no time is perfect of course. Both kids were missing open house at school where they would get the lay of the land, their schedules and their lockers. Oops. They were also missing soccer and volleyball tryouts. Double oops. Not too big of a deal for a 16 year old boy, but for a middle school girl? Her world was coming to an end. If it was possible for her to stay here, she very well might have.
Well, not much could be done. We were committed and excited at that point, so we decided just to make it work! The coaches agreed to let them come to the first few days of practice to try out, and the school let us come in before we left to get our lockers. Crisis – kind of – averted.
Where: Wilderness Lodge Villas!
Okay, I have a deep dark confession. I had some trepidation about staying there.
I’ve been to Wilderness Lodge many times and I’ve toured both the lodge and the villas. Dh has wanted to stay here for years. When I toured the rooms, however, I just wasn’t that excited.
I know! It’s a beloved property by many and that’s horrible of me. I know how much people love it and I recommend it to people all the time. It is the least expensive deluxe on property after all. It is also beautiful! Just beautiful!
The thing is, I am all about luxury on vacation. I want to be impressed by my room and view. I want to feel like I left my pottery barn style furniture at home and am headed for something totally different. My tours of the rooms didn’t feel like that! We were from Colorado for goodness sake! I didn’t want to go camping or stay in a cabin no matter how beautiful! I want to relax and get away from normal life.
But for good or bad – that’s what was available when we called DVC member services. So I didn’t confess my misgivings to anyone but Dh and put on a happy face.
We were staying in 2 two bedroom villas. How bad can that be?
What: Military tickets and DVC!
The military tickets were definitely in our favor this trip! Last year our big family October trip somehow fell in the 2 ½ week period where there was no military salute going on. I mean the only 2 ½ week period in two years!! Not this time! We weren’t going to miss it again!
Unfortunately they are only 4 day tickets, but we decided we could make that work too. We had toyed with the idea of going to Universal to see Harry again on the 5th day, but our new Washington DC budget axed that idea. My sister also (5 people) decided they didn’t want to spend that much, and of course my parents were doing whatever their grandkids were doing. Friends still decided to go because they were meeting some other friends there for the day. The rest of us decided a water park would suit us fine that 5th day.
Free (kind of) place to stay and cheap tickets! Count me in!
Sunday, August 28 – Travel Day – OR NOT!!
Well after a crazy week that included our first earthquake (!!) we suddenly had a hurricane problem! Mercy! In fact, as I’m writing this a week after our trip, my children’s school has been cancelled because of flooding!! I think our new state may be trying to tell us we are not welcome.
We were supposed to fly out of DC at noon on Sunday. Exactly the time a category 2 hurricane was supposed to be right on top of us.
I started stalking United’s website on Wednesday, hoping for a travel waiver so I could change our flights to Saturday. Finally, Thursday afternoon, it came!! I had to get a hold of Dh before I could do it so I paced the house waiting for him to get out of a meeting. When he finally called me back, he said he couldn’t leave on Saturday. If the hurricane got ugly they would need him at work.
Alrighty! We were going without him! Hopefully he would be joining us on Sunday.
Earlier in the week when I told dh I was waiting for a travel waiver so we could go on Saturday, he said, “We don’t have reservations, where would we stay?”
I said, “Dude!! I’m a travel agent!!” :ROFLOL:
I found a room at Saratoga Springs for the night. Works for me!
Us! Same Disney lovin’ crew from so many trip reports. Myself, Dh, Ds16 and Dd13. At the time of this picture we had been outside for about 4 minutes. And already I have humidity hair. There is a reason I don't live in Florida.
My parents – You’ve seen them on almost all of my trip reports. They love Disney but they love being with their grandkids even more.
My sister and her family – My sister was on my girl’s cruise on the Dream last January. Other than that, her family has been MIA for a lot of recent Disney trips. Something about the cost of airfare for 5 people, the cost of cruising for 5 people, wah wah wah wah wah. :lookaroun:lol: We do love spending time with them though, and I was very glad they could come on this trip! I love you Bonnie!
Friends – These friends haven’t been with us for 5 years! They’re great fun though and we’re really glad they could come too! The Dad’s a doctor – bonus!! You never know when having a doctor with you will come in handy. Thankfully, his medical skills were not needed on this trip!
When: August 28-September 3rd
Yes, the crazy hot time of year. We were trying to work out a time when everyone could make it. Ds is a junior in high school and it’s getting harder and harder to pull him out. My dad is a principal so it’s hard for him to get out sometimes too without causing bitterness around the teachers!
At first we thought we’d go in October which is one of our usual times. Then we found out we were moving (again!) to Washington DC. We checked the school calendars hoping for a fall break! No such luck. But the schools here start crazy late!! We weren’t starting school until September 6th!! Score!!
Since everyone else had to take their kids out either way, we decided it may be the perfect time! Other than the heat of course.
Once we got to DC we found out that no time is perfect of course. Both kids were missing open house at school where they would get the lay of the land, their schedules and their lockers. Oops. They were also missing soccer and volleyball tryouts. Double oops. Not too big of a deal for a 16 year old boy, but for a middle school girl? Her world was coming to an end. If it was possible for her to stay here, she very well might have.
Well, not much could be done. We were committed and excited at that point, so we decided just to make it work! The coaches agreed to let them come to the first few days of practice to try out, and the school let us come in before we left to get our lockers. Crisis – kind of – averted.
Where: Wilderness Lodge Villas!
Okay, I have a deep dark confession. I had some trepidation about staying there.
I’ve been to Wilderness Lodge many times and I’ve toured both the lodge and the villas. Dh has wanted to stay here for years. When I toured the rooms, however, I just wasn’t that excited. I know! It’s a beloved property by many and that’s horrible of me. I know how much people love it and I recommend it to people all the time. It is the least expensive deluxe on property after all. It is also beautiful! Just beautiful!
The thing is, I am all about luxury on vacation. I want to be impressed by my room and view. I want to feel like I left my pottery barn style furniture at home and am headed for something totally different. My tours of the rooms didn’t feel like that! We were from Colorado for goodness sake! I didn’t want to go camping or stay in a cabin no matter how beautiful! I want to relax and get away from normal life.
But for good or bad – that’s what was available when we called DVC member services. So I didn’t confess my misgivings to anyone but Dh and put on a happy face.
We were staying in 2 two bedroom villas. How bad can that be?
What: Military tickets and DVC!
The military tickets were definitely in our favor this trip! Last year our big family October trip somehow fell in the 2 ½ week period where there was no military salute going on. I mean the only 2 ½ week period in two years!! Not this time! We weren’t going to miss it again!
Unfortunately they are only 4 day tickets, but we decided we could make that work too. We had toyed with the idea of going to Universal to see Harry again on the 5th day, but our new Washington DC budget axed that idea. My sister also (5 people) decided they didn’t want to spend that much, and of course my parents were doing whatever their grandkids were doing. Friends still decided to go because they were meeting some other friends there for the day. The rest of us decided a water park would suit us fine that 5th day.
Free (kind of) place to stay and cheap tickets! Count me in!
Sunday, August 28 – Travel Day – OR NOT!!
Well after a crazy week that included our first earthquake (!!) we suddenly had a hurricane problem! Mercy! In fact, as I’m writing this a week after our trip, my children’s school has been cancelled because of flooding!! I think our new state may be trying to tell us we are not welcome.
We were supposed to fly out of DC at noon on Sunday. Exactly the time a category 2 hurricane was supposed to be right on top of us.
I started stalking United’s website on Wednesday, hoping for a travel waiver so I could change our flights to Saturday. Finally, Thursday afternoon, it came!! I had to get a hold of Dh before I could do it so I paced the house waiting for him to get out of a meeting. When he finally called me back, he said he couldn’t leave on Saturday. If the hurricane got ugly they would need him at work.
Alrighty! We were going without him! Hopefully he would be joining us on Sunday.
Earlier in the week when I told dh I was waiting for a travel waiver so we could go on Saturday, he said, “We don’t have reservations, where would we stay?”
I said, “Dude!! I’m a travel agent!!” :ROFLOL:
I found a room at Saratoga Springs for the night. Works for me!
just looking at all your awesome pictures!!!! 
