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Trip Report The "Here At Last" Trip Report!
- Thread starter BigTxEars
- Start date
cw1982
Well-Known Member
You're going back in January?!? I'm jealous... lol! DH's birthday is in October, in fact his birthday is the day after the check in cutoff for the 30% off the room rate deal. I want to go back down so badly, but there's no way we could afford that right now. Earlier today, I told one of my best friends that, when I find out I'm pregnant (who knows when that will be), I'm going to start setting aside 1% of my monthly income so that I can start saving up for a trip around our firstborn's 5th birthday. That would only give us about $2500 (maybe a little more if I can get it put in an interest bearing account of some kind), but if I get a Disney Visa and start accruing points, maybe between those two things I'll have a nice cushion without having to go broke in the meantime.
Thanks for sharing your trip! Hard to believe we were there the same time and didn't see each other once! It's a not-so-small world... lol
Thanks for sharing your trip! Hard to believe we were there the same time and didn't see each other once! It's a not-so-small world... lol
prfctlyximprct
Well-Known Member
Thank you so much for sharing your magical memories. I'm sure your daughter will always look back on your family trips fondly, and you made my heart swell with the fatherly affection you have for your little girl. My dad has never been to Disney but I make sure to share the magic by plastering his truck with Disney stickers and antenna toppers and my incessant talking of the world. My dream is to one day afford to take my daddy there, there's just something about Disney.
I loved your report and the fact that you appreciate life's little things. It's the little things that make for the best vacations!
I loved your report and the fact that you appreciate life's little things. It's the little things that make for the best vacations!
Disneygal1
Well-Known Member
Your family looks like an absolute blast. Loving this TR and the pictures are great, too!
FlaggNL
Well-Known Member
thanks for sharing your trip! Loved to read it and the great pictures!! and its like prfctlyximprct said... the little things makes the best!!
You're going back in January?!? I'm jealous... lol! DH's birthday is in October, in fact his birthday is the day after the check in cutoff for the 30% off the room rate deal. I want to go back down so badly, but there's no way we could afford that right now. Earlier today, I told one of my best friends that, when I find out I'm pregnant (who knows when that will be), I'm going to start setting aside 1% of my monthly income so that I can start saving up for a trip around our firstborn's 5th birthday. That would only give us about $2500 (maybe a little more if I can get it put in an interest bearing account of some kind), but if I get a Disney Visa and start accruing points, maybe between those two things I'll have a nice cushion without having to go broke in the meantime.
Thanks for sharing your trip! Hard to believe we were there the same time and didn't see each other once! It's a not-so-small world... lol
We are going back in Jan using our DVC points for a week stay. But then we will not go back until Jan 2016 again using our DVC points to stay for a week. That way we get two trips using the same annual pass. Saves us a bit of money
After that we might try to go again in Sept or Oct since my daughter will be out of high school by then. That would be a gap between Jan 2016 and Oct 2017....long time!
I agree start savings now and use the Disney Visa as well, the reward dollars are goo for 60 billing cycles or 5 years. You can build a bit of money up in those years!
cw1982
Well-Known Member
We are going back in Jan using our DVC points for a week stay. But then we will not go back until Jan 2016 again using our DVC points to stay for a week. That way we get two trips using the same annual pass. Saves us a bit of money
After that we might try to go again in Sept or Oct since my daughter will be out of high school by then. That would be a gap between Jan 2016 and Oct 2017....long time!
I agree start savings now and use the Disney Visa as well, the reward dollars are goo for 60 billing cycles or 5 years. You can build a bit of money up in those years!
Thanks for the info about the reward dollars! I'll definitely keep that in mind.
RubyLee
Well-Known Member
Wonderful trip report!! Growing up my parents were generous and usually allowed one (or more) friends to tag along so this brings back some wonderful memories! Getting misty eyed as I read!!Day 6 Thursday
Wow day 6 already? Time flys at the Kingdom
So Animal Kingdom up today, FP at Safari, Dinosaur and Everest.
The theming at AK is the best at WDW I think. Just a beautiful park.
We did Tough To Be A Bug
Then we rode Safari in standby line and by time we got off our FP was active so we rode it again. It's pretty neat as you all know. I did let the 11 year old use the camera on both rides, if anybody is interested I have like 400 pictures of stuff on the safari, no really it's like 400 pictures he took!
Next up was lunch, we ate at the QS part of Yak & Yeti, here is above the counter where we ordered, it's this kind of theming that is so great at AK.
Simple but it is just everywhere at AK
The food was excellent by far the best QS we had all week! I loved it.
Now Abby our “tag along” kid told me on Sunday here favorite princess was Pocahontas. She did not know she was at AK, we surprised her with a M&G. She was pretty excited to say the least. You can see in the picture she is out of breath with excitement.
It was really cool to be able to give her that experience. We paid a chunk of change to bring her, this made it all worth it. Disney magic should be shared, I don't share the thoughts of some on this forum that it is in danger of dying, I find it to be alive and well indeed!
We wanted to make sure she felt a part of us so she was in all of our group pictures that week except this one which she took.
Next up was Everest, again we rode it on stand by and then with our FP, so we waited a total of 45 mins to ride twice not bad in June!
Here we are trying to all look goofy on the second ride, I have no ideal WTH we were thinking!
And then Dinosaur, man I love that ride! Hanna's face is just great in this picture
After that we went to Planet Watch and the girls broke off to learn some animal facts, Hanna is a huge animal lover and she really got into the educational aspects of the place.
We meet the old monkey himself
And found some Koala bears there as well. So those of you with kids know the craziest things become “things” with your kids, running gags more or less. Well Jack (the 11 year old) is a clingy kids, he likes to hold hands and hug......ALOT! So I started calling him Koala on Sunday as a joke, because those bears are always riding on their parents backs it seems. Well he took to it and we formed a Koala club, we have a secret handshake and even a vocal call we do to each other. Sorry girls, boy only allowed in! Again could it have happened somewhere other than Disney? It could, but it happen at Disney and although it might sound silly to some it was special to him and to me honestly. A wee bit more of the magic
We also found a Wildlife refuge close to home!
Headed out to the BW after that, but of course had to stop for
We did not have time to hit the pool this day
Off to France for dinner! First time eating there and we loved it. The onion soup was excellent and the crème burlee was divine!!! The girls loved the cute french waiter as well!
Even Jack liked the Mac & Cheese!
That is excited looking for Jack
After then it was date night time!
The kids went back to the BW to swim and the better half and I headed to Morroco for our 9:20 ADR at Spice Roads. We caught Illuminations again and enjoyed it again.
We checked into Spice Roads and had our date. We had a flight of wine samples and some food samples followed but two more glasses of wine and desert. We enjoyed the wine and the food was good but we were stuffed from dinner so we did not eat it all. There was a bunch of debate on a thread on this forum about the value of the Wind Down and if it was a ripoff or not for $35 per person. I can't speak for anyone else about what something is worth but I can give you my opinion.
I work full time, about 55 hours a week. My wife work a full 40 hours a week. We have two kids still in the house. My daughter is in a number of school activities and wife serves as a volunteer on a number of them. In short like many of you we have a busy active family life. We have been married 22 years next week and we do not get a lot of time to just be the two of us on a night out. To be able to take my wife out to show her I love her at such a unique place as the WS at WDW was cool. Like most guys I know how much she means to me, I do not do a good enough job letting her know that though daily. This was a small way for me to do that, she is without a doubt the best person I know. It was $110 out the door with tip, and worth every penny of that to me, I would do it again 1000 times over
As we walked from Morocco to the International Gateway (around 11pm) we saw 2 cast members and 1 other guest the entire way. All the lights were still on in France, as well as the other countries. It was beautiful and peaceful and just plain awesome to be there alone like that. Man I would love to live there!
Not sure if this is the right place to say this or not but what the heck.....
All day I had been telling Hanna that since she was going swimming with Abby and Jack during our “Date Night” that if her mom and I made it back to the room from our date before they did from the pool and we wanted some “private time” we would hang a towel on the door so she would know to not barge in to something “going on” she was pretty grossed out by that so of course I kept telling her it all day!
Well all 3 kids were back in the room before we made it back......Hmmm.....
Only 1 full day left, the MK tomorrow, more to come!
Violiav
Active Member
@BigTxEars How does the weather in Orlando compare to Texas? I'm up in College Station, underneath the Aggiedome of humidity. I've adapted, for the most part. Though this season had been milder then previous so far.
PirateTink
New Member
Loved this report! You and your family sound amazing---and doing things with my best friend's family when I was a teenager are some of my best memories (even though I had my own great family too!). Cheers to you and yours!
Mom@disney
Well-Known Member
Very nice report. Your story about the pool time with your daughter and wife brought tears to my eyes. They grow up way too fast, but it's nice that we can all be kids at heart in DisneyWorld! Have fun on your next trip!
Wow sorry I misses this question
It is not more hot and humid as it is here in Texas where we live. We live about 25 miles from the Gulf so we have plenty of humidity. In fact I think the humidity here is worse than Orlando. I would think that it is very much like College Station as far as heat and humidity. You will be fine
DisSplash
Well-Known Member
I absolutely loved this trip report! You clearly have a lovely family -- everyone looks so happy and it sounds like your week in the World went off without any real hitches. And the fact that you were able to extend and share the Disney magic with someone else must feel so rewarding. I am so impressed and inspired. I would love to do the same at some point! As for your daughter's friend, it looks like she gets the Disney magic too!
I hope you got those extra points you were hoping for!
I hope you got those extra points you were hoping for!
I agree, it's hot / humid no doubt at WDW in summer but it's hot / humid here in Texas as well
I was stationed in Okinawa Japan in the service, now that is a level of hot and humid above even Texas or Florida
Thanks so much, we did win the bid and Disney passed on ROFR so it is just a matter of paperwork now. We should have the points in our account by mid August. We will rebook a large room (2 bedroom at AK or OKW we think) for our Jan 2015 trip, Abby was such a pleasure that we invited her to go with us again. Her parent must think we are crazy but as well as being a joy to take she does a great job of keeping my two kids from fighitng like siblings do so that makes my vacation better
Plus I want to show her Disney without the crowds 
Doc Disney
Well-Known Member
I loved this TR!! I still act like a kid when I'm in Disney so I bet you will always have moments with your daughter like that in Disney