OK....I read a lot of trip reports, but this is my first effort at writing one. I figured the pre-trip was a good start to get things going.
This November I reach 50 years on this crazy planet. The original idea was to take a quick family trip on the actual date and "wake up in the world". That part is not going to work for a series of reasons.
Firstly it falls on the Disney half marathon weekend and I am not willing to deal with all of that going on. My family consists of me, Jim, my wife of 22 years Mandy and our 14 year old daughter Mary.
We all live together in South Texas. We have been to WDW countless times since Mary was 4.
The next reason plans got a little messed up will sound odd since we live in Texas and are all native Texans. Mary made the travel ice hockey team. Yes I said Ice Hockey. She has been skating for 2 years and took the serious interest in hockey only a year ago. She has worked really hard and become pretty good with the level of experience she has. Anyway she decided to try out for the travel hockey league "for the experience". All of us including her did noth think it would happen this year but that it would be a great experience and she would be better prepared for the following year. As I already spoiled...she made the team.
Now of course we were thrilled with this, but it created some interesting challenges including her schedule for hockey practice and games, and the cost that we were not planning for. As a dad, and I am certain I speak for most of them, our kids and their happiness come first. I immediately dismissed the idea of my birthday trip once this all occured. I did so with no comment and no hurt at all, her hockey was more inmportant to me.
My wife asked eventually about the trip and we agreed we would "Let it go!" sorry had to throw in a Frozen reference since I have seen it 1001 times. Later my wife came back and said I should go alone. I had done this before when already in Florida on business, but never a trip solely around WDW on it's own solo. I politely dismissmed the idea.
Fast forward a few weeks and my wife somes back to me with the plans laid out but not made. I have an annual pass, so no new costs for the park, ok. She then had done some looking and I have enough air miles to fly out with no costs. Ok so far sounds great, but there is still a place to stay. She found a great deal with my AP on All Star Sports and the whole trip would be like $300.
I also am maxing out on vacation time at my job and need to take some or start losing hours so that ddi not hurt.
I decided to go for it and will be heading to WDW solo from November 12-16th. I decided to go during the week becuse I will not miss any hockey games that way. I am the strength and conditioning coach, but the kids will be happy not to have me for two practices. I made my fast passes and still got a lot of good ones considering we booked the trip already inside 60 days. I missed out on 7D but no problem if I dont ride it.
I Just got my Magic Band for the stay yesterday so now it is feeling pretty real. I plan to take notes and pcitures and take a shot at writing my first trip report about how it goes.
This November I reach 50 years on this crazy planet. The original idea was to take a quick family trip on the actual date and "wake up in the world". That part is not going to work for a series of reasons.
Firstly it falls on the Disney half marathon weekend and I am not willing to deal with all of that going on. My family consists of me, Jim, my wife of 22 years Mandy and our 14 year old daughter Mary.
We all live together in South Texas. We have been to WDW countless times since Mary was 4.
The next reason plans got a little messed up will sound odd since we live in Texas and are all native Texans. Mary made the travel ice hockey team. Yes I said Ice Hockey. She has been skating for 2 years and took the serious interest in hockey only a year ago. She has worked really hard and become pretty good with the level of experience she has. Anyway she decided to try out for the travel hockey league "for the experience". All of us including her did noth think it would happen this year but that it would be a great experience and she would be better prepared for the following year. As I already spoiled...she made the team.
Now of course we were thrilled with this, but it created some interesting challenges including her schedule for hockey practice and games, and the cost that we were not planning for. As a dad, and I am certain I speak for most of them, our kids and their happiness come first. I immediately dismissed the idea of my birthday trip once this all occured. I did so with no comment and no hurt at all, her hockey was more inmportant to me.
My wife asked eventually about the trip and we agreed we would "Let it go!" sorry had to throw in a Frozen reference since I have seen it 1001 times. Later my wife came back and said I should go alone. I had done this before when already in Florida on business, but never a trip solely around WDW on it's own solo. I politely dismissmed the idea.
Fast forward a few weeks and my wife somes back to me with the plans laid out but not made. I have an annual pass, so no new costs for the park, ok. She then had done some looking and I have enough air miles to fly out with no costs. Ok so far sounds great, but there is still a place to stay. She found a great deal with my AP on All Star Sports and the whole trip would be like $300.
I also am maxing out on vacation time at my job and need to take some or start losing hours so that ddi not hurt.
I decided to go for it and will be heading to WDW solo from November 12-16th. I decided to go during the week becuse I will not miss any hockey games that way. I am the strength and conditioning coach, but the kids will be happy not to have me for two practices. I made my fast passes and still got a lot of good ones considering we booked the trip already inside 60 days. I missed out on 7D but no problem if I dont ride it.
I Just got my Magic Band for the stay yesterday so now it is feeling pretty real. I plan to take notes and pcitures and take a shot at writing my first trip report about how it goes.