3 Kids & A 40th at MY Castle Pre Trippie

[Dizneyblonde]

3 Kids and a 40th at My Castle – Pre Trippie

Part 1 - Introduction 447 Days to go.
It’s me again!!!!

After the huge success of my trip report I’m back again to plan the next one with you.
I’m going to do this Blog styly a la Jodie and share all my planning, ideas and new things I find in my research!!!

Let me introduce us all again.

Me – DB – Teresa 40 in November but celebrating early in WDW. Planner, payer and lover of all things Disney since the day I was born.

Robyn – DD – 15 (at time of trip) My angel, my best friend and an absolute star. So sensible but allows herself to be a child when in Disney and loves Tinkerbell.

Jack – DS – 13 (at time of trip) My baby. Typical boy. Always late in and lover of Stitch. Gets the most excited of all of us and loves to help with the planning. Not planning on getting lost this time!


Anyway most of you know us so I’ll get on.

Usually when we return from Disney I am an absolutes wreck, suffering with the Disney blues and am inconsolable for weeks.
However when we returned in 2007 I promised the kids we were going back in 2009 so I knew I had another trip coming and was actually on a high.

We spent weeks uploading all the photos, ordering photopass cd’s, movies, books and putting the 7 hours of tape onto DVD’s. Jack used Windows Movie Maker and added music and transitions and they are fab!!!!

All thoughts of Florida were fading as Christmas approached and the chaos of presents and trees took over. I had something else to be excited about and boy do I get excited about Christmas.





The kids had more surprises as I’d managed to get them a Wii which I saved until Boxing Day morning. Jack had a new LCD TV for his room (you may remember my bargain from Asda) and Robyn had an Ipod Nano that she was desperate for.



On New Year’s Eve I promised the kids that in 2008 we would be booking for Disney and thoughts soon returned to planning………..

[Dizneyblonde]

Sorry photos are big but i can't get into photobucket to resize them!

[Dizneyblonde]

Part 2 - How To Pay & When To Go!!!

The 2007 trip had been paid for with money that I’d come out of my divorce with and an insurance payout that was due as well as an interest free credit card courtesy of M&S. We did everything and had everything on the trip and it cost a fortune!!!!!

I knew we would go back in 2009 I just didn’t know how I was going to pay for it!!!!
I’d finished paying of the CC so it was a case of budgeting and borrowing from the kids savings accounts, which I could pay back on our return, any money we couldn’t save before the trip.
We are also going to ask for $ and tickets for Christmas this year.
We toyed with the idea of leaving it until 2010 but celebrated my 41st just wouldn’t have been the same. That’s the year that DD takes her GCSE’s too so we’d want to be at home for the results and by then the kids would have been too old to share a room at 16 and 14.
We talked and talked about what to do but still came back to it being 2009. Having always booked a package before I wanted to give it a go booking DIY this time (in the hope of saving money) and started to look into costs of flights etc.
I popped into our local TA and told them of my plans before Christmas and they said I’d have to wait until April time to be able to book.
I priced up lots of alternatives as a guide for 2008 but was still none the wiser of what it would cost in 2009!!!!

Robyn’s 14th came and went and we were still talking about what to do. I was making myself sick wondering how I would pay for it if I booked again.



Anyway we went off to Spain for February half term to visit my Uncle and being on a plane got us all excited about Florida again.

On our return I decided to PM Val (Cinder’s Mum) with our plans to see what she could come up with. We had decided a Fly Drive was our best bet as there was no way I could wait until September to book flights only but there was no way I wanted to drive. Plus with the moving around we wanted to do and the free dining we were hoping to get a package was out of the question.

Val came back to me with a price to compare with others that I’d had so I gave her a ring to discuss my options and concerns (and I had a few!!)
We spent nearly 2 hours talking about not picking up the car, free dining, ADR’s, Virgin V Room, transfers, RPR and various dates.
I knew I wanted to go as late as possible in August for 3 weeks but had to be back in time for a day at home before going back to school/work. I couldn’t even find out when this was going to be because County don’t decide on the school holiday dates until June!

We discussed the price difference between 6th-27th and 10th-31st August and the merits of the different things we wanted to do in those dates.
Val knew I was still unsure about committing to booking so she told me to sleep on it and let her know.
I didn’t sleep a wink that night and as soon as I got home from work the next day I rang her again.

I had decided we were definitely going on 10th August but was unsure of the start date for free dining.
We already have our Disney 5 day tickets (due to Virgin cock ups last year) so I also knew we would have to book our Disney hotel through the American site to get DDP as you only have to buy a one day ticket with them.
My main concern was when the free dining would start if I booked through the American site as it is usually later than the British are offered it.


Are you still with me?

We did a bit of research and decided that we would take a chance and book the holiday for 10th -31st August 2009.
9 nights on I-Drive (Hotel undecided)
2 nights RPR
10 nights Disney Moderate hopefully with free dining.

So I paid my deposit and that was that!!!!! All with Virgin’s V Room thrown in for free and a promise that when the main brochure came out the price would not be cheaper so we couldn’t lose!!!

Val was fantastic and very patient with all my indecision and questions, she is such a star.


April arrived and it was time for next year’s free dining to be announced for the American Disney site. Our calculations had been correct and if the dates follow we should have 2 days onsite next year before our free dining kicks in but I can live with that!
Another thing we realised was that I could now get free dining with the US site even if we booked for a Value Resort.
All thoughts of POR were soon forgotten and lots of research into POP Century began saving me about Ł400-Ł450 in the process. Result!!!!!

[Dizneyblonde]

Part 3 - Some Planning!

The kids and I had a few planning meetings and decide on what ADR’s we want to do if we are lucky enough to get it and a rough draft of an itinerary was made.

Here’s what we have decided so far – all subject to change a fair few times before we go!!!!

ADR’s (we should get 8 TS credits each)

CRT – Lunch 2 credits
50’s prime Time – Dinner
Coral Reef – Dinner
Crystal Palace – Breakfast OOP
1900 Park Fayre – Dinner
Ohana – Breakfast
Planet Hollywood – Dinner
Le Cellier – Dinner


Rough itinerary

Sun 9th – Travel to Gatwick overnite stay
Mon 10th - Fly to Orlando
Tues 11th - Seaworld
Wed 12th - Kennedy Space Center (?)
Thurs 13th - Aquatica
Fri 14th - Seaworld <-----------------------} Might swap these 2 around
Sat 15th – Shopping/I-Drive/Pool day
Sun 16th - Discovery Cove
Mon 17th - Busch Gardens <----------------}
Tues 18th - Aquatica
Wed 19th - Move to RPR - IOA
Thurs 20th - Universal Studios
Fri 21st - IOA/US again then transfer to Disney unpack then DTD for evening
Sat 22nd - Animal Kingdom
Sun 23rd - Hollywood Studios 50’s Prime Time
Mon 24th - Epcot Coral Reef Illuminations
Tues 25th - Blizzard Beach
Wed 26th - Magic Kingdom Crystal Palace 1900 Park Fare Wishes
Thurs 27th - Typhoon Lagoon Ohana
Fri 28th – Water Park and DTD Planet Hollywood
Sat 29th – AK, Epcot, HS Le Cellier
Sun 30th - Last day so MK CRT
Mon 31st - Fly home
Tues 1st – Arrive home

[Dizneyblonde]

Part 4 - Tickets & More Planning

Tickets

5 Day MYW Disney tickets (already got)
1 Day Disney ticket to qualify for free dining
2 park 7 day Universal ticket
Discovery Cove Ultimate – including SW, Aquatica and BG


Extras we want to do
Grand Floridian Photo Shoot
Dine with Shamu
Kennedy Space Center
Blue Man Group



New things since last visit
Block Party Bash
Toy Story Mania
Haunted Mansion (in rehab last time)
1900 Park Fayre
Le Cellier
Simpsons Ride
Aquatica


Itinerary cards and sheet have been started but all that have been added so far are pictures!!!

Nothing can be booked now until August when we have to decide on the I-Drive hotel and we should be able to book RPR.

So until then i will just share my planning and findings with you all.

[Dizneyblonde]

Part 5 - Did You Know?

Was reading the Florida 'bible' last night (A Brit's Guide To Orlando and Disneyworld) and found out a few things we either want to try next year or that we just didn't know.

I didn't know that you could get a boat from MK to Fort Wilderness and have the Trail's End Buffet for $10.99 per adult.
I also didn't know that you can meet Woody and friends at the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon.

We have decided we'd like to try the Tchoup Chop restaurant at RPR during our stay at Universal.
Bahama Breeze on I-Drive
A kitchen sink at Boardwalk (walking through International Gateway at UK pavilion in Epcot - Still never seen it!)

I've also been looking at the Wyndam Orlando Resort for our stay on I-Drive but i think it will work out too expensive as we want to save the pennies for Disney!


Also thought i'd finish each update with a bit of Disney trivia :-

Did you know that there are more than 20,000 different colours of paint used in WDW?

[Dizneyblonde]

Part 6 - Holiday Weight Loss!!!

446 Days to go

Had my gym induction after work tonight.

Before my divorce when i didn't have to work and look after 2 kids and a house on my own i used to go to the gym every day at lunchtime.
Since going back to work i've gone from going every day to not going at all and using every excuse going as to why!!! I was a 10/12 and am now a 16/18 :blush::omg:

I've decided enough is enough and have set myself a target of 38lbs to lose through regular exercise and less rubbish food!!!

I'll keep you informed of my progress.......if you are interested!


Did you know that the windows in the Coral Reef restaurant are 18 feet high, 8 inches thick and made of acrylic?

[Dizneyblonde]

Part 7 - First Surprise

441 days to go

Was at Mum and Dad's yesterday for some parantal guidance and a 'Dad' cuddle and for some reason we started talking about Christmas.

Well to cut a long story short i said i didn't want anything for Christmas this year and my Dad said 'yippee'!!!!

I went on to explain that i'd like to take the kids to see ****************** while we are on holiday next year and they have said that they will pay for it for Christmas for us.

I will book it as soon as dates are available for next August and surprise the kids with it on Christmas day!

Did you know that 3,000,000 chocolate Mickey Bar ice creams are sold every year at WDW?

I have one on every day or our Disney visit!!!!!

[Dizneyblonde]

Part 8 - Scrapbooking last years pics

Here's a few pages of my scrap booking album with last years photos...

[Dizneyblonde]

and a few more....














And i'll leave you with....

Did you know that Walt Disney only attended one year of high school?