Planning for Disney requires some dedication. You can get by with almost no planning. Freaks like me love people like you because you allow us to make the most of the parks when you are not looking. Anyhoo, I look at vacations as having three parts to enjoy - The Planning, The Vacation and The Memories. Missing out on the planning breaks off one of the limbs of our three legged stool....and it falls over. I find so much enjoyment in the planning that I can't imagine not digging into all of the dirty corners.
How to start?
A friend of mine recommended a little book by the name of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It. Changed. My. Life. The Disney bit of it anyway. The book in and of itself is super thick and kind of intimidating, but if you look at only one resource while planning, make it this book. For realsies. It will take you from not knowing anything about WDW to having a plan that will get you the most bang for your buck.
I'll be documenting my painstaking jaunt through planning right here. From when to go, where to stay, what to do while we are there, where to eat, how to add some extra magic in. All of the gory details. Stay tuned.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Saturday, October 5, 2013
The Second (and Maybe Final) Ultimate Disney World Vacation
I have a very fuzzy image of Disney World in about 1983. Weirdly, I have no memories of the Magic Kingdom, but rather have a few distinct memories of Epcot. I remember the crazy throwing of knives, stacking of onions and flames at the teppenyaki restaurant in the Japan pavilion. I had never seen anything like it and it made quite an impression on my 10 year old mind. I also distinctly remember riding in the middle of the back seat, between two cigarette smoking grandparents, from Michigan to Orlando. That part was a little bit rotten. Also, I remember staying at a Days Inn hotel with a room that was like an apartment. Since we were a family that camped for almost all of our vacations, I thought that that hotel room and sleeping on the pull-out couch with my sister was amazing. I am sure it was all quite an adventure, but that long-ago trip didn't inspire any great love affair with Disney or anything.
After a few years of planning and saving, my own little family - husband, son (10) and daughter (7) - all made the trek down to the Most Magical Place on Earth in January 2013. I planned carefully because this was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip. We were going to do everything and we were never going to go to Disney again. Then, we went. Zing!
I have co-workers and friends that go down to Orlando every year. I could never understand why anyone would want to go to the same place over and over again. There are so many places to see in this world. I still feel that way, but ever since we were at WDW, I have been absolutely and irrecoverably hooked. It was.... just.... everything. It was the cleverness of it all, the look in my kids' eyes when they were experiencing something amazing, the time with my family, the sheer entertainment of it all. While we were there, I don't think I understood quite how much of an impression it was making on me, but since we have returned, not a day goes by that I don't think of it.
After some lengthy debates, I finally convinced my husband to make one more trip, before the glow leaves the kids' eyes. After that, I am back to exploring the rest of our country and hopefully giving my kids some worldly experiences. He loves me. He could have refused outright.
I have been quelling my seemingly insatiable appetite for all things Orlando on podcasts. I haven't yet made it to the boards (you can't check the boards while driving), but that is just a matter of time. Since I spend so much time and effort pondering and planning for trips like this, I figured that I might as well jot it down along the way. Even if no-one ever reads it, it helps me to savor the planning even more.
After a few years of planning and saving, my own little family - husband, son (10) and daughter (7) - all made the trek down to the Most Magical Place on Earth in January 2013. I planned carefully because this was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip. We were going to do everything and we were never going to go to Disney again. Then, we went. Zing!
I have co-workers and friends that go down to Orlando every year. I could never understand why anyone would want to go to the same place over and over again. There are so many places to see in this world. I still feel that way, but ever since we were at WDW, I have been absolutely and irrecoverably hooked. It was.... just.... everything. It was the cleverness of it all, the look in my kids' eyes when they were experiencing something amazing, the time with my family, the sheer entertainment of it all. While we were there, I don't think I understood quite how much of an impression it was making on me, but since we have returned, not a day goes by that I don't think of it.
After some lengthy debates, I finally convinced my husband to make one more trip, before the glow leaves the kids' eyes. After that, I am back to exploring the rest of our country and hopefully giving my kids some worldly experiences. He loves me. He could have refused outright.
I have been quelling my seemingly insatiable appetite for all things Orlando on podcasts. I haven't yet made it to the boards (you can't check the boards while driving), but that is just a matter of time. Since I spend so much time and effort pondering and planning for trips like this, I figured that I might as well jot it down along the way. Even if no-one ever reads it, it helps me to savor the planning even more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)