16 days to go!!

Okay - my next trip is going to be a bit "unconventional" for me. Why? Because I won't be going with my "DH" (Darling Husband). He'll be working. Can't be helped. My mom loves Disney, perhaps not as much as me, but she did pass some sort of "magical gene" onto me. We love to have fun. So, I'm taking her and my Aunt Judy for a long weekend trip in February. (16 days and counting)! I need a break from the winter doldrums. Looking forward to some palm trees swaying in the breeze. Let's hope it's a warm breeze. We've been in Feb. before (although it was early Feb) and it wasn't so Florida-esque. Here's hoping for highs in the 80's and lo's in the evenings of 60. Anything below 60 is completely unnecessary I always say.

A little background:
My DH and I started our Disney obsession back in 1994 - it was our honeymoon destination after much consideration between the Great Smokey Mountains or the Outer Banks of NC. Something inside me kept saying: "Disney Disney Disney." So I sprung it on him and he loved the idea. My parents took me quite quite frequently as a child. Disney was definitely a big part of me and I hadn't been for about 15 years.

DH worked for Radisson so we snagged a room rate at the Radisson Barcelo (spelling?????) on I-drive of, get this.....$33.00. That included tax ladies and gentlemen. Anyway, I was already a fan and I wandered how my new husband would feel about the magic. HE WAS HOOKED instantly. And, the rest is history. We've gone every year since. In the beginning, we could only afford to go once a year and we could only afford the value resorts. Eventually, we moved up to the moderate resorts and multiple trips per year. I'd say an average of 2 a year (sometimes 3). That honeymoon trip, although cheap, was our last time off-site. We've been lucky enough to have stayed at the following Disney resorts (not necessarily in any order): All Star Music, Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, Yacht Club, Beach Club, Old Key West, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Port Orleans Riverside, Swan and Dolphin (okay those last two aren't Disney-owned but they are on the property and fabulous).
In short - Disney is "our place." Yes, we go to other places, but when it comes down to it - all I can say is "We've been to Europe but we'd rather go to Disney World." 'nuff said.

Trip Planning:
First, I must explain something: The "PD" period. "PD" = Pre-Disney. You are in "PD" once you have an actual trip booked, meaning the resort is booked. So, I'm technically in double "PD" because I have the Feb all-girls trip booked and my summer trip booked. The PD period is a very exciting time. You plan the trip, talk about the trip, visit the fansites and discussion boards (my favorite: www. disboards.com - I'm known as PamNC). You watch the vast array of planning videos. You get yourself all excited about the trip - it's almost as fun as the actual trip itself.

We STUPIDLY let our annual passes run out, but I'll be getting new ones so I snagged a half-way decent annual passholder discount rate at Port Orleans Riverside. For the best info on how to save on vacationing with the mouse visit: www.mousesavers.com. I wouldn't call my rate a great value this time because: A) it's peak season and it's an expensive time to go B) the room rates have definitely gone up up up - and they charge more on weekends now. Blah blah blah. Doesn't matter - I'm going anyway.

Mom has been dying to go to Disney but doesn't really have anyone to go with, and she feels like it's getting too expensive. Her favorite companion is her sister Judy, just one year her junior. But, Judy has retired and is now afraid to spend any amount of money. Why I have no idea - it's not like she doesn't have any to spend. I thought about all the times my mom took me as a child. She made sure I had a magical vacation and I want to do the same for her. It was my DH's idea really - he said "let's do something special for your mom this year." Feb is a great time for this to happen given our schedules. DH and are going in June (yahooooo) for 8 nights and that's way too long to have mommy-in-law around if you know what I mean. Plus, she can't handle the extreme heat.

We opted to be sneaky. There is a great new airline, Allegiant Air. Snagged tickets for $171 - for both me and mom - round trip. Includes taxes, everything! The "catch" if you can call it that is they fly into the Sanford airport. No matter - it's only about 50 minutes via the toll road. I think. I hope. Anyway, we booked it without her knowledge knowing full well if I suggested flying she would put her foot down. She always says, "I'm skeeert." So, we kept the whole trip a secret until we had it all figured out. I booked POR, as aforementioned. Mom and Judy have stayed at Coronado Springs and loved it and I think POR is a much nicer choice. A more deluxe feel with the boat launch to Downtown Disney and the horse and carriage rides add such character. Heck, we're southern ladies - where else we would stay but the formerly named "Dixie Landings" - why they changed the name to Port Orleans Riverside I'll never understand. Well, I understand - I just don't concur.

We went to see her on Martin Luther King day - I was off work. We took our new planning DVD to watch on her big screen TV. We talked about our upcoming June trip. Got her all excited and then my DH said, "Mary, don't you wish you could go?" HE'S EVIL ISN'T HE??
She said, "Well, it looks like I'll never get to go again. An old retired woman living on social security and nobody to go with me." (ha ha - she was ripe for the attack!). Then, I said, "oh - I left my cell phone in the car, I'll be right back." Actually, DH and I had prepared a little surprise. A folder with the flight information, a big picture of the castle and a copy of the resort reservations. The heading: YOU'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!! I went outside pretending to get my camera and came in and said, "Mom, somebody, perhaps the mailman, left this at your door." She was like, "what???? why would he do that?" After scrambling for her glasses for what seemed like 1/2 an hour, she finally opened up the folder and saw "you're going to Disney World." She literally turned red with excitement. Or was the fear of the upcoming flight? No, it was definitely excitement.

So - the planning started. Here's our itinerary:

Wednesday 2/20
*Judy comes to mom's house to spend the night. I'll pick them up at noon the next day. They have been instructed to share a suitcase because Allegiant charges $10 per bag. No, I did not buy Judy's ticket...she was responsible for her flight. I paid for the room. Both mom and Judy have left-over tickets to use on the trip.

Thursday, 2/21
*Pick up the girls at 12:15. Be at the airport by 1:15. Flight is 2:40.
*Arrive in Sanford @ 4:15. Luggage. Rental Car. Leave the airport by 5:00 (hopefully sooner!)
*Stop by the grocery store for beverages for the room. (POR has refrig).
*6:00 - Arrive in Downtown Disney. Have to buy my annual pass since we were too stupid to renew back in November (long story).
*Check in at POR - approximately 6:30.
*Dinner Reservations for 7:30 at Boatwrights.
*Piano Bob in the River Roost lounge afterwards (mom hasn't seen him before - she'll love it!)

Friday, 2/22
*Breakfast at Boatwrights (love the banana stuffed french toast and sweet potato cakes!)
*Magic Kingdom in the a.m.
*Lunch - open - probably something quick and easy like a hot dog and FF at Casey's, one of mom's favorites.
*Wishes (fireworks spectacular - 6:45 - park closes @ 7:00
*Back to the resort - freshen up - take the boat launch to Downtown Disney
*Dinner at Raglan Road @ 8:30. Enjoy the music and dancing
*Float on back to POR sleepy and tired and worn out!

NOTE: If the older ladies can't handle the last leg of the itinerary starting with the boat launch to DTD, we'll opt for a quiet dinner at Boatwrights and some yummy cocktails in the room later. When I said we'd be stopping for beverages on the way in, I wasn't talking just water. LOL!

Saturday, 2/23
* Breakfast at Boatwrights
* EPCOT day! My mom's favorite park.
* Dinner @ San Angel in the Mexico pavillion @ 6:45
* Illuminations (that'll end the trip on a fantastic note!)

I won't include Sunday, 2/23 because that is the day we leave and that is something I don't care to discuss.

This is a quick trip - but I'm looking forward to bringing some magic to my mom! She has brought me such magic throughout the years. Be looking for trip reports (with pictures) - I plan on detailing each and every moment of the trip.