I’ve got a problem and, I know, I need help.
Does anyone know where I can attend a Disney World Anonymous class?
It all started about a month ago… but first, a little history will help with the explanation.
My husband, CJ, grew up in South Florida. He started going to Disney World in Orlando as a small child and would go frequently due to his proximity to the location. I’ve heard him talk about Prom Night at Disney World, Senior Night at Disney World and many more special events that nearby residents could attend. He’s probably been 100 times to the various amusement parks and cherishes each memory.
So naturally, after we were married and had children of our own, it was instinctive that we would make regular trips down to Disney for our family vacation.
I think the first time we went after we had kids was in 2005. Our oldest daughter, Zoë, was five years old, and Miá was two at the time. They were really too young that year to do much except enjoy some of the shows and kiddy rides, but it was a great family experience. My parents joined us on that trip, as well as CJ’s mother and brother, and we all stayed in a condo together for the week we were there.
Just as when I was a child growing up and my family would go to Disney World, my mother always had matching t-shirts made for everyone in attendance. Again, in 2005, she did just that for all eight of us. She had gray tank tops with “Family Vacation 2005” airbrushed in pink lettering on them that we all wore while there. (I can’t tell you how many jokes we had over CJ wearing his tank top,which he is definitely not accustomed to wearing. His shirt now hangs in the youth room at First Baptist Church as a perpetual memory of the ridicule he endured.)
In 2007, we planned another trip to Disney for the family. My parents decided to sit this trip out. My dad’s back was still hurting from the 2005 trip when he carried Miá all over the parks because she refused to allow him to put her down. He said (sarcastically) that it was “more fun than one should get to experience” in just two years. CJ’s mom and brother still came for a couple days, and we discovered that year that we could rent a stroller! It made life so much easier!
Also that year prior to going, CJ found a book called the “Unofficial Guide to Disney World” which has all kinds of insider information to help make a Disney World vacation less stressful and more relaxed. We learned the value of staying at a resort inside the property grounds of Disney World including getting picked up at the airport and extra hours before and after the parks’ opening and closing times that only resort customers could attend.
This book also had touring plan strategies that would tell you exactly in what order to see the various attractions to eliminate the most time waiting in line. This was, hands’ down, the best part. We never waited in line more than five minutes for any ride or show, and we were able to visit every “Kingdom” (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios/MGM) multiple times in only five days. This is what got me really hooked! We had so much fun that year, but most of all I learned that a little preparation and planning in advance meant a much more pleasant and hassle-free trip.
The internet makes available a wealth of information and resources, so a couple months ago when we officially decided to start planning our trip to Disney World this year, I began my research.
It started with a little competition between CJ and I to see who could find the cheapest airfare tickets. Then it grew to finding the best resort rates. Also, in the past, if you wanted to plan a special meal for your child to share with some of the Disney characters such as Mickey or Cinderella, you had to call about six months in advance and endure a horror of a phone answering system. I would call again and again and wait and wait to try to get a reservation, and, of course, we never planned that far in advance so we were never able to arrange this experience for our children in the past. But now you can make these character dining reservations online! I was able to secure reserved seats at a restaurant in Epcot at the Norway pavilion where all the Disney princesses will attend. Not to mention that my dad has been to Norway and loved the country and the food so he is now also excited to participate in this fun!
The problem is that I’ve been so excited with my successful preparations that I can’t stop. Now I’ve started making reservations for other regular meals during the time we’ll be there. I even usurped my mom’s territory and ordered t-shirts with a picture of Mickey and each person’s name on them for our trip. I’ve also found on ebay.com cheap children’s sunglasses and hats with Disney insignia for our girls to wear (which will save me a lot of money rather than purchasing at Disney World where it will cost almost five times more.) I’ve read all kinds of online reviews of shows and activities. I’ve poured over books and material that tell tips and hints for a fun, family vacation. Then over the weekend, I have to confess, I even developed a color-coded spreadsheet of our schedule for each day we’ll be at Disney World in September.
When I proudly showed the results of my efforts to my co-workers yesterday, they told me it was time for an intervention.
Our family trip to Disney World is now a little less than two months away, and I’ve already got us prepared and packed and ready to go. This is so unlike me and my typical, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants behavior, but I just can’t help myself.
Where’s the fairy godmother when you really need her?
