FRIDAY JANUARY 14, 2011
(My Sister's Birthday!)
I THOUGHT I WOULD START OUT SIMPLE AND GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND AS TO HOW THIS ALL GOT STARTED. I'M A SINGLE DAD, WITH SOLE CUSTODY SINCE BIRTH OF MY NOW 8 YEAR OLD SON. SO OBVIOUSLY MY WORLD REVOLVES AROUND HIM. I'VE BEEN TO DISNEYLAND IN CALIFORNIA AND DISNEY WORLD IN FLORIDA SEVERAL TIMES IN MY LIFE. I'M PRETTY ANAL RETENTIVE AND A BIT OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE WHEN IT COMES TO CERTAIN THINGS AND MY TYPE A PERSONALITY MEANS I GIVE ORDERS, NOT TAKE THEM. WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN? IT MEANS I LIKE TO NOT ONLY TAKE CHARGE, BUT DO AS MUCH PLANNING AS POSSIBLE WHEN TAKING A TRIP. FOR EXAMPLE: MY SISTER AND I STARTED TALKING ABOUT TAKING MY SON TO DISNEY WORLD WHEN HE WAS TWO YEARS OLD. I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE TOO YOUNG CAUSE HE REALLY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO MUCH. I KNOW SOME FAMILIES DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT, BUT WE ALL KNOW WHAT AN EXPENSIVE TRIP THAT CAN BE AND I CERTAINLY DIDN'T WANT TO FEEL LIKE WE WERE WASTING IT. PLUS, WHAT WAS HE REALLY GOING TO REMEMBER AT THAT AGE? SO, THE RESEARCH BEGAN. I STARTED WITH "THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO WALT DISNEY WORLD". IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN, AND HAVEN'T READ THIS FIRST, YOU'VE MISSED OUT. THIS IS AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE FULL OF TONS OF HELPFUL TIPS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT ARE CALLED "TOURING PLANS". ACTUAL SCHEDULES OF A SORT TO GET YOU THROUGH THE PARKS WITH AS LITTLE WAITING IN LINE AS POSSIBLE. PLUS THEY HAVE CROWD LEVEL CHARTS FOR EVERY SINGLE PARK FOR EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE YEAR. SO YOU'RE STARTING TO GET THE PLANNING THING.
WELL AFTER STARTING MY RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE FELT THAT WAITING TIL A KID IS 4 YRS OLD WAS THE BEST TIME FOR THEIR FIRST TRIP. THEY CAN WALK MORE. THEY REMEMBER MORE. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, MOST HAVE REACHED THE FIRST HURDLE IN HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS FOR RIDES AT DISNEY WORLD. THAT REALLY GAVE MY SON SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO. NOW THERE ARE SOME TRICKS FOR THESE THINGS, BUT I'LL GET INTO THOSE AND MORE ALONG THE WAY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR FAMILY IS LIKE, BUT ONCE MY DAD FOUND OUT I WAS PLANNING A TRIP TO DISNEY FOR MY SON, HE OF COURSE PLANNED ONE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY SO HE WOULD HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER THINGS, AND OF COURSE GUILTED ME INTO CHANGING MY PLANS. MY FATHER USED HIS TIME SHARE AND I WAS WORKING FOR ONE SO WE HAD PLENTY OF ROOM FOR THE 8 OF US THAT WENT. PLUS BY PLANNING AHEAD, JOINING RENTAL CAR CLUBS, AND COMPARING DEALS, I GOT A CAR RENTAL FOR THE WEEK WITH A FREE UPGRADE FOR LESS THAN $20 A DAY. THE PLUS IN OUR ALL GOING WAS THAT WE WENT AT THE END OF AUGUST WHEN, UNLIKE THE NORTHEAST, HALF OF THE COUNTRY IS ALREADY BACK IN SCHOOL. SO CROWDS WERE LIGHTER. THE DRAWBACK - WOW WAS IT HOT! lol NOW MY PARENTS, AND MY BROTHER AND HIS KIDS WERE ALL TOO STUBBORN TO FOLLOW MY SISTER, SON AND I ON OUR PLANNED ROUTES ON EACH DAY, BUT MAN WOULD THEY REGRET THAT. OVER AN ENTIRE WEEK, WE NEVER WAITED MORE THAN 15 MINUTES FOR ANYTHING. WE GOT FREE FAST PASSES, FREE PINS, OFFICIAL MAGICAL MOMENTS, GOT CHOSEN IN AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION EVENTS, TONS. JUST BY BEING IN THE KNOW.
WE WENT BACK TO DISNEY 2 YEARS LATER WHEN MY SISTER HAD TO GO FOR A CONFERENCE TO SPLIT THE BILL FOR HER AND GOT TO STAY IN THE CONTEMPORARY OVERLOOKING THE MAGIC KINGDOM!......BY KNOWING AND ASKING.
WHICH ALL BRINGS ME TO 99 DAYS TO GO. I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO TAKE A CRUISE. I'VE WORKED IN AND AROUND THE HOTEL AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY SINCE I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL. IN OTHER WORDS, I'VE BEEN KISSING OTHER PEOPLES ASSES FOR YEARS AND ALWAYS WANTED TO TAKE A TRIP WHERE SOMEONE KISSED MINE. I ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO AN ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORT TOO, BUT AFTER MY SON WAS BORN, THAT GOT A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO PLAN, AT LEAST WITHOUT HIM. SO I STARTED THINKING ABOUT A CRUISE. I STARTED SURFING THE INTERNET ABOUT CRUISES AND CRUISE LINES AND WHEN TO GO AND WHO LIKES WHAT. IT KEPT COMING BACK TO FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN OVERWHELMINGLY RECOMMEND THE DISNEY CRUISE LINE. DON'T GET ME WRONG. I'M SINGLE. I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GET AWAY AND JUST GO PARTY, BUT HOW COULD I POSSIBLY TAKE A CRUISE WITHOUT MY SON, WHEN I COULD'VE TAKEN ONE WITH HIM? THAT'S JUST WRONG. SO I DECIDED ON THE DISNEY CRUISE LINE. NOW YOU WILL DEFINITELY HEAR THAT DISNEY IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OTHER CRUISE LINES. SO IF TAKING THE CHEAPEST OR LEAST EXPENSIVE CRUISE POSSIBLE IS YOUR GOAL, EVEN WITH KIDS, DISNEY PROBABLY ISN'T FOR YOU. BUT IF YOU'RE A REALIST, YOU KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS TO WEIGH WHEN CONSIDERING YOUR PRICE. FOR ME? ONE: I'M TAKING MY 8 YR OLD SON, WHO LOVES ALL THINGS DISNEY, ESPECIALLY MICKEY! TWO: SO DO I! THREE: AFTER DOING THE RESEARCH, THIS IS NOT A KIDS CRUISE.
WELL THAT'S ABOUT IT FOR RIGHT NOW. NEXT I'LL GET INTO THE PICKING OF YOUR PARTICULAR DISNEY CRUISE AND THE PROS AND CONS. STAY TUNED . . .
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