(no subject)
I didn't know that you get a certain "itch" as a parent. I mean, people talk about baby itch and seven year itch and whatever, but I've never heard people mention the Disney itch. As in, we've never taken the kids to Disney, and we're starting to think about it. And wow! Is it complicated!
Fortunately, we have a lot of time. I am not a huge fan of going to Disney this year for one big reason: my FIL. His health right now is not good, and I hate to say it, but the idea of planning an expensive vacation right now just seems like tempting fate. I feel like if we waited until next year, we'd be on firmer ground. We wouldn't start planning or making reservations until June of next year, and we're trying to talk my FIL into having the cardioversion the doctors recommend. He doesn't want it because he's scared (and hey, I get that), but it could make a HUGE difference to his health, from what I understand. But even beyond my FIL, Trevor is only 6 right now and 44" tall, so waiting another year or even two isn't a bad idea. I don't want to wait too long or Toby will be getting older. And while I think teenagers can enjoy Disney, I'd rather he was a bit younger. There's a definite sweet spot.
Anyway, we've decided that when we do go, we're going the first week of December. (A decision further made by me as it looks like prices are lower then than the second week of December.) What I'd really like to do is fly down on November 27 (or early November 28, if vacation days become an issue). Stay the night at my parents. On November 28, leave the kids with my parents and head to Cocoa. Explore the Space Center (my parents have seen it and said they feel it's best for the kids to be 12 or older to go to that- I think Toby could enjoy it earlier, but I think Trevor would get bored with all the reading/listening), and have a nice dinner with Howard. November 29, get up super-early and run the Space Coast Marathon, getting my Florida run :) (I really do want to do the Disney Marathon sometime, but not in conjunction with our first Disney trip, as crowds and prices are lower in December.) After the run, grab a shower (the nearby Y offers them), and head back to my parents'. Stay the night there. On November 30, drive to Disney and check in.
So up to there I'm fine. Got it, we're set. After that... I just don't know. How many days do we do at the parks? Where do we stay? Does the dining plan make sense or not? Will my sister and her family want in on this? Will my parents want to come? Will they be amenable to staying at the same place as we want to stay? My cousin is getting married in Mexico, and my sister is talking about maybe using the money we set aside from Grandma for that. I'd like to do a cost analysis on both trips. (Also not sure if I want to haul a family of 4 down to Mexico for the wedding yet. Well, I want to. Not sure if I will.) Do I even WANT to do a full Disney vacation with my stepfather, who gets grumpy about costs? Do we want to do the Dining Plan? Will my kids get sick of their favorites and actually eat something else, or will Trevor attempt to subsist on chicken nuggets and fries for two meals a day for a week? Will we have enough airline points saved up by then to get us all down for free? Will a park hopper pass be worth it for us? So many questions. It's crazy. My guess is we will want to return on Saturday or Sunday, so everyone can go back to school/work the following Monday.
I know a few things. I know how much my boys will not care about character dining. They've never been into live characters, and I don't see that changing much in the next few years. So that will affect a few things. I know Toby will not want to ride most roller coasters, and I know that Trevor will. (Not that WDW has a ton of roller coasters anyway.) I know that my stepfather is obsessed with shows, some of which I really want to go to (Indiana Jones, for a start!) and some of which we need to tactfully split up if he's with us. I also know he complains about amusement park food prices, which is one of the reasons that the Dining Plan could be a GREAT idea. If he doesn't have to fork over cash every time we eat a meal, we won't have to hear about how expensive restaurants are. However, he will then want to go to fancier restaurants every night, which could get difficult with kids. (Again, some tactful splitting up might be required.) I have seen that it is really best to get a Disney-specific travel agent to work with you, so they can help you get discounts. But right now I've got bits and tidbits of information, and no real thoughts. Of course, there are bigger questions that must be answered first like when are we going for sure and who all is going? If we do want to do this with my sister, waiting until 2016 might be the better option. (Fortunately, the Space Coast marathon medal is very cool for all three years :) )
In the end, it just seems like it's such a family-specific experience. I saw one site estimating that a family of 4 could spend anywhere from $2,000 to $12,000 on a Disney vacation. As we plan, I want to think about what's important to all of us and what we'd really like to make sure is included and how to have the best possible vacation, and I can't believe I've started a Pinterest board 16 months in advance. And that's if we DO go then. I mean, seriously. (Also, any Disney cost does not include the costs that would be associated with the marathon. Although I keep forgetting my husband racks up rental car points like crazy and we'll be able to rent a car for free, most likely.)
Anyway, if anyone has any websites they've found to be extremely helpful, or books they really recommend, please throw them my way. It's a long time in the future, but from what I've heard planning is everything for your first big Disney vacation, and if we do it, I really want to do it right, because we won't do it again like this for a long time.
We also want to visit my mom sometime this year. I'm wondering what to suggest for our big outing. A part of me says Legoland again. The kids had a GREAT time there a few years ago, and probably would again. And they'll be too big for it soon. But there's also a part of me that wants to go to Universal SO BADLY. Because I really, REALLY want to take Toby to Harry Potter world. The big problem is that Toby is not a thrill ride kid, and Trevor is 44". So I need to do research and see if Universal is a good fit for us yet. Also, we have not introduced Trevor to Harry Potter yet. So is it fair to him to do this now, before he's had a chance to really discover the world? But I don't know that Trevor will be as into it right now, and taking Toby to the Harry Potter section at this age would be pure magic. He'll be 8-going-on-9 when we get down there, and it would be incredible. Also, we could read Trevor the first book, at least. He's a little young for the whole series, but the first book might be okay.... We'll see.
Toby and I were talking yesterday, too, and he did crack me up. He started talking about how he no longer wants to build robots, because they'd be too smart and have their own brains. And then they might realize that it's robot slavery, and they'd rebel and start killing humans. Yup. He's definitely my boy :) (I let him watch a bit of the original BSG years ago, but I don't know how well he remembers it. But I was definitely amused.)
We are also almost caught up on Korra. HOW MUCH DO I LOVE THIS SEASON? I love all the family drama in Korra, and while I know a lot of fandom gets their panties in a twist about Aang's parenting skills or whatever (and probably Toph's now, too), I love it. Because it's my experience that no matter what parents do, their kids wish they did something differently, even if they're great parents. The family drama in Korra just feels so real to me, and I love it. Absolutely love it. And all the focus on the Bei-fong family... I mean, Toph is the only character I've ever found that not only lived up to fandom hype, but exceeded it. So this is AWESOME.
Anyway. I should go be productive. Not that I have been all day, but still.
Fortunately, we have a lot of time. I am not a huge fan of going to Disney this year for one big reason: my FIL. His health right now is not good, and I hate to say it, but the idea of planning an expensive vacation right now just seems like tempting fate. I feel like if we waited until next year, we'd be on firmer ground. We wouldn't start planning or making reservations until June of next year, and we're trying to talk my FIL into having the cardioversion the doctors recommend. He doesn't want it because he's scared (and hey, I get that), but it could make a HUGE difference to his health, from what I understand. But even beyond my FIL, Trevor is only 6 right now and 44" tall, so waiting another year or even two isn't a bad idea. I don't want to wait too long or Toby will be getting older. And while I think teenagers can enjoy Disney, I'd rather he was a bit younger. There's a definite sweet spot.
Anyway, we've decided that when we do go, we're going the first week of December. (A decision further made by me as it looks like prices are lower then than the second week of December.) What I'd really like to do is fly down on November 27 (or early November 28, if vacation days become an issue). Stay the night at my parents. On November 28, leave the kids with my parents and head to Cocoa. Explore the Space Center (my parents have seen it and said they feel it's best for the kids to be 12 or older to go to that- I think Toby could enjoy it earlier, but I think Trevor would get bored with all the reading/listening), and have a nice dinner with Howard. November 29, get up super-early and run the Space Coast Marathon, getting my Florida run :) (I really do want to do the Disney Marathon sometime, but not in conjunction with our first Disney trip, as crowds and prices are lower in December.) After the run, grab a shower (the nearby Y offers them), and head back to my parents'. Stay the night there. On November 30, drive to Disney and check in.
So up to there I'm fine. Got it, we're set. After that... I just don't know. How many days do we do at the parks? Where do we stay? Does the dining plan make sense or not? Will my sister and her family want in on this? Will my parents want to come? Will they be amenable to staying at the same place as we want to stay? My cousin is getting married in Mexico, and my sister is talking about maybe using the money we set aside from Grandma for that. I'd like to do a cost analysis on both trips. (Also not sure if I want to haul a family of 4 down to Mexico for the wedding yet. Well, I want to. Not sure if I will.) Do I even WANT to do a full Disney vacation with my stepfather, who gets grumpy about costs? Do we want to do the Dining Plan? Will my kids get sick of their favorites and actually eat something else, or will Trevor attempt to subsist on chicken nuggets and fries for two meals a day for a week? Will we have enough airline points saved up by then to get us all down for free? Will a park hopper pass be worth it for us? So many questions. It's crazy. My guess is we will want to return on Saturday or Sunday, so everyone can go back to school/work the following Monday.
I know a few things. I know how much my boys will not care about character dining. They've never been into live characters, and I don't see that changing much in the next few years. So that will affect a few things. I know Toby will not want to ride most roller coasters, and I know that Trevor will. (Not that WDW has a ton of roller coasters anyway.) I know that my stepfather is obsessed with shows, some of which I really want to go to (Indiana Jones, for a start!) and some of which we need to tactfully split up if he's with us. I also know he complains about amusement park food prices, which is one of the reasons that the Dining Plan could be a GREAT idea. If he doesn't have to fork over cash every time we eat a meal, we won't have to hear about how expensive restaurants are. However, he will then want to go to fancier restaurants every night, which could get difficult with kids. (Again, some tactful splitting up might be required.) I have seen that it is really best to get a Disney-specific travel agent to work with you, so they can help you get discounts. But right now I've got bits and tidbits of information, and no real thoughts. Of course, there are bigger questions that must be answered first like when are we going for sure and who all is going? If we do want to do this with my sister, waiting until 2016 might be the better option. (Fortunately, the Space Coast marathon medal is very cool for all three years :) )
In the end, it just seems like it's such a family-specific experience. I saw one site estimating that a family of 4 could spend anywhere from $2,000 to $12,000 on a Disney vacation. As we plan, I want to think about what's important to all of us and what we'd really like to make sure is included and how to have the best possible vacation, and I can't believe I've started a Pinterest board 16 months in advance. And that's if we DO go then. I mean, seriously. (Also, any Disney cost does not include the costs that would be associated with the marathon. Although I keep forgetting my husband racks up rental car points like crazy and we'll be able to rent a car for free, most likely.)
Anyway, if anyone has any websites they've found to be extremely helpful, or books they really recommend, please throw them my way. It's a long time in the future, but from what I've heard planning is everything for your first big Disney vacation, and if we do it, I really want to do it right, because we won't do it again like this for a long time.
We also want to visit my mom sometime this year. I'm wondering what to suggest for our big outing. A part of me says Legoland again. The kids had a GREAT time there a few years ago, and probably would again. And they'll be too big for it soon. But there's also a part of me that wants to go to Universal SO BADLY. Because I really, REALLY want to take Toby to Harry Potter world. The big problem is that Toby is not a thrill ride kid, and Trevor is 44". So I need to do research and see if Universal is a good fit for us yet. Also, we have not introduced Trevor to Harry Potter yet. So is it fair to him to do this now, before he's had a chance to really discover the world? But I don't know that Trevor will be as into it right now, and taking Toby to the Harry Potter section at this age would be pure magic. He'll be 8-going-on-9 when we get down there, and it would be incredible. Also, we could read Trevor the first book, at least. He's a little young for the whole series, but the first book might be okay.... We'll see.
Toby and I were talking yesterday, too, and he did crack me up. He started talking about how he no longer wants to build robots, because they'd be too smart and have their own brains. And then they might realize that it's robot slavery, and they'd rebel and start killing humans. Yup. He's definitely my boy :) (I let him watch a bit of the original BSG years ago, but I don't know how well he remembers it. But I was definitely amused.)
We are also almost caught up on Korra. HOW MUCH DO I LOVE THIS SEASON? I love all the family drama in Korra, and while I know a lot of fandom gets their panties in a twist about Aang's parenting skills or whatever (and probably Toph's now, too), I love it. Because it's my experience that no matter what parents do, their kids wish they did something differently, even if they're great parents. The family drama in Korra just feels so real to me, and I love it. Absolutely love it. And all the focus on the Bei-fong family... I mean, Toph is the only character I've ever found that not only lived up to fandom hype, but exceeded it. So this is AWESOME.
Anyway. I should go be productive. Not that I have been all day, but still.