Welcome to my refuge :)

Disney has become a daily retreat for me. We may only spend 10 days there a year (more if I'm truly blessed), but I have found that making Mickey a part of my daily life makes me feel much better. So I'm running with it! Luckily I have a patient husband and a laptop computer that allows me to do endless searching and planning. This blog is developing out of that. You are welcome to come along for the ride and offer your advice. I don't claim to be an expert, just a lover of the experience!

Right now whenever a post says "Update" that means it is a 2011 trip update and if you click on the tab with that date on it you can read that update.



Saturday, August 28, 2010

Disney on my mind... and in my notebook

     This week I headed back to school. And trust me some teachers look forward to it as much as the kids do. I was in day after day of meetings. Now being someone who suffers from excessive daytime sleepiness I do anything I can that is appropriate to stay awake. I find the perfect answer to be make lists and write non-stop in my notebook . Well this comes in very handy when you are Mickey-obsessed.
     I have a draft for my travel agent, Emily, explaining the possible options I'd like her to price. I even came up with a way I might be able to do a more expensive option (it means giving a little but I think I can budge a bit.)
     My Mickey obsession has spread to my classroom. My classroom will officially be known as "The 2nd Happiest Place on Earth." Everything will be Mickey themes from our folders to our calendar, job chart, and pencils. I think it should be fun. I love my Cricut machine for making it all possible!
     Okay, by my next post my husband is going to make a decision and I will have sent Emily our quote requests.I have things narrowed down. We just need to make some choices. That will start to get us on our way.
     Finally, I am really excited by the rumor that there will be a 5th Orlando park based on the Disney Villains by 2020. That is really amazing news!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Ready to Go/

     Well, I'm doing my second post and no one but Jim, my husband, has seen my first post so far. I have to share this blog and I think it's time. Things are certainly not done and no where near perfect but if I wait for that this will never be ready.
     I am trying to get an answer from my husband right now. I'm probably (OK, I am,) driving him a little mad. I need to know our resort situation for next summer. It may seem a long way away to some of you but I need to contact the fabulous Emily at Magic for Less Travel and get a quote.
     There are so many options: ten days at  Pop Century, ten day at Animal Kingdom Lodge (ha!), a split stay between the two resorts, going the traditional Magic Your Way route, going with an Annual Passholder, even renting Disney Vacation Club points to stay at AKL. Choices, choices, choices!
     Do I have an opinion? I have choices I'd prefer not to do. But lots of the options are appealing as well. How do I know? I have created a detailed spreadsheet that breaks down each scenario. I told you I was obsessed.
     But this has to be Jim's decision so that he's satisfied next summer. Once he tells me, I can e-mail Emily and get the ball rolling. And a quote puts me one step closer to a payment. Which puts me one step closer to having a reservation number. And oh, the things I can do with that...

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Here we go...

     Just what the world needs: another Disney blog. The other day I was reading a blog on Disney blogs and its very unofficial count was 208. Yet here I am. You may be asking yourself "Why? What does she think she has to offer?" My answer: Maybe nothing, but I hope that in sharing my journey(some say obsession) that you may learn a thing or two that will make your own Disney journey more magical.
     My husband and I are not your typical yearly visitors to Orlando in that we have no children. I guess a couple in their thirties with nothing to tie them to a theme park driven economy are expected to travel the world. That's just not us. We've found something we love and don't see any reason to change things right now. I get a lot of "Didn't you just go there?" and "Oh, I didn't know you had kids." when people find out about my next trip. I just smile and say that for me it really is the Happiest Place on Earth. And it is.
     I use to be like many of my friends, enjoying just the occasional visit with Mickey. But then something changed in my life. I am person who suffers from many kinds of headaches including an extremely debilitating type called Occipital Neuralgia. Although this blog isn't about my headaches, they are part of why I so love Disney. My headache pain is constant. I look forward to my ten days in Orlando because they are the only ten days of the year that my pain is completely tolerable. The Magic of the Mouse.
     So think of this blog, and my over-the-top planning here at home as and attempt to continue the placebo effect of those four fabulous parks. So far the results have been mixed but I've been having a lot of fun and with 316 days until we leave for our next go-round, I think I'll keep giving it a try.
     As for the page, please remember it's both a work in progress and my first attempt at a blog so be patient with me!