Hi

So, I've decided to try my first ever trippie! I love reading them and thought maybe it's time to give it a whirl myself! I can't promise it will be any good but you just never know

So, I think we will begin with introductions then a bit of background on our Disney obsession so, if anyone is actually reading this... hold on... I'm an impatient, obsessed, not quite grown up yet Disney nut and I have a new generation in training, this may get bumpy!

Me - 33 years young, in love with all things Disney & have been for as long as I can remember (thanks mum). I work part time as a workshop administrator. I'm lucky to have a pretty flexible work place so I work school hours 3 days a week and am set up from home to do any extra and for in school hols/if kids are sick etc. This job happened by chance then I was made redundant in Jan last year. Then they asked me back in August so it's all good. I'm very lucky that I was a stay at home mum before so my income is basically our holiday money. We could still go if I didn't work but would be every couple of years as it has been before... but more on that later.

DH - Grant - 37 years old (), turning into a Disney nut through his love of seeing the kids enjoy it. He is the reason for this trip (again, more later). He's a joiner by trade but slightly higher up the tree nowadays. He works hard for us and generally gives in to us We've been married now for almost 11 years and together for 14...wow... give the boy a medal.

DD - Paige - currently 8. My wee artist. Paige is a wee girl who truly marches to the beat of her own drum. She's not a crowd follower, she likes what she likes and won't be swayed. She's a loyal little fire cracker who rarely loses her temper but when she does, even I take cover . She is also Disney mad, she loves vinylmations (trying to get her into pins as vinylmations aren't as easy to get as they used to be and trading is non existent, she's having none of it though... did I mention that she's stubborn?). She also loves Tsum Tsums. She pushes my buttons sometimes but we are very alike so that's possibly why. Generally she gives us no bother in the grand scheme of things. I fear for my sanity when she is a teenager though.

DS - Dylan - 5 going on 45. My wee monkey. Cute as a button and everyone seems to fall in love with him. Says what he thinks to anyone which results in me pretending he's not mine sometimes. Blunt like his dad. Loves Disney Infinity, getting right into Star Wars and wants to join the dark side , moving swiftly on. Dylan started school in August and loves it.

Some pictures now I think. I'm sure you can guess who is who

Brilliant toots, keep going... xx

Looking forward to hearing more about your trip and plans

Ok, so, first thing's first. Wow that last pic is huge, I'll work on that for next time. I don't get on too well with photo bucket to be honest.

Now you've met us (you're brave if you're still here) lets have a bit of Disney background shall we?

I was first taken to Florida back when I was 12 by my mum (see huge pic, crazy lady with the buggy is my mum, lovingly known as Ninja Granny). It was August and hot, I didn't deal well with heat back then and barely remember anything about it.

Fast forward to 2007 and we went back with my mum and my niece and our tiny little Paige who was 12 weeks at the time (I know, crazy runs in the family). It was June and again roasting, we had booked for May but something happened and it got changed, I had just had my first baby, I have no idea what changed the dates but it happened.

I learned 1 thing on that trip, ladies, when you are 12 weeks post delivery, DO NOT go on a fast water slide . What possessed me I do no know but I swear I thought some of my insides were now outside by the time I got off. Older ad wiser now, I just thank my lucky stars it wasn't Summit Plummet.

Anyway, we had fun. Paige loved it, kicking back in her buggy, fans blazing. We stayed in POP and it was ace.



So - next trip was 2011 when Paige was 4 and joined by the new kid in town. Dylan was 13 months. Also on that trip were Ninja Granny, Uncle Iain (my brother) and my niece Chloe (Iain's daughter). I'll just say now, all of us are Disney/Florida mad.

This time we were treated to 2 weeks in Bay Lake Tower by mum, she has DVC. It was so mind blowing. We all fell in love with the resort and the path to MK was such a huge bonus. Kids loved the monorail. A great fun trip. It was October and we loved MNSSHP and the weather.


Skip to October 2013 and we were back, same people as last time. 3 nights AOA and 11 at BLT. We had booked a standard view so to walk into the room and see the castle was amazing. We were low hence standard view but we loved it. Dylan spent ages watching the monorail go by. He hated characters this time, well he was terrified. We found loads of other stuff to do though. Mum and Chloe went away for a Disney cruise for Chloe's 16th and then my brother, Chloe and I went to HHN at Universal. what a hoot. Grant is getting dragged next time we all go (more on that later lol).


Now, to May 2015. This time it was the 4 of us and mum. Booked a package with Thomson (we have always flown with Thomson since 2011). We were going to do flight only but the flights from Glasgow were £1044 pp (with PE) and the upgraded flight with villa was £1100pp! Seriously. So we had a 4 bed villa in Southern Dunes with 5 nights in Kidani. Dylan spent forever watching parades and character meets, a few months before we went he met Fireman Sam, he managed to give him a high 5 and he was on top of the world. We booked a playhouse disney breakfast and prayed:


From this point on, he wanted to meet EVERYONE! So proud. The villa was lovely but too far out really. Paige missed being onsite and to be honest, we all did. At this point we had all (now including my brothers lovely fiancé and her daughter) been chatting about a week onsite and a week in villa for 2017, we decided to scrap that and do 2 weeks onsite. Anyway, we had a blast. We came home and about a week later Grant came home from work and said (in front of the kids) "I can't wait until 2017, lets go next year". I just kind of laughed but the cogs were turning. A wee while later he came into the kitchen and asked me seriously if we could make it happen (at this point I didn't have a job). I said to let me look into it but knew I would be making it happen. He had said even a villa would be fine if it was cheaper, he just couldn't think about it being 2.5 years away. This from the man that used to say once every 2 years was more than enough. Thanks Disney magic


I'll do plans in next post.

Thanks babe, chuffed to bits you're here xx

Thank you, welcome aboard

Right, lets get this up to date.

This started very much as a budget trip. We said villa, indirect and no big treats (kids have previously done BBB/PL etc.). I was looking at the likes of United an AA from Edinburgh plus a villa. Then the kids started chatting about the meals they liked so we decided to have a week onsite and a week in a villa.

We decided on CBR and upgraded the dining plan for a week so we could do the character meals. So thats what we booked (direct with Disney). Then when we really looked into it, the extra week in CBR wasn't that much more than the villa we liked. So we called and added on the extra nights, no problemo. So that was us settled right? Emmmmmmmm, not quite. I began looking into SSR one day (baaaaaad idea) as Grant had liked the look of it when we went on the DVC tour in May. A studio wasn't much more cost wise and gave us a balcony which could be a god send with the kids. So I called and changed to a studio. Great, that us organised surely? Well (c'mon Dibbers, you know what's happening here don't you?) not quite.

August came and to cut a long story short, I was asked to go back to work (thanks for all the chats and support to Violetsmum and DUNXandWILL). I started back a few days later and my first thoughts were yay holiday money. I'm not quite sure how I ended up calling and changing my booking to a 1 bed but I did . And that I'm pleased to say is where we're at now with accommodation. They asked for requests at booking so I requested high floor in Grandstand near the pool. We shall see.

Flights, I love Thomson, always had great flights and flying from Glasgow, we're pretty limited. So when prices dropped to almost the same as when they were released, we snapped them up. £3600 for 4 of us including PE. I know its a lot but we are happy with the price and glad its booked. We are going to book the night before and parking at Holiday Inn Express soon.

Car hire will be Alamo at Sanford and Grant is after an SUV. Again, still needs to be booked. For some reason Thomson didn't offer flydrives this year so flights had to be paid at booking and no car included.

ADR's - a while to think about this still but definites will be: CRT breakfast, Tusker House breakfast, CP breakfast and Playhouse breakfast. Ohana dinner, BOG dinner and 50's PT dinner...oh and a Fantasmic dinner, recommendations welcome, I was thinking Mama Melrose.

We also like some off site places (Bahama Breeze, Olive Garden) and I want to try Sweet Tomatoes. Kids love Golden Corral so that will happen too.

I reckon that's about it for the moment. I'm off to get my Ohana tattoo tonight Oh and random but I've ordered some Aladdin vinylmations for Paige's Christmas yayyyy.

Thanks for reading. Will update soon.

Sounds like it's going to be a fun trip :-)

Good luck with the tattoo later on!

Thank you very much. I'm excited

Love it