The Moles' Hole....First EVER Disneyworld Trip, offsite, October 6th 2012

[Ohthatjeff]

Do any of you know what the toll issue is? The rental car company said that some roads do not have a stop and pay toll.......so if you do not have this pass thing, they charge you $25.00 plus the fee to cross a road that does not have the stop and pay option...

This sounds really wierd to me...so everyone in Florida has this pre paid toll thing? hmmmmmmmm sounds fishy to me!!

This is half true. In the non-tourist parts of Florida there are toll roads that you need to detour around if you don't have SunPass. But all the toll roads you'll encounter in the Orlando and Daytona areas will have cash windows.

[nursechrissy32]

This is half true. In the non-tourist parts of Florida there are toll roads that you need to detour around if you don't have SunPass. But all the toll roads you'll encounter in the Orlando and Daytona areas will have cash windows.

Thanks so much

Do you think we got a good deal as far as price goes?

[nursechrissy32]

I am well....BEYOND that point of excitement...you all know how much I have tried making it to Florida ....and you all know how the anticipation is killin' me!!!!!!!!!! <3

So we have our flight, our rental car, a place to stay for Disneyworld (THANK YOU FRIEND, DR.H!!!!!!!!!!!!!), oh TICKETS!!! woo hoo thanks for the free day from www.undercovertourist.com, we have two raincoats (LOL!!!!), $450.00 in Disney gift cards, $200.00 from the change jar, and we just booked a bit of a minor, sorta lil sneak of a splurge....

Apparantly, the week that we are gonig to be done with Disney ...well I say "done" but ya'll know from my Disneyland posts...that I will definately NEVER EVER be done with the parks...even though the hubby swears next year for once the mouse will not poke his head in the vacay plan for the big yearly trip (shhhhhhh we will just have to see about that!) there is a Biketoberfest going on....what is this? It is a yearly motorcycle, well party it appears.....we have 3 days left before we have to fly home at 0630 am (YAY to the getaway rates from Southwest...lol....) so after HOURS AND HOURS....and more hours of researching ENDLESS Daytona Beach hotels...and timeshares (NAH>>>>!!!)....I finally chose a really awesome FAMILY resort that has been a Daytona Beach staple for many years....on trip advisor, there are families that have talked about this resort for many, many years! They have alot of children's activities, they have 2 pools and 2 spas..

I liked this place so much because it is a botiqueeee looking hotel, that is privately owned (SUPPORT SMALL business!! ....I am ALMOST as excited to come here with the family as I am about going to Disneyworld (Well within the vicinity of excitement....you would have to take about 9 ART buses to get to the actual country of DISNEYWORLD excitement !!!!!!!!!!!!!) But, none the less!!! This resort offers what some said as " old Florida charm"...I JUST love vintage and this sounds like what I am looking for!!!

What really zeroed my thoughts in on Perry's was the new turtle lights they put in... apparently baby turtles are crossing their paths, because they are ocean front, and they dont want the lil guys to be smashed!! Anyhow...thanks to the unexpected Biktoberfest...all the hotels are super expensive, and we have never ever done an oceanfront before..so I called and got a pre paid rate.....3 nights of an oceanfront suite for 129 the first night and 169 the other two nights .

We went back and forth over Perry's or the Holiday Inn...which would have been 119 and 209 subsequent nights, with a 20 dollar a day resort fee and being a chain hotel...we wanted to try a family owned place .

http://perrysoceanedge.com/index.cfm

Look at the grassy areas with the chairs, and the family activities (Tye dying shirts, movie nights on the beach)....also they apparently make fresh homemade doughnuts mmmmmmmmmm....

There we have it friends!

Until next time,
Christine

[nursechrissy32]

We are going in September and one thing I have done rentalcar is go to Dollar site. Click on city specials. So far I have a mini van for 200.00 a week and my friend has a full size for 81 a week. It has gone down a couple times the past week. Also they don't require a credit card at all to hold it.

I wanted to say thank you to you R Martin This is exactly what I did...and the city specials are better than many of the discounts offered

[nursechrissy32]

I guess Golden 1 has a coin star machine in their branches and don't charge you if you put it into your account. I have heard this from multiple people. We rolled a full coin jar yesterday, there is still about a quarter of the second jar that hasn't been rolled. There was $190, and then my girls both raided their own coin stashes and added them to the pile, so its up to $197.50. (I'll take the odd roll for squished pennies. ) I was telling a friend yesterday and she brought up Golden 1. I told her but I like rolling coins. The kids all get into it also. We are weird that way.
Check your fees for when you use those cards also. A lot of them don't apply in California because of the way our laws are written, but since you are using them in Florida, they might apply.

Shoot, wish I would have known that ...after you said that to me I asked my son, who has a Golden one and he said "oh yeah mom we do have one in the bank" lol thanks alot son, you should pay me 20 bucks! hahah

[nursechrissy32]

I have been checking other rental car locations, and it appears that we got a pretty amazing deal....we used discount code: 622 at Dollar rental car. oh and.........................51 days!!!!!!!!! YEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nursechrissy32]

42 days to go y'all!! we just made a countdown chain out of red, yellow, black and white construction paper. I started a packing list and am so excited!!!!!!!!! I can not wait to get to a few days to go!!!!!

[candles71]

Yay, countdown chains are so exciting.

[nursechrissy32]

When I started this thread it was in January.....our trip planning and thought processes started...well many years ago. I had put a pre trip planning report on MP and had to remove it, because we were not able to go....but in 20 days, our family will be getting on a plane for the first time together and heading to Florida for our first Disneyworld trip.

I am so full of excitement....I work in a Neonatal ICU and feel so blessed and loved to work with some amazing physicians, nurses and families...who are all counting down the days along with me. The other day one of our mommies was snuggling with her preemie and she said "J, how many more days until nurse Christine gets to Disneyworld?" I was just so overjoyed to feel so loved by our special miracle families!!!

It is funny how you get down to that last month of counting, you almost want to just make time slow down all the sudden...you say to yourself "hold on...wait just a bit....I dont want it to be over"!! Sounds almost selfish to have hoped and dreamed and planned for soooooo long and than get so close that you almost dont want it to happen quite yet .

I can not begin to tell you just how much this trip means...I have tried to share with you guys the level of excitement without giving much background on our family.....but as you have all gone through life experiences, trials and life tests, you know how much Disney magic can mean to those of us who truly believe in the power of living in the moment, enjoying watching the faces of happy children, bubbles in the air, and snow by the castle in 90 degree weather here in sunny California...you know the looks you get from the non-believers and those who just can not seem to just give in to the child that lives inside each of us....you cringe when they say "Disneyland again" or "money sucking mouse" or "again????seriously????? why don't you do something else?"

I think to myself....about how one of my wishes upon those stars that are so well used by those who believe in miracles, and who believe in God and who believe in the power of making your own dreams truly come true....wishing on that brightest star that for once in every human beings life...they can stop, and think, "Thank you Lord for blessing me with all the things that I have, and for this moment, I am so eternelly grateful".

As a nurse who has dealt with such traumatic losses for families, during the moments that are supposed to be the most happiest, where the joy of pregnancy and childbirth become a reality of a baby born way too early, or with a congenital heart defect that will require months of surgery and years of follow up care....just being able to see the joy in my children, the joy in all those who go to Disneyland or Disneyworld to get away from the realities of those hard times....AMAZING the amount of happiness and joy that has filled my heart personally.

I did not go to Disney as a child....foster children do not get that chance most of the time.....I would dream of owning Mickey ears with my name on it, or walking around a magical place where children and adults have to worry about little more than what to eat for lunch or how to stay busy in a line.....so we started going to Disneyland in 2007....where this obsession as some would say has become a saving grace for me as a wife, mother, a nurse, full time student (now in the MSN program).....

Disney parks to each of us holds a place that not often is expressed to the world. We do not walk around with signs on our neck that say "once abused child" "poor kid at one time" "nurse with a heavy heart" "mother who has cancer" "I lost my child" "recovering from chemo"......

So the long lines, the increasing prices, the crabby cast members, the "mouse obsession" is so much more than that.....so much more than "money pits" (just heard this one the other day).

I do believe that us here on MP, love MP because reading others stories or getting a glimpse of the parks activities of the day, or hearing about crowd reports, or food that was eaten on Main Street is getting that moment after a rough day and reminding us of our special corn dog, or ride on Dumbo.

I can not thank you all enough for rejoicing with me as we have planned this trip, for your excitement for our family.....I am just as excited for all of you when I read your posts as well.

Here is to the fabulousness that Disney parks give us, cheers!!!

-Chrissy

[nursechrissy32]

PS please join me in thanking a neonatal ICU nurse that you know....National Neonatal nurse day was Saturday

[IpswichUK]

When I started this thread it was in January.....our trip planning and thought processes started...well many years ago. I had put a pre trip planning report on MP and had to remove it, because we were not able to go....but in 20 days, our family will be getting on a plane for the first time together and heading to Florida for our first Disneyworld trip.

I am so full of excitement....I work in a Neonatal ICU and feel so blessed and loved to work with some amazing physicians, nurses and families...who are all counting down the days along with me. The other day one of our mommies was snuggling with her preemie and she said "J, how many more days until nurse Christine gets to Disneyworld?" I was just so overjoyed to feel so loved by our special miracle families!!!

It is funny how you get down to that last month of counting, you almost want to just make time slow down all the sudden...you say to yourself "hold on...wait just a bit....I dont want it to be over"!! Sounds almost selfish to have hoped and dreamed and planned for soooooo long and than get so close that you almost dont want it to happen quite yet .

I can not begin to tell you just how much this trip means...I have tried to share with you guys the level of excitement without giving much background on our family.....but as you have all gone through life experiences, trials and life tests, you know how much Disney magic can mean to those of us who truly believe in the power of living in the moment, enjoying watching the faces of happy children, bubbles in the air, and snow by the castle in 90 degree weather here in sunny California...you know the looks you get from the non-believers and those who just can not seem to just give in to the child that lives inside each of us....you cringe when they say "Disneyland again" or "money sucking mouse" or "again????seriously????? why don't you do something else?"

I think to myself....about how one of my wishes upon those stars that are so well used by those who believe in miracles, and who believe in God and who believe in the power of making your own dreams truly come true....wishing on that brightest star that for once in every human beings life...they can stop, and think, "Thank you Lord for blessing me with all the things that I have, and for this moment, I am so eternelly grateful".

As a nurse who has dealt with such traumatic losses for families, during the moments that are supposed to be the most happiest, where the joy of pregnancy and childbirth become a reality of a baby born way too early, or with a congenital heart defect that will require months of surgery and years of follow up care....just being able to see the joy in my children, the joy in all those who go to Disneyland or Disneyworld to get away from the realities of those hard times....AMAZING the amount of happiness and joy that has filled my heart personally.

I did not go to Disney as a child....foster children do not get that chance most of the time.....I would dream of owning Mickey ears with my name on it, or walking around a magical place where children and adults have to worry about little more than what to eat for lunch or how to stay busy in a line.....so we started going to Disneyland in 2007....where this obsession as some would say has become a saving grace for me as a wife, mother, a nurse, full time student (now in the MSN program).....

Disney parks to each of us holds a place that not often is expressed to the world. We do not walk around with signs on our neck that say "once abused child" "poor kid at one time" "nurse with a heavy heart" "mother who has cancer" "I lost my child" "recovering from chemo"......

So the long lines, the increasing prices, the crabby cast members, the "mouse obsession" is so much more than that.....so much more than "money pits" (just heard this one the other day).

I do believe that us here on MP, love MP because reading others stories or getting a glimpse of the parks activities of the day, or hearing about crowd reports, or food that was eaten on Main Street is getting that moment after a rough day and reminding us of our special corn dog, or ride on Dumbo.

I can not thank you all enough for rejoicing with me as we have planned this trip, for your excitement for our family.....I am just as excited for all of you when I read your posts as well.

Here is to the fabulousness that Disney parks give us, cheers!!!

-Chrissy

What an amazing piece you have written. Having only just returned from our recent trip and feeling a little bit sad it is over, you have cheered me up tremendously. Have a fantastic trip, I for one will be with you every step of the way.

[DisneyDaisie]

I did not go to Disney as a child....foster children do not get that chance most of the time.....I would dream of owning Mickey ears with my name on it, or walking around a magical place where children and adults have to worry about little more than what to eat for lunch or how to stay busy in a line.....
-Chrissy

I'm so glad this isn't the case for a few kids I know. I volunteer at a group foster home and every summer we go to Disney (along with 5 or 6 other really fun field trips). It's the most amazing thing in the world to see the magic and wonder in a 6 year old little girl's face when she see's the castle for the first time. Especially when you know that the first six years of her life were hell.

I'm so excited for you and your family to go on this amazing trip and I can't wait to read your trip report!! :o)

[candles71]

As an Auntie of an HLH, heart transplant recipient, Thankyou. I pressed play but just couldn't do it, I had to press stop.
Maybe, if I hadn't read someone's heartfelt post before hand?
Could someone pass the tissues please?

[SigalTchelet]

When I started this thread it was in January.....our trip planning and thought processes started...well many years ago. I had put a pre trip planning report on MP and had to remove it, because we were not able to go....but in 20 days, our family will be getting on a plane for the first time together and heading to Florida for our first Disneyworld trip.

I am so full of excitement....I work in a Neonatal ICU and feel so blessed and loved to work with some amazing physicians, nurses and families...who are all counting down the days along with me. The other day one of our mommies was snuggling with her preemie and she said "J, how many more days until nurse Christine gets to Disneyworld?" I was just so overjoyed to feel so loved by our special miracle families!!!

It is funny how you get down to that last month of counting, you almost want to just make time slow down all the sudden...you say to yourself "hold on...wait just a bit....I dont want it to be over"!! Sounds almost selfish to have hoped and dreamed and planned for soooooo long and than get so close that you almost dont want it to happen quite yet .

I can not begin to tell you just how much this trip means...I have tried to share with you guys the level of excitement without giving much background on our family.....but as you have all gone through life experiences, trials and life tests, you know how much Disney magic can mean to those of us who truly believe in the power of living in the moment, enjoying watching the faces of happy children, bubbles in the air, and snow by the castle in 90 degree weather here in sunny California...you know the looks you get from the non-believers and those who just can not seem to just give in to the child that lives inside each of us....you cringe when they say "Disneyland again" or "money sucking mouse" or "again????seriously????? why don't you do something else?"

I think to myself....about how one of my wishes upon those stars that are so well used by those who believe in miracles, and who believe in God and who believe in the power of making your own dreams truly come true....wishing on that brightest star that for once in every human beings life...they can stop, and think, "Thank you Lord for blessing me with all the things that I have, and for this moment, I am so eternelly grateful".

As a nurse who has dealt with such traumatic losses for families, during the moments that are supposed to be the most happiest, where the joy of pregnancy and childbirth become a reality of a baby born way too early, or with a congenital heart defect that will require months of surgery and years of follow up care....just being able to see the joy in my children, the joy in all those who go to Disneyland or Disneyworld to get away from the realities of those hard times....AMAZING the amount of happiness and joy that has filled my heart personally.

I did not go to Disney as a child....foster children do not get that chance most of the time.....I would dream of owning Mickey ears with my name on it, or walking around a magical place where children and adults have to worry about little more than what to eat for lunch or how to stay busy in a line.....so we started going to Disneyland in 2007....where this obsession as some would say has become a saving grace for me as a wife, mother, a nurse, full time student (now in the MSN program).....

Disney parks to each of us holds a place that not often is expressed to the world. We do not walk around with signs on our neck that say "once abused child" "poor kid at one time" "nurse with a heavy heart" "mother who has cancer" "I lost my child" "recovering from chemo"......

So the long lines, the increasing prices, the crabby cast members, the "mouse obsession" is so much more than that.....so much more than "money pits" (just heard this one the other day).

I do believe that us here on MP, love MP because reading others stories or getting a glimpse of the parks activities of the day, or hearing about crowd reports, or food that was eaten on Main Street is getting that moment after a rough day and reminding us of our special corn dog, or ride on Dumbo.

I can not thank you all enough for rejoicing with me as we have planned this trip, for your excitement for our family.....I am just as excited for all of you when I read your posts as well.

Here is to the fabulousness that Disney parks give us, cheers!!!

-Chrissy

Awwww-so beautiful, Crissy. I am loving living vicariously through your posts. If I can't be at Disney right now, I am glad to hear my MP friends experiences. It makes the world that much happier! (You have me almost in tears!)

[codewoman]

Sniff. Pass the tissues, please.

I'm going to save this as an answer to the "You're going again?" comments. Beautiful. Thank you.

[nursechrissy32]

Sniff. Pass the tissues, please.

I'm going to save this as an answer to the "You're going again?" comments. Beautiful. Thank you.

Thank you <3

[nursechrissy32]

Awwww-so beautiful, Crissy. I am loving living vicariously through your posts. If I can't be at Disney right now, I am glad to hear my MP friends experiences. It makes the world that much happier! (You have me almost in tears!)

<3 thank you

[nursechrissy32]

<3 thanks everyone

[Tinkerbell2011]

You said it all! Thank you for expressing what I think all at MP feel in their hearts. I am so excited for your family. I have been able to take my family to Disneyland several times, but we are still holding on to a dream of someday affording going all the way to WDW (from Seattle). You are Blessed and your family is very lucky! Thank you for sharing. I will keep watching for updates.

[nursechrissy32]

On the 10th day of waiting...my Prince Charming gave to me....10 glass slippers!glass.jpg

[nursechrissy32]

On the 9th day of waiting my Prince Charming gave to me.......10 glass slippers, 9 sparkling diamonds......diam.jpg

[nursechrissy32]

skipped a few days and have decided not to count Monday since that is the day we are leaving.....lol.

I have been packed for about 9 weeks, so I am packing and unpacking weekly lol.

So.........we have............drum roll....................3. count em' 3 days until we leave for Disneyworld!!!

Was at work today and cried when I left! Never been off work for this long, and will miss my little sweetie pies there, hugged my fellow nurses, the nurse manager and our Neo....thankful to have these amazing blessings!

Left work with a bag full of gifts from my awesome co-workers as well...a beautiful Mickey mouse scarf and sparkly matching headband along with little things to do on the plane.

Man am I the luckiest girl in the world or what?

Off to dreamland, because the quicker I go to sleep the sooner tomorrow will come!! haha!!!

[TulaBelle]

Hey Chrissy! I hope you have the best time ever, I'm fairly sure you will . I've been enjoying your story for a while now and I'm looking forward to your observations and adventures!

[nursechrissy32]

After months and months of planning, obsessing.....I am getting ready to "check in" for our flight in one hour...I will let you know what boarding group we get...we are praying for a or b . Can not wait to share everything with you all!!!!!!!! Thank you for all the well wishes and information!!!!!

[codewoman]

I can't wait to hear about your trip. Have a marvelous time!