[disneyknut]

Okay, I will admit it.. I planned this trip purely out of jealousy.. Jealous of everyone going to Mousefest, jealous of all of the people getting to meet, and most of all jealous because I have never seen Osborne lights.. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

I was really green with envy when I kept seeing the list of Passporters going to Mousefest.. I have only met a handful of Passporters & have always wanted to meet more.. so what better place than Mousefest ( not to mention getting to meet Alexander Marx .. oh yeah & his parents too!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img])

Fortunately I am married to a bigger WDW-aholic than I am ( yet he rarely frequents the boards [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]) it takes little to no convincing Jim that we need a trip to WDW..

A quick check of the calendar & Dec 3rd was his weekend off from work ( he works every other weekend) so it was possible.. we tentatively set the dates for Dec 1 to Dec 6. but there were several obstacles..
1. Checking USAir the airfare was over $200 per person.. there was no way we could afford that.
2. Then his boss dropped a bombshell.. no one was allowed to take any vacation time in the month of December.. AARGH!!!! Okay.. still workable.. the hospital where he works makes you use your holiday time off within 30 days of the holiday.. it is not allowed to accumulate.. so he would have Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years (3 days) to use on vacation. He would use Thursday, Friday & Monday as his holiday days & then work night shift Tuesday.. or he would call in sick on Tuesday..
3. In the beginning of August Jim was hospitalized & had to have his gall bladder removed which took most of his sick days.. still do-able.. we just had to come back early Tuesday & he'd go into work nightshift...

Then our luck began to change.. When Jim took his 'go back to work' form to his boss she remarked at how he would need a vacation after being sick & he casually mentioned that he would love to be able to go to WDW in December & she immediately brought out her scheduling book & worked it out the same way we did above ( using holiday days) & 1 vacation day on Tuesday...

Airfare was still high on USAir so I figured we'd just wait until Southwest released their rates.. But as fate would have it ( & me being anal about getting a good deal) I was checking the USair web site for prices one morning in late August & decided to change the date from Dec 1st to Nov 30.. Well, imagine my surprise when the airfare dropped to $116.90 (with tax.. base price was $91.16) how could you beat that??? I immediately booked it & then told Jim he had to re-arrage his work schedule.. FYI when I checked the web site later that afternoon the airfare price was up to $196 again.. so boy did we luck out!!

Jim got the green light from his boss to use 2 vacation days..

We now had to decide where to stay.. we loved POR so much our last trip in May that there was really no question that we were going back.. I booked with the AP best rate program & our room was set...

Okay.. I then checked into all of the Passporter meets & knew I wanted to attend as many as possible so I also bought our MVMCP tickets for 12/1 as well.. It was a blast RSVP'ing in all of the meets threads.

Jim hates making ADR's & prefers to wing it but I knew this was going to be a busy time at WDW & I wanted a couple set meal plans...

We asked each kid where they would love to eat ( & Jim & I chose as well) Jamie chose Teppanyaki (his all time favorite WDW restaurant), Brendan choose CP for breakfast, Shelby choose WCC & Jim chose Chef Mickey for breakfast.. I wanted to go to 1900 park fare but got outvoted.. so my fave wasn't accomodated.. no biggie!! I like everyone elses choices..We had a hard time getting an ADR for WCC& had to settle for 8:00pm

Here is our very tentative itinerary.. we are more 'fly by the seat of your pants' type people & never follow an itinerary.. Ones marked with an * are definites on our itinerary..

Wed 11/30
Flight out of Pittsburgh at 7:30AM.. (which means getting up at 3:30am)
arrive MCO 9:45am
get our rental car ( love Emerald Aisle at National) & either go to MGM for the afternoon ( want to get a head start on the trasure hunt) or check in at POR
have some lunch..
MGM afternoon
back to resort, relax
*Osborne lights meet, evening
*after lights go to MK for EMH..
have a late counter service dinner at MK??

Thursday, 12/1
*7am Chef Mickey breakfast
* morning & afternoon at MK
back to resort, swim & rest for BIG evening
*grab a ride buddy meet
*MVMCP PP meet

Fri 12/2
*EMH at MK
*Parade taping (hopefully i'll get my confirmation e-mail soon, if not I'll use my AP)
*late breakfast at CP 10:25am
outlet shopping in afternoon
dinner at POR food court
Epcot evening for Candelight processional
*PI passporter meet
Sat 12/3
Breakfast at resort
*EMH at AK
*Mega Mousefest meet I'll be there!!!
our evening plans are up in the air depending on how tired everyone is we might go to Epcot or MK

Sun 12/4
this is our no set plans day.. we will probably wing it & o to any park we feel we have'nt been to enough
*eve EMH at MGM
Mon 12/5
Very light breakfast @ resort
*EMH at Epcot
*Teppanyaki for lunch
back to resort
*dinner at WCC at 8pm
Tues 12/6
SAD DAY... last day
EMH @ MGM
park hop
plane leaves Orlando at 5:30pm...
touchdown PIA


A few weeks ago I found out that several other families from our school (& casual friends) of ours will be at WDW at the same time ( one family at the same resort) & we might hook up together while down there... I do think they are going to try to go to the parade taping AND Mousfest.

coming up: "WE ONLY NEED 2 SUITCASES!!" aka the great packing debate in the Smith household [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]