The "I Said I wasn't Going to do a TR" TR... **Updated 1/27** About This Page:

[DrDolphin]

Ok - or Pre-TR as we begin now.

Hi all - (check's name tag) - My name is Terri and I am a Disney-aholic. "Hi Terri". It seems that even though I live less than 3 hours from the mouse's house - I can't get enough - or so all my friends and co-workers tell me. I love to the visit the mouse's Florida digs - been on the toy boats (both of them) a couple of times - and played in the original playground a couple of times too.

Now it seems as though there is an event upcoming referred to as "Mousefest". Now I've been twice before and had a wonderful time - so this year - I figured I would go again. I always like to take 3 or 4 days in December to head to WDW for Christmas shopping and getting in the Christmas mood. Since the Mousfest organizers were kind enough to schedule this event about the same time of year I like to head down - well all the better.

I originally planned to go by myself (I enjoy solo touring) and hook up at the various meets. Last year I went a couple of days before the land portion of Mousefest started - and stayed through Friday afternoon. That had been my original plan this year... well at least still I started pouting about missing the Adventure's Club meet...

I also decided I really didn't want to do this alone. I travel ALOT for work - and I end up with free plane tickets on Southwest quite frequently - and believe it or not - sometimes it is hard to use those free tickets in the one year time frame alloted to use them (without fee, etc)... So I called my roomy for the upcoming Panama Canal Relo cruise, WDWFan (Lesley) and asked her how she felt about Mousefest... I also emailed my TA and asked her to start looking at locations. There was very little available 6 months out... geez - what happened to SLOW season??? I put a hold on a room at POR and WL (my fave resort) and when Lesley and I got to talking - I offered her one of the free plane tickets on Southwest to come and play for Mousefest. I made room ressies in early June and we waited.

Move the time machine forward a little bit - I come home from the Med cruise with a new DVC membership.... cancel the POR and WL - and booked a studio at my home resort of SSR.... Lesley then joins DVC as well....

So now we have DVC at SSR, we add the dining plan, and MVMCP tickets as well - lots of ADRs planned (miss L did all the work in that department - thanks buddy!) and now I am less than a week out.

So - what do the plans look like?

Lesley and her MIL will be at WDW a bit before me - a couple of days in her parent's timeshare off property. I was originally scheduled to come down on Thursday morning - Dec 6 - but that has now been moved to Wednesday night - right after work (hence I must start packing tomorrow)... and join them at the OS Timeshare for one night. Then Lesley's DMIL heads home - and she and I move to SSR - hoping for Congress Park or the Grandstand (at least those were the requests).

We start with MVMCP on Thursday night - Dec 6 and a dining meet with lots of PPs at LLT.
Friday we plan to be in AK in the AM for the famous Deb Wills safari meet; the EE meet and the new Yak and Yetoi meet...NOW HERE IS WHERE IT GETS WEIRD....

I have to be back in the car, headed back to Jacksonville no later than 2pm from the Y&Y meet - since I am attending my office holiday party at 730pm (with a date!) which means if I take 3 hours to drive home - I have 2 hours to get ready before Albert picks me up for an evening of dining and dancing till 1130pm and then Saturday morning I will be teaching my 2nd to last class of the semester. After class ~ 230 at the latest...Leave JAX (with school stuff in the car most likely) and drive back to WDW - meeting back up with Miss Lesley at EPCOT for our 530ADR at Le Cellier and 800 showing of Candlelight Processional (kudos to Lesley for scoring my all time favorite EPCOT dining location for CP!!!) and attend the Key Chain Illuminations Meet.

Due to teaching - I will miss ANOTHER Mega Mouse Meet - but I am the only teacher for this class... so no other option.

Sunday - I know we plan on attending the orament exhange meet; having dinner with some PP friends at Raglan Road and then off to Adventure's Club for my first experience!!! Can't wait!!

Monday - Breakfast is planned at Whispering Canyon Cafe - one of my favorite on property dining locations and dinner at Spoodles (another yummy - bringing back Med memories!)

Tuesday - Go home day (BOO HISS...) - bue we plan to have a Boma breakfast (bring on the FRUNCH!) and play a bit before I take Lesley to the airport, point my car North on I-4 and head home to JAX -

In time to start planning all the details of our 18 day May Flower and Garden Festival/Panama Canal Relocation Cruise extravaganza!

Now I said I wasn't going to do a TR for this trip - since it took me MONTHS to get the med Cruise done - but I am actually in the mood to attempt this one - so much hilarity and fun is expected - I just have to share!

So - bring on Mousefest!!!

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Terri I hope you have a magical trip Kudos to you for all the driving back and forth

[mcc0313]

Terri,

Glad you decided to do one....I enjoyed reading your other reports so having another is extra fun...

Plans sound great....MouseFest and Friends.....PP meets, how can it get better (let's through in a nice date with Albert ) and you are set....

Have a wonderful time and looking forward to hearing all about it....

[lauren-roxy]

Great start Terri!!

[Minnie Lor]

I'm glad you decided to add a TR to the MF PRE-TR jungle. And I get to be in a teeny part of your TR ~ cool!

that you get to drive home mid-vacation but the date sounds pretty good. Dining and dancing

I think it's going to be newbie night at AC since this will be a first for so many of us. Hope it's not like a sorority intiation night. :

See you and Lesley next Thursday!

[MickeyMAC]

Great start Terri, glad your doing one--tell Lesley to charm in and add her thoughts.

[WDWfan]

Originally Posted by MickeyMAC

Great start Terri, glad your doing one--tell Lesley to charm in and add her thoughts.

Since you asked so nicely... Terri called last year when I was in Las Vegas with my Mom and sister with her oh so generous offer of a free airline ticket to Mousefest. After getting back to work and checking the calendar I was going to Mousefest! . I am a Mousefest rookie and can't wait to experience all of the fun and hilarity - and meet so many Passporters!

When Southwest opened up their December dates I asked Terri if I could fly into Tampa a few days early and then out of Orlando. That way I could visit with my DMIL and DFIL. (A side note: For those of you who don't know I was divorced from my husband of 27 years 2 years ago. I am very close to his family - particularly his mom. They were all devastated by the divorce and told him - you divorced her - we didn't. In all of our eyes I'm still part of the family. I go to all of the family events and talk to them more often than he does. Of course I did that during our marriage as well. ) So I planned to spend 3 nights with them before Mousefest.

About 6 weeks ago my DDad called and said they had some points at their timeshare (Hilton Grand Vacation Club) that they couldn't use by the end of the year - they were going to expire and couldn't be banked. They had planned on a trip this fall, but due to some health issues hadn't been able to go. I talked by Mitzi (DMIL) and asked if she would like to go over a few couple of days early and enjoy some of the holiday happenings at WDW.

Mitzi has only been to WDW a couple of times for the day. I can't wait to show it to her through my eyes. We're planning on spending Tuesday, Dec 4 at Epcot. We have a lunch ADR w/ the 5:00 CP package at Rose and Crown. I want to show her Soarin and maybe Turtle Talk with Crush and then spend most of the day in WS seeing the Holiday Story Tellers. She's never seen Illuminations so that is a must.

Wednesday, Dec 5 we'll be at MK. We'll leave for a ittle while in the afternoon to go to the GF for Tea! (Another side story - Mitzi is the one who introduced me to tea when I first met her. She was recently remarried and the mother of 4 boys, 1 girl and 5 stepsons. Yes - you read that right - 10 kids, 9 of whom lived at home. When I would go to visit it was really hard to find time to talk to her. She was always cooking, doing laundry, looking after kids. The one time she sat down to relax was after dinner. Her DH always cleared the table and did the dishes and she would sit and have a cup of tea. I would always sit and talk to her. That was where we began to forge a wonderful relationship. Once we were going to WDW together I knew we had to go to tea. ) We have a dinner ADR at the Plaza. I want to enjoy the park. Hopefully see the updated HM, PotC, iasw, the Castle Lighting and of course - Wishes, another show she's never seen.

Terri hit most of the highlights of our itinerary. I will be at the MegaMouse Meet. I'm another AC virgin. I haven't been to WDW is December before so I can't wait to see it in all it's holiday glory. I am so excited to meet more PPers!

Terri - I'm so glad you started this and I the title. I have started 2 TRs and not finished either so I told myself I wasn't going to do a TR this time either - just some dining reviews and a few comments, but maybe if we work together we can get this done in a reasonable amount of time.

I leave for Florida in less than 34 hours! Guess I'd better start packing!

[mattnkatsmum]

Great start, Terri. And thanks for chiming in, Lesley.

I can't believe that in just four days time, I'll be MEETING YOU BOTH

[chezp]

Great start guys - and both your plans sound awesome! Can't wait to see you at the Adventurers' Club meet - how neat that we get to share your first experience of it with all of us.

[lauriep]

Thanks for deciding to to a trip report. I was at WDW one year during Mousefest, but chickened out of showing up at any of the meets. I'm going to have to find more on-line time to read these great reports!

[Lemap760]

Great start. Have a wonderful time at Mousefest. I'm another one who is glad to see you decided to do a trip report. Can't wait to hear Lesley's comments as well.

[mestitch]

Ok, the really quick trip back home to have that date and work in the middle of a trip thing really threw me!! But I'm glad you're able to make it all work! I hate we'll be missing you this year! Can't ya stay for a little longer???

[DawnDenise]

Great plans you two!! I commend you Terri for all that driving but the dinner and dancing sounds like it will be worth it even though you don't want to teach. Looking forward to seeing you both!!!

[DrDolphin]

Originally Posted by mestitch

Ok, the really quick trip back home to have that date and work in the middle of a trip thing really threw me!! But I'm glad you're able to make it all work! I hate we'll be missing you this year! Can't ya stay for a little longer???

I would have to drive back either way to teach the class. If I didn't have a date to the holiday party - I would be leaving later in the day - but since Albert asked me to attend with him, who was I to say NO??? So - I will drive back in time to get dressed and attend the party as well.

I wish I could say longer - but I can't - I will have to find a way to see you and Andy again soon!!

[Jookiba]

Your plans look really great Terri!!

I'm so jealous though as I'd give my eyeteeth to be there-and Lord Willing next year I will be!!