[Dana]

Warning - warning - this is going to be long and very detailed. lol

Trip dates : 1/21 - 1/27/05
Resorts : Animal Kingdom Lodge 1/21-1/24
Polynesian 1/24 - 1/27
Cast: Me (31), DBF (43), DD (10) and DBFDS (12)
Airline : United/US AIRWAYS
Towncar from home: Zarks
Towncar in Orlando: Quicksilver
Travel Agency : Mousketrips
Research Tools: DC (of course!), Unofficial Guide to WDW, Passporter the guide, Passporter the website, All Ears, disney.com, mousesavers, laughingplace.com, intercot.com, mytouringplans.com, mytripplans.com and good ol' fashioned experience and knowledge from past trips.

Prelude to a trip:
Upon returning from my Jan 04 trip, I knew immediately that there wasn't going to be a year and a half wait until the next one. I had an ideal trip and fell in love with WDW in January. I managed to hold out until mid-February before booking a new adventure. After hearing so many DCers rave about Mousketrips, I was sold on using them to book. An email and a few phone calls and I was booked for a stay at the Polynesian from 1/18-1/24. I purchased my AP's and paid a huge chunk of the trip off and had nothing left to do but plan it out and wait for discounts. Things change as we all know. I found out my twosome was turning into a foursome and that DBf and his DS would be joining us. One night out of the clear blue, John decided to come along. He decided to drive down and join us for our last three days. I was truely amazed. He had no interest in WDW and has watched me plan and go on many trips in the over nine years we have been together. I called Mouseketrips and added them to the reservation making the first of many changes. John and I decided we needed to take a night trip to the shore to see how the kids would do together...kinda get them used to being around each other over night. Well it didn't go as well as we would have liked...not at all. The bickering between the kids was enough to make me think I was making a huge mistake having them together for such a long time. They were already fighting over who was going on what attractions UGH! It came to me that the best way to solve this was compromise. I made yet another call to Mouseketrips and changed my dates so they boys were there for the first half of the trip and not the last half. My reasoning was simple: we could do what they wanted while they were there and then me and my DD had 3 1/2 days to do what we wanted. The dates were now 1/21-1/27. I am certain that Mouseketrips are the most patient people in the world. After settling the dates and such, I continued to plan and spend countless hours researching the perfect places to take the boys to. I booked the towncar and the airfare. John and I contined to put the kids together hoping for the best. I was blessed with excellent discount codes in October and found I owed nothing on the trip. In fact, they owed me money back and I asked that to be left on account in my room. In all this time I spent each pay week buying up vouchers on Hotwire to cover breakfasts and lunches. The only thing that was left were dinners to pay for. I had anywhere from 100 - 150 in Disney dollars for each day there to cover that. I only had spending money to save now. The bickering didn't stop between the kids and I was starting to dred the trip. If I heard one more debate on who slept where or who watched the TV when, I was going to cancel the stupid trip! It came to me one day at work. The solution was suddenly so clear. I would get a lesser expensive deluxe and get two rooms. This was the final change to my reservation and the best decision I made yet. I got this for a mere $3 more a night. In a matter of minutes, Mousektrips had me into the AKL from 1/21 - 1/24 with 2 guaranteed adjoining rooms. My DD and I would transfer over to the Polynesian the day they left and start a brand new adventure. We now had 4 beds, 2 TV's and two bathrooms and not a lot more to argue over. For the first time in months I was looking forward to the trip as a family. I tore into the rest of the trip plans like a woman on a mission. The PS's were made and by mid-November, I had nothing left to do but pull a link from our countdown chain and watch time slowly go by. The holidays came and went and the trip was here. There were so many bumps in the road and drama leading up to it that we all were reallly ready for a WDW trip!