[cowanfamily]

Hi, all! Just got back yesterday from our marathon 13 day trip to WDW - it was Awesome, but exhausting. So much for spreading it out and taking it easy!!!

I will not do a detailed TR, as 13 days would be grueling to reenact (and to read), but will do highlights - and there were many!

Okay, my favorites:

We got several "little" dreams
My DH won an "award"
The food, the food, the food! - we ate at like 7 resorts, until we popped!
Chip and Dale's campfire
PIN TRADING!
MNSSHP!

Crazily bounced back for Sept 1-14, 2009 - couldnt pass it up!(though even thinking of 14 days makes my knees hurt, we will likely cut it down to 10 days.

More later, with lots of pics!


Michelle

[MickeyEars]

13 Days WOW! Can't wait to read all about it. Welcome Home!

[DayDreamer]

Wow 13 days!! Sounds like a great trip but I know you are tired. Looking forward to hearing about it and seeing some pics.

[chottsy]

can't wait for more highlights!!

[Alaine]

Can't wait to hear about your trip. We're doing 11 days this trip. My husband wanted 14 days but we compromised at 11. It sounds like 13 days was alot for you. I'll check in later to hear all your details. Work and laundry to do now.

[cowanfamily]

Okay, I can start while my DH is taking the kids to school, but I must get work done today, and laundry, and....being gone for 2 weeks is a bit overwhelming when ya get back home, too!

Cast of characters (and I mean Characters!):
ME (41, newly Disney Freak!)
DH (42, a kid at heart, and SO much fun at Disney (but at home, kinda quiet!)
DD11 (in that tween stage, loves being a kid, but with grumpy hormones thrown in for good measure)
DS9 (wants to be constantly entertained, says he hates the parade, then his face lights up and he waves at all characters!)

We started this as our normal 8 day trip, but it got expanded when we had booked fabulous dinners for the week, then found out that my DH's favorite attraction, the Primeval Whirl (he collects all things Chester and Hester, dont ask!) was going to be in refurb from Sept. 2 on, so we had to move the start of the trip to Sept. 1 and just kept the rest of the trip. Thus, 12 nights, 13 days, with Free Dining at POP, our favorite onsite resort.

We left on Sunday, August 31, around 5 pm, about an hour behind schedule, good for us! We left 3 huge dogs, 4 cats and 3 rabbits with a vet tech housesitter, packed up the cruisin' van and headed out. I shared the drive with my DH and the kids slept pretty much the whole time. We arrived at POP around 9 am, checked in. We had requested the 50's, but they had us in the 70's?, but they moved us to bldg 2 in the 50's with the room ready! YEAH! So we moved in, unpacked a little, set up the room and headed out to AK for the Primeval Whirl!

We were so happy to be there, we love the Disney bus system, especially at POP, as it is almost always fast. We waited no more than 7 minutes for our bus to AK. By the time we got to AK, I think it was around 11 am. (my notes are in the van, driving the kids to school!) We went straight to Dino Land, took some photos, and rode the Primeval twice in a row, then the line started getting a bit long, so we headed to Dinosaur, got FP's and went to the NEMO musical, which we had never done.

My kids are pretty big for Nemo, we liked it when it came out, but at 9 and 11, we were not sure how this would go over. It was amazing! We got there a bit early, it was HOT!, so we enjoyed cooling off, having a couple of waters, waiting for the show. The show was so cool, the performers impressive, and costumes and puppets beautiful!

Used our FPs, rode the PW again, took more photos, rode EE once, rode Kali and I got completely Soaked! By this time, the park was closing, we walked out, me squeezing out my tennis skirt multiple times, rode the bus back to POP to find our first surprise! The POP was just that day installing new pillow top mattresses, and our room had been ready, but we had not received our new mattresses yet. So while we were gone, housekeeping came and delivered our new comfy mattresses, turned down our quilts, put chocolates on our pillows, gave us a certificate of the family of the day, and gave us a cute magnetic frame! We were thrilled!

Gotta go, more later!!!

MC

[cowanfamily]

Here are some photos from Day 1

[mickeysgirlz]

Welcome home!!

Wow what a great FIRST DAY . . . I can't wait to hear about the Chip and Dale's campfire . . . we are going with friends in December.

REMEMBER this is Mousebuzz . . . we do NOT GET BORED with long TRs and lots and lots of pictures!!

[jenbarnwell]

Welcome back. Can't wait to read all about your trip. The pictures are cute.

[dznylvr]

So are the new pillow top mattresses going in all Pop rooms? We will be there in a week and a half, I sooooo hope they are!!
I can't wait to read more about your trip!!

[cowanfamily]

Originally Posted by dznylvr

So are the new pillow top mattresses going in all Pop rooms? We will be there in a week and a half, I sooooo hope they are!!
I can't wait to read more about your trip!!

It appeared that way! The first 2 days we were there, there were new mattresses on all the balconies in our the 50's at least...I would assume yes!

They were comfy, just wish they were queen instead of double...we have to split the kids up and sleep with them, or put up with lots of unnecessary fighting...and sleeping with kids....well, they kick! but comfy, oh, yes, comfy!

[Brett's Mommy]

Welcome Home!
I'm looking forward to reading about the rest of the trip - I always love to hear that there are others out there like me (Disney Freak)!I can't imagine 13 days... DS is 4 1/2, DH is 5 in his mind. lol. I'm worn out after only five days lol!

[cowanfamily]

Okay, there were a few mishaps...very cut bleeding thumbs, a finger stuck in a closing door, mommy got mad 'cause she missed Fantasmic (yes, 12 nights, and no Fantasmic! ugggh!!!!), running quite late for MNSSHP, making mommy grumpy, lots of sibling "STOP!" being yelled......but overall it was a very magical trip. We paced ourselves the first week, but the second week was grueling...BUT we had lots of firsts, most of which we loved.

Other than the injuries (thumbs stuck somehow in the Make Your Own Rollercoaster security bar....yikes!) and my sore knees, most people were very nice, both CM and other guests. There were a few....but really basic rule consistency was the only problem. But i digress....be back later!

Here are a few more photos:

[dh464]

What do you mean no Fantasmic!I don't think I would be happy about this I love Fantasmic and hate running late!

[dznylvr]

Thanks for the info about the mattresses, Cowanfamily!! I am sorry to interrupt your TR for that!!
Sorry to hear about all of the scrapes and cuts. I can't wait to hear more about your trip.