How I Survived 11 Days at WDW with a Disney-Resistant Husband **2/20 THE END **

[goofytiggerfan]

Hello!! Just spent all day reading your trip report loved every minute! I can definetly relate to having a husband that does not appreciate Disney as much as me. I liked all your choices for hotels those are great hotels even though I have never had the chance to stay in any of them. I would love too! Your daughters dresses are adorable. where did you find the Tiana one and the (I think it was) Minnie dress? I think she wore it to the BBQ? My 8 yr old daughter would love those two dresses!! I am sorry your last night was not that great I would have been upset as well. Hopefully your next trip is better!

 

[brookelizabeth]

That could not have been an easy chapter to write, recalling those sad and painful memories. I'm so sorry your last night was the opposite of what you expected and planned. That is hard to deal with. 'Ohana, pre-accident (poor Declan!!! Owie! And I can understand why the manager acted as he did-so many people are sue-happy these days, but I agree that he should have brought him ice cream, or a light up drink or SOMETHING to make him feel better too!), sounds like it was a fantastic time though, so not all was lost! I certainly do hope your next morning makes up for this rough evening. I have wanted to do the Gospel Brunch for many trips, I'm VERY much looking forward to your review!!

 

[wendy3]

bump

 

[Tinkergurl20]

Hi! I haven't quite caught up but I'm off to run some errands, so I intend to finish up later today!!! Your trip sounds awesome!! How was traveling with some of your extended family? We are traveling this summer with my aunt/uncle/2cousins...they aren't "amusment" park people...so I'm interested to see how it goes!!
Keep up the great report!!

 

[edk35]

So when is your next trip?? Didn't you mention something about a trip in Oct. with another family?? Is that still in the planning stages?? We just got back a week ago yesterday. We spent 6 nights at OKW. We had a wonderful trip and I love going in Jan. This was our 4th Jan. trip. I am depressed about not having another trip planned so I am starting to PLAN NOW. I can't STAND not having a trip in the planning stages.

 

[norybell]

Catching up...

Oh, the Poly! I stayed there last October, really just to check a resort off of my list -- having been to Hawaii before, and absolutely loving the GF, I really wasn't all that interested. Boy, was I ever wrong: It truly is a magical place! (Plus it didn't hurt that I was upgraded to TPV!)

I'm sorry your plans for Wishes didn't quite work out. But aside from that little blip, it sounds like it was really a wonderful day!

 

[cdotla]

Aww Trish! I'm so sorry to read about how that last night turned out. There is nothing as heartbreaking as spending all that time planning and working out all the details in the corners of your mind and imagining how great it is going to be....only to be faced with the cold slap of reality and simple mis-communication.

It really was too bad how our last nite ended. In retrospect, it would have been so much better if Chris had stayed with us, or if we had even agreed to stay behind and hang out together as a family. But then, if we did that, the kids and I would have missed the cool nighttime boatride over to the MK and our only chance to see Spectro that trip, which may well be the last time we ever see it based on rumours that a new show is eventually going to replace the Main Street Electrical Parade.

I am not sure why I slipped and mentioned to Chris that the fireworks would be taking place the same time as the water pageant....I knew this wasn't the case based on the 10pm Wishes schedule, but every once in awhile, us ober Disney planners can slip up and forget or overlook something, can't we.

I agree 100% with how magical the Polynesian is at night with those torches and the drums beating!

The shirts were so perfect for your Ohana's night!

So sorry that Chris didn't go with you to the MK to see Spectromagic and missed out on the fireworks. I know exactly how you felt from our own previous trips! Don't you just want to shake them sometimes?

Hey Jackie...sounds like we completely share the same perspective on the Poly.

Thanks for your comments on the shirts. I love that I was able to put the shirts to good use, as quite honestly, they probably would not have been used otherwise. Good reminder that I need to show my parents those photos...I still haven't developed them yet. They will be happy to see that we ended up using them. Adding it to my to-do list!

And yes, to be perfectly honest, at various times throughout the trip, I wanted to shake a few people!

I have to confess that I have never been particularly enamored with the Poly. But you are making a very compelling case!

Thank you for the history lesson on the Lapu. Would you believe I still haven't tried one of those? Have to fix that on one of my trips this year!

You all look so cute in your Hawaiian shirts! Love those pictures.

So sorry your last night didn't turn out as planned.

I don't know what it is about the Poly, and I don't know if you need to have experienced it in the 1970's to "get it" or not. All I know is it has a special draw for me that I don't feel at any other Disney resort. I am sure the fact that it was where we stayed on my first ever visit to WDW is part of that, but it is not just that. There is a special magic I feel at the Poly that I can't quite explain or describe.

You really should spend an evening here soaking up the atmosphere, walking on the beach and around the grounds with those torches burning. It is just wonderful.

Oh, and the evening started out so perfect too! Getting to see that torch lighter, errrr, I mean lighting (he was easy on the eyes wasn't he?) followed by one of my favorite drinks, the lapu lapu! I'm one of the few people out there who is not a fan of Ohana, but it sounded like you all really enjoyed your meal until Declan's accident. That's too bad that everything went downhill from there. With that night being the last experience of your trip, I can see why you were hesitant to write your report at first You did have some other wonderful family memories during the trip to hang onto though!

Glad to see you are enjoying my photos Michelle!

And you are right...even though the last nite of the trip didn't exactly go off without a hitch, it was still a pretty great trip!

Aww Trish. So sorry. As I read this post I knew all along what was coming because I remember you mentioning this experience in your PTR right after you returned. (Pretty amazing I remembered. Must have made quite an impression) The thing I've learned in my Disney trips (and you probably already know this too from your report) is that the best moments are usually the ones we don't bother to plan (like your night at SAB.) Just let the Magic happen. That doesn't keep us from planning though does it Still a total bummer that your last night was a bit of a bust.

You are so right. I completely confess: sometimes I spend way too much time planning, and don't leave enough opportunity for the spontaneous magical moments to just happen.

 

[cdotla]

Oh no Trish...what a sad way to end your final night

I'll always remember walking out of MK on the last day of our 2008 trip. It was to be our final day of a magical trip. We were to drive a few hours that afternoon so my plan was to stay through the afternoon parade but it was raining and my DH was grouchy. We were also celebrating Patrick's birthday and he wasn't enjoying himself either. When we got to the monorail, I tried explaining to DH the process of getting to ride with the driver but in his crabbiness, he didn't want the hassle of folding the stroller so we just got on and I cried the whole way to the car. (and of course, now we'll never have that chance again )

Thanks for sharing all of the good, the bad and the ugly with us, I think most of us have those same types of moments but feel like it's un-Disney like to talk about

Oh Katie...thank you so much for sharing, and helping me feel like I am not alone in having things turn out not exactly as expected.

I remember you sharing that monorail story (I believe in either your PTR or TR) and I felt so bad for you in that minute, especially after they stopped the rides up front. It is something that can happen to any family, especially in the heats and the crowds at Disney. And as your story shows, just one cranky little moment can cause us to miss something magical that we won't have an opportunity to get back.

Awww i'm sorry to hear that your last night in the world ended up being such a disappointment, especially when you were looking so forward to it.

Hopefully breakfast the next day was good to make up for it

Thank you. Unfortunately our funk carried into the next morning as well. Those plans ended up changing too. More on that shortly.

 

[cdotla]

Hello! I have been enjoying your great TR. Thank you for sharing your experiences in such great detail!

I wanted to suggest that you consider Disney Cruise Line. I don't have children, but I have sailed twice with DCL (7 day and 14 day trips) and I have another trip coming up in August. Reading that you and your kids love the magic of Disney but you DH hates the lines and crowds, I think you will find DCL to be a great compromise. You get all of the magic (wonderful kids clubs, tons of characters interactions, fireworks!) and quality (fabulous CMs, beautiful ship and entertainment) that you expect from Disney. Perhaps you don't enjoy sailing, or the idea of cruise ships and I can understand that. My DH and I never cruised before we sailed with DCL (and won't sail with anyone else!) but we just fell in love with it.

So here are .2 cents from a stranger Thank you for sharing your experiences.

Thanks so much for vouching for the cruise. Like you, I really had no interest in a cruise whatsoever until Disney started building cruise ships. So far we haven't made it on a sailing, but it is only a matter of time. Like you, I think it will be a very good compromise with Chris. And I love the idea of the kids exploring worlds of their own in the kids club (that looks positively amazing on the new Dream) while we can do stuff completely on our own, completely guilt-free!

We are tentatively thinking of trying a cruise in 2013. This is a big, milestone year for our family. Katie turns 10, I turn 40, and my parents turn 65. I think it would be a nice way to celebrate.

You know, I found a solution that has worked well regarding a stick-in-the-mud, sour puss DH...back in the beginning of our marriage more than 13 years ago he would often put a damper on my best laid plans and cast a sad shadow on our excitement whether it was WDW or simply running to the park for an evening...lots of "I'm too tired" or mumbled commentary that would ruin the mood. Or complain how hot it is the whole time I push our daughter on the swings...really?

I grew tired of this after a couple years and watching my kids faces fall and not understanding why he could not fully appreciate the great life and healthy children he was given...I decided to stop including him. I literally gave him an ultimatim and said that until he could figure out how to participate with us and enjoy spending time- we would be doing it without him. I refuse to make detailed plans or ANY plans and let them be ruined by attitude.

He quickly came around after about a year of seeing that I am serious. He was and is always welcome to do these things with us, but not with crabbiness- he is a good father and a good provider, but sometimes it seems men think they have to be harsh and serious in order to BE men. Sometimes it seems they cannot come out of themselves and teach by example to their children the lesson that life is to be enjoyed as a family because none of us are promised tomorrow.

Now we have a true agreement to pay attention to what the other wants..I try not to overplan to perfection to be happy and he gets time to himself especially when he has indulged us in riding Winnie the Pooh 4 times with a smile!

Sorry for the huge rant- I am sure your DH is perfectly nice and hardworking, as is my DH, but I can see we share a few of the same frustrations...

Loving your TR!

Thanks for your comments. Helps to know we are not alone.

There is no question I had a number of disappointments on our trip. The top one was how our last nite ended, probably followed by my disappointment in my family's lack of cooperation for our Roots photoshoot. However, in the end, I still spent some amazing time with my family at my favourite place in WDW. And shockingly, we still ended up with some wonderful family photos from our Roots photoshoot that I will cherish for years to come.

Fortunately in our ordinary life, I am quite lucky. If truth be told, it is Chris who has the shorter end of the stick, not me. He contributes the lion's share to our family in just about every respect. I honestly don't know what we would do without him.

Unfortunately, he doesn't like the heat, crowds and lines associated with Disney theme park touring and dislikes the repetition of going back to the same place, year after year for our family vacations, whereas I have yet to tire of taking the kids to Disney. But all in all, I definitely still have it pretty good.

Aww...I am sorry your last night did not turned out as planned. I love your matching outfits - they look perfect for your last dinner at Ohanas. Poor Declan, getting clocked in the eye like that. Yikes! I'm glad he was OK. Sheesh!

Well - you know what you need, right? A do-over night at the Poly watching Wishes all together.

Thanks! And yes, Declan ended up being fine after about an hour or so. His poor eye looked awful though at first...he could barely even open it. We have all had a bad poke, and this was a doozie.

A re-do nite at the Poly for Wishes sounds like a great idea!

I'm sorry your plans for Wishes didn't work out, but it sounds like you made the best of it. At least the rest of your night was good except for poor Declan's mishap, glad he was OK afterwards. I would love to try O'Hana someday, maybe on my next trip.

O'Hanas really does get mixed reviews, but in our books, in was pretty darn good! We will definitely be back!

Oh Trish.

Chris had been doing so well! It's hard, all the expectations of perfect moments we planners put on ourselves, and our families, for them to live up to it. It always seems for me, when it does fail, the disappointment is so much more crushing as there is that sense of never being able to get back that moment, the one we didn't have, that we wanted so badly. It's a fine line between being able to roll with it, just letting the magic happen, but also wanting/needing to stand your ground for something you really had your heart set on. I'm so sorry the evening ended that way.

I did have to smile at you pushing it with getting the ice cream, that is SO something I would have done too. I hope sleep soothed and the morning was better.

Thanks Cynthia! You are very wise....everything you said is so true.

 

[cdotla]

I am so sorry your last night didn't go as planned. I think you really handled it well, though-- I probably would flipped out. You seem to always know how to cool yourself down, even after being disappointed.
We're not crazy about Ohana, but there is nothing like that bread pudding! I wish I could get it to go. Spectro is the best-- I'm in denial that it might be permanently replaced-- I'd be crushed!!

Bread pudding to go from OHanas??? Now you are onto something!

I am right there with you on Spectro. I watched the ELP in October, but it just isn't as good as Spectro for me.

Oh I am so sorry your last night at Disney didn't turn out quite the way you planned it. It's so hard to travel with someone who doesn't love the magic of Disney.

I'm glad to read you enjoyed your meal at O'hana's. We haven't been since 2008 and your review definitely makes me want to try it again

And I agree with you. There's nothing like the Poly.

Hopefully you will like Ohanas if you can get back there. Just being at the Poly at night is so wonderful, as you know!

Your description of your final evening in the World actually transported me right there with you! I cannot wait to watch Wishes from the beaches of the Poly ... so sad Chris wasn't with you You know that old saying 'best laid plans'...sometimes they just bite us in the butt don't they?

Hey Queen! It really is a wonderful experience watching Wishes from the Poly. A must-do at least once!

I'm sorry your last night went so poorly I just saw Wishes from the Poly beach for the first time last trip and I totally understand how disappointing that would be not being able to share it with your whole family!

I'm glad to hear that you like O'hana, though! I haven't heard many good things and am considering checking it out next time...

I hope the last bit of your trip went well!

As with anything at WDW, especially a dining experience, I find you have to really experience it yourself to see if you will like it. I have listened to countless "Disney experts" completely slam experiences and restaurants that I LOVE (like CRT, San Angel, OHanas, and many others), and sing the praises of others that I haven't been so fond of, like Chefs de France to name one.

I say give it a shot!

Glad you all enjoyed O'Hana's so much but I was sorry to hear that Chris wasn't able to share in Wishes with you all. I understand the disappointment that you were feeling because it was your last night at the Poly, and you had it all planned out in your mind how it was suppose to go, but unfortunately, it usually doesn't always go as planned. I have really enjoyed your honesty throughout this trip report.

Thank you!

I spent the day reading your TR and just loved to hear about all of your experiences. I too have a Disney resistant husband, but my children are now adults so I don't have to subject him to any vacations to WDW anymore. I sympathize with you, but it appears that there were shining moments.

How lovely that you were able to stay at the BCV for so many days. It sounds like the perfect location for an Epcot lover. Your children are so cute in all of their outfits, I esp loved your DD pretty skirt that she wore to Narcosee's, and your children's dress and shirt that matched for Ohana. So cute.

It sounds like you enjoyed your late night shopping and along time in the lobby, a perfect use of the rental car. I hate relying on disney transportation, it can be frustrating at times. Can't wait to hear how you trip ends. Thanks for taking the time to do the TR.

Thank you so much for posting! Glad to have you along!

That is too bad that your husband doesn't travel with you to WDW anymore...hopefully you are still enjoying some trips with others!

We really did enjoy the BC....it was wonderful! Thanks for your comments on Katie's skirt and our Hawaiian shirts...they really put us all in all in a Hawaiian frame of mind!

You are right about the benefits of a rental car. When Disney transportation works, it is great. But if you like dining at the various resorts like we do, and like to have control over when you are getting somewhere, a car is a must. At $250 for 11 days, it is money very well spent in my opinion!

 

[cdotla]

This is getting repetitive, but I just have to say it, loved the Hawaiian shirts. Your family looked so darned handsome in them.

Sometimes we plan so much & put so much effort in making sure everyone has a magical time that the real event can never live up to our ideals. You still have great memories of your vacation.

Thank you so much! And you are absolutely right...we do have wonderful memories of our trip!

Just to say I am still here, reading along and thoroughly enjoying your TR. I will be sad when it is over.

So sorry your last night was spoiled. It is horrible knowing you have to leave the next day but not getting to spend time together makes it worse.

Fingers crossed that you will manage to get Chris to go again with you and the kids and that you get to re-do your last night again.

Thank you! Not sure if we can re-do that last nite on the Poly or not, but we do have another trip in the works for this fall. We are just finalizing details now.

Trish, I almost hate to say it but.....

I am sorry that your evening did not turn out as planned. There is nothing so disappointing than to plan and imagine the perfect time and then something or someone causes it to be so very different. We have all had times like that. However, I am sure you made a great memory with your children that evening. When they are older they will say, "Hey mom, remember the time we were at Disney and we watched fireworks while sitting on a beach. That was so fun! By the way, where was Dad?" You know the good times always out shines the bad ones.

As for staying at the Poly...I would LOVE it! It is one of my Disney dreams to stay there...the Contemporary, also! I am in total agreement that they should not every remodel or change things too much there...it has a great feel/vibe to it. Classic Disney World!

I am hoping your last morning was extra special and magical...looking forward to reading all about it.
BTW....hope you are staying warm up there in the great white north!

TTFN
Darlene

Hey Darlene....love your comments about our last nite. You are right...that is probably how we will remember it. Too funny!

Well, unfortunately our morning the last day also doesn't go exactly as planned. Will fill you in shortly.

The torch lighting ceremony looks really neat. Do you know what time it happens each evening?

'Ohana looks so yummy!! I definitely want to get in there next time. We love that kind of food.

I'm glad you and the kiddos got to enjoy Spectro. What a bummer on Chris missing Wishes though. My husband is very similar so I have walked down the same road, many times. It's hard when you look around at all the "picture perfect" families, isn't it?

Thanks for comiserating! It is hard when not everyone in the family "gets it", isn't it?

The torch lighting at the Poly is outside the main entrance of the Ceremonial House (check in lobby) from Tuesday-Saturday at 6pm.

As for Ohana, honestly our photos of the food doesn't do it justice, so if you think based on the photos that you will like it, wait til you try it! It is not just the food...more the experience. It is a very fun atmosphere with all the servers bringing skewers of meat all around the tables, and all the live entertainment. (Just watch out for broom handles during the coconut races!)

 

[cdotla]

Hello!! Just spent all day reading your trip report loved every minute! I can definetly relate to having a husband that does not appreciate Disney as much as me. I liked all your choices for hotels those are great hotels even though I have never had the chance to stay in any of them. I would love too! Your daughters dresses are adorable. where did you find the Tiana one and the (I think it was) Minnie dress? I think she wore it to the BBQ? My 8 yr old daughter would love those two dresses!! I am sorry your last night was not that great I would have been upset as well. Hopefully your next trip is better!

Thank you for joining, and welcome!

Both the Tiana dress and the Minnie dress for my daughter were actually purchased off ebay. I know the maker of the Minnie dress is no longer sewing, but if I can track down the name of the designer who made the Tiana outfit, I will send you a PM.

I am actually getting ready to sell a number of Katie's outgown Disney customs from when she was 4, 5 and 6. Sadly, our days of Disney customs have come to an end. Katie still fits the Tiana and Minnie dresses you mention, but I think when she outgrows those ones, that will be it!

That could not have been an easy chapter to write, recalling those sad and painful memories. I'm so sorry your last night was the opposite of what you expected and planned. That is hard to deal with. 'Ohana, pre-accident (poor Declan!!! Owie! And I can understand why the manager acted as he did-so many people are sue-happy these days, but I agree that he should have brought him ice cream, or a light up drink or SOMETHING to make him feel better too!), sounds like it was a fantastic time though, so not all was lost! I certainly do hope your next morning makes up for this rough evening. I have wanted to do the Gospel Brunch for many trips, I'm VERY much looking forward to your review!!

Thanks so much!! Fortunately Declan rebounded pretty quickly so our whole evening wasn't ruined.

As for the Gospel Brunch - I really enjoyed it! Like you, I had been wanting to do it for ages!

Hi! I haven't quite caught up but I'm off to run some errands, so I intend to finish up later today!!! Your trip sounds awesome!! How was traveling with some of your extended family? We are traveling this summer with my aunt/uncle/2cousins...they aren't "amusment" park people...so I'm interested to see how it goes!!
Keep up the great report!!

Well....let's just say that we probably won't be vacationing in WDW with our extended family again. And not because we wouldn't want them to come. They (my MIL and SIL) decided that Disney is just too expensive. (You can read the report to find out why, but basically paying for 4 adults to get into a park, and then only staying 1-2 hours a day is not the best plan if you are trying to maximize the value of your tickets.)

So when is your next trip?? Didn't you mention something about a trip in Oct. with another family?? Is that still in the planning stages?? We just got back a week ago yesterday. We spent 6 nights at OKW. We had a wonderful trip and I love going in Jan. This was our 4th Jan. trip. I am depressed about not having another trip planned so I am starting to PLAN NOW. I can't STAND not having a trip in the planning stages.

Yes! That is precisely the trip that we are now in the final stages of planning. With the whole family again!

So glad to hear you had a wonderful time at OKW in January!

Catching up...

Oh, the Poly! I stayed there last October, really just to check a resort off of my list -- having been to Hawaii before, and absolutely loving the GF, I really wasn't all that interested. Boy, was I ever wrong: It truly is a magical place! (Plus it didn't hurt that I was upgraded to TPV!)

I'm sorry your plans for Wishes didn't quite work out. But aside from that little blip, it sounds like it was really a wonderful day!

Isn't the Poly great? So glad you changed your mind on it.

One of my closest friends (who vacationed with us with her family on our 1st trip to WDW with the kids in 2007) also doesn't get my draw to the Poly. She is a GF girl all the way. Unlike me (who has yet to stay at a WDW resort I didn't like), she will not stay anywhere other than the Grand. On her first trip she stayed at POFQ and HATED it. Which I completely understand. She is a deluxe girl all the way. After that, she stayed at the GF I think about 3-4 times, but then last year she stayed at the Beach Club and didn't like it at all. Not simply that she preferred the GF...she actually did not like the Beach Club. She even tried to transfer over to the GF mid-trip, but they were completely booked. Oh well. She is actually leaving for the GF again in about 2 weeks.

 

[cdotla]

Sorry I haven't gotten an update up this weekend. The whole family has been sick this week. We have all had a turn. Just as one of us starts to get over something, someone else gets sick.

Fortunately today we all seem to have turned a corner. But our day is pretty hectic. We had early hockey practice this morning, followed by a half-marathon run for Chris. (This guy has yet to run a race when he isn't either coming off a bout of sickness, or getting in the door at 2am the night before a race. And yet he still manages a 1:31 half marathon! He ran 1:31 in October and then 1:31 again today!)

Now we are off to the skihill, so I can't promise another update tonite. But I will post again as soon as I can!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Unfortunately, he doesn't like the heat, crowds and lines associated with Disney theme park touring and dislikes the repetition of going back to the same place, year after year for our family vacations, whereas I have yet to tire of taking the kids to Disney. But all in all, I definitely still have it pretty good.

This sounds familiar! Oh yeah, it's my life too! And, yes, even though Don doesn't enjoy Disney the way I do, he's still a great dad and husband.


Sorry you guys have been sick, sounds like you're all feeling better now though. Congrats to Chris for a great time on his 1/2 marathon!

 

[WDW Fan]

We'll be waiting patiently for your next update Congrats to Chris on his half marathon time! Glad you're all feeling better too.

 

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

Okay...so after going through your TR I have to say...you are an AMAZING, UNDERSTANDING wife and mother!!! I honestly don't know how you do it. I mean...I get that your husband doesn't love Disney as much as you...but knowing how much YOU love it, regardless of how he feels....I don't know...I just feel bad for you I mean...can't he crack a smile in some of those pictures?!?Regardless of that I love how you preserver and try your best to have a great experience for your family! Lord knows I couldn't do that without opening my mouth with a few choice words!!

Fantastic trip report and can't wait to read the rest!!

 

[cdotla]

This sounds familiar! Oh yeah, it's my life too! And, yes, even though Don doesn't enjoy Disney the way I do, he's still a great dad and husband.

Sorry you guys have been sick, sounds like you're all feeling better now though. Congrats to Chris for a great time on his 1/2 marathon!

Thanks Michelle!

We'll be waiting patiently for your next update Congrats to Chris on his half marathon time! Glad you're all feeling better too.

Thank you!

Okay...so after going through your TR I have to say...you are an AMAZING, UNDERSTANDING wife and mother!!! I honestly don't know how you do it. I mean...I get that your husband doesn't love Disney as much as you...but knowing how much YOU love it, regardless of how he feels....I don't know...I just feel bad for you I mean...can't he crack a smile in some of those pictures?!?Regardless of that I love how you preserver and try your best to have a great experience for your family! Lord knows I couldn't do that without opening my mouth with a few choice words!!

Fantastic trip report and can't wait to read the rest!!

Thank you for following and posting!

As for Chris' expression in most of our photos...did I happen to mention how much he hates getting his picture taken?

And as for me...I probably did in fact use a few choice words at some points during our trip. And the times when I kept my mouth shut and my spirits high despite disappointments, I admit, I was largely motivated by self-interest more than anything else. I didn't want to create any excuses for someone not wanting to participate in the next trip experience, dinner or outing coming up next. By our last nite, with trip experiences quickly drawing to an end, that is when my anger and disappointment hit full force. With so few experiences remaining, I was no longer able to push the disappointment aside.

 

[Brae's Mom]

Subbing so I can find you later.

 

[cdotla]

Subbing so I can find you later.

 

[cdotla]

Our Last Morning at the Poly

Ironically, the first and last nights of our trip, which are usually some of the best experiences of any trip, ended up being our worst nights. For me, though, our last night had the distinction of being the worst night I had ever spent in Walt Disney World.

By this point reality had set in. I had a night of swinging alone in a hammock to realize that it wasn't just that Chris hadn't stayed on property, experienced the "right" resorts, dined at the "right" restaurants, or that he hadn't yet experienced the nighttime magic of the Parks. I had painstakenly planned this trip to involve some of what I consider the best resorts, dining and experiences Walt Disney World has to offer. But it just wasn't enough. Plain and simple, he just didn't "get" the magic as I do.

While swinging in that hammock, in one of my most favourite of places, I realized that we would never be one of those families, like the one I observed on the beach that night while watching Wishes, which gets to share their mutual love and passion for Disney together as a family.

I came back to the room that last night quite late, and for once, the whole family slept late the next morning. Initially I figured that after an early morning breakfast at Ohana, we might be able to take a boatride or monorail over to the Magic Kingdom in the morning, see the park opening show, and spend some of the morning there before our Gospel Brunch reservation at the House of Blues at 1pm. However, that was not to be.

I woke up emotionally drained from the disappointment of the night before. I had very little spring in my step, and my usual "feet hitting the floor running" enthusiasm when waking up in Walt Disney World was gone.

By the time everyone crawled out of bed, it was already 8:15am. We had actually slept through our breakfast reservation at Ohana's at 7:50am...a first for us. I had also planned to do the bulk of our packing up the night before, but of course that hadn't been done either, so we had the whole room to pack. We spent the next hour or so getting ready and packing up the room. Finally, by about 9:30am, a very late start in the day for this family, we lugged ourselves and our starving tummies over to the Great Ceremonial House for breakfast.

The initial plan was to still head to Ohana for breakfast. We hadn't eaten here for breakfast before and we were anxious to try it. However, after we checked in (obviously over an hour late for our reservation), we were advised that we would have over a half-hour wait for a table. That wasn't surprising given the enormous crowd waiting to be seated. Instead, we opted to head down the hall to Kona. My tried and true, beloved Kona, where we were seated within 5 minutes.

So while we wouldn't get to meet Lilo and Stitch, at least I was assured an awesome meal at my favourite place to eat breakfast in all of Walt Disney World.

As we were checking in at the podium for our table, the hostess exclaimed: "Happy Mothers' Day!" It was then that the rest of my family realized what day it was. I admit...from the time I had woken up that morning and realized that no one seemed to remember Mothers' Day but me, this had only added to the already dreary morning.

Of course the minute both kids heard the hostess say those words, they were over with hugs and well-wishes in an instant. Which, of course, immediately made me feel better.

It was only shortly after 9:30am, and we still had a long day ahead of us as our flight didn't leave until after dinner that evening. As I sat down at our table at Kona, and reflected over my first cup of coffee, I realized that I could have a miserable last day in Disney, or I could push all of the hurt and disappointment aside and try to enjoy the last few moments that we had in Walt Disney World. I chose to enjoy my last day.

Once again, the Big Kahuna never fails to disappoint. It is really hard to feel too bad about anything in life after chowing down on this.

Declan had a poached egg, fruit and toast, and Katie had Mickey pancakes.

(Katie made the eyes, nose and mouth with the bacon, not the chef!)

With our tummies feeling better after our late breakfast, we headed back to the room. The kids were wanting to take one last dip in the pool before check-out, and I had to agree that it sounded like a pretty good idea. So we all put on our bathing suits and headed to the pool. Chris and I spent most of our time sunning as neither of us wanted to get wet before leaving. However, I did have to place myself strategically around the opening of the slide so that I could grab Declan as he came out as he didn't want to go under water when he hit the pool. I came close to falling in twice while retrieving him, but somehow managed to stay upright and not get too wet in the process.

Once again, just like at the Contemporary, Chris was on me as it got closer to 11am, insisting that we had to check-out. That boy is a complete stickler for the rules, whereas I have been known to push and bend things from time to time. In the end, I somehow managed to keep him at the pool until 11:30am before he headed back to the room to pack up our things. The kids and I followed about 10 minutes later and we were out of the room less than an hour after check-out time and on our way to Downtown Disney, RideMakerz, and then to our House of Blues Gospel Brunch.


UP NEXT: Downtown Disney and House of Blues Gospel Brunch