Clarf
Haunted Mansion or Bust.
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2012
Hellooooooooooooo! Welcome to a Clarf trip report! I'm starting it later than I had hoped, but after our trip I came back to 38 voicemails and 32 emails at work and haven't caught up yet. That was 2 1/2 weeks ago. And then school started. And gymnastics. And Brownies. And I just couldn't find a spare minute. But finally, here I sit! No more excuses!
This is about our trip to The World in August of 2015. We left our humble abode August 19th and were at Disney from August 20th-25th. Not long enough, but at least we got to go! We then spent 3 days with my in-laws at their house near Crystal River. We arrived back in Milwaukee on August 30th, just in time for school to start! I hope you re-live our adventure with me!
Who are we, you ask? Well, this is me with one of my idols:
Clare aka Clarf. Recently 40. Trip planner. Assistant Patron Services Manager at a professional theater company. PTO volunteer. Personal chauffer. Mom. Wife. Animal lover. Also exhausted.
I didn't visit WDW for the first time until I was 26. My parents never took us as kids. We went to DL when I was 7 and I loved it. The first time I walked down Main Street USA at WDW, I was hooked. My then-boyfriend-now-husband (who you'll meet next) took me there. He's the best. My favorite ride is Haunted Mansion.
This is my husband, Jason. I can't stop laughing at this picture.
He's 36. Quality Assurance Specialist for a software company. Loves computers, smart phones, magic bands, and anything else electronic that he can get his hands on. Sometimes I believe he wishes he could be married to his phone. His grandparents lived in Florida, so he visited them often as a kid and had many trips to WDW. He took me there for the first time so we could swing dance at Atlantic Dance at Disney's Boardwalk.
Here we are, young, thin, and I was super blond. We were 26 and 21. Sigh.
Clearly this was taken before digital cameras. The quality isn't good, but at least we have it documented! We went to the parks by day and went to Atlantic Dance by night. We weren't smart enough to know to stay on property, but we learned.
Jason's favorite ride is Space Mountain. He also loves food!
Next is Lucy.
She's 8. She'll be 9 this Saturday (9/19). Rule follower. Do Gooder. Kind to everyone. Gymnast. Actress. Master of naming all 50 states. Thrill ride junkie. She rode Goliath at the Six Flags near our house over the weekend. It has an 85 degree drop. It didn't even phase her.
She's a born Disney nut. Her first trip was when she was 18 months old. She loved it. This was her 5th visit and she's already making plans for when we go back. In 2 years. I promised I'd take my kids to Disney World since my parents never took me.
Her favorite ride is Space Mountain.
Last is Maura.
She's 6. Going on 16. She follows no rules but her own. Talks constantly. CONSTANTLY! Only quiet when she's asleep. Makes up songs. Loves gymnastics, dancing, and doing whatever we tell her not to. Picking up the dog and cat even when they clearly don't want to be. The complete opposite of her sister, but they really compliment each other. Her laugh is amazing. She's hilarious.
Also a born Disney nut. This was her 3rd trip, her first being just after she turned 3. She loves Stitch and Minnie. Her favorite ride is Dumbo.
So, this is us. We were joined by our good friends from Milwaukee for the first 2 days of the trip. You'll meet them later, but their names are Bill, Karyn, and Indiana, aka Indy. This trip wouldn't have happened without them. Karyn had a convention in Orlando the week before our trip. She knew about it over a year in advance, before our trip last year even. She said she and Bill wanted to take Indy to Disney for a few days, and who better to go with than the K-G family? So, we booked the bounce back offer for free dining while we were there in 2014 and it all worked out!
I hope you stick around for our story!
This is about our trip to The World in August of 2015. We left our humble abode August 19th and were at Disney from August 20th-25th. Not long enough, but at least we got to go! We then spent 3 days with my in-laws at their house near Crystal River. We arrived back in Milwaukee on August 30th, just in time for school to start! I hope you re-live our adventure with me!
Who are we, you ask? Well, this is me with one of my idols:
Clare aka Clarf. Recently 40. Trip planner. Assistant Patron Services Manager at a professional theater company. PTO volunteer. Personal chauffer. Mom. Wife. Animal lover. Also exhausted.
I didn't visit WDW for the first time until I was 26. My parents never took us as kids. We went to DL when I was 7 and I loved it. The first time I walked down Main Street USA at WDW, I was hooked. My then-boyfriend-now-husband (who you'll meet next) took me there. He's the best. My favorite ride is Haunted Mansion.
This is my husband, Jason. I can't stop laughing at this picture.
He's 36. Quality Assurance Specialist for a software company. Loves computers, smart phones, magic bands, and anything else electronic that he can get his hands on. Sometimes I believe he wishes he could be married to his phone. His grandparents lived in Florida, so he visited them often as a kid and had many trips to WDW. He took me there for the first time so we could swing dance at Atlantic Dance at Disney's Boardwalk.
Here we are, young, thin, and I was super blond. We were 26 and 21. Sigh.
Clearly this was taken before digital cameras. The quality isn't good, but at least we have it documented! We went to the parks by day and went to Atlantic Dance by night. We weren't smart enough to know to stay on property, but we learned.
Jason's favorite ride is Space Mountain. He also loves food!
Next is Lucy.
She's 8. She'll be 9 this Saturday (9/19). Rule follower. Do Gooder. Kind to everyone. Gymnast. Actress. Master of naming all 50 states. Thrill ride junkie. She rode Goliath at the Six Flags near our house over the weekend. It has an 85 degree drop. It didn't even phase her.
She's a born Disney nut. Her first trip was when she was 18 months old. She loved it. This was her 5th visit and she's already making plans for when we go back. In 2 years. I promised I'd take my kids to Disney World since my parents never took me.
Her favorite ride is Space Mountain.
Last is Maura.
She's 6. Going on 16. She follows no rules but her own. Talks constantly. CONSTANTLY! Only quiet when she's asleep. Makes up songs. Loves gymnastics, dancing, and doing whatever we tell her not to. Picking up the dog and cat even when they clearly don't want to be. The complete opposite of her sister, but they really compliment each other. Her laugh is amazing. She's hilarious.
Also a born Disney nut. This was her 3rd trip, her first being just after she turned 3. She loves Stitch and Minnie. Her favorite ride is Dumbo.
So, this is us. We were joined by our good friends from Milwaukee for the first 2 days of the trip. You'll meet them later, but their names are Bill, Karyn, and Indiana, aka Indy. This trip wouldn't have happened without them. Karyn had a convention in Orlando the week before our trip. She knew about it over a year in advance, before our trip last year even. She said she and Bill wanted to take Indy to Disney for a few days, and who better to go with than the K-G family? So, we booked the bounce back offer for free dining while we were there in 2014 and it all worked out!
I hope you stick around for our story!