“Wow, Disney is Far Far Away” A Single Mom’s Road Trip to Disney: June 2013 TR

[freckles04]

Ready to hear more! Hope things are going okay with the school issues, OP.

 

[luvmy2babies]

Where did you get the clip-on stroller fan? I could get one for our umbrella stroller. Then again, DD may never get out of the stroller!

Hello, sorry for the delay. The fan came from Wal-Mart, but they are also available on amazon.com. I think I got mine a wee bit cheaper though.

 

[luvmy2babies]

He is such a flirt!

I love the look on your daughter's face. Pretty sure she wishes the ground would open up and swallow her!

Ds got a pretty good tongue lashing for how he acted. Not like he cared at all. Perhaps she'll be prepared for that day 5 or 6 years from now when she's in her mid-teens and he's around 10 and lives to embarrass her.

 

[luvmy2babies]

Final Day: How far is too far? Will flexible mommy snap?

Well, I have been away from this report for a while now. There really isn't much left and I hope people won't be disappointed with the conclusion. School is starting tomorrow and I have been so strapped for time, I might have to spare you all the pictures of our trip home.

I mentioned in a previous post that my flexibility would be tested like it hadnt been the entire trip. Well, after a great time in the pool, a nice lunch and some rest, I finally got ds down for a nap. It was late, but I figured no biggie because it would make it easier for him to stay up for the Magic Kingdom night parade and fireworks. Dd also took a late nap, so I figured we were in good shape.

Ds woke up around 5:30, so I figured wed head over to the food court and eat there before heading to MK. When it was time to get up and dressed, dd didnt want to move. She asked if I would get the food from the food court and she promised shed get dressed while I was gone. Going by how it had been in the food court during the week, I figured that gave her an extra 20 minutes, so I agreed to it. When I got back with the food though she still had not moved.

I asked, Are you feeling okay?
She said, Yeah, but I really dont want to go back to the parks.

Was she kidding? Really?

She said, Really mom, I just want to stay in tonight and watch TV. Go without me.

I told her she knew I could not do that. Leaving her to go to the food court or to the laundry room was one thing, but there was no way I was leaving here there alone at night and for 3 or 4 hours. I suggested the Kids Club at either the Poly or the Wilderness Lodge. Her eyes widened.

I couldnt believe it. Now what was flexible mommy going to do? Now faced with missing my very favorite things in all of Disney World, what was I going to do?

I reminded her that this was our last day and she said she knew it. I thought I was going to cry. Who knows, maybe I did. But I remembered reading on here that it was never a good idea to save anyones favorite thing until the end of the trip and that decision (though it was based on good logic) was coming back to bite me. I figured doing those things the final night would allow us to sleep in the next day knowing all there was to do was pack up and be out of the room by 11am. Every other day we had hit the parks early.

But my decision it had been, so I decided it would be me who was going to live with it. I didnt want to chance dd whining all evening and me ending up regretting pulling her from the room. Then Id want to lay into her for whining when I could have prevented it. Sometimes with her challenges she doesnt just get over stuff and I have learned the hard way about picking battles. So, I pulled out the suitcases and started packing up.

Since the trip, dd has apologized and let me know I should have just (these are her words) made her butt get up and go anyway. I told her that as important as seeing the parade and fireworks was to me, that it wasnt like making her go to school or church or to the store to buy food. We had actually missed one her favorites on our previous trip because we had to leave AK in time to prepare for an ADR we had that evening. She had taken it well and said, Well see it next time, and although it was a little different since we were going to do something else fun (Chef Mickey's), I figured as an adult, I should be able to do the same. But it is nice to know she thought better of it later.

Ill never do that again. So I apologize in advance for taking weeks to come back and say we never went back to the parks. Although in the last 2 weeks, I have come here and written the post several times and had it disappear on me. We checked out the next day and had a peaceful ride home. I want to post about that with pictures of the room we had on the way back and all, but may not get to it this month. I feel good about getting this far as I never have with a TR before.

Thank you all for reading along. Thank you all for the kind words about my children and our family. Right now, Im trying to decide when we are going back. Dd actually has the entire week of Thanksgiving off this year and that was what actually inspired our first trip to Disney, but we didnt get the school calendar until August 14th and Im not sure I can pull it off so close. I did it before, but ds was 10 months old and it cost me nothing to bring him. Dd was 7 so cheaper too. Now they are 10 and 3 and between that and the increases since 2010, I'm not sure I can or even should do it. It would be so wonderful to see the Christmas decorations though and be there when it isnt hot and were less likely to see a hurricane or tropical storm. Weve also already experienced the crowds during that week. Im also considering spring break because our break is the week after Easter instead of the week before. I was also looking at a trip on DCL that week because one of the older ships is also sailing from Port Canaveral that month and would be more affordable than the Dream. So I have a lot to decide. Right now though it is all about getting settled in for the new school year.

All the best to everyone.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Glad to see you back!. I think you definitely made the right decision that night. Good luck with school and planning your next trip!

 

[kaylasmom07]

I just found your trip report and read the whole thing. Thank you very much for sharing your trip. I enjoyed reading about you and your family. Your DS reminds me a lot of my DS, he's also 3 and if I let him he'd be on my kindle all day every day!

Thanks again. Really enjoyed it.

 

[crepemyrtle]

I really loved your trip report. Thank you so much for "taking" us along. All the best to you and your sweet children.

 

[courtneybelle]

Thank you for the fabulous TR, and best of luck with the new school year! I'm actually in Disney now, and I really hope you guys get back here soon, although a cruise would be so fun!!!

 

[Chief Powhatan]

I really enjoyed your trip report - I am glad you and your kids had such a good time. Thanks again for sharing and I hope you make it back to the World with your children again soon.

 

[JulieODC]

I loved your trip report - thanks for taking the time to tell us about it! I think in the end, you made a good decision....and it's a good reminder to be flexible and go with the flow when little ones are involved.

 

[overthemoon4mickey]

Just found your TR. can't wait to read it all. We are planning on driving from Texas next June and I'm interested to see how it went for you. I do most of the driving or else suffer from motion sickness so I am really looking forward to see how you handled the driving.

You have such a beautiful family. Can't wait to read more.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Well, you said at the beginning that you hoped to finish, and by God you did. Congratulations!!

That's too bad that you ended up missing out on the parade and fireworks, but it was probably the best choice. You know your kids better than anyone. That was sweet that DD apologized later though.

Thank you so very much for sharing your story. It was so enjoyable.

I fear I'm going to have kindle withdrawal now though.

All the best in the upcoming school year!

 

[luvmy2babies]

Our trip home and final thoughts.

Thank you everyone for your kind words. Here are a few pictures from departure day and our trip home.

I didn’t have anyone help me load up the van, but I did check out a cart. You have to sign for it and if they don’t get it back, they charge your card $300. If nothing else it keeps them from being left all over the place like at other places. It was really helpful considering the distance between the room and the van.



After I got everything loaded we went and had breakfast, but first I dropped off a shirt at the laundry room that had gotten mixed in with our stuff. I thought this was a cute shot of dd and ds waiting when I came out.



Here’s ds at breakfast.



After breakfast we climbed into the van for the first day of our drive home. I stopped at a nearby gas station to fill up. Not bad faces considering we are leaving Disney World.



Unlike the trip down, ds actually took a nap. I had dd take this shot.



Didn’t seem like a long time before we made it into Georgia. I got a better price for the Red Roof Inn for the day of our return than the Baymont plus the pool looked better so I reserved it instead.



We brought more in this time because I thought they might want some pool time since it was only around 3 in the afternoon.



Here’s a few shots of the room. Ds really enjoyed the hardwood floors.



We had a nice flatscreen TV and underneath you can see the fridge and microwave within the set of drawers.



Dd takes her usual spot upon arrival and stretched out on the big bed.



Ds really enjoyed that floor. I would love to save up to get this in our house.



Here’s the bathroom.







It had ample closet space, plus some amenities.



It doesn’t look like I took a picture of it, but this room did have a very nice workspace by the window although you can kind of see it in one of the shots I took of ds enjoying the hardwood floor.

In the end we just ended up hanging out in the room resting that afternoon and evening. We ordered pizza from a local Dominos and I went downstairs to the breakfast area to get us some plates and napkins. By the time dd decided she might want to go to the pool it was almost 8pm and thinking about drying her hair at 9 at night, I vetoed that idea right away.

The next day we took advantage of the hotel’s included breakfast, which was better than at the Baymont. Overall, I would give the Red Roof Inn the nod because of the breakfast (they had that make your own waffle station and the Baymont didn’t). Plus there was the issue with the cell signal at the Baymont. But for $55 (on Priceline), I have no significant complaints about either one really.

Everyone was ready to get home, so went right up to collect our things after breakfast. Here’s dd at the elevator. Ds for some reason decided to run down the hall a ways.



And with that we said our good-byes to the Red Roof Inn.



We made good time on the way home. We stopped for a restroom break and stretch, then we stopped at a Wendy’s in Dillon, South Carolina for lunch. I think we made it to our house by 3:00.

In the end, dd said, “Mom, I still prefer to fly, but I am very proud of you for driving us all the way there and back home.”

That about sums it up. My mom even said later she would have been willing to help pay for plane tickets, but no. To each his own, but I made the decision for us to go to Disney. It might have been different if it was some big group going or a big event or something like that. But I could have just as easily decided on a different vacation. I told her I appreciated it, but if I was going to get financial help from her, it would be for something more important. Driving and flying each has its advantages. I’d choose flying too, but I’m glad I did the drive.

2013's Disney World adventure was the best yet for a variety of reasons. Not sure yet of our future Disney plans, but we've definitely decided we want there to be some.

Thanks again everyone for going along while I relived this trip.

 

[jash08]

Yay!!!!!! You finished your report!

You did a wonderful job and it looks like you and the kiddos had a great time.

Glad you enjoyed the drive. Flying. of course, is always the best choice, but sometimes it just isn't in the cards. We drove earlier this year because airfare for the 2 of us was around $1300. We just booked our airfare for next year last night for $600. Go figure

Anyway, I hope to be along for your future adventures and hope you join in for mine.

Have an awesome school year!

 

[3timesmom]

Nice trip report!! Thanks for sharing!

 

[colachdec]

I loved everything about your TR! Than.k you for including all the details and photos! Your children are beautiful!!
I have 3 ds's with ADHD, so I am aware of the challenges of their personalities. We are driving with them from IL next year so your tips are excellent for us!
Havde a wonderful school year!!

 

[luvmy2babies]

Glad to see you back!. I think you definitely made the right decision that night. Good luck with school and planning your next trip!

Thanks, school is in and homework has started, but I think I am getting close to a decision about our next trip.

 

[luvmy2babies]

I just found your trip report and read the whole thing. Thank you very much for sharing your trip. I enjoyed reading about you and your family. Your DS reminds me a lot of my DS, he's also 3 and if I let him he'd be on my kindle all day every day!

Thanks again. Really enjoyed it.

I'm glad you enjoyed the report.

My son and that Kindle. He really thinks it is his at this point. Every evening it's "Mom, may I have my tablet please?"

 

[luvmy2babies]

I really loved your trip report. Thank you so much for "taking" us along. All the best to you and your sweet children.

Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the report. It was a lot of fun reliving the trip.

 

[luvmy2babies]

Yay!!!!!! You finished your report!

You did a wonderful job and it looks like you and the kiddos had a great time.

Glad you enjoyed the drive. Flying. of course, is always the best choice, but sometimes it just isn't in the cards. We drove earlier this year because airfare for the 2 of us was around $1300. We just booked our airfare for next year last night for $600. Go figure

Anyway, I hope to be along for your future adventures and hope you join in for mine.

Have an awesome school year!

I am hoping to fly for our next trip. The biggest thing here was that I only decided late February or early March that we would go. Up until then my mind was on a week on a beach in Virginia. Since we've already decided we want to go back again I will have a lot more time to plan and more importantly a lot more time to spread the payments out. I'll probably get us booked next month and be stalking the Southwest site in October when they open up the May/early June flights. Depending on what kind of trip we plan, I may have to get each leg separate, but that is easy to do on Southwest.

Dd is in her last year of Elementary School, and they'll have a graduation in the morning on the last day of school. I'm thinking about our trip possibly starting that afternoon or the next morning. We'll see.