Our last ever final trip. A pre-trip report - ADR Update!
 

Hello...thank for at least clicking into my pre-trip report.
I know you may not go much further after a few lines, but glad you got here anyway!

We are a family of 4, and we live near Glasgow.
I'm Catherine, 40ish... if truth be told, my 50th isn't too far way. But I'm glad to say, I'll still be in my 40's on our trip (but only just) I work in clinical research in Mental Health. I am chief planner, holiday financial analyst, £2 coin saver (only I am allowed to put the £2 coins in to the Florida Fund pot!) ADR booker, Fastpass+ allocator. My sons realised a long time ago I’m a nutter when it comes to Disney and Florida….I take 8 mile 'shortcuts' just to go to Glasgow Airport just to look at Hot Lips, or Jersey Girl or whatever Virgin plane is flying that day... It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. I’m a planner….I even plan when I’m going to do some planning. And also, I love to remember the old days….. I love watching what is known in our house as ‘The Florida Tapes’……..every now and again I’ll suggest we all gather round the television and watch ourselves in our younger years sweat our way around the theme parks, and laugh at how tiny the boys were with their squeaky voices.

DH is Tony...he really is 50 :tongue: and an absolute saint. He does things with the refrigeration in supermarkets. God knows how he puts up with me... but has has! He just goes along with all my crazy ideas.




DS1 is Anthony, will be celebrating his 22nd birthday when we go. He is at University and is Mac and cheese obsessed. He is the fussiest eater I know. We ate in Teppan Edo one year, and all he had was a coke! :blush:.
When he was really small, probably around the age of 3 he was completely besotted by Power Rangers. Needless to say we made a lot of purchases from KB toys (now long gone sadly) and Target of Power Rangers ‘stuff’ over the years.





DS2, Christopher. He'll have just turned 21 when we go. He is also at University studying tourism... eats and drinks anything (literally). Bit of a nerd when it comes to Disney... can recite menus verbatim, and knows lots of facts and figures about the parks.







Both boys have done a fair bit of solo travelling, having both been to Japan and other parts of the USA the past couple of years. They visited Tokyo Disneyland this year. As a family we have also been to Disneyland Paris and Disneyland California. Next year we celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary... so that's the reason for our trip!


A little bit of history...
Our first trip to WDW/ Orlando/ Florida was in 1996... 25 years ago. When Disney only had 3 parks and Universal had 1. John Major was Prime Minister, Gina G won the Eurovision Song contest, Take That announced they were splitting up and Silent Witness and Ballykissangel was on TV.
And Cinderella's castle looked like this...




We weren't that long married, no babies yet and decided we would go and just see what it was like. We went for a week, and stayed at All Star Music... and the rest is history as they say...

We returned in July 2000, 2 small children in tow... age 22 months and 1 year (do the maths... yes, I'm a fast worker!) It was actually his first birthday the day we flew out - from Prestwick, with Airtours on a Direct Holidays package. Yes we were novices... complete novices. Stayed at Econolodge Hawaiian on the 192. It's long gone now... demolished. Probably the best thing for it, as it was awful. I can assure you there was nothing remotely Hawaiian about it... :) I remember the trip being extremely hard work - 2 kids in buggies, both in nappies, one not walking, and it was hot. But it didn't put us off, and it was at this point, we became hooked... addicted, habituated, obsessed, dependent, captivated... :spin:

Another trip followed in February 2002 with some additional family members. We stayed in a villa somewhere, but can't sadly remember where. All I know is it was far far way from everything... lesson learned!
The kids were slightly older (2 and half and 3 and half) so easier to manage... we hired a double stroller for them when in the parks.

June 2003 would be our next trip, lovely villa in Cumbrian Lakes. We were getting better at this now, and even did our first character meals this trip. I had been studying hard...The DISBoards and the Dibb had became my friends. With the kids getting older it was also much easier...although I think the boys still found it pretty tough. :pgig:



2005, 2007, 2008, 2010 trips followed... all in various villas - Formosa Gardens, Emerald Island, Orange Tree and Tuscan Hills. We also stayed at the Nickelodeon Hotel in 2005 for a few days. my eyes have never recovered from the Day-Glo orange and green everywhere... but the pool area there was immense!
2007 also saw us visit Royal Pacific Resort at Universal for the first time... and since then, it, or it's neighbour Hard Rock Hotel has became a constant on most of our trips. We ventured into Free Disney Dining at SSR territory in 2012, and to be honest have found it difficult to turn back from it. We love free dining... and don't have any trouble spending credits. Always have a zero balance at the end of the trip.

I've been saying since 2014 that every trip we have had will be our last... Our trip last year - family trip in a 2 bed at OKW, and 5 days club level at Royal Pacific Resort, was almost definitely going to be our last as we had bought a motorhome... and here we are. Another trip planned!

DH and I were looking to go for just a week, as part of our 25th wedding anniversary celebrations. Just a week, onsite, no car and free dining. A week is easily done when it's your 13th trip I think. But then my two sons got wind of this... and asked if they could come too as they'd be 21, and we were planning on going during food and wine... so we agreed they could come, and here we are, our 13th trip of a lifetime and our 4th LAST EVER TRIP! But this time is definitely our last... ;)

We are only going for 1 week, staying at the Beach Club and doing deluxe dining (at my sons' request). Patiently waiting for flights now to book, but will hopefully be VA direct from Glasgow. PE if the price is right!
I'm quite happy to go for just a week. We won't be hiring a car ( this will be a first for us) so won't be venturing off Disney property, except maybe an UBER ride to make our pilgrimage to Super Target. My boys have loved this store since they were old enough to walk and talk.

So that's us at the moment.
Happy to say I have had an email, and can now link my reservation. It's real...

Argh that castle photo ,
I'd done Disney before on a work trip and my honeymoon but that was the year I took my son for the first time. I was horrified LOL
It's the one year I took no castle photos whatsoever !

It was awful lol... I often wonder what actually possessed them to do it! :d:

The Castle as a pink blamange brings back memories as it was like that when we took my DS (now 24) on his first trip :grin:

It's great that both your sons are going on your "last ever final trip" and sounds like you'll have a great time.

Following a long. Have much less Disney experience than you but had never seen a picture of the castle looking like that before :pgig:! Loving the sound of your trip.
My fingers are itching to start our next pre-trip report but trying to hold out as long as possible as I don't have much to say :blush:

After reading some of the reports I am the same! Very exciting :d:

Hi Cath! :grin::grin::grin:

I loved seeing the photos of your boys when they were little, what a special trip this will be for you all. Somehow I sort of think it won't be your last ever trip ;)

I remember going when the castle looked like that - I too have photos in my archives somewhere! I also remember staying at the Econolodge Hawaiian Maingate :grin: I agree nothing Hawaiian about it! I feel I may be of a similar age having just had my last ‘40’s birthday;). I also had my 13th trip there in August... :spin: Sounds like you have a great trip to look forward to. Mmmmm wonder if it will be your last :d:

Just subscribed to your pre trippie. I've started planning our next trip for September 2020, and it's definitely our last one! Although as Dd reminds us the last 3 or 4 have been 'the last time' and yes she still comes with us, along with her partner. Dh wouldn't have it any other way, she's certainly a Daddy's girl.