Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Day 701: 30 Days

Here we are again, at the one month mark before my next trip to Walt Disney World. It's been a really odd schedule for my family in recent years, with odd summer trips thrown in, and then that trip in March and the band trip in June. Normally we head down in November-January, but that hasn't happened for me since 2012. I guess that means I'm excited to head back in a month that I'm totally used to, even if it will be strange going so early in January. We're starting off 2015 with a bang I guess.

The funny thing is planning for this trip has been a big odd. We knew we were going in January before we even left in June, and then when we got back from the band trip, first Ashley joined on, followed by Megan, and now all six of us are headed down. It'll be a new experience for every single one of us, and I couldn't be more excited, hence the fact that I haven't stopped talking about it on the blog for months.

But it also means that waiting for this trip to get here has been a long wait. Countdowns started the second we got back in June, and with each passing day I can't decide if I get more homesick or excited. Granted, according to the order of Disney depression, right about now is when my homesickness gets pretty bad, at the six month point (we would have returned from Disney just under six months ago when I'm writing this). And editing excessive amounts of band trip video hasn't helped that homesickness either.

However, there are a few things that I'm really excited about on this trip, especially when it comes to sharing with my friends:

1. The Osborne Festival of Dancing Lights

I'm not sure why this is even here. I guess the last time we saw the lights they made a good enough impression for me to eagerly await a return trip to see them. As I blogged about over a year ago, I never really liked Hollywood Studios (even back when it was still MGM). Maybe it's because it's one of the Christmasy things we get a chance to do, even though it's the very, very end of the Christmas season (We're actually seeing them on the last day before they take them back down), or maybe it's just because it's something they had no chance at all to see in June, but it's still something I've talked endlessly about over the past few years. Who knows.

2. Dapper Day

Dapper Day usually occurs right when we're not in Florida, meaning that we don't really get a chance to participate. Oddly enough, however, it was my brother who brought the idea up to me a number of weeks ago, that we make our own Dapper Day during the trip. With a bit of careful fastpass arranging, I made it possible for us to dress a bit more dapper on a day in the middle of the trip. Have I spent a huge amount of time trying to figure out what it is that I'm going to wear on Dapper Day? Yeah, maybe I have, but it'll be worth it.

3. Food

We hit a few restaurants in June, but there are a ton that they've yet to experience, and I'm pretty excited about sharing some of them. For instance, there's still some first experiences Ashley and Megan have to have, such as their first character meal (we actually have two planned!), their first time at Garden Grill with the moving restaurant, and, of course, their first chance to experience a restaurant outside of the parks. Which leads us to the next thing...

4. Resorts

Disney World is home to so many different and completely unique resorts, of which I talk endlessly about. They've come to accept my lingo (OKW-Old Key West) as part of my language, and they make notes to remember what it is that I'm talking about when I use GF in a sentence about Disney (Grand Floridian). Luckily we have time planned in specifically to go and see some of the resorts, plus we get to stay at one that not even I've stayed at: Saratoga Springs!

5. First Plane Rides

Honestly, I hate planes. I had a bad experience a number of years ago (no, not a crash or anything like that. I was sick, it didn't end well), and so I get extremely anxious whenever I fly. I suppose I'll get used to it eventually, considering I'll probably fly more often in my future than I have so far in my life. However, I do, for some reason, like airports, and anxiety aside, I'm excited that I get to take two of my best friends on their very first plane ride, and in the case of Megan, I'm excited to show her MCO, which is yet another term she's come to understand. It was one of those Proud Moments of Lizzie's Life. And Ashley? Don't worry. You'll make it through the plane ride in one piece and we'll have a wonderful time at Disney!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 19 due to finals).

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