tri-ingTheBigSky
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2021
Hello, all! I've lurked these boards since the Dream construction over 10 years ago, and always wanted to try my hand at one of these amazing trip reports! You guys and gals really know how to get us GP excited for our vacations, and I'm just as excited to share our adventures with you now. Once my account is able, I'll add photos to make this more interesting.
A (not so) quick introduction:
Kerry, myself. I grew up near King's Island in northern Cincinnati. Of course, back then it was soy fields and an amusement park. But, I went to WDW twice as a kid. Once when I was barely old enough to have fuzzy memories of Dumbo and a roaming Mickey M&G. I also have a few pictures of me driving a Tomorrowland Speedway car. The other time we went was for one day shortly after the opening of MGM, now HS. All I really remember from that day was the Backlot tour, Roger Rabbit, and just eeking out a director's snap board photo frame for my souvenir.
Stephanie, my wonderful wife of nearly 20 years. Her paternal grandparents lived in FL for most of their retirement before returning to Southern IN's Louisville suburbs at the end of life. Notwithstanding, she didn't go to WDW, or UOR, as a kid, either. FL vacations for both of us consisted of a couple beach days, roadside attractions, and fighting with siblings in the back seat up and down I-75.
Montgomery, our 13 (?!) year old sweetheart. An empath in every sense of the word, Monty has taught his trauma/surgery profession hardened parents a thing or two about what it means to truly feel other's sorrow and joy. He's a Hufflepuff through and through, and I'm pretty sure J.K. Rowling met his soul when she was inspired to create his house. Outside of being a walking Lucasfilm encyclopedia, Monty is involved in an online architecture club, D&D/MTG, and his local BSA troop.
Keegan is our 11 year old spitfire. His name means "fiery" in Gaelic, and he was aptly named before we knew him
. He does anything he does 100%, and that's a trait we hope to see him continue throughout life. Keegan is our athletic one, and was getting pretty good at gymnastics before being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos a few years back. He's still involved with swimming, and is looking forward to middle school cross-country next year.
Stephanie and I grew up in coaster country, and are definitely more thrill seeking than our boys! So, how did a couple coaster chasers end up in love with Disney, and just more recently the Universal parks? Kids. It's always their fault
. For the first 6 years of our marriage, we could hardly afford occasional weekend road trips, let alone "big" vacations. But, way back in 2007, we took a 4-night Carnival cruise on the cheap (oh, the stories!). Then, we road tripped the US from Ohio out to New Mexico, then back to West Virginia while she worked as a travel nurse and I finished a small string of externships - and a wanderlust was lit. It would be another 4 years, and 2 kids later, before we could really vacation again. What to do? Monty by then was reintroducing the two of us to Disney via Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Special Agent Oso. We had always priced anniversary trips to WDW, but didn't fully see the appeal as a childless couple (we all make mistakes, right?). By then, we had settled in Atlanta and Orlando was a reasonable drive away. Then, we remembered that gorgeous DCL ship across Port Canaveral from the Carnival Fantasy. We talked that whole first cruise about how we'd one day be able to afford to be on that beauty. I don't remember if it was the Magic or Wonder that caught our eye that day, but we discovered that the Dream was under construction. We booked right away! It was then we discovered what customer service in the travel industry could truly be, and we haven't looked back.
We're in the intermountain west now, so getting to Orlando is a whole-day affair, but we still get there when we can. Including our first Christmas trip during a pandemic. Oh the stories we'll tell years from now!
And, we still sprinkle in as much natural beauty as we can out here (sorry this one's upside down).
Up next: How did you "discover" Universal, though?
A (not so) quick introduction:
Kerry, myself. I grew up near King's Island in northern Cincinnati. Of course, back then it was soy fields and an amusement park. But, I went to WDW twice as a kid. Once when I was barely old enough to have fuzzy memories of Dumbo and a roaming Mickey M&G. I also have a few pictures of me driving a Tomorrowland Speedway car. The other time we went was for one day shortly after the opening of MGM, now HS. All I really remember from that day was the Backlot tour, Roger Rabbit, and just eeking out a director's snap board photo frame for my souvenir.
Stephanie, my wonderful wife of nearly 20 years. Her paternal grandparents lived in FL for most of their retirement before returning to Southern IN's Louisville suburbs at the end of life. Notwithstanding, she didn't go to WDW, or UOR, as a kid, either. FL vacations for both of us consisted of a couple beach days, roadside attractions, and fighting with siblings in the back seat up and down I-75.
Montgomery, our 13 (?!) year old sweetheart. An empath in every sense of the word, Monty has taught his trauma/surgery profession hardened parents a thing or two about what it means to truly feel other's sorrow and joy. He's a Hufflepuff through and through, and I'm pretty sure J.K. Rowling met his soul when she was inspired to create his house. Outside of being a walking Lucasfilm encyclopedia, Monty is involved in an online architecture club, D&D/MTG, and his local BSA troop.
Keegan is our 11 year old spitfire. His name means "fiery" in Gaelic, and he was aptly named before we knew him
. He does anything he does 100%, and that's a trait we hope to see him continue throughout life. Keegan is our athletic one, and was getting pretty good at gymnastics before being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos a few years back. He's still involved with swimming, and is looking forward to middle school cross-country next year.Stephanie and I grew up in coaster country, and are definitely more thrill seeking than our boys! So, how did a couple coaster chasers end up in love with Disney, and just more recently the Universal parks? Kids. It's always their fault
. For the first 6 years of our marriage, we could hardly afford occasional weekend road trips, let alone "big" vacations. But, way back in 2007, we took a 4-night Carnival cruise on the cheap (oh, the stories!). Then, we road tripped the US from Ohio out to New Mexico, then back to West Virginia while she worked as a travel nurse and I finished a small string of externships - and a wanderlust was lit. It would be another 4 years, and 2 kids later, before we could really vacation again. What to do? Monty by then was reintroducing the two of us to Disney via Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Special Agent Oso. We had always priced anniversary trips to WDW, but didn't fully see the appeal as a childless couple (we all make mistakes, right?). By then, we had settled in Atlanta and Orlando was a reasonable drive away. Then, we remembered that gorgeous DCL ship across Port Canaveral from the Carnival Fantasy. We talked that whole first cruise about how we'd one day be able to afford to be on that beauty. I don't remember if it was the Magic or Wonder that caught our eye that day, but we discovered that the Dream was under construction. We booked right away! It was then we discovered what customer service in the travel industry could truly be, and we haven't looked back.We're in the intermountain west now, so getting to Orlando is a whole-day affair, but we still get there when we can. Including our first Christmas trip during a pandemic. Oh the stories we'll tell years from now!
And, we still sprinkle in as much natural beauty as we can out here (sorry this one's upside down).
Up next: How did you "discover" Universal, though?
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