It’s time for the very last deposit into the Disney Fund for the 2014 trip!
$155.09 – Paid a medical bill and then got a reimbursement because our deductible was met.
$6.70 – Spare change
$160 – Rebate check from buying paint at Lowe’s
$40 – (4) $10 gift cards from Disney Movie Rewards
$6.29 in spare change
$102.51 earned on my Disney Visa for August and September
I always add our grocery budget and gas budget into the fund as the trip date draws near. We won’t be using the budget for the week since we will be in Walt Disney World! So we will just spend the money there instead.
$115 gas budget for the week of 10/9 – 10/15 + $60 of the gas budget from the week of 10/16 – 10/22
$150 from the grocery budget for the week of 10/9 – 10/15 + $75 of the grocery budget for the week of 10/16-10/22
That’s $870.59 that I have saved! It’s a grand total of $4103.82 saved since February 3rd, 2013!
This is my dad. He knows what a hard time I have had over the past year. Having Molly Kate was the hardest thing I have ever done. After losing my sweet son Andrew, I was terrified to death to get pregnant again. The moment the test said positive, my anxiety kicked into high gear. I spent a lot of my pregnancy in prayer, in counseling with my pastor and just trying to trust in God and get her here alive.
Once she was born and so healthy and perfect, I tried to relax. But I was so sick! In the first 3 months, I dealt with clogged ducts, mastitis, a full blown summer cold and strep throat. I was also terrified to sleep because I was worried that I would wake up and she would be gone. When she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and had to spend 6 weeks in a brace, I blamed myself when it wasn’t really anything I could have prevented. Finally, I was able to give it over to God and started to feel so much better.
My husband recently shared with me that I was very depressed and withdrawn from everyone during the pregnancy and the first few months of her life. I didn’t realize how I appeared to everyone around me.
One thing that I did was tell my dad how worried I was about our upcoming trip to Disney. See, we booked this trip and invited along the readers because it is our sad week. October 13th will be 6 years since my Father in Law passed away, 4 years since my baby passed away and 3 years since my uncle passed away. October 15th will be the anniversary of the day we found out that the baby had died. October 16th will be be the anniversary of the day we buried my father in law and uncle. And October 18th will be the anniversary of the day I delivered the baby.
Last year, the week of Oct 13th – 18th was so dark and depressing and just all around sucky, that we decided that this year we would spend it in the happiest place on earth and open it up to any readers that were able to join us. We vowed not to spend this week depressed and mopey and withdrawn.
So I told my dad that we were going to Disney World but that I was worried about how I was going to handle it with a 4 month old (this was while I was still so sick and weak and barely functioning). So he asked me where I could stay that would make my life the easiest. I told him The Contemporary but that I couldn’t justify the cost. So he gave me a check for $1500, the difference between the room at Pop Century and the room at The Contemporary. He told me it was a baby gift, birthday gift, Christmas gift x 5!
The kids are going to be so surprised! Jacob’s favorite resort is The Contemporary, so when we arrive and surprise him with it, they aren’t going to know what to think!! And it is going to be so much easier with the baby. We are going to concentrate on the Magic Kingdom on this trip, spending 3 out of our 7 Disney days there. Plus hubby will take the kids in the evenings that do not have the Halloween party while I stay in the room with the baby.
So here is the breakdown of the trip budget:
$2331.84 – 7 nights at The Contemporary with the group rate
$1,316.03 – 7 day Disney park tickets for 2 adults, 2 kids with the group rate
$496.26 + $34 parking for Universal Studios to see Wizarding World of Harry Potter (gah, crazy expensive but we are going over for 2 days since it was only $100 more for the 2nd day and it made it sting a little less)
$160 – gas to drive down there, back and around town
$1265.69 – that’s how much is left for food and souvenirs. Emily is now a Disney adult (she’s 10) and they want her to pay the adult rate for the dining plan. My child does not need all that food! So we are paying out of pocket and sticking to mainly counter service meals where she can split an adult meal with her brother. I am on a non dairy diet (did I mention the baby can’t handle dairy, corn or tomatoes), so I am packing a lot of my own food to eat and we will all be eating breakfast in the room. I am sure this is going to be more than enough for food and souvenirs!
So there you have it! Wish us luck on this first trip as a family of 5!
How did you get Disney Gift Cards through the Disney Movie Rewards Program? I have never seen them offered there, and I have lot of points and nothing to spend them on, but this would be perfect! Please share…we are possibly planning to go in January using our rewards from our Disney Visa and a little bit of money from here and there we have been saving, but we are still short. I am hoping to be able to cash in our Disney Rewards for Gift Cards as you did to help us out.
They offer them a few times a year and they usually go pretty quickly! I always post them when they are available, though.
What an amazing blessing for you and your family!! Congrats on meeting your goals and braving the travel with 5. I’ll be praying for y’all while you’re down there…can’t wait to hear how awesome the trip is going to be :) God bless!!
Kristen, your story was heartwarming and humbling. All of us think we’ve crosses to bear and then we hear of someone else’s. Your family has endured a lot of losses, esp. in October. However, you’ve also had many blessings bestowed on you. Go forth to Disney as a fun loving family of 5 and ENJOY! Savor the moments! I’ve a 23 and 26 year old. Trust me when I say they grow (and go!) too quickly! Make beautiful memories!
Sending prayers for safe travels and fun trip! Will be thinking about you and can’t wait to see photos and hear about your Disney adventures! I’m sure the kids will be so excited to share the Magic Kingdom with Molly Kate. Have fun!
Kristen, my cyber couponing friend of quite a few years now, I wish you and you family a very magical trip. Pixie dust sprinkled all around for fun and relaxation. Enjoy. Stop, look at all the beautiful landscaping and architecture. People watch. Take a zillion photos of your family and also get in them!!! ;) Have a blessed trip <3
Enjoy! We are going the week after you and cannot wait. It is my parent’s 45th wedding anniversary and our entire family is going. Kristin, if it weren’t for you and this blog, I don’t know that we would have been able to do it all! All of your trips and blog posts and Pinterest pins helped in SO many ways!!!
You deserve this vacation and I hope it is the best yet!!
Kim
Get a baby carrier like an ergo (target) and you’ll breeze through the parks! :) good luck! Can’t wait to see pictures.
My family’s favorite trip to WDW was when our children were 9, 5, 2, and 4 months. Disney is so accommodating of babies and nursing moms. I nursed anywhere I wanted with no problems. And the characters were so good at making a fuss over the baby! You guys have a wonderful, healing trip! God bless you all!
Wow. . . .I hope this will be your BEST Disney trip ever and that you are showered with lots of pixie dust while you’re there. You willingly share hope with so many through your Couponing to Disney site. I’m so glad my daughter shared your blog with me. We are going next month and have saved alot through your help. Have a great time with your family. . . . . and WHAT A DAD!!!
Hope you have the most wonderful trip ever! :) Can’t wait to see photos and hear how amazing the trip was!! ;)
Kristin,
I want to thank you for your willingness to share so openly…! God gives each of us our journey, struggles and all and I firmly believe He wants us to share our pain…..& healing with others! There is so much hope in your story!!
I hope your trip is blessed…!!! I know it will be! It’s tough not to have a blast in Disney! ;) I’m sure Molly Kate will do great! She is young enough to sleep a good bit in a stroller and the temperature shouldn’t be too uncomfortable either which will help too!
Enjoy!!!!! Can’t wait for your pix!
With love,
Kristin
Praying for you all, and hoping you have a blessed trip.
I do hereby declare that this week will officially become the happiest week of the year from this point forward! Let this forever be the week that your family celebrates Molly’s official coronation as a Disney Princess!
Enjoy your vacation!
Well said!!
Have a wonderful vacation! God bless you!
As usual thanks so much for sharing your life with us. Been following you for a long time and am so proud of you. Hope u have a great trip! I might have stayed at universal those days you were going there. Free front if the line passes for most of the attractions sold us on their hotels energy we visit there. If you like Harry potter you will not be disappointed! I would take the kids again as they get older. It’s my oldest 2 favorite Park!!! (Much to my mother’s dismay. ..lol) you will have a wonderful trip! Try to relax (I know easier said than done) and enjoy! Let the magic of Disney surround you. You dad is awesome. My parents used to do that too whether we couldn’t afford to go. They’d pay for tickets for Christmas gifts, pay hotel nights for birthdays, even gave us air tickets too. I surely wouldn’t had been able to take the kids if not for their help. Now that we are more comfortable (big career change for me more than doubling our household income) we return the favor.
God bless you and your family. Wish I could be there to meet you. .. One of these days!
Wow, thanks for sharing! Now let me share something with you that may make your trip easier! Disney is the king of food allergies! Nearly any place you go should be able to handle your dairy free request without trouble (even throw in a few dairy free desserts!!). All you need to do is make sure that they know ahead of time about your restrictions for sit down restaurants and then remind your server so they can explain your options. You can even request a list of restaurants that carries “special” nondairy products like ice cream ahead of time (I don’t (some quick service places have them!!). The special dietary phone number is: 407-824-5967. they have an email address where you can make special requests (like have them email you that list of restaurants that have nondairy special products):[email protected].
Here is more info on this important topic! http://www.wdwinfo.com/tips_for_touring/allergies.htm
Enjoy your trip! You deserve it!
Wishing you well and hope you have a wonderful vacation. :D
Our daughter’s first trip was when she was 5 months old (September 2012). We also have 2 boys that were 5 and 7 at the time. I was really nervous about it and I was also nursing her. It was an awesome trip! We would go to the parks early take a break after lunch and go back that night. She slept a lot in the stroller. It was way easier than I thought it would be. I’m sure you’ll have a GREAT time!! :)
That’s great! I’m looking forward to seeing how well Disney works with a new baby. :)
the baby centers will be your best friend…. there is only one in each park, which makes it difficult. Epcot is much bigger than Magic Kingdom. They are great!
What a wonderful surprise! You have a beautiful family! Have a wonderful time, we were trying to go but just couldn’t manage, so hopefully there will be a next time for Couponing to Disney readers to meet up, I would love to meet you!
I hope there is! I love meeting my readers!
You are going to have a fantabulous time! Enjoy yourselves and thanks, Dad, for an awesome gift so you can stay at the Contemporary.
Man – your family so deserves this vacation!!! What a blessing little Miss Molly Kate is! Have a great trip! Im sorry for all the loss your family has endured over the last few years, I pray this is a beautiful and healing year xo