Curious As Ever...

My DH and I were talking about this last night. It's not so much our jobs, but the fact that this is our first real vacation as a couple in over 20 years. We are now empty nesters so we will have no one but us on this next trip. So, if we want to be at rope drop we will be. If we decide to sleep in (not likely) we can do that as well. In fact, we are looking at adding on another day two so we can do everything we want without feeling like we have to rush. I am a teacher and DH is in management so it will be nice to set our own pace instead of working around a bell schedule or a ton of meetings.

My husband is a choir director (last year this year!) and he has taken choirs to Disney every four years since 1986. (7 or 8?). When I went with our sons IN the choir, I was amazed as my last adventure was when there was only MK and a parking lot in front. I was in love! So four years later I went again and had even more fun!

So that second trip year was our 25th also and I thought going with the choir as a chaperon WAS our gift, but he wanted to go back in the summer ALONE. I asked why and he was quite clear: he wanted to go to Disney and enjoy it withOUT three buses of kids and parents, a performance, and a tux. I really couldn't blame him so I went along with the idea.

IT WAS MAGICAL. We went for 7 days and enjoyed music, shows, and rides I didn't think I would like but did. He absorbed performance ideas that he still uses. I am also a now retired English teacher, but I saw the inspiration and thought. I used a great deal of material for younger classes. I already taught Randy Pausch's book THE LAST LECTURE (he worked for Disney and there is one of his quotes in front of the tea cups), so I could really explain his reasoning for his love affair with Disney.

We also ate in nice places, walked at our own pace, took breaks when it suited us and held hands despite the heat and humidity.

A couple years later we took our adult sons back, and they were AMAZED at what the parks really were instead of the rush thru a park in 1/2 day with your high school buddies. They LOVED IT and both have gone back now with their significant others.

The best story I have from all of our Disney experiences revolves around DS2 and I being double reed players (he is a bassoonist and play them all) and as such we collect shot glasses for our reeds to soak. (in water!). He found a shot glass at "Seas" in Epcot with those stupid seagulls on it saying "mine mine mine..." all around it. When he returned he was doing pit orchestra for a musical and the glass was in his bassn stand. He wasn't thinking and tossed the stand into the car but the glass shattered on pavement. He carried the pieces in crushed and asked, "Do you think Dad can fix this?" (he was in his 20s!)

So as my husband tried to glue the shards together, I called the number at the bottom of one of the receipts and the happy lady listened as I explained what I needed to replace. Since I knew the store it was easy. She quoted the price at 12.99 (it's Disney) and then the shipping costs....which were more than the glass! She said that was totally stupid and WAIVED THE SHIPPING! A few days later a LARGE box was on my front porch (knee high large). We opened it and inside was ROLLS of bubble wrap and a smaller box with more bubble wrap and tissue paper. Inside it all was a small shot glass with a handwritten note inside: "Here is our way of helping your son have a "magical" performance. Good Luck from....and it was signed by a number of people who I assume were working the phones"

Can't beat that for Disney magic!

My DH drives 80 miles round trip to and from work every day. He leaves at 6:30am and usually returns anywhere between 6-8pm, so vacation for him is somewhere where he doesn't have to get up early and he doesn't have to drive. WDW works great because he can "sleep-in" until 7:00 and the Disney bus drivers handle all of the driving. Also, we boat whenever possible so he doesn't have to look at roads. When we do rent a car, I do the driving, which I prefer anyway. He sits at a desk all day and he really enjoys walking, so it's a nice break for him to get to be up and active. To make it more relaxing for him, we typically to a mid-day break. DH takes a nap and I go to the pool or sort my pins or reply to emergency calls/emails from my clients.

My schedule is all over the place. I usually sleep until about 8:00am, so I have to get up earlier than usual to make rope drop, but I'm so happy to be at WDW that I don't care!! I never know what my typical day will bring. For example, today I'm "doing my taxes" because I didn't have anything scheduled. Well, the phone rang this morning and now I have two appointments for later today. I can be out as late as 10 or 11pm finishing up practice and locking the gym or presenting contracts and doing listing appointments, so I really like going to WDW and actually being on a schedule for a change! I like that everything is neat and orderly and contained in a little box (ok, maybe a big box). My desk is a wreck 24-7, so I really like the "closed system" that is WDW.

I like going to Disney because it is break from reality. I work in a hospital (not direct patient care though) and I know what customer service is all about. Some days are more hectic than others but when I go to Disney I can relax and not have to answer the phone, put out fires, making sure patient care items are sent to the nursing units STAT and I can sleep in until 6:30-7:00 p.m. Disney is like the commercial....Calgon take me away!

I work in a restaurant and the DH works security so our hours do not always mesh. We both get up early and he works sometimes 12 hour days. I at least have a set schedule. We don't always get couple time so Disney is our get to relax and reconnect time. We only get one trip a year so Disney is what we pick because it is relaxing and fun for us. I also volunteer for 2 animal rescue groups so we always have a house full of critters to take of. Our trip is nice also because it's just us and no 4 legged fur babies. (Although I miss them all)

I like to say I'm a starving artist livin' the good life.

I have two jobs and a side gig. I work front-of-house at two major NYC live theatres. (One is 900 seats, the other is 2200.) My schedule follows performance schedules, almost always in the evening. Sometimes I'm home at eleven, sometimes two in the morning. I do get to pick which shows I work. Usually three or five nights per week. I teach jazz band at a private school Tuesday and Thursdays in the afternoon. That's pretty autonomous - I'm basically "my own department." If I need to take time off, no big deal. I'm in a 1920s/1930s six-piece band that does mostly those sorts of noisy Manhattan penthouse cocktail parties. They always remind me of the cartoons in The New Yorker. We call 'em "how the other half lives" gigs.

So, my schedule is complicated. Sometimes worlds collide, and it's beastly, but it definitely has its compensations. I get to see big deal shows for free, I get free admission at a lot of arts venues around town, I get to play music, and I am master of my schedule. My spouse in an executive assistant for a big publishing company, and there's a lot of vacation time involved. So that's nice.

Since we're on the East Coast and can be at WDW in two-and-a-half hours, we favor shorter trips and going more often. I get up around 10 or 11am, so adjusting to the EMH morning thing is always a project.

The only way my work impacts on WDW is that i don't earn enough to go more often

I'am a great believer that absence makes the heart grow fonder, in all aspects of life..Go too often to your favourite restaurant and you'll get fed up of the same menu...Watch you favourite band in concert ( like myself next week ) Oh Yeh..I know what songs coming next...A wise man once said to me.." Life is like a rich cake,too much of it can make you sick." Have a slice now and again, it'll taste better." ...That's my theory...The two year gap between visits gets me so excited, where as if I went 5 or 6 times a year, it wouldn't feel the same..Only my opinion dear Sir..

I'm a full time illustrator so wdw trips have a bit of a tax break for me as the trips are inspirational. Also I do some disney work.... Which I'm not going to talk about in fear of promoting myself on the forum.

I work alone in my studio all day soooooooo, I like to get to disney to be social.

I work in a daycare and my husband is a musician/guitar teacher. We like to get up early and relax in then afternoon, then head back to the parks at night. I love getting my picture taken with characters and he loves the thrill rides (me not so much although been on all except tot). We enjoy the dining and are now starting to explore some of the shows. We tend to take a relaxed approach when we are in the parks. We often like to find quiet areas to park ourselves and watch the people go by. If we don't get on a particular ride one trip, it doesn't bother us since we know we will be back the next year. We find it kind of fun to "discover" when the best times are to ride the popular rides or to find no line ups for character meet and greets. We only waited a few minutes for this meet and greet.....see below

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I always say when we come back from vacation that I need to go back to work to rest! We have traditionally gone non-stop on any vacation. What we have learned is why we really love to cruise, but you have to take at least a 6-7 day to do it, is sea days. We get to go non-stop in ports, but on sea days, it's very relaxing. It's the only vacation spot we ever do that I am not worn out when we get back.

I'am not a great one on boats..Even big ones..I've sailed the seven seas..drank rum with some dubious pirates..dodged big waves...So it's dry land for me...Believe it or not..After flying many times the distance around our little planet..I still hold my DW hand on take off...and my DS with the other..I'am in the middle by the way..LOL..

Yes! As a travel & entertainment writer it's a lot more work than it used to be.

I only work part time at home so i'm happy to be on the go a lot while in WDW. Hubby works full time but in a desk job, he is happy to be on the go a lot but he likes to relax a bit more than I do that's for sure he does have a stressful job though so I don't blame him... well I don't blame him till unless he takes longer than 90 mins to get out the room, then I start poking him in the ribs to hurry up lol