Tag Archives: Disney’s Old Key West Resort

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Carrying On

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Hello Dear Readers,

I hope this post finds you healthy and at peace.

In just 5 days I will call Disney and schedule our next trip to Walt Disney World. We hope to go on October 20 of next year. Because we are Disney Vacation Club members, we can call and book our home resort, Old Key West, 11 months in advance. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, we will have 8 nights and 9 days at Disney: Mike, Emi, James, Ida, Jake, Eliza, Baby Jarvi and me.

This time it won’t be so much about time in the parks, although we will have tickets for 5 days. This time it will be all about the babies. Ida will be 2 & 1/2 and Baby Jarvi will be 8 months old. Dumbo, Prince Charming Carousel, Meeting Mickey, It’s a Small World and splashing in the water fountains will be the focus of our days. Probably just a few hours in the parks and then time at Old Key West.

I take none of this for granted. I know that if we are all there it will truly be a gift from God. I am doing my part to be there. As of this morning, I am 54.4 pounds down since May. I am learning how to eat as a diabetic. Now I just need to start moving more. Please pray that I can and do move more.

May God bless and keep you, dear Readers. Meet you at the Kingdom.

Donna

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So Much Better

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Hiya Dear Readers,

Just want to drop a note to let you know that I am feeling so much better. It’s been seven weeks since my stroke. I spent six nights in the hospital in England. Since I’ve been back in the USA I’ve seen my GP, had blood work done, am currently 24 days into wearing a heart monitor for 30 days, have done a sleep study, have had an echocardiogram and have attended two of three scheduled diabetes education classes. (I have one more class in two weeks.) I will see a neurologist in two weeks and a neuro-opthomologist in three weeks. (I have some residual vision issues.) Then I will breathe a sigh of relief and bask in having gotten through all of that. Whew!

Anyway… I can tell I’m feeling quite a bit better, because I’m back to making plans for our next trip to Walt Disney World. We’ve bumped up our dates from October 2018 to the end of September 2018. Jake, Eliza, Mike and I had such a wonderful time when we went in the fall of 2015, so we thought we’d try fall again. Historically the end of September is a bit less busy than October, so we’ll try that. We can still enjoy The EPCOT Food and Wine Festival and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party while we’re there. The temperatures will be nice for some major pool time. I get so excited thinking about it! And then to have Emi, James and baby Ida there with us will be beyond anything that I can even imagine!

Disney World is so different from when we first started going there around 1990-ish. It’s almost too much for me now…almost. There are so many changes. Some favorite attractions have gone away to make room for new ones. There has been major construction of hotels adding many more rooms to the World. They built a whole new park, the Animal Kingdom. They have built another water park, Blizzard Beach. I miss the “intimacy” of the 1990’s World, but it doesn’t diminish my love for the new World.

My absolute favorite thing to do at Walt Disney World is to spend time with the family. I love hanging out at Disney’s Old Key West Resort at night and just chatting about our day. I love sitting at a great Walt Disney World restaurant (especially Olivia’s Cafe!) and sharing a meal with the fam. I love checking out the looks of awe and wonder on their faces while we watch fireworks at Magic Kingdom. I even love looking at their tired faces on the bus back to Old Key West.

I can call and make our reservation for a grand villa at Old Key West on October 23rd of this year. We already have our 5 day Park Hopper passes. I can make our breakfast/lunch/dinner reservations starting March 28, 2018. I can order our tickets for Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in May of 2018. I can make our FastPass choices beginning July 26, 2018. Then it’s nothing but keep power walking to be ready to go.

I take nothing for granted. But Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, it will be a major Jarvi/Carmichael reunion and celebration. Just to be together with these people that I love in this place that I love is bliss!

I’ll write again soon.  Thanks for reading, Dear Friends! Meet you at the Kingdom!

Donna

 

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Tomorrow, Tomorrow…

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Day 429 in finishing the race to meet up with Mickey

Tomorrow, tomorrow I love ya, tomorrow.  You’re only a day away….

Mike and I will be picked up bright and early tomorrow to be delivered to Midway Airport and then to fly to Orlando!  Woo hoo!  We are flying Southwest and their computers went caput yesterday, so please pray for a smooth journey.

On the down side, we just found out that Emi and James have to postpone their trip, so we won’t get to see them in Florida.  They will come to Chicago next month instead.  That is a wonderful thing to look forward to, however, we will miss them in Florida.  That means we have a spare bedroom that sleeps four in the Grand Villa for the next week.  Any family folk interested?  (Date Oct. 13-21 eight nights)

My bag is packed, and I am ready almost ready to go.  I just have to pack the last minute things: meds, phone charger, phone, sunglasses, etc…  My stomach is in pre-travel knots as usual.  🙂  But I am ready for some Florida sunshine and some Mickey face-time!

I will try to blog from Florida, but I’m not taking my laptop, just my phone.  Love to you all, dear readers!  Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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Packing (NOT Puking)

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Day 421 in trying to keep my stomach settled on my way to meeting Mickey

Nine days, People!  In nine days I go to Walt Disney World!  I Facetimed with Emi today and we just kept getting more and more excited.  A week from Tuesday, Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, I will be sitting in a room with Mike, Jake, Eliza, Emi and James.  That is as good as it gets!  We will be having our Unbirthday Dinner at Olivia’s Cafe at Disney’s Old Key West Resort.

I’ve reached the phase in vacation planning where I just can’t think about it anymore.  It’s time to start doing.  I will get my suitcase out and start packing for the trip today.  I need to find my Disney bag which becomes my purse for the vacation.  I need to think about what I want to pack in my Disney bag and what will be relegated to the suitcase.

And I need to begin this without thinking about the trip too much.  Because I’m also at the phase where I’m so excited about the trip that I feel sick to my stomach.  I always have been that way.  My parents had to stop telling me about trips in advance, because I would get so excited that I got sick.

So, as you can see, I am scattered.  But it’s still coming soon…Meet you at the Kingdom!

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The Final Countdown Begins

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Day 420 in my meandering my way to Mickey

Today I received and email from Disney Destinations.  It is titled, “About your Disney Resort hotel arrival!” Woop woop!  It contains:

  1. Info about the 3-bedroom grand villa that we are staying in at Disney’s Old Key West Resort.
  2. A recreation calendar during our time there.
  3. Info on turning our vacation into a celebration at the resort.
  4. A couple warnings (the monorail is being worked on, Downtown Disney has construction going on)
  5. A reminder about Disney Vacation Club Member perks.
  6. And some transportation reminders.

Gosh, it’s so-o-o-o close now.  A mere 10 days away.  I started planning my packing today.  I’ve put some things aside, so I can find them when I pack in earnest next weekend.  I am so pumped that we will all be there soon!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

Shout out to Trudy, who had a birthday yesterday!  Love you, Sister!  AND Shout out to Emi, who became a British citizen this week.  Congratulations, dear daughter!  Poppa and I couldn’t be more happy for you!

 

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Pressing On

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Day 411 in sweating it out to meet up with Mickey (19 days to go…only 19!!!)

Why is it so difficult to do the right thing?  I woke up early this morning to walk.  This is my fourth day in a row to do so.  Hardly earth shattering, right?  I swear, it was such hard work today.  I tried visualizing walking toward Cinderella’s Castle at Magic Kingdom.  No good.  I tried changing locale and visualized walking down Hollywood Boulevard toward The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  No good.  So I imagined walking from the bus stop toward Spaceship Earth at EPCOT.  Nope!  It was just exhausting.

BUT, Dear Readers, I did manage to push on and even walked a little farther than yesterday.  I was listening to Sabrina Carpenter on my iPhone, who is on the Disney Channel show Girl Meets World.  She has a song called The Middle of Starting Over which seems to be my anthem (my jam) just now.  I know the song is about falling in love, but it is so catchy and has such a great hook that I cannot resist it.  🙂  And with this exercise thing, post cancer diagnosis and treatment, I am in the middle of starting over.

So I will not be discouraged.  I will not stop my daily walks.  (Lord, willing and the creek don’t rise!)  I will persevere, for in only 19 days we fly to Orlando and our lovely time share at Disney’s Old Key West Resort.  I hope to get the chance to take a swim that first evening.  It would be bliss!

Why is it so difficult to do the right thing?  Because it just is, or as my mom would have said to me, “Do it because I said so!”  Please pray for me to have the stamina to see it through, Friends.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Getting Back on the Beam

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Day 407 in my journey to meet Mickey

I have gained a few pounds in the last few weeks.  I sort of threw in the towel and went a bit wild.  But today, I am re-resolved to get on and stay on the right path.  The path where I put healthy fuel (foods) into my body.  The path where I get out of bed an hour earlier every morning and get in a walk.  After all I am only 23 days away from going to Florida. GAH!

Wow!  In 23 days I’ll be there…in my Happy Place.  I can almost smell the sun screen and chlorine now.  🙂  I will kick up my feet at Disney’s Old Key West and exhale…like, really exhale, the kind where I can actually feel the stress falling away.  Ah……

Mike picked veggie sandwiches for dinner tonight.  Shredded brie on bread rolls with sauteed mushroom, peppers, olives and onions.  They will be delicious, but not exactly low-cal.  I will make a point to eat plenty of raw veg (especially broccoli) to help push it through my system.  Then the rest of the week it’ll be:

Monday: salmon and baked pumpkin with raw veg and dip (hummus maybe)

Tuesday: Easy Chicken and Bean Stew with raw veg and dip

Wednesday: Stuffed Green Peppers with raw veg and dip

Thursday: baked chicken with sweet potato and raw veg and dip

Friday and Saturday: Women of Faith Conference  So, Friday-dinner with Jean and Joan.  Yay!  Saturday-dinner with Jean and Wayne.  Yay again!!  I hope to eat some nice dinner salads over the weekend.

My body is so ready to get back on the beam!  I feel so much better and have so much more energy when I’m making better choices.  Why do I not just live my life there?  It still shocks me just how easy it is to slip off the proverbial wagon and make non-optimal choices.  Sheesh!  All I can say is, “Help me, Jesus!”  And I know He will.  PTL!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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Check!

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Day 389 in planning my way to meeting Mickey

Today I checked into Disney’s Old Key West Resort.  I had completely forgotten that I could check in online 60 days before my arrival date.  I am 41 days out.  I have two words to say to that:  WOO HOO!  It was exciting to say the least.  Now when I arrive on October 13th, I’ll show my ID at check-in, and off to my room I’ll go.  Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to my room I go.  *whistle* heigh-ho, heigh-ho…

I am so ready to be there!  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Top 10 Things I Am Excited To Do at Walt Disney World

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Day 386 in my excitement on my way to meeting up with Mickey

Here are the 10 things I am the most excited about for our trip to Walt Disney World in October:

#10 Riding it’s a small world.  It is my favorite ride!!

#9 Celebrating one year’s-worth of birthdays with “the dip” (see below) and birthday cupcakes.  We have been saving up to celebrate our birthdays together in Florida.  Woo hoo!  Happy birthday to us!

#8 Exploring EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival.  Looking forward to tempting tidbits of tasty treats.

#7 Experiencing Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party for the first time ever.  See comment from number 8.

#6 Spending the better part of a day at Disney Springs exploring and shopping.

#5 Eating at Olivia’s Café at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. This is by far my favorite restaurant at Walt Disney World.

#4 Experiencing Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween for the first time ever.  I have my costume now.  I ordered it from the Disney Store.  I will wear a Mickey Mouse Skeleton Tee and a Minnie Mouse Ears Headband.  🙂

#3 Spending plenty of resort time and pool time at Disney’s Old Key West Resort.  It is, seriously, my Happy Place.  When I’m chilling at Old Key West I can actually feel all stress leaving my body.  It is the ultimate in relaxation for me.

#2 Meeting and greeting Mickey at Magic Kingdom. This has been the driving force behind this blog.  I am anxious to shake Mickey‘s big, white-gloved hand and get a picture.

And the #1 thing that I am excited about…Looking at the faces of my husband and children and their spouses and spending some quality time together in this beautiful place.  This will be a family reunion extraordinaire!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

*The dip: In a pie plate spread 8 oz. of cream cheese.  Next sprinkle 6 to 8 cut-up green onions on top.  Then spread a can of No Bean chili on top.  (We usually make a second dip with Vegetarian chili with lots of beans.)  Finally sprinkle 8 oz. of grated cheddar cheese on top.  (We prefer sharp cheddar.  The shaper the better.)  Microwave for five minutes and serve with your favorite chips.  (We usually heat it in the oven t 350 degrees for 30 minutes instead, because it seem to hold it’s heat longer.)

 

 

 

 

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Disney Vacation Club…Yippee!

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Day 277 in my ruminating on Disney Vacation Club and my pal Mickey

Whew!  I am so grateful for modern medicine and antibiotics in particular.  Though I still have a UTI, the pain has abated considerably.  Praise God!  I am tired from a poor night’s sleep, but I am back on the road to recovery.

Today’s plan is to share about Disney Vacation Club.  Their tagline used to be “Disney’s Best Kept Secret.”  Here is what Disny has to say about it: ”

Discover a World of Choices-When you become a Member by purchasing a real estate interest in a Disney Vacation Club Resort represented by an annual allotment of Vacation Points, you can enjoy flexibility, choice and savings when it comes to your future Disney vacations. Flexibility and Choice – Enjoy the freedom to choose when, where and how often to vacation at any of the 12 uniquely themed Disney Vacation Club Resorts—or explore thousands of other vacation options in destinations around the world…Savings – Stretch your vacation dollars by locking in decades of future stays at Disney Vacation Club Resorts at today’s purchase price. You can save up to 50% on future Disney Vacation Club Resort accommodations. Membership can pay for itself after just 6 to 11 years…compared to the cost of a non-Member renting accommodations at rack rate at most Disney Vacation Club Resorts. Imagine taking your dream vacation—a romantic honeymoon in Hawai’i, a fun-filled adventure with the family at Walt Disney World Resort or a retirement celebration in Europe. With Disney Vacation Club, dreaming is only the beginning—you can collect a lifetime of magical memories, year after year.  All accommodations are subject to availability.”

Wah, right?  I was so-o-o sold.  My beautifully conservative husband took awhile to get on board.  But looking back, he is a big fan!  We only have 150 points…for 40 years.  With those points we (Mike, Me the kids, their spouses (and future kid-lings) go to Walt Disney World  every three to five years, depending on if Mike and I want any side trips along the way.  We have used our points in Chicago, New York, Hilton Head, Anaheim, London, Paris (PARIS!) and Orlando over the years.  We have been able to vacation when otherwise we would not have been able to afford it.  Disney Vacation Club (DVC) has definitely “opened a world of possibilities” to us and we love it!  It has been an investment in our family.  We so look forward to being together on vacation: relaxing, park hopping, dining, and smiling in each other’s faces.  Sheer bliss.

Yes, it is costly.  But you can purchase as little as 100 points and work with it.  Or you can purchase as many points as are available.  When we first bought in, we purchased 230 points.  It was great because we could bring extended family along: my parents, my aunt, Mike’s mom, Mike’s brother and family, two of Mike’s nieces, two of my brothers and their wives, two of my nieces, plus one of those niece’s husband and two boys.  (These were not all at the same time, of course.) When times got tough and we were struggling financially, we sold our points…I cried for a week.  When things turned around, we bought back in (100 points).  It wasn’t quite enough to do what we wanted to do so we made two additional purchases of 25 points each.  All our points are at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. When we arrive there and hear the words, “Welcome, home!” I exhale, and the stress starts to leave my body.  I can hardly wait until October!!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: If you think about purchasing DVC and want to save a few bucks, ask about availability at sold out resorts, rather than the newest ones.  If folks have sold their points back, you may be able to purchase them.  🙂