How to lose $3,600 in one trip! Update pg 7, post 95 w/the cutest pics ever posted!

[tc]

Ok, so, I’ve got your attention, huh? Just a word of warning, I am not horsegirl, nor do I claim to be as good a writer as she is. However, I wanted to share our little adventure with you, and teach you what not to do.

But, first things first, our cast of characters.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/wdw071.jpgMe - tc - mom and nana. I love WDW and will take (make up) any reason to go for a visit. The reason this trip is two-fold.

First: I have been helping countless friends and acquaintances plan their Disney trips for about 18 months now. These are folks who are not like us. Yes, really, they do exist. Sit down, I must tell you something very important. There are people out there that don’t want to do the research! GASP!!! I know, I was shocked too. They are perfectly happy to have someone else do it for them. And that’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve created a plethora (nice word, huh?) of pdf documents for every park, land, ride, attraction, show, etc. and then send it to them daily, weekly or monthly, depending on what kind of information they want. I have very detailed emails telling what each ride is like, and very broad emails just giving an overview. However, I don’t have enough pics to put in my emails, so they are pretty boring to look at, just words, words, words. Also, I’ve decided to create a website where others across this great nation can utilize my services, no not those kind of services, shame on you. They will be able to sign up for an overview package or a detailed one. This is not like Tourguide Mike. I will not be giving information on how to make the most of their day. I will just be telling them what to expect, what the rides are like, how to get from here to there, etc. I just purchased Pagemaker 7.0 to really make my documents fun, but I needed pics. So, a solo trip to WDW was in the making.

I went kind of solo about two years ago (I was helping a friend who had a business trip and they needed a nanny for their 6 week old), and really hated it. Really, I was actually sad at WDW. I am not good by myself. I like people, and I love my husband, who I have never gone to WDW without. Because of that, my dear, sweet, husband, Steve, thought a solo trip was not a good idea, however, he really didn’t want to go. I know, sad, but he’s not as big a fan as I am. And, to be honest, our trip last May to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary was not that great. He got sick and had a bad attitude because of the crowds (we usually go in September, so late May crowds made him witchy.) He suggested I ask my daughter to go with me. This brings me to our second castmember:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/Chris_KimmiAtSarah_sRehearsal_edite.jpgKimmi - dd#2 - 23 years old and mother to Ireland (18 months) and Chloe (5 weeks). Okay, stop right there, did I say 18 months and 5 weeks, and I was thinking about inviting them to WDW?!? Am I crazy? Well, yes, I guess I am. At the time of the invitation, Chloe was not born yet, and we were looking forward to her birth with great excitement. A little back story on Kimmi. Her husband, Chris, is currently in the Army, and serving in Kuwait, with weekly trips into the heart of Iraq. He left in October and would be home a week after Chloe was due, but only staying for 15 days. Which is the second reason for the trip. Chris returned to Kuwait on April 26 and our trip was planned for May 3, one week later. A pick-me-up trip, if you will, for Kimmi. What a better way to lighten her heart, than a trip to WDW. We knew this would be different from any other trip we’ve ever taken due to the age of the girls, but even if we sit by the pool all day, it was a vacation. Also, because Kimmi lives at my home, and is my daughter, I could get her an AP at the DVC rate. Since were are going in January (both girls, husbands and babies and Steve) and then Kimmi and Chris will go again in early Spring for a belated honeymoon (couldn’t go when they got married due to the Army), it paid to buy her one, and save. So, she was in.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/2006086.jpgIreland: gd#1 - 18 months, and a little spitfire. I know, you hear it all the time, “My granddaughter is so smart.” But, seriously, Ireland really is. She talks up a storm, knows some shapes, and can do algebra. Well, maybe not algebra, but she can count to 100. Well, maybe not 100. She can count to 3. Well, maybe not count to 3, but she can say 1, 2, 3. She is my joy, my heart, and I can’t even picture what WDW will be like through her eyes. Ireland was a “surprise” to us all. Kimmi and Chris were not married when she was conceived, and I was devastated. I never dreamed I would be in the “unwed mother” situation with my girls. My heart had never hurt so much, I could not imagine what life would be like for them or that baby. However, because of Ireland, her daddy graduated high school (finally, at age 22), went into the Army, and has found out that he’s a worthy, wonderful, man. Before the Army, he never looked you in the eye when he spoke, and walked sort of slumped over. Now, his confidence is amazing, and his drive to do right by his girls, makes my heart sing. I love him and can’t think of what life would be like without him in it. Kimmi is a wonderful mommy and the perfect Army wife. She struggles with Chris being gone, but has endured it with poise, patience and a firm grasp on the fact that Chris is doing exactly what God intended for him to do. Ireland does not watch TV, she is just not interested. She loves books and walks and playing with her Jessie doll, but will not sit to watch TV. I was a little concerned that she would not be interested at WDW in characters or anything else for that matter, was I in for a wonderful surprise. She does know Jessie from Toy Story 2, Buzz, Cinderella and Belle from books and toys. And, of course Mickey Mouse. She recognizes just the three-circle logo to the full size, red, black and yellow pic. She really likes Mickey, so it is my goal to introduce them.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/04.jpgChloe: gd#2 - 5 weeks when we leave for WDW. She’s a wonderful baby, rarely cries and has the most magical smile.

Now, let’s add another layer of excitement to this trip. Invite Aunt Sissy.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/sarahsweddingdress_0001_edited.jpgAunt Sissy - Sarah - dd#1 - 25 years old and 7 months pregnant. Yes, 7 months. The extra hands would be nice, but we’d have to take it even slower than anticipated due to heat, swelling and potty breaks. I wasn’t sure her husband would agree, but he did. Her doctor even said, if she kept hydrated, a trip to WDW is the best vacation she could have. Lots of walking, mixed with a little relaxation, perfect.

So, our cast is in place, AP’s are bought, and now I have to figure out where to stay. I don’t want to use my DVC points for this trip, since we are going in January, and I want a 3 bedroom to house the crew, so I have to save my points. So, I email my Dis friend at the Swan/Dolphin and see what he can do for me. Well, if you know who I’m talking about, then you are very lucky, and so am I because he got me a great rate, in record time.

All is set. May 3 - 7, staying at the Dolphin, transfers on Mears. Arrival day, Wednesday, we have ADRs for 1900 Park Fare to meet Cinderella. We have gift certificates for Rainforest Café, the DDE card for 20% off of many places to eat, a simple itinerary, etc.

Next, Don’t ever, ever, ever trust the Flight Attendant!!!

[WDW Poly Princess]

Ooh, looks like this will be good! Can't wait to read!

Love your website idea! Need help?

[cforsythe]

Okay, let's get started. Great beginning. Love the fact that it is an all girl trip. My DD12 and DN16 are going on an all girl trip at the end of Aug. Can't wait to hear more!!! :woohoo:

[CinRell]

Don't take this wrong but there's no way these are your birth daughters? You look their age!

Can't wait to read more!

[tc]

WDW Polyprincess: Thanks for the kudos on the website. I'll let you know if I need help. Right now it's seeing if I got enough pics.

cforsythe: A girls only trip was fun. It's weird how we did things so differently since we didn't need to make sure the guys were having fun.

CinRell: Yes, I get that a lot. My girls used to hate it when people thought we were sisters, now they thinks it's cool. They figure if I look so young at 45, they may also. My mom looks like my sister. I count it up to good genes.

[Carrieannew]

Wow. You hooked me right away. Love the photos of everyone. I cant wait to hear more. :thumbsup2

[Yzma and Kronk]

Great TR!

Whew - babies and pregnant women - the makings of a good TR!

Looking forward to reading the rest.

[kellyb2000]

Great start - LOVE the title spinoff --> :rotfl2:

[kaceyisme]

Can't wait to see how it turned out!

[roberrl187]

I'm hooked too. Great start. :thumbsup2

[grimley1968]

So how DO you lose $3,600 in one trip? Oh wait, D'OH! I already know how, as I do it just about every other year or so by booking our Disney vacations.

Seriously, this looks to be very interesting reading. Please add more soon. And, I will add that that is one beautiful cast of characters. I saw the first photo of the OP, and then the babies at the bottom, and assumed they were hers, until I actually read the OP. I must say, those are impressive genes. And those GD's are just adorable. Ireland, though about 1 year younger than my youngest DD, looks a bit like her. You just want to hug them all day.

[peightonmom]

I'm hooked already, can't wait to hear the rest!

Beautiful girls by the way! All of you.

[pooksma]

Another one reeled in. Loking forward to your next installment!

[Disney owl]

Looking forward to reading more

[fizz13]

Oh my gosh, Chloe may be the most beautiful baby ever :cloud9: , what an attractive family though. BTW, I understand about having a young looking mom, I am 27 and my mom turned 54 yesterday, yet people still think she is about 35 and my older sister :guilty: I used to get very upset until I realised genetics may be on my side when I am older ;)
Anyway, really looking forward to the trip report, great start and beautiful girls all round,
Claire xx

[tammyandtommy]

what a tease! Now I want more!

[umbluegray]

Heck, I even enjoyed reading about your son-in-law's transformation.

Please tell him "Thanks for serving our country" for me, please.

[PaMom001]

Good beginning. And please tell your son in law thank you from me and my dd9.

[nickelsfamily]

What A Great Start! Can't Wait For Your Next Post!

[bluejay2006]

Great start! waiting for more!!

[MagicMe]

First I want to second PaMom001 and pass along my heartfelt thank you :thanks: to your son-in-law and all of his buddies!

Second, I can't wait to hear how this trip goes!!!!

Looking forward to seeing the rest of your trip report.

[Minniespal]

Can't wait to read more.

[tc]

First off, thank you all for the wonderful comments regarding my son-in-law. All politics aside, it's great to see people support our servicemen, regardless. The Army has been wonderful to him and has made him believe he is a vital, worthy, important person and is needed in this world. It has always been so, he just couldn't see it until now. So, thank you again! Now, on with the saga!


We wake Wednesday morning, bright and early. Well, maybe I’m bright, but it’s not bright outside. But, it is early, 4:00 a.m. to be exact. I have been awake since 2, can’t sleep, too many things on my mind. It’s hard to travel with babies, and I’ve never done it before. Besides, I usually travel with my 6'4", 220 lb husband, who takes care of me. Now, don’t get all uptight, I can make my own decisions, and be independent. I just like to be safe, and he makes me feel safe. My lack of feeling safe stems from being assaulted as a teenager, you just never outgrow that feeling. I am much better now, though, or I wouldn’t be taking this trip. But, I am now in charge of a little person, and my two girls are counting on me to make things smooth. Therefore, the pressure’s on, so I can’t sleep.

Well, I get up, shower, check, double check and re-check the lists, bags, folders, wallets, etc. and decide we can go. Chloe is already awake for her 5:00 a.m. feeding, but I get a sleeping Ireland from her crib, put her in her car seat, with fingers crossed that she stays asleep, and off we go around 5:00 a.m. We have to take Steve’s ‘83 Landcruiser because we can’t fit all of our luggage (only two suitcases, mind you), two carry ons and a double stroller in either my car or Kimmi’s, so it takes a little longer to get there (he won’t drive above 60 mph, who would want a car that won’t go the speed limit?!?) We arrive at 5:45, and our plane leaves at 7:30, cutting it a little close, but we are confident we can make it. Oh, and by the way, Ireland woke up as soon as the cruiser was started and was wide awake all the way to the airport. She doesn’t sleep, but is happy anyway.

We check in, check our luggage (along with the double stroller), give kisses to Papaw, and head to security. Kimmi has Chloe in the Baby Bjorn (greatest invention since flushing toilets) and I have Ireland in the Monkeybums. Yes, that’s what it’s called. It’s a sling, a big piece of cloth that she can ride on my hip and leave my hands free, also a great invention. We make it through security, get on the train, and, by the look on Ireland’s face, we’d arrived at our destination. Every time the train stopped, she’d sign “More” and giggle like crazy when it started again. Cheap entertainment for an 18 month old. We get to our gate, grab McD’s and board. Well, we try to board, but find out that two lap babies cannot sit in the same row, not enough oxygen masks. So we step out of line, and wait until they can get us seats, in an already over-booked airplane, that are not in the same row. The big problem was that all the girls things were packed in the same bag. Now, Kimmi was sitting 10 rows behind me, across the aisle, on the window. We quickly rearrange the contents of her bag, putting toys and snacks in my bag, and then we board, last. The leg from Denver to Atlanta was uneventful except for the airline seat aerobics Ireland and I did for 3 hours. Stand up, sit down, turn around, lean over, turn around, stand up, play peek-a-boo with business man in row behind us, repeat. She was so good, but she has no idea what it means to sit quietly. I said she’s smart, not docile.

When we land, there was an announcement that this flight continues on to Orlando, but those continuing on could de-plane, and return in an hour and a half. We were also told we could leave our carry-ons on the plane if we choose, it’s a secured area and no one but the flight crew would be on the plane.

Have you ever had a moment in your life when you wish you would have made a different choice? Like in February of this year. I was driving to work, it was snowy, icy and yucky. I decided to take a different route to work to avoid the most traffic, etc. Well, on this country highway, someone spun out of control, another car tried to avoid that car, and hit me, broadside. Totaled my 2000 Vapor New Beetle. Probably only VWguy understands what that really means. This is a limited edition Beetle, baby blue, only 2000 were sold of this color in the U.S. I was the only person in town who had this car. I changed my antennae ball with the seasons and holidays. I loved this car. (Now I hear my mom saying, “We love people, not things.” Yes, I know, but I loved this car. Not “I love it so much I don’t let anyone drive it, park it 20 miles away so it won’t get scratched, don’t eat in it, loved it”, but, I truly enjoyed having it, and planned to keep it until my grandkids could drive it when they were old enough. I had no intention of ever getting another car. Anyway, my bug was gone and I was sad and wishing I had decided to keep my same route and not avoid traffic. (I didn’t replace my bug with another VW, we got Steve’s dream car that he’d been saving for years, and it’s fun, but not my bug.)

Well, I am at another, “Why didn’t I make a different decision?” moment in my life right now. The flight attendant asked us if we were continuing on, we said yes, she asked if we’d like to leave our carry-on on the plane, I asked if she was sure it was safe, she said, “Yes.” So we did. Bad, bad, bad idea, I know. We left my bag on the plane. My bag with the laptop, two digital cameras, two Annual Pass vouchers, $55 in Rainforest Café gift cards, my ID, credit and $120 cash (let's just say about $3,600 worth of money, electronics and plastic. :rolleyes: ) I told the flight attendant what was in the bag, and she still said, “Leave it, it’ll be fine.” Many others were leaving their carry-ons, we saw them in the overheads while we were talking. My reasoning for leaving it was that it was so heavy, we didn’t have a stroller and it was in a bag with handles, not shoulder straps. Lesson #1, always have bags with shoulder straps when you are traveling with babies. So, we de-plane with my bag on the plane (bad, bad, bad idea), and go get some lunch (brunch for us, but we were in the Eastern time zone now and it was noon, you know, when in Rome!)

We get lunch, return to our gate, only to find that we had a gate change. GATE CHANGE??? How far away? We had 30 minutes to make it to a gate that was 18 minutes away. We ran, Chloe in the Baby Bjorn, Ireland in the sling, and we were running. I hadn’t realized, at this point, that a new gate meant a new plane, that would hit me when we boarded. As we get on the plane, Kimmi notices the seats are a different color, and she tells me, “This is not the same plane.” We pass a family that was on our previous flight, who left their carry-ons on the last plane (we noticed them because of the princess suitcase the daughter had) and they had all of their pink, princess stuff with them. We make it all the way to the back of the plane, and my bag was not there. No where, not under the seat where the flight attendant placed it on the other plane, not in the overhead, no where, no where, no where. I immediately alerted the flight attendant (not the same crew as the first leg) and she stopped the take-off process in order to locate the bag. After many phone calls, a discussion with the pilot (I always feel very important talking to the pilot, etc.) I am told that the lead ground attendant said they had the bag, but couldn’t get it to us by the time we took off, but would have it sent to Baggage Services in Orlando. She told us to go ahead and go to Orlando, and the bag would be there an hour later. Second lesson learned? Don’t trust the Flight Attendant. This was the second one that told me misinformation.

We land in Orlando, I am sick to my stomach, cried out and exhausted. Ireland did finally sleep, but Kimmi had her on this leg and I had Chloe, who also slept, thank the good Lord for miracles! What happens next? Well, I really must get some work done, sorry to leave a cliff hanger, but I’ll continue later today or tomorrow.

Is that bag at Baggage Services, did we meet Aunt Sissy okay, did Ireland ever sleep more than 55 minutes that day? All will be answered next time on, Oh where, oh where did my little bag go?

[Credit Man]

WOW! A cliffhanger!!! Enjoying your report.

[gigi1313]

loving your trip report so far... great writing style... and you have me hooked w/the beautiful family, army wife/daughter, amazing grandkids and the fact that you're headed to disney!! of course the cliffhanger helps too! LOL! looking forwrad to the next installment!

[MagicMe]

You can't stop there!!!! This is a trip report - not a mystery novel!! Keep it coming.

[tc]

Sorry, gotta work. Maybe I can continue this saga at lunch, we'll see. And remember, I'm on Mountain time, so most of you are 1 or 2 hours later than me. Sorry!

[jackdis]

OH noooooooooooo......I feel like it's my bag that's been lost. Hope it turns up.

[kellyb2000]

Oh my goodness! That makes me nauseous just thinking about it.

[belleandthebeast]

Want to hear the rest!

[tammyandtommy]

more more more! This is like soap operas, leave ya hangin for another day

[luvpooh]

TC - I've always loved your trip reports! This one sounds like it's gonna be good too, but don't leave us hanging! :)

[bigmerle1966]

NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!! :sad:

Don't leave us hanging, I've had enough cliffhangers this week and there are more to come. Call in sick to work. :sick:

[OhMari]

Hey TC,
It's OhMari aka Marisa, they made me a Co-moderator Trip Reporter. I've been wondering what you have been up to. I think the last time I posted with you was when you were so devestated with your light blue bug.

Looking forward to your report. Thanks for the updates with everything.

[spokanemom]

I second the "take a day off to finish". Perhaps your employer will understand our needs and let you work on your TR instead! :)

[medicgirl_911]

Great trip report, I am really enoying it! And what a great post 2 weekleave pick me up for your daughter after hubby went back. I really wish someone would have done that for me lol! What a good mom!

[tc]

Okay, we just got off the plane and Kimmi’s phone rings. I had given the lead, ground flight attendant that number, and was hoping it was her. It wasn’t. It was Aunt Sissy, she just arrived from Kansas City and is very excited to see us and get to WDW. I felt bad that I had to shoot her down with our saga. We agree to meet at baggage claim, and head that way.

We arrive at baggage claim, get our two bags (is no one impressed that we have 2 adults, 2 babies and only 2 checked bags!?!?) and the stroller, load up the kiddies and walk over to Baggage Services to see when THE BAG will arrive. They look at me as if I had sprouted green hair from my nostrils. Total confusion and lack of understanding. “You left your carry-on on the plane?!?” “They would have never told you to do that?” After explaining a second time, they look on the computer and find a text message from the lead, ground flight attendant in Atlanta, that she would put the bag on the next flight, if the flight attendants would accept it. It arrives in ½ hour. Finally the green hair from my nose disappeared and we were understanding each other. She advised me to go back through security to the gate, and get my bag personally. Only problem, I don’t have an ID. She asks me who I am traveling with, I tell her my daughter, she asks me if I look like my daughter. I said yes, but I’m 20 years older, no one would believe that pic was me. Well, she would escort me through security, keep the ID in the wallet so as to obsure the pic, and hope that we make it through. Now, if there’s nothing else you know about me, you should know this, I DON’T BREAK RULES, ever. I go the speed limit, always. I come to a full and complete stop at all 4-way stops, even if there are no other cars in the intersection. I don’t cut the tags off the pillows, even though they now say the person who buys it can. So, going through airport security on my daughter’s ID was terribly stressful for me, but I did it. On the way, I see Aunt Sissy heading over to Kimmi, so at least I know they are together and Kimmi isn’t tending two babies alone.

We whizz through security, no bags, no issues, and I head to the gate and wait. The plane arrives, the passengers get off, the flight attendants leave and no bag. I had talked to the gate attendant, and he said he would talk to someone as soon as the plane was empty. He talked to all flight attendants, no bag. He talked to the pilot. Yes, he heard about a bag, but couldn’t hold the plane for it, so he told them to put it on the next flight. It arrives in 1.5 hours. Depressed, nauseous, and feeling really stupid, I tromp to the next gate. I called Aunt Sissy (since I have Kimmi’s phone) and give them the status. Then I call Stephen and cry forever on the phone. We would go through this same scenario 3 more times. I finally give up and return to Baggage Services. It’s now 7:30 p.m., we’ve been at the airport for 5 hours. Ireland is in her second outfit due to a blow-out and Chloe is being wonderful. When I arrive back at Baggage Services, there is a whole new crew there trying to help. I have the copy of the original text message which thrills Kim and Dan, our new helpers. They plunge in anew with phone calls to anyone they can think of. At this point, no one knows where the bag is, or if it’s even in Atlanta. In the meantime, my dear husband has called the Dolphin and told them we would be checking in late. He told them the entire story, and the Dolphin offers to pay for a cab for us to get to the hotel. I had a Mears transfer, paid for, but was unsure if they would honor it since I had not ID or credit card. I went downstairs to talk to Mears, and they did honor it. So, transfers in hand, I head back to Baggage Services. I get every name of every person who helped me, get phone numbers and gave them ours, admitted defeat and headed to the shuttle. It’s now 8:00, the time we were supposed to be eating with Cinderella at 1900 Park Fare. I had completely forgot about it, so didn’t cancel our PS. Bad Diser!!!

We are riding with three other passengers (mom and daughter and a woman business traveler) and can’t help but discuss our situation. They are sympathetic, but clueless as to how to help. While Aunt Sissy is talking to her husband, she gets another call, it’s Michael from Baggage Services/Lost and Found in Atlanta. THEY FOUND MY BAG!!!!! He was looking in it while we spoke. Laptop, check. Two digital cameras, check. AP vouchers, check. Okay, let’s look in th wallet. ID, check. Credit Card, check. Rainforest Café gift cards, check. $120 cash, um, hmm, no, just change. Bummer. But, when you think you’ve just lost over $3,000 worth of stuff, $120 doesn’t seem so bad. Then Kimmi’s phone rings. It’s Baggage Services on Orlando, Kim to be exact. Kim was supposed to get off at 8:00, but stayed late to try some more and was successful. She said the bag will be put into a Delta box, taped up and sent by courier to the Dolphin around 2:00 a.m. Initially, I was told I’d have to pay for it to be sent, but Delta decided to cover the cost.

I praised Jesus, thanked Kim, Dan and Michael and immediately called Stephen. He spent the rest of the evening talking to Delta about the missing cash. We knew the bag never left Delta employees hands and figured the cash was the only thing taken because it was untraceable. We are still dealing with them.

You have no idea the relief I felt on that ride to the Dolphin. Everything had a brighter hue, although the sun was setting. All of the sudden, I was hungry, starved to be exact. We laughed, we played games, and were finally on vacation.

We arrived at the Dolphin around 9:00 p.m. I sent the girls to hang in the lobby and I went to the desk. I spoke to the same girl that Stephen had talked to and she asked if she needed reimbursement for the taxi. I informed her that we took the Mears, and she was a little disappointed. She wanted to spread a little magic. She gave me two keys for my room, and said my suite was ready. Umm, SUITE!! SWEET!!! I verified that it was still the same, amazing rate, my amazing friend got for me, and she said it was. I said, “Wow, I have a really great friend!” She said, “Yes, is amazing, huh?”

So, we head to our sweet, suite, but I didn’t tell the girls about the room. It’s on the same floor as the entrance and only half-way down one hall. Great room. A view of the boat dock for the Swan/Dolphin. We had a room with a king-sized bed and seating area, with small sink area, adjoining a room with two double beds, and the crib was there, free of charge!!! The girls were ecstatic. Lots of room for Ireland to run around and spread out. Well, first things first, food. Do we want to head to Tubbi’s (well, it’s called Picabu now, but it will always be Tubbi’s to me). No, we’re exhausted, so room-service it is. Very good meal. I has the shrimp alfredo pasta, Kimmi had the same w/o shrimp, and Aunt Sissy had a chicken sandwich. Total for food $82, total for a final meal to a very stressful day, priceless.

Thank goodness we were on Mountain time. It’s really only 7:00 for our bodies, but Ireland is needing sleep. She goes down w/o a fuss, Chloe eats and we all head to bed.

Tomorrow we have to head to Shades of Green to buy Aunt Sissy’s tickets, so we are looking forward to seeing parts of WDW we’ve never seen before.

Next installment: Heavy, heavy, heavy!!!

[Grumpy's Wife]

tc I must say that I clicked on this thread thinking it was from horsegirl. Please don't sell yourself short. Your writing is supurb. You have sucked me in. I am so looking forward to hearing the whole saga.

[belleandthebeast]

Thank goodness you found your bag!!! I was stressing just reading it and the saga is already over!

I sincerely admire you for your patience and calm manner. Something like this would have put me over the edge! You are my hero! :teeth:

[janets]

and I probably would have trusted them when they said to leave the bag on the plane, especially with 2 babies in tow. However, when the plane/gate change occurred, there should have been a terminal wide announcement and they should have made sure your belongings got to the right plane. And to find only untraceable cash missing is just awful.

Thankfully the bag and ID are back where they belong. Money is much more easily replaced than identification. Looking forward to hearing more of your girls trip.

And I simply have to comment...looking at the picture of you, and knowing that you and I are about the same age (I turned 43 just about 2 weeks ago) there is no way it's possible. You look fabulous. And to be a mom and grandma, when I'm still trying to convince a 3.5 yo that he needs to ditch the diaper overnight is just blowing me away.

I wish I could look as good as you when I'm that age, but I am :lmao: . Looking forward to the next installment.

[kellyb2000]

Yah! You got your bag! I was stressing over it while reading, too. Just the thought of being in Disney World without my camera is enough to want to go back home. I can't believe they took your cash. :sad2:

[nickelsfamily]

So happy to hear that your belongings were safely returned! I would have been a mess if I had been in your shoes :sad2: ...traveling with kids is stressful enough!!

I can't wait to hear what happens next! Great report so far! :thumbsup2

I can relate to the VW bug loss myself....we have owned many a VW in my family!! Sorry for your loss! :goodvibes

[MagicMe]

Fantastic that you got your bag back (at least it was supposed to be on it's way when you finished your latest installment)! Can't believe you had to spend all that time at the airport tracking it down and actually still had to leave not quite knowing it was save. I would have been a mess!

[Maleficent13]

omg...I am stressed and it's not me, and it's over!! :teeth: I so hope the rest of the trip was an unqualified success...you deserved it!

[Cynt]

I have a direct flight Sunday morning and now I'm paranoid about my checkin luggage. I know, I know BREATHE. OK, OK I'll be OK. But I am getting my own luggage from baggage claim. I was only going to throw an extra change of clothes in a backpack to take w/ me but I think I'll stuff 3 extra days worth of clothes in my carryon and my toiletries (sp?)

[Blueeyes101817]

im so glad that you found your bag!! Ireland has gotten so big ( i remember when you were talking about kimmi being pregnant!) and i was surprised to see Chloe--they are both adorable..cant wait to read more!

[gigi1313]

ohhhhhhh man... i'm sweating that 2am delivery... i sure hope it arrives!! got my fingers crossed... but the title of the thread tells me there's more strife to come... hurry, put life on hold and get typing! LOL! :)

[bigbabyblues]

I'm absolutely loving your report tc! I'm so glad you found our bag, stinks about the cash though, but at least you got everything else.

I was surprised to see Chloe's picture and hear about here. I do remember when Kimmi was pg from the CB.

Looking forward to more!

[WDW Poly Princess]

Wow, what a crazy first day! I'm glad that you got (almost) everything back! That was very cool of the Dolphin to offer to pay for a taxi, too!

[jamal]

Excellent!! Keep it coming and thanks for writing!

Jamal

[GeorgiaAristocat]

Well, I'm glad I didn't find this until the conclusion to the cliffhanger was up. Excellent first editions, can't wait to read the rest (and see the pics hopefully?)

Amy

[fizz13]

Phew, I can breathe again....at least till the next installment anyway :teeth: keep it coming, you talented writer you,
Claire xx

[FSUDisneyGirl]

wow...i am sooo happy you got your bag! i can't wait till you finally get to disney...i'm sure you'll have more exciting stories to tell!

[scarlett873]

Hey tc!! :wave: I was just thinking about you the other day!! Perfect timing for a trip report!!!!!

Ireland and Chloe are just adorable!!

Can't wait to read more about your adventures!

[teentoddlermom]

I have never heard of such a horrible airline baggage mixup. They are completely at fault and should not only give you back your money, but should be giving you additonal compensation for your time and aggravation, a letter of apology outlining the steps they have taken to ensure that something like this never happens to anyone else! I'll never fly Delta again based on reading what they did to you!

[tc]

Heavy, heavy, heavy.

Don't you love the Dolphin. Here's a little pic of the great water fall. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1452.jpg
We slept in today. We deserved it after yesterday. Well, I didn’t sleep in. I had decided when I went to bed the night before, I didn’t want the front desk to call my room at 2:00 a.m. and wake one of the babies. They’d had enough. I went down and talked to them and discussed the contents of the box and if it would be safe. I was assured that it would be put in a safe place, and I could come get it in the a.m. So, that’s what I did, at 7:00 a.m., I went down to bell services to retrieve my bag. Anticipation can be good and bad. We anticipate the birth of a child or Christmas morning, and it fills you with such excitement longing. However, we anticipate a test or our taxes with another feeling, and that’s the one I had. What if it was gone. Why didn’t I get it at 2:00 a.m., what was I thinking? I approached the desk and made eye contact with one of the bellman, and he smiles. That reassuring smile your mom gives you that everything would be all right. He told me I looked a little nervous, and wondered if I was looking for a box from Delta! Relief, yes, relief. Like you feel when you pass that test, or you get a refund instead of having to pay. He gave me the box, and I took it back to my room, the very short walk that it was. I quietly entered the room and opened the box. HALLELUJAH!!!! It was all there (except the $120), but everything else. My AP vouchers, my cameras, ID, credit card, Rain Forest Café gift cards, everything!!!

Ireland woke up shortly after my return, and we decided to hit the World!!! After breakfast, of course. Now, one of the places my husband and I enjoy eating at is Tubbi’s, in the Dolphin. Cafeteria style, but still good. But, it’s been changed to Picabu’s. Picabus’s?? What is that? I don’t know, and I was nervous. We could get our DVC discount there when we were staying on points, and it was quick and easy. Would it be the same. We’ll see. I had a heck of a time finding Picabu’s. The Dolphin is very confusing the get around. Especially since the door you come in from the bus is not the same as the front entrance, and we were on the front entrance floor. After wandering around and around, I finally asked concierge where to go. For you reference, you go to the West Elevators and go down to the 1st floor. We finally arrive, hungry, but we arrived. And we found it to be much the same. A few improvements, and I think a little more expensive, but still, good, fast, hot food.

From here we have to go to Shades of Green. Kimmi and I had AP’s with the DVC discount, but Aunt Sissy did not. She needed two days, and I had done my homework and found it was cheaper to buy it at Shades of Green with Kimmi’s military discount. However, the $5 we saved, was not worth the morning it took to get there. First, a bus to Magic Kingdom. Easily done when your two adults traveling with no kids. Not so easy when you are three adults, one 7 months pregnant, two babies under two and a double stroller. Heavy, heavy, heavy. I was in charge of the stroller, because Kimmi had Chloe in the Baby Bjorn and Aunt Sissy was too pregnant. So, Nana did the stroller lifting. Man, did I say heavy, heavy, heavy. And, cumbersome, and hard to navigate around on a bus. Of course, when we arrived at the bus stop, the first bus to arrive was the MK bus and I still hadn’t figured out how to collapse it and get it on the bus. So, the bus waited. I held up an airplane the day before, now a bus. I was good! Finally, on the bus and to MK. Ireland loved the bus. She would have been happy just to ride the bus all day long.Doesn’t take much to please an 18 month old. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1420.jpg
Wow, can you say crowded? It’s 11:00 on a Thursday, and there are so many people at the turnstiles, Aunt Sissy wondered if they park wasn’t open yet? I was very glad that we were not going there that day. We walked past the crowds and went to the Resort monorail, and zipped over to the Polynesian. The monorail is so much better than the bus. Well, not if you ask Ireland, but Nana did not have to collapse and load that heavy, heavy contraption, that, as of yet, only Ireland rode in. You just push it onto the monorail, leave the child safely belted, put on the brake and you’re on your way. Wonderful.

A quick trip to the Poly, of course first going through the Contemporary and the TTC, and then wondering how to get to Shades of Green. I am not good at asking for directions. Not because I think like a man, no, no, no. I just don’t like talking to strangers, but after the day before, I had lost some of my inhibitions and walked right up to the first bellman I saw. He gave me great directions and off we went. Hot, yes, it was hot. I don’t sweat much, neither does Aunt Sissy, but poor Kimmi was drenched after that walk. Really, not a bad walk, but a bit of a walk. Shades of Green is pretty. Very lush. We found what we needed, bought some things in the BX and headed back to the Poly. We thought about taking a Shades of Green bus, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it, so back to the Poly, monorail to MK, and then a bus back to the Dolphin. We decided to head back to the hotel, let the kiddies nap and then head over to Epcot via the International Gateway. Kiddies a nap, heck, after all that lifting Nana needs a nap.

Next up, we finally get to a park or Can you say Kaki Gori?

[Goobergal99]

I am subbing to this thread, great report. My DBIL is in Iraq as we speak and he too felt pretty worthless before he got there, now he is a new man :thumbsup2 and we are so proud of him. He didn't have a baby out of wedlock though, left that up to his big brother (My DH :rotfl2: )

I can't imagine what your DD must be going through, I think I would cry myself to sleep every night if DH was over there, I already cry every other night just thinking about DBIL :guilty:

[fizz13]

Next time maybe a cab would be better :teeth: Hope you recovered enough to enjoy Epcot,
Claire xx

[tammyandtommy]

LOVE IT! I know how heavy those strollers are! Yes we can say Kaki gori! LOL never had it but it sounds good

[tc]

I am subbing to this thread, great report. My DBIL is in Iraq as we speak and he too felt pretty worthless before he got there, now he is a new man and we are so proud of him.

Yes, Chris has made some amazing changes due to the military. It's been wonderful to watch!!

LOVE IT! I know how heavy those strollers are! Yes we can say Kaki gori! LOL never had it but it sounds good

I can't believe you haven't had Kaki Gori. It's our favorite snack. Inexpensive and sooo refreshing. Make it a point to get some next time you're in the World, Japan to be specific!

Next time maybe a cab would be better Hope you recovered enough to enjoy Epcot,

Yes, in hinds sight, a cab would have been better, but, this trip was all about hinds sight. I learned a lot and will plan differently next time. But, we met some really nice people on the shuttle and were the second drop off, so it wasn't that bad.

Thanks to everyone for enjoying my report. I am having fun reliving this trip! More to come this evening.

[gigi1313]

so far so great!! can't wait to hear more! sounds like you have a lovely family...

but do tell... what is kaki gori?

[tc]

but do tell... what is kaki gori?

What is Kaki Gori? Well, it's sounds so ordinary, you may not even think it's good. But, just taste it. It's a snowcone, really. Shaved ice from Japan, but the flavor is so intense. Our favorite is cherry. It's like biting a fresh, bing cherry, but ice cold. Soooo good, and only $2.50 for one. We have been known to get more than one a day. How many more? Well, my husband had 4 in a day!

[gigi1313]

ooooh, yummmmy! we're a family of frozen drink/sno-cone lovers... sounds perfect for us... gotta add it to the planning spreadsheet! (LOL!) THANKS! :)

[tc]

We are headed back to the Dolphin to nap. Nap? Ireland doesn’t nap the conventional way. She slept just enough in the stroller to invigorate her, so, no nap. We stopped at the room, slathered up with sun screen, loaded up with snacks, drinks, bottles, diapers, etc., and headed over to Epcot through the International Gateway. It’s a lovely walk. Ireland chatted the entire way, noticing ducks, kids, water, boat, you name. It’s just amazing to see WDW through the eyes of an 18 month old. She takes it all in with such joy. Before we can enter, Kimmi and I must activate those precious AP vouchers. How fun was that?!? Just the day before, I thought they were gone forever, now we are activating them. Woo Hoo!!! I also asked about purchasing the DDE card, because I was informed, here on the Dis, that I could go to any Guest Relations and purchase it. Well, for future reference, you can’t. You must call. The cast member was a little annoyed that I asked, but gave me the number to call. I put it in my wallet to use later that day.

Now, time to enter and get some lunch. We are starving and Ireland is asking to eat every time she sees someone with food in their hand. I decide I want Yakatori House in Japan. I love their teriyaki chicken and sukiyaki beef. Kimmi, Aunt Sissy and the girls continue on around to Mexico. As I approach Japan, there is this wonderful storyteller telling a story about one-inch boy. So funny and cute. I hate to say, however, I don’t know remember her name, and I didn’t get a pic!

I met up with the girls and we sat in a great spot by the water behind the Cantina de San Angel (fastfood in Mexico) and had a good lunch. It was a great place to sit down, feed Chloe and let Ireland rest. From here we headed to Future World. We figured that Ireland would enjoy more things there. On the way, we stopped at the interactive fountain between the worlds. Ireland loved it! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1431.jpg She didn’t want to leave. We were there for at least 30 minutes. What a fun time! We stopped at a restroom to change Ireland’s wet clothes, and headed to Mouse Gears and shopped a little. From here we wandered to the Land. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1435.jpg We were hoping for Aunt Sissy and Kimmi to ride Soarin’, even though we didn’t get a fastpass early in the day. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1432.jpgNo luck. There were still fastpasses available, but not until 8:55 that night, and our plans were to head to MGM to watch Fantasmic.

While in the Land, it was time for Chloe to eat again, so we got a seat and had ice cream, Edy’s to be exact, and a rice crispy treat. Ireland loved the ice cream. We thought we take a spin on Living with the Land, but the line looked long, so we just sat and Ireland and I walked around and had fun.

We decide to head back to hotel at this point. Ireland was wilting, so we thought a rest was in order. We took the boat, and Ireland liked that too, and then she fell asleep. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1446.jpg

In the room, Ireland had a little snack, but wouldn’t fall asleep. I called and ordered the DDE and was told, since it was before 5, we could pick it up at Guest Services at the front of Epcot this evening. We really wanted to use it tomorrow at the Kona Café, so we decided to head back to Epcot and pick it up.

We take the boat back. Aunt Sissy’s feet are beginning to hurt. We go into the Land and eat dinner, and ride Living with the Land. You would have thought it was a thrill ride if you looked at Ireland’s face. She’s so easily pleased. Then we head to Guest Relations at the front of the park. Did you know there were two Guest Relations at the front of the park? I went to the one near Spaceship Earth, inside the park. Wrong!!! We needed to head to the one outside the park. We decided since it was purchase in Kimmi’s name, we would stay inside and she could go out and get it. It worked great.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1460.jpg

Then we headed for Japan for that wonderful Kaki Gori. We waited to take the boat across World Showcase lagoon, but by the time we got to the front of the line, there was no room for the stroller. So, we walked. Bummer, but the little (and I mean little, she could barely see over the counter) cast member at the stand, only had enough ice for two snow cones. So, we shared. Then we rushed out of the park. We were unsure how Chloe would handle the noise of the fireworks, and didn’t want to scare her too much. We made it to the turn towards the International Gateway before they started, and Chloe was screaming by the time I rushed into the gift shop at the International Gateway. As soon as we were in and away from the noise, she was fine. During the “globe thing” we walked to the boat, and had a nice trip back to the Dolphin.

What a wonderful day. We didn’t really do much, but we had a great time. Seeing it all through Ireland’s eyes was so much fun.

Tomorrow, we head to MK, first thing. Yippee, Magic Kingdom!!!

[gigi1313]

great installment!! sounds like a nice day for everyone... too bad you did not get to see fantasmic as planned, but hopefully you'll have found another evening for it!

looking forward to the next day and magic kingdom :flower:

[noodles]

Sounds like you had a great day at Epcot! Cant wait to hear more!

[kathymc]

enjoying your reports - I also remember your posts about your daughter on the CB (dont get over their much anymore) and cant believe its been that long and now there is two! how wonderful to be able to enjoy this time with all of your girls! hope the rest of the trip goes smoothly.

[tc]

enjoying your reports - I also remember your posts about your daughter on the CB (dont get over their much anymore) and cant believe its been that long and now there is two! how wonderful to be able to enjoy this time with all of your girls! hope the rest of the trip goes smoothly.

Funny how I was so upset when we found out about Kimmi's pregnancy, but now how I have so much joy when I look at Ireland. She is my heart, and Chloe as well. God has taken a bad choice and made it so, incredibly wonderful.

Thanks to all for reading my report!

[Goobergal99]

Funny how I was so upset when we found out about Kimmi's pregnancy, but now how so much joy when I look at Ireland. She is my heart, and Chloe as well. God hasn't taken a bad choice and made it so, incredibly wondeful.

Thanks to all for reading my report!


I remember thinking my mom would be sooo upset, and I was alot younger then your DD so I also had the added anxiety of assuming my life was over. You know, she kind of surprised me, got a lil upset and then told me there were way worse things in life then having a child young and unmarried.

It all worked out in the end, DH and I will be married a year in June, DD is 7 and doing wonderfully and my mom and I have the strongest bond of any mother and daughter I know. So it's always nice to see when these things work out. I never would have envisioned that things would have turned out so fantastically for me when I was a pregnant teenager, but in the end it all turned out ok :goodvibes

[MagicMe]

Just got up with your latest installment. Can't wait for the next one!

[pjlla]

Impatiently waiting for more!!.............P

[Lovemy3babes]

I'm hooked! You, your daughters and granddaughters are just gorgeous! :) Can't wait to read more!!

[missmun52]

:mad: Thanks alot! Now i am hooked. :earboy2:

But really, your report is great i can not wait to read the next installment. I am so glad to see that things are getting better during the trip my son will be about 20 months when we take him in August so it nice to see how things are going

[tc]

We got up bright and early today. Kids are amazing. We’ve been in Orlando for two days, changed two time zones, and Ireland is awake at 7:00 a.m. (even though our bodies say it’s 5:00 a.m.), on the dot, as if there was no time change at all. The blinds are pulled shut and it’s dark in the room, but, somehow, her little body knows it’s time to get up. So, up and at ‘em. We wanted an early start anyway cuz today is Magic Kingdom!!!! Aunt Sissy said yesterday was fun, but we really didn’t “do” anything, so today we’ll change that.

I had heard to much about Tonga Toast at the Kona Café, we decide to head there for a late breakfast. So, Ireland and I shared some instant oatmeal, Aunt Sissy had some instant breakfast and a protein bar, Kimmi grabbed some granola bars, Chloe ate, well, what babies eat, formula, and we headed out the door.

Down to the bus stop and here comes the MK bus. We’re a little more prepared with the stroller today, but it’s still very heavy and bulky. Why do we have a double stroller when Chloe has been in the Baby Bjorn since we got here?!? Again, Ireland thinks the bus is a ton of fun. Her favorite song this week? The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round. The wheels on the bus go round and round. All day long. She can’t sing it word for word, but she has the melody and All day long, down pat. She’s really funny when she starts in on, The monkeys on the bus bounce up and down, etc. She can be quite the ham!!! We had a fun ride to MK.

We knew we were here for Ireland, so we made a direct path to Fantasyland, via Tomorrowland and the cut through the Noodle Station. Very few people. On our way through Tomorrowland, we ran into Buzz, just as he was coming out. Ireland shouted, “BUZZ!” and we hadn’t even saw him yet. At this point, we were unsure how she would react to actual characters. Would she be scared, timid, etc.? Ireland? Ummmm, no. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1469.jpgBuzz can’t bend over due to his space suit, so I had to hold her up. She was fascinated with him. And, the little giggle she had every time he touched her nose or mouth, was enough to make this Nana cry. And, I don’t cry (amazing what grandkids can do to me!) He was so amazing with her. Going through the nose, eyes, ears ritual (must be what their taught for kids that age). She kissed and hugged and giggled until we had to go, there was a line building. What a wonderful little surprise to run into Buzz. She didn’t want to leave, but she did without incident.

From here we entered Fantasyland, and got in line for Pooh. I wish I had the video camera to film her while on this ride. She was not scared, and loved bouncing with Tigger. Her little “more” sign was non-stop when we got off. From here we walked to Dumbo.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1472.jpg Ireland and mommy rode this one together. Only about a 15 minute wait. Kimmi said when she took Dumbo all the way up, and then dropped it really fast, Ireland laughed out loud. Now, that’s saying a lot for Ireland. She’s a good tempered toddler, and is friendly and smiley, but real laughter is hard to come by. It takes a lot. So, we figured she liked it. Then we headed for It’s a Small World. Stephen won’t go on this ride with me any more. He really dislikes it, so it was a treat to ride it, especially since it’s been recently refurbished. Of course, Ireland loved it!http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1478.jpg

It’s nearing 10:00, and we want to meet the Mouse, so we head to Toontown. I run ahead to get a fastpass for Buzz, but they were not needed, nor were the kiosks un-covered. I met them in Toontown where Ireland was playing on Donald’s boat. We enticed her away with promises of seeing Mickey Mouse. Ireland can recognize any form of Mickey, whether it’s a silhouette, outline, profile, black and white, color, etc. Nana has done a good job of brainwashing this little angel into loving Mickey Mouse. So, we were both excited. The girls thought I was confused when I entered Mickey’s house. There was no sign outside stating the Mouse was here, but a huge sign above the Toontown Hall of Fame. “Shouldn’t we go there?” “I think this is the wrong entrance.” “Girls, girls, girls, who is the Diser here?” Of course we were in the right place. Ireland enjoyed exploring Mickey’s house, looking a the backyard and seeing all the not-so-hidden Mickeys around. Then we arrived in the queue, but it wasn’t too long. We just waited about 5 minutes, and then were in to see the Big Cheese himself. She loved him, of course. Our photopass pic was so cute. This one shows Aunt Sissy’s face saying, “Oh!” at how cute Ireland was with him. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1482.jpg

When we were done with Mickey, we took a few pics of Toontown, then headed out. But, on our way we took a spin on Buzz. I did pretty good, considering I had Chloe in the Baby Bjorn and couldn’t really pay attention to the targets. Aunt Sissy, Kimmi and Ireland were in the car behind me, so I couldn’t really see Ireland. But, they said she had fun.

And, what did Chloe do this entire time? Sleep, of course.

We walked down Main Street USA, enjoying the ambience, listening to the music, and happy that we had such a great morning. We took the monorail to the Kona Café to see if we could snag a table and some Tonga Toast. Then I noticed the time. It was a little after 11:00. I figured by this time, they’d be on lunch. We were pleasantly surprised that they serve breakfast until noon. And what a breakfast it was. Aunt Sissy and I got the Tonga Toast. We each got our own, but we should have shared, and Kimmi got Eggs Benedict and Kona coffee. She stated it the best coffee she’s had in a long time. Smooth, strong and rich. Ireland ate a little of everyone’s meal, and Chloe ate, well what babies eat, formula.

From here we walked to the TTC and took the monorail to Epcot. We were really headed back to our room, but the monorail and walking through Epcot seemed easier to me, than loading that stroller into the bus. Chloe did ride in the stroller and slept like, well, she slept like a baby.

Our plan was to just head straight through, but no one was tired and Crush was calling. Really, we heard in yell, “Dudes!” so we went to see him. The line seemed a little long, but we only waited about 20 minutes and got in. I’d seen this show a number of times, but neither of the girls had seen it yet. We figured Ireland wouldn’t be very interested, since she doesn’t like tv, and we were right. She wasn’t bad, but spent most of the time playing peek-a-boo with the biker guy behind us. Considering her Papaw is a biker dude, they had an instant connection. He enjoyed it too, I think.

Then we made a loop around World Showcase lagoon for a Kaki Gori, of course, and headed back to the hotel. Ireland has not slept since she got up this a.m. She got relaxed in the stroller on the boat, but no nap. Good, now she’ll take a hearty nap. Nope. She put her in the crib, pulled the curtains, and told her good night. She played for an hour, singing The Wheels on the Bus and talking about Buzz. Can you say, “Over-stimulation?” We finally gave up, and got her up.

We were headed to Downtown Disney to eat at Rainforest Café. We used the gift cards I’d earned on mypoints.com, that weren’t taken during our airport fiasco.

Guess what? Ireland fell asleep on the bus. Her favorite ride put her to sleep too! Aunt Sissy held her while we waited for a table, about 20 minutes. So, the 20 ride plus 20 minute wait, Ireland got a 40 minute nap. Not bad for an 18 month old that’s been up since 7:00 a.m.!!! Dinner was great. We all enjoyed it, and Ireland loved the thunderstorm, every time it happened.

We wandered around Downtown Disney, ending up at the World of Disney store. I really wanted to see the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. Man, was it crowded. Really hard to maneuver that stroller. I was also looking to replace my ratty purse. It looks like a Coach bag, but has Mickey heads as the design. I love it, but it’s about 3 years old and looking sad. Nothing I liked, so we head to the watch and jewelry room. This is my favorite room in this store. But, it’s busier here than the previous room, so I take the stroller out and head to see the boutique. Kimmi and Aunt Sissy remain in the jewelry room. Out of character for them, since they don’t really wear Disney jewelry, but I didn’t question it.

The Bibbity Bobbity Boutique was closed, but you can see inside. It was very cute. I can see Ireland, Chloe and baby #3 (we call her Gus right now) wanting to go here in a few years. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1509.jpg The girls met me here, and we shopped for an outfit each for Ireland and Chloe (Ireland tried on a crown or two, too.) Finding and purchasing some cute things, we head out.

Kimmi’s feet are killing her. No matter how good her shoes are, how broken in, how comfy, she will get blisters at WDW. I told her to buy Crocs before we left, but she didn’t. Aunt Sissy did, and she as fine. So, we go into Summer Sands and see if we can find anything that will work. They had fake Crocs, so she got some. Verdict? I’ll tell you later.

We wander back out, and look for a bathroom, after looking through Basin. When I came out, the girls had a funny look on their face and told me to sit down. The gave me my early Mother’s Day present. I had always wanted a Mother’s ring, but they could never find what I wanted, a real opal (Kimmi’s birthstone) and an amethyst (Aunt Sissy’s birthstone.) That would have been expensive. Instead, they gave me an Italian charm bracelet with both girls stones, their spouses, Ireland and Chloe’s and future Gus’s stones. It also had Steve’s birthstone, since it came with the bracelet. I was touched, crying again. Such a sweet present, and a big surprise. Weird!!! Aunt Sissy also told us the new baby’s name. They weren’t going to tell anyone until she was born, so, if someone didn’t like it, they didn’t have to hear it. (Kimmi got a ton of grief for the name Ireland.) I can’t tell you the name, it’s top secret!!! I think my girls got great joy in seeing their otherwise stoic mother, blubbering like a baby, in the middle of Downtown Disney. What a great memory that made!

It was late, so we headed to the bus stop, stopping to take a few pics on the way. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1513.jpg

I don’t count myself a great photographer, but this one is pretty good, huh? http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1514.jpg

Tomorrow we say good-bye to Aunt Sissy (at 5:20 a.m.) and head to Animal Kingdom

[MagicMe]

thanks for the latest update :thumbsup2. Great as usual! Can't wait to hear more...

[dabute]

Love, love love this report!! I can't wait for the next update. :cheer2:

[fizz13]

What a wonderful present the girls gave you, I'm crying for you :goodvibes, looks like Ireland had a great day,
Claire xx

[noahynav]

Such a great a report!!! I love it! You and your girls are such a beautiful family!

[SandraVB79]

Great report, I enjoy it a lot!

I also have a question about Crocs. I think they look absolutely ugly, but if they are really as comfortable as they claim to be, I might consider buying a pair: are they really that comfy? Really really?

[kellyb2000]

Awwww - I want to know the baby's name!!!!

[tc]

Thanks for the compliments. I am enjoying writing this report.

What a wonderful present the girls gave you, I'm crying for you , looks like Ireland had a great day,

I was so moved by their present. I love gifts that take thought, and this one did. And, yes, Ireland had a great day. She still talks about it.

I also have a question about Crocs. I think they look absolutely ugly, but if they are really as comfortable as they claim to be, I might consider buying a pair: are they really that comfy? Really really?

Aunt Sissy had the flip flop Crocs, and loved them all weekend. As for Kimmi's fake Crocs? Don't waste your money on the fakes!

Awwww - I want to know the baby's name!!!!

Sorry, I have been sworn to secrecy. I know someone on the Dis, that knows my daughter, and she'd kill me for letting the cat out of the bag. I'll let you know mid-July after she's born, really!!!

[missmun52]

Loved your report!! cant wait to read the next installment.

And i agree, the fake crocs are no good. I bought the ones from sears (they seemed good in the store, almost like the real crocs) once i got home i put them on and did not take them off, me feet hurt just from being in the house. They were not the hard ones either. Now i am going to invest in the real things; hope those do better.

[gigi1313]

real crocs are great... almost as great as this trip report! :)

[6ofus2]

I'm lovin' this trip report! :thumbsup2

[tc]

Aunt Sissy had to meet the Mears shuttle at 5:40 a.m. So, we quietly got up and got ready, and walked the 50 steps out to the front entrance. Did I tell you I love this room? A tearful goodbye. The next time I see Aunt Sissy, she’ll be having her baby. It’s stinks that she lives in Topeka, and we live in Colorado!

Once back in the room, there was no way I was going back to sleep. Once I’m up, I’m up. So, I quietly shower and get ready, then make my way to Picabu’s for milk and donuts. When I get back, Ireland is up and wondering where Aunt Sissy was. She looked everywhere, but finally came to the conclusion that she was gone. We ate, got the kids dressed, Kimmi showered and down to the bus stop at 9:30, a little later than planned, but missing that one set of hands made quite a difference.

We were headed to Animal Kingdom. We really weren’t planning of riding much, mostly picture taking (remember reason #1 for going) and letting Ireland explore the animals, which she loves. A bus quickly arrived as soon as we got there, but it was a Magic Kingdom bus. Then Downtown Disney, then Magic Kingdom, etc. This went on for awhile. Finally an AK bus arrived, only to be too full for our mega stroller to fit, so we wait some more. An hour later, no AK bus. We finally decided to walk to the Boardwalk, since Ireland was getting antsy, and try our luck there. The busses usually stop there first, so if an AK bus did arrive, at least we’d have room.

We finally boarded a bus at the Boardwalk at 11:15, an hour and 45 minutes after we started trying to find a bus. This was the first time we had trouble. So, we arrive at AK ready to eat. And decide to try the Flametree Barbeque. My husband is not a barbeque fan, so I’ve never eaten here. Another good thing about eating at AK, is that it’s about the only place we can use the DDE card and get 20% off. I find a table down a winding path, tucked away, not far from the water and we have a wonderful meal. Chloe sleeps and Ireland devours my chicken. Then we head toward Africa. Our main goal is the baby station, so Chloe can eat in air conditioning, and, on the way, Ireland falls asleep. So, we go in, and Kimmi feeds Chloe, Ireland sleeps and I go out and take some great pics.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1532.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1545.jpg
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I return in ½ hour to find Ireland still sleeping, Chloe sated and Kimmi enjoying the air conditioning. We walk out and head toward Asia, via Harambe. When Ireland wakes up, we are nearing Expedition Everest, but the fastpasses are all gone and the stand by line is over an hour long. Bummer. We didn’t figure either of us would get to ride it, but we were kind of hoping. The theming of this area is so cool. You really feel like you’ve stepped out of space and landed smack dab in the middle of a village at the foot of Mt. Everest. Really cool.

We continue walking around and end up in Dinoland U.S.A. Kimmi and Ireland ride Triceratop Spin, and Ireland, of course, loves it. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1573.jpgNext up? A Mickey bar. I love these little treats. They taste so good when you’re hot and sticky. As you can see, Ireland loved it too.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1576.jpg

By now, I’ve taken all the pics I need here, so we decide to head over to Magic Kingdom. Ireland already had a nap, over an hour, so we’re good to go. We go through the stroller aerobics, sit down and enjoy the drive.

Upon arrival at MK, Chloe is hungry, but the Share a Dream Come True parade has started. We make it to the baby center by the Crystal Palace. I feed Chloe, and Ireland and Kimmi watch the parade. Ireland saw Alice in Wonderland, and was convinced it was Aunt Sissy. She ran out and Kimmi had to catch her. No pics of her interaction with the characters here, since I was with Chloe, but Kimmi said Ireland had a ball, and danced the entire parade.

When I first arrived at the baby center, it was empty and peaceful. However, as soon as the parade was over, it was likes ants on a log, kids everywhere. I’m sorry, but this was no place to let your kids run amuck. Poor Ireland got knocked over, sat on, things thrown at her. Where were the parents? Changing younger kids, feeding younger kids, etc. Hello, can’t someone else watch the older ones? Ireland handled it well, and we left as soon as both were changed and fed. Man, I was exhausted by the time we left there.

We wandered Adventureland and Kimmi purchased herself a t-shirt. She had been so cautious to slather Ireland and Chloe with sunscreen and keeping them in the shade, but she neglected to put some on herself, and she was crispy. So, a lightweight t-shirt was in order. We continued through Adventureland, and Kimmi and Ireland tried the Tiki Birds. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1610_edited.jpg Ireland didn’t like it. Well, it’s not that she didn’t like it, she just didn’t really notice it. Kimmi said the entire show she played with Kimmi’s hair. Kind of a waste of time. While they were in the Tiki birds, I got some great pics and, what did Chloe do? She slept, but this time in the stroller. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1586.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1595.jpg

We walked to Frontierland, and noticed Ireland was really quiet. Low and behold, the little angel was asleep again. Two naps in one day, wow!! More picture taking ensued. Then we saw Jessie. Now, there was one character that we knew Ireland would love, and that is Jessie. Ireland’s room, at Nana’s house, is western themed. We figured that could be pretty unisex, if any of my future grandkids were boys. We purchased a small Jessie doll, to put on a shelf, but it spends most of the time with Ireland. She loves Jessie. She doesn’t watch tv, but reads books and plays with toys. Her Jessie doll is her favorite, so we knew she would love meeting her. However, Ireland was sound asleep. And, you know what they say, “Don’t wake a sleeping lion, er, I mean baby.” So, we walk right past Jessie and didn’t tell Ireland what she missed. Onto Fantasyland with more picture taking. A few pics of the inside of the castle (I sure wish we could see more, but it's all blocked off due to Cinderellabration!)http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1659.jpg,http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1657.jpg but first a quick pic of the Cinderella fountain behind the castle. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1656_edited.jpgAnd then we continued on a little path to the left of the castle as you’re heading out. I’d never been here before, and it as really nice. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1662.jpgWe stumbled on Belle’s Fairytale Garden and took some pics. I’d always wanted to find this little theater, but had never taken the time, and here it was. As we emerged from this little path, Cinderellabration started. We stood and watched (of course, taking pics http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1670.jpg) while Ireland continued to sleep. She woke up after about 5 minutes, but was not interested on the show. We were getting hungry, and Kimmi wanted the Kona Café one more time, so we headed that way.

Monorailed on over, http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1687.jpgput our name in and had about a 20 minute wait. There was a singer/guitar player entertaining the crowd and we really enjoyed listening. Ireland danced, Chloe ate and we relaxed. Then our little flying saucer flashed and vibrated to signal that our table was ready.

What a nice dinner, and 20% off thanks to the DDE card. From here we headed to Epcot, via the monorail (you know, anything to avoid the bus!) It was nearing 9:00, so we were just going to walk through, which we did. Then we took the boat back to the Swan/Dolphin. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1688.jpg

This was such a fun day, but we didn’t really do much. Ireland got plenty of rest, I took a ton of pics, and we enjoyed the ambience that is Disney. Kimmi’s feet really, really hurt by this night. The fake crocs didn’t help much and she had huge blisters. I felt bad for her since I never have feet issues at WDW. She was happy to put her feet up when we got back to the room.

What’s up for tomorrow? Well, we have to go home, but our Mears shuttle doesn’t come until 4:00 p.m., so we’ll hit MGM in the a.m. Stay tuned for the cutest pics you’ve ever seen in a Disney trip report!!!

[missmun52]

love the report!! :thumbsup2

[OhMari]

It is so nice reading your report TC.

I'll be going next Easter and I can't wait-I'm having a split stay and one place is at BWV's.

[richard_andmel]

I've really enjoyed your report. :)

[scarlett873]

More! More! More!!

The girls are just adorable...can't wait to see pics of the next grandbaby!!!

[Grumpy's Wife]

Great report. The picture of Ireland eating the Mickey Bar :mickeybar is priceless.

[Arielt]

Just subscribing!

[teentoddlermom]

1 and 1/2 hours for a bus?! That is unacceptable... I would have gone to the front desk and asked them to call transportation to find out where it was, or asked the bus driver who did pull up to radio that you have been waiting longer than the suggested 20 minutes max that Disney says is the max wait! Did you complain?

[tc]

Thanks for reading.

No, we didn't complain. Should have, but didn't think of it. It was a good day, anyway!

[heaven2dc]

I finally am subscribing after passing up your report for days and I'm SO glad I read it!! What a beautiful group of young ladies (from Nana all the way down to Chloe) - so wonderful that you got to enjoy some WDW magical time after your rough start. I felt so terrible for what happened at the airport but the gift from your daughters was priceless :love:

Can't wait for more!

[tc]

It’s Sunday morning, our last day. I can’t believe what started as the worst trip of my life, has ended as one of the best. Sharing it with my girls, and Ireland (and the sleeping Chloe), was more than I could have imagined.

But, enough reminiscing, we have a theme park to explore. We hadn’t made it to MGM, and that’s where we were headed today. We didn’t have to catch the Mears shuttle until 3:30 that afternoon, so we had quite a bit of time to explore.

First things first, though. We had to shower, get ready, eat, pack, take our luggage to bell services, and get to MGM. We had to be checked out by 11:00 a.m., I honestly didn’t think we’d make it. Boy, did I miss Aunt Sissy this morning! However, 10:45 found us heading the 50 steps to bell services. We did it and in record time. Checking out was a little difficult due to the swarms of conventioneers from Nestle, none of which spoke English. I wanted to give the front desk my Starwood number to get credit for this stay, but the line was more than I wanted to wait for. We went to the elevators, to go down to get the boat, but there were so many of the same, light blue shirted conventioneers by the elevators. They all wanted to go up, we wanted to go down, but we wanted to go down. However, we could not get to the elevators, and they didn’t understand when we said, “Hold that down elevator!” Finally, someone in a downward elevator heard us, held it and let us on. Man, crazy.

From here we headed to the boat for a leisurely ride to MGM. We arrived around 11:00 and entered, with no wait at security. We enjoyed taking picshttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1694.jpg of the main entrance, and walk straight through to the big hat. There were a number of characters doing meet and greets, but they all head big lines, so we bypassed them. We walked down the avenue in front of the Sci Fi Diner, hoping to spot Sully or Mike, but no luck.

We took some great pics of the Streets of America, Lights, Motors, Action http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1703.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1697.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1698.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1702.jpgand then proceeded over to the Pizza Planet, in hopes that we’d see Jessie. Yeah!!! There she was, along with Buzz and Woody. Ireland was beside herself. She couldn’t get out of her stroller fast enough. You’d thought Jessie was Aunt Sissy as excited as she was so see her. There was no line, and that was a good thing, because Ireland ran to Jessie, arms outstretched, so fast we didn’t even get a pic of that. Here are some great pics of her interaction with Woody and Jessie. Like I said, the cutest pics you’ve ever seen here on the Dis! Jessie and Woody were both so good with her; getting on the ground, talking sign language, etc. What a bit of pixie dust we experienced on our last day.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1716_edited.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1715.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1717.jpg
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She said hi to Buzz, but every time she was done, she’d run back to Jessie. She did stop to salute the green army men, her daddy really loves this pic. Thank goodness there were barely any kids there to see them. I went to a gift cart and bought Ireland a “real” Jessie doll that talked and had a hat. She was very excited and wanted to show Jessie, but by the time I got it out of the box, Jessie had to go. Ireland was very sad, but enjoyed playing with the new doll. That doll, btw, has become her very favorite toy.

Kimmi and I both decided that this little interaction with Jessie was worth the trip to WDW. If that was all that happened, it would have been deemed a success.

From here we took a few more pics and then decided we needed to eat. Turning the corner, we saw Mama Melroses. We didn’t figure they had availability, but Kimmi asked. Wonder of wonders, they had space and got us right in. We had a great lunch, and really enjoyed our server who loved Ireland. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1721.jpgSorry, don’t remember his name, but he was very good. Chloe ate too, and then we decided we’d better start making our way back. We continued to take more pics, http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/kingkelli/IMG_1719.jpgand shopped a bit, then caught a boat back to the Dolphin.

I picked up the luggage from baggage services, and we went to the bathroom to clean up, change diapers, etc. Then we hung in the lobby, took more pics, and waited for our pick-up time.

Our shuttle arrived, well, more like a cargo van. It was a handicapped equipped van, with just one seat, and after he got our two bags and stroller, deemed it “overloaded” and called dispatch to tell them he was headed straight to the airport. Score!!! No other pick-ups.

We arrived, checked in and made it through security without any problems and just in time. Just in time to wait. It seems there was fog in Atlanta, where we were getting our connection, so the flight was delayed. Delayed by about ½ hour. We boarded, and then sat on the run way another 45 minutes. We weren’t concerned about our connecting because we had a 2 hour layover, but there were others that were sweating it.

No reason to sweat it for anyone, because most flights leaving Atlanta were delayed, even ours. When we boarded the train that would take us to our next gate, our flight was delayed from 9:30 to 10:15. When we got off the train, and got to our gate, our flight was delayed until 11:30. Not fun. We finally took off around midnight. Ireland was a peach, playing with Jessie, entertaining other delayed passengers and being cute. We put both girls into their pajamas while we waited Ireland hadn’t slept except from the hotel to the airport, and was still awake. I was a little nervous that she would remain awake until we got to Denver. No problems, she was asleep before take off, and slept until the next morning. Not even waking when we got off the plane, went to baggage pickup, met Papaw and walked to the car. We put her in her car seat, drove the 45 minutes home, took her out and put her in her bed. No waking. Unbelievable, but a very welcome change. Chloe? She slept at the airport, on the plane and all the way home.

I had Monday off work to recover from the trip. Good thing because we got home at 3:00 a.m. Tuesday we woke up to Ireland and the stomach flu, not fun. There’s nothing worse than a 1 ½ year old throwing up and not understanding what’s happening. Papaw caught it Thursday, Nana got it Saturday (20 hours of throwing up every hour; I know, TMI) and Kimmi woke up Mother’s Day morning with it. She had to miss Chloe’s dedication at church, with me and Steve standing in. We took lots of pics for her.

We are now rested, recovered and looking forward to our week long trip the second week of January in a 2 bedroom Villa at the Boardwalk with Kimmi, Chris, Chloe and Ireland, Aunt Sissy, Uncle Matt and cousin Gus, and Papaw and Nana. I am very excited to spend a week at my most favorite place on earth with my most favorite people on earth.

[bigbabyblues]

What a great day to end your trip, if there is such a thing! Those pics of Ireland are absolutely gorgeous, just precious! Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

[noahynav]

Thank you for the wonderful trip report. I truly enjoyed reading it. :goodvibes

[OhMari]

Those pictures of Ireland with Jesse and Buzz are priceless. I would of been crying in my camera and unable to take the picture and also the one with her saluting.

Thanks for sharing your report with us. Doesn't the stomache flu suck. My dd-16 had it for the first time in her entire life-my husband was like-DO SOMETHING FOR HER! There is absolutely nothing you can do except let it run its course.

I'll be staying at a BWV next Easter with my husband. Can't wait.

[missmun52]

wonderful report, thank you for sharing.

Sorry about the virus. Its horrible, i got it last year for the first time and went to VA to visit the in laws sick as ever (Its a 8-10 hour trip but i was so sick we had stop half way and stay in a hotel). I thought i had food posining but when my brother in law, mother in law, husband then father in law got it i soon came to realize what it really was. Strange thing though my son (9 months at the time) did not get it, the only one.

[Grumpy's Wife]

Wonderful report. It is never fun getting sick, :sick: but the timing was pretty good. Just think if that stomach bug got you in Disney. Glad you had a great time with the girls. I'll be looking for the next report about your stay at the Boardwalk. :thumbsup2

[kellyb2000]

You were right - those are the cutest pictures!!! I LOVE how they got down on her level with her. That place really is magical, isn't it?!

What a great trip for you guys. Thanks for sharing it with us!

[tc]

Thank you, everyone, for reading. I am not a novelist, but I just wanted to show how a trip to WDW with two babies can be fun. Even though we did not ride one adult ride. I wouldn't have changed a thing (well, maybe the airport/lost bag fiasco). But, everything else was magical. Already planning January 07!!!!

[kathymc]

awwww! those were so cute - and the salute - precious!

thanks for sharing

[janets]

Loved the entire report and am so glad that what could have been a disaster turned into a wonderful trip.

The pictures are wonderful. I love the ones w/ Ireland and Woody/Jessie. I can totally relate to the excitement of a little one. Our first trip w/ our oldest son (he was just shy of 3 at the time) we came around the turn near Al's Toy Barn and saw Woody and Buzz. These were at the time his all time favorite characters and he started screaming at the top of his lungs "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz" all the time almost shaking with excitement. There was a line and it was our first day, I was unprepared (no autograph book, no pen) and he was literally going to have a breakdown. Buzz put up his hand, stopped the line and walked over to Jason, knelt down and started "talking" with him. I think at that moment, he would have died a happy camper. We got on the line and waited for a full visit and some kind parent gave me a piece of paper for an autograph. I agree that if nothing else was done the whole time, that would have been worth the trip.

Thank you for sharing your girls visit with us. I just know your family trip in January will be just as wonderful.

Best wishes to Sissy on the impending birth of your new granddaughter and a big thanks to Chris for serving our country.

[1moredisneyfan]

Thanks for the entertainment. I enjoyed looking forward to each installment. You need to take another trip soon. LOL.

[Hygiene99]

Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

Loved it.

Peter

[DebIreland]

Oh my!! Those photos are just stunning!! Incredibly sweet!! I just found your thread so I skipped straight to the photos on page 7 - will go back now to read the report. Just blown away by the pics!

You're a grandmother?!!! My goodness, what's your secret!! You look about 25!

I love your GD's name by the way! ;)

[MagicMe]

Thanks for the wonderful report! Loved it!

[tiki23]

Those pics are absolutely priceless! What a little doll Ireland is. I'm just amazed at the way she so unabashedly enjoyed the characters.

[Olallamom]

Thanks for sharing your special trip with us. It makes me excited for my special girls only trip with my sister in October.

[tc]

I am so amazed that so many people read my report. I am glad you all enjoyed it. My secret to looking young? Good genes and many trips to WDW!

[Maleficent13]

Just wanted to chime in to say what a great report...and those pics are priceless. I am so glad it all worked out for you after your rough beginning!