"It all started with a whopping price error…” 10/24 The Perfect Storm of Opportunity

[A&Bmama]

I have never done a trip report. No need, we have never had a trip before. I have decided to do a trip report of our Feb 2009 trip. You will see why I didn’t feel like doing it before now as the story unfolds.

The first installment will be picture free. I don’t have as many pictures as I would have liked (more on that later) and I just want to get the first installment written without having to tackle learning how to post pictures. I promise that I will post some pictures in upcoming instalments.

The title is “It all started with a whopping price error…” That’s not really true. It started much earlier. I would like to start at the beginning but I am not sure where that is so please forgive me if I jump around a little bit.

First of all the crew: there is me, Mama 43, Dada 46, DS turning 16 at the world, DD 9

One sunny Saturday morning when DS was about 4 years old Dada and he were talking over breakfast and somehow the conversation turned to Disney World, DS did not know that such a place existed and sat rapturously listening to Dada tell him how much fun it was and all the things he could recall from his sketchy memories of his 2 day trip to MK and Epcot in 1988.

Then it happened. Just like a car accident everything was in slow motion. It seemed like I should be able to stop it but for some reason I was paralyzed. I watched Dada’s lips moving the words were coming out. I wanted to stop them. I tried to say something but somehow I was mute. “We are going to take you there someday.” DS’s face lit up with joy. All I could do was temper it by saying. “It is very expensive to go there so we will not be going for a few years.

You see waaayyy back when I was a kid my father told me that we were going to take a trip across Canada. I was excited!! We grew up in a time and place where if you got in the car to travel 30 minutes to spend the day at the beach it was a BIG FREAKIN DEAL. I couldn’t wait to tell my friends. What I didn’t know was the difference between plans and dreams. This was a dream, one that was never fulfilled. I swore when I had kids I wouldn’t make any promises I couldn’t keep. Don’t get me wrong I don’t bear any ill will toward my Father for this. He didn’t know I would take it so seriously. I was more of a “note to self, kids take these things seriously, be very VERY careful” kind of moment.

To borrow a phrase from Zzub, I am “economically disciplined.” What does that mean? It means that I don’t buy things on credit card. I don’t buy designer when Old Navy will do. When I go to the grocery store I buy whatever is on sale and plenty of it so that I have enough to last until the next sale. Do I use coupons? Why yes I do and am proud of it. In short I try to stretch my dollars as far as I can and above all else I don’t spend money I don’t have. I have been living this way long long before it became fashionable. Problem with a trip to Disney is we don’t have the money!

Worse, I don’t foresee having the money any time soon. At that point we had a vague notion that we would be adding to the family. I had just started a new career. As a newbie without experience my salary was paltry. My salary paid the child care costs, my meagre work wardrobe and transportation (bus). What was left over afterwards was laughable. But I was working hard and learning and I knew that it was only a matter of time until I started making better money.

None of this matters. The words were uttered. The wheels were set in motion. No matter how long it took, we would one day go to Disney World.

So the years pass. We welcome DD into the world. I am making better money but I now have to pay double the childcare so still I am not seeing much more. More years pass and it is decided that since DS is a teen it will have to be 2008 or 2009. In 2008 we decide that we can swing it financially. DH and I (mostly me) excitedly start planning the trip.

Before I book anything we get the news that my Mother will need major surgery. Surgery is scheduled for early December 2007. She will need to spend a few weeks (turned into more than a month) in hospital. In total it will take about 6 months to recover. There is no way I am planning a trip now. My father is older now and very hard of hearing and like many men of that era, completely useless around the house. On top of this I have only one sibling; he is disabled still living at home with my parents. It will fall on me to keep their household as well as my own running. At the same time I will be taking care of my mother’s needs and be the primary family contact for her care at the hospital. On top of this it is Christmas. Santa has to come no matter how busy he is…

As if this were not enough the powerful drugs that they are giving Mom for pain is messing with her mind. She is very anxious and my normally cool calm and collected Mother is highly agitated when I am not there. We fear on several occasions that she will begin to rip out tubes and demand to be discharged. When I am there she feels safe and is calm. Once she is calm she sleeps, since she was too anxious to let herself sleep when I wasn’t there. Somehow we both make it through all of this. My enthusiasm for planning a Disney trip did not…


Up next: The WHOPPING online price error sends my Disney enthusiasm SOARIN!!!!

PS. If you would like to hear more could you please post a reply. I feel like I need the encouragement.

[Disneymoon09]

i must hear more. I myself am the opposite of you. i spend like there is no tomorrow, and it quickly caught up to me after i grad. college. I cannot find a job, and yet the student loan companies still want their money back. go figure. :)

[hucifer]

Your title sucked me in. I am very curious to hear how your trip goes, because of all the teasers you put in the first post.

Great start!

[A&Bmama]

i must hear more. I myself am the opposite of you. i spend like there is no tomorrow, and it quickly caught up to me after i grad. college. I cannot find a job, and yet the student loan companies still want their money back. go figure. :)

Thanks for reading.

The "econically disiplined" thing is both a blessing and a curse.

I know many would love to be walking around in my debt free shoes. At the same time all the lessons and habits you form that get you there are hard to let go of. I have a hard time spending a lot of cash on non necessities. Once I do spend the money there is always a little bit of guilt in the back of my mind that maybe it would have been more responsible to put that money in our retirement fund or the kids education fund or home improvements. I would love to be able to turn the resposible part of my brain off every now and again and just let go and enjoy.

And sometimes I do just that as you will see later in the trip report.

[A&Bmama]

Your title sucked me in. I am very curious to hear how your trip goes, because of all the teasers you put in the first post.

Great start!


Thanks for reading.

Now that I know I have an audience I'll get to work on the second instalment.

[hucifer]

Now that I know I have an audience I'll get to work on the second instalment.

Please do! And once you get a few more installments in, you'll get more readers. Don't worry. ;)

[girlfriend]

I'm in! You are great at this! I too am economically disciplined but on a scale of 0 being no discipline and 10 being you, I probably fall at a 4 :)

Can't wait to hear more!

[raider97]

Love your title! Got me hooked. Can't wait to read more. :)

Stephanie

[A&Bmama]

The WHOPPING online price error sends my Disney enthusiasm SOARIN!!!!

When we last left off our 2008 fizzled when my Mom got sick. In March of 2008 I spotted a fantastic one day anniversary seat sale with WestJet from Halifax to Toronto (we’re Canadian in case you didn’t pick-up on that already). I called DH at work and asked what he thought of taking the kids to Toronto for a few days and going to Canada’s Wonderland (similar to 6 flags) and Niagara Falls. I figure this will give them something to look forward to and be a good dry run for Disney. He says sure. Due to our “economic discipline” we are due to pay off our mortgage in July that year so I plan a 4 day 3 night trip to Toronto at the end of June as an early celebration. We had fun and I learned one very valuable lesson.

My family is too big to fit comfortably in the average hotel room! Since my son is 15 and my daughter is 8 they do not want to share a bed. Who can blame them. This leaves me sharing with DD and DH and DS in the other bed. Even though I made sure that I booked a hotel with 2 queen beds rather than 2 double, no one was exactly pleased with the sleeping arrangement. Also we had too many clothes not enough space to keep them. What would I do when I was packing for 7 nights? None of us liked that it had to be lights out at DD bedtime. We didn’t want to go to sleep. So decision made. I would book a suite (offsite I can’t/won’t pay for a suite onsite) when we went to Disney.


I start researching accommodations and there are a few places that I am interested in but nothing has me that excited. Then I see an ad for the Disney buy 4 get 3 free deal. Maybe we will stay onsite after all. I check WestJet vacations for a package to Pop Century for a week and the prices are really reasonable. Quite a bit less than what I had been budgeting for the trip. And we will be going during the dates that they are offering the bonus $200.00 gift card.

In the back of my mind the whole space issue kept nagging at me. I know this resort has double beds. We didn’t like having to share Queen beds. But then I would think we will just be sleeping there. We will be spending all of our time at the parks. Then it dawns on me 1) I can afford to spend more due to the deal. 2)If I book 2 rooms I am paying for 8 room nights and getting 2 gift cards to boot. It more than makes up for paying for one extra room night. This promotion is making it possible for me to stay onsite with all the space I need and stay on budget. I am stoked!

I am in a full on planning frenzy. I am online with WestJet Vacations all day playing with different scenarios dates types of tickets etc. I don’t actually book though because I want 8 day tickets and for some reason you can only book the 7 day tickets. I call WestJet and they tell me that due to the promotion I can only buy the 7 day tickets. I still don’t book because I want to see if there is anyway I can upgrade the tickets.

I find one thing really irritating about the WestJet vacations site. When I am booking one room I get all of the resorts options sorted in order of cost, least expensive first. When I switch to 2 rooms it keeps giving me Animal Kingdom Lodge first with the “add on” cost for it. Surely they must have thought that if you have enough cash to spend on 2 rooms you don’t mind blowing some more on upgrading the resort. I was having none of that, 2 rooms at Pop would be fine for us Thank You Very Much.

My curiosity got the better of me. I decided to check out what the total cost would be for AKL with room tickets and all. I knew it would be high, come on 2 rooms at AKL… But lets just take a look at it.


HOLY GUACAMOLE BATMAN!!!!!!!!!!


UMMM the “add on price” that I looked at wasn’t the add on… It was the cost… It kept “irritatingly” coming up first because it was the cheapest option. For some reason when I switched from one room to two rooms the price for AKL went down. A LOT!

Ok the price they are quoting me is $3800.00 CAD (converts to about 3300.00 USD during that time frame) Here is what I am getting for that price:


February 24th to March 3rd
Direct flights from Halifax to Orlando for 4
Full size rental car for 7 days
2 Standard view rooms at AKL
2 X $200.00 gift cards
7 day base tickets for 4


You are kidding me. That is phenomenal. It would have cost me more for the same thing at POP. You. Know. I . am booking that. I run for my credit card it is getting close to midnight on a Friday and I don’t know how the sales work but I am not taking any chances that this is over today. I am shaking as I fill everything in and book it. Since I am getting such a deal I decide that I will upgrade my tickets to park hoppers which adds almost $300.00 to the bill when you factor in taxes and exchange. Then I notice that, NO WAY, It says something about the quick service dining plan. I wasn’t planning on booking a dining plan, it is already cheaper than POP for a deluxe resort it can’t include the dining plan too…

BUT IT DOES. I am just about throwing up I am so excited at this point. I finish the transaction just as quickly as my shaking fingers will allow and note that I got in before midnight with 3 minutes to spare,

There is some mistake here. I don’t know what kind of glitch they have in their system, but I know it has got to be one. I dread getting a phone call tomorrow telling me that I can’t have the trip for that price because it was an error so I try not to get too excited but it isn’t working. I go to my e-mail to read the confirmation that they sent it lists everything that I am getting including the dining plan and then I see the magic phrase “paid in full”

The deal doesn’t disappear at midnight. And I never get that dreaded phone call.



I run upstairs and wake DH and tell him that I booked the trip and that I got an awesome deal. He barely wakes up and doesn’t get it fully he just says “that’s great” and goes back to sleep.

I can’t come down off my high and sleep doesn’t come for me for many hours.



Up Next: When the deal is this good of course you will have company.

[Khill]

Stop teasing me, I want to know!!!!:woohoo:

[loveysbydesign]

I'm hooked!

[smithpack]

I AM IN!!! That is a great deal!!! I just started my first TR as well. Mine was from last May and I thought I was way late starting it now. I will be learning about the picture things with ya! It sounds like you had an exciting trip! I can't wait to hear more.popcorn::

[chartle]

OK so I'm hooked but when does the whopping price error come into play?

Are you about (sorry a boat) to crush us with "Well I really didn't get what I thought I was getting I really got two rooms at the Animal cingdom (no thats not a typo) motel 6 and the dining plan is a Rice crispy treat and all the water out of the hose out back. :lmao:

[hjohnson6]

I am onboard! That is a fantastic deal!

[A&Bmama]

I'm in! You are great at this! I too am economically disciplined but on a scale of 0 being no discipline and 10 being you, I probably fall at a 4 :)

Can't wait to hear more!

See 4 on the economic disipline scale is awesome! Just enough restraint to make you responsible but not so much that you are living your life devoid of all frivolous pleasures.

Thanks for reading and dropping a line.

[A&Bmama]

Love your title! Got me hooked. Can't wait to read more. :)

Stephanie

Welcome to my trip report! Glad you like it.

[A&Bmama]

Stop teasing me, I want to know!!!!:woohoo:

Thanks. All will be reavealed in time. :goodvibes

[A&Bmama]

I'm hooked!

Glad you're here. Thanks for reading and replying.

[A&Bmama]

I AM IN!!! That is a great deal!!! I just started my first TR as well. Mine was from last May and I thought I was way late starting it now. I will be learning about the picture things with ya! It sounds like you had an exciting trip! I can't wait to hear more.popcorn::

I had every intention of writing a trip report soon after the trip, but you know what they say, the best laid plans...

BTW you have one good looking family.

[A&Bmama]

OK so I'm hooked but when does the whopping price error come into play?

Are you about (sorry a boat) to crush us with "Well I really didn't get what I thought I was getting I really got two rooms at the Animal cingdom (no thats not a typo) motel 6 and the dining plan is a Rice crispy treat and all the water out of the hose out back. :lmao:

You're funny!

I though Americans thought we pronounced about as "aboot". "a boat" is a new one on me. I think we pronounce it pretty much the same but if there is a difference I would say that when I say the t gets a little softer almost like a cross between a t and a d.

I really did get to stay at the real AKL and my dining included more than just rice crispy treats. :thumbsup2 Stay tuned!

[A&Bmama]

I am onboard! That is a fantastic deal!

Thanks for reading!

[chartle]

You're funny!

I though Americans thought we pronounced about as "aboot". "a boat" is a new one on me. I think we pronounce it pretty much the same but if there is a difference I would say that when I say the t gets a little softer almost like a cross between a t and a d.

I really did get to stay at the real AKL and my dining included more than just rice crispy treats. :thumbsup2 Stay tuned!

I didn't want to offend so I went to the expert.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_English#Canadian_raising


Among some speakers in the Prairies and in Nova Scotia, the retraction is strong enough to cause some tokens of raised /aʊ/ to merge with /oʊ/, so that couch and coach sound the same, and about sounds like a boat (though never like a boot, as in the American stereotype of Canadian raising).

[A&Bmama]

I didn't want to offend so I went to the expert.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_English#Canadian_raising

You didn't offend at all, but my daughter is looking at me like I am weird because I keep saying about and a boat out loud. :lmao:

Ok maybe it does sound a little like "a boat"... maybe I just don't want to admit it... ;)

[chartle]

You didn't offend at all, but my daughter is looking at me like I am weird because I keep saying about and a boat out loud. :lmao:

Ok maybe it does sound a little like "a boat"... maybe I just don't want to admit it... ;)

Hey I'm from Pittsburgh and we have our entry in Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_English

I don't say 90% of what is listed and some I have never ever heard and I've been here for 48 out of my 48 years. :goodvibes

Carbon Oil used to describe kerosene? :confused3

[Normangirls]

Oh my goodness, I'm in. What a crazy booking!

Please please please tell us they didn't try to renege on this deal.

I would have been a basket case until we actually checked into the resort.

[kimbo0569]

I'm in!

[Mommy2LittleVols]

I'm hooked! What a great deal!! Can't wait to read more!

[hucifer]

BUT IT DOES. I am just about throwing up I am so excited at this point. I finish the transaction just as quickly as my shaking fingers will allow and note that I got in before midnight with 3 minutes to spare

I would have been shaking with excitement too! What an unbelievable deal!

[Oz-kateer]

Soooo..... what happened??????

[janloz]

I'm in too. :)

[dclfun]

Yes,...what happened? Can't wait for the next installment. I'd have been shaking too if I saw that fantastic deal in fact I'd have probably been shaking so hard I'd have dropped my CC multiple times and not been able to book before midnight.---Kathy

[Stacybaeasm]

I'm in! I can't wait to hear more.

[marriedtothebeast]

Just joining in and can't wait to find out how everything worked out! Thanks for sharing.

[A&Bmama]

My sleep is disturbed all too early on Sunday morning. I feel something tugging at my consciousness, telling me that there is something important going on and I should wake up and pay attention to it. Then it hits me like a ton of bricks, I JUST BOOKED THE TRIP TO DISNEY.

I run downstairs to check my e-mail hoping that there is nothing there from WestJet Vacations saying that due to an error we were charged the wrong price. Nothing there, so far, so good. I reread the e-mail confirmation and itinerary I received last night about 10 more times, frantically searching for any kind of an out that WestJet could use and I just can’t see one. In fact, I keep looking at the part that list the price and states that it is “paid in full” and just can’t see that they would have a leg to stand on if they tried to charge me more or rescind the booking.

I try to tell myself not to get excited, it’s the weekend. Maybe I am going to get the dreaded call on Monday. Who am I kidding? I am excited. How excited am I? Well I think I now know how people who win a trip feel because I feel like I won this.

DH wakes up and says” was I dreaming last night or did you wake my up and tell me you booked a trip to Disney.” I tell him that it was no dream and then I proceed to tell him about the price error and explain that for the same money we were going to spend for 2 rooms at pop with base tickets we are now getting 2 rooms at AKL with a dining plan and park hopper tickets. I have to explain to him about the difference between value, moderate and deluxe resorts to impress upon him just how big of a deal this is. Then we go look at pictures online. First of Pop then of AKL. He gets it now and is just as excited as I am!

I forgot to mention that we picked the dates because DS’s 16th Bday is on March 1st. Since these dates were after President’s week and before March break the crowds should be lighter and airfares would be cheaper. It also had the added benefit that since March break was soon after we got back that the kids could bring home all of the work that they missed while away and catch up during the break.

We tell the kids and they are excited that we are finally going. I ask DS if he has any memory of that conversation when he was about years old when he was promised a trip to Disney. Does he remember? Nope, not even a little. I have been carrying around the weight of an unfulfilled promise for over 10 years and he doesn’t remember. But really, what did I expect? He was only four.

After reflecting on this I understand that maybe this wasn’t as much about the promise that was made to him that sunny Saturday morning so many years ago. Maybe it was more about the promise I had made to myself as a child. The vow that I would never promise my children something I couldn’t give them. I decided that it probably was but either way I felt the weight of it lifted from my shoulders.

Later in the afternoon we were at DD skating lessons chatting with her BFF’s parents and telling them about our trip. During our trip to Canada’s Wonderland I know DD felt a little lonely for a friend to share the experience with. I was kind of hoping that they would decide to come along with us but thought that might be unlikely since they had gone to Disney in 2006 and 2008. They were very interested in the deal and were going to check to see if it was still coming up at that price. It was! They booked it. So now we had company!

So now the crew grew to include (names changed):
BFF (10 years old)
BFF’s Mom, will be referred to as SUE
BFF’s Dad, will be referred to as BOB

Sunday evening our Sue called me and asked if it would be OK if they told their usual Disney travel companions (another friend of the girls and her grandparents) about our plans. Sue was feeling a little uncomfortable because these people had asked them a few months ago if they wanted to go again this year and they had said no. Since they had changed their minds she thought she should let them know. She didn’t think they would want to come along since they had gone ahead and booked a trip to Jamaica. I said that would be fine but was getting a little uncomfortable that DS’s Bday trip was turning into a trip that was more about his sister and her friends than him.

Sue called the grandparents who decided to go and bring their adult son and granddaughter. By the time they tried to book on Monday WestJet had discovered the error and fixed it, so only one room for them.

So now the crew grew to include (names changed)
Friend (9 years old)
Friend’s Grandmother will be referred to as Dorothy
Friend’s Grandfather will be referred to as Gus
Friend’s Uncle will be referred to as Jason

So now I know that WestJet realized their error and still no one has contacted us. We are in the clear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Up next: With a group this big you need a plan.

[Normangirls]

:cool1::banana::cloud9::scared1::woohoo::yay:

There just aren't enough smilies to show how COOL that is!

But in the end: :teacher: you + their mistake = ::MickeyMo

[Disneymoon09]

soo cool they didnt realize their mistake! :)

Normangirls: where in NW ohio are you?

[Normangirls]

Hey, Disneymoon09, we live outside of Wauseon (west of Toledo).

And where are you?

[A&Bmama]

Before I get to the meat of this installment I wanted to share this with you.

Ever since I found the deal I have felt like the lady in the “Start the Car” IKEA commercial? I’m not sure if it ran in the US but you can view it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C7oqXewyCE&feature=related

I love that commercial!!! :rotfl2:

I haven’t investigated how to post picture yet and I also haven’t asked DH what his thoughts are on posting pics of our family. So until I do please picture me as the Start the Car lady. :laughing:

With a group this big you need a plan:

While I am glad to have company on our trip there is something that is bothering me. I don’t want the trip to become bogged down with decision making. Can’t you just picture a group of 11 people standing by Cinderella’s castle with map in hand trying to reach a group consensus about what to do next?

Some people are good in these situations. I am not one of them.

I love a good compromise, don’t misunderstand me. But give me the choice of staying with a group to do something that I’m not that keen on or breaking off from the group to do what I really want to do solo and I am going solo every time.

This is my families long anticipated trip and I don’t want to compromise on my itinerary. I also don’t want to be a dictator.

I tell Sue that the rest of the group shouldn’t feel the need to stay with us to do something if they don’t want to. She is quick to assure me that she and Dorothy have already discussed this and they see this as our trip that they are accompanying us on. We call the shots all the way.

I hope so because doing my Disney homework has become an obsession. I have discovered the DIS. I read the Unofficial Guide cover to cover. I have been playing with touring plans. I have perused crowd calendars. I know things… Knowledge is power! I am powerful… I will rule the (Disney) world!!!!:worship:

Kidding, kidding. I am obsessed but not to that magnitude. Well Ok, it is true. I did do all of that research and I formed some strong opinions on what I wanted to do, where I wanted to eat etc. Since I don’t know If I will ever go back again I am not very receptive to the idea of forgoing something on our must do list just to keep the group together.


My family intends to be Disney Commandos!

I hope the rest can keep up.:scared1:

I know it is An_l retentive, but I made a schedule for each day. I’m sure my fellow Dis boarders would expect nothing less. It is just the rest of the world that thinks we are cracked. I suspect my traveling companions were a little concerned for my sanity. They were more of the get up whenever, pick a park to go to and then do whatever strikes you once you get there kind of tourers.

So I happily planned our days. I can’t wait to get to MK and see the castle and ride Splash mountain. Animal Kingdom sounds amazing I am so looking forward to the Safari. Epcot holds my number one priority. If I do nothing else I will ride Soarin. Hollywood Studios, meh. For some reason I don’t want to go to Hollywood Studios. Every time I try to plan our day at HS I just get irritable and think I wish I could skip the whole park. Finally I come with single day plan for HS, and resolve to go whether I enjoy it or not.

The days turn to weeks. The weeks, turn into months. Disney Eve arrives.


UP NEXT: Off we go!!

[MrsSpratt]

I could feel the weight coming off of your shoulders...congratulations!

Can't wait for more! (And Boy Howdy, WHAT A DEAL!)

Jaime

[disneylovin24]

Can't wait to read more!!!!

[Disneymoon09]

Hey, Disneymoon09, we live outside of Wauseon (west of Toledo).

And where are you?

Ada, OH. Just east of Lima. We are about an hour or so south of Toledo.

[hucifer]

I love a good compromise, don’t misunderstand me. But give me the choice of staying with a group to do something that I’m not that keen on or breaking off from the group to do what I really want to do solo and I am going solo every time.

Me, too.

I totally get what you're saying about the planning because in Disney World, it's either plan and get to see a lot, or wing it and see a few things. I'm all about The Schedule.

Besides, half the fun is in the planning.

[Ellester]

Before I get to the meat of this installment I wanted to share this with you.

Ever since I found the deal I have felt like the lady in the “Start the Car” IKEA commercial? I’m not sure if it ran in the US but you can view it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C7oqXewyCE&feature=related

I love that commercial!!! :rotfl2:

Can’t you just picture a group of 11 people standing by Cinderella’s castle with map in hand trying to reach a group consensus about what to do next?


Ikea has the best commercials! I hadn't seen that one before, but it was hilarious! So true, their stuff is just so darn cheap! I have to stop myself from buying stuff I have absolutely no use for just because it's $.75!

Anyway, been there and done that with a big group and no plan. I do not recommend it in the least. Very frustrating. Once you do finally get a consensus on what to do next, two people need the bathroom, one wants a coffee, two need a snack, two need to get something "real quick" at a gift shop and one needs to sit for a minute! A plan is the ONLY way to go. Your party will appreciate it when they realize that you've actually gotten things accomplished other than waiting in line!

So exciting about your great deal! Can't wait to read the rest.:thumbsup2

[mom2shayleeandlogan]

Wow, you got a great deal!!! Congrats on paying off your mortgage, that is a wonderful feeling:surfweb:

[smithpack]

This is such an exciting TR, and you are such a good writer!! I can't wait to hear more. I would be nervous about a group trip as well, I can't wait to hear how your plans went. This is exciting!popcorn::

[A&Bmama]

Once you do finally get a consensus on what to do next, two people need the bathroom, one wants a coffee, two need a snack, two need to get something "real quick" at a gift shop and one needs to sit for a minute! A plan is the ONLY way to go. Your party will appreciate it when they realize that you've actually gotten things accomplished other than waiting in line!


I'm sorry to say plenty of that happened in spite of the plan.

The girls from the other families did tell us how they did way more with us they they did on their other trips.

[A&Bmama]

Before we go any further let’s get better acquainted. This is my lovely family…

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/epcotfamily.jpg





The days pass and the trip grows near.

I find myself still reading my invoice/intinerary on an almost daily basis. I didn’t mention earlier but as soon as WestJet fixed the error I went and got a quote of what I should have paid for the trip. (you knew I would, didn’t you?). Do you know what it was? $8500.00 !!!! I will never know for sure what the exact glitch was but I am almost certain that instead of adding the cost of the QSDP to the room price it replaced the cost of the room. Weird thing is if you were booking only one room it all priced out correctly. It was only when you switched to two rooms that the glitch was triggered. Since I was getting the Disney gift card as part of the deal I was in effect being paid to stay in two rooms at AKL for the week. Colour me happy!!!

About those gift cards… I read the fine print of this offer. You get one gift card per booking, not per room. If you book each room under a separate booking you’re golden. If not, you’re SOL. Since my booking was one WestJet booking rather than a Disney booking I didn’t know for sure how that would translate between the two companies but I had a good hunch it was only one gift card for me… Oh well, I guess I can live with only being paid $200.00 to stay there instead of $400.00. Hehehe.

The day we depart for Disney is actually my Father’s Birthday. I am feeling a little bad about this. We always have a family dinner and cake on each of our birthdays. DS was born 5 days after Dad’s b’day and 4 days before Mom’s. It would be difficult for me to celebrate his b’day at Disney without missing one of their's. I decide to put together a hasty dinner for Dad two days early. I order Chinese takeout and a cake and we have a quiet celebration.

When Disney Eve rolls around at long last do I find myself giddy with anticipation? No. Surprisingly I don’t. I guess my nerves are getting the better of me. I don’t like to fly. I won’t let it stop me mind you. But I am always relieved to be safely on the ground.

So lets see now:
The (over) packing is done.
The alarm is set.
Arrangements are made to take care of the cat.
Tomorrows clothes are laid out.
The camera is charged and on the table waiting for us to grab it on the way out the door.
Extra memory cards are in the bag.
Emergency numbers are given to those who need them.
Cell phones are charged and chargers packed.
Everything is good to go!! Yippeeeeeee

Feb 24 starts all too early. We wake up and are out the door on time.

There was no snow storm or anything. I was a little worried we would have a blizzard or something and the flight would be delayed….by days… Looks like the gods are smiling on us!

We are almost done the 40 minute drive to the airport when DS says, “Where is the camera?” DH blanches.

Do you know where it is? Still. On. The. Table.

I am down right dirty about this. I packed it in the middle of one of the large suitcases so that it could be cushioned by all of the clothes.

DH doesn’t like this.

Thinks it will get stolen or broken.

Takes it out of the suitcase.

Says he will carry it on.

So here we are about to embark on the biggest vacation we have ever had WITHOUT A CAMERA!! I can see that DH is about to turn the car around and start speeding home. I tell him they sell cameras in Florida. He relaxes. A little. But he feels this big…


We arrive in Orlando after a wonderfully uneventful flight. We stop for bathroom breaks and for the girls to turn some cartwheels. Turns out if you ask energetic 9 year olds to sit still in a confined space for 4 hours straight they have a little energy that needs burning off.

We gather our baggage and proceed to pick-up our rental cars. Dorothy and her crew rented from Alamo. Sue's crew and my crew rented from Avis. We agree to part company with Dorothy’s group here and meet with them at AKL. Since we don’t know the area the plan is that we will follow Sue and Bob. We will make a couple of pit stops to pick-up some drinks and munchies for our rooms. And lest we forget… A Camera!!

We get our car without delay but Sue and Bob aren’t having the same luck. Avis has now run out of cars in the category they reserved so they have to go through all the options of what can be done now. As long last this is sorted out. The car is rented in Bob’s name and Sue wants to be added to the booking so she can drive too. This takes a little more time to sort out. All in all it takes them an additional 45 looong minutes to straighten out their car reservation.

Finally, we get our cars and are ready to go. We keep waiting for Bob to pull in front of us in the parking garage so that we can follow him. But he keeps looking at us. Then he motions for us to go first. I don’t know exactly what he is up to but we go anyway. Maybe he is going to pull in front of us on the highway? He doesn’t. We are watching signs and trying to make our way all the while hoping that Bob will pass us and take the lead already. Then we get to a turn off. I don’t remember exactly what it said but it was something about Disney World I’m sure. We signal and take the exit. Does Bob? Nope! I guess we are going the wrong way because Bob is not about to follow us.

This girls and boys is the reason that the person who is leading is SUPPOSED TO BE IN FRONT!

Hence the definition: “proceeding or going in advance; showing the way; as in "we rode in the leading car";”

I holler out “I can’t freakin believe they just did that to us” , “why would they do that”, “I don’t believe it”, “I DO NOT believe it.”

Finding yourself lost in another country after only getting 4 hours of sleep tends to make one a little testy. I think DH feared for my sanity, but I didn’t care. Frankly, if we wanted to muddle through and try to find our way on our own WE WOULDN’T HAVE WAITED 45 MINUTES FOR THEM TO GET THEIR CAR RENTAL STRAIGHTENED OUT. Sheesh we could have used the head start.

Somehow we find a Walmart and get everything we need. Somehow we find the resort. No thanks to Bob.

I have cheered-up and calmed down considerably.

Here we are.

About to walk through the front door.

Am I dreaming?

Did we really get to Disney World

Queue the choirs and angels…

YES WE DID!

A&Bmama and family have arrived!

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/AKLLobby.jpg

The front lobby is breathtaking once your eyes adjust and you can see it. Bob and Sue are at the registration desk. Sue immediately runs over to us to apologize. She was screaming at Bob to follow us but it was too late for him to signal and make his move.

We check in and guess what. We got 2 gift cards!

I made sure to ask for our first visit pins. I also tell them we are there celebrating our son’s birthday and ask if we can pick-up his birthday pin as well. I also ask about how to go about getting a birthday cake. I want the info but more than that I want to make it clear that we are celebrating. So if there is any pixie dust to be had maybe we would get a room upgrade. There. I said it. That’s right, I was shamelessly looking for more. I was hoping for a Savannah view to boot.

We had requested that all of our groups rooms be situated together but ours aren’t with the other 2 families. We are on another floor and in the opposite direction. Does this mean…

We agree to meet at the Mara in an hour for an early dinner and head off to our rooms to get settled. We get to the room and we have a Savannah view. Not a very good Savannah view mind you, but a Savannah view none the less.

There is an eland, a giraffe and an ostrich outside our room. We promptly name the eland “Eli” and he is our pet during our stay.

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/eli.jpg
Eli our friend lays outside our balcony day and night

Do you remember these little platic novelty toys that were around? Often they were an animal or a clown that was standing on a small base. When you pushed this plunger thing in on the bottom of the base the little figure would collapse like all of limbs had just fallen into pieces. Well, that is what a giraffe look like when it lays down. Slowly they move each leg out from under them and bending them a little at a time, each time getting closer to the ground, once they get so far they all of a sudden just collapse to the ground. An interesting sight to see. I found this video but it was way cooler when I saw it at AKL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC79gZXHga4&feature=related


We settle, freshen up and have dinner. After we eat we explore the resort and the girls decide to have a swim. Later they take part in the parade that they have in the lobby where the kids play African instruments and sing. I think this is really cool. The girls pronounce it lame. Go figure. I guess they are growing up.

We all retire to our rooms for a well deserved rest. We are going to need it because tomorrow, look out Magic Kingdom here we come!

This is a really long chapter isn’t it?

I hope I am not boring you.

If I was you probably wouldn’t still be reading now. But you are. So you must like me. You really like me. You like me.

Now that I have had my Sally Field moment and my meds (hehe) I will continue:

You would think that after the weeks of planning and stressing and only 4 hours of sleep, and getting lost, and finding our way, that I would be exhausted. I’m not. I’m giddy. We made it.

I do sleep about 4 hours and at ohh about 3:30 I wake up. Lay there for what must have been an hour and can’t get back to sleep. I get up and make coffee. I have heard bad things about Disney coffee, both in the restaurants as well as the rooms. I had one at the Mara last night and found it to be true. I put cream in my mug before I left and put in the fridge in my room hoping the coffee in the room was better. I actually quite enjoyed it, a lot. I sit quietly sipping coffee and examining maps and then decide to get dressed and go for a walk.

Newbie traveler didn’t take the camera with her. Mistake. Big mistake. I thought I was just stretching my legs and passing time but let me tell you the sights to be seen at AKL in the still of the night are awe inspiring. The sleeping flamingos, the mist over the pool and the hot tubs, the hush over the savannah, are bliss. I wish I could put it into words. I wish I could show you. It was a purely magical moment.

Up Next: Magic Kingdom here we come

[smithpack]

:cool1:Yay!!! We have pictures!!:cool1:

Besides the fact that your friends totally left you, and the fact that your DH forgot the camera, it sounds like you had a great first day!Next time I am going to Disney World I am so going with you.:worship: I can't believe you got an upgrade as well. I also can't believe that trip would have been $8500.00 :scared1: That was a huge savings, and then on top of that you got two gift cards! You are a lucky duck. Spread that pixie dust girl! All those years of budgeting are paying off! What a relief it must be to be debt free. We are working on it, slowly but surely.

Again, you are a great writer!! This has been one of my favorite TR's of all time. By the way, that giraffe laying down was pretty hilarious. :thumbsup2

[dr&momto2boys]

Wow! Awesome! I'm enjoying your TR. Glad you had so much good fortune!

[A&Bmama]

:cool1:Yay!!! We have pictures!!:cool1:

Besides the fact that your friends totally left you, and the fact that your DH forgot the camera, it sounds like you had a great first day!Next time I am going to Disney World I am so going with you.:worship: I can't believe you got an upgrade as well. I also can't believe that trip would have been $8500.00 :scared1: That was a huge savings, and then on top of that you got two gift cards! You are a lucky duck. Spread that pixie dust girl! All those years of budgeting are paying off! What a relief it must be to be debt free. We are working on it, slowly but surely.

Again, you are a great writer!! This has been one of my favorite TR's of all time. By the way, that giraffe laying down was pretty hilarious. :thumbsup2

The upgrade was great. I wanted to ask for one but just couldn't do it, I don't know why. Disney was paid by westjet, they weren't out anything. It was WestJet that took the hit. I decided that since it was the year of celebrations I would just make it reaaallly clear we were celebrating and see what happened.

As for being debt free it is a bigger (and longer lasting) high than anything you can buy. It is a new begining, all of the financial obligations for your past decision are done and a world of possibilities for the future opens up. Keep plugging away at it, it begins to take on a life of it's own.

Thanks for the wonderful compliments and thanks for reading!

[HockeyMomNH]

Great TR so far! My two kids are the same age spread as yours so I totally understand your sleeping delima. We did the FW cabins with the 4/3 deal last spring, but not nearly as good a deal as you guys got!

Looking forward to more!

[dismagiclover]

I am in! What an incredible deal you scored! The Disney Gods really smiled upon you:goodvibes I bet the Animal Kingdom is beautiful in the dead of night. One of my favorite times at Disney World is the early morning when few people are about. It almost seems like the place was made just for you. I can't wait to hear about your first trip to the Magic Kingdom!

[hucifer]

You lucky dawg! I would love to stay at AKL one day.

As a fellow overpacker, I would have fuh-reaked out if I realized that the camera wasn't packed. And then I would have beaten the crap out of my husband.

There was one time I was getting ready to go to a job interview. I was all ready, but all I needed were the keys to my car. I check the counter, my purse, my pocket...but couldn't find them. I call up my boyfriend, who was over the night before, and ask him if he's seen them. Yes, he has seen them. In fact, he was staring right at them. He accidentally put them in his coat pocket and drove home that night. And he was a good half an hour from my place, and I needed to leave the house at that time.

I called my interviewer and explained the situation. He laughed and rescheduled the interview. And I did end up getting the job. And that's the job where I met my future husband. So maybe subconciously my boyfriend didn't want me to go on the interview and meet the man of my life.

That was a long-winded way of saying that I had a similar-yet-unsimilar situation.

ETA: I would have KILLED Bob. Killed him dead.

I loved this update and look forward to the next one.

[A&Bmama]

You lucky dawg! I would love to stay at AKL one day.

As a fellow overpacker, I would have fuh-reaked out if I realized that the camera wasn't packed. And then I would have beaten the crap out of my husband.

There was one time I was getting ready to go to a job interview. I was all ready, but all I needed were the keys to my car. I check the counter, my purse, my pocket...but couldn't find them. I call up my boyfriend, who was over the night before, and ask him if he's seen them. Yes, he has seen them. In fact, he was staring right at them. He accidentally put them in his coat pocket and drove home that night. And he was a good half an hour from my place, and I needed to leave the house at that time.

I called my interviewer and explained the situation. He laughed and rescheduled the interview. And I did end up getting the job. And that's the job where I met my future husband. So maybe subconciously my boyfriend didn't want me to go on the interview and meet the man of my life.

That was a long-winded way of saying that I had a similar-yet-unsimilar situation.

ETA: I would have KILLED Bob. Killed him dead.

I loved this update and look forward to the next one.

I guess forgetting the camera was DH's blonde moment. Mine was reading your comments about Bob and thinking you were still talking about how you would beatthe crap out of your husband if he forgot the camera. Then I thought...wait a minute...her husband's name is Dan.

:rolleyes1 I forgot I changed peoples names to protect the innocent; or guilty in Bob's case.

[Mommy2LittleVols]

WOOHOO for Savanna view!!!! I hate driving (or riding) in places that I'm not familiar with. Soooo stressful!! Glad you guys made it safely. I can't wait to hear about your MK day!

[Ellester]

I think it is amazing that WestJet honored their mistake! That is such a fabulous deal! And an upgrade to boot! A great start to the vacation. Cannot wait to read more!:thumbsup2

Personally, I like it that my DH messes up occasionally. Takes the pressure off, you know? It's like you then have a free pass to screw something up without repercussions.

[hjohnson6]

Not only did you get a killer deal but you got a room upgrade as well! That's awesome!:banana::banana::banana:

I would have totally freaked had my husband forgotten our camera.

I am looking forward to the next installment.

[disneyaddicted]

This is a great TR and I am enjoying it tremendously. don't worry about boring anybody, I think you have the makings of a great TR writer.

How exciting to get rooms for such a great price, then get 2 gift cards and then an upgrade, the Disney Gods like you.

I can't wait to read more.

Ty

[kayrosek]

Great TR Your story about your DH's promise to your son has some similarities with my story of why we went to WDW. Can't wait to read more.

[Oz-kateer]

popcorn::

[Backstage_Gal]

I'm in! You are a great writer, keep it coming popcorn::

[praisehisname]

I just found your report and am loving it!

[miprender]

Great Trip Report.... we had a great deal too with the 4/3 for April 2009 trip. Our dates were blacked out but one night on Disney website I tried putting in our dates just for the heck of it and we ended up saving $800 per room. Not quite the deal that you got but I was pretty stoked about it.

We are staying at AKL in April and can't wait to see more pics of the resort. We visited once to eat at Boma's and DH has always wanted to stay there.
So I can't wait to read more.:surfweb:

[A&Bmama]

Magic Kingdom here we come!

I return to our rooms and find my family still sleeping. I pour myself more coffee and quietly go to our balcony and watch eli sleeping in his usual spot. We intend to be in the park for rope drop so soon enough it is time to wake everyone a get ready for the day.

I love the look on DDs face as I wake her. I watch that quick moment of confusion pass as she tries to remember where she is. She smiles and jumps out of bed.

We scramble around our rooms getting ready. It is fantastic having two bathrooms, so much quicker and easier. We grab muffins and such from the grocery items we bought yesterday and eat them as we go. I pack the bag to take into the park and we head to the lobby to meet the others.

Seems I underestimated how long it will take to get 11 people in the same place at the same time. Seems we are waiting for one person when someone will say “I’m just going to run to the washroom/giftshop/room while we wait for _____ to get here.” Then ____ will arrive and we have to wait for the person who just left. I’m not complaining, I was guilty myself, just stating the facts.

It won’t surprise you that we missed rope drop, not by much mind you but enough to make me uneasy. I had read so many times how important it is to get to the parks at rope drop and what an impact it can make in your day if you don’t that this was making me tense. I had no need to be.

Now I haven’t mentioned Jason lately. To refresh your memory he is Dorothy’s adult son. Jason has been to Disney World quite a few times and knows the layout of the parks. He is going to be our “guide”. We just have to tell him where we want to go and he will lead the way. He suggests that since we are heading to splash that the best way would be to take the train.

In hindsight I realize we should have walked. We missed that first walk down Main St. toward Cinderella’s Castle. But Dorothy’s group are not walkers. We are, we walk all the time, and when we need to get somewhere quickly we can haul butt.

We get off in Frontier land and head straight for splash and basically walk on with only a five minute or so wait. This is the all time favorite of BFF and Friend. We all enjoy it as well.

It is our plan to ride splash again later today so I suggest that we get fastpasses as we are leaving. Jason tells me that it is not a good idea because the current fastpass time is too early for us.

Of all the useful hints and tips I found on the Dis I know that the tidbit about how you can use a fastpass late was the biggest score. I also know that the best time to gather “back pocket” fastpasses is in the morning when it will be likely that you can get them more often than every 2 hours. I won’t let this slide, it’s crucial to my quest to “Devour Disney in 7 Days.” So with all the clout and conviction a person wearing a shiny yellow first timer button can muster; I respectfully disagreed.

Jason relents and we all pick-up fastpasses. I’m certain he is humouring me.

Then it is off to Thunder Mountain.

A bit of background, I have a chronic problem with my shoulder, or more specifically, the sternoclavicular joint on my left side. I won’t bore you with a long explanation but if I aggravate it it can cause me excruciating pain that takes weeks to die down. I’m worried that riding Thunder will aggravate it so I sit this one out. Sue and Dorothy aren’t thrill riders either so we take their cards and get some back pocket fastpasses for this as well and then wait for the others.

Once we regroup we head over to Pirates of the Caribbean. As we enter I see a CM advising guests that your can go right or left. I’m stumped. I can’t remember which way those with Disney OCD are supposed to go. I am momentarily tempted to ask the nice young CM.

Then I get a grip.

It strikes me that I am treating this like a mission to be conquered, a task to be completed. I resolve enjoy what we are doing without worrying about what we haven’t done yet. Live in the moment and all that jazz. I score a B-. Comments read, “tries hard, has some success.

For all of my internal turmoil I find the wait time is only about 5 minutes…

Next up we head for Haunted Mansion. BFF and Friend assure DD that the ride is cool, not scary. They ask DD which one of them she wants to ride with. DD looks reluctant to pick one over the other, and despite her best attempts to look nonchalant I can tell she is apprehensive about Haunted Mansion. I jump in and jokingly them I was really hoping DD would ride with me so she could hold my hand. DD seizes the out and agrees to ride with me. I keep her close when we enter and whisper in her ear to remember that it is all pretend. Once she has finished the ride and conquered the fear of the unknown she pronounces this “so cooool.”

Next we ride Peter Pan’s Flight followed by It’s a small World.

Once we exit IASW it is decided that some lunch would be in order so we go to Pinocchio Village haus. It is here that DS’s Birthday Button brings the most attention.

All morning he has had people wishing him Happy Birthday. I like how often he is singled out from the group for the little bit of special attention. I like how the CMs call out, “Hey Bl----, Happy Birthday” as though he was a friend they just happened to run into. DS would like to disappear.

DS is shy quiet guy who never wanted or needed a lot of attention. He prefers be in the audience rather than under the spotlight. So when he suddenly finds himself in Pinocchio Village Haus surrounded by 6 CMs who are clapping and singing I can tell he is about to die from embarrassment. To top it all off one very loud CM announces how every day in the Magic Kingdom is special but today is extra special because today is Bl----‘s Birthday and ask that they join in singing Happy Birthday. Here he is soon after.

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/blairpinnochiovillagehaus.jpg

Once we leave DS asks if he can take the button off because he feels weird since his actual birthday is not for a few days. I assure him it is OK for him to wear it the whole week. He looks traumatized rather than comforted at that thought so I relent and tell him to take it off.

After lunch we off to Mickey’s Philharmagic, followed by A twirl on Cinderella’s Carousel,

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/Alexisoncarousel.jpg

An obligatory attempt to pull the sword from the stone.

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/Lexieswordandstone.jpg

I believe it is about this point that we decided to go to Stitch’s Great Escape. This is not an attraction; it is a repulsion, and is now etched in permanent pen on my NOT TO DO list.

We head off to Tomorrow land where I spend an hour or so sitting out of attractions on account of my gimpy shoulder. I am accompanied by Sue, Dorothy and Gus. The others ride Space Mountain and Tomorrowland Speedway.

I really want to get a hoodie for DD since we couldn’t find hers before we left. I am disappointed in the selection. There seems to be lots of pullover hoodies but not many zip front ones. Also DD is small, although she is 9 she wears size 6X. Anything that will fit her seems quite juvenile; although that might be fine while we are here I don’t think DD will wear it at home. For $40 USD, I want her to get some use out of it. My economic discipline takes over and I don’t buy anything here.

We then head back to Splash Mountain to use our late fastpasses. Jason goes first, holds up his fastpass for the entrance CM to see. The CM tells him ok, go ahead. I can see Jason is momentarily taken aback. I know that he fully expected that this was an exercise in futility and that we would be turned away. I am feeling smug, forgive me.

Once the people who will ride BTMRR are through with that we decide it is time for supper. I want to go to Cosmic Ray’s. The others decide that it is too far and that we should eat at Peco’s Bills so off we go. Although I am starving, nothing on this menu appeals to me. DD and I split a hamburger meal, there is plenty left over…

The sun has gone down now and it is getting really chilly. We had planned to stay for the fireworks but our sweaters are in our cars. We debate whether we will make the trek back to the cars for sweaters and stay for Wishes or just leave. We come to the consensus that since we will be back to MK on DS’s Birthday for evening extra magic hours that we will catch Wishes then.

When we arrive back at AKL we go to the gift shop to look for a sweater for DD there. I spot the cutest hoodie. It is white pink Mickey shaped leopard patterned spots and has fur trim around the hood. It is still $40 but she loves it and I know she will wear it at home to so I am happy to shell out the cash for this. For good measure we buy her a necklace that has her name and a faux diamond in a Mickey head as well.

My dad always wears a hat, most often it is his Tilley hat. DH spots a Tilley style hat and suggests we get it for him. I tell him I think we should wait until later in the trip in case we see something we like better and if not we will pick this up before we leave. DH then spots an AKL mug that he would like to buy for himself but decides to wait to make this purchase as well. DS spend lots of time looking at things. I ask him if there is anything there he wants but he says no. DS has always been this way, his needs are few. For his birthday we are giving him driving/defensive driving lessons from Young Drivers of Canada, but I was still hoping to be able to pick-up some souvenirs for him during the trip.

So with purchases in hand we wearily make our way to our rooms for a well earned sleep.

UP NEXT: Epcot and how starve to death on a Dining Plan.

[disneylovin24]

popcorn::

[MHTeacher]

Loving this.....popcorn::

[kbheap]

I love your trip report. I can't wait for more!

[jennJK]

Love your TR so far!!! popcorn:: You are so nice to let all those people tag along on your vacation.

[Backstage_Gal]

Great update!

[smithpack]

I love how you proved your WDW knowledge with the FP thing!!:cool1:
Way to put Jason in his place.

:rotfl:I am laughing hysterically about your comment on the Stitch ride. When my son was 5, he wanted to ride it but wasn't tall enough. We went back a year later when he was 6 and a half, and he was finally able to ride it. He was so excited, but what a horror it turned out to be. When you sit down and you have to pull the head bars over your head, I thought to myself that this attraction was going to move or something. Then they turn the lights out. Immediately my son is screaming and I can't reach over to hold his hand because the stupid, heavy bars weighing down on my shoulders. So then you are locked in with the lights off and there is some fluttering by your ear. Oh my Gosh, my poor son was traumatized. Plus, the stinky burp smell lingered in there for the longest time. I hated that ride, attraction, or whatever it is. They totally need to replace it. I don't know anyone that likes it.

Great update!

[hucifer]

Seems I underestimated how long it will take to get 11 people in the same place at the same time. Seems we are waiting for one person when someone will say “I’m just going to run to the washroom/giftshop/room while we wait for _____ to get here.” Then ____ will arrive and we have to wait for the person who just left. I’m not complaining, I was guilty myself, just stating the facts.

I always marvel at the people who can keep such large groups together at WDW and manage to get anything accomplished. The idea of magical gatherings sounds wonderful...until you try to put it into practice. I much prefer traveling with just immediate family for that very reason.

And way to come to DD's rescue! I'm glad she enjoyed it, it's one of my favorites.

[loveysbydesign]

I love how you proved your WDW knowledge with the FP thing!!:cool1:
Way to put Jason in his place.

:rotfl:I am laughing hysterically about your comment on the Stitch ride. When my son was 5, he wanted to ride it but wasn't tall enough. We went back a year later when he was 6 and a half, and he was finally able to ride it. He was so excited, but what a horror it turned out to be. When you sit down and you have to pull the head bars over your head, I thought to myself that this attraction was going to move or something. Then they turn the lights out. Immediately my son is screaming and I can't reach over to hold his hand because the stupid, heavy bars weighing down on my shoulders. So then you are locked in with the lights off and there is some fluttering by your ear. Oh my Gosh, my poor son was traumatized. Plus, the stinky burp smell lingered in there for the longest time. I hated that ride, attraction, or whatever it is. They totally need to replace it. I don't know anyone that likes it.

Great update!
This sounds all too familiar! When my dd was finally tall enough to go she LOST IT once they got inside and the lights went out, a CM had to come get her and my dh out of the ride so they could exit!:scared1:

[disneyaddicted]

great update, glad your Dis board knowledge came in handy, I say you can be the most decorated Disney veteran there is with hundreds of trips under your belt, but unless you're a dis'er, you are still in the dark.

I feel for your son and the birthday button, I like to be noticed, but wearing the birthday button you are constantly picked out of the crowd, God Bless Disney for celbrating our special days, but I eventually took my B-day button off too.

I love the picture of your DD on the carousel, she looked like she was having a blast.

[MEK]

FunTR. I can't believe the deal you got on your AK package. What a phenomenal deal. I am so glad they honored your reservation and did not try to charge you more. I bet your flights alone cost at least $1200. Two rooms and a rental car, dining plan, and gift cards. Wowsa!

I am glad you started posting pictures. They are great!

Anyway - keep it up....great TR.

[A&Bmama]

FunTR. I can't believe the deal you got on your AK package. What a phenomenal deal. I am so glad they honored your reservation and did not try to charge you more. I bet your flights alone cost at least $1200. Two rooms and a rental car, dining plan, and gift cards. Wowsa!

I am glad you started posting pictures. They are great!

Anyway - keep it up....great TR.


Actually the flights alone would have cost about $1650.00 for the four of us. The scariest thing is $1650.00 is a really awsome deal out of Halifax :scared1: When I began budgeting I was hoping to be able to keep the cost of air fares down to the $2000.00 range.

Thanks for reading and posting!

[Ellester]

Good for you for sticking to your guns about the Fast Passes! Sounds like a fun day. Hope you finally got something good to eat!

[Mommy2LittleVols]

Wonderful update! I'm glad you guys had such a great day at MK!

[PrncessA]

Signing up! Great TR! I agree that posts make it easier to continue, I see the reads on my TR going up but not the posts and it is a little disheartening.

Amazing mistake on the deal! I would have been shaking so hard I wouldn't have been able to type in the CC number!!!

[captainj]

I'm in! I am totally jealous of your "deal" as I am one of those people who searches for HOURS! :lmao:

[Soccer_Mom]

Great TR!!! I'm hooked & lovin it!:sunny:

[DisEye]

Can't wait to hear what's up next:)

[Zookeeperof4]

You are to funny. We also do not tell the kids about trips we will take and then renig on. It means alot of careful planning as we know once we say yes it means yes. They have enough heartaches from the dad who says they will do fun things that never happen.
We just came back from Disney in Dec....once we went and saw we really COULD do it in a cost friendly way....my new HUBS said we can go back in Nov of 2011! I am soo excited....still not telling the kids but he knows me. I become obsessive about Disney and whe nhe says yes it means YES!!!
Great TR so far!I have never done a trip report. No need, we have never had a trip before. I have decided to do a trip report of our Feb 2009 trip. You will see why I didn’t feel like doing it before now as the story unfolds.

The first instalment will be picture free. I don’t have as many pictures as I would have liked (more on that later) and I just want to get the first instalment written without having to tackle learning how to post pictures. I promise that I will post some pictures in upcoming instalments.

The title is “It all started with a whopping price error…” That’s not really true. It started much earlier. I would like to start at the beginning but I am not sure where that is so please forgive me if I jump around a little bit.

First of all the crew: there is me, Mama 43, Dada 46, DS turning 16 at the world, DD 9

One sunny Saturday morning when DS was about 4 years old Dada and he were talking over breakfast and somehow the conversation turned to Disney World, DS did not know that such a place existed and sat rapturously listening to Dada tell him how much fun it was and all the things he could recall from his sketchy memories of his 2 day trip to MK and Epcot in 1988.

Then it happened. Just like a car accident everything was in slow motion. It seemed like I should be able to stop it but for some reason I was paralyzed. I watched Dada’s lips moving the words were coming out. I wanted to stop them. I tried to say something but somehow I was mute. “We are going to take you there someday.” DS’s face lit up with joy. All I could do was temper it by saying. “It is very expensive to go there so we will not be going for a few years.

You see waaayyy back when I was a kid my father told me that we were going to take a trip across Canada. I was excited!! We grew up in a time and place where if you got in the car to travel 30 minutes to spend the day at the beach it was a BIG FREAKIN DEAL. I couldn’t wait to tell my friends. What I didn’t know was the difference between plans and dreams. This was a dream, one that was never fulfilled. I swore when I had kids I wouldn’t make any promises I couldn’t keep. Don’t get me wrong I don’t bear any ill will toward my Father for this. He didn’t know I would take it so seriously. I was more of a “note to self, kids take these things seriously, be very VERY careful” kind of moment.

To borrow a phrase from Zzub, I am “economically disciplined.” What does that mean? It means that I don’t buy things on credit card. I don’t buy designer when Old Navy will do. When I go to the grocery store I buy whatever is on sale and plenty of it so that I have enough to last until the next sale. Do I use coupons? Why yes I do and am proud of it. In short I try to stretch my dollars as far as I can and above all else I don’t spend money I don’t have. I have been living this way long long before it became fashionable. Problem with a trip to Disney is we don’t have the money!

Worse, I don’t foresee having the money any time soon. At that point we had a vague notion that we would be adding to the family. I had just started a new career. As a newbie without experience my salary was paltry. My salary paid the child care costs, my meagre work wardrobe and transportation (bus). What was left over afterwards was laughable. But I was working hard and learning and I knew that it was only a matter of time until I started making better money.

None of this matters. The words were uttered. The wheels were set in motion. No matter how long it took, we would one day go to Disney World.

So the years pass. We welcome DD into the world. I am making better money but I now have to pay double the childcare so still I am not seeing much more. More years pass and it is decided that since DS is a teen it will have to be 2008 or 2009. In 2008 we decide that we can swing it financially. DH and I (mostly me) excitedly start planning the trip.

Before I book anything we get the news that my Mother will need major surgery. Surgery is scheduled for early December 2007. She will need to spend a few weeks (turned into more than a month) in hospital. In total it will take about 6 months to recover. There is no way I am planning a trip now. My father is older now and very hard of hearing and like many men of that era, completely useless around the house. On top of this I have only one sibling; he is disabled still living at home with my parents. It will fall on me to keep their household as well as my own running. At the same time I will be taking care of my mother’s needs and be the primary family contact for her care at the hospital. On top of this it is Christmas. Santa has to come no matter how busy he is…

As if this were not enough the powerful drugs that they are giving Mom for pain is messing with her mind. She is very anxious and my normally cool calm and collected Mother is highly agitated when I am not there. We fear on several occasions that she will begin to rip out tubes and demand to be discharged. When I am there she feels safe and is calm. Once she is calm she sleeps, since she was too anxious to let herself sleep when I wasn’t there. Somehow we both make it through all of this. My enthusiasm for planning a Disney trip did not…


Up next: The WHOPPING online price error sends my Disney enthusiasm SOARIN!!!!

PS. If you would like to hear more could you please post a reply. I feel like I need the encouragement.

[smithpack]

This sounds all too familiar! When my dd was finally tall enough to go she LOST IT once they got inside and the lights went out, a CM had to come get her and my dh out of the ride so they could exit!:scared1:

:rotfl:I heard a lot of kids crying when I was in there. Plus, you are locked in for a long time. Be glad they got out when they did. I wish someone would have let us out.

[smithpack]

Looking forward to the next update!!!:)

[smithpack]

Signing up! Great TR! I agree that posts make it easier to continue, I see the reads on my TR going up but not the posts and it is a little disheartening.

Amazing mistake on the deal! I would have been shaking so hard I wouldn't have been able to type in the CC number!!!

How do you see how many reads you have?

[A&Bmama]

Looking forward to the next update!!!:)


Stomach Flu just went through my house. Oh Joy!

We are all better now but I am a little behind. I hope to get the next update done tomorrow or Wednesday.

How do you see how many reads you have?

It is on the main page that lists all of the trip report threads. If you look over to the right there will be one column that tells you how many post in your thread and the next column will tell you how many times it has been read.

[smithpack]

Stomach Flu just went through my house. Oh Joy!

We are all better now but I am a little behind. I hope to get the next update done tomorrow or Wednesday.



It is on the main page that lists all of the trip report threads. If you look over to the right there will be one column that tells you how many post in your thread and the next column will tell you how many times it has been read.

There is nothing worse than the stomach flu. I am glad to hear you are all better. :flower3:

I can't believe I have never noticed the line that tells you how many times it has been read. Now I feel dumb. :rolleyes1

[A&Bmama]

Epcot and how starve at Disney while on a Dining Plan.


Again I wake before the alarm. At least I got 7 hours of sleep which is a welcome relief after 2 nights in a row with only 4 hours.

We snack on the breakfast items we have in the room, get ready and head to the lobby to meet the others.

Once we have everyone together in the same place at the same time we head out for Epcot. Did we make rope drop? No, again we are a little late.

The first order of business is Soarin. My family and I have heard about this and it is the one attraction that we are most looking forward to.

We arrive in the land and see that the wait is not too long so we get in the standby line. Here is we find there are some benefits to having a group this large. Once it is our turn the CM asks how many in the group, we tell him 11. He asks us to stand along the wall and wait for the next flight while he fills the available seats with smaller parties. Once it is our turn we find that the middle section is 11 seats wide and since we are first in line for the next flight we are front row centre!!

We take off for our flight and it is everything I hoped it would be. Once we exit we agree that we must do this again today and pick-up some fastpasses for later. We browse through the gift shop and plot our next move. It is decided that next we will do Living with the Land. I really enjoy this attraction. The kids think it is too heavy on education too light on fun.

Once we exit living with the land someone suggests that we get a snack at Sunshine Seasons. I didn’t eat anything that morning and had only eaten about a ¼ of hamburger combo for supper last night so I am very hungry. Although I do want to eat I was hoping we would wait a little longer and have an early lunch because I really want a good meal. My body seems to be crying out for protein and complex carbs. The majority of the party wants to stop now, and my hopes for an early lunch fizzle, so I resign myself to getting a little something to keep me going until I get a meal. I take DD with me and we go to pick something out. I decide on key lime pie while dreaming of pork chops and chicken, I think DD got a cookie and we head for the cash.

We are the first ones through so we head to pick out some seats for our group and begin to eat our snacks. Now I apologize to those who love the key lime pie but I didn’t like it. I don’t think it has anything to do with the quality/taste of the pie but more to do with the fact that sugary simple carbs is not what I wanted and needed. I was simply eating it to keep me going until lunch. I choke back as much of it as I can eat, maybe about 1/3 of the piece. It will have to do.

It takes a long time for the others to show up and when they do what do they have?

FULL FREAKIN BREAKFASTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bacon, Eggs, Sausage, Has Browns, Biscuits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They were going get a snack but the breakfast was too tempting. Once one decided to get it they all decided to get it!

I know this is petty but it really ticks me off. Couldn’t someone have told DD and me what they were up to? Since they have all had a large meal so late in the morning I doubt that they are going to want to stop for lunch at all.

I steal a piece of bacon from DH’s plate but it does little to sweeten my sour mood as I sit and listen to them rave about how good the breakfast is and how it is the best thing they have eaten at Disney so far. Grrrrrrrrr.

We leave the land and I suggest that we head over to Test Track. Jason says that it is all the way over on the other side of the park and suggest that we do something closer like Honey I shrunk the Audience and head to the other side later. I wonder just how big this park is that it is sooo far to walk to test track but decide to not sweat the small stuff and agree to see this attraction.

Maybe it was the hunger. Maybe it was the fact that I really wanted to go to test track. Maybe it was the fact that it was starting to get quite hot but I find myself growing more and more irritable. Seeing Honey I shrunk the Audience did nothing to sooth my irritation. I might have liked it if I had been in a better frame of mind, but I wasn’t and I didn’t.

After we leave we discover the fountains where streams of water seem to skip from one place to another and from one fountain to another and stop to play here for awhile. This I like much MUCH better than the attraction I just saw. Once we move on from here the smokers decide that we need to find the smoking area. This takes 20-25 minutes and my irritation is growing again. I suggest that we go back to the hotel to swim since it is getting quite hot (and we are getting nothing done anyway) and come back to Epcot for supper at Sunshine Season and a couple of attractions and then illuminations. Hallelujah they agree.

With dreams of a hot meal at the Mara and a cool dip in the pool dancing in my mind we exit Epcot.

We arrive at AKL make our way to our rooms. I get myself and DD ready, assemble all of our stuff and we head to the pool. DD doesn’t want anything to eat and by the time I get a chance to go to the Mara it is 2 PM and I decide if I eat a big meal now I won’t be hungry for the Pork Chop I am dreaming of so I fill my mug and head back to the pool to have a couple of handfuls of chips to hold me over.

We spend a lovely afternoon enjoying the pool and animal viewing areas.

EPCOT: Take Two

We arrive at Epcot and head again to the land, first up, Supper at Sunshine Season. I make a beeline for the object of my desire, the pork chop of my dreams with masked potatoes and carrots. It has been about 3 days since I have had what I consider a real meal so I am shoveling this back like someone who is starving because frankly, I am starving. Once I have eaten I am in better spirits I feel satisfied and restored. I am glad we had this meal here as it turns out to be the last real meal I have for several days.

We ride Soarin with our fastpasses from earlier in the day. We are given front row centre again. The flight is just as wonderful the second time around.

We are the off to Space Ship Earth. I don’t remember reading about this on the Dis before we arrived. I knew it existed but didn’t know exactly what it was. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it and is firmly on my must do list now.

Once we exit I am tempted to suggest that we head over to test track but I suspect that I will be told that it is too far away and that the wait time is likely too long. I keep my mouth shut and although it is still very early we head into the world showcase to stake out a spot for illuminations.

Illuminations proves to be worth the wait.

All in all it was a good day; not a great day but it had its moments.

UPNEXT: Why didn't I want to go to Hollywod Studios? This park ROCKS!!

[hucifer]

It takes a long time for the others to show up and when they do what do they have?

FULL FREAKIN BREAKFASTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bacon, Eggs, Sausage, Has Browns, Biscuits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They were going get a snack but the breakfast was too tempting. Once one decided to get it they all decided to get it!

I know this is petty but it really ticks me off. Couldn’t someone have told DD and me what they were up to? Since they have all had a large meal so late in the morning I doubt that they are going to want to stop for lunch at all.

It would have made me mad, too. I am way too anal-retentive about eating times (think low blood sugar issues), so this little move would have irritated me because now I'm on my own for lunch.

And yes! Soarin' is one of WDW's finest attractions. A real winner to most guests, no matter what the age. Did you see any hidden Mickeys?

[Zookeeperof4]

Ok so you have reminded me why we must travel alone...LOL

After all this you never got to do Test Track????

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay....My oh My Zoo's family is coming to stay!!! (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2380776)

[Zookeeperof4]

Ok so you have reminded me why we must travel alone...LOL

After all this you never got to do Test Track????

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay....My oh My Zoo's family is coming to stay!!! (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2380776)

[sue and co]

That was a great deal and this is a great trippie.

We have never been to Disney with anyone else as I know I couldn't stand having to compromise my plans or hang around waiting for everyone else!

Look forward to the next instalment.

[lynner]

Loving your trip report! So happy I stopped by today to read it. Can't wait for the next installment. You were truly lucky to get the deal you did, and you guys are certainly making the most of it!

[cmhale]

This is the first time that I have posted on DIS. After reading your trip report I just had to try so hopefully it works. We took friends, husband, wife and 2 daughters with us on our annual trip during October. What a HUGE mistake. It will never happen again. There were 3 girls, One 14, mine who is 13 and the other daughter of friends is 12. They begged to go with us. The oldest and my 13 year old are good friends at school. This is all she talked about 4ever. All she did was complain the whole trip. She may have rode one ride the whole trip and that was Soarin, and cried before it started. She absolutely did not want to do anything but get her pictures taken with princeses. We took the youngest one and the dad with us and did as much as we could, so I feel your pain. Lesson learned for us.

[A&Bmama]

This is the first time that I have posted on DIS. After reading your trip report I just had to try so hopefully it works. We took friends, husband, wife and 2 daughters with us on our annual trip during October. What a HUGE mistake. It will never happen again. There were 3 girls, One 14, mine who is 13 and the other daughter of friends is 12. They begged to go with us. The oldest and my 13 year old are good friends at school. This is all she talked about 4ever. All she did was complain the whole trip. She may have rode one ride the whole trip and that was Soarin, and cried before it started. She absolutely did not want to do anything but get her pictures taken with princeses. We took the youngest one and the dad with us and did as much as we could, so I feel your pain. Lesson learned for us.

:welcome:

Welcome to the Dis!

I am sorry to hear that your trip was so frustrating. It is true that it is hard to get a group of diverse people to stay on the same track about what to do and when, Luckily most of the time we were somewhat in sync but when we weren't it was frustrating. I think the best thing if you are going to go with a group is you have to be willing to split the group us at times so that people can do the things the others are not interested in.

We do get some park time later on with just our family which was nice to go at our own pace on our own agenda, but we missed having the others to share it with. When all is said and done I would definitly travel with another family again if I though we had mostly the same goals, but I would insist that there we scheduled some time apart to do our own thing.

[smithpack]

I totally am with you on being irritable if I do not get to eat a good meal. I would have been so mad to if I had gotten a snack and everyone else comes back with a full meal.

I am glad you got to do Soarin! I like Living with the Land, and suprisingly so do my kids. They are like me, they love to look at food. :goodvibes

Please tell me you got to ride TT later in the week. Do I have to wait and see? Did you go back to Epcot on another day?

I am glad to know you liked Hollywood Studios, and I can't wait to hear what you did there.

Another Great Update!

[DisEye]

We have gone to Disney with other people many times. Thankfully we have always gotten along well, but you do have to compromise more when you have a larger group. We probably don't get as much accomplished as we would by ourselves, but I think it's worth having the companionship. :cool2::cool2:

[smithpack]

What are you doing reading on my TR? You are supposed to be over here giving us an update!!

:cheer2:We want more!:cheer2: We want more!:cheer2:

Inquiring minds want to know, did you or did you not make it on TT? popcorn::

[A&Bmama]

What are you doing reading on my TR? You are supposed to be over here giving us an update!!

:cheer2:We want more!:cheer2: We want more!:cheer2:

Inquiring minds want to know, did you or did you not make it on TT? popcorn::

A lot happens in the next couple of updates for my trip report. I am taking my time reflecting on the events that happen next and want to write it carefully. I am hoping to have the next installment ready on Monday and maybe another on Tuesday since I think they need to come in quick succession.

As for TT the answer is both No and Yes. I'm sorry I am being evasive but it is a long story.

[miprender]

A lot happens in the next couple of updates for my trip report. I am taking my time reflecting on the events that happen next and want to write it carefully. I am hoping to have the next installment ready on Monday and maybe another on Tuesday since I think they need to come in quick succession.

As for TT the answer is both No and Yes. I'm sorry I am being evasive but it is a long story.

:lmao: So you are still leaving us in suspense....:surfweb:

[Becx N Gav]

Hi I just wanted to say I am really enjying yout TR so far :goodvibes You had me on the edge of my seat worrying the travel agents would demand their money back or cancel your booking :scared1: It's so nice when they make mistakes like this :thumbsup2

Looking forward to reading more, I hope going with others didn't affect your vacation too much :hug:

[A&Bmama]

Why didn't I want to go to Hollywod Studios? This park ROCKS!!


We wake on time. Today it the day I had so much trouble planning. It is to be our only day at Hollywood Studios. In truth. I only planned a ½ day, I have us scheduled to arrive at rope drop and leave at 2pm. I can’t quite put my finger on what bothers me about this park. Is it that it is too heavy on shows, too light on rides? Is it that that the wait for Toy Story mania could seriously impact our whole day? Is it that all of the quick service dining options poorly rated? Is it all of the above? I don’t know the answer.

As for dining today. I planned for us to eat a real breakfast at the Mara, a snack at Starring Rolls, and an early supper at Wolfgang Puck Express, followed by a trip to Goofy's Candy Shop.

We all get ready and head to the Mara, DS and DD decide that they would like to have cinnamon rolls for breakfast, DH and I decide to have the breakfast platters. We get our food and head to a table to enjoy our meal. DS and DD don’t seem to like their cinnamon buns as much as they thought they would. DD asks if she can have the mini mickey waffle that comes with my breakfast. I give it to her. She asks if she can have half of the biscuit. I give it to her. DS asks DH if he can have his mini waffle. DH gives it to him. DS asks if he can have some of my eggs hash browns and bacon. I scoop almost half onto his plate. I eat the 1/3 of my breakfast that I still have left. It was delicious and although I can’t say that I am hungry I’m not fully satisfied either.

We head to the lobby to meet the others. Once everyone is assembled we proceed to the park and miss rope drop by about 20 minutes or so.

We decide to go to toy story mania to get fastpasses. Jason doesn’t know this park very well and we have a little trouble finding it. Once we get there we find that the line is incredible! The DIS didn’t lie about the stampede for TSMM, they are all in line ahead of us! I can’t remember what is showing for fastpass return time but I believe it was sometime in the afternoon and the line was still a mile long to get them. I planned on leaving by mid afternoon… We debate the merits of getting the fastpass vs. getting in the standby line which I think was about 75 minutes at that point. A lady in the standby line heard us and told us that she would be worried the fastpasses would be gone by the time we got them since the park closed early (6 or 7 pm I think.) and she thinks we should do standby if TSMM is important to us. We decide that it would be a good idea to take her advice and thank her. Jason heads out to get fastpasses for Rockin Roller Coaster while we get in line.

It leaves lots of time for pictures:

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/DDmrpotatohead.jpg
DD with Mr. Potato Head

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/toystoryalayne.jpg
Me pretending to be a weather girl

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/ddselfportrait.jpg
DD taking a picture of her favorite subject. Herself!! LOL

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/familytoystory.jpg
A family portrait. (DS didn't want to do this, but did at least turn his face toward the camera)



TSMM is a fun ride but it seems that it took me half of the ride to figure it out and get into it. Once I did it was almost over. I would like to ride again but I don’t think that is going to happen for us this trip.

We decide to head over to Rockin Roller to pick-up fastpasses before getting a seat for Beauty and the Beast. DS is not thrilled that we are going to see this. I expect him to grumble, sigh, roll eyes etc. all the way through it. I am surprised that he watches the show without complaint. I am sure it didn’t make his Top Ten list but am surprised and grateful that there was no displeasure expressed. I think he is more mature than I sometimes give him credit for.

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/beautyandthebeast.jpg

After the show is over we head over to TOT to ride with the first set of fastpasses. We have 11 fastpasses and we send the test riders out who were Bob, Jason, DH, DS, DD, friend. We sit around waiting for them and I think sometime while we are waiting our FP window opens up so Sue and I pick-up another round of FPs for the end of the day.

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/towerofterror.jpg

We all enjoy the sunshine while we wait. It has gotten really warm today, low 80’s if I remember correctly. Tomorrow we are going to Animal Kingdom and it is forecasted to be even hotter then. Sue and Dorothy have been talking about maybe going to Aquatica for the day since it is supposed to be hot. Their girls had gone to Aquatica on their last trip and wanted to go again. They ask if we would be interested in going. I tell them no but that if they want to go they should not worry about staying with us. It is their vacation too. They decide that they will go to Aquatica. Honestly I am looking forward to having one day to go at our own pace and do our own thing.

The riders arrive back and a positively giddy about the ride. DH tells me that ride is really smooth, no side to side motion that might aggravate my wonky shoulder. He wants me to ride. I decide that I will try it once. We debate who will ride with the remaining FPs and I think it was myself, DH, DD, Bob. BFF. I think Jason decide he would ride single rider line, but my memory is sketchy.

I was nervous in the preshow area but not nearly as nervous as BFF. BFF decided she would ride when the other girls got off and told her how much fun they had but it looked like she was having second thoughts. She is telling her father Bob that she needs to pee and that they should leave. This is of course after they have already given their fastpasses to the CM. Bob is telling BFF that it wont take long for them to get through the line. BFF is almost getting hysterical, tears are running down her face and is saying “Please Daddy I need to pee really realllly bad. Please Daddy. Please.” I know from talking to Sue before the trip that when BFF has second thoughts about a ride she tells little white lies about needing to pee. They take her out of line and to the bathroom where BFF may or may not be able to squeeze out a few drops. Then she will decide to try the ride again, they get back in line and there is a 50/50 chance of whether she will ride this time or plead for another chance at the bathroom.

I feel so bad for her, she is so insistent that I think she might be telling the truth this time. It is only a few minutes before we are ready to ride and I am thinking of telling Bob about the chicken exit. I am thinking of offering to take BFF myself but decide he probably already knows and wants his daughter to face her fear.

We ride and I must say as soon as the doors close I am thinking it is going to start dropping. DH tells me he will let me know when it is time. We go through the ride and I can’t really pay attention or enjoy it because I am too nervous about the drops. We get to the critical moment and we are freefalling for a moment. When I feel how smoothly it comes to a stop at the bottom of the drop I relax. Then we are on our way up again! Freefalling again! Up again. Falling again. So much fun. I am really happy that I am able to experience a thrill ride. I would love to do this again.

We exit the ride. BFF is much more relaxed, she loved the ride but insists that Sue take her to the bathroom immediately. Sue confides later that BFF sat there for the longest time and was not able to pass so much as a single drop. She still insists to this day that she wasn’t scared she just needed to go to the bathroom badly.

I think after this is when we went to the Indiana Jones stunt spectacular. We all really enjoyed the show.

It is about 2 now and the others decide they would like to have some lunch. Since we are not leaving as early as I thought and we are all hot and tired it seems like a good idea. We are close to the ABC Commissary so we decide to go there. I would like to tell you that I enjoyed the food but I didn’t. I had fish and chips which were horrible. I ate enough to keep me going for awhile, but not so much that I wouldn’t enjoy my supper tonight. DH ate his lunch then finished what I didn’t eat so he is about to burst. He then declares that he is not eating supper tonight. Excuse me. Not eating supper? I have what will probably be the best meal of our whole trip scheduled and you decide to gorge on crappy food to the point that you can’t eat for the rest of the day!

I let it go for now. DH says these things sometimes and then later when the time comes he is ready to eat again. I marvel about where he puts it all because it doesn’t show up on his waistline darn it.

After lunch we wander around for awhile. We (not me) decide to go to muppet vision 3D, use our fastpasses at rockin rollercoaster then leave.

DD favorite movie is Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian. She has watched it many times and has told me that when she sees it it makes her feel like she is magical. So she really wanted to see this attraction. I decide this time I am putting my foot down and insisting that DD and I go to this. If others want to follow, fine. If not, fine but there is no way I am letting DD miss out on this. The adults understand and say they will go with us. The other girls are not happy about this and are not hiding it.

I know a lot of people do not care for this attraction. Unless you have seen and love the movie I can see how this would be a real yawner. If I am being truthful I didn’t enjoy the attraction, but watching DDs pleasure was more thrilling than any attraction could ever be. DD and I linger in the room that has the props. She is in awe that she is seeing the White Witches Wand in real life. We look at all the costumes and props and as the CM a few questions. The other girls did not seen the movie and couldn’t wait to get out so they left immediately with their respective adults. We linger awhile longer and then rejoin the group. DD asks BFF if she liked the attraction. I am sure that she thought that BFF would like the attraction and would want to see the movie now. BFF spits out “I HATED IT” it is apparent from the look on her face that she means it. I pull DD aside out of sight of the group so she can shed a few of the hot tears burning in her eyes in private. Just writing this brings fresh tears to my eyes. When we were a little better composed we rejoined the group.

In defense of BFF she is just a little girl who was made to give up doing something she was mildly interested in in favour of doing something she had no interest in at all. And at 10 years old she just didn’t (nor should she) have the maturity to edit her displeasure to spare her friends feelings. I don’t blame her at all but I felt terrible that DDs joy euphoria was shattered.

We head over to rockin roller coaster to use our fastpasses. I believe we had 2 rounds of fastpasses for this but I don’t recall when we picked up the second round. Probably Jason went for them by himself at some point.

So it is back to sitting on a bench for me. The thrill riders ride a couple of times while the non thrill riders hang out with Sue in the smoking area.

I am suddenly feeling a bit like I am sitting out of the whole trip. It seems that I am spending too much time on benches while others ride, that I am spending too much time trying to make sure that everyone else is having a good time, has enough to eat, wears their sunscreen, has their ticket, has their fastpass, has someone to wait for them at the bathroom that I am missing out on having fun myself. In that moment I resolve to not sit on the benches anymore. I am going to ride rockin rollercoater. The next time the riders come out I tell them I am going next. Jaws drop. So DH, DD, DS and I head out. I decide that I will ride with DS and DD and DH will ride together. I am a little nervous and while we are waiting for our limo to blast off I tell DS he might have to hold my hand. This makes DS giggle in spite of himself. It is the best sound in the whole world. I know that I made the right decision to experience this with them. Soon enough we are blasting off and I can’t stop laughing and screaming. I yell to DS “this is freakin awesome”. DS is laughing, again, such a wonderful sound, such a beautiful moment. We exit the ride, I am positively exhilarated.

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/familytot.jpg

Our day at Hollywood studios is done and it is about 5:30 PM. I think this has been our favorite park. I can’t believe I didn’t want to come here. The day after tomorrow is DS actual birthday. We were planning to go to Epcot in the morning where DS would pick the birthday fastpass for his gift. I ask DS if he thinks he might like to come here for on his birthday instead. He decides he would so we stop at guest services on the way out to get the details of the birthday fastpasses.

I can’t remember why the group decides to split up for the evening but we are heading directly to Downtown Disney to pick-up some treats at Goofys. Since I am now starving, I also want to have dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s.

Here is where I didn’t do enough research. We get to Downtown Disney but I have no idea where Goofy’s and Wolfgang Pucks are. We park at one end and begin to walk around looking for them. The sun is going down and it is getting rather chilly. We keep walking and we can’t find it. Everyone is getting cold and cranky now. Dh stops and asks for directions. This is when we find out that we parked at the wrong end. I want to go back to the car and drive to the other end. DH says no, we are almost halfway there now and there is a boat that will take us back. I can’t remember what I said about dinner but DH say he is not having dinner he is still too stuffed, the kids don’t want anything either. I think they had a snack in the afternoon, anyway they aren’t hungry. Well here I am, starving again. I am getting really cranky now. I have been talking about how much I was looking forward to this meal and now I wasn’t going to get it. It seems like I might never get to eat in any of the restaurants I wanted to.

We keep walking in the freezing cold, no one is speaking to each other. Finally we get to Goofy’s and get our snacks. We wait for about 15 minutes for the boat to get back. Once it gets there and we are on the open water we get even colder if that is possible. DD and I are shaking and our teeth are chattering. I hold DD on my lap and hug her hoping it will keep us both a little warmer. DH puts his arms around both of us to help keep us warm. I am so upset with him for ruining the meal I was looking forward to I want to tell him not to touch me. I decide against it because DD and I need the heat. I don’t speak to him.

Finally we are in the car headed back to AKL. I am almost faint from hunger and am debating whether to take a warm shower before going to the Mara or just throwing some sweaters on myself and DD, grabbing my mug so I can fill it with hot tea and getting a hot meal to bring to the room. We arrive at AKL and I very nearly run to our rooms.

In one split second as I walked through the door all thoughts of warm clothes and hot meals were suddenly erased.

I won’t pretend to understand how I knew something was wrong. I just did. I didn’t consciously think about what I was feeling. It can’t be described. If I had to try I would describe it as a visceral feeling of anxiety or dread.

I didn’t think about what I was doing. I didn’t pause. I didn’t miss a step. Was something guiding me? I think so. Call it what you will; a higher power, animal instinct or a psychic moment. Something compelled me to go to the telephone.


The message light was lit.



UP Next: The Call

[Normangirls]

Seriously?

How on earth am I supposed to go back to my work when you leave a cliff hanger like that?

Not that I was getting any work done anyway, since I was obviously reading this, but still, you know what I mean.

Loving your TR -- please keep it coming!

[rosedolph]

Oh my word - You can't do this to us! :headache:
WHAT :scared: HAPPENS! :eek:

(But really - I hope it is nothing bad. Great trip report! :))

[mla1977]

Oh please don't make us wait too long to find out what happened!

[MadiMouse]

Such a great report. I cannot do big group trips. More :worship: to you!!! I cannot wait to hear more.:thumbsup2

[tinytreasures]

don't leaved me hanging here popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::

[A MK Family]

Great report...can't wait to hear about the call...popcorn::

[Amg120499]

OMG - What the heck happened????

I am really enjoying your tr. I hope everything works out ok.

[mekay1012]

You've got me hooked now!

[miprender]

:scared1: Yikes what happens?????:surfweb:popcorn::

[njtinkmom]

Oh come on.... That's not right - I catch up on this great trip report and left hanging :scared1: Now I will have not choice to subb (which I already did:surfweb:) and keep waiting for email of an update!! Hurry up we are ALL waiting not so patiently for the next update!!:thumbsup2

[thechesters420]

I love your TR so far!!

[ccgirl]

This is the best TR I have ever read! But talk about cliff hanger. What was the call about??:confused3

[Sneezie]

O - M - G!!!!!

I can not believe you left people with a cliffhanger like that!!!!!

I just found your report today and have read it from beginning to now. I was so excited because I thought surely, I wouldn't have to wait for what "The Call" was about, but I was wrong.

Wonderful report!!! Can't wait to hear the rest.

Also, I have taken big groups to Disney before but it is stated beforehand and reiterated throughout the trip that this is MY vacation too. I am not the tour guide, you may follow if you want but I am not waiting for you. It works well that way.

[amyngary]

and. I. want. to. know. now.

Really, what was the message??????

[Paula22]

Great trip report! :thumbsup2
Don't make us wait much longer! :hourglass

[Jasperann]

Great TR! So what was the call???? :surfweb::eek:popcorn:::hyper:

[MHTeacher]

What happened? (I hope it wasn't anything bad...)

BTW, with that cliffhanger, I almost forgot to tell you how glad I am that you rode ToT and RnRC :thumbsup2 ---They are two of my family's top faves!

[smithpack]

Alright, I was mad at my email at first because I never got a notice that you had an update on your TR. :confused3Then I happen to just get on and check and you had an update.:cool1: Now I must say that I am no longer mad that I missed it on Monday because I would hate to have read it then and still be waiting for the next post. Hopefully you will post the next installment soon. What the heck happened?:sad1: I am really scared. I am not sure if I want to hear it or not.

Anyway, I am bummed that you missed out on Wolfgang Puck. We ate there this last trip, and it was awesome. You need to sit your skinny butt down and start typing. I am curious if you ever got to eat or not. My favorite part of going to Disney is the food!!

Also glad that you got to experience RNRC!! I love that ride. I am glad DD got to do Narnia since she loves it so much! Sorry her BFF made her feel bad. I probably would have cried too. Got to love that mother instinct that makes us mad when anything happens to our kids. I also just want to say that you make a lovely weather girl. You should look into that as a career. :thumbsup2

[Zookeeperof4]

Wow you know how to leave a trail of readers in suspense. I can see the light blinking in my head and your hands on the phone....

[A&Bmama]

The Call


Warning………………………..Warning…………………………..Warning



I don’t want to take anyone by surprise. This chapter is not typical trip report reading. It is a very sad and extremely painful installment.
If you are not in the right place or right frame of mind I advise you to read another report and come back to this when you are able.









I stare at the message light for a long moment. I guess I was hoping it would go away.

For one crazy second I consider ignoring the light and never listening to the message, but I know burying my head in the sand won’t change the situation.

I try to tell myself that I am getting worked up over nothing. Didn’t I just have a message two days ago? It never occurred to me then that anything was wrong. That time the message was from the front desk letting me know that a bag of items we had taken to the pool was left behind. Why is this different? Why am I so scared?

I listen to the message “Hi it’s Mom, call me as soon as you get this message. 902-###-####.

Oh god. Oh no. Why is Mom calling me? I frantically try to analyze the sound of her voice. Her voice isn’t giving up any secrets. Sounds OK I think. Am I being silly for being so freaked out?

I know I’m not.

I know this because my parents have had the same phone number since I was a child. Not something I would forget after 3 days in Florida. No. My mother was distracted, not thinking clearly. The tone of her voice might not have given me any cause for concern but the content of the message certainly did.

Dang it. Dang it. Dang it. Where is my cell? I told her I was going to take my cell to the parks everyday. I hadn’t remembered it once so far. How long has she been trying to reach me?

I run to the suitcase that is still holding my phone. I grab it and turn it on.

Oh lord no.

There is a text message from my brother. It reads. CALL HOME ASAP.

No. Please tell me this is not happening.

I quickly run through possible scenarios.

Maybe something happened to the cat. I know that can’t be it. As much as we love our pet I am sure my Mother would decide that we would have time enough to mourn our cat when we returned home.

Maybe my house burned down. I don’t think that’s it.

My Mother is OK because she is calling.

My Brother is OK because he is texting.

My Father… No, no please no.

I dial the number. My brother answers.

I don’t say hello, I don’t ask how he is. My voice surprises me, it is cold, almost hostile, demanding. I simply say, “What Is Going On!”

He pauses, and in his silence I hear his brain scrambling for what to say. “Um …………..ah…………….um…………..here, I’ll let you talk to Mom.

My Mother is on now, her voice is calm, sort of pleasant even. She asks how we are. I tell her we are all fine. I restrain myself from screaming “tell me, tell me, tell me.”

She asks me if we are having a good time. My voice says yes. My mind shouts, “say it, tell me.”

She asks if anyone is with me.

Oh god, oh god, here it comes. I tell her everyone is with me.

Her voice is quieter now, “Your Father passed away this evening.”
.
.
.
My Father died.
.
.
.
I wasn’t there.
.
.
.
I left on his Birthday.
.
.
.
I left on his Birthday...
.
.
.
I am shocked by the calm in my voice. I ask what happened. She tells me that he went out to check if the city had salted their sidewalk, while she was making supper. He came back in and told her that it was salted now and talked to her for a few moments and then went to the living room to wait for dinner. Mom finished her preparations and served up dinner. She went to the living room to tell Dad that it was ready and knew at first glance that he was gone.

She asks when we are supposed to come home. I tell her that we were supposed to leave on Tuesday (today is Friday). I tell her that we are coming home as soon as we can get flights. She gives me a number that she had been given by the funeral home for a special bereavement travel organization.

The rest of the conversation is a blur for me. I know at one point that I knew that I couldn’t sit there and calmly discuss my Dad’s death any longer and I just cut my mother off as she was saying something and said. “I have to go. I’ll call you back.”

I begin to pace the room. I can see that DH has taken the kids into the other room. Through the doorway I see DS sitting on his bed looking glum. DD is sitting on DH lap and is asking what is wrong. I don’t remember if I was crying or not, I might have only been muttering oh god, oh no. I don’t have much recollection.

I hear DH telling DD that Gramps must be very sick and he thinks that he is probably in hospital. DD wants to exactly what is going on. DH tells her he doesn’t know and they will have to wait to talk to me. I want to tell DH but I am incapable of doing anything other than pacing from one end of the room to the other.

Somehow DH is in our room with me now, holding on to me. I think he asked if it was my father and was he in the hospital. I shake my head and tell him that he died. I don’t remember the next little bit. I was pretty hysterical for a few minutes.

Somehow I calm myself. I tell him I want a cup of coffee with lots of sugar and we need to get in touch with Sue because I want cigarettes. I haven’t smoked in years.
.
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.
.
.
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.
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Side note: I had intended to cover more of what happened in this installment. I think it is best if I make the next few installments shorter as it is difficult subject matter and I am finding it a little draining.
.
.
For those who can see this trip report through to the end I promise that by the end of the trip report we will certainly have some happier times and will find some magic along the way.

Up next: Arrangements

[thumbelina115]

I am so, so sorry.
What a nightmare for you and your family.

[Zookeeperof4]

OMG....okay I am so sorry. And so sorry for pressuring the next installment to happen. As soon as it said the message was your mom I thought please dont let it be your dad..please dont let it be your dad. Then the tears started....

I feel like reaching through this screen to hug you. Amazing how a TR can bring such strangers to have such strong feelings when things happen.

I would like to say I dont know your pain...unfortunately I do. We lost our baby unexpectedly....just like losing your father. The pain will never know go away...it just feels different over time. My family will pray that you think of him with fond memories and know that you did enjoy a birthday celebration with him before you left.
I am so sorry for your loss.:grouphug:

[MadiMouse]

First off, let me send my condolences to you and your family. I will be here till the end of this report! :goodvibes

[wisegal]

Sorry to hear about you dad.

[Amg120499]

I am so sorry. Certainly not the news you want to get anytime, much less on vacation. I can only imagine how hard it must be for your to relive this and write your tr.

:hug:

[Jasperann]

:sad1::hug: I am so sorry for your loss. I know what it feels like to loose your dad and not being there at the time. It takes a lot of courage to do a trip report that has this painful of a memory for you. I will be here reading until you are finished with it. :hug:

[hucifer]

It takes a lot of courage to do a trip report that has this painful of a memory for you. I will be here reading until you are finished with it. :hug:

I totally agree.

I am so sorry...

:hug:

[Normangirls]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I can't imagine how awful that phone call was. To be in the middle of vacation, fun and laughs and all positive things, and then to plummet down into that shock and grief. Well, I can't imagine.

Of course we're here to the end. Of course, you should write this at your own pace. DIS people are not fair-weathered friends, so know you have our thoughts and prayers.

[PrncessA]

Lots of hugs and prayers are sent your way from my family! What a painful thing to have to write about, take your time, we are here till the end with you.

[DisEye]

I am sorry for your loss.

[loveysbydesign]

I am so sorry for the loss of your dad. Everytime my phone rings and it is my mom I'mm afraid that is what she'll tell me. My dad is 80...I am 35 and the baby of the family and I fear that call.
Hugs to you!

[A&Bmama]

I am so, so sorry.
What a nightmare for you and your family.

Thank you. It was very difficult.

OMG....okay I am so sorry. And so sorry for pressuring the next installment to happen. As soon as it said the message was your mom I thought please dont let it be your dad..please dont let it be your dad. Then the tears started....

I feel like reaching through this screen to hug you. Amazing how a TR can bring such strangers to have such strong feelings when things happen.

I would like to say I dont know your pain...unfortunately I do. We lost our baby unexpectedly....just like losing your father. The pain will never know go away...it just feels different over time. My family will pray that you think of him with fond memories and know that you did enjoy a birthday celebration with him before you left.
I am so sorry for your loss.:grouphug:

Don't worry about any pressure. :goodvibes

Thank you so much for you well wishes. It is painful to lose a parent. Shockingly so. Made me feel like an orphan even though I am much to old and I still have my mom. I think there can be no greater pain than losing a child. I pray I never experience it. I am sorry for loss. :hug:

First off, let me send my condolences to you and your family. I will be here till the end of this report! :goodvibes

Thanks for reading and for the condolences. Brighter days are in the future.

Sorry to hear about you dad.

Thank you and thanks for reading.

I am so sorry. Certainly not the news you want to get anytime, much less on vacation. I can only imagine how hard it must be for your to relive this and write your tr.

:hug:

Thank you. It has actually been kind of theraputic (sp?) to write about it.

:sad1::hug: I am so sorry for your loss. I know what it feels like to loose your dad and not being there at the time. It takes a lot of courage to do a trip report that has this painful of a memory for you. I will be here reading until you are finished with it. :hug:

Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad your in it for the long haul because there is still quite a bit more story to tell.

I totally agree.

I am so sorry...

:hug:

Thanks hucifer. Keep reading there is a parallel between something in your solo trip report and mine. It is still many installments away though.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I can't imagine how awful that phone call was. To be in the middle of vacation, fun and laughs and all positive things, and then to plummet down into that shock and grief. Well, I can't imagine.

Of course we're here to the end. Of course, you should write this at your own pace. DIS people are not fair-weathered friends, so know you have our thoughts and prayers.

Thanks. Death is an awful part of life. It is odd to experience such exhilarating highs then plummet to such lows in a short period of time.

Lots of hugs and prayers are sent your way from my family! What a painful thing to have to write about, take your time, we are here till the end with you.

Thank you for your sentiments, and thanks for reading

I am sorry for your loss.

Thank you for the kind words.

I am so sorry for the loss of your dad. Everytime my phone rings and it is my mom I'mm afraid that is what she'll tell me. My dad is 80...I am 35 and the baby of the family and I fear that call.
Hugs to you!

Its funny, in hindsight I guess I should have been more concerned about his health. Actually I was concerned, I said to Mom on more than one occasion "that man is a walking heart attack." He was overweight and had become very sedentary since he retired. I guess I just thought he would have a mild heart attack and it would be his wake-up call.

Thanks for reading

[njtinkmom]

OMG I am so truly sorry for you and your family. Most unfortunetly I can relate because I was in Epcot getting ready to get on Test Track with my then 7 yo dd when I received the same call..... My dad was in the hospital when we left for Disney my uncle and step mom MADE us go for the kids, said my dad would be pissed if we did not go because of him. He was on a ventilator at the time and NOTHING was going to happen for the next 14 days. Well we drove from NJ and two days into our trip my step mom calls and said he regained conscious and wanted to be taken off the ventilator that day, and that the machine was the only think keeping him alive. I remember riding TT in a blur trying to figure out what to tell my dds 7, 4 and 2. We left epcot went back to POP and they were soooo nice, they refunded my room, gave me non-expiration hoppers for that day and the rest of the trip. It was the longest drive home ever, the kids were devastated to leave and upset about their pop-pop, although they did not know the severity....It also took 5 years for me to go back to disney and seeing TT this summer was difficult, memories came flooding back. I feel the guilt that I left him every day, but in my heart I do know he would have been pissed had I not taken the girls.

We are all here for you and keep venting when you can, don't keep your emotions bottled up, it is just not good - trust me I know.:grouphug:

[Sneezie]

I am so very sorry for your lost. :hug:

[MHTeacher]

Oh...I am so sorry. I sat, reading, with tears streaming down my face, feeling your hurt and sorrow through your words. Hugs and prayers to you and your family.:grouphug:

[MEK]

I got pretty behind on all my TRs, but I think I am caught up now. I am so sorry to hear about your dad.....that is so sad. :hug: How awful to lose a parent while visiting the happiest place in the world. This happened to my coworker's wife a few years ago. I hope you were able to get home in a timely manner.

I can tell that is was difficult touring the parks with so many people. I really think you did a great job keeping everyone organized. I don't know how you managed to eat so little because your meal times were out of synch. I would have been eating everything in sight.

[Becx N Gav]

My deepest condolences for you and your family :hug: I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. I must say though you are amazing to be able to write about this - I can't imagine how hard it is to go through again :sad2: I do hope you find this helps.
We are all here for you, take as much time as you need. I hope you are able to find some strength from doing this :grouphug: :flower3:

[A&Bmama]

OMG I am so truly sorry for you and your family. Most unfortunetly I can relate because I was in Epcot getting ready to get on Test Track with my then 7 yo dd when I received the same call..... My dad was in the hospital when we left for Disney my uncle and step mom MADE us go for the kids, said my dad would be pissed if we did not go because of him. He was on a ventilator at the time and NOTHING was going to happen for the next 14 days. Well we drove from NJ and two days into our trip my step mom calls and said he regained conscious and wanted to be taken off the ventilator that day, and that the machine was the only think keeping him alive. I remember riding TT in a blur trying to figure out what to tell my dds 7, 4 and 2. We left epcot went back to POP and they were soooo nice, they refunded my room, gave me non-expiration hoppers for that day and the rest of the trip. It was the longest drive home ever, the kids were devastated to leave and upset about their pop-pop, although they did not know the severity....It also took 5 years for me to go back to disney and seeing TT this summer was difficult, memories came flooding back. I feel the guilt that I left him every day, but in my heart I do know he would have been pissed had I not taken the girls.

We are all here for you and keep venting when you can, don't keep your emotions bottled up, it is just not good - trust me I know.:grouphug:

Thanks for sharing your story. It is really difficult to deal with the death of a parent. I took me by surprise just how hard it is. In the natural order of life we expect to outlive our parents and therefore, assume we will deal with their death one day. It's a whole different story when it actually happens though.

[A&Bmama]

I am so very sorry for your lost. :hug:

Thanks for your sentiments and thanks for reading. Better days are ahead.

[A&Bmama]

Oh...I am so sorry. I sat, reading, with tears streaming down my face, feeling your hurt and sorrow through your words. Hugs and prayers to you and your family.:grouphug:

Thanks for your kind words.

I solemnly pinky swear promise that you will smile again by the end of the trip report. It's going to take a few installments to get there though.

[A&Bmama]

My deepest condolences for you and your family :hug: I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. I must say though you are amazing to be able to write about this - I can't imagine how hard it is to go through again :sad2: I do hope you find this helps.
We are all here for you, take as much time as you need. I hope you are able to find some strength from doing this :grouphug: :flower3:

I'm finding writing about it to be helpful. I won't lie to your though, I shed more than a few tears writing the last installment.

I discovered the DIS before the trip and I read a few trip reports. I had every intention of writing one myself when I got back but of course I didn't feel like it for a long time.

I had of put it out of my mind thinking that my trip was too long ago to write a TR. One day I was on the Dis again dreaming of a do over, I found myself wandering over to the TR section. Then it occurred to me that just because my trip was almost a year ago was no reason to not write the trip report. There is no DIS imposed "statute of limitations" on Disney experiences, so why not?

[A MK Family]

I am so sorry for your loss. As a read your report I couldn't help but cry. It must have been awful to been that far away. I must say you seemed to have handled it all so well.
Thinking of you and your family

[Becx N Gav]

I'm finding writing about it to be helpful. I won't lie to your though, I shed more than a few tears writing the last installment.

I discovered the DIS before the trip and I read a few trip reports. I had every intention of writing one myself when I got back but of course I didn't feel like it for a long time.

I had of put it out of my mind thinking that my trip was too long ago to write a TR. One day I was on the Dis again dreaming of a do over, I found myself wandering over to the TR section. Then it occurred to me that just because my trip was almost a year ago was no reason to not write the trip report. There is no DIS imposed "statute of limitations" on Disney experiences, so why not?

I've had that very same thing myself, my DH and I wrote down a detailed TR of a trip to Disneyland Paris, but what with other things going on I never got around to posting it. I say good for you for posting and anyone that has a problem (I doubt it but you never know ;)) with an 'old' reoprt is just being a PITA :lmao:
Crikey I'd love to read a report of some really old trips 70's/80's even 90's it would be fascinating to see the changes and what's the same :idea:

I hope you have the hard part out the way now and some happier memories come back to you :hug:

[smithpack]

First of all, I just want to say that I am sorry to hear about your father passing away. I am a firm believer that we will be with our families again after this life. I am sure he was there with you to help comfort you when you got the news. :hug: Losing a loved one is always a hard thing to deal with.

Secondly, I can't wait to hear what is coming up in your TR. Also, so glad you got the huge discount on your vacation. You definitely deserved it after all you had been through. On a brighter note, you did ride the RNRC!!:thumbsup2 Your dad probably would have wanted you to enjoy that day. That is probably why you happened to forget your cell phone. :confused3

:flower3::flower3::flower3::flower3::flower3::flow er3::flower3::flower3::flower3::flower3::flower3:

[A&Bmama]

I am so sorry for your loss. As a read your report I couldn't help but cry. It must have been awful to been that far away. I must say you seemed to have handled it all so well.
Thinking of you and your family

Thanks. It was difficult to be so far away. I think maybe things happen for a reason. If I had been home and Mom had called me right away I would have been there is 5 minutes or less since we live only a few streets away from each other. Maybe I was being spared having the image of him in lifeless in his chair in my head for the rest of my life.

[A&Bmama]

First of all, I just want to say that I am sorry to hear about your father passing away. I am a firm believer that we will be with our families again after this life. I am sure he was there with you to help comfort you when you got the news. :hug: Losing a loved one is always a hard thing to deal with.

Secondly, I can't wait to hear what is coming up in your TR. Also, so glad you got the huge discount on your vacation. You definitely deserved it after all you had been through. On a brighter note, you did ride the RNRC!!:thumbsup2 Your dad probably would have wanted you to enjoy that day. That is probably why you happened to forget your cell phone. :confused3

:flower3::flower3::flower3::flower3::flower3::flow er3::flower3::flower3::flower3::flower3::flower3:

Thanks for your kind word. I do think that my dad made me go to the phone. It was one of the strangest things I have ever experienced. It was like someone switched a channel. One minute I am thinking of how to get warm and what am I going to eat, in the next instant I am sick with anxiety and thinking I have to get to the phone.

My husband even commented on it later. He wanted to know if I had been expecting someone to call that day because he thought it was odd the way that I rushed to the phone with such "purpose."

[A&Bmama]

Arrangements:

We call Sue’s room and there is no answer. We walk to the Mara to get the coffee anyway. DH asks if I want him to go to the smoking area and see if he can bum a smoke from someone. I tell him no, but inside I am thinking how sweet it is that this man of mine who has never smoked a day in his life is willing to do this for me.

Once we are through the doors we spot Sue and Bob heading to the smoking area. DH heads to the Mara to get me coffee as I catch up to Sue and Bob. One look at me and Sue knows something is terribly wrong. I tell her what happened. I don’t remember much of the conversation. I remember I smoked 2 cigarettes. I remember that the coffee was still bad. Sue tells me to call her if I want to smoke some more.

We head back to the room to try to arrange flights. I call WestJet first. The earliest they can get us out is Monday. I tell them to go ahead and change the flights. I call the bereavement travel number my Mom gave me. The lady I was dealing with was very nice but the only flight she can get me for the next day is with an American airline, I think it might have been Delta. If I recall correctly I think it would have had me going from Orlando-Atlanta-Chicago-Toronto-Halifax. It was executive class, one way of course and at the bereavement discount it would have cost me $2000.00 for me alone. I don’t book it but I am thinking that if I can’t come up with anything else I might call back and book it and leave DH with the kids to come back on Monday with WestJet.

My mother calls me back and I tell her that I am booked to get home one day early so far, but that I am still working on it.

I fill my mug with Margarita cooler that I had bought but had yet to touch. I call Sue’s room and tell her I want to go out and smoke again. I have my third cigarette and while I am telling her about the difficulty we are having getting out it occurs to me that WestJet also flies to Tampa, Fort Myers and Miami. Maybe they have something available out of one of those cities. We finish, Sue offers to give me some more cigarettes and a lighter. I consider it for a moment, I decide that I have indulged myself enough and I tell her no. I am certain my Father would be very disappointed in me if I used his death as an excuse to begin smoking again.

I call WestJet back and they are able to get all of us out the next day at 2 pm from Tampa, we will have to change planes in Toronto. It will cost an additional $950.00 with the bereavement discount. I book it write the details down.

I call my Mom to tell her that we were able to get flights and that we will arrive home at 11PM the next day. She sound relieved. I tell her we will call her several times during the day to check in.

DH and I begin to pack up our stuff. The kids are asleep at this point. It makes me sad to think they went to bed after learning that they lost their Grandfather and that when they wake up they will learn that they lost most of their Disney trip too.

Up Next: If Tomorrow Never Comes

[amyngary]

I am so sorry for your loss, and also for making a joke about wanting your next installment. I honestly expected the message to be something good.

We took a trip to Chicago last summer and about 5 hours after we arrived, my sister called to say that my mom had a bad car accident and was ejected from the car. When she arrived at the hospital, they didn't think she would make it. My sister chose not to call me until they had her stabilized in ICU. She insisted that I not come home, so we stayed the rest of the weekend as planned, except left very early on Sunday to get home. I still don't know if I made the right decision, but my mom is fine now. Even after that, I can't imagine what you went through.

I know what you mean about you knowing to check the phone though. The night before my mom's accident, I had a dream that she had a heart attach (and I never dream about my mom). I told DH the next day that I was worried about my mom.

I am still with your TR - you have a great writing style.

[A&Bmama]

I am so sorry for your loss, and also for making a joke about wanting your next installment. I honestly expected the message to be something good.

We took a trip to Chicago last summer and about 5 hours after we arrived, my sister called to say that my mom had a bad car accident and was ejected from the car. When she arrived at the hospital, they didn't think she would make it. My sister chose not to call me until they had her stabilized in ICU. She insisted that I not come home, so we stayed the rest of the weekend as planned, except left very early on Sunday to get home. I still don't know if I made the right decision, but my mom is fine now. Even after that, I can't imagine what you went through.

I know what you mean about you knowing to check the phone though. The night before my mom's accident, I had a dream that she had a heart attach (and I never dream about my mom). I told DH the next day that I was worried about my mom.

I am still with your TR - you have a great writing style.

Don't worry anout the joke for a second. I knew when I wrote that installment that some would think it was good news. I mean seriously, we were in the happiest place on earth, the place where pixie dust and magic live. You figure your biggest problems will be rain, crowds, maybe a meal or two you don't care for...

I do believe that we have a sixth sense or whatever you want to call it. I scratch my head and think maybe somehow I knew that that was the day something bad was going to happen. Everytime I tried to plan it I would get really irritable and just not want to have anything to do with it. Then I think, where was my sixth sense when I booked the trip, why didn't I feel like I shouldn't go at all? Oh well, I guess it's not an exact science.

[mla1977]

I am so sorry for you loss. I lost my father when I was in college. I didn't have a cell phone at the time so someone called the school and they had to find me in my class (thankfully I got up that morning). They gave me a number to call at the hospital and when I called the hospital they asked me to have someone drive me there (I knew that wasn't a good sign). It was a crazy time trying to get my mother there to drive me (she started making phone calls to figure out what was happening instead of just picking me up at school). I still get teary thinking about it 14 year later (this week).

Of course yesterday I was dealing with a sick kitty with the possibility of surgery and I read your warning about being in the right state of mind, but I went ahead and read anyways. Of course I got emotional, but in order to stay under control at work, I chose to wait until to day to respond.

This past August my Grandmother was diagnosed with liver cancer and she was put on hospice care. I had been planning a trip with my goddaughter for months and everyone told us to still take the trip. My Grandmother knows how much I love Disney and she was jealous that we were going without her. Thankfully, she survived until we got home and we were able to spend some more time with her and share our pictures with her. We did end up losing her at the end of the month, and I feel guilty for not being there to spend more time with her, but she insisted that we take the trip and she was very happy to share it with us through the pictures.

Again I am very sorry for your loss. I know you made the right decision by going home immediately. Disney will always be there, but your family needed you.

[dydo2424]

I am so sorry for your loss.:hug:

I just found your wonderful TR today and have sat here reading it from the very beginning. Thank you for sharing. I hope there is some relief for you putting it in words. I will be here until it's complete..

[Dugette]

I've been following your trip report for awhile (great attention-getting title, by the way!), but haven't commented until now. Just wanted to say sorry for the loss of your father. Although it's not the same thing, the moment we touched down from our flight back from our honeymoon in Italy a few years ago, I got a call from my mom that my Grandpa has passed away. Definitely know the feeling of wishing I had been there...I'd wanted to show him wedding pictures (since he wasn't able to make it to our wedding), but I was too late.

Anyway, love the crazy deal you got!!! I am similar to you with the "economic discipline", so I really appreciate the half-price bargain you got. And I'm super impressed you paid off your mortgage. We recently finished paying off all debt except our mortgage, and I thought that was cool, but the mortgage would be amazing!

Great trip report, keep it up! Thanks for sharing.

And, for this person:
Crikey I'd love to read a report of some really old trips 70's/80's even 90's it would be fascinating to see the changes and what's the same :idea:
I recently posted a 1990 trip report (an unusual one), so feel free to check it out. Link is in my signiture, next the the 1990 dates. Enjoy! :)

[Khill]

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I have lost my father in the past couple of years, and know that nothing can be said to bring him back.

It is nice and comforting to know that you have friends on the Dis board that will and can sympathize with you, and feel the pain that you have.

May he look down on you and be proud of who you are and what you have become. Keep the loving memories close, and cherish the special times you had.

We are all thinking of you and your family.

[MEK]

I do believe that many people have a sixth sense about things. So, yes, I think you knew to go right over to your phone and check for messages. You knew something was wrong just by the "look" of that blinking message light.

I am glad you were able to get a flight home from Tampa. Imagine having to make 3 stops before even getting home. That would be horrible.

Again - I am so sorry for your loss.

[A&Bmama]

I got pretty behind on all my TRs, but I think I am caught up now. I am so sorry to hear about your dad.....that is so sad. :hug: How awful to lose a parent while visiting the happiest place in the world. This happened to my coworker's wife a few years ago. I hope you were able to get home in a timely manner.

I can tell that is was difficult touring the parks with so many people. I really think you did a great job keeping everyone organized. I don't know how you managed to eat so little because your meal times were out of synch. I would have been eating everything in sight.

I do believe that many people have a sixth sense about things. So, yes, I think you knew to go right over to your phone and check for messages. You knew something was wrong just by the "look" of that blinking message light.

I am glad you were able to get a flight home from Tampa. Imagine having to make 3 stops before even getting home. That would be horrible.

Again - I am so sorry for your loss.


First let me say thanks for reading and for the kind words. Secondly, I am trying to respond to everyone who taking the time to offer support and share their stories. I just realized I never responded to you the first time. Oops :blush: sorry!

It is a very difficult time when you lose a parent. It's sad that is was compounded by being so far from home and by the loss 1/2 of a trip we had been dreaming of for over a decade.

I was really glad to be able to get everyone out together the next day.

Thanks again for reading and offering support!

[A&Bmama]

I am so sorry for you loss. I lost my father when I was in college. I didn't have a cell phone at the time so someone called the school and they had to find me in my class (thankfully I got up that morning). They gave me a number to call at the hospital and when I called the hospital they asked me to have someone drive me there (I knew that wasn't a good sign). It was a crazy time trying to get my mother there to drive me (she started making phone calls to figure out what was happening instead of just picking me up at school). I still get teary thinking about it 14 year later (this week).

Of course yesterday I was dealing with a sick kitty with the possibility of surgery and I read your warning about being in the right state of mind, but I went ahead and read anyways. Of course I got emotional, but in order to stay under control at work, I chose to wait until to day to respond.

This past August my Grandmother was diagnosed with liver cancer and she was put on hospice care. I had been planning a trip with my goddaughter for months and everyone told us to still take the trip. My Grandmother knows how much I love Disney and she was jealous that we were going without her. Thankfully, she survived until we got home and we were able to spend some more time with her and share our pictures with her. We did end up losing her at the end of the month, and I feel guilty for not being there to spend more time with her, but she insisted that we take the trip and she was very happy to share it with us through the pictures.

Again I am very sorry for your loss. I know you made the right decision by going home immediately. Disney will always be there, but your family needed you.

I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad. I know it's a really helpless feeling when you know there is a crisis going on and you can't get there. I can't imagine having to sit there waiting with no information of what was going on. I think I would have been absolutely hysterical. Maybe not though, on thing I've learned is that we are stronger than we think we are.

I did try to warn people, I didn't want to blindside anyone who expecting "light" reading. I didn't really believe that it would stop anyone though. I would find that the curiosity would be too strong at that point if I were reading it.

I'm sure your Grandmother loved being able to look at your picture and take the trip vicariously through you. The older I get the more I learn that parents and grandparents mean these things they tell you. Like "don't spend your money on me, I have everything I need." I know I'll say this to my kids and mean it. Your Grandmother wouldn't want the end of her life to interfere with you living yours. I'm sure she wants you to live your life to the fullest and find as much happiness as you can along the way.

Thanks for reading and for sharing your stories with me.

[A&Bmama]

I am so sorry for your loss.:hug:

I just found your wonderful TR today and have sat here reading it from the very beginning. Thank you for sharing. I hope there is some relief for you putting it in words. I will be here until it's complete..

Thanks for reading. I'm really glad I decided to write the report. It brings back the good memories of how much fun we had before this happend.

[A&Bmama]

I've been following your trip report for awhile (great attention-getting title, by the way!), but haven't commented until now. Just wanted to say sorry for the loss of your father. Although it's not the same thing, the moment we touched down from our flight back from our honeymoon in Italy a few years ago, I got a call from my mom that my Grandpa has passed away. Definitely know the feeling of wishing I had been there...I'd wanted to show him wedding pictures (since he wasn't able to make it to our wedding), but I was too late.

Anyway, love the crazy deal you got!!! I am similar to you with the "economic discipline", so I really appreciate the half-price bargain you got. And I'm super impressed you paid off your mortgage. We recently finished paying off all debt except our mortgage, and I thought that was cool, but the mortgage would be amazing!

Great trip report, keep it up! Thanks for sharing.



Thanks for following my report. I'm sorry you never got to show your Grandpa your photos, it's never easy when you lose someone. I remember when we first found out that we were expecting DS the first thing I wanted to do was tell my Grandmother. I was so scared that she might die before finding out that she was going to be a Great Grandmother. Fortunately she actually lived until DS was 14.

Not having credit card debit is fantastic! You look to be quite a bit younger than I am so it will come in time. Just don't carry a balance on those credit cards if you can possibly help it

I am really interest phobic, way more than most people. My advice is never pay interest on anything that depreciates. It's simple advice that can be hard to follow at times.

[A&Bmama]

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I have lost my father in the past couple of years, and know that nothing can be said to bring him back.

It is nice and comforting to know that you have friends on the Dis board that will and can sympathize with you, and feel the pain that you have.

May he look down on you and be proud of who you are and what you have become. Keep the loving memories close, and cherish the special times you had.

We are all thinking of you and your family.

Thanks for reading and offering your kind support. I've finding it really therapeutic to write this. The outpouring of support I have been receiving is wonderful.

[miprender]

A&B Mama, so sorry for your loss. I had a feeling that it was not going to be good for the next installment.:hug:

But I can't wait to read more... I love happy endings!:love:

[A&Bmama]

A&B Mama, so sorry for your loss. I had a feeling that it was not going to be good for the next installment.:hug:

But I can't wait to read more... I love happy endings!:love:

Thanks.

It is going to take a few installments before we get to a "better" place. Although, I do feel like it is important to fully explain what we were thinking and feeling while the bad stuff was going on I am looking forward to writing about happier times again.

I promise I'll deliver on the happy ending.

[Snappy in OK]

I had a bad feeling when I read about the message light on the phone. I am so sorry to hear about your loss. It is never easy losing a loved one, but I think being away from home makes it harder.

DH & I were on our honeymoon when his grandma was taken to the hospital. (She was 96, and we had been told for 9 months that she would not live to be at our wedding.) DH's parents had told us that she was in the hospital, but told us to enjoy our honeymoon - Grandma would not want us to head home early. She passed away the following night, and made everyone promise not to tell us until we got home a few days later.

I hope you were able to make it home easily & be with your family!!

[floydfamily4]

I am so sorry for your loss. My prayers are with you and your family as you begin to heal. I have enjoyed your report and getting to know you and your family and cannot imagine your pain. Hang in there.:grouphug::grouphug:

[tinytreasures]

I am so sorry

[Ferry Joy]

I too wish to add my condolences. I was crying when I read your trip report (and I certainly didn't think that would happen - strong stoic type). Life happens where ever we are whenever, even at the happiest place on earth.
Please keep writing when you can. You are brave.:hug:

[NikkiMouse]

I just found your trip report and caught up over the weekend. I was so sorry to read about your Dad, I can't imagine how awful you must have felt.

I think it is good therapy to write it all down and let those emotions loose. It shows you are healing. It just takes a bit of time.

Waiting in anticipation for your next update

Sending disney luv n hugs to you and your family

[mom2shayleeandlogan]

I am so sorry for your loss.

[A&Bmama]

I had a bad feeling when I read about the message light on the phone. I am so sorry to hear about your loss. It is never easy losing a loved one, but I think being away from home makes it harder.

DH & I were on our honeymoon when his grandma was taken to the hospital. (She was 96, and we had been told for 9 months that she would not live to be at our wedding.) DH's parents had told us that she was in the hospital, but told us to enjoy our honeymoon - Grandma would not want us to head home early. She passed away the following night, and made everyone promise not to tell us until we got home a few days later.

I hope you were able to make it home easily & be with your family!!

Thanks for the condolences. Being away from home does make it harder.

I am sure your DH's parents were right. I am sure his Grandmother would want the two of you to have a lovely honeymoon.



I am so sorry for your loss. My prayers are with you and your family as you begin to heal. I have enjoyed your report and getting to know you and your family and cannot imagine your pain. Hang in there.:grouphug::grouphug:

I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying the report. I promise it does get better.

Thanks so much for the suport and understanding.

I am so sorry

Thanks for reading and posting. I am overwhelmed by everyones kindness.


I too wish to add my condolences. I was crying when I read your trip report (and I certainly didn't think that would happen - strong stoic type). Life happens where ever we are whenever, even at the happiest place on earth.
Please keep writing when you can. You are brave.:hug:


Thanks so much for your kind words. Sorry to make you cry.

You are right, you can't escape life no matter where you go. Unfortunately Disney is no exception.


I just found your trip report and caught up over the weekend. I was so sorry to read about your Dad, I can't imagine how awful you must have felt.

I think it is good therapy to write it all down and let those emotions loose. It shows you are healing. It just takes a bit of time.

Waiting in anticipation for your next update

Sending disney luv n hugs to you and your family


Thanks for reading. I am glad I decided to do the trip report afterall. Although it does make me recall the bad times it also made me sit down and recall all of the good times we had too.

Thanks for the support.

I am so sorry for your loss.

Thanks for the kind words. Everyone here on the DIS has been incredibly kind and supportive. Thanks for reading.

[A&Bmama]

If Tomorrow Never Comes:

I make my best attempt at helping DH pack our things even though my body feels like it is made of lead. Simple decisions like what shoes should I leave out for DD to put on tomorrow boggle my mind. The packing gets done, mostly by DH.

I can’t stop thinking how quickly life can change. One minute your enjoying Disney magic, the next minutes someone you love is gone. No chance to say goodbye. No chance to tell them you love them.

I remember how just a few short hours ago we were on that boat in downtown Disney. I think of DH putting his arms around DD and me to keep us warm, how my childish disappointment over a silly dinner had made me want to tell him not to touch me.

What if had been one of us to die instead of my Father? What if the last moments we had together were marred by this petty squabble? If I were the one left behind it would haunt me. If he were left behind would he feel the same? Would he berate himself for not taking me to dinner? Would he know that this spat was just surface tension bubbling up? Would he know that my real feelings for him are much too deep for surface tension to touch? I can’t take the chance that he would and I can’t assume that there will be an opportunity to tell before we’re parted. I tell DH that there is something I want to say, that I need to talk…

We tell each other things, sweet things, sorrowful things, funny things, joyful things. It is very late when we are done. I tell DH that he should go to sleep. He is going long day tomorrow and I don’t know how much help I will be so he will need all the rest he can get.

I don’t know if I will be able to sleep tonight. I pour myself another margarita cooler, pop a couple of gravol and go to the balcony to think. I watch Eli sleeping for a long time. Finally the gravol kicks in so I go to bed and am able to sleep for a few hours.

The next morning is a bit of a blur. DH is the one who tells the kids that we are leaving this morning. DS is glum looking. Tomorrow is his 16th birthday. There will be no celebration at Disney World for him. No birthday fastpasses at Hollywood studios, so spending extra magic hours at Magic Kingdom, no cake from the Boardwalk Bakery. In fact, there won’t be a celebration at all tomorrow. I’ll be spending the day planning my Father’s funeral. DS doesn’t complain about any of this, God love him, he doesn’t say a word.

DD is crying quietly. I can tell she is trying not to but she can’t help it. She asks me if we will come back. I tell her we will bring them back to Disney but it will be very unlikely that we would stay at AKL again.

We get ready, pack the last minute things and then take our luggage to the car.

DH had stopped at the desk last night to tell them we would be checking out early and why. They told him to ask for the manger that was on in the morning and he might be able to do something about the nights we were losing. We stop at the desk and ask to see the manager. He is very nice to us but tells us that there is nothing they can do about the unused nights and the dining plan. He does however add the never expire option to our tickets so that we will still have the 4 days that are left at the parks. We ask if we can settle our room charges with the gift cards we have. He looks over our room charges which are only about $70.00 and tells us that he will write those off as well. (**see note at bottom)

We dropped by Sue and Bob’s room to drop off the drinks and snacks we had left over. BFF and friend hugged DD and told her how much they wanted her to stay. We talked for a few minutes and then told them we had to leave so that we could make sure we gave ourselves plenty of time to find our way to Tampa.

We stop in the gift shop to pick-up some candy and things to have on the plane. The Tilley style hat that we were going to buy for my father catches my eye. I look away quickly.

We stop at the Mara to pick-up something for DH and the kids to eat for breakfast on the way to the airport. I am not hungry; the thought of eating makes me queasy. Then we are walking out the door for the last time. I can’t believe the trip we have dreamed of and planned for so long is gone so quickly, so suddenly. I don’t look back.

We begin the long journey to the airport. The kids squabble over something in the back seat. My voice breaks as I tell them they have to behave well today because I don’t think I can handle it if they don’t. There is not another cross word out of them for the rest of they day. We find our way to the Tampa airport without too much trouble. DH is a saint, he guides all of us through check in and security he handles all of the details, passports, boarding passes etc. Once we are in the departure area he decides we should eat some lunch. We go to a chicken place, Popeye’s maybe? I don’t remember the name for sure, but it was a chain that we don’t have in Canada. I tell him I don’t think I can eat anything. He says he is ordering me a chicken sandwich anyway and wants me to try eating some of it. I manage to eat a few bites, maybe a ¼ of the sandwich. I remember that it was very hot and was delicious. I think how odd it is that I can think that it is delicious and making me queasy all at the same time.

Once we are done we go to the gate to wait for boarding. We are early because we wanted to leave lots of time in case we got lost on the way to the airport. I try not to cry in the airport. I don’t want to cry in public but I’m not going to have any privacy today. Most of the time I am able to keep my composure but sometimes a few tears slip out. I am comforted by the fact people crying in airports is not all that uncommon so I am not attracting as much attention as I might in another public place.

We arrive in Toronto, pick-up all of our bags, go through customs and do all of the necessary things. DH guides us all the way. Once we are in the departures area I find myself hungry. I buy a humongous hamburger and am surprised that I am able to eat every bite of it. Finally we are boarding the flight to Halifax. I am relieved that all we have to do now relax until we land, pick-up our bags and drive home.

We land a little late in Halifax and we are not in our home until after midnight. I am happy to be in my own home again. I take some gravol. I will need a good nights sleep, tomorrow will be a difficult day.




**Unfortunately, a couple of weeks after we arrived home AKL charged my Visa for the room charges. When I called to explain that I had been told that room charges had been written off and that I would have paid them with my gift cards rather by Visa all they offered to do was refund my visa and charge the gift card. I let them do this but of course I was dinged by visa about 7 bucks in foreign currency exchange charges.


Up Next: Promises, Promises

[MadiMouse]

I just want to add that you are a very strong individual to relive such a sad time in your life by writing a TR. :goodvibes My heart goes out to you and your family. I am anxious for the light at the end of the tunnel - something magical.:hug:

[ccgirl]

I just have to say what an amazing person you are. I am so sorry for your loss. To be able to write a trip report (and an awesome one at that) through all of this is simply amazing. I'm sure your father was thrilled you were able to take your children to Disney. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings. I wish you and your family all of the best. :grouphug:

[It'sWDW4me]

I'm coming out of lurkdom to, first, say how horribly sorry I am for you and your family. My dearest grandmother passed while we (me, my son, my brother, and my cousin) were on our way home from a beach vacation. We were about 20 minutes from home and just pulling in to a gas station when my mom called my cell phone. The next time we saw Gram was at the viewing. So, in that vein, maybe it was a final kindness from your dad that you were spared the picture of him in his recliner.

Second, on a happier note, you did write that there was a nice, magical twist to come. I'm so very glad. And I'll be right here, reading on when you are able to post more.

[smithpack]

I am glad you are still writing! You are very good at having us in the moment. I have laughed, I have cried, I have stayed up late a couple of nights to read this. I am glad you made it home. I will be here till the end of this TR. I want to hear about the good news too.

[Becx N Gav]

My heart goes out to you and your family, your kids are amazing to be so well behaved and supporting you :grouphug: I'm glad your DH was able to take control, I can't imagine how hard it woud be to get to a strange airport, check-in, get through security and get on the right plane when your head is somewhere else :sad2: I'm glad you made it home ok (well I'd rather this had not happened whilst you were on vacation.....)

Thanks for keeping this moving, you are doing a fab job (I can't say with the topic I am enjoying it, but it is a really great trip report) I do hope you get the chance for a do-over :grouphug:

[Becx N Gav]

And, for this person:

I recently posted a 1990 trip report (an unusual one), so feel free to check it out. Link is in my signiture, next the the 1990 dates. Enjoy! :)

Thank you very much for the link, I will definately check it out :thumbsup2 I wish I could have visited WDW as a child but we could never afford it, it'll be interesting to see what it was like back then :goodvibes

[hucifer]

You have me at the edge of my seat, hanging on every word. I feel like I was right in the moment with you.

I'm glad you decided to share this with us.

[A&Bmama]

I just want to add that you are a very strong individual to relive such a sad time in your life by writing a TR. :goodvibes My heart goes out to you and your family. I am anxious for the light at the end of the tunnel - something magical.:hug:

Next installment will still still be a little sad but after that it gets much better.

I just have to say what an amazing person you are. I am so sorry for your loss. To be able to write a trip report (and an awesome one at that) through all of this is simply amazing. I'm sure your father was thrilled you were able to take your children to Disney. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings. I wish you and your family all of the best. :grouphug:

Thanks for the support and the wonderful compliment. I haven't written anything other than business correspondence since high school, so this is very different for me.

I'm coming out of lurkdom to, first, say how horribly sorry I am for you and your family. My dearest grandmother passed while we (me, my son, my brother, and my cousin) were on our way home from a beach vacation. We were about 20 minutes from home and just pulling in to a gas station when my mom called my cell phone. The next time we saw Gram was at the viewing. So, in that vein, maybe it was a final kindness from your dad that you were spared the picture of him in his recliner.

Second, on a happier note, you did write that there was a nice, magical twist to come. I'm so very glad. And I'll be right here, reading on when you are able to post more.


I think you a probably right. If I had been home I would have been there within a couple of minutes. At least I don't have those images in my mind.

Thanks for reading. Things will look up after the next installment.

I am glad you are still writing! You are very good at having us in the moment. I have laughed, I have cried, I have stayed up late a couple of nights to read this. I am glad you made it home. I will be here till the end of this TR. I want to hear about the good news too.

Thanks for the compliment, as I commented to ccgirl I haven't written anything but business correspondence since high school.

I was a little intimidated to try to write a TR. I knew that my TR would certainly not be the most informative or have the best pictures but it was quite a journey. I thought if I could write it in a way that takes the reader on the journey, has them the highs and the lows with me that it would be a worthwhile read.

psst, see my comments to Becx N Gav for a hint of what happens next.

My heart goes out to you and your family, your kids are amazing to be so well behaved and supporting you :grouphug: I'm glad your DH was able to take control, I can't imagine how hard it woud be to get to a strange airport, check-in, get through security and get on the right plane when your head is somewhere else :sad2: I'm glad you made it home ok (well I'd rather this had not happened whilst you were on vacation.....)

Thanks for keeping this moving, you are doing a fab job (I can't say with the topic I am enjoying it, but it is a really great trip report) I do hope you get the chance for a do-over :grouphug:

My kids were amazing, they handled the disappointment so well. How can you not take them back?... ;)

[A&Bmama]

You have me at the edge of my seat, hanging on every word. I feel like I was right in the moment with you.

I'm glad you decided to share this with us.

Thanks so much. I'm glad you keep reading.

[MHTeacher]

I'm so glad you've continued to write your TR. I know it must be hard to relive some of these memories. :hug:

[Becx N Gav]

My kids were amazing, they handled the disappointment so well. How can you not take them back?... ;)

:woohoo: :woohoo: :banana: :banana: :woohoo: :woohoo: :banana: :banana:

That has really made my day :goodvibes

[Amg120499]

My kids were amazing, they handled the disappointment so well. How can you not take them back?... ;)


Sounds like good news :yay:

[hucifer]

My kids were amazing, they handled the disappointment so well. How can you not take them back?... ;)

:woohoo:

[Jasperann]

Just checking in... Hows it going? Can't wait to read more. :goodvibes

[smithpack]

Where are you? You haven't been on the disboards in a while. It probably has only been a week, but that's a while to me. I am waiting to hear how things went for you. I also apologize now for being a pest, I know this is hard for you. Now I feel bad, take your time. But not too long.:goodvibes

[Katie & Glen]

I'm with PP. I would love to know how this story continues! popcorn::

[A&Bmama]

Just a quick update. There is some family stuff going on and I am out of town. I haven't forgotten the TR but I probably won't be posting until sometime next week.

[A&Bmama]

Promises, Promises:

The next few days pass in a haze of shock and grief. There are many decisions and arrangements to be made for the funeral. Thankfully my ability make decisions appears to have returned because it looks as though my Mom has lost hers.

Mom looks puzzled each time the funeral directors ask her things such as what kind of urn or flowers she wants. She looks at them, looks at me and then hesitantly decides to go with whatever the most expensive option is. Why is she choosing the most elaborate options? That is not the way my parents lived. Is it because these are the things she wants? Is she concerned that the funeral director will think poorly of her if she chooses some less expensive options? Is she is worried that I will resent her if she decides on anything less than the most expensive options? I don’t know.

Each time she makes a choice I chime in and tell her what I would choose if the decisions were mine and why I think it is the most appropriate choice. Once I express my opinions she always agrees that it is best and goes with my choices. I suspect that I was right about her worrying that I might think poorly of her if she chose anything less than the very best.

The days continue to pass in a blur. We attend the visitation and funeral. We accept the condolences of family and friends. We make difficult decisions about what is next. Never far from my mind is that promise we made to the kids the morning we left Disney, the promise that we would bring them back.

I know I thought that the weight of the promise made to DS so many years ago was heavy. It was the weight of a feather compared to what I am feeling now. The weight of this new promise leaves me gasping for air. Having this promise floating around without concrete plan of action to anchor it leaves me panicky.

The weight grows heavier and heavier each day. The kids having to explain to their friends why they are home early adds a few pounds. One hundred pounds are added when BFF and friend return home and tell DD what they did after she left. I review the itinerary of what was to have been and note what we didn’t do. We missed Wishes, the parade, Jungle cruise and dole whips. We missed test track, mission space, the world show case and the seas with nemo. We missed lights motors action, fantasmic and wolfgang puck express. We missed Animal Kingdom entirely. With every missed experience the weight grows.

I begin to try to put together a plan for our return. I work seasonally and have to be back to work by mid April. It is mid March at this point so going soon isn’t looking too promising. That’s ok; I am not ready yet anyway. Winter of 2010 looks promising.

A few days later DS arrives home from school with his course selection for next year. We go over it. He will have a heavy course load. I don’t see how I will be able to take him out of school without putting an entire semester at risk. If we decide to go in 2010 our only opportunity will be during March break. There are no deals on airfares during March break. Air alone will easily cost $3000 to $3500 for the 4 of us. Another hundred pounds of weight is added.

We lucked out this year. DS completed his harder course in the first semester. This semester he has Phys. Ed for his P.E. requirement, Drama for his fine arts requirement, Mi’kmaq studies (first nations native people) for his social studies requirement and woodworking. The social studies class is the only one that will have homework or an exam. Taking him out to go to Disney was no problem. Maybe I should reconsider the decision to wait until next year…

I start looking for last minute deals on air. I find sell-off flights with Air Transat for $1300. That is an unheard of good price. I guess with the economy the way it is the travel deals are plentiful. The dates are 03/31 to 04/07. That gives me only 8 days to get ready to go. I check the fares for the next week but they are much higher and I would have to start work for the season immediately after arriving home.

At dinner, I bring up the idea of going back to Disney next week with the rest of the family. DH has nothing going on at work during that time that he couldn’t have someone else handle and is all for it. The kids have nothing pressing going on at school and say they are ready to go back as soon as we can. I guess the only hold out is me.

I know I’m not ready to go back but I don’t think I can stand the weight on my shoulders for a whole year. And besides, what if something happens that prevents us from going next year at all? We have already had that happen to us in 2007/08 when mom got sick.

I play around on Disney site looking for accommodations. The 4/3 deal is out. We will be using the 4 days we have left on the last tickets. I looked at room only options. I can’t remember exactly what my choices were. I only remember that the options left were hideously expensive. If we decide to go we would have to stay off site. I look at expedia and quickly become overwhelmed by the choices. Then I notice a brand new property, Lake Eve Resort. It is located on International Drive next to The Fountains and Floriday’s. A three bedroom unit with full size kitchen, living room, dining room, 2 bathrooms plus a full size car rental will cost $1100.00CAD ($900 USD) for the week. All resort fees, taxes, and daily housekeeping is included. I show it to DH. He says book it. I hesitate. I spend more time playing with options on the computer. I can’t seem to haul out the credit card and pull the trigger.

It is late and I decide that I am going to go to bed. I know from playing with numbers of passengers on the Air Transat site that there are only 6 seats available. I decide that if the seats are still available in the morning it is a sign that I should book it, that it is the right thing to do. If they are gone, I will know that I should wait until next year. I feel better now that the decision is out of my hands. I sleep easy.

I get the kids out the door in the morning and then I check to see if the flights are available. They are gone. I am surprised to find that I feel so disappointed. Then I realize I entered the dates incorrectly. I correct the error and not only are the flights still available, but the price has dropped by $50 per person. I calculate what the trip will cost. $1100.00 for flights, $1100.00 for accommodations and car, I have 4 day never expire park hopper tickets, I still have $315 left on Disney gift cards for meals plus $500.00 in US cash. So out of pocket it is $2200.00 plus maybe another couple hundred in US cash total cost; $2500.00. It is an incredible deal, a no-brainer.

I start the online process to book the tickets. If fill in all the info and haul out the credit card. All I have to do now is press enter and it is a done deal. I stare at the screen. I can’t do it. I’m not ready, but if I let this deal pass I will regret it. I was already disappointed when I thought it was gone. I am caught in a no win situation. I stare at the screen some more. I call my husband at work. I ask him what I should do. He tells me to book it. I stare at the screen some more.

I decide that not pressing enter hasn’t made me happy maybe I should just hit that one little tiny button and see how I feel then. I stare at the enter key. I raise a single finger. I hit the key quickly like I am ripping off a band-aid. A message comes up and says (I kid you not) “That wasn’t so hard was it? Now the hardest thing you have to do is decide how many bottles of sunscreen to pack.” I burst into tears. Ugly cry tears. Gulping for air tears.

I cry off and on all day. I book the accommodations and cry. I begin to gather clothes. I call my Mom and tell her. She thinks it is great that we are taking the kids back. I do laundry and cry. I try to get it out of my system before everyone comes home from school. For the first time in my life I have to seriously consider whether I need some help. I am not coping well, maybe I need some medication to help me over this hump. Seriously, how many of you cried after booking a trip to Disney? It is not a normal reaction.

When the kids arrive I manage a happy face and tell them that we are booked to go back. They are, of course, excited. Later DH arrives home, his big laugh booms while he does his funny happy dance and he asks, “so what’s the good news, am I goin to Disney?” I completely lose my composure, I cover my face as if I can physically push the tears back in. His attempt at humour stops. He tells me we don’t have to go. I tell him it is non-refundable. He says he doesn’t care, it’s just money.

I think it is really sweet that he wouldn’t be upset with me for wasting $2200.00 to essentially see how I would feel about the trip once it was booked. I tell him that we will go, I know I will regret it if we don’t. I begin the countdown, 14 days until I am home again.

The days pass. I call a couple of friends. They all think that this is exactly what I need, to get away from everything for awhile. Everyone keeps telling me that when I get there I will feel better. I call my doctor. I have decided that maybe I need ativan, especially for the flight. My emotions are so close to the surface that any minor problem or annoyance might be more than I can handle. Unfortunately my Doc is on vacation. No meds for me…

I see that the night before the flight there is a snowstorm forecast. Are you freaking kidding me? On the 31st of March we are going to have a snowstorm! What happened to March coming in like a lion and out like a lamb?

We wake on the morning of departure and sure enough there is about six inches of snow down. We rush to get everything in the car and off to the airport since it is sure to be a slow drive. We arrive at the airport only 5 minutes late. We get in the check-in line which is already very long. It is not moving. There are only 2 people working the check-in and they are taking their sweet time. We talk to the others in line. Air Transat has only the one flight so we are all here for the same flight. That a relief, at least the flight won’t be going anywhere until they check in 300 passengers. Check-in takes us 2 ½ hours… The plane takes off 2 hours late, but it was a good flight and we arrive in Orlando safely.

Up Next: After the rain come the rainbow

[lynner]

A & B Mama -

I can so relate to what you went through prior to leaving on your second trip. Just days before leaving on a solo trip: my mother passed away in 2006, my father passed away in 2009, and my best friend passed away at the end of last year. Because I was leaving on a solo trip, I did not have the anxiety of making arrangements for my family (I have two adult children and a very understanding spouse) but I did totally cancel the trip I had scheduled in the days after my father's death because I just couldn't make other arrangements without harsh financial penalties. Ironically, I vowed I would go back for the 2010 Marathon weekend, and my best friend, who was hospitalized in November, slipped away just after Christmas. We were extremely close, and I assisted her family in all the arrangements and served as a pallbearer. The whole thing tore my heart out, and the idea of a Disney trip was certainly not a focus. However, I found that once I arrived, I was soothed by the atmosphere and joy of my favorite place.

My mantra through all of this has been "The sun shines above all the rain that's falling down, and soon all the clouds will drift away". I have been living in a veil of tears and sadness the last several weeks, but found today that I has....happy. It's nice to be happy.

I can't wait to read the rest of your report. Best wishes.

[MEK]

What a beautiful, moving update. I could really feel your pain and angst in making your decision to go back. Wow! I am so glad you decided to go. I can't wait to read more!

[cm8]

I guess forgetting the camera was DH's blonde moment. Mine was reading your comments about Bob and thinking you were still talking about how you would beatthe crap out of your husband if he forgot the camera. Then I thought...wait a minute...her husband's name is Dan.

:rolleyes1 I forgot I changed peoples names to protect the innocent; or guilty in Bob's case.

:laughing::rotfl2:, that was too funny!!! I am hooked!!popcorn::

[dydo2424]

:flower3: Great update..

[ccgirl]

Thank you for posting. This thread, for some reason, has moved me more than any other thread I had read. So glad you were able to get such a deal for going back. Thanks again for updating us, I'm sure it hasn't been easy for you.:lovestruc

[Becx N Gav]

:hug: Thank you for the next installment, I think you are very brave for going through with booking again and to have to go so soon as well. I hope like a PP said that once you got there it was easier and you were able to relax.
I lost my (then future) MIL about a month before our wedding (at WDW), she had been battling cancer for 6 months (after it was diagnosed) and I just did not want to go, I didn't see how we could be happy esp. my DH (his Dad had cancelled the flights booked a year in advance and could only get one to arrive the day after the wedding :sad1:). But we went, we got married and had a nice time (the Wedding day was perfect, everything was amazing and I will never forget it) - it was what my MIL would have wanted. That was when we did the DVC tour and bought our points, I also met a Diser (before I was registered on the boards) who told me to register and I'm so glad I did.

I hope it gets a bit easier for you to write about it - you're doing such an amazing job :grouphug:

[floydfamily4]

Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your experience. I am a firm believer that we "are overcome by the word of our testimony" but getting through the "test" part of life is hard. Your sharing may help someone you have never met so thank you for opening your heart to us. I am looking forward to reading the rest and continue to keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Dawn

[A MK Family]

I love your honesty. Mommy guilt can be overwhelming....:hug:

Looking forward to your next update..

[hucifer]

I love your TR. It really sucks me into your world, your emotions, your struggles, your joys. I look forward to the next installment.

[A&Bmama]

A & B Mama -

I can so relate to what you went through prior to leaving on your second trip. Just days before leaving on a solo trip: my mother passed away in 2006, my father passed away in 2009, and my best friend passed away at the end of last year. Because I was leaving on a solo trip, I did not have the anxiety of making arrangements for my family (I have two adult children and a very understanding spouse) but I did totally cancel the trip I had scheduled in the days after my father's death because I just couldn't make other arrangements without harsh financial penalties. Ironically, I vowed I would go back for the 2010 Marathon weekend, and my best friend, who was hospitalized in November, slipped away just after Christmas. We were extremely close, and I assisted her family in all the arrangements and served as a pallbearer. The whole thing tore my heart out, and the idea of a Disney trip was certainly not a focus. However, I found that once I arrived, I was soothed by the atmosphere and joy of my favorite place.

My mantra through all of this has been "The sun shines above all the rain that's falling down, and soon all the clouds will drift away". I have been living in a veil of tears and sadness the last several weeks, but found today that I has....happy. It's nice to be happy.

I can't wait to read the rest of your report. Best wishes.

I did relax once we got there and we did have a lot of fun on the trip.

I think it was really helpful to get out of my regular environment. In Florida I didn't need to worry about running into someone at the grocery store who had heard about my dad and wanted to express their sympathy. I also didn't have any resposibilities in Florida.


"The sun shines above all the rain that's falling down, and soon all the clouds will drift away"

I love this quote. It really puts things in perspective.

I am sorry to hear of your loses. I know it's hard, it seems like you are never going to be happy again, but in time the grief does lighten. :hug:

What a beautiful, moving update. I could really feel your pain and angst in making your decision to go back. Wow! I am so glad you decided to go. I can't wait to read more!

I'm glad to see you are still reading! Thanks for the compliment. I worked really hard on this installment, I'm embarrassed to say that it took me a solid 5 hours to write it...

:laughing::rotfl2:, that was too funny!!! I am hooked!!popcorn::

Thanks. I can't believe I did that.

:flower3: Great update..

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you for posting. This thread, for some reason, has moved me more than any other thread I had read. So glad you were able to get such a deal for going back. Thanks again for updating us, I'm sure it hasn't been easy for you.:lovestruc

Thanks so much. As I was saying above it took me a long time to write. I wanted to get it right.

:hug: Thank you for the next installment, I think you are very brave for going through with booking again and to have to go so soon as well. I hope like a PP said that once you got there it was easier and you were able to relax.
I lost my (then future) MIL about a month before our wedding (at WDW), she had been battling cancer for 6 months (after it was diagnosed) and I just did not want to go, I didn't see how we could be happy esp. my DH (his Dad had cancelled the flights booked a year in advance and could only get one to arrive the day after the wedding :sad1:). But we went, we got married and had a nice time (the Wedding day was perfect, everything was amazing and I will never forget it) - it was what my MIL would have wanted. That was when we did the DVC tour and bought our points, I also met a Diser (before I was registered on the boards) who told me to register and I'm so glad I did.

I hope it gets a bit easier for you to write about it - you're doing such an amazing job :grouphug:

I'm glad your wedding went well. I am sure that is exactly what your MIL would want.

The rest of the TR should be easier to write. The roughest bit is over.

Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your experience. I am a firm believer that we "are overcome by the word of our testimony" but getting through the "test" part of life is hard. Your sharing may help someone you have never met so thank you for opening your heart to us. I am looking forward to reading the rest and continue to keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Dawn

Thank your for the kind words and prayers. It would be wonderful if my story helped someone else. I have to admit I have found it very helpful to write it. It helps me remember how many joyful times we had. It is so easy to lose sight of the good times when you feel overwhelmed by the bad.

I love your honesty. Mommy guilt can be overwhelming....:hug:

Looking forward to your next update..

Thanks. I knew I could never relax completely until I fulfilled that promise.

[smithpack]

I better start receiving email updates when your thread has updated. I know that I am subscribed to it, but I am not getting my emails!! :scared1:

You are such a good writer. I love being in the moment with you and feeling like I am there. I found myself pushing the enter key for you when I was reading about how you couldn't push it. It must have worked from my computer because you ended up pushing it.:thumbsup2 I am so glad that you got to go back so soon, and I can't wait to hear more.

I'll admit, sometimes my updates take me about 5 hours too. My reason might be because I am constantly getting up and making snacks, getting drinks, wiping butts, turning on movies, finding blankies, or getting a game started for one of my kids. That doesn't include the hopeless amount of housework that I really need to do, but find myself putting off until I get my updates written on my TR. Hence the reason, if I didn't have readers I wouldn't continue. :dance3:

LOVING THIS TR AND WAITING FOR MORE!!popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::

[Dugette]

Good to see another update and anxious to hear about the second family Disney trip! Great job with this TR!

[A&Bmama]

I love your TR. It really sucks me into your world, your emotions, your struggles, your joys. I look forward to the next installment.

Thanks, It won't take so long for the next one. ;)

I better start receiving email updates when your thread has updated. I know that I am subscribed to it, but I am not getting my emails!! :scared1:

You are such a good writer. I love being in the moment with you and feeling like I am there. I found myself pushing the enter key for you when I was reading about how you couldn't push it. It must have worked from my computer because you ended up pushing it.:thumbsup2 I am so glad that you got to go back so soon, and I can't wait to hear more.

I'll admit, sometimes my updates take me about 5 hours too. My reason might be because I am constantly getting up and making snacks, getting drinks, wiping butts, turning on movies, finding blankies, or getting a game started for one of my kids. That doesn't include the hopeless amount of housework that I really need to do, but find myself putting off until I get my updates written on my TR. Hence the reason, if I didn't have readers I wouldn't continue. :dance3:

LOVING THIS TR AND WAITING FOR MORE!!popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::

I have no excuse for the length of time it took. My kids were at school for most of it.

If only I had put this much thought and effort into my writing assignments at school...

I can totally relate to the procrastination on the housework. I work 7 months a year and I am off for 5. I leave all of my heavy cleaning like washing drapes, clearing and organizing closets and drawers etc til I am off. Then once I am I spend my time trying to come up with excuses why I can't do it today. I find the Dis incredibly helpful as a procrastination excuse. A girl can't be expected to clean a closet until she has her Dis fix can she? :lmao:

Good to see another update and anxious to hear about the second family Disney trip! Great job with this TR!

Thank! I'm glad you're still reading. :thumbsup2

[A&Bmama]

I plan to update the TR early in the week, probably tomorrow, but before I do I wanted to share this with you.


Being on the Dis is making me miss the fun we had at Disney. Since we probably won't be back until 2012 I thought why not have a little touch of Disney at home?

The day before Valentine's DD and I decided to make our very own Goofy's Candy Company. I went out shopping for all of the supplies and when I got home DD had made a bunch of signs and had the kitchen set up. She even had an open and closed sign and was "taking orders" for her Father's and Brother's treats.

All of the signs were completly her own idea. I had no clue what she was up to. I think she is missing Disney too...

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0809.jpg
DD with her masterpiece

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0804.jpg

The dipping station. The signs read "Where we make magic."

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0805.jpg

Another view of the dipping station.

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0807.jpg

The toppings. We used chopped peanuts, skor toffee chips, mini peanut butter chips, chocolate chips and mini candy covered chocolate sprinkles.

You can't see the sign in this but it reads "Supplies."

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0813.jpg

Some of the delicious finished product. I have to say these were really good, everyone loved them. We gave some to friends and to my Mom and Brother. I thought we would be eating these for a long time but they only lasted a couple of days. :confused3

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0814.jpg

We also made chocolate chips. My boss brought back chocolate covered chips back from Japan for me a couple of years ago. I thanked him but thought OMG that is so gross. I decided to have an open mind and try one and all I can say is they were absolutely delicious. I took them home and my family had the same reaction I did.

The ones from Japan were better than these. My coating of choclate went on too thick so it overpowered the chip. Still, it didn't matter, they disappeared quickly.

[MadiMouse]

What a neat idea to make your own treats!!!! Yummy! I'm glad you were able to have a bit of magic at home!! ;)

[rosedolph]

What a great idea! It looks like such a simple way to have a Disney moment at home. We are having our next Disney night on the 25th (we have one each month to count down until our next trip in Dec) and I am going to use this idea. I will be such a cool mom! :cool1:

Thanks for sharing!:thumbsup2

[smithpack]

That is a great idea!! I love all the pictures, and I also love chocolate covered potato chips. Anything that is salty and sweet at the same time is good for me!! I only like chocolate clusters when the peanuts are really salty, and I only know of one place that makes them how I like them. I hate it when I get a chocolate cluster somewhere and the peanuts are bland.

Anyway, your daughter is so cute. You can tell she was loving it. Can't wait to hear more!!

[MEK]

Ohhh...I wish I could see the pictures from your very own candy company (they are blocked at work) :headache:, but it sounds like you had a great time. Yummy!

[MHTeacher]

Yummy idea! :thumbsup2 I love the idea of the chocolate chips! I've gotta try that one!

[A&Bmama]

What a neat idea to make your own treats!!!! Yummy! I'm glad you were able to have a bit of magic at home!! ;)

It was a lot of fun but it made a huge mess.

What a great idea! It looks like such a simple way to have a Disney moment at home. We are having our next Disney night on the 25th (we have one each month to count down until our next trip in Dec) and I am going to use this idea. I will be such a cool mom! :cool1:

Thanks for sharing!:thumbsup2

The kids loved them! It was really easy to do but as I said above it was messy. I did buy a choclate that was specifically made to melt at a bulk food store.

That is a great idea!! I love all the pictures, and I also love chocolate covered potato chips. Anything that is salty and sweet at the same time is good for me!! I only like chocolate clusters when the peanuts are really salty, and I only know of one place that makes them how I like them. I hate it when I get a chocolate cluster somewhere and the peanuts are bland.

Anyway, your daughter is so cute. You can tell she was loving it. Can't wait to hear more!!

I agree. I chopped salted peanuts for the marsmallow toppings. So much better than unsalted.

Ohhh...I wish I could see the pictures from your very own candy company (they are blocked at work) :headache:, but it sounds like you had a great time. Yummy!

You will have to check them out when you get home! DD loved doing this. I think we will do it again some time.

[A&Bmama]

Yummy idea! :thumbsup2 I love the idea of the chocolate chips! I've gotta try that one!

I think the secret is to get the thickest cut ripple chips you can find and to get the chocolate on only one side. If I try these again I am going to buy a different brand of chips and try painting the chocolate on with my silicone pastry brush.

[A&Bmama]

This will be a short installment. This was such a special moment for me I thought it deserved to stand on its own.


After the rain comes the rainbow!


Once we land in Orlando we head to pick-up our luggage. One immediate difference from the last trip is the amount of luggage we have. I have packed less than half of the stuff I did last time.

The first trip I tried so hard to make it perfect. There was so much planning, and packing and list making. I tried so hard to fit everything in and make it perfect. This time will be very different. My expectations are lower. My only real goals are to take in some of the things that we missed and fulfill the promise to take my kids back to Disney.

Once we have our luggage in hand we head over to the counter to pick-up our rental car. We load the luggage into the rental car and get ready to take off. I notice that sky has darkened considerably. It was a bit dreary when we landed but it is much darker now. As we are leaving the airport it begins to sprinkle.

Our plan is to check-in at Lake Eve. Pick-up some groceries, some supper, settle in and just spend a quiet evening relaxing by the pool. We will have our first park day tomorrow. One good thing is this time we have a GPS with us so hopefully we won’t get lost. We plug in the address for the hotel and we are on our way.

Once we have been driving for about 10 minutes the skies open up. The water is pouring down in buckets. I can hardly believe it is possible to rain this hard, but it is. The cars are just inching along the road, windshield wipers are almost useless against the sheer volume of water that is pouring from the sky. Some cars have pulled off to the side to wait for the shower to pass. I guess this is one of those afternoon showers that I have heard about on the Dis. We didn’t have any last trip, in fact, we didn’t have a drop of rain at all. Maybe God is blessing this trip...

After 5 or 10 minutes the rain stops. We are on International Drive and I am looking at the GPS when DD says, “Look Mama there’s a rainbow.”

There is a rainbow directly ahead of us.

At the end of the rainbow is our Hotel.

Is it a coincidence that our Hotel is at the end of the rainbow? Or, is my Dad trying to tell me I am where I need to be? That I have done the right thing coming back?

You can draw your own conclusions. All I can say is that I was filled with an inner sense of calm in that moment. I knew I was exactly where I needed to be.

The rainbow is fading before my eyes and as we draw closer to the hotel the rainbow appears lower and lower. I am scrambling to get to the carry on bags that are in the backseat with the kids so I can get a camera out and get a picture before the rainbow disappears completely. By the time I find the right bag, get the camera out and turn it on we are already in the Hotel parking lot.

I did get this picture. Hopefully you can see the rainbow. It is above the white van just above/through the tree tops.

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/100_0740.jpg

I have been trying to download larger pictures into photobucket but I can’t figure it out. They are always too small once they are downloaded and if I resize them I lose the quality.

Up Next: A Tour Of Our Digs

[It'sWDW4me]

All I can say. is. WOW. Yes, I believe in messages/signs and I most definitely think that your dad was smiling for you.

[A&Bmama]

All I can say. is. WOW. Yes, I believe in messages/signs and I most definitely think that your dad was smiling for you.

That's exactly what I thought. It just melted all of the angst away.

My only regret is that I didn't have the camera in hand the moment I saw it. From the vantage point further down the road it was much higher and brighter. At least I got a glimpse of it in a pic, less than a minute later it was gone all together.

[hucifer]

That's just what you needed, too. A sign that you were doing the right thing.

I have to say that the candy stations were fantastic. I love that idea!

[Dugette]

Really cool story! Can't wait to hear about the rest of this trip.

[ccgirl]

THis installment gave my chills. I totally think it was a sign. I hope the rest of your trip was just as full of magical surprises!:goodvibes

[floydfamily4]

Hopefully you can see the rainbow.

I see it! I am so glad this sign helped to calm your spirit about the trip. Can't wait to hear more!

[Becx N Gav]

I love the Goofy's Candy Co. idea :thumbsup2 and how cool your daughter made proper signs and everything :goodvibes

And the rainbow I am sure is a sign, even if not the fact it made you feel better is priceless :cloud9: What a lovely start to this trip :love:

[MEK]

This was a lovely update. How wonderful to see a beautiful rainbow to start your vacation. :thumbsup2 I just know this is going to be a totally different vacation for you! Can't wait to read more.

[miprender]

:hug: I believe in signs too! And that was a sign from your father.:goodvibes

PS I loved the Goofy Candy idea.

[Zookeeperof4]

Wow....so glad you decided to go back and things fell into place to make it happen.

[shalom]

This is the first trip report I've read here. Wow! What a story. Eager to hear the rest.

We're going to Orlando the end of April, staying at the Fountains, so I'll be interested to hear what you think of the drive from there.

[Amg120499]

Oh yeah, that's a sign. I am glad that it gave you a sense of peace. You needed to know it was ok to be there and to enjoy your vacation. What a great gift from your dad.

[smithpack]

I am so glad that you guys brought the camera this time. I see that you brought it in the carry on. DH learned that he needs to listen to you!!! :lmao:

I love that you saw that rainbow. I am sure that your dad was blessing you with a wonderful trip this time around. I can't wait to hear more about this trip. It probably was better too that you didn't have to have all the extra people. You could really enjoy this time with your children.

[smithpack]

Oh yeah, I also can't figure out the whole photo bucket thing. If you figure it out, let me know. That is why on my TR some of the pics are small and some are large.

[A&Bmama]

That's just what you needed, too. A sign that you were doing the right thing.

I have to say that the candy stations were fantastic. I love that idea!

:scared1: DD asked me today if we could do Goofy's candy again. I'm not sure I am up for the clean-up again so soon.

Really cool story! Can't wait to hear about the rest of this trip.

I thought it was pretty special. Hope to have the next installment ready before the weekend.

THis installment gave my chills. I totally think it was a sign. I hope the rest of your trip was just as full of magical surprises!:goodvibes

There are a few more "magic" moments to come.

I see it! I am so glad this sign helped to calm your spirit about the trip. Can't wait to hear more!

It was exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it.

I love the Goofy's Candy Co. idea :thumbsup2 and how cool your daughter made proper signs and everything :goodvibes

And the rainbow I am sure is a sign, even if not the fact it made you feel better is priceless :cloud9: What a lovely start to this trip :love:

My thought exactly, maybe it was a sign, maybe it wasn't, either way it didn't matter because I felt better immediately.

This was a lovely update. How wonderful to see a beautiful rainbow to start your vacation. :thumbsup2 I just know this is going to be a totally different vacation for you! Can't wait to read more.

It was different in so many ways. Most of them good, but we did miss having friends there to share it with at times.

:hug: I believe in signs too! And that was a sign from your father.:goodvibes

PS I loved the Goofy Candy idea.

Thanks.

Goofy's was fun, next time I think I am going to get some pretzels to dip along with the marshmallows and chips.

Wow....so glad you decided to go back and things fell into place to make it happen.

I know, it was great how everything came together. I'm really glad we did it then because I haven't been seeing many good airfares from Halifax this year, especially at March break.

This is the first trip report I've read here. Wow! What a story. Eager to hear the rest.

We're going to Orlando the end of April, staying at the Fountains, so I'll be interested to hear what you think of the drive from there.

The drive wasn't bad at all. It was only about 5 minutes further than when we stayed at AKL.

I have to say I loved having a kitchen. I hate to eat out too often and I loved the convience of just being able to pour a glass of milk or make a cup of coffee or tea whenever the mood struck.

Oh yeah, that's a sign. I am glad that it gave you a sense of peace. You needed to know it was ok to be there and to enjoy your vacation. What a great gift from your dad.

I know, how can you think you should'nt be there when your destination is at the end of the rainbow.

I am so glad that you guys brought the camera this time. I see that you brought it in the carry on. DH learned that he needs to listen to you!!! :lmao:

I love that you saw that rainbow. I am sure that your dad was blessing you with a wonderful trip this time around. I can't wait to hear more about this trip. It probably was better too that you didn't have to have all the extra people. You could really enjoy this time with your children.


We brought 3 cameras this time. One was the dinky little one we bought last trip which we gave to DD. The good one that we left home became DH's. I treated myself to a new camera of my very own just before we left.

We still didn't take near as many pictures as we should have though. We were so intent on just getting through the parks and experiencing everything that we forgot to pull out the camera's very often. Would you believe that we didn't get even a single picture with a character on either trip and that we don't have a castle picture. That's just plain wrong don't you think? I think I might need another trip...



Oh yeah, I also can't figure out the whole photo bucket thing. If you figure it out, let me know. That is why on my TR some of the pics are small and some are large.

I so wish I could figure it out, especially for the rainbow picture. By the time I got a camera unpacked and ready there wasn't much left to take a picture of but at least when I look at the large picture on my computer you can clearly tell that there are the remnants of a rainbow above that van. I'm just not very techno savvy. :guilty:

[Becx N Gav]

We still didn't take near as many pictures as we should have though. We were so intent on just getting through the parks and experiencing everything that we forgot to pull out the camera's very often. Would you believe that we didn't get even a single picture with a character on either trip and that we don't have a castle picture. That's just plain wrong don't you think? I think I might need another trip...


I seem to do that, I read loads of TR's and think, wow those pictures are great I should get a shot of this and that but when we're there I just forget :confused3 But as long as you have a great time it doesn't matter - I think some people may spend more time snapping pics than having fun and that is not my idea of a fun vacation :sad2:

I do like the way you think, maybe you should do a photo trip :idea: :laughing:

[babytrees]

Right now I am going through a bout of insomnia...thank you for writing such a well written trip report. It's helping lessen some of the things that are burdening my brain, at least for a little bit.

Bless your heart for taking the bull by the horns and travelling so soon after you lost your beloved dad.

[A&Bmama]

I seem to do that, I read loads of TR's and think, wow those pictures are great I should get a shot of this and that but when we're there I just forget :confused3 But as long as you have a great time it doesn't matter - I think some people may spend more time snapping pics than having fun and that is not my idea of a fun vacation :sad2:

I do like the way you think, maybe you should do a photo trip :idea: :laughing:

My next trip I would like to go at a slower pace, get a photopass and take lots of pictures.

I keep debating if we maybe try to go sometime when we can get a free dining pin and try some TS restaurants. Sometimes I think I like the idea of having a nice sit down meal scheduled each day; othertimes, the very idea of being "pinned down" buy ADR's makes me a little crazy.

Right now I am going through a bout of insomnia...thank you for writing such a well written trip report. It's helping lessen some of the things that are burdening my brain, at least for a little bit.

Bless your heart for taking the bull by the horns and travelling so soon after you lost your beloved dad.

Thank you, what a lovely compliment.

I hope you got some sleep!

[A&Bmama]

As requested by Smithpack, here are some pictures of DD at Cirque School. Sorry, I don't have any video.

I don't think Cirque schools are very common. I know we have one here and there is one in Toronto. Montreal has the National Cirque School but that is a very high level school, sort of like the School for the Performing Arts, you do your regular schooling there (high school I think) and also learn circus arts. The graduates of National Cirque School would be of Cirque du Soliel calibre.

DD did about 10 hours worth of classes last year. I was going to sign her up as a student this year but it is $1000.00 year for one 1 1/2 hour class per week. She was already enrolled in a Ballet/Tap/Jazz class as well as Hip Hop and Gymnastics so we decided not to do cirque. I am kind of regreting it now so next year if she still wants to go I am just going to pony up the cash and send her.

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0378.jpg
Jumps

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0386.jpg
Spinning Jump

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0397.jpg
Hurdle Jump

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0415.jpg
Roll to standing position jump

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0422.jpg
devil sticks

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0256.jpg
spinning plates

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0242.jpg
silks, foot wrapping

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0237.jpg
splits on silks, foot wrapping

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0236.jpg
more splits

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0253.jpg
silks, hand wrapping

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0441.jpg
hoop trapeze

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0428.jpg
bar trapeze

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0429.jpg
bar trapeze

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/IMG_0425.jpg
bar trapeze

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/trapeze1.jpg
rope trapeze

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/trapeeze2.jpg
rope trapeze

If she goes again next fall I'm going to get some video. It is really cool to watch. DD swung my her knees on rope trapeze (harnessed) on her very first class. She had no fear.

[hucifer]

OMG! I am SUPER impressed with your daughter. Those moves cannot be easy. :scared1:

[A&Bmama]

OMG! I am SUPER impressed with your daughter. Those moves cannot be easy. :scared1:

Thanks! I'm pretty impressed with her myself, but I might be biased. ;)

[hucifer]

Thanks! I'm pretty impressed with her myself, but I might be biased. ;)

Understandable. But seriously...what an athlete she is. Wow.

[PurpleTurtle]

Wow! Awesome. My kids would love to take classes like that. Your dd looks to be very talented. (and flexible :goodvibes )

[smithpack]

Thanks for posting these. I can not believe that she is not afraid of going that high on the trapeze and the silks. She is quite talented. You definitely should keep her in there. It sounds like she is very multi-talented with all the other classes she does as well. You definitely would have to be pretty fearless to do all that cirque stuff. She is also very beautiful on top of all that talent. Thanks for posting the pics, I loved seeing what all they do in cirque school.

[MadiMouse]

Okay your DD really has some moves!!! How long has your DD been in dance school? My DD is three and we started her in dance (ballet and jazz) when she turned three in November. I'm so glad that she is loving it and cannot wait till Friday evenings for her classes. I truly believe in keeping kids busy. ;)

[A&Bmama]

Wow! Awesome. My kids would love to take classes like that. Your dd looks to be very talented. (and flexible :goodvibes )

It's a great class. Wish I could have done it as a kid.

Thanks for posting these. I can not believe that she is not afraid of going that high on the trapeze and the silks. She is quite talented. You definitely should keep her in there. It sounds like she is very multi-talented with all the other classes she does as well. You definitely would have to be pretty fearless to do all that cirque stuff. She is also very beautiful on top of all that talent. Thanks for posting the pics, I loved seeing what all they do in cirque school.

Thanks. I am really kicking myself for not puting her in this year but with all the time spent on other activities not to mention the money it just seemed like something should be left off the list. In retrospect, I think that I should have just bit the bullet and let her do everything. Soon enough she will pick something that she is more passionate about and concentrate on that but for now maybe I should let her have a "taste" of as many different things as possible.

Okay your DD really has some moves!!! How long has your DD been in dance school? My DD is three and we started her in dance (ballet and jazz) when she turned three in November. I'm so glad that she is loving it and cannot wait till Friday evenings for her classes. I truly believe in keeping kids busy. ;)

My DD has been taking a recreational dance class for a couple of years. This year is the first year that I sent her to a more serious (and costly) dance academy. Most of the kids that are at the academy have been dancing since they were quite small, probably the same age as your DD.

I think it is great to keep the kids active, they really need to expend some of that energy. I think the earlier they start the more likely they are to stick with it.

[DISNEYaddict4evr]

I went on an emotional rollor coaster just from reading your post, I can't imagine what you have been through :hug: I was glad to read you went back, I too feel it would make you feel better and the rainbow was a touching moment. I believe it is a sign from your dad, I know if you were my daughter I would want you to be happy with your family and live in the moments that we are blessed with :cloud9:

I can't wait to here how the rest of the trip went popcorn::

[A&Bmama]

I went on an emotional rollor coaster just from reading your post, I can't imagine what you have been through :hug: I was glad to read you went back, I too feel it would make you feel better and the rainbow was a touching moment. I believe it is a sign from your dad, I know if you were my daughter I would want you to be happy with your family and live in the moments that we are blessed with :cloud9:

I can't wait to here how the rest of the trip went popcorn::

Thanks for reading!

Sorry about the rollercoaster, fortunately the hard part is over.

The moment I saw the rainbow was probably one of the best moments of my life. I so wish that I had a camera ready to go at the moment I first saw it so that I could show everyone what it looked like. It appeared as though the end of the rainbow went directly into the roof of the hotel. The symbolism seemed too perfect to be merely a coincidence.

[MEK]

Cool pictures of your daughter. She looks like she is having a blast!

[tinytreasures]

love the pictures of you dd what a cool thing for her to be a part of

[dydo2424]

wow! that cirque stuff looks really really cool!:thumbsup2

[gatormommy07]

I have caught up on your report, I am so sorry about your dad. That was just terrible, to go from such happiness to such sadness so quickly had to be rough.:hug: I am happy for you guys getting to go back. Can't wait to read more when you can write it!

P.S. I really enjoy the way you write!

[A&Bmama]

Cool pictures of your daughter. She looks like she is having a blast!

It does look like fun. If I wasn't scared I'd break something I would try it myself. :lmao:

love the pictures of you dd what a cool thing for her to be a part of

Thanks. It is really something to see.

wow! that cirque stuff looks really really cool!:thumbsup2

It is really cool. Evertime I look at the pictures I kick myself in the butt for not putting her in this year.

I have caught up on your report, I am so sorry about your dad. That was just terrible, to go from such happiness to such sadness so quickly had to be rough.:hug: I am happy for you guys getting to go back. Can't wait to read more when you can write it!

P.S. I really enjoy the way you write!

Thanks for reading! Watch for a long overdue update coming soon.

[gatormommy07]

Thanks for reading! Watch for a long overdue update coming soon.

No problem!! It gives me a much needed break from my 3 darling kids!!!:lmao: Can't wait!!!

[A&Bmama]

A Tour of our Digs

After seeing the rainbow I knew this would be a different trip.

We unpack the car

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/DHunpacking.jpg (http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/?action=view&current=DHunpacking.jpg)

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/DSunpacking.jpg (http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/?action=view&current=DSunpacking.jpg)


Well, maybe I should rephrase that. DH and DS unpack the car while DD and I check in.

The lobby, so far so good.

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/lobby-1.jpg (http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/?action=view&current=lobby-1.jpg)

Check in goes smoothly and soon we are given keys and directions to our 13th floor villa. Thirteenth floor… Hmmm isn’t that supposed to be unlucky…

Matters not.

I have seen the rainbow, and miracle rainbows trump unlucky floor numbers. So there! (blows raspberry)

We check in and tour our digs for the week. Come along with me.


http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/viewintolivingroom.jpg (http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/?action=view&current=viewintolivingroom.jpg)

Looking into the living room from the kitchen


http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/kitchen.jpg (http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/?
action=view&current=kitchen.jpg)

Kitchen


http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/Kitchen3.jpg (http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/?action=view&current=Kitchen3.jpg)

Another shot of the kitchen


http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/livingroomDHhead.jpg (http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/?action=view&current=livingroomDHhead.jpg)

living room, I don't remember why DH is smaking his forehead! :confused3


http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/DHwithbeverageinlivingroom.jpg (http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/?action=view&current=DHwithbeverageinlivingroom.jpg)

Living room with DH enjoying a beverage


http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/masterbedroom-1.jpg (http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/?action=view&current=masterbedroom-1.jpg)

Master Bedroom


http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/TheLake-1.jpg (http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/?action=view&current=TheLake-1.jpg)

The view from the balcony


http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/DDshowingview.jpg (http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/?action=view&current=DDshowingview.jpg)

DD showing the view from the window in her room (sorry it's so dark, I'm not a good photographer)


http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/bedroomwith2queens-1.jpg (http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/?action=view&current=bedroomwith2queens-1.jpg)

DD's bedroom with 2 queens. She looks comically small with all that space!


http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/2ndKingBedroom.jpg (http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/?action=view&current=2ndKingBedroom.jpg)

DS inspecting the view from his "Bachelor Pad" king bedroom


http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/13thfloorbalcony.jpg (http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww162/canmum/?action=view&current=13thfloorbalcony.jpg)

The drawback to having the 13th floor unit is both of the 3 bedroom units that are on this floor have the balcony that has the wall instead of a railing. You couldn't see the view unless you were standing. DD couldn't see anything unless DH lifted her up. The wall is about a foot thick so she had to lean over it to see down to the pool. It gave me heartfailure every time I saw her do this even though DH was holding her.:scared1:

We spend some time relaxing and settling in. Once we are sufficiently rested we head out for something to eat and to pick-up supplies for the week.

We decide some fine dining is in order.

So we head to Wendy’s. No not the real Wendy’s, that would be a long walk…

Like all fine dining establishments, Wendy’s hands you an empty cup for you to fill yourself. I fill my cup until it runeth over with diet cola. Then I see it. Sweet tea.
I love black tea, red tea, orange pekoe, white tea, earl grey, green tea, oolong. Chamomile, iced tea, Chai and Rooibos. You get the picture. I don’t discriminate based on nationality, colour or temperature. I love tea, all tea. Except for any tea that contains rosehip. I don’t like rosehip.

I must confess.

I’ve never had sweet tea.

I don’t know even know what sweet tea is.

I want to try it.

But my cup is already full.

I eat, and ponder the dilemma.

Can I sneak a second fill?

Does Wendy’s employ beverage Nazi’s?

Will the beverage Nazi’s pounce on me if I sneak a little sweet tea to taste?

Maybe refills are already free?

Sadly, I never get the answer. I couldn’t drink all my cola so I never saw the bottom of an empty cup again. I thought maybe I would try it later in the trip but alas, it wasn’t to be.

So you Southern gals (or guys) have to enlighten this Northern girl. What exactly is sweet tea? Is it sweetened iced tea? I gotta know.

After our delectable dinner we head to the nearest Publix and pick-up some food and adult libations.

I must confess a little secret.

I love grocery shopping in the US. I love seeing all the different brands and seeing how many different things there are. You would be surprised how different it all is. Even standard things like pop and chips are packaged differently. One of the things we had on our list to buy was a frozen “Delissio” pizza. Not a chance, couldn’t find it. I did find a “Digiorno” pizza that had suspiciously familiar looking packaging so I bought it. I cooked it and found out it is the exact same pizza! Why the different name?

Anyway, I’m worried my love of grocery shopping in the US says something about me, and I’m afraid it isn’t flattering. :lmao:

Soon enough we are back at the pad and settling in for the night. We have a busy few days ahead of us. We have six full days in Orlando and only 4 days worth of park tickets. You would think a sane person would alternate park days and off days. You might have guessed by now, I am not always a sane woman when it comes to Disney.

See the way I figure it is we arrived on a Tuesday, if we do our park days consecutively we will be done on Saturday. By Sunday the crowds should be building since Easter is the next weekend. I don’t want to fight crowds, I didn’t come all this way, and through this much to leave with a bunch stuff still undone. I want to fly home feeling like our first Disney trip is complete. No promises hanging over my head anymore.

Tomorrow is an Epcot day. You may be thinking hey, didn’t they miss Animal Kingdom entirely? Why aren’t they starting there? Maybe you already know the answer. Touring plans told me not to and it would be madness to thumb my nose at the authorities.

The plan is make it to rope drop. Not sort of, kind of make it where we get there within the first 15 minutes after opening. I want to see the rope. I want to know it really exists. Test Track is top priority.

Up Next: Test Track or bust!

[ccgirl]

Wow! The place looks fabulous! Where is it again? Can't wait to see if you actually made rope drop. That's always a tough one for my familiy as my kids like to sleep in on vacation. Can't wait to hear more!

[A&Bmama]

Wow! The place looks fabulous! Where is it again? Can't wait to see if you actually made rope drop. That's always a tough one for my familiy as my kids like to sleep in on vacation. Can't wait to hear more!

It is call Lake Eve Resort. It is on Internation Drive next to The Fountains.

[chartle]

[SIZE="4"]So we head to Wendy’s. No not the real Wendy’s, that would be a long walk…

Like all fine dining establishments, Wendy’s hands you an empty cup for you to fill yourself. I fill my cup until it runeth over with diet cola. Then I see it. Sweet tea.
I love black tea, red tea, orange pekoe, white tea, earl grey, green tea, oolong. Chamomile, iced tea, Chai and Rooibos. You get the picture. I don’t discriminate based on nationality, colour or temperature. I love tea, all tea. Except for any tea that contains rosehip. I don’t like rosehip.

I must confess.

I’ve never had sweet tea.

I don’t know even know what sweet tea is.

I want to try it.

But my cup is already full.

I eat, and ponder the dilemma.

Can I sneak a second fill?

Does Wendy’s employ beverage Nazi’s?

Will the beverage Nazi’s pounce on me if I sneak a little sweet tea to taste?

Maybe refills are already free?

Sadly, I never get the answer. I couldn’t drink all my cola so I never saw the bottom of an empty cup again. I thought maybe I would try it later in the trip but alas, it wasn’t to be.

So you Southern gals (or guys) have to enlighten this Northern girl. What exactly is sweet tea? Is it sweetened iced tea? I gotta know.

Southern Sweet Tea is a very sweet tea with no lemon. What it is not is tea with a bunch of sugar added to it after its cool. I make it, a north of the Mason-Dixen line(not much) guy, by adding simple syrup to the tea after its brewed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_tea

After our delectable dinner we head to the nearest Publix and pick-up some food and adult libations.

I must confess a little secret.

I love grocery shopping in the US. I love seeing all the different brands and seeing how many different things there are. You would be surprised how different it all is. Even standard things like pop and chips are packaged differently. One of the things we had on our list to buy was a frozen “Delissio” pizza. Not a chance, couldn’t find it. I did find a “Digiorno” pizza that had suspiciously familiar looking packaging so I bought it. I cooked it and found out it is the exact same pizza! Why the different name?

Yes its the same pizza and were until recently both owned by Kraft Foods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DiGiorno

Why the different name? Its either marketing or something to do with trade marks. May be some one already own the Delissio pizza trademark in Canada or vesa-versa.

It could also be that Kraft bought the already established name from someone in Canada.

In the US there are products that are named differently east and west of the Mississippi river.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyer's

[gatormommy07]

This is how I make sweet tea(now remember, if any of my fellow southerners find out I am telling you this I could get in a lot of trouble!!!:lmao:) :

First I fill a medium sized pot with about 9 cups of water

add a family sized tea bag (I use Luzianne, but lipton works!! really any black tea)

simmer over medium heat (I go to 6 or 7) for 10-12 minutes.

while that is going I run the hot water and add about 4 cups to the pitcher I will be using, to that I add a little less than 1 cup of sugar(I know it sounds like a lot, but it is sooo good!!!)stir until dissolved

When the tea is done brewing let it sit for about 10 minutes or so then add it to the sugar water stir it and add to a glass full of ice.


just to let you know, the tea will stain a stainless steel pot, so you might not want to use that!! I do, now it is the only thing I make in that pot!! :lmao:


I have to make a pitcher of tea at least once a day, so we go through a bag of sugar every week!

I hope you try it and like it!:)