Cheese Ball Yak Attack: 2 kids, 2 dogs, 1200 miles - The Sequel

[FreezinRafiki]

Hello and welcome to my second trip report. The original, "2 Kids, 2 Dogs, 1200 Miles: 2 Weeks and 2 Birthdays in Florida", can be found here. This is the sequel. 2. II. Part Duex. The Empire Strikes Back. Dead Man's Chest. The Squeakquel.

EDIT: A Table of Contents has been added to the bottom of this post.

Since this trip is it's own stand-alone adventure and not a continuation of the previous, I will of course introduce the cast. This is a family picture from Bambi's birthday earlier this year.

Me: Barry. 31 year old proud father & husband. Dating back to second grade I have 8 trips to The Walt Disney World Resort® under my belt (7 as an adult).

DW: Bambi. We'll celebrate 10 years of marriage this August. She's eligible for sainthood for putting up with me for that long. 7 adult trips to Disney World, plus one to Disneyland as a youngster.

DD: Madison, age 5. We had a trip to Disney World planned when she was placed with us as a newborn foster child. We called the airline, hotel, etc and added one to all of the reservations. She was 7 weeks old, so she's been hooked on Disney her entire life. I don't think she can pick a favorite character or movie - she loves them all. Except the evil ones. She does not like the evil ones.

DS: Evan, age 3. We had a trip to Disney World planned for Madison's 2nd birthday. We found out Bambi was pregnant and the due date would put us right in the middle of Main Street, USA. He was born the day after Madison's birthday, so we pushed everything back a year and celebrated his 1st and her 3rd birthdays on his first trip. A boy through-and-through, he is full of energy, always running, and loves Toy Story and Cars. But he's not afraid to play dress up with Madison.

Not Pictured:
Bambi's parents, Dean and Carol. They moved to Lakeland, FL a few years ago. We usually stay with them for a few days and then at a DVC resort for a few days on each trip. I'll be referring to them as Grandma and Grandpa through out this report

The four-legged contingent to our traveling party :
Allie (laying down in the picture above). She's a year and a half old Australian Cattle Dog/Rat Terrier mix. Her former home raised her with two cats. After we got her from the Wisconsin Humane Society, we realized that she believes she is a cat.

Pepper (standing). He's a two year old Springer Spaniel/Lab mix as far as we can tell. Very playful and loyal. Also a rescue from the Humane Society. They hang out at Grandpa and Grandpa's house while we're at the parks or the resort.

And a special guest appearance by Tim ("that's nice" here on the boards).

I know what you're thinking. "Barry, sequels are hardly ever as good as the original. Don't you remember 'Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde'?"

Of course I don't. I barely remember wasting two hours on the first Legally Blonde. But that's not the point. This is already planned as a trilogy. We have another trip in the works for December 2010. And we all love triolgies, don't we? Star Wars (The first 3. Not the prequel junk). Lord of the Rings. Pirates of the Caribbean. Back to the Future. So while this trip may not be totally Disney-focused (only 3 days in the theme parks), it's vitally important to my December 2010 Trip Report. If you don't read this one, you'll be totally lost in that one.

So let bring you up to speed on the basics of this trip. As the title says, we take two kids, two dogs (and some cheese balls), load up the minivan and drive 1200 miles from Wisconsin to Florida. We have fun, eat food, ride rides, and meet some very interesting people in some very unusual spots. There are pictures of all of it, and my witty narrative along the way.

Stay tuned. The ride leaves very shortly.

Table of Contents
The Drive Down
The First Full Day - Saturday March 6
Sunday Morning - March 7
Sunday Afternoon at AKV and LBV
Monday Morning - March 8th (MK)
Monday: Late Morning & Lunch (MK)
Monday Afternoon (MK)
Monday Night: SpectroMagic and Wishes (MK)
Tuesday, March 9. Epcot
More Tuesday. Epcot. Le Cellier. Yum.
Wednesday, March 10. Golf in the morning, beach in the afternoon!
Thursday, March 11. Hollywood Studios
The Last Entry

 

[DisneyDadC]

I am first here I beat you mark lol
will go read now Barry I just had to post before Mark did

 

[trennr]

2nd

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I am first here I beat you mark lol
will go read now Barry I just had to post before Mark did

Dang it! I knew I shouldn't have tried to do work this morning.

 

[Goofy + 3]

I'm in.

As an interesting side note, I think my boy puked the same day as yours. Small world. I'm pretty sure the pukes were unrelated.

 

[stopher1]

In on 1 this time around...woo hoo!

I know what you're thinking. "Barry, sequels are hardly ever as good as the original.

No way man - EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - the BEST sequel ever!!!!

So while this trip may not be totally Disney-focused (only 3 days in the theme parks), it's vitally important to my December 2010 Trip Report. If you don't read this one, you'll be totally lost in that one.

Stay tuned. The ride leaves very shortly.

Woo hoo - let the hijacking....err - I mean - FUN, begin. Yeah, that's it, FUN.

 

[that's nice]

I'm here too!!!!

I heard there was free beer!!!

 

[reyasmommy]

Waiting for more!!

 

[tutter99]

Woo Hoo, Front row seat!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

This is the sequel. 2. II. Part Duex. The Empire Strikes Back. Dead Man's Chest. The Squeakquel.

I know what you're thinking. "Barry, sequels are hardly ever as good as the original. Don't you remember 'Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde'?"

Of course I don't. I barely remember wasting two hours on the first Legally Blonde. But that's not the point. This is already planned as a trilogy. We have another trip in the works for December 2010. And we all love triolgies, don't we? Star Wars (The first 3. Not the prequel junk). Lord of the Rings. Pirates of the Caribbean. Back to the Future.

I'm confident this report will be more "Godfather II", "Empire Strikes Back", "Aliens" "Lethal Weapon 2" and "The Dark Knight", and less "Speed 2", "Under Siege 2", "Police Academy 2" or "Transformers 2". Of course, planned trilogies can have problems as well. Even The Two Towers had the talking tree people scenes.

Dude, I watch way too many movies.

 

[dvczerfs]

here!!! 1st page?

 

[FreezinRafiki]

I am first here I beat you mark lol
will go read now Barry I just had to post before Mark did

Congratulations! I'm sure Mark is steaming mad!

2nd

Mmmm...butter flavored fake butter.

Dang it! I knew I shouldn't have tried to do work this morning.

See Carl? I told you he was steaming mad.
Work is the only time I have to do my TRs.

I'm in.
As an interesting side note, I think my boy puked the same day as yours. Small world. I'm pretty sure the pukes were unrelated.

Don't spoil the surprise for the new comers.

In on 1 this time around...woo hoo!
No way man - EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - the BEST sequel ever!!!!
Woo hoo - let the hijacking....err - I mean - FUN, begin. Yeah, that's it, FUN.

Yes, the Force is strong in this one. But which side? (Warning: if you hijack this thread, I'm going to Force Choke the crap out of you from Wisconsin. Indiana isn't that far. I can do it.)

I'm here too!!!!

I heard there was free beer!!!

Sorry, it took me a while to write that first post and finished it already. Go bug Goofy + 3, he still owes all of us a round!

Waiting for more!!

I just popped into your TR - I see we were there at the same time. Look for yourself in the background of my pictures!

Woo Hoo, Front row seat!

Yeah, it's the back seat that you've got to look out for. (See that kids? I just did a little foreshadowing.)

I'm confident this report will be more "Godfather II", "Empire Strikes Back", "Aliens" "Lethal Weapon 2" and "The Dark Knight", and less "Speed 2", "Under Siege 2", "Police Academy 2" or "Transformers 2". Of course, planned trilogies can have problems as well. Even The Two Towers had the talking tree people scenes.

Dude, I watch way too many movies.

Are we counting "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" as a sequel? Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?

here!!! 1st page?

1st Page!

 

[stopher1]

Yes, the Force is strong in this one. But which side? (Warning: if you hijack this thread, I'm going to Force Choke the crap out of you from Wisconsin. Indiana isn't that far. I can do it.)

Afraid of you, NOT am I.

The force is with you, but you are not a Jedi yet.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Afraid of you, NOT am I.

The force is with you, but you are not a Jedi yet.

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

 

[stopher1]

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

Impressive. Most impressive.

You have your moments. Not many of them, but you do have them.

Prepare the ground troops for a surface attack...

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Impressive. Most impressive.

You have your moments. Not many of them, but you do have them.

Prepare the ground troops for a surface attack...

Why, you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder!

 

[stopher1]

Why, you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder!

Who's scruffy looking?

 

[FreezinRafiki]

This trip was our second time driving to Disney World. We had done it just 5 months before - October 2009 - for the kid's 5th and 3rd birthdays. That trip was 2 weeks, so we knew we would plenty of time to get down there and rest/recover from the drive if we needed it. We drove straight trough that time and planned to do the same here.
Before I left, I solicited any last minute driving advice from the fellas over at the DIS Dad's Club that might live along the route. I promised a mention in my TR, so here they are:
Stopher1 gave quality advice about avoiding the construction on I-465 in Indianapolis. This was both useful and valid, fulfilling the requirements for a special color, bold, and a larger font.
lawsonontour lives in the UK, so he was unable to offer any advice. But asked for a special shout-out anyway. Hi!
trennr let me know that I-40 in Tennessee was shutdown due to rocks. While this was not on my route, he did warn me to look out for additional traffic on I-24. Again, this was both useful and valid, fulfilling the requirements for a special color, bold, and a larger font.
Captain_Oblivious suggested that I avoid all of the highways in Philly, Baltimore, and Washington, because they will not reduce my travel time. This is valid information, but not particularly useful in a trip from Wisconsin to Florida. So in accordance with the terms of my solicitation, he only gets a special color.
Wow, I feel like Albus Dumbledore handing out points for the House Cup in Harry Potter! If I missed anyone's advice or forgot to include it here, feel free to leave me a nasty, scathing reply and I'll be sure to get it in a future update.

Now, back to the trip...
The plan was to leave Racine on Thursday, March 4th after Madison was done with preschool (3:15) and Bambi was done with work. I had that day off to finish any last minute packing and what not. We were going to meet Bambi at her office in Kenosha (about 30 minutes south of home), pick her up and go from there. She was able to switch some things around and get out early, though. Evan and I dropped Madison off at preschool, came home, and packed up the van. We have a master packing list for all of our trips to make sure nothing is left behind. It gets checked off when it goes into a bag, then checked off again when that bag gets packed into the van. Is it anal? You bet. But we refuse to have a repeat of time we left the toiletry bag (including all of Bambi's contact lens stuff) on the bathroom counter for a summer vacation a few years ago.
We picked Madison up, and by the time we got home Bambi was there and changed. We crossed off the last of the checklist, locked the doors, and pulled out of the driveway at 3:30 - 30 minutes ahead of schedule.

(sorry for the poor quality - it was off my Blackberry)


We were driving along just fine. The kids were in the back seat watching Disney movies on the DVD players. The dogs were lounging or looking out the windows. Supper had been eaten (sandwiches were packed to avoid any unnecessary stopping). We got around Chicago in record time because we got there before rush hour started. We stopped at a little dive gas station in Northern Indiana because Evan had to go potty. As long as we were stopped, we gassed up, put the kids in their jammies and gave the dogs a little run.
It was dark by the time we pulled out of the station, so we had turned on some little clip on LED lights so the kids could color or whatever they felt like doing. They were also happily munching on some snacks, such as this 35 oz container of Cheese Balls that we picked up at Sam's Club.

We were just north of Indianapolis in the town of Lebanon. All of a sudden I hear Madison from the back seat: "Evan Puked"

Luckily, we were right at exit 140 (South St). I yanked the van up the off ramp and right into the parking lot of the McClure Fuel Stop. I'll let my Facebook update set the scene:
"Evan just yakked all over the back of the van. Smells like cheese balls."

Now, to be clear, I don't think it was the cheese balls that did it. (I mean, how could they? They're natures most perfect food.) We're pretty sure it was the bright LED lights swaying around that gave him motion sickness. The cheese balls just happen to be the ammunition that was loaded at the time.

He got it all over himself, his car seat, the van seat under his car seat, the van seat in front of his car seat, the floor in front of his car seat, and some the blankets that they had back there with them. He did not however, get any on his bag of toys that was almost directly in front of him. Now that's impressive aim.

We got him out and started cleaning up. I suggested letting the dogs clean it up, but was over-ruled. I had to have almost emptied the paper towel dispenser at the station. Bambi changed Evan out of his PJs and into some sweats we had along. She also went inside and bought some scented baby wipes and a bottle of Fabreeze. I cleaned up as much as I could, including getting his seat scrubbed down with wipes and arranging a towel so he had a nice dry seat. By the time we were half way done cleaning, he and Madison were in the front seat playing and pretending to drive, so he was fine. 30 minutes later we were back on the road. I'd like to see a NASCAR pit crew do it that fast!

The rest of the drive was much less eventful. I drove to Bowling Green, KY while Bambi napped. She took over and drove to just north of Atlanta. Around 2:00 we stopped for gas in Tennessee and both kids woke up thanks the guy with the hot rod Mustang and no muffler. We plugged my Blackberry into the van stereo and rocked out to Disney songs for an hour so until the kids drifted off to sleep. Madison took a while to fall back asleep, even commenting that she wasn't got to sleep anymore on the drive down.

I took over and got us through Atlanta before morning rush hour and down to around the Florida boarder.

Here's Allie using the arm - sorry, paw - rest. Note: the purple Blackberry is Bambi's. Mine is a very manly black.

Bonus free beer* to the first person to find the hidden Mickey in the pictures above. Hint: it's in both, but easier to notice in the top.

*There is no free beer.

From there we traded off driving a few times, with Bambi taking the last leg, pulling into her parent's drive way at about 1:00pm. 1260 miles in 21 hours. A new Family Record!

Coming up: a relaxing day with Grandma and Grandpa before we hit Disney.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Afraid of you, NOT am I.
The force is with you, but you are not a Jedi yet.

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

Impressive. Most impressive.
You have your moments. Not many of them, but you do have them.
Prepare the ground troops for a surface attack...

Why, you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder!

Who's scruffy looking?

Holy crap we're a bunch of Dorks.

I wonder if we can get Daddy-O to re-theme his restaurant to look like Tatooine's Mos Eisley Cantina?

 

[stopher1]

Bonus free beer* to the first person to find the hidden Mickey in the pictures above. Hint: it's in both, but easier to notice in the top.

*There is no free beer.

Well that Mickey would be in your center console to the right of the air temp dial

Great update!

I've almost yakked driving through Lebanon myself on trips back from Chicago... I highly doubt it was the cheeseballs - must just be the locale