How Much Do You Ladies Charge to Haunt the Castle? -- Departure Day up (See index

[WDisneyMom]

Oh my word!! how did I not know you started a new TR?!! Off to read!

 

[KatMark]

I am here hon, haven't read a word, but I'm here. Going back now to read....

Welcome my dear friend; I am so happy you are here.

I missed the part in your PTR where you told us your boss upgraded you to first class - that's awesome!!!

Bummer about the Mears bus, we had one too

Yes, it was a nice perk flying First Class in many respects.

At least the Mears bus got us where we were going...and you too.

great start Kathy! happy you didn't have any issues with your flight!

bummer about the Mears bus, hope you got the ME on the way home!

Thanks, Lisa. The flight was very smooth. We didn't take the ME back because we picked up a rental car at the Dolphin to drive to Marco for a week. Maybe we'll get a "real" bus on the December trip.

I love the shirt you're wearing in the picture of you!

I totally forgot about the upgrade to first class, nice! I would love to fly first class someday, if I ever go to Hawaii or Alaska, it's gonna have to be first class! I better start saving now!

Yay, Magical Express! Too bad it was a Mears bus, but at least you got the video, right?

Can't wait to read more!

Thanks; I got that shirt at Sears very early in the summer...it's one of my favorites.

If we ever went back to Hawaii, I'd have to go First Class...that is one long flight. But I doubt that will happen since I hate to fly in the first place and couldn't handle the length and I could NEVER afford first class tickets unless we won the lotto.

Yes, at least we got the video...that helped the disappointment.

YAY for arriving at Disney !! 99 more days for us !! But what I am most looking forward to is the 21 days until I get this cast off !! Looking forward to reading more !!

Your cast is coming off soon? That is awesome news. It's been a long haul for you, hasn't it? I hope the pain is better.

Oh, and we have 55 days until we go back.

Awesome start!! Love that your boss upgraded you to first class - spectacular!!! ANd free luggage... I really should consider that next time - it would probably be cheaper than paying all those baggage fees...

Can't wait to hear how check in went and see your resort.

D~

Those baggage fees can certainly add up fast, can't they? And it's so hard to do carry on with the limits on liquids, and people carrying more than they are supposed to.

So cool about the first bit of pixie dust! I don't fly but hear luggage prices are crazy expensive!! So wAit... Y'all have never done me???

Jenn, that upgrade was the best pixie dust. I did ME on my girls trip in January--my first time ever; this was Mark's first time. We normally rent a car for the entire vacation, but the prices were so high this year that we decided to just rent it for part of the trip.

Great update!! Hurray for first class!! I am to go with excited to be going over tired. I had to LOL at the phone pic since I know how un phone savvy he is I will not comment on the OKW check in since I know how that went

This trip will also not be the same without you guys. Even Jeff said that he will miss ya. And Heather asked if she would be seeing you....

He is the most "unphonesavvy" person I know. Yes, you are aware of the check in at OKW...but we still love it.

Jeff is going to miss us? That is so sweet. Give everyone in the family a big kiss for both of us and then tell Jeff to kiss you for both of us.

How nice to have such Royal Treatment with First Class !! Can't believe I will be catching the ME tomorrow morning !!!!!!

I hope you are having a great time, Rosie.

 

[KatMark]

I would have yelled at Mark if he was at work that day too and I was his boss. I'm really sorry to hear about his Mom.

Since we were prepared for her passing, Mark was handling it pretty well. He had some unfinished business he had to get done before we left for two weeks, but made the smart choice to leave early.

Talk about an early wake up time. Only going to WDW will we all get up that early.

You are right...there is NOTHING else that would get me up at that ungodly hour.

Amazing boss upgrade to first class? Extra sweet!

He is pretty amazing.

My favorite thing about First Class is the basically private security lane!

That was nice too...it was really quiet in First Class.

Never say no to coffee, especially that early in the morning!

No to coffee are three words you will never hear coming out of this girl's mouth.

LOL, Mark looks just like my Dad does when he's trying to figure out something with his phone!

He is so set in his ways with some things. He just wants a phone that he can talk on...no texting, no email, no internet and now he has all of that and will probably never use it.

Boo, Mears coach! So un-Disney.

Yes, it is un-Disney, but we got where we needed to go.

That really was so nice of your boss to upgrade y'all to first class. That's a really nice treat!

Glad y'all had safe, uneventful travels to Florida!

He is a keeper. I have to tell you, if it weren't for him, I probably would have left here years ago. But after 37+ years, I can't just push him off on a new secretary (he's 86 years old), so I'm sticking it out. But he knows the plan is for me to leave in 3 years when he'll be 89, so we'll see how that goes.

Would never happen my friend, even if Mark did stop taking hilarious, hat pics. Tell Mark he did a great job on the title!!

Wow! Early morning is right!! But! Tis better to be in the "Muthaland" early and beyond tired, than it would be to miss an entire day and get there late. That logic is kinda like fuzzy Disney math. Only other Dis brothers and sisters would understand.

You are too kind, Camille.

I love your fuzzy Disney math...and understand perfectly.

I'm with Mark, I am not a big Starbucks fan either. Come to think of it I'm not much of a muffin man (LOL) either.

Enjoying the TR!!!

He used to like Starbucks, but then he said it started tasting "perfumy"??? He is a Dunkin Donuts man and I can't stand their coffee.

 

[KatMark]

He might have been "at" work, but if he is anything like me, he wasn't actually doing work.

Actually, in most instances you are probably right; but he had one thing I know he had to get done for a client...but then he probably did nothing but computer games.

It always does.

Yes, and it did on our return trip too.



He is the best!

Mark doesn't like Starbucks, so we stopped at another location (I don't remember the name of it) and we got him a coffee and a muffin.

And your marriage survives this huge point of conflict?! Kudos to the both of you.

Barely...especially when we go out and HAVE to stop at Dunkin Donuts BEFORE Starbucks. Seriously, does the man have a death wish?

More coffee? I bet by the time you got to Disney you looked like this:

Nope...I can drink coffee all day and night and it doesn't effect me at all. Yes, I'm odd...I know.

I think he just bought 300 gallons of ranch dressing.

Now that really made me laugh which I really needed today.

Don't you hate it when that happens?[/QUOTE]

I've been lucky...ME one trip, Mears the other.

Kathy, I think the best thing about first class is the special security line and no luggage fees! We were upgraded years ago when Mia's friend worked for AA - we were on the way to London and she surprised us at the airport...great surprise! So happy for you! Your boss is wonderful, but I think it says more about what an asset you've been all these years.

Okay, so I'm with Mark...what is "airplane mode" and when do I turn it on? It's on my iPhone, but I haven't clue either! Love the photo!!

Oh,the fake monorail...makes me feel I've truly arrived and Disney is next stop!

Thanks so much for the update...not like you've a lot of time on your hands! Hope you're not getting sick. Be well!

Thanks, Christine. My boss and I do have a special relationship. The fake monorail tells me we are "home."

I know that Lisa answered your question about the phone in a post further down.

I am late to the party, Kathy, but at least I found you!

Will be back to read and comment more soon - I don't think I can manage 7 pages, when it's nearly time for bed here.

Karin, I'm very happy that you are here; and I've subbed to yours and will get there as soon as I can.

it is a setting on your phone so you can still use it for music, checking the time, games...just no texting or calling! you turn it on when the door's close or when attendants tell you to turn off your electronics and then switch it back after you land...its a nice feature to have!

Thank you for helping Christine.

All caught up, Kathy!
Sounds like a really wonderful arrival day apart from the ME being a Mears shuttle. I think I remember a comment about your checking in process at OKW, but won't comment any further.

On another note - checking your ticker for the summer, I think we will be there at the same time, but on one of Disney's fine vessels when you are at WDW. I guess we will never work it out.
But be warned ....... August can be VERY crowded and it is HOT! And I do mean REALLY HOT and humid!

Yes, check-in was not a good experience.

Yes, we will arrive August 15 for seven days and then go to Marco for seven days if all works out. The heat and humidity don't bother us as long as take rests (trust me, it was hot and humid when we were there in September and we've been in July too). Nicki says that time is not as busy as other times because a lot of schools are starting that Monday. And it will be fun to do Disney with them twice in a year.

We will meet someday, I am sure.

Yay for first class....what a great start. Bummer you got a plain old Mears bus though. Wasn't this Mark's first time on ME?? Or do I have you confused with someone else? We got a plain yellow one on our way back to the airport which didn't bother me as much. I thought our Mears bus was much bigger and newer than the ME buses I've been on.

I liked being first on the plane and getting those added touches. Yes, it was Mark's first time on the ME, but at least he got to see the cute movie. I think I had a plain yellow one or a cruise one when the girls and I went back to the airport in January. And I really hated that movie!

First class sounds like a nice way to start off your trip.

Bummer about the Mears bus. We have never been on ME but I'm considering it for our Feb trip. How did Mark like it?

Mark really enjoyed the bus and that's the way he wants to go all the time now. Obviously he doesn't know he'll be doing it again in 55 days.

Oh my word!! how did I not know you started a new TR?!! Off to read!

Welcome, my dear friend. I'm so glad you found me. I'm sorry I didn't let you know...things have been a tad hectic.

 

[KatMark]

I contemplated not doing the rest of this TR. There is so much going on with my mother right now, that I can't even think straight. I have never felt so lost in what to do as I do right now. I don't want to bore you with all of the details, but the last call I got about an hour ago was that they were moving my mother from the Nursing Home to a Behavioral Hospital because last night and this morning she was hitting patients, nurses and volunteers. They cannot keep her there under those conditions.

But the more I thought about it, my DIS friends are the ones who keep me sane and reliving my trip gives me happy memories so I will proceed, at least for now.

So when I last left you, Mark and I were on the ME bus and had just pulled under the beautiful arch letting us know we had arrived to our happy place. We stopped at POFQ first and then the next stop was our home for the next week:

OKW has become our "new home". Don't get me wrong, we will always love the Coronado (and we'll be back there in 55 days), but OKW just has a certain charm about it and a very quiet feel. The question as the next couple of days go on is whether or not we'll still feel that way about OKW???

I went to check in and while I was doing that, Mark took some pictures for me to post for my DIS friends:

I did NOT having the most "welcoming" castmember I've ever dealt with...she just did the job without any personal talk or niceties. I did tell her that I don't normally care about our location, but if she could check and see if we could have a "quiet" area away from the bus stop as we thought we'd be spending more "down time" at the resort for Mark after the loss of his mom. She informed me that we were away from the bus and had a "garden view." I told her that would be fine. No anniversary buttons, nothing else...nothing like our first stay here. Our room was not ready which we really didn't anticipate it would be considering it was 11:00 in the morning. She took my phone number and said they would text me when the room was ready.

Check-in accomplished

it was time to go to the boat dock to go to DTD as we were on a mission.

Sorry I have to stop now. We have a huge closing that needs a lot of copying and putting in binders.

Up next, is the mission accomplished?

 

[PhoenixStrength]

I'm so sorry about your mother. I hope that maybe this new center is more equipped for her and can help her to be more comfortable, for all of your sakes. And we are all here for you! I'm sure reliving your trip will help a little bit at least. And if you can't continue, or just need to take a break we will all understand!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I contemplated not doing the rest of this TR. There is so much going on with my mother right now, that I can't even think straight. I have never felt so lost in what to do as I do right now. I don't want to bore you with all of the details, but the last call I got about an hour ago was that they were moving my mother from the Nursing Home to a Behavioral Hospital because last night and this morning she was hitting patients, nurses and volunteers. They cannot keep her there under those conditions.

My goodness. I wish I had good advice for you, but honestly, what do you say in these situations? I hope and pray that your mother and your family will have peace.

I did NOT having the most "welcoming" castmember I've ever dealt with...

She probably went to Starbucks instead of Dunkin Donuts.

Check-in accomplished

Welcome to the Happiest Place on Earth!

 

[dizneeat]

Yikes, you do NOT look happy after check in!
You don't happen to remember that CMs name? On the DREAM we wound up meeting a very nice OKW front desk CM, who offered to help with anything we would need. If you can remember her I can pass it on to her.

Sorry to hear about your mother. That is just so hard to go through, especially after Mark lost his mom such a short time ago. Lots of for you!

 

[Terkina]

Sorry to hear about your mother.
Great update
You don't look happy after check in. Hope the rest of the day went better.

 

[amandaw]

I'm truly sorry to hear what all is going on with your mom. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it is for you. I hope doing the TR lets your relive happy memories and gives you a break from reality. But, if you can't do it, I think we'd all understand.

Glad y'all made it to OKW even if the check-in wasn't the best. I will have my own tale (eventually) in my TR about our check-in there.

Hope the mission to DTD was a success!!

 

[LuvvsMickey]

Kathy, I understand everything you are going through with the behaviour and phone calls concerning your mother. It's absolutely horrifying and very upsetting to witness. Thank goodness there are medications to tame the behaviour, but the unfortunate part is there is nothing to erase the scenes from your mind. Again, I am SO very sorry you are dealing with this. It's a nasty disease and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

I had to giggle to myself when I saw your "after check-in photo" as that is exactly how you looked when you were sitting on the bench and I was scared to approach you! (knowing you were there with heavy hearts, etc.) Also wanted to add, in Mark's picture of the pool and lounge chairs, my Mark and I are on the very last two to the right! I am actually sitting in the one with the towel hanging over the back of it. LOL!!! Too funny.

Hang in there, friend. xo

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Oh, Kathy...I cannot begin to imagine how difficult this must be for you with your mom...and after just losing Mark's mom. Wish I had some words of comfort...just know you all are tucked near in my heart and prayer...and loads of ISPD coming your way (Industrial Strength Pixie Dust).

As for the cast member....the look on your face says it all. We had a similar CM at POR and the Poly - I hoped they were just having a bad day, but POR seems to be rather notorious for rather crabby front desk CM's...and I've heard other check-in stories about the same Poly CM. I do everything to lighten things up and get a small smile...but those two were hopeless.

We are all here for you, Kathy...if you take a break from the TR, we'll be here for support...feel our love.

 

[jecskc]

I can't imagine how hard that must be to deal with. So sorry you are having to experience it. Prayers to you that God gives you strength during this difficult time. We will be here for you !!

 

[eandesmom]

Oh Kathy, would that we could make this go away and ease your heart. I am so glad you are staying with us during this time. I know the DIS has gotten me through a few things, spoken and unspoken, and it has truly helped.

Escape, dreams and memories of happy places are something to hold onto, especially now. Hold on to that countdown ticker too, it will help you persevere. While I do believe He doesn't give us more than we can take I can only imagine you feeling tested and pulled beyond belief. You are amazingly strong and while I'm sure it doesn't feel like this right now, I know your mom is blessed to have you trying to navigate this for her, even if she isn't aware of it. Thank you for sharing with us and knowing that we are here for you.

The expression on your face post check in is priceless.

 

[goofy4prez]

Kathy, My prayers go out to you and Mark during this tough time you both have and are going through. It is the prayers of others that helped me with the sudden passing of my younger brother (45) last year and the battle my mother has been going through with ovarian and cervical cancer shortly after. Take comfort in knowing others out there care.

Let me also give a big thanks to you for being such a great encourager with all that I have gone through the past year or so. Your pm's and posts made a difference. It truly helped.

 

[WDisneyMom]

Great start, Kat! You have such great kids from everything you have said about them..hope my boys turn out just the same!

I have never flown first class, that was so nice of your boss to upgrade you and Mark!

I loveeeee coffee but SB is too strong for me but I do love their fraps and holiday drinks, my favorite coffee is from Dunkin' Donuts followed by McDonalds...I know!!

I would love to stay at OKW some day, the resort just looks relaxing and beautiful plus I have read wonderful things about it from both you and Karin.

So sorry you are going through such a difficult time keeping you and Mark in my thoughts.

 

[SoonerGirl]

I'm so, so sorry about your mom Kathy I told you this on your PTR, but my grandmother had alzheimer's and it was an incredibly difficult experience for the entire family to go through. It's an awful, awful disease. If you decide that this TR is too much for you to keep up with I'm sure everyone here would understand. This might be a really good outlet though to escape all that. Hang in there, you will be in my prayers!

 

[Poolrat]

Oh Kathy

I know this is incredibly hard and let us try to be there for you.
Even if you can't update, please try to stay around so we can do what we can to help you. Maybe the happy place will help provide some comfort during this terrible time.

Thinking of you Kathy.

 

[MHTeacher]

I found your PTR, and will be here when you have time to update. Right now, you need to take care of your family. Thinking of you.

 

[mommy2mrb]

sorry about the difficulties with your mom...sent you a PM!

bummer about the grumpy CM - hey maybe check-in is a side job from being the "real" grumpy

you do know that CA Adventure in DLR has a Starbucks now and they are opening an E of S in DTD

totally understand if you need a break from the TR, we will be here no matter what

Thank you, Lisa!

you are welcome!