Canadian Buffoon's Solo Disney Vacation - Update 07/08! pp99 - Here today gone tomorrow

[courtneybelle]

I did pick up on the Back to the Future reference. It's my 16-year-old sister's FAVORITE movie. Like, we've seen it rereleased in theaters, she met Marty's girlfriend at a local Comic Con…so I've seen it MANY a time. It's great though.

Longest undefended border and you still need a passport to get your seat in advance? Yeesh.

Ha, you remind me of the time my mom and sister went to Disney during my finals week. I think they must have had the same inner turmoil (at least I'd like to think so). But I'm sure your daughters were thrilled that you could get some Disney time in for your birthday!

You Canadians still get to shimmy through the metal detector, I have to stop and put my hands above my head. Which I'm sure could be incorporated into some sort of dance, but it lacks the same flow.

That's so great that you got to see your sister! At first I was thinking that layover sounded horrible, but it looks like you made the best of it.

With so many people going to Orlando on vacation, it really hits you when people go for much sadder reasons. Really makes you thankful to be going to WDW at all.

Ahhh, the birthday button. I did wear mine when I was in WDW a month before my birthday, but I think that's as far out as I could get without feeling guilty every time someone wished me a happy birthday.

Pretty much a perfect location! We were in the Rock Inn last time we stayed at ASMu, which was fine, but Jazz is where it's at.

Very excited to see which park you visit first! I have a one in four shot so I might as well guess…MK?

 

[dawnbu40]

I Back to the Future!

Wow the trip to Orlando was so long. I complain when we cant get direct flights and it takes 5 hours rather than 2.5

for arriving! Now the real fun begins!

 

[Sandy Mouse]

I'm not really a fan of salami, but... when in Rome...
or in this case a metal tube hurtling at four hundred miles an hour through the sky...

Isn't that 'the aluminum tube of death?" (a big hat's off to Nebo, here)

The salami was as expected, kinda gross, but the crackers and cheese were fine.
Overall, for airplane food, I'd give it a hesitant thumbs up.
Did I mention it was free???
The ruling might have changed, otherwise.

But it's free!

"Leaving anything behind in the States?"
"No."
"Are you constipated?"

OH COME ON!!!!

You should really get that checked. It could be why you are so full of ... uh, ..it.

This flight was scheduled to be just under three hours, so I asked for, and got, my sandwich.
It'd been a long time since lunch, so I was getting pretty hungry.
Turkey and provolone sandwich*, Pringles sour cream & onion chips and Sprite.
Usually I'll have Coke, but I didn't want the caffeine to keep me up.
Big day tomorrow, ya know.
*Smoked turkey breast, provolone cheese, paprika mayonnaise, sun-dried tomato torta

And it's FREE!

The CM told me that due to construction, I would have to re-exit the lobby and walk around the building to get to my room.
No big deal... as long as that room wasn't forty seven miles away in Country Fair section!
I was completely prepared to emulate Nebo.
Demand the CM circle the exact room location on a map and then demand a better location if it didn't suit my needs.
CM: "Okay, you're in room 9547 in Jazz section."

I was flabbergasted! I just assumed I wouldn't get it!

A little Pixie dust!
I'm glad you made it (so far... )

Sandy

 

[pkondz]

Ponzi, Oh Ponzi, how I love your reports!
You make me feel like I am right there with you....
Cant wait to read the rest. (and I do know for you it was only 12am, ha!)

Wow! Marita, I think that's the nicest compliment about my writing that I've ever gotten! Thanks!

But I must correct you on something.
For me it was 1am, not midnight. There's only a one hour difference between Winnipeg and Florida.

I did pick up on the Back to the Future reference. It's my 16-year-old sister's FAVORITE movie. Like, we've seen it rereleased in theaters, she met Marty's girlfriend at a local Comic Con…so I've seen it MANY a time. It's great though.

Shall I shock you? Sure, why not.
You've seen it rereleased in theaters?
I saw it in a theater, too.

When it was first released.

So cool that your sister met the girlfriend!
Which one? Claudia Wells or Elizabeth Shue?

Longest undefended border and you still need a passport to get your seat in advance? Yeesh.

I wonder about that "undefended border" stuff.
Every time I go to the border, there are people with guns, so...

Ha, you remind me of the time my mom and sister went to Disney during my finals week. I think they must have had the same inner turmoil (at least I'd like to think so). But I'm sure your daughters were thrilled that you could get some Disney time in for your birthday!

You think so?
Maybe you're right.
Maybe they are just happy for me...
Doesn't explain why they keep pointing at me and saying. "You went to Disney without me!"

You Canadians still get to shimmy through the metal detector, I have to stop and put my hands above my head. Which I'm sure could be incorporated into some sort of dance, but it lacks the same flow.

Hmmm..... Ya know, I think you're right.
I don't recall doing the hands above the head thing anywhere other than in the States.

That's so great that you got to see your sister! At first I was thinking that layover sounded horrible, but it looks like you made the best of it.

Yeah, I didn't mind it one bit.
If it had been anywhere else it would've sucked.

With so many people going to Orlando on vacation, it really hits you when people go for much sadder reasons. Really makes you thankful to be going to WDW at all.

It really brought it home.
While I'm all happy and everything, there are people around who aren't so happy.
Geez, that sounds maudlin.
I guess it just made me focus a little more and made me think and be thankful.

Sorry, I'm having trouble putting into words just how I felt.

Ahhh, the birthday button. I did wear mine when I was in WDW a month before my birthday, but I think that's as far out as I could get without feeling guilty every time someone wished me a happy birthday.

I was pretty sure that everytime someone looked at me and said "Happy Birthday!" I
would turn around and look behind me to see who they were talking to.
I didn't want the hassle.

Pretty much a perfect location! We were in the Rock Inn last time we stayed at ASMu, which was fine, but Jazz is where it's at.

Ya got that right!

Very excited to see which park you visit first! I have a one in four shot so I might as well guess…MK?

Good guess! I'd say you have about a 25% chance that you're right!

I Back to the Future!

Wow the trip to Orlando was so long. I complain when we cant get direct flights and it takes 5 hours rather than 2.5

It's such a great movie!
And you're not fooling anyone with the flight times, lady!
Oh, sure. It used to take you that long. Now you just walk across the street!

for arriving! Now the real fun begins!

That's for sure! So excited to tell everyone all about it!

Isn't that 'the aluminum tube of death?" (a big hat's off to Nebo, here)

I was going to type that!
Then I thought, "No. That's Nebo's. I shall not steal!"

But I sure was tempted!

You should really get that checked. It could be why you are so full of ... uh, ..it.

Now the truth comes out!

A little Pixie dust!
I'm glad you made it (so far... )

Hey! You're right! I never really thought about it that way, but it was!
I got some Pixie dust!

I gotta tell you. Even though I was thrilled to be back, it was the end of a very long day.
I honestly didn't think I'd be able to sleep. Too amped.
I vaguely remember my head hitting the pillow and thinking "I hope I can fall asleezzzzzzzzzzzz....."

 

[bankr63]

You're shocked!
I almost fell over!
I was so ready to make him get back on his computer and start gettin' busy.
When he said "Jazz section" my mind went completely blank!
"Uh... What do I do now???"
I felt like Ralphie from A Christmas Story... "<nods> Football."
Only I got my Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle!

Yeah, but did it have a compass in the stock?

You should really get that checked. It could be why you are so full of ... uh, ..it.

 

[laura74]

And by now you're thinking: "I thought he said he'd be brief! Good grief!"

I don’t think I’d ever think that.

Where was I... Ah, yes! February seventh, 2015. Departure day eve.

Sure I can say that.

Christmas Eve

New Year's Eve

Summer’s Eve…

I woke up that morning at my usual, when working a day shift, God-forsaken five a.m.

I was in a good mood, since today I could get my boarding passes!

You can get (at least in Canada... YMMV) boarding passes twenty four hours in advance.

In the U.S. too.

What's this?


Because I'm traveling to the States, they need my passport?


But... but... I don't have my passport with me!

That must have been very frustrating.

Elle: "Dad! Guess what? I made honour roll at school!"

How do you make honor roll spelling “honor” wrong? You crazy Canadians…

I yelled so loud that the dog dropped her chew-toy that she'd taken out of the sock drawer in the tall dresser and ran away.

I assume the chew toy is one of your socks and not actual chew toys that you store in your sock drawer.

Great. Now we need a new dog.

Want ours? He’s real cute…goes by the name of Kevin. He never does anything wrong. Really!

Number of bags?


Zero.

Oh. You’re one of those carry-on only heroes. This is going to bite you in the butt later when you want to bring home lots of souveniers for your family. You know. The ones that are freezing in Winnipeg?

Step one. No checked bags.

I figured I could bring everything I needed for a five night stay in a carry on.

Well, you’re a guy so I guess it’s possible.

You're allowed one checked bag and one 'personal item'.

That would be my camera bag.

I bought a small one and sacrificed versatility for compactness.

All I would bring was my camera (Sony A77 DSLR), medium zoom (28-80),

We just got a Sony DSLR. I’m looking forward to forgetting to use it this trip.

or business class... but it does have 'Plus' seats.

For an extra thirty to fifty bucks... per leg!... you can have: (this from their website)

Extra legroom seats which include food and beverages from our on-board menu, advance boarding and seat selection.

It doesn’t come with a free checked bag?

1F

Which means first row, window.

We picked row two so we could put our personal items under the seats in front of us.

Shave, shower, yadda yadda yadda, eventually six thirty rolls around and it's time to go.

I forego my winter parka and gloves in favour of a thin shelled wind breaker.

May I again point out the foolishness of carry-on only? You could have checked your parka.

I feel rotten, ashamed and selfish and figuratively flagellate myself for going to Disney World without them.

It’s funny because when I was telling my husband about your going on a solo trip he asked if you had kids. I told him you did and he couldn’t believe the 14 year old would be ok with staying home.

I need to constantly remind myself that I've taken them both on trips to Toronto, Niagara Falls, Vancouver,

West Edmonton Mall, Mall of America (too many times to count), Disney World (twice), Hawaii and Europe.

And that’s what I told him. How do you like being dinnertime conversation among your unmet friends in the U.S.?

The walk to the terminal is long.

And cold.

Quite cold.

Fairly cold.

Flipping cold!

I almost didn't make it.

Just wondering. Couldn’t you have worn your parka, carried your windbreaker and given the parka to Ruby at the airport? Although this makes for better trip reporting.

Halfway there I collapsed into a snowbank and told Ruby to go on without me.

She, of course, dressed appropriately for the weather, was a little surprised.

Whether at the vision of me, lying in a snowbank, or the fact that I was turning a pleasant shade of blue, I know not.


Thankfully, a rescue St. Bernard came by, farted on me and buggered off.


But the heat from the dog's air biscuit was just enough to get me going.

Well, maybe it was the smell...

Either way, I made it to the terminal, without being terminal.

Yeah, I guess you wouldn’t have that nice imagery if you’d been sensible and dressed for the weather.

Doesn't it look cold out there?

Try it with just a wind breaker.

Do I need to say it again?

A vacation, for me, has many starting points.

Decision to go on a trip.

Planning for the trip.

Booking the trip

Last day of work before the trip.

Packing for the trip.

Leaving for the trip.

Arriving at the airport.

And, finally, getting on the plane, which makes it all real.

Me too. Except I don’t enjoy the getting on a plane thing. Getting off the plane, I can get behind.

I grabbed the menu and opened it up.

The menu was divided in two.

For flights less than two and a half hours there was a selection of snacks,

for longer flights they had sandwiches.


I was starting to feel hungry, by now (free = hungry. it's a rule.) and a sandwich would hit the spot.


Wait.


How long was this flight anyway?

Hmmm... Departs at 8:35, arrives 12:04 (one hour time change)

That's.... two hours, twenty nine minutes.

Surely that's close enough for a sandwich right?


Don't call me Shirley and no, apparently not.

That seems very unfair.

I have a great sister and a great relationship with her.

So an eight hour window of time to fill?

In Toronto?

That’s great!

I grabbed my carry on and camera bag and set off.

Since I had no luggage (a moot point, really. Since it would've been tagged through to Orlando anyway.)

Correct.

I bypassed the carousel and was out the door into the waiting area about two minutes after the plane door opened.

Maybe I shouldn't say that. It's insensitive.

... about two minutes after the door with the very nice personality opened.

Ba da bump. That took me an extra beat.

I went back through security.

Then I had to go through border control.

I knew the drill, so I wasn't worried.

I put my best 'I'm not a terrorist' face on, handed over my passport and prepared to answer the standard questions.

I thought we established that villains have mustaches?

Each table had two seats.

Each seat had an iPad.

They have those at Applebee’s. How often do you think they disinfect the screens?

Mine, of course, being a get away from the excess of estrogen that pervades my home.

Wife, two teen daughters, heck, even the dog and guinea pigs are all female!

So, what’s wrong with that?

We touched down in Orlando at 12:22a.m.

We reached the gate sometime between 12:25 - 12:30a.m. (I forgot to check until after I was already off the plane.)

Why am I being so precise with the times?

Because I want to show you what travelling light and sitting up front does.


Although I was sharing my row with two other people, I was still first off the plane.

The person in the aisle got up and moved aside (read, back) for the middle person who did the same for me.

Fools!!!

Without any bags, I bypassed the luggage carousel and was on an almost empty airport shuttle within minutes.

If you had put the yellow magical express tags on your checked bag you’d bypass the carousel anyway. Just sayin’…

CM: "Okay, you're in room 9547 in Jazz section."


I was flabbergasted! I just assumed I wouldn't get it!

Great job getting the section you wanted!

Now.... The acid test.

Will the magic band work?

Or will I be marching back to the lobby?

Sashaying?


Thanks for the great chapter, Ponzi!

 

[orangecats2]

Yay! You made it to Disney World! And you got in the Jazz section. I wouldn't have like getting in that late and paying for a room. Our travel day we like to go dinner at DTD.

So I think your first day won't be at MK. Because you might want to sleep in a little and you need all the time you can get there.

And I said what color my car is-----you apparently didn't read what I wrote!

So when do the prizes start? I want to win something from Disney!

 

[DawnFeiss]

That is the one thing that bothers me being Canadian. You have to wait for those darn magic bands

 

[laura74]

Ponzi, where is this contest of yours?

 

[KatMark]

Great update. I was kind of on your trying to check in online for your flights and forgot about the second flight and the time.

So sad about the woman you were sitting with at the airport.

I'm glad you got to have some time to visit with your sister.

And glad you got your room in the section you wanted.

 

[buzz1121]

PKONDZ!!!!

Holy cow! On a solo trip to the World? I'm thrilled for you!

And I agree with Sandy, though my kiddos disagree, LeFou's Brew is ICK!! Way too sweet for me.

I've missed my favorite Canadian air mass!!

 

[pkondz]

Yeah, but did it have a compass in the stock?

Yes.
And a thing that tells time.

I don’t think I’d ever think that.

So you're the one!

Summer’s Eve…

Adam and Eve... wait, are we not doing this??

In the U.S. too.

Ah. I thought so, but wasn't sure.

That must have been very frustrating.

Oh, no. Not at all. Not even a little bit. Nope. Didn't bother me one itty bit.

Believe me?

How do you make honor roll spelling “honor” wrong? You crazy Canadians…

You forgot your u, you.

I assume the chew toy is one of your socks and not actual chew toys that you store in your sock drawer.

Well, there's your problem with Kevin.
Not enough chew toys to distract him from messing on the floor.

Want ours? He’s real cute…goes by the name of Kevin. He never does anything wrong. Really!

Uh, huh.
See previous comment.

Oh. You’re one of those carry-on only heroes. This is going to bite you in the butt later when you want to bring home lots of souveniers for your family. You know. The ones that are freezing in Winnipeg?

Whoa, whoa, whoa there girl!
Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here, okay?

Sheesh!
I just got there and you're already trying to get me to leave!

Well, you’re a guy so I guess it’s possible.

Ya got that right!

I have this urge to grunt and watch lots of sports.

We just got a Sony DSLR. I’m looking forward to forgetting to use it this trip.

Good for you!
At the very least, you can use it as a paper weight.

Just kidding.
You'll love it once you figure out some of the bells and whistles.

It doesn’t come with a free checked bag?

Yes.... and no.
If you book the plus seats ahead of time, it costs a lot more and you do get a free checked bag.
Now I've got a WestJet elite credit card and I get a free checked bag with that too.
But these tickets were booked with Airmiles and you can't do either of those things.

Of course it didn't matter this trip since I didn't have any checked bags.

We picked row two so we could put our personal items under the seats in front of us.

Interesting that you should mention that.
I debated putting this in the TR then finally decided not to.

This is what happened.

When I was in Toronto, they announced that the plane was very full
and were asking for people to come up and check their carry on bags at no charge.
They said that everyone would have to store their carry on in the overhead compartments...
but had to store their personal items underneath the seat in front of them.
When I was called up to the podium for the passport mix up, I asked what I should do since there was no seat in front of me.
Her response?
"Oh! You're in a Plus seat. There'll be plenty of room for your bags in the overhead compartments."

And there was.

May I again point out the foolishness of carry-on only? You could have checked your parka.

Nope. I was going to Disney World!
Florida!
Warmth!
Sun!

I did not want to bring any reminders of cold!

It’s funny because when I was telling my husband about your going on a solo trip he asked if you had kids. I told him you did and he couldn’t believe the 14 year old would be ok with staying home.

She wasn't.
And neither was the 17 year old.

I still think that right up to the moment I left, they thought I was pranking them.

And that’s what I told him. How do you like being dinnertime conversation among your unmet friends in the U.S.?

As long as the conversations don't start with:
"And you know what that jerk did now?"

Just wondering. Couldn’t you have worn your parka, carried your windbreaker and given the parka to Ruby at the airport? Although this makes for better trip reporting.

Yes.
And I thought about it.
I figured Ruby could drop me off at the doors.
And I was on vacation! Right now!
NO COAT!

Yeah. Well.
She didn't.
And I froze.

Still totally worth it to be in that mindset.

Me too. Except I don’t enjoy the getting on a plane thing. Getting off the plane, I can get behind.

I like flying. I find it fun.
I realize that not everyone feels the same.

But thanks for getting behind the plane.
You must have amazingly strong legs with all that pushing!

Ba da bump. That took me an extra beat.

Thank goodness someone got it!

I thought we established that villains have mustaches?

Yes.
Yes we do.

But I figured the facial expression would override the villain look.

I may have been incorrect.

They have those at Applebee’s. How often do you think they disinfect the screens?

I don't know.
And I wasn't thinking about that until now.

Thanks.
Thanks a lot.

So, what’s wrong with that?

What's wrong with that???
What's wrong with living with three females?

Do I have to spell it out????

Fine.

One word.


Synchronized.

If you had put the yellow magical express tags on your checked bag you’d bypass the carousel anyway. Just sayin’…

Nope.
I would've had to go to the carousel, wait for the bag(s) then bring it/them to MDE.
This is from the website:

"If you arrive after 10 PM luggage service will not be available. You will need to take your luggage to the Welcome Center for Disney's Magical Express. You and your luggage will be transported on the bus."

Sashaying?

I don't sashay when I'm angry.
I march.
Quickly.
Seethingly.

Yay! You made it to Disney World! And you got in the Jazz section. I wouldn't have like getting in that late and paying for a room. Our travel day we like to go dinner at DTD.

It does seem odd to pay for a night when you arrive in the morning.
But if I wanted to start in the parks the next day, I didn't want to sleep on a bench somewhere in the airport.

Heck even if I wasn't starting in the parks... I still didn't want to crash in the airport.
Been there, done that, don't want a repeat.

So I think your first day won't be at MK. Because you might want to sleep in a little and you need all the time you can get there.

Okay. Valid point.
You might be right.

You might be wrong.

You might be half right.

You might be thinking, "Can he be more vague?"
And the answer might be... no.

And I said what color my car is-----you apparently didn't read what I wrote!

No, what I meant was... uh... um....
Dang, I can't think of a plausible excuse that you'll buy.

I did read it... But when I saw "heated seats" I got so excited for you that I kinda blanked on the rest.
Be assured that I went back and couldn't believe you'd written that it was blue!

Oh, shoot!
And there's the plausible excuse!
"I meant, what shade of blue? Sky blue? Navy blue? Dark blue?"

Yeah. That's what I meant.... too late?

So when do the prizes start? I want to win something from Disney!

Next update, or the one after that.
I will explain all next update, for sure though.

That is the one thing that bothers me being Canadian. You have to wait for those darn magic bands

I dunno.
I was thinking that everyone with problems maybe had them delivered?
I thought maybe there'd be less likelihood of an incorrectly programmed band if you picked it up at the resort.

And I could be completely wrong.

Ponzi, where is this contest of yours?

Coming up next post!
At least the rules.

 

[pkondz]

Great update. I was kind of on your trying to check in online for your flights and forgot about the second flight and the time.

I believe I was not quite as amused.
While it makes for good TR fodder... it was driving me nuts!!!!

So sad about the woman you were sitting with at the airport.

It just about broke my heart. This poor woman sitting there with tears running down her face while I'm off to Disney for fun and sun.

I'm glad you got to have some time to visit with your sister.

Me too!
I was like. "Oh, yuck. An eight hour layover.... Hey! Wait a second!!!"

And glad you got your room in the section you wanted.

I was so ready to start fighting the CM on room assignment!

PKONDZ!!!!

BUZZ!!!!! OMG! I thought you'd dropped off the end of the world!
Where've you been?????
I've missed you!

So happy you're here!!

Holy cow! On a solo trip to the World? I'm thrilled for you!

That's so weird! I was thrilled too!!
Is that weird or what?

And I agree with Sandy, though my kiddos disagree, LeFou's Brew is ICK!! Way too sweet for me.

Interesting. I've read several blurbs about how great it is,
then in a short period, I've got two naysayers.

And you two are the only ones I've heard of who don't like it.

I've missed my favorite Canadian air mass!!

And the feeling is very, very mutual DeeDee!

 

[mmeb144]

Well, I like the LeFou's Brew, just don't have them add the topping.

 

[pkondz]

Well, I like the LeFou's Brew, just don't have them add the topping.

Okay, so that's two votes no, one vote sorta.

 

[Nanaji]

A vacation, for me, has many starting points.
Decision to go on a trip.
Planning for the trip.
Booking the trip
Last day of work before the trip.
Packing for the trip.
Leaving for the trip.
Arriving at the airport.
And, finally, getting on the plane, which makes it all real.

This is so how I feel on a Disney trip! Some times I think the planning is the best part. It is at the very least a huge part of the whole experience. Our nearest airport is Toronto and I remember the night all the flights were cancelled. You sure had some pixie-dust there!

 

[pkondz]

This is so how I feel on a Disney trip! Some times I think the planning is the best part. It is at the very least a huge part of the whole experience. Our nearest airport is Toronto and I remember the night all the flights were cancelled. You sure had some pixie-dust there!

I like the planning too, but sometimes it gets to the point where I've had enough and just want to get there already!
I get to the point where I'm starting to panic.
"Oh no! Only x more days until I go! I still haven't figured out where I'm going to be between 2:46 and 3:02!!!"

Then it's time to stop. Go to Disney and just enjoy it!

I really had no idea about the flights!
I was just sitting there thinking, "Oh, typical busy airport delays. Ho hum."
I think if I'd known what was going on, I would've been freaking out a bit.
Or a lot.
Or an excessive, mind blowing amount.

 

[Nanaji]

Agreed! I even have gone so far as to think I won't make any plans at all. Just wing it! But with the need for FP+ and dining reservations, some planning must be done. It's a small price to pay for such a great vacation.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

And so it begins


Hi!

And welcome to another Canadian Buffoon Vacation!


Before we get started...
Wait... Who's this "we"? It's a solo vacation, isn't it?

Well I guess that would be me... and you!
Yes you! You lucky reader, you get to relive the excitement and majesty of going to Disney World without actually going there!!!
Don't you feel awesome now?
Don'tcha?

No?


Well, I'll write about it anyway, and you can read on and decide for yourself, OK?

What?
Who am I?

Some of you already know, but for those who don't, a little about myself.

I first went to Disney World when Disney World and Magic Kingdom were the same thing.
No Animal Kingdom, no Hollywood Studios or MGM or even an Epcot!
So that pretty much clues you in that I is one old dude.
Which factors into why I'm going on this solo trip in the first place.
More on that later.
First I better post a picture of me to scare the children with.

Hmmm...
That's a bit problematic.
You see, when you go on a solo trip, you don't tend to take many pictures of yourself.

(Ha! I just shocked every selfie-loving teenager out there!)

Nevertheless, I found a loophole.
Disney can take pictures of you while you stand there trying not to look stupid!
Well, for reasons that will become clear shortly, this wasn't going to happen...
at least not much.
I mean, the looking stupid part? Yes.
Shelling out a hundred and seventy bucks? No.

But I did spring for a few pics.
Let's see.
I need to make a good first impression.
Something that eloquently and accurately portrays my maturity and proper upbringing and stature.

This should do...

Subtle, no?

Okay, now that I've just lost most of my readers,
I'll continue on for the benefit of the two or three hardy souls who obviously have strong stomachs
or have simply lost the will to live full and productive lives and instead are choosing to read on.

I feel for you. I really do.


Before we get to the point where I'm sitting on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster mugging furiously for the camera,
I better explain just how this trip came to be.
Especially since some of you know that there wasn't any likelihood of it happening in the first place!

Last year I had a milestone birthday.
If you're guessing 30 or 40, you have just become my new best friend.
On the other hand if you're thinking 80....
Expect to one day answer your doorbell to a burning sack of offal.

Really!
80???
So cruel.


As I was saying, last year I had a milestone birthday.
My parents were kind enough to provide me with some cash as a birthday gift.
My MIL did too.
Great! What do I do with my windfall?
If you get birthday money and use it to pay off debt or to pay bills...
Well, you do what you gotta do, but this boy ain't gonna do that!

Spend those puppies!
Preferably on something that you normally wouldn't spend money on.

I had a few thoughts... and Disney wasn't one of them.
Why? Because while my parents and MIL were very generous, it wasn't enough to pay for a Disney vacation.
A vacation wasn't even on the radar.
Stuff was.
Maybe a new camera lens.
Maybe an add-on for my Harley.

However.
Christmas wasn't too far off...
My folks and MIL usually give us all some cash then too...

If I combine my gifts... this could work.

Maybe.


Disney is not next door.
It's about two thousand miles away.
Walking would take over six hundred hours... one way!
Frankly, I just don't have that kind of time.

I could drive, I suppose. But where's the fun in that?
Actually, driving wasn't really an option either.
Non-stop, you're still looking at thirty hours.
I didn't want to take too much time off work,
and I especially didn't want to take that much time away from my family.

I have every confidence in my wife, Ruby and my daughters are old enough (14 & 17) that they can take care of themselves, but...

I still want to be there to make things easier for everyone, ya know?

My only real option was to fly.
(Or to teleport, but since the technology isn't quite there yet...)
Flying, and I don't want to shock anyone here, but... flying is expensive.
No! Really! It is!

Well, maybe not if you happen to work in, or have a family member who works in the industry.
I, unfortunately, do not.
Although we keep telling Elle (my oldest DD) she should apply for WestJet.
We really don't care if she wants to or not.
We've paid for her childhood, it's time she starts paying us back!
It's the least she could do, don't you think?

But I did have some airmiles saved up.
Maybe I'll just take a peek and see what's available.
Probably nothing.
Since you usually have to book six months in advance if you even want a shot at getting seats.
At least to Florida.
But you never know.

I don't know why, but it seems to be a popular winter destination for Canadians.
I was looking to go in about three months. Value season. i.e. (hopefully) slow season.
And (definitely) cheap season.
(Value being a Disney term for "We'll wring every last penny out of you anyway,
so we'll trick you into coming when you think you'll save some cash.")

I took a look on the airmiles site and low and behold they still had flights available.
Great!
Now let's start looking at hotels.

I had three general options.
In order of cost it was on site hotel, off site clean hotel, off site flea bag hotel.

There was also the option of driving down to Grand Forks, ND (about a two hour drive) and flying out of there.

Pros and cons.
Flying out of Grand Forks allows me to keep my airmiles.
I can then use the airmiles to purchase my Disney park tickets.
But it means flying into Sanford and not Orlando.
So no Magical Express.
And probably a rental car. Although you get a good deal when you book air and car as a package.
Still have to factor in the extra cost of the car rental.

After crunching all the numbers, the cheapest option was as follows:
Use airmiles to get park tickets
Drive to Grand Forks
Fly to Sanford
Rent a car
Stay at the roach motel

After doing all the calculations, I checked back on the airmiles site.
What's this?
They had flights for fewer points than earlier!
If I sacrificed some comfort (you'll see), I could get flights and tickets with the available points I had.
I decided to try to narrow my dates down to a few choices and make my decision soon.

The next day, some of the low points flights were already gone!
Ding! Ding! Ding! Alarms are going off in my head.
Well, more noises than usual were going off in my head.
Book those flights while you still can!

And that's what I did.
Leaving on a jet plane Sunday February 8th, returning on Friday the 13th.

Now where to stay?
With airmiles points taking care of the park tickets and flights
(plus applicable taxes, fees, gouging and roasting over an open fire),
I was going to be able to stay at a non-disgusting hotel.
And when I saw that Disney was offering twenty percent off rooms...
That, combined with no longer having to rent a car, sealed the deal.

Over the next little bit, I tried to book at Pop, since I'd never been, but they were sold out.
So instead I booked at ASMu.
I figured that if I was going to stay at one of the All Stars,
I'd stay at one that I'd been to before.
I did think about booking at Sports or Movies, but...
I decided that since I couldn't get Pop, I wanted to be in a familiar place.
I already knew that I wouldn't be spending much time at the resort.

Last time, we were in Country Fair... which is pretty much in another county.
I'm pretty sure I did more walking to/from my room than I did in the parks!
This time I requested Jazz.
Even if I didn't get it (which I didn't think I would) I hoped to at least get Rock or Broadway. As close to Melody Hall as I could get.
I figured that if I requested Jazz and didn't get it, they'd take pity on me.
Either way, when I checked in, I was prepared to fight for as close a room as I could get.

Over the past few years I've been collecting a list of must dos/want to dos.
Here's a partial list of things I hoped to do over the course of the trip.
That's in addition to going on rides/seeing shows.

In no particular order:

Dole whip float
Carrot cake cookie at the Writer's Stop
Take a bus to DHS then the boat to Epcot
Try the onion rings at Prime Time or Flame Tree
Just go to Prime Time!
Voices of Liberty at America in Epcot
Pork shank at Gaston's
LeFou's Brew
Pecos Bill's for the burger and fixins bar
Candy Lady in Japan
Mickey head pretzel
Kaki gori (shave ice) in Japan
Cronut at snack booth just before Canada
Margarita in Mexico
Grey Goose slush at France
Karamel Kuche in Germany
Heck, just enjoy World Showcase for a change

Lots of other stuff too, (like Beaches and Cream) that I didn't bother to include on this trip
since I wasn't going to have time to visit DTD or the Boardwalk area or other resorts.

Can you guess how much (if any of it) that I did?
Over the course of the TR, you'll see how close I got.
If at all.


I was already within my one hundred and eighty day window for ADRs, so I did that next.
And when my FP+ window opened up, I was ready and got everything I wanted,
including FP+ for 7DMT and... hold onto your hats. Meet and greet with Anna and Elsa!

Now I'm not really all that big into the characters.
I don't know if that's because I never met any when I was younger, or maybe I'm just jaded.
Probably the latter.
Either way, they just don't do much for me.
Oh, sure, I'll play along. If a character interacts with me, I'll enjoy it.
But I don't actively seek them out.
But I know how hard it is to see the frozen duo, so...

And as time went by, and the trip got closer and closer...
I really started to question my motivation for seeing them.
Wasn't I really just going to see them because I could?
I personally know one woman who stood in line for eight hours so her daughter could meet them.

Eight hours!
Eight!



But I was smart! I did my research! I wasn't going to have to wait.
At all!
Besides, it'll look so good on the TR that I'm more than likely going to write.
(And look! Here we are! That just proves it!)


And then I thought of some Mom out there in the world.
Desperately hoping to get a FP+ so that her little princess could meet Anna and Elsa.
And not finding one...
And then telling her little princess(es) that she was really sorry but they just weren't going to be able to see Anna and Elsa...
"I'm sorry, girls. But there just aren't any FP+s left!"

Because I wanted to show everyone how I got to see them...

Yeah. That's not a good enough reason.
I just couldn't do it.
I turned it back.

I just hope that I made someone out there happy. I'll never know.




So that's how it began.
What's in store for you, my dear reader?

A few surprises, including one experience that I'm pretty sure most of you haven't done!
Lots of photos! Including some never before (well, I'm pretty sure) seen photos!!!
Prizes to be won! (Nope. I'm not kidding. Details to follow in the next update.)

Hope you'll stick around for the fun!
Drop a comment, let me know you're out there.
It makes my day.

Departure day coming up next!

Link to next post!​

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Wow already on page 6? I have some catching up to do. Hope you feel better

ETA: Nice start, Ponz. So hard to be hit with that lady's sad reality while you are on your carefree start of vacay. It was really nice of you to listen to her.

I love that you were at ASMu. That will be our first night this trip, so I'm interested to see your pics of the resort. We have never been there. I have been at the front of Pop at 5AM on a bus on our way to the airport, but I didn't see much.