Mickeys Hand is in my Pocket w/Pics. Ending Edited in 10/16-#84

TyRy · Jul 20, 2007

tiggerbell said:
YEAH, YOU'RE BACK!!!

This is exciting - I'm doing my first MNSSHP Sept. 14th!

Thank you very much - happy to be back here and with the living after having a cold/flu for the past week!!!

You are going to LOVE MNSSHP - it's always soooo much fun.

TyRy · Jul 25, 2007

So we are on the way back to AKL and Im all sad :sad1:

cause we leave in two days and I just had to say goodbye to the MK. Our plans for tomorrow include meeting up with DILs and spending the day at Epcot and the Food and Wine Fest.

So all of the sudden DH start a conversation that went something like this:

I want to take the monorail to Epcot tomorrow from the TTC (he didnt call it the TTC he just said from by the MK parking lot)
Why?
Cause we havent done that and I want to.
Well, I dont want to be that close to the MK and not be going there! (Now picture the silence as I was already sad and crabby)
Well, what if we go to the MK and Epcot then...
WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!! :confused:

(Good thing I wasnt driving or we would have been at Disney hospital instead of parks) You want to go back to the MK tomorrow?
Yeah we can do things we havent done, like the Country Bears.
Country Bears?
Yes I want to see them. So is that ok with you
(No longer sad and crabby) UH DUH (ok I didnt say that, but thought it) Yes thats fine with me. :banana:

Good, then when we get up well park at the MK and go to the MK and Epcot.

DH loves Epcot and I think puts up with my obsession with the MK, hence my absolute shock at him wanting to go back to the MK even for a moment. But this will work out just fine..or so I thought.

Up next: Whos on first?

TyRy · Aug 7, 2007

Well it’s finally our last full day here – this was by far the longest trip we’ve had and as far as I’m concerned, it could have continued :sad:

. Oh, well – back to real life soon. Anyway – we started today like we did most of the other days - LATE! DH wanted to sleep in so he did, which meant we were going nowhere fast.

If you look back a couple of days, you’ll be reminded that my DIL’s had come down to join us. It just worked out that we have barely seen them this trip. So we were determined to spend the last day of the trip together. After DH FINALLY woke up, many calls were made back and forth discussing plans. DH kept telling them that he wanted to ride the monorail over to Epcot from the MK, so they should meet us at the MK parking lot. Well, something got lost in the translation and they ended up at Epcot instead of the MK well before we even got to the MK parking lot.

So we head over to the TTC

and hop on the monorail so DH can have his ride from the MK to Ep-i-cot (yes we do say that to each other!)

Once again, the park is pretty empty even though it is late morning – no real lines to get inside.

As soon as we do, we again go in hunt of our Leave a Legacy tile – I know some people hate these, but I happen to love it as I have a little piece of Disney. And this time we took a picture of the correct tile!

Hmmmm – looking at that – I think I need bangs again…oh what – yes sorry off subject – ok back to Disney.

I once again grabbed a photographer as this was the day I was going to buy the Photopass CD, so I was still trying to build up pictures.

First thing we did was grab anther FP for Soarin. Then it was on to things we had not yet done this trip, which meant walking through The Living Seas. I also knew that we would possibly be in there for HOURS – ok maybe a small exaggeration, but DH loves aquariums and fish. I look at them – ok they are pretty and move on…he studies them. So somehow we got through pretty quickly – I think part was closed where they were still working on the new “Nemo” attraction. We looked at doing Turtle Talk, but the line for that was GINORMUS – that’s where all the people were. Needless to say, we decided to save that for next time.

My DIL’s were already at the F&W Fest so we headed over there to try and meet up with them. However they were at one end and we were at the other…I didn’t think we’d ever meet up!! The F&W Fest was EMPTY….as I said – everyone must have been in that line for Turtle Talk. So DH and I take our time walking around and he does a lot of snackig and wine tasting. I love red wine, BUT it makes me hot – no not like that –get your minds out of the gutters! It make my temp go up and I start to sweat – so since it was already 90 something out, the last thing I needed was anything to help make me sweat or be any hotter. It doesn’t happen to DH so he doesn’t understand that it wasn’t that I didn’t want to drink – I wanted to, just didn’t fell like melting into a pool of mush. OH – BTW – so that was disagreement number one of the day. You’ll need to keep track.

A few pics we snapped along the way:

Germany was extra decorated because it was some kind of Independence Day (10/3)

And my favorite type of store – a Christmas one….DH may spend hours in the aquarium, but I get my revenge here!!!

We FINALLY meet up with DIL’s and now they want to stay at Epcot and we want to go back to the MK – ugh – this was just not working today. I’m going to leave off here, because I just realized I need a couple of pics for the next part, to prove a point. I will hopefully remember to grab them tonight so I can finish up (I know I know – famous last words!!!)

Up next – Look at the couple fighting on Main Street!

TyRy · Aug 23, 2007

Before we jump back in to the trip report I need to add one thing as you'll see my signature changed a little. We are now owners at the Animal Kingdom Villas. That's how much we ended up loving the place. DH and I talked about doing this every time we took and trip and have finally joined the ranks of DVC owners...hopefully this will mean more frequent trips!

OK - back to your regulary scheduled trip report!

So we wander around future world together, use our FP’s for Soarin’ and then take our traditional picture. My DIL’s have been on every trip with us to WDW and the four of us always take the same picture at Epcot – it’s a tradition. Except this time - it was light out and the rest have always been as we leave at night and no one could agree on where the spot was. It should not be this hard, we were here two years ago and did it, and before that we had a four or five year period in between pictures and we still knew the place to go. Maybe it was the sun throwing it off - who knows…but have a look.
1995

2004

2006

Yep – different places – the original was in front of the ball just like I told DH – so when DH reads this – ha ha I was right (as usual when it comes to Disney) and you were WRONG! :laughing:

ALTHOUGH – it did match the 04 pic – but not the 2000.

So after the picture we head back to the MK. Since it was our third time here during the trip, we actually decided to do things that we had not had time for before when I was in commando mode. First up was Tom Sawyer’s Island. In my trips to the MK I don’t think I’d ever gone through the while Fort on the island. Maybe in ’95, but I honestly could not remember doing it…so of course we snapped a bunch of pics.

This is a picture of where DH will want to put me later in the report!

I think DH had a ball on the island – he was running around like one of the little kids, exploring every bit of the fort

irate:

Next it was onto the Liberty Belle. Another thing we had never done – it started to rain a little while we were on here so everyone was smushed up against the walls trying to stay dry. But again, it was really kind of nice and relaxing. I’ll have to remember that for the next trip when I’m running DH like crazy.

After that it was onto the Country Bears – the whole reason we came back to the MK. DH was insistent about wanting to see them – who knew he was a fan??? Certainly not me. The show was cute, but I swear DH was bouncing around in his seat watching them :rotfl:

A couple of more pics around Frontierland – Somehow I don’t remember passing this way around the MK this whole trip – hmmmm – it was new to me. I think this was the first time we passed Pecos Bill’s all three times we were at the MK.

And one last one in Adventureland….

It was time to head out. DH wanted to get back to the hotel to get packed since we were leaving the next day….UMMMMM this is the same guy who when we were leaving from home was basically packing the day we left. I have nooooo idea why he was in such a rush! :confused3

So as we are headed out I stop and say I want to go in and buy the Photopass CD. You’ll remember that I was trying to stop every Photopass photographer I could find so the CD would be worth the money. Well- DH doesn’t think it is worth the money and we are not buying it :scared1:

Ummmmm – I have my own money saved (Disney rewards card thank you!) and I want the CD! He does not, so now we are having a standoff on Main Street, and the MK is quickly losing its designation as my happiest place on earth! Happy families all around us and we probably looked like we were ready to duel :darth:

over this. I finally cave and start to STOMP out :mad:

Well I guess DH did not want to hear only himself talking all the way back to Illinois, so he stops me and relents. I again, point out it is my money and I want it. So duel averted we head in and get it. Of course, once we are home, DH is really happy that we have the CD…DH needs to remember I know what is best at Disney and he should just follow blindly :rotfl2:

We say goodbye to the MK and I try to chain myself to the TTC “Heck no, I won’t go!”

But I did

We were supposed to have dinner at O’Hana that night, but DH was getting stressed about leaving the next day (ummmm – isn’t that my role and not his…what is this Freaky Friday or something?!) So we end up cancelling in favor of ordering room service from Boma. All I have to say is – OMG – it was one of the best meals of the trip. I want to go back again just so I can order room service again.

After that it was just packing up and relaxing for the remainder of the night. Tomorrow we are back on he road home and DIL’s will be driving home with us…I look at DH at one point and wonder…UMMMM – how are we going to get your p’s and all this stuff in the car?????

********************************************************************************************
NEW 10/16
Yes – we’ve reached the end of the road….I kept hoping DH would find time to add to the TR, but it’s never going to happen so it’s time to end it. HOPEFULLY, if we get to go in 08 I’ll start a pre-trippie with comments from him before it’s even posted.

So it’s now Wednesday and time to say goodbye. It’s the longest we’ve ever stayed - 12 whole days – and I would have no problem at all staying even longer. DIL’s are driving back to Chicago with us and wanted to get an early start, but DH and me are in no hurry to leave. We actually did not do too badly. We had the auto checkout, so after a look around we start loading the car. UH-OH – the trunk was already pretty filled on the way down because we had taken BIG suitcases…no way I wanted to do laundry on vacation. I also went on a few teeny tiny, ok, not so teeny tiny shopping sprees to make sure Mickey had every last penny of mine. So now we had bags of stuff as well. AND this was after I shipped a bunch of stuff home when we checked out of the WL five days ago.

Now we have to add 2 people and their 2 suitcases. Luckily they had just carry on luggage. So after much maneuvering, most of the stuff fit in the trunk, DIL’s ended up with a couple of small things in the back seat with them for the long ride home. So off we go, with me trying not to cry as we pass under the purple gates since I have no idea when we’ll be seeing WDW again….ok technically I knew we’d prolly see it in 2009 for my (GULP!) 40th birthday – but that was three whole years away!

We went back the way we came through Alabama, and wow – things look really different in the daylight. Most of SE Alabama and all of Florida were in the dark when we drove down so it was nice seeing new sights. DH was on record time to hit Nashville, we even thought about trying to go as far as Kentucky, but then it happened…no, no more tornadoes, but TRAFFIC JAM. Yes, they were working on the two lane highway and had signs stating that it was going down to one lane in about a mile. Well, you have to remember we are from a big city, so that means, we drive until we are forced to merge. BUT a couple of things. First the merge ended up being more like five miles down the road. And the reason for the traffic…two semi’s decided that no one would pass them and drove side by side completely screwing up traffic. We spent a good hour or more in the jam and thought about getting off, but kept thinking it would let up. It was then we discovered that the semi’s decided to do their own traffic pattern. That was the most annoying part of the trip. Had they let the merge happen naturally, everyone would have been through much sooner. So that wrecked our record timing.

We ended up in Brentwood, Tennessee and a wonderful Hampton Inn. Although we had to change rooms as soon as we walked into ours it smelled like something died in it…not pleasant after being on the road for all those hours. The front desk staff was very helpful and apologetic and we changed rooms without any problems. We were starving and the DIL’s were tired, so DH and I went to grab something. We drove around for a bit as he wanted BBQ, but we just missed a couple of restaurants closing – and were we happy we did! We ended up right next to the hotel at Mrs. Winners Chicken and Biscuits. BEST FRIED CHICKEN EVER!!!!! Of course we have no pictures, but I want to take a trip to Nashville just so we can get food here again. We took it back to the room and devoured it. It was then winding down and lights off, as we were pretty tired.

The next day we were back on the road about 8am and had no problems getting out of town and it was pretty smooth sailing all the way back to Chicago. OH – and I only ended up driving about two hours total on the way back as my 80’s hair metal/80’s poppy music was driving DH nuts. Fine with me :cool2:

Overall it was an amazing trip and I can’t wait to go back and have another one like it. The most surprising thing to me was how much I fell in love with the AKL by the end of the trip after HATING it for the first few days we were there. If DH were to chime in right now he’d say “You’d better love it!!!! I finally broke down and agreed to DVC since you insist on constantly going to WDW and we bought there!” :rotfl2:

I also have promised that for the next trip there will be no three inch binder, just smaller notes. This may sound crazy, but after that trip where we really did everything we (ok - I) wanted to do, we ended up taking it much slower and easier the last couple of days. Maybe most of our trips will actually include some down time now…but who knows, that Disney air does something to people and I may still be trying to run him crazy once we get there. DP was awesome though it was a ton of food and with the changes for next year we will probably skip it and just get a DDE card with AP’s – I think it will be cheaper. But of course, I’ll have to have a spreadsheet to say one way or the other LOL :goodvibes

I'll also get my TR done in less than a year!

Thanks for sticking with the looooooooooooooooooong drawn out report and I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Next time the goal will be to have DH comments in from the beginning and to have it up much sooner. See you real soon!!!