Rachael 33 - Obsessive planner, Disney phreak, just plain obsessive about everything , trip report writer.
Nick 32 - Calm, mild mannered Disney phreak, leaves trip planning to Rachael. Hard working, needs this vacation.
Pre-trip report and background.
It all started in 1998 when NickâÂÂs mom was awarded a gift certificate for travel and was unable to use it since her husband was sick, so she gave it to us. At that point we really considered ourselves âÂÂhome-bodiesâ who didnâÂÂt like to travel. We had always been mildly intrested in WDW. A trip was planned and an obsession was born. We planned 4 days at WDW figuring one day for each park would be enough for these non-traveling,, non- home leaving folks that were us. We stayed at the all-star Movies just as it was opening , only ü of the hotel was ready and we liked it well enough. Having seen the other All-Stars full we figured that next time it would not be the hotel for us. So the next year the WDW rookies stayed 6 days at DxL, still not enough, which brings us to this years trip, 8 days at the Contemporary. 2 days at each park but still not enough for the newly made Disney Phreaks.
We had also planned on buying Disney Vacation Club in Jan. at the BWV while we were there, but being as BW was selling out we bought in Nov and closed in December on 240 pts at BWV. Since the Contemporary stay was all planned we banked the DVC points for next year and proceeded with the planned vacation.
Reservations are made, Priority seatings booked, cat sitter lined up , vacation time from work granted (Nick one job & school, Rachael 2 jobs & school) and 2 Disney phreaks canâÂÂt wait to get going. Then one week before the trip the residence home calls that RachaelâÂÂs grandfather is sick and needs to go see the doctor. I drag grandpa to the doctors office to find out that he is really sick and needs to go to the E.R. . He is admitted with renal failure and it doesnâÂÂt look like he will make it. I ask the doctor if we should cancel trip and he says not yet. Next day grandpa pulls out of it and it looks like he will recover but will have to wear a catheter until he can have surgery to fix problem that caused renal failure. Good news right? NO !! the residence home will not take grandpa back with catheter (State medical licensing issue) so grandpa must go to a skilled nursing facility. Social worker is still telling us not to cancel trip that it will be fine and grandpa will be transferred before we leave. Nursing home picked out, transfer arranged and everything will be fine now right? NOT we are supposed to leave Thur and grandpa is supposed to be transferred Tue. Then develops a problem with heart and may need a pacemaker. Still told by social workers not to cancel trip. Luckily grandpa being the tough old bird that he is pulls out of it again and doesnâÂÂt need a pacemaker after all and is discharged to nursing home Wed afternoon. Everything looks good for Thursday departure. Right? Well think again!!!!
We get home in the evening and itâÂÂs raining cats and dogs, the first rain since October and this IS Jan. IâÂÂm finishing up packing and I get in the closet of our 3 story condo and the floor is a little wet. I look down and there are NickâÂÂs tennis shoes so I think he must have put the wet shoes in the closet. But what am I thinking Nick has NEVER put a pair of shoes away in the closet in his life wet or dry. I go back in the closet and realize that every step I take the carpet turns wet with my footprints. What the heck, water is coming up from the floor on our 3rd story. Yeah right. How in the world in that possible? Now what, we are supposed to leave in 9 hours for the airport. Nick gets to the bottom of the problem the rain gutters are plugged (associationâÂÂs responsibility) so in the freezing pouring rain Nick is hanging out the 3rd story window cleaning leaves out of the gutter so the water wonâÂÂt run down the side of the house and into and under the closet. The whole time IâÂÂm holding NickâÂÂs legs and thinking if he falls 3 stories not only will he be hurt I guess we wonâÂÂt be going to WDW.
Nick saves the day and the leak stops. We just sort of crawl into bed figuring is we can just hide under the covers till morning maybe NOTHING else will happen before out trip.
Do Nick and Rachael actually get to leave for WDW in the morning?
YouâÂÂll have to read part one to find out.
All-Star Movies 1/99
Dixie Landings 2/00
DVC Members BW 12/00
Contemporary 01/01
DL/DCA 6/01
BWV,Wonder,AKL 2/02
Nick 32 - Calm, mild mannered Disney phreak, leaves trip planning to Rachael. Hard working, needs this vacation.
Pre-trip report and background.
It all started in 1998 when NickâÂÂs mom was awarded a gift certificate for travel and was unable to use it since her husband was sick, so she gave it to us. At that point we really considered ourselves âÂÂhome-bodiesâ who didnâÂÂt like to travel. We had always been mildly intrested in WDW. A trip was planned and an obsession was born. We planned 4 days at WDW figuring one day for each park would be enough for these non-traveling,, non- home leaving folks that were us. We stayed at the all-star Movies just as it was opening , only ü of the hotel was ready and we liked it well enough. Having seen the other All-Stars full we figured that next time it would not be the hotel for us. So the next year the WDW rookies stayed 6 days at DxL, still not enough, which brings us to this years trip, 8 days at the Contemporary. 2 days at each park but still not enough for the newly made Disney Phreaks.
We had also planned on buying Disney Vacation Club in Jan. at the BWV while we were there, but being as BW was selling out we bought in Nov and closed in December on 240 pts at BWV. Since the Contemporary stay was all planned we banked the DVC points for next year and proceeded with the planned vacation.
Reservations are made, Priority seatings booked, cat sitter lined up , vacation time from work granted (Nick one job & school, Rachael 2 jobs & school) and 2 Disney phreaks canâÂÂt wait to get going. Then one week before the trip the residence home calls that RachaelâÂÂs grandfather is sick and needs to go see the doctor. I drag grandpa to the doctors office to find out that he is really sick and needs to go to the E.R. . He is admitted with renal failure and it doesnâÂÂt look like he will make it. I ask the doctor if we should cancel trip and he says not yet. Next day grandpa pulls out of it and it looks like he will recover but will have to wear a catheter until he can have surgery to fix problem that caused renal failure. Good news right? NO !! the residence home will not take grandpa back with catheter (State medical licensing issue) so grandpa must go to a skilled nursing facility. Social worker is still telling us not to cancel trip that it will be fine and grandpa will be transferred before we leave. Nursing home picked out, transfer arranged and everything will be fine now right? NOT we are supposed to leave Thur and grandpa is supposed to be transferred Tue. Then develops a problem with heart and may need a pacemaker. Still told by social workers not to cancel trip. Luckily grandpa being the tough old bird that he is pulls out of it again and doesnâÂÂt need a pacemaker after all and is discharged to nursing home Wed afternoon. Everything looks good for Thursday departure. Right? Well think again!!!!
We get home in the evening and itâÂÂs raining cats and dogs, the first rain since October and this IS Jan. IâÂÂm finishing up packing and I get in the closet of our 3 story condo and the floor is a little wet. I look down and there are NickâÂÂs tennis shoes so I think he must have put the wet shoes in the closet. But what am I thinking Nick has NEVER put a pair of shoes away in the closet in his life wet or dry. I go back in the closet and realize that every step I take the carpet turns wet with my footprints. What the heck, water is coming up from the floor on our 3rd story. Yeah right. How in the world in that possible? Now what, we are supposed to leave in 9 hours for the airport. Nick gets to the bottom of the problem the rain gutters are plugged (associationâÂÂs responsibility) so in the freezing pouring rain Nick is hanging out the 3rd story window cleaning leaves out of the gutter so the water wonâÂÂt run down the side of the house and into and under the closet. The whole time IâÂÂm holding NickâÂÂs legs and thinking if he falls 3 stories not only will he be hurt I guess we wonâÂÂt be going to WDW.
Nick saves the day and the leak stops. We just sort of crawl into bed figuring is we can just hide under the covers till morning maybe NOTHING else will happen before out trip.
Do Nick and Rachael actually get to leave for WDW in the morning?
YouâÂÂll have to read part one to find out.
All-Star Movies 1/99
Dixie Landings 2/00
DVC Members BW 12/00
Contemporary 01/01
DL/DCA 6/01
BWV,Wonder,AKL 2/02
