Tinker'n'Fun
Apple peaches pumpkin pie, not ready holler "I"
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2005
- Messages
- 8,752
Somewhere deep down in the back of my psyche I have tried not to write the final chapter of this trip. It's a combination of Disney Depresssion
, the realization that DD will be a Junior in HS soon, and that as hard as I try, I can't bring back the trip or ever replace it. All I have left are pictures and memories. No more sweet smells of candy or the taste of Magic Kingdom popcorn
. It was just a fading vision in my past. I did however, book 
another trip, a family trip in September. This alone should be reason enough to want to make me finish. I could start a new pre-trip and another Trip Report. I plan on doing that but first, I need to complete this trip. No IFS ANDS or BUTTS
(AND we like big BUTTS in our house
)
So bus driver, move that bus
........
I woke up early today and I knew we we leaving. DH and DS peeked from under their blankets and asked if it was safe to get up. They knew that I would not be a "bowl of cherries" today. But strange enough, I was. DH and I walked together to get our coffee... We splurged. Two large coffees
... For the mere cost of $9.58!! We walked hand in hand back to the room and chatted about the day to come. It was only 7am and not much was stirring in the girls rooms. We all showered, finished the last of the food from the refrigerator. **Just a side note here, if you were lucky enough to stay in our room after we left, don't fret, I scrubbed
out the refrigerator, the sink in the bathroom, and the safe. Yes the safe!! No one cleans the safe. But I did - twice!! When we first got there before anyone touched it and also after the last use. Nothing worse than a sick robber
! We were all packed and ready to go at the early hour of 8am. We rolled our luggage down to the parking lot and placed it near the busses. We went back and fed the fish
, strolled around the hotel, and received the last of our bedroom breakfasts. DD was up now and she even brought out her own luggage. We got on the busses and DH and DS's loaded the luggage for the girls. The bus driver was kind enough to give me a forever plant
that you only water once a week. It was a nice gesture and I packed it ever so carefully into my bag. I was getting to bring FL home with me and this alone made my day! Everyone was accounted for... and this was not an easy task as the numbers changed every day. I would hate to be the keeper of the master list. Last night 5 girls convinced their parents to fly them home. Never in a million years would my DD ever be able to do that!! How much would a parent pay with 12 hours advance notice on a flight out of Orlando... I don't even want to fathom it...
But the bus rolled on and out all the way to DTD. Now if you remember the so call "teenage girls" had planned our shopping day for 3 hours!! And by the time we got everyone on the bus and were ready, that's exactly what we got! 3 hours!! Power Shopping
for me. AND to make matter worse, we had to get lunch in that time frame.... The horror
!! Our last few hours at Disney and it was going to be a race to the end. Don't get me wrong, I love a challenge but not now, and not here!! We charged off the bus and right into the Disney Store. I purchased my souverniers within 20 minutes (not sure if I really got what I wanted but I do know that I did spend enough money to feed a small country for a day!!)
DD then ditched us for this last day of her vacation, only to find out later that her lunch was a happy meal, and then she spent the rest of her day "stalking"
out the van and trailer of a band she enjoys that was playing that evening at "House of Blues". Never in a million years would I picture "my" daughter staring at a van - NOT even a tour bus - for 3 hours for a glimpse of a somewhat older, not so great looking, BOY(HE IS VERY CUTE! - love DD)
. Can you believe that?? Now your little angels wouldn't do that. Would they? But from the pictures I was shown much later on, it worked. They chanted
til the band came out and graciously visited with these very "stalkish-creepy" teen-age band girls. But I digress, back to the last day..
We decided to eat at the Earl of Sandwich after our power trip at the Disney Store. I waited in line while DS and hubby got a table and shouted their orders to me. I already felt like we were home!! You know that Mom, you do everything feeling, was coming over me in waves now. Lunch was very good and we decided to see a few more stores before heading back to the bus. DH wanted a keychain with a Mickey on it and the letter K. NOT one store had this keychain in the letter K. There was a massive shortage of this letter only, and to make matters worse, the CM's knew about it
... So we have Karl, Kayla, and Kim. Now I know my DS name starts with a K, but he never wants anything with initials and our last name starts with K but we are not into that either. But I still am perplexed about the shortage of K.... If anyone can, please explain it to me, I would love to know where the letter K goes! I went through the alphabet at every store, and NO letter K's!! We did get the bus driver a B keychain, because she was great and her name is Barb and she was the Bus driver and then next 13 hours were in her hands.... Well worth the price of a keychain. And then, finally my Disny dream was coming true. Around the corner and just a few steps away..... Goofy's Candy Co. Now being a true believer in the "Dis" boards and also a true lover of rice crispy treats, I had to do what every good natured mother/female would do... Get 8 rice crispy treats made TO GO!! This was MY souvenier!! Its was oh so gooey and oh so great!! The caramel was flowing, the candy was flying
, and the cookies were crunching. I was in my own little heaven!! The box was huge!! It filled my own little carryon section on the bus, right behind the driver. (See it does pay to get the driver a little souvenier). Okay 
again, the band director is definetely a pro here. When they were loading the bus this morning he would not allow anyone near bus #2! I couldn't understand why, unitl now. Bus #2 was totally filled with souveniers!! And he had just the right amount of room. The man is a
magician. Even I, the planner of all planners, had forgotten where the souveniers would go.
Well everyone made it back to the bus and you guessed it, we were on part #2 of our 26 hour bus ride back to Buffalo!!! Alls was quiet as we headed towards the Thruway. I must admit starting at the end of a day if definetely a better choice than leaving early in the AM. The girls chatted quietly and we watched movies for hours. We stopped for dinner and bus driver change just like on the way down. But it was more controlled and somber coming home. The dinner stop was only an hour and we were back on the road. The girls slept. And my DS slept, and DH slept. I watched the road. In silence, alone... It was exhausting but it was also a time of reflection and peace that I have never experienced before. Night turned into day, breakfast and then lunch... The girls continued to watch movies... And here is where I want to thank Disney for the movie Ratatoulie. Now I guess during other circumstances I would have enjoyed it, but here it was my saviour. For the last 1 1/2 hours of our trip, I actually slept. DH said my head was bobbing up and down
so much they were afraid I was going to get hurt. He secured my neck and I slept. I woke after the movie and about 30 minutes from home. We were all relieved. I liked the bus ride, but NO I will never drive to Florida again. I much prefer the plane trip!!
So when all was said and done, 155 teenage girls experienced Disney in a way that many of us will never do, 2-26 hour bus rides confirmed the future of airfare for many, and yes you can survive a trip to Disney without ABSOLUTELY, positively, NO INPUT... unless you count SUBLIMINAL messages along the way!!
Thanks for taking this ride with me, I really enjoyed it. God Bless, and look for me somewhere around Sept, and then on a band forum for Washington, DC. My daughter is playing/dancing for the new President of the United States
......
. It was just a fading vision in my past. I did however, book another trip, a family trip in September. This alone should be reason enough to want to make me finish. I could start a new pre-trip and another Trip Report. I plan on doing that but first, I need to complete this trip. No IFS ANDS or BUTTS
)So bus driver, move that bus
I woke up early today and I knew we we leaving. DH and DS peeked from under their blankets and asked if it was safe to get up. They knew that I would not be a "bowl of cherries" today. But strange enough, I was. DH and I walked together to get our coffee... We splurged. Two large coffees
! We were all packed and ready to go at the early hour of 8am. We rolled our luggage down to the parking lot and placed it near the busses. We went back and fed the fish
But the bus rolled on and out all the way to DTD. Now if you remember the so call "teenage girls" had planned our shopping day for 3 hours!! And by the time we got everyone on the bus and were ready, that's exactly what we got! 3 hours!! Power Shopping
!! Our last few hours at Disney and it was going to be a race to the end. Don't get me wrong, I love a challenge but not now, and not here!! We charged off the bus and right into the Disney Store. I purchased my souverniers within 20 minutes (not sure if I really got what I wanted but I do know that I did spend enough money to feed a small country for a day!!) DD then ditched us for this last day of her vacation, only to find out later that her lunch was a happy meal, and then she spent the rest of her day "stalking"
We decided to eat at the Earl of Sandwich after our power trip at the Disney Store. I waited in line while DS and hubby got a table and shouted their orders to me. I already felt like we were home!! You know that Mom, you do everything feeling, was coming over me in waves now. Lunch was very good and we decided to see a few more stores before heading back to the bus. DH wanted a keychain with a Mickey on it and the letter K. NOT one store had this keychain in the letter K. There was a massive shortage of this letter only, and to make matters worse, the CM's knew about it
again, the band director is definetely a pro here. When they were loading the bus this morning he would not allow anyone near bus #2! I couldn't understand why, unitl now. Bus #2 was totally filled with souveniers!! And he had just the right amount of room. The man is a
Well everyone made it back to the bus and you guessed it, we were on part #2 of our 26 hour bus ride back to Buffalo!!! Alls was quiet as we headed towards the Thruway. I must admit starting at the end of a day if definetely a better choice than leaving early in the AM. The girls chatted quietly and we watched movies for hours. We stopped for dinner and bus driver change just like on the way down. But it was more controlled and somber coming home. The dinner stop was only an hour and we were back on the road. The girls slept. And my DS slept, and DH slept. I watched the road. In silence, alone... It was exhausting but it was also a time of reflection and peace that I have never experienced before. Night turned into day, breakfast and then lunch... The girls continued to watch movies... And here is where I want to thank Disney for the movie Ratatoulie. Now I guess during other circumstances I would have enjoyed it, but here it was my saviour. For the last 1 1/2 hours of our trip, I actually slept. DH said my head was bobbing up and down
So when all was said and done, 155 teenage girls experienced Disney in a way that many of us will never do, 2-26 hour bus rides confirmed the future of airfare for many, and yes you can survive a trip to Disney without ABSOLUTELY, positively, NO INPUT... unless you count SUBLIMINAL messages along the way!!
Thanks for taking this ride with me, I really enjoyed it. God Bless, and look for me somewhere around Sept, and then on a band forum for Washington, DC. My daughter is playing/dancing for the new President of the United States
I enjoyed reading it. I feel the same way about finishing a Disney scrapbook or journal/report. If you can just hold out on the last day, maybe it won't be over? But instead, it seems to gnaw at you. The closure comes when the report/scrapbook is finished. (That said, perhaps I should go finish all those scrapbooks that are missing a day...or more!) 
Anyway, loved it!!!
. I am debating the chaperoning as I feel that this is actually a "high level parental guidance" trip but DD is still not sure if she wants me there... With that being said, Mom always trumps daughter, and even if I can not officially be a chaperone, I will be there!! DS12 has asked if he could go as he is very interested, even though DD is not
