Cast Members:
Me, Anne - 40
DH, Brian - 40
DM, Rita - 62
DD, Alex - 17
DD, Jordan - 7
DD, Taylor - 5
January 16 four day Wonder
Fri/Saturday
Pre-cruise days
Friday evening we stayed at a Holiday Inn across from the airport. This was our first cruise and we were all very giddy with excitement. I was the mastermind behind this trip and so I felt very invested in everyone having a good (make that GREAT) time. We had adjoining rooms and every one was having a jolly old time going back and forth, repacking and having fun. As we were preparing for bed my 17 year old came into our room and asked if I was sure that we had everyone's birth certificates. I thought that was an odd question but I said "yep, we have everything". I didn't think anything about it and we all went to bed.
We woke up bright and early (well, ok, so we were not exactly bright...but it was early...FOUR AM) our plane was scheduled to leave at 6:00 am! As I was getting ready my DM came in and said "I can't find my cruise tickets, and my id is with them." She was clearly distraught. I pointed over to our dresser where she had laid them the previous evening. She was clearly relieved. Unfortunately, she had discovered they were missing the night before (which prompted my 17 year old to ask the question about our documentation). DM didnt want to worry anyone so after we went to bed she drove over an hour back home to try and find her docs!!! She almost didnt come back. She said she didnt want to upset everyone else. I am so glad she decided to come back!
Once that was taken care of we were ready to go. We ordered our shuttle and hauled all of our luggage down to the entry and waited. And waited. And then we waited some more. I was getting very nervous about making our flight. A few minutes later I was getting down right mad. Finally our shuttle came and the driver told us that he was late because our original shuttle was held back because as they were transporting a family to the airport the grandpa had a heart attack! It was so sad. We had seen the family earlier. They too were going on their first cruise (not Disney) and they were so excited. It is still sad to think about that poor family.
Our flights went well and we landed in Orlando at 11:00 am. We collected our luggage and after a bit of confusion at the rental car area we were off! My DM had informed me before the trip that she wouldnt stay for our post cruise trip to WDW because I dont like amusement parks. No amount of talking could convince her that WDW was NOT a typical amusement park, so I decided to surprise her with a day of some of (in my opinion) the best of WDW. We checked into POR and grabbed a quick bite to eat and then we headed out to EPCOT. We started with SE and then took a stroll through WS to the International Gateway and a boat to the Studios. The boat was great as it showcased the beautiful EPCOT resorts. Once at the Studios we watched Beauty and the Beast, Alex and I rode ToT and my mom and Alex rode RnRC! We grabbed a couple hot dogs and settled in for Fantasmic! It was raining a bit, but it was a warm rain so it didnt bother us much. After the show we jumped on a bus to EPCOT and got a great seat at the Cantina. We had YUMMY dinners and my mom loved IllumiNations (of course!). It was a great day! And I think I succeeded in proving to my mother that WDW is NOT just any old amusement park!
Coming soon: Embarkation and a melt down
Me, Anne - 40
DH, Brian - 40
DM, Rita - 62
DD, Alex - 17
DD, Jordan - 7
DD, Taylor - 5
January 16 four day Wonder
Fri/Saturday
Pre-cruise days
Friday evening we stayed at a Holiday Inn across from the airport. This was our first cruise and we were all very giddy with excitement. I was the mastermind behind this trip and so I felt very invested in everyone having a good (make that GREAT) time. We had adjoining rooms and every one was having a jolly old time going back and forth, repacking and having fun. As we were preparing for bed my 17 year old came into our room and asked if I was sure that we had everyone's birth certificates. I thought that was an odd question but I said "yep, we have everything". I didn't think anything about it and we all went to bed.
We woke up bright and early (well, ok, so we were not exactly bright...but it was early...FOUR AM) our plane was scheduled to leave at 6:00 am! As I was getting ready my DM came in and said "I can't find my cruise tickets, and my id is with them." She was clearly distraught. I pointed over to our dresser where she had laid them the previous evening. She was clearly relieved. Unfortunately, she had discovered they were missing the night before (which prompted my 17 year old to ask the question about our documentation). DM didnt want to worry anyone so after we went to bed she drove over an hour back home to try and find her docs!!! She almost didnt come back. She said she didnt want to upset everyone else. I am so glad she decided to come back!
Once that was taken care of we were ready to go. We ordered our shuttle and hauled all of our luggage down to the entry and waited. And waited. And then we waited some more. I was getting very nervous about making our flight. A few minutes later I was getting down right mad. Finally our shuttle came and the driver told us that he was late because our original shuttle was held back because as they were transporting a family to the airport the grandpa had a heart attack! It was so sad. We had seen the family earlier. They too were going on their first cruise (not Disney) and they were so excited. It is still sad to think about that poor family.
Our flights went well and we landed in Orlando at 11:00 am. We collected our luggage and after a bit of confusion at the rental car area we were off! My DM had informed me before the trip that she wouldnt stay for our post cruise trip to WDW because I dont like amusement parks. No amount of talking could convince her that WDW was NOT a typical amusement park, so I decided to surprise her with a day of some of (in my opinion) the best of WDW. We checked into POR and grabbed a quick bite to eat and then we headed out to EPCOT. We started with SE and then took a stroll through WS to the International Gateway and a boat to the Studios. The boat was great as it showcased the beautiful EPCOT resorts. Once at the Studios we watched Beauty and the Beast, Alex and I rode ToT and my mom and Alex rode RnRC! We grabbed a couple hot dogs and settled in for Fantasmic! It was raining a bit, but it was a warm rain so it didnt bother us much. After the show we jumped on a bus to EPCOT and got a great seat at the Cantina. We had YUMMY dinners and my mom loved IllumiNations (of course!). It was a great day! And I think I succeeded in proving to my mother that WDW is NOT just any old amusement park!
Coming soon: Embarkation and a melt down
