Day one started out on a very cold and early Minnesota morning. We left our home at about 4:45am on foot, in search of the light rail train. For us this is a great option, $2 per person, with direct service to the airport. So much cheaper than parking anywhere near the airport, or a taxi. Of course, we didnt want to bring our coats with us, so we chose to put our game faces on and brave the cold freezing rain. My hubby immediately rolled his ankle into a huge frigid puddle. Not a good start. The light rail seemed to take forever to come to our stop, and as we were waiting the freezing rain turned to snow, and our faces from red to blue!
Once aboard, the train was warm and bright. There were a surprising number of people starting this adventure with us on a Saturday morning.
At the airport, it became clear that hubbys rolled ankle was going to be an issue. We talked about getting his sandals out of our bag and replacing his shoes, but he chose to tough it out. Security, was well security. Once at the gate, we could see the snow starting to pile up. Unbelievably, it looked like about 2 inches had already fallen, right on top of our plane. It was coming down with ferocity.
Everyone boarded the plane, and it left the gate right on time for a 7am departure. The captain came over the loudspeaker and announced a 10 minute delay due to de-icing. No problem, we would soon be in the comparable tropics of Orlando in just a few hours.
The de-icing started, and 10 minutes went by, then 20. We could see the hoses start on the wing closest to us. The snow was not budging despite the repeated attempts to remove it with the fire hoses spewing with Pepto Bismol. The rain from earlier had frozen everything on the plane, including the snow. 30 minutes go by, then 40. An announcement was made that the captain was shutting down the engines for fear that we would not have enough fuel to make it to Orlando, and we might have to return to the gate for more fuel. At about 50 minutes, the captain announced that the trucks had run out of fluid. By the time the hoses reached the back of the plane, the front needed to be de-iced again. We would be going into an extended delay, and we would be free to make calls, head to the restroom, etc. Additional trucks would be on their way, however more delays could not be ruled out, as the runways might not stay open, and the previously mentioned fuel issues. Perfect. We had a whole day planned checking out Festival of the Masters, then heading to Epcot for the Food and Wine Festival. The thought of not getting out of Minneapolis that day was a thought I could not bear to think! If I put it out of mind long enough, then it was a non-possibility, right?
Here's the view from our window during the delay:
Finally, new trucks arrived cleared the ice and snow. After what seems like an eternity we heard these magical words: Flight attendants prepare for take-off!
The flight was uneventful, and we landed at about 1:30, roughly two and a half hours after we were scheduled.
Our bag seemed to take forever, as I was itching to get myself to Disney! We found it, and headed down to the rental car counters. Even though its more expensive we do personally like to have a car. We were staying off-site for the first night, and needed to head to the coast later in our trip
The line at the rental counter seemed to be bumper to bumper traffic during rush hour! More and more time was going by. Finally, we were given instructions on where to find our car. We were assigned a Toyota Corolla. As soon as we opened the passengers side door, the smell of cigarette smoke billowed out. I imagined a grandma chain-smoking in her floral bucket hat, sunglasses and scarf living large the week before us!
I asked for a new car, as I didnt want our everything to smell like smoke for a week. It took a little while for the agency to find a replacement. For the inconvenience they upgraded us to a Nissan Altima. Woo Hoo! Let the vacation begin!
Budget Watch:
$2/person light rail fare
$189/roundtrip per person in airfare
$23 checked bag fee
$137/6 day car rental
$2 bottle of water at the airport
Up Next: Radisson Lake Buena Vista
