alabamaalan
<font color=green>Alan, you can run, but you can't
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2002
- Messages
- 10,912
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Alabama Alan Your host and guide
Mrs. Alabama Alan (Rebecca) enthusiastic and supportive spouse
Princess Lela our Five year old daughter who has been looking forward to this trip for well over a year.
Rosemary - my MIL who had never been to WDW, so we brought her for fun and babysitting!
BACKGROUND
We traveled to North Alabama to visit my wifes family for Thanksgiving. We left my 2 ½ year old daughter with my BIL at Redstone Arsenal, AL. We decided she would get too cranky in the parks and it would allow us to concentrate on Lelas first trip. We do not regret the decision.
We were delayed in our departure Saturday night from Huntsville to Montgomery(our home). We wanted to leave by 2PM and did not leave until after 5PM due to delays from Rosemary getting ready. She had to pack, drop off dogs, and bring her mother (Rebeccas grandmother) to also stay with my BIL while we were gone. BIL is on vacation for month of Dec so we did not just dump family on his wife!
We got into Montgomery later than we wanted and Rebecca washed what needed to be taken from our Thanksgiving trip and I drove her guide dog Winston to go stay with a trusted friend. It was a hard decision to not take him on the trip but Im glad we did not. We would have kenneled him while in the parks and it would have been a hassle to go back and forth.
Sunday, Dec 1
We were on the road around 6:00AM CST. Our minivan has four Captains chairs and one bench seat so I removed one of the two middle chairs and placed an ice chest filled with goodies there.
Lela had lots of toys and games including a new Leappad for the trip. Rebecca had saved small toys collected over the year such as McDonalds Happy Meal Disney figures so they were a fun surprise for Lela. She traveled very well for such a long trip.
We did get out for an hour or so for lunch once we got on I-75S. The traffic was very bad going down. After going through a few areas of stop and go, I decided to exit at Ocala and take a side road to the turnpike. Of course, traffic was even worse in Ocala than it was on the Interstate and I made a wrong turn once on the way so it became a running joke with us.
By the time we hit the turnpike and I-4 it was dark. I made another wrong turn somewhere but we did surprisingly well once we got on Disney property. I love it signs everywhere!!
We checked into All Star Music without problem. They had originally assigned us to a different area then I requested, but changed it to Broadway for me while I was at the desk. I wanted to be near the parking lot; our bags were heavy and numerous!
I had made a green ribbon with an Alabama Mickey pin to wear in the parks for any DISsers to see. I had also made a personalized autograph book for Lela with a nice folder and index cards. I left them both in Montgomery.
We had originally hoped to get to the parks in time to make it to the campfire at Ft. Wilderness but it was just too late.
Instead we ate a quick meal of potted meat sandwiches and chips and Rebecca and I drove the van to Downtown Disney where we bought a replacement autograph book and made a Guest of Honor badge for Lela.
I set the alarm on the clock radio in the room and set my pager as a back up and we went to bed ready for our first day in the parks!
Alabama Alan Your host and guide
Mrs. Alabama Alan (Rebecca) enthusiastic and supportive spouse
Princess Lela our Five year old daughter who has been looking forward to this trip for well over a year.
Rosemary - my MIL who had never been to WDW, so we brought her for fun and babysitting!
BACKGROUND
We traveled to North Alabama to visit my wifes family for Thanksgiving. We left my 2 ½ year old daughter with my BIL at Redstone Arsenal, AL. We decided she would get too cranky in the parks and it would allow us to concentrate on Lelas first trip. We do not regret the decision.
We were delayed in our departure Saturday night from Huntsville to Montgomery(our home). We wanted to leave by 2PM and did not leave until after 5PM due to delays from Rosemary getting ready. She had to pack, drop off dogs, and bring her mother (Rebeccas grandmother) to also stay with my BIL while we were gone. BIL is on vacation for month of Dec so we did not just dump family on his wife!
We got into Montgomery later than we wanted and Rebecca washed what needed to be taken from our Thanksgiving trip and I drove her guide dog Winston to go stay with a trusted friend. It was a hard decision to not take him on the trip but Im glad we did not. We would have kenneled him while in the parks and it would have been a hassle to go back and forth.
Sunday, Dec 1
We were on the road around 6:00AM CST. Our minivan has four Captains chairs and one bench seat so I removed one of the two middle chairs and placed an ice chest filled with goodies there.
Lela had lots of toys and games including a new Leappad for the trip. Rebecca had saved small toys collected over the year such as McDonalds Happy Meal Disney figures so they were a fun surprise for Lela. She traveled very well for such a long trip.
We did get out for an hour or so for lunch once we got on I-75S. The traffic was very bad going down. After going through a few areas of stop and go, I decided to exit at Ocala and take a side road to the turnpike. Of course, traffic was even worse in Ocala than it was on the Interstate and I made a wrong turn once on the way so it became a running joke with us.
By the time we hit the turnpike and I-4 it was dark. I made another wrong turn somewhere but we did surprisingly well once we got on Disney property. I love it signs everywhere!!
We checked into All Star Music without problem. They had originally assigned us to a different area then I requested, but changed it to Broadway for me while I was at the desk. I wanted to be near the parking lot; our bags were heavy and numerous!
I had made a green ribbon with an Alabama Mickey pin to wear in the parks for any DISsers to see. I had also made a personalized autograph book for Lela with a nice folder and index cards. I left them both in Montgomery.
We had originally hoped to get to the parks in time to make it to the campfire at Ft. Wilderness but it was just too late.
Instead we ate a quick meal of potted meat sandwiches and chips and Rebecca and I drove the van to Downtown Disney where we bought a replacement autograph book and made a Guest of Honor badge for Lela.I set the alarm on the clock radio in the room and set my pager as a back up and we went to bed ready for our first day in the parks!
