Anyone Game? 2 Castles and a Road Trip TR! Last Day and TR Wrap Up! #2796; 10/01

[PrincessInOz]

Anyone Game? Getting ready for Orlando







With the end of the road trip portion, I've hit a natural 'chapter' junction in this TR.

I've been rather conscious that I've been posting about my trip on a dedicated Walt Disney World forum and after 17 days or so.....I STILL haven't made it to WDW yet. I really have been trying to get to 'regular programming' as quickly as possible. With the start of the next posts, this TR will start to hit the road towards WDW and also document what we did whilst we were there.


For anyone lurking wishing to join in the Orlando portion of the trip, feel free to de-lurk and say hello. I'd really like to have the opportunity to thank you for reading along so far.



But should you choose to remain in lurkdom, thank you to everyone who is reading this TR and following along with the vacation. I hope you've been enjoying it.

 

[jedijill]

I love the fact that you are documenting the whole trip even the non-Disney portions!

Can't wait for the next part of the journey!

Jill in CO

 

[ejud]

Sacrilege? Maybe, but it's been refreshing to see the journey.



Jud

 

[Aussie Wendy]

If you are ever on the gold coast we had an amazing brulee at a french restaurant in currumbin.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I love the fact that you are documenting the whole trip even the non-Disney portions!

Can't wait for the next part of the journey!

Jill in CO

Thanks Jill. I should be posting the start of the journey soon.

Sacrilege? Maybe, but it's been refreshing to see the journey.



Jud

If you are ever on the gold coast we had an amazing brulee at a french restaurant in currumbin.

I'll definitely give you a call when I head up to the GC.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Road to WDW 29 September 2013



It’s only 2000 miles from Pagosa to WDW




As an international tourist to Orlando and a reader of the Dis, I've always been envious of how quick it seems to take a US national to get to a WDW. Of course, it's all relative....afterall, there are enough Dis-sers that seem to think that it takes them forever to get to WDW and they constantly wish that they lived closer. Of course, whenever I read anything like that, I beat a hasty retreat before my fingers get the better of me and I type out something DisAppropriate like "Yeah. Right. Try living 9000 miles away and taking 28 hours to get to WDW".


In planning this trip, I had always envisaged that it would be a snap to get from Pagosa Springs to Orlando. Afterall, we were in the country and it’s only 2000 miles from Pagosa to WDW.


3 months out from our travel date, we had been contacted by American Airlines with a change in our flight schedule. It did result in me having to make a call to AA to ensure that our schedule was viable and stressing about being at the whim of the airline schedule. On this occasion, the change had been to our benefit and our travel time ended up being less than with the original flight schedule. But it did make me wonder about what it would be like if the change had not been so favourable.


In reality, it would prove to be a very uneventful day as we spent almost the entire day in an airport or on a plane. We had no issues with connections and it really was plain flying. I knew but didn't 'know-know' that we would also lose about 3 hours due to time zone differences as we travelled from west to east. Those 3 hours just slipped away in the jetstream and I would spend my time thinking about how I could have been spending the extra day at the World instead. Precious time that we could have spent touring or at Disney instead.


Somewhere during this day, I think I developed an understanding and an appreciation for the US Dis-sers who post about their travel woes to get to WDW. It might still take less flying time for a US resident to get to WDW but if you don't live in a city with direct connections to Orlando, it isn't really any easier. On the route that I would normally take to get to Orlando, I normally fly direct and in/out of major airports with regular planes flying during the day to MCO. It seems so easy heading to WDW when you’re in LA or NY or Chicago and a direct flight would take 4 - 5 hours. Hubbing out of regional airports is a bit more challenging as there are connections to make and it is not easy as it seems. On the route that I took on this day, I still had to deal with 3 airports; and what should have been an air travel time of 3 hours ended up taking us 11 - 12 hours in total. It makes you think; considering that driving time from Pagosa to Orlando is estimated to be about 13 hours duration.


Nothing like a dose of reality to put paid to that little green-eyed monster.




(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

(Continued from Previous Post)


The First Airport - Durango La Plata



It was rather bittersweet over breakfast this morning. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with X and Y just enjoying the family moment, but nothing could erase the fact that we would need to say goodbye to them and continue along our journey. Our time in Pagosa had been way too short.


No matter how much we wished it otherwise, time ticked on and we had to continue on our journey. We set out around 10.45 am and made a stop into Pagosa before heading on our way.


It took us about an hour to get to the Durango La Plata airport. The Durango La Plata airport is not a large airport by anyone’s measure. We would need to get on a flight from here and hit a larger hub.






Believe me. I did consider flying out of Albuquerque but it was over a 3 hour drive from Pagosa and my DH firmly said no. He might understand the inner-Disney in me; but I don’t think he gets the inner-Bugs at all.



Dropping off the hire car was a snap. The parking was to the left of the airport and when we got inside the airport, there was a sign telling us to drop the keys and the documents into the box. An honesty box system. Yup. This was not a large airport at all. To be fair, I suspect that the duty person was at lunch.


Our lunch was very rather light. It was just as well that I had made that stop at the Pagosa Bakery so that we had the appropriate supplement to lunch.







And for anyone wondering, there was one sandwich/café at the airport.







We walked up to the American Airline counter and there were 3 people on duty. All 3 helped us check in and it was a very painless experience. Clearing security was also relatively simple. There was a security scanner and all we had to do was walk through and we were practically at the lounge area next to the gates.






Let's take a look at our plane on the tarmac, shall we?







Uh....no planes. Did I mention that this was not a large airport?



Turns out we were sitting in the wrong gate. Attached to the main building is a marquee. This is where the 3rd gate is for the airport; and where American Airlines fly out of.






At least there was a plane on the tarmac when I looked out the window here.






Yes, you guessed it. When it was time to board, we walked out on the tarmac and walked up the mobile stairs into the plane.


The 3 people that helped us check in? Turns out they were high multi-tasking individuals. They also doubled up as baggage handlers and ground staff. One of them ended up with the paddles and directed the plane out on to the tarmac. You really couldn't fault their work ethic and service at this small regional airport.



Our flight was fairly uneventful except for the captain making a point to announce that this was a weather balloon; not a UFO. It was novelty and diverting enough for me to pull the camera out for this shot.









(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

(Continued from Previous Post)


The Second Airport - Dallas Fort Worth



The Dallas Fort Worth airport is one of the busiest airports in the world; and our transit destination on our way to WDW.






We were back in civilisation again after all this while in the great outdoors of the US.







Remember how I talk about environmental restrooms on this trip?






And how clean they are inside?








Is it sad to admit that I was missing them at Dallas Fort Worth?

I walked into the ladies and it was a nasty welcome back to civilisation. It took me 10 cubicles to find one that wasn't filthy and had toilet paper in it. The ninth busiest airport in the world based on passenger traffic; and you would think we would find the modern sanitations of life. Fail.






We had to change terminals at DFW and with 2 hours of transit time, it was plenty of time for us to make the change using their sky train.






Being on this transport system sure gives you an appreciation of how large this airport is.






We also had enough time to get dinner.







Welcome back to civilisation.







And massive portion size. DS and I shared this.






But this one was moine, moine, moine! All moine.







(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

(Continued from Previous Post)


The Third Airport - Orlando International Airport



Our flight out of Dallas was on time and uneventful.

The only thing I wished was that I had taken my camera out of the bag as we approached Orlando. We were treated to the perfect view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks as we flew past. And as this was a Sunday night, the fireworks were of the HalloWishes kind and they were beautiful. It sure gave me something to think about as we arrived at our destination.



It was late when we arrived.






With very few people around.







And mostly everything was shut.






Collecting our bags was also uneventful. It had been after 10 pm when we arrived and we had figured it was better for us to have our luggage with us rather than use Disney service.


After 17 days on this vacay and more than 11 hours of travel, we were finally at Orlando. My excitement levels were sky-high and I could not wait to get on Disney property again.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Nice to hear that nothing went wrong during your flight to DFW and to MCO. That would have been so neat to get some pictures of HalloWishes during your flight. If I go back to WDW one day and it is late at night and the fireworks, Illuminations or F! are playing at night, I will have to get my camera out just in case for something like that would happen. Every time I get to MCO, I do enjoy riding the tram to the main terminal from the gates.

I'm looking forward to reading your next update.

 

[dolphingirl47]

That really puts things into perspective. This is about as long as it takes us when we fly indirect from the UK. If we have a non-stop flight, it is less than that. I am glad that everything went smoothly. That must have been such a treat to see the fireworks from the plane.

Corinna

 

[ejud]

Road to WDW 29 September 2013

It’s only 2000 miles from Pagosa to WDW

OOoooo! I thought you were going to drive!

But then again, that 13 hours... I think you might have taken a few months on that...



Jud

 

[jedijill]

It actually takes close to 29 hours to drive to Orlando. unless you have a rental capable of Mach 1! It takes me 9 hours to drive from Denver to Kansas City.

Gotta love those small airports....I was surprised you didn't have to route through Denver but flying AA it makes sense to go through DfW.

Glad you finally made it to Orlando!

Jill in CO

 

[zanzibar138]

Hmm 11-12 hours is still less time than it takes us just to get to LA... from the east coast

Still bad enough though to be a deterrent to taking frequent trips there.

What a nice welcome seeing the fireworks on arrival

 

[Pinkocto]

That was certainly a full day if traveling, glad it was smooth though. It amazes me how gross and rude some people leave toilets....

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Being from a small Island I am amazed by the distances people drive and travel to get to WDW! On thing that really drops my jaw is that folks say it's cheaper to drive from NY to WDW than to get a plane. Because fuel is so expensive here in the UK that isn't true for us. For us to drive from South to Scotland it would probably be quicker and cheaper to fly.

Glad you arrived how cool re fireworks! Did the person serving at the cafe at the regional airport then pilot the plane lol...

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Interesting muses with travel interchanges and the time it takes does make you think. Granada airport was a bit like your first one. I have kicked myself ever since I didn't take any pics to show - cute though. You arrived and saw fireworks...yaay!

 

[dgbg100106]

I for some reason thought you were going to drive when I saw the 2000 miles to Orlando, then the travel by air, glad everything worked out for you, and I like the smaller airports for some things, just easier to get in and out of, but not much on convenience.

Love that you got to see the fireworks.

 

[dgbg100106]

I for some reason thought you were going to drive when I saw the 2000 miles to Orlando, then the travel by air, glad everything worked out for you, and I like the smaller airports for some things, just easier to get in and out of, but not much on convenience.

Love that you got to see the fireworks.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Okay, so you've finally lured me out of lurkdom. I've been reading along since the beginning and never take the time to comment. My sister used to live in the Durango area and I've been lucky enough to see quite a few of the sites that you posted about. After reading along and seeing your pictures, I feel the need to go back and visit the area again. It's been over 25 years since we've done so. Your pictures are absolutely breathtaking!

When you said that it took 13 hours to drive to Disney, I thought "there's no way!" It takes us 13 to 15 to drive from North Louisiana so I knew there was no way it could take just 13 hours from Pagosa. Probably more like 30.

The airport in Durango reminds me of our local airport. Just two gates (one was recently added with the remodel) and you simply walk out to your plane. Yep, it's a little airport. If we want to fly to Disney, we have to drive to another airport that's about 2 1/2 hour away and then fly to Disney. The airfare is outrageous though so we just drive. Thank goodness we like road trips.