OUR Cast Members:
DH -- Im the 58 year-old, cranky (or so people think) Dad. Im really just a 10-year-old kid inside.
DW -- Beautiful wife, who is much younger than Dad and is the mother of three who are . . .
DD -- 11 going on 16, beautiful (Im her Dad, so I can say that) middle school cheerleader with brains to match her beauty.
DD -- a petite darling in a dynamite package at 9 years old, she is the artistic one of the bunch.:jumping4: DS -- a big, big boy for 7 years old. He is taller than his 9-year-old sister and weighs as much as his 11-year-old sister.
(This is a pre-trip report that I thought I had to write . . .)
Getting Ready
After spending the first part of June in Florida visiting with my folks and enjoying five days/four nights at Universals Royal Pacific Resort, I got the bug to do Disney. Hey, my folks live 23 miles from the entrance to Disney World, so I told them wed be back for Christmas. No firm plans for anything, just Well be back!
We spent the rest of the month in South Texas and Mexico, and when we returned home, I had to get real busy on some of my home reconstruction jobs to make some money. Things were a tad slow at first, mainly because its difficult for me to get into working after spending days off having fun.
While I was slaving in the hot Texas sun, DW sat in my air conditioned office looking for good Disney deals on the net. But by nearly mid-August she hadnt found anything that was extra special for Christmas. DW did, however, find airline tickets for June 2005, exactly $143.10 R/T per person from Dallas to Orlando, taxes and fees included. We must plan ahead, she said.
DW thinks SHE plans ahead, hah! As the official chauffeur of the group, I had previously reserved a mini-van for the Christmas trip! This was done back in February when I reserved a mini-van in Orlando for the aforementioned Universal RPR trip, and one for the trip from Dallas to South Texas. I dont remember why I went ahead and reserved one for December at the same time, perhaps it was wishful thinking.
Were You Ready for This?
There we stood with a mini-van reserved to drive from Dallas to Orlando for Christmas, but no hotel reservations, not that we really need them. We have a place to stay at my folks home.
However, a two-week visit in a retirement community is not a pleasant experience for my three active kids; neither is it for Grandma and Grandpa, nor their neighbors for that matter. We had to find something, and I really wanted to give my kids a Christmas surprise theyd remember.
In the midst of all my musings of Florida at Christmas, Hurricane Charley hit. August 13th it was. My folks were right in his path.
Thankfully, they managed to get through the storm with only minor damage to their home and minor inconvenience due to water and sewage pumping shutdowns coupled with communication and electricity failure. That sort of occurrence can impact travel plans, even if you aren't traveling until four months later. Luckily, within a week they were back to a normal schedule.
Stroke of Good Luck
On Sunday, August 29, while I was on the telephone congratulating a very good friend on managing to attain the venerable age of 60, DW tugged at my sleeve and pointed to a page in the Travel Section of the Dallas Morning News. Look, look! DW insisted. I bade my friend goodbye and checked the paper.
Wow! There was a Disney advertisement. Value resorts: $55; Moderates: $85, and I looked no further. Rate Code BAT (which is no longer available as far as I can tell) jumped right out at me.
The first tier of on-site resorts where our family of five can stay in one room is the Port Orleans Riverside. As it turned out, the cost was $85 plus $15 for the trundle bed, but that was a heck of a lot better than the $184/ night cost wed been seeing on the Disney website. OK, make the call, DW said. I did.
It took a while to get through to CRO, but that same day we were set up for POR Alligator Bayou for Dec 23 and 24. We were happy.
What Now!?
Along comes Hurricane Frances on September 5, and my folks are right in her path. This time more damage to the house and more inconvenience for a longer period. I was loading up my crew, generators and supplies to head to Florida to help get things repaired. No need, said my folks, we have everything under control.
I settled down until September 16. My state of calm was interrupted by the news of Hurricane Ivan slamming into the panhandle of Florida.
Although my folks place was not in the hurricanes path this time, the I-10 bridge over Escambia Bay sustained major damage and traffic would have to be re-routed and delayed. Thats nice, I selfishly smirked with a furrowed brow, it wont be repaired before we head to Florida. That will add to our driving time.
Nothing I can do about the bridge, so we waited until the first day possible -- 90 days out -- to get reservations for the Disney restaurants. We managed to continue to worry about my folks and yet be excited about Christmas.
Misplaced Priorities?
Wham! Hurricane Jeanne hit on September 25.
I dialed frantically but was unable to reach my folks via telephone. The lines are down again! But I was able to get the Kansas City Disney reservations office before they were open, and I was put in the queue. I commented to myself about misplaced priorities, but went ahead and held for reservations. As punishment for being so callous, I did not get the Cinderella breakfast on Christmas Day.
My second choice was the Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh and friends. I jumped on it. Ive been fond of Pooh for many years. When I was young, my mother read A. A. Milnes stories to me. As a child growing up in London, Mum even saw the bear Winnie at the London Zoo. My kids also enjoyed our readings of the bear of very little brain.
While on the phone I also reserved the Garden Grill for lunch on the 24th, followed by dinner at the Biergarten for Christmas Eve. OK, all was well, with the major exception I couldnt reach my folks.
Here I was with grand Christmas plans and had no clue if my folks were still alive or dead under a pile of rubble in a retirement community in Florida. I was not in a panic, but I was deeply concerned.
One of my elder sons, a subcontractor, asked me if I wanted him to go ahead and load his truck with equipment, supplies and material. Hed go and I could stay. I told him to wait, which turned out to be the right decision.
My folks managed to make an outgoing call to tell me that they were fine. I told them I was once again ready to drive down with supplies and materials, and they joked that they already had some additional housing material thanks to the hurricane: Part of a neighbors house had blown in one of their living room windows.
They had water damage in that room and a few other damaged places on their house, but another neighbors son was going to fix the window forthwith and the other damage was merely cosmetic. Everything was under control once again. I calmed down.
Are We Ready Yet?
A week later I decided to surprise my DW by adding on another day to our POR reservation. I called CRO and got in right after the initial press 1 call director horse hockey. I asked and received an additional night, December 25, at the same rate as the previous two nights, $111.51 which includes taxes and the trundle bed.
Then I called Dining Reservations, slipped in without delay, and made two more meal plans: one for Boatwrights on the evening of the 23rd, and one for Ohana on the evening of the 25th. I'm taking my folks to both places for dinner.
Although we're only going to use two days at the parks, I'm getting the 4-day Park Hopper tickets. The other two days will be used next June, I'm certain.
With the time left between now and the day we leave, I need to decide where well stop along the way from Dallas to Orlando. We usually make it to Gulfport/Biloxi the first day if we leave early, but this time we are not going to leave until noon, so we may only get to Hattiesburg, MS before calling it a day. The following day will be quite a trek, but we can handle it. I drove the whole Dallas-Orlando route without an overnight layover when I was younger, so a 12-hour drive is not beyond the realm of possibility, even for this old man.
I think Im ready to go. I just have to wait. And no more hurricanes!
