DDF & SP Conquer the World...And Want to Live There..Updated 10/16

[MAJ RN]

I am so happy to finally see an update from you!!! I have really missed reading your trip report. Hope all is well on the homefront. Can't wait to read more.


Melissa

 

[jjk]

another excellent installment,I love the mini golf too, this year I am going to beat DH

how is the new diet going ?

 

[tink1957]

Great pics & update! I might have to fit mini-golf into our schedule for Sept. although that 4 lane traffic crossing sounds scary.

 

[MomsOf2boys]

But wouldn't you know that just as I was heading out to the farmer's market Saturday I had the craziest thought. "I wonder how hard it is to go vegetarian in Disney World? I don't know if I should do this!"

So, before going I headed over to AllEars.net to check out the various menus & articles. I printed out all the materials & read readers' reviews.

Whew! It won't be too hard at all! I felt so much better about my decision! Disney - you know I love ya when I check with you first before starting a new diet!

I went to the markets yesterday & began my meatless diet today. Anyone else base life decisions around your Disney vacations? Please share!

That is sooo funny! I am glad that you were able to begin your healthy eating program and got the from your Doctor Mickey and all.

 

[gbpackfan9]

Glad to read your newest post. Another great report and great pics. I do agree with SP on Illuminations. I've seen it a couple of times, but it's much to loud and long for me. We've stayed at the Beach Club and BWV a couple of times and it is worth it to be within walking distance of EPCOT and DHS.
Patiently awaiting your next post.

 

[scooby9932]

I am so happy to finally see an update from you!!! I have really missed reading your trip report. Hope all is well on the homefront. Can't wait to read more.


Melissa

Thanks! I'm back again from a week following my 8/8 chemo treatment. Each time it puts me down for about a week & I don't even check the computer! I have typed up the next installment & hope to have it up with pictures tonight!

another excellent installment,I love the mini golf too, this year I am going to beat DH

how is the new diet going ?

Gosh, we loved the mini golf so much we decided to make it a new tradition! Good luck on beating your DH!

The new diet has been okay so far. With chemo, I eat only about 1 meal a day and it's usually something bland like oatmeal so I haven't had the chance to see how it works on a "real" day, but I'm hopeful.

Great pics & update! I might have to fit mini-golf into our schedule for Sept. although that 4 lane traffic crossing sounds scary.

Definitely go for the mini golf if you get the chance. It's a nice stroll from EPCOT, but, yeah - those 4 lanes of traffic -

That is sooo funny! I am glad that you were able to begin your healthy eating program and got the from your Doctor Mickey and all.

Doctor Mickey! I love it! Yep, always gotta check with the mouse on all the important life decisions!

Glad to read your newest post. Another great report and great pics. I do agree with SP on Illuminations. I've seen it a couple of times, but it's much to loud and long for me. We've stayed at the Beach Club and BWV a couple of times and it is worth it to be within walking distance of EPCOT and DHS.
Patiently awaiting your next post.

SP was glad to hear she's not alone in disliking Illuminations - for her it's the noise & the fact that no matter which way the wind is blowing when we pick our spot, it eventually starts blowing bits & pieces of fireworks ash at us. SP does NOT like to get dirty while enjoying a show.

 

[scooby9932]

WE'RE BOOKED!!

SP & I spent some time planning next year's vacation. We decided to mix things up a bit this year! So...

The Where:
Caribbean Beach Resort: which will be a 1st for us. It looks really nice & it'll be nice to stay somewhere that doesn't reflect my home state!

The When:
Leaving Home: April 29
Arriving Disney World: April 30
Departing Disney World : May 7
Arriving Destin, FL: May 7
Departing Destin & Arriving Home: May 9

The How:
We'll be driving again. We enjoy the slow build up of anticipation when going & the slow decompression when coming back home.

The Why:
Well, Duh!

No, really. We now HAVE to go to Disney at least once a year. SP is completely hooked and Lord knows I would live there if I could!

The Side-Trip:
Our used-to-be yearly Mom-Daughter vacation was one week in May in Biloxi at a hotel on the beach. SP is a HUGE beach lover. I started taking her there for weekend daytrips when she was still in diapers. Once I was making enough money, we worked our way up to long weekends and finally once she was about 8 years old, we'd spend 1 solid week on the beach. We had MAJOR traditions in place. Well, little Miss Nasty Hurricane Katrina ruined that for us back in 2005. We were so bummed! So, May 2005 was the last year for our "usual" trip.

While it's true that the Mississippi coast has made tremendous headway (unlike New Orleans, etc. in Louisiana), it's still not all that vacation worthy yet. It's all construction, construction, re-building...not much beach or really anything else around.

We drove along the beach front road the last 2 years on the way home from Disney to see how things were. SP always has to stop & get her feet wet and we collect a few shells & get the usual bottle of water/sand memento. We reminisce about her "growing up" years. We cry a little. Then we have to keep moving to get home.

So...I decided to surprise SP with a stop in Destin on the way home. We'll spend 2 nights & 1 full day at the beach. I'm so excited! She's going to be ELATED!

The What Now?

I've booked the Disney portion of the trip, paid my deposit, and reserved a room at the beach.

We decided the Quick Service Dining option would work really well for us. We looked back over my meticulous records (ha ha - now she sees why I keep them) and saw that we did indeed eat 2 quick service meals a day and she had 2 snacks per day, while I averaged 1 snack. Eating Quick Service means we won't have to be too regimented in our park day planning & can change our minds if we want.

SP still wants to have one nice sit down dinner, so we're pouring over menus to decide where that should be. I let it be her pick since she's the picky eater in our duo. I have only veto power.

She's currently stuck between:
A character meal at (1st choice) Cinderella's Royal Table, (2nd Choice) Chef MIckey's
OR
The Coral Reef Restaurant in EPCOT

Any suggestions? Recommendations? We've only eaten at Downtown Disney table-service restaurants & the Sci-Fi Dine-In at DHS. Neither of us eats red meat, I'll be going vegetarian, and she doesn't like strange sauces on her food. Not too limiting, is it?

We've started making lists already. Yes, WE, as in not just I have. Mwau Ha Ha! Vindication! A fellow Disney fanatic! It feels Goood!

Well, that's it for now. I just had to share my good news!

 

[scooby9932]

Sorry for the delay in getting new posts up. I've been battling a severe lung infection as a result of the chemo & am just now out of bed. The good news is that I'm 4/6 for the treatments, so it's a downhill slide now.

I should be able to get a new update in the next few days.

 

[TigerKat]

Glad to "hear" from you! Hoping you feel better every day, now if we could get this nasty hurricane to stay away......

 

[scooby9932]

Glad to "hear" from you! Hoping you feel better every day, now if we could get this nasty hurricane to stay away......

Thanks for the well wishes.

Hurricane Gustav does look like a bad one. Predictions aren't in our favor right now.

I'm praying for all the people in the lower parishes - you guys certainly don't need another hurricane right now. I wish you the best of luck. Hopefully, the most you'll need is an

We're busy getting ready just in case. Luckily, it's extrememly rare for us to be evacuated as we're far enough north from the coast. However, we still get the bad winds, rain, etc. Katrina & Rita both ripped up & toppled 100+ yo oak trees, tore up roofing, etc. We were out of electricity for 2 weeks, water for 1 week, and gas for 5 days both times. Blech.

I can handle most of those things, but we live in a very wooded area & the trees falling down scare me to death! We were in our family room during Katrina when I heard a huge CRAAACK. I jumped up, literally picked up my DD (who was 16 at the time! I guess we'll always be Mommies no matter how big our "babies" get) & started to run towards the front of the house. I got as far as the doorway when a 75' oak came down parallel to the back of the house - right along the wall of windows where we were sitting. The whole house shook! It was very frightening.

Now, since the tree fell on my house/car last March in a bad rain storm, I'm always so scared one of them will fall on our house again.

I'm trying to be positive, though. I keep picturing Gustav petering out in the middle of the gulf, just blowing some cooling breezes toward the coastal towns.

 

[vfair]

Enjoyed your report - especially all the photos.

 

[scooby9932]

Here's the next update (minus pictures - I'm going to try to get them in later - Photobucket is giving me fits!) Anyhoo - on with our trip!

Day 7 – Wednesday, May 7 – Magic Kingdom – Part I

This day both SP & I bounced out of bed early & full of beans. We were headed to my favorite place in all the world – Magic Kingdom!

Now, we’d gone already for the EMH on Day 4, but it’s just so different to start your day in the MK. I don’t know why, but the atmosphere, anticipation, sunshine, etc. just make it such a different experience.

Anyhoo, excited & giggly, we headed off to the bus stop around 8:15 a.m. This was the earliest we’d managed to get ready & out the door so far. I was proud of us! The bus stop was crowded, so I was a little worried that I’d picked the wrong day to go, but luckily the majority of the people there were going to AK.

SP took a picture of the crowds we were missing:

The bus to MK was relatively uncrowded. This is by far the longest bus trip of them all, but we were so excited we didn’t mind the 20 minute ride.

Once there, we disembarked & headed along through security & then to get the obligatory “In front of the RR station with Mickey’s flower outline” pictures. Then we made our way through the tunnels towards Main Street USA.

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SP was ready to head to the Main Street bakery for her morning pastry, but I had other things in mind. You see, I had heard about the “make it yourself” mouse ear hats, but had not told SP about it. So I sort of corralled her with my scooter towards the right hand side saying I wanted to look at the shops along the way. Once we were in front of the shop, I stopped:

Me: “Hey, lookit here! They have a hat shop! Why don’t we check it out?”
SP: “Mom, we already have Mickey ears.”
Me: “Yeah, but yours has last year’s date with a graduation cap. Wouldn’t you like one without that?”
SP: “Weelll…if you’re buying.”

So we make our way into the shop & SP starts looking at all the premade hats on the wall. I wait & wait for her to notice the Make Your Own Mickey/Minnie hats. Not happening.

Finally, I exclaimed, “Oh, wow – SP – they have ones you can make yourself!” She turned around & finally saw them.

With so many choices of hats, ear pieces, patches! Oh, my! SP was in heaven. After looking around & oohing & ahhing over several choices, SP headed back to the premade hats, a wistful look on her face.

I said, “Hey, what are you doing?”
SP said, “I’m picking out my hat.”
Me: “Don’t you want to make one?”
SP: “Really!!!??? I can make my own?? Are you serious?? They’re really expensive!” All while dancing up & down & looking as excited as a little girl.
Me: “My treat, remember. Besides I’m making one for myself, too. They’re just too cute!”
SP just beamed!

She was so happy. So was I.

Then the decision making began.

With SP, this can take quite a while. Luckily we’d grazed over the choices, so she only had to choose between 3 caps, 2 kinds of ears, and 3 patches. After much indecision, she finally chose the cap (brushed silver with darker silver Mickey head outlines), and the ears (silver, outlined with clear crystals).

But she was stuck on making a decision on the patches. She had one that was silver with pink that said “Disney Princess”, one that was a silver Mickey head covered in small silver crystals, and one that had all the princesses lined up. After looking them over with her, I said I didn’t like the one with all the princesses. That left the other two.

She just couldn’t seem to decide, so I said what about putting the Mickey head on the front & the Disney Princess one on the back. We checked out what that would look like & the decision was made!

Next I took a few minutes to pick out one for myself. I decided on a lime green cap with blue Mickey heads, one lime green ear, and one silver w/ crystals ear, and a patch of Cinderella’s castle in silver & blue for the front.

We made our way to the cash register where the CM told us to just stick the patches on & they’d adhere in the heat. We left the store with our newly made hats on, as well as big kid smiles!

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We started to make our way along Main Street & were stopped many times with people (including many CMs) asking about our hats. It seems that not too many people knew of the make your own hats yet. Throughout the rest of our trip we got so many compliments! It was great!

Along the way we also had many CMs and visitors comment on SP’s tattoo. The longer she had it on, the more real it looked. Most people thought it was real & wondered where she’d gotten it. They were all shocked to find out it was a temporary one from AK.

One CM stopped to talk to us as we were waiting in line for the PhotoPass picture in front of the castle. He remarked that he like SP’s castle tattoo & they got to talking about the reactions people had had toward Disney tattoos. He said had a funny story about his tattoo.

He covered his name badge, lowered his voice & said, “I don’t work for Disney right now. So I can tell you this story. I have a Mickey tattoo on my right arm. My nephew, who is what you’d call a “stud”, went out to dinner with me and my wife. He & I went up to the bar for some drinks & a couple of really cute girls complimented me on my Mickey tattoo. When we headed back to our table, he told me “Man, I’ve got to get one of those Mickey Mouse tattoos – the chicks like ‘em!”

We all laughed & SP promised not to tell anyone he’d shared that “non-Disney” story with us. Pretty soon we had our picture taken & then finally made our way into the Main Street bakery.

Luckily the long, winding line was moving quickly. SP & I both knew what we wanted, so it didn’t take long to get our food. While she paid, I scooted around & managed to snag a table. No small feat in this place, let me tell you, especially in a scooter!

SP brought our food over & we dug in. Last year, we’d had the yogurt with granola & fruit. SP raved about it all year long, so we got more this year to share. She also had a blueberry muffin & orange juice. I had the stuffed French toast & a juice. I didn’t care too much for the yogurt this year, but SP somehow managed to eat it all anyway, so we didn’t waste.

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Since we’d gotten all the must-do rides over on our EMH night, we decided to just wander & decide on rides as we came to them. Since we usually head over to Adventureland first, I suggested we try going to Tomorrowland first. As we made our way to the hub, we saw the Mickey & Minnie castle show was going on & SP stopped to take a few pictures.

Then we wandered over to Monster’s Inc. Comedy & since there was just a 10 minute wait time, we got in line.

Now, in case you haven’t done this one, here’s the layout for the attraction. If you know about it, you can skip to the next part.

The line queues you up outside first and you have to wait for a video with Roz to come on & announce some rules & then they open the doors to usher you into an inside chamber where you wait outside the theater doors & watch a video of Mike before they let you in to sit. We were in the Handicapped line, which has a separate door that leads you into the room in a roped off & HC marked lane. This lane leads to the designated HC door to get into the theater. This is to ensure that wheelchairs & scooters don’t get caught in the mad crush of people as they jockey to get in the doors.

Ok – sorry for the long lead in...On with the story.

There was a loud, foolish family at the front of the regular line who kept trying to open the doors & go in before we were allowed. The father (in his 50’s) was the worst of the bunch. I remarked to SP that I was sure he’d be the one picked to be “That Guy.” SP agreed that he’d be a good choice.

Once Roz came on & the doors opened, the yahoo dad jumped over the rope from the regular line into the handicapped line & ran to the end crowing “Now, I’m first in to the show!” SP & I rolled our eyes at each other, but figured one dimwit wasn’t going to be a problem. We were the only people in the handicapped entrance.

Mr. Bozo kept shouting out obnoxious taunts to the rest of the people in his party, however, and he was really loud & rude. Pretty soon, a CM comes over & asks me if Bozo (my word, not his) was in my party. Bozo hears this & has the audacity to look at me with a pleading look on his face as if I was going to claim him! I told the CM, “No, it’s just me & my daughter here.”

Bozo sticks his tongue out at me & then rolls his eyes at his family who keep laughing at this guy like he’s the funniest thing ever.

Then the CM does a wonderful thing...he tells Bozo that he has to get into the regular queue! Which he does, but he pushes and shoves his way back to his family. This guy was not popular with the rest of us. I heard a few people use him as a lesson object with their children on how NOT to behave. That’s just what I have always done!

Anyhoo, pretty soon Mike comes on the TV & explains about the show & how you can text your own joke in to try to get into the act. I tell SP my zinger “What did the Buddhist say to the hot dog vendor?....Make me one with everything.” and she sends it in. Another few minutes pass & then the HC door opens & we’re shown to our seats. We could hear Bozo shout “Hey, that’s not fair! I was first in line.” Geez..some people!

The show started & it was even funnier than last time. And guess what? They picked Bozo to be “that guy” and picked on him mercilessly.

He actually started to look ashamed by the end of the show. Hee! I loved it! Disney had a chance to cleverly put this guy in his place without ruining the magic for the kiddos in the room. The jokes at his expense got the biggest laughs from the “knowing” adults.

And the best part? My joke was chosen & used in the show with a shout out to SP.

Once we got out of the theater, we headed towards the Carousel of Progress. Both SP & I are ridiculously enamored of this ride. After seeing that it only runs seasonally, I get nervous, but so far it’s always been open when we go. We scooted right on & enjoyed the show! Humming the catchy “It’s a great big beautiful tomorrow” song, we headed towards Space Mountain to try our luck again. There was no wait time! Hoorah!

Being more savvy this time, I left my scooter outside of the ride & limped my way to the ride so SP wouldn’t hurt herself (or me!) this time. We also knew to stash our hats, glasses, etc. in our bags & we put our lanyards inside our shirts to avoid what happened last time!

It’s a good thing this ride is in the dark, since I can’t see a thing without my glasses! Exhilarated from our ride, we took a turn through the dump shop before we made our way back to my scooter. SP wanted to ride Space Mountain again, so we got a couple of FP’s for later in the day.

Next we hopped on board the TTA & did the circuit 2 times in a row. SP wanted to see the Astro Orbiter in flight, but each time we came around, it was sitting still. Finally, on the last go around, we were able to see that it was just like Dumbo, only high up in the air. SP decided the ride was not worth the anxiety about the height.

Once we got off the TTA, we headed back towards Adventureland.

On the way back across, we took some time to take pictures of the castle, the character posts, etc.

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Then we made our way to the Jungle Cruise. We were getting into the handicapped queue, when a CM there told us to get a Fast Pass. The guide says not to, but the CM insisted, so we got one for an hour away. Okay..not what we've done in the past, but no worries.

In the meantime, we went to the Tiki Room. We had to wait about 10 minutes before getting in, but luckily this queue is under cover. The day was starting to heat up quite a bit. After the show, which is cute, but would be better without Iago, we headed over to get some ice cream.

SP got a swirl cone & I got my favorite – a Dole Whip! There were a bunch of tables in the shade & we got one & people watched as we ate our ice cream.

A few minutes later a family comes over & takes the table right in front of us. They were a large, loud group. Must have been 15 people in their party, all talking at once, arguing with each other – the kids crying or whining, adults fussing or snapping. It made me glad I wasn’t on a family reunion trip this time around!

One lady’s cell phone rings & she starts scream-talking into the phone about how everyone felt better that day except little Cindy. She was still sick & they were waiting on her & her mom to meet them for the princess lunch at the castle.

She then started to go into details of the illness (gastric issues, natch). SP & I looked at each other and, holding our breaths, made a quick exit. No way did we want to catch whatever ailed them! We each took turns using the antibacterial wipes & saying fervent prayers to avoid the ick. Out of all the tables…they had to pick one right next to us.

It was about time for our Jungle Cruise fast passes so we made our way over there. Only to discover that, once again, the CMs here can never agree on what handicapped people are supposed to do. They told me not to use the fast pass and to just board using the HC queue. Well, duh! That’s what I tried to do before.

Oh, well. No matter we were boarded within a minute & on our way. Our skipper was one of the better ones & really knew his routine. SP & I were the only ones to chuckle at his antics, however, as no one else on the boat with us spoke a word of English!

After the ride, I suggested to SP that we pass along some magic & give our perfectly good FP’s to someone waiting in the now really long line. Having only 2 passes, it came down to picking between just 2 sets of people. We were both giddy at the idea of making someone’s day and were both smiling when we approached an older couple to give them our FPs.

SP walked up to them & said that we had 2 FP’s we didn’t need & would like them to have them. The couple looked at her like she was crazy, shook their heads no, and turned back to wait in line.

SP turned to me & shrugged to say “what, now?” I pointed to the other 2 people (everyone else in line was in groups of 3 or more) & she tried once again to spread some magic. These people did take them – but didn’t even smile or say thank you – nothing. Just walked to the FP line & left SP standing there perplexed.

SP turned back toward me & said, “Great idea, Mom. Nothing like making someone’s day.” I said, “Well, we tried.” Several people who had seen the whole thing told us not to worry, they thought it was really nice of us and couldn’t believe the way some people act. The older couple heard this, but didn’t remark. We decided to shrug off the incident.

SP said she was really hungry, so we took the breezeway through to Frontierland and Pecos Bill’s. SP ordered the Chicken Salad, no chicken (!), and I ordered the chicken wrap. Mine came with fries which we shared. The fixin’s bar is really great there – they had melted cheese! – so we dipped our fries & imagined there was also chili on them. The wrap was really good – though I thought too big. One could feed 2 people. We took our time eating & enjoying the shade, before heading back out.

Up Next – Magic Kingdom Day – Part II – Liberty Square, Glowing Ears, Fantasyland, and Wishes

 

[scooby9932]

Just an update in case anyone's interested. As many of you know, Hurricane Gustav tore through Louisiana last Monday.

This is the worst Hurricane in the history of Louisiana. Fortunately for the New Orleans area, the storm didn't cause the damage seen by Katrina. In fact I heard that 95% of the city has power returned & they're back to business as normal for the most part. Evacuees are returning today, I believe.

However, UNFORTUNATELY for us, we (me, SP, my 75 yo father, and 70 yo mother who's on oxygen) happen to live in the hardest hit area in the state. Our area has approximately 97% without power.

We lost 14 oak trees, one of which crushed the top of my daughter's car (she had only liability on it, sadly), breaking the windshield & also had a limb that crunched into the hood.

Though our house was not hit by any trees directly, we did sustain a good bit of damage to the roof & other structures.

The smallest tree lost is 75 feet long & 8 feet in diameter at the base of the trunk - think HUGE trees. An arborist told us when the tree fell on my room/car last March that we had no trees less than 100 years old, and one that was at least 500 years old. The 500 yo tree has not yet fallen. I say yet since Hurricane IKE is barreling toward us - one scant week after Gustav.

We still don't have electricity (I'm at work where they do have service) or phone service. We heard this morning that it could be into October before we have electricity restored.

Meanwhile, the inside temps are grueling (our temp gauge says 88 this morning). We are HOT! We have a small generator to run my mom's oxygen separator & we can charge some battery powered things, but it's still a real pain in the patootie, to put it very mildly.

Our parish (like counties in other states) has largely been ignored by the government. Whereas Baton Rouge & other large areas have received aid, we have had none. No ice, no food, no tarps - FEMA doesn't seem to think we exist. It's a pain & it's a real shame.

I had chemo on the Friday before the storm hit & am not doing well with all the stress & heat. My doctor is very concerned since I broke down in sobs today in the office for my checkup. I'm very stressed. I have lost my upbeat outlook.

Now with Ike coming toward us, I'm about at my wit's end. They say God never gives you more than you can handle. Well, I'm not so sure of that this time. I'm depressed & weepy & scared. I can't sleep. I stay awake at night, sweating up a storm, and listening to the wind, waiting for that horrific CRRRACCK! sound of another tree falling...some of our trees have just the tops torn off & hanging by a thread waiting for a good reason to come crashing down. I don't count these in the 14 total, but maybe I should.

My poor father is doing his best to cut up the trees that are blocking our cars & our driveway - one uprooted that took out our front gate/fence & left a HUGE hole (more like a mini pond) where the rootball used to be. The estimate for tree companies to cut & haul off the debris is $2000 per tree. We have 14 trees. The math is NOT good. We just don't have that kind of money. We also don't have any family close by to turn to. I've always felt the "smallness" of our family size, but now it seems we're isolated more than is comfortable.

Sorry to sound so depressed on the Happiest website ever, but I just wanted to give an update so you guys will understand if I don't make any new posts for awhile yet.

Prayers & pixie dust are much appreciated!

 

[MomsOf2boys]

Just an update in case anyone's interested. As many of you know, Hurricane Gustav tore through Louisiana last Monday.


Sorry to sound so depressed on the Happiest website ever, but I just wanted to give an update so you guys will understand if I don't make any new posts for awhile yet.

Prayers & pixie dust are much appreciated!

Prayers on the way... the news has made it sound not so bad at all really. I am very sorry to hear how bad it is for you guys there.

 

[TigerKat]

Dawn - Know that my heart is breaking for you and your family. I will keep y'all in my prayers. I know it may not seem like it but I have faith that you WILL get through this, you are a VERY strong woman. Feel free to PM me to vent, cry, anything, OK?

 

[tink1957]

I'm so sorry you have to go through this & I will keep you in my prayers. I heard today that Ike is supposed to go through Texas so hopefully it will miss you. Hang in there, it will get better.

 

[scooby9932]

Ohmigosh! It's been 1 month since I've posted anything. I'm a bad, bad Diser.

To my credit, though, it's been a rough few months!

First, we had 2 back to back hurricanes. Gustav caused major damage we're still trying to straighten out, and then Ike came along and caused a bit more damage. Cleanup has been put on hold - you'll see why when you read below!

A few days after Ike hit, I was in extreme pain & had to stay home & eat pain pills. My ribs, shoulder & hips were so painful I was in tears, which for me is really unusual. Feeling like this was a different kind of pain from the usual, I scheduled an appointment with my oncologist.

Wouldn't you know - the cancer has spread to my ribs. The shoulder & hip pain is from something called avascular necrosis (chemo caused the blood supply to the bone to cut off, causing the bone to die & crumble -nothing they can do about it). The rib pain was due to the metastasis of the cancer to the rib bones.

As you may know, bone metastasis is a grim thing. But I believe I'll get through this as well. I'm working the positive attitude! I've started on radiation treatments (3x week for 6 weeks). Oh, joy!

Anyhoo, as if this wasn't enough, right in the middle of this mess, my mom fell full out on her right side onto the hard tile floor in our hallway. She broke her humerous bone into 3 pieces (sort of a V shaped break so the bones rub against each other whenever she moves - OUCH!) & smushing the ball part that goes into the shoulder. Her head was busted, as well as serious bruising & all to her right leg. Her pinkie finger on the left side also got broken somehow. They can't do anything except splint her arm & then do surgery.

They were supposed to put a rod into her arm last Monday, but had to cancel the surgery since her COPD was out of control & she had a slight case of pneumonia. She can't walk or do much of anything for herself. But the hospital just keeps sending her home!

It's been a really rough time at home. My dad & I are doing the best we can (luckily I have a wheelchair & other support devices to help, but a hospital would be better!). She's in a lot of pain, and let's be honest...she's not an easy patient, to put it lightly. I think I get my stoicism from trying to be the exact opposite of my mother. I love her, but sometimes... I've tried to talk them into a Home Health nurse, but they stubbornly refuse to hire one. Parents!

The saga continues....

Two days later, SP was at work (she waitresses to make extra money when she's not booked for photography) when one of her coworkers dropped the tray holder on her ankle. Yep, you guessed it! She has torn ligaments in her left ankle and is splinted & using crutches. She had to stop working for awhile, as well.

Just call me Doomsday Dawn, right? Like I said, it's been a heck of a bad time lately. Things will improve, right?

I'm really in need of some Disney magic! Only 6 months, 3 weeks to go!

Ok, I've hijacked my own trip report long enough. I am currently working on the next installment & hopefully will have it up in the next couple of days.

 

[TigerKat]

Dawn - Lots of prayers coming your way.

 

[scooby9932]

Thursday, May 9, 2008 – Magic Kingdom Day – Part II

So, when last I left you, we’d eaten a nice lunch at Pecos Bill’s & were heading towards Liberty Square. SP & I both wanted to ride HM again, so that’s where we headed first. We went through the HC line & were on the ride within minutes.

It was on this ride that we first noticed my green Mickey ear glows in the dark! SP looked at me & said, “Wow! Mom, your ear is glowing.” It took me a second to realize that she meant my Mickey ear & not my actual ear.

Now, every night I see the warm glow my one Mickey Ear across the room on top of my entertainment center. You’d be surprised just how bright it shines! The ride broke down a couple of times, but it was no problem as we were able to look around at everything a bit more than normal & noticed more of the changes that had been made. HM remains a “Must Do” for both of us.

We then decided to check out the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe. We LOVE Christmas & I wanted to be sure to get ornaments for each of this year. We spent a few minutes trying to get a pic of SP on the sleigh. She couldn’t sit on the seat, though, as it was just too hot. We finally got one that I liked.

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Next, we spent about 30 minutes just browsing & another 10 or so making a final decision on selections. SP got a Cinderella & Prince Charming ornament – really pretty. I got a snow globe ornament with the castle & a bunch of characters in front. The whole thing is tied up in a blue ribbon – very pretty & not so “Christmas-y” that I can’t display it all year long. We paid for our purchases & arranged for them to be delivered to our resort & then headed out.

Next we headed across the street to the Hall of Presidents. The ropes were up on the streets & people were already crowding in to catch the afternoon parade. SP & I are not fans of this parade, so we quickly ducked into the HOP and enjoyed the cool air conditioning. Within a few minutes we were let into the theater. We’ve skipped this one on the last 2 trips (not sure why) so it was nice to be able to see it again. The little touches (twitching, foot swinging, etc.) really make this a standout. I still like the American Adventure presentation better, but that has to do with the music mostly.

We looked through the gift shop a moment waiting for the parade to pass by. We exited just in time to follow the parade down the street to the hub. It felt like we were part of the parade. SP & I gave princess waves to little girls who were still busily waving at everyone passing by.

It was just about time for our FPs to Space Mountain, so we crossed the park again. Poor SP! I felt so bad that she was doing all this walking, but she said she really didn’t mind at all.

After another thrilling ride on SM, we were thirsty & in need of a cool break. We headed toward Fantasyland, following people we saw with frozen drinks of some kind. It being MK, we knew we’d eventually find the place selling them & they wouldn’t have alcohol (we’d had a hard time finding non-alcoholic ones in EPCOT!).

Finally we found a small shop selling frozen raspberry lemonades & while SP stood in line to order, I found us a nice quiet spot in the shade. We sipped our slushies & people watched for quite awhile. It was a nice break. People kept coming up to us thinking we were sitting in front of the bathroom. We were sitting under a awning that led to a CM only entrance. The bathrooms were on the other side of the lemonade stand. We directed probably 20 people to the right place while sitting there.

On our way through Fantasyland, SP & I noticed the DVC booth. We decided to go take a look & wouldn’t you know it-booked a tour for the next morning!

Afterwards, we wandered over to Snow White’s Scary Adventures, but the lines were so long & we decided to skip it for now. SP wanted to go into Sir Mickey’s to find some sunglasses. Hers had broken & she wanted a new pair. We spent a LONG time looking for just the right kind. I kept taking pictures of her with them on & then she’d look at the pics & decide which pair to get. I was absolutely no help ‘cause I just don’t like what I call “bug eye” glasses. She finally decided on a pair & we made our way over to Tinker Bell’s Treasures.

I didn’t think SP remembered looking for Tink, so I showed her where to look in the keyhole. I was right - she didn't have a clue what I was talking about. When she finally looked, she got so excited when she heard the twinkly sound & then “saw” Tink in her room. Disney magic at work!

While there, she just had to share the fun & had such a great time enticing all the little girls to look into the bureau keyhole to see Tinker Bell. She’d approach them & ask their Mom or Dad if they might like to see Tinker Bell. Once they agreed, she’d lead them by the hand over to the bureau & tell them to look inside. Their little faces lighting up were just so magical! The parents were all so happy that SP shared her “secret” with their little girls. After finding about a million things I want to buy for my some day grandbabies, we left the shop.

We decided one more ride on IASW was in order – this time during the day, so we got in line. It was a fast moving line & we rode in no time. I just LOVE this ride. Even the song.

We then headed over to Peter Pan. This is SP’s favorite ride at MK & it was just at the right time as we got on with very little wait time. SP loves carousels & was hoping to ride it this trip, but wouldn’t you know – the carousel was down for rehab.

Oh, well. We then just spent some time wandering around the castle looking at the scenery. The mosaics are just so pretty. We made a wish in Cindy’s fountain.

We decided that we were done with riding for the day & would spend the time remaining before the fireworks looking in the shops along Main Street. We have never made the effort to before as it’s always so crowded. It was just the right time of day, however, as we had no trouble meandering through.

We had fun looking over everything & deciding that we’d wait until after the fireworks to buy anything. We like to let the crowds go by before heading back to the buses anyway. We made our way all the way through the Emporium, et al. Then we crossed the street & spent some time in the Confectionery, where we did buy some M&Ms and a couple of the “World’s Best Cookies” for after dinner.

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We spent a long time in the Main Street Gallery looking at the different cels, paintings, and sculptures. Of course we each found at least one we just had to have – some day…when we could afford it.

It was getting pretty late by this time, so we decided to snag a seat for the parade. I asked SP to find a good table in front of the Plaza Restaurant. I really wanted to have a table to eat our food & figured we could just rest & relax until the show. I like the spot for another reason – close to the bathrooms!

SP asked if I could get some food for us both as she wanted to scope out the best seats for catching photos of the fireworks. I figured I could handle it, so said ok and headed to Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station to get us both chicken fingers & fries.

The CMs were so nice there. When they saw me in the scooter, they insisted that a CM help me carry the tray all the way to the yellow tables. She was the sweetest girl (I can’t remember her name!) from China. We talked about her experiences in WDW while we walked/scooted back to the tables. She was so sweet & really loved her job. I was looking for SP along the top tier, when I finally spy her at the bottom near the water. She waves us over & is so proud of the spot she’s found that I don’t have the heart to tell her we’re in the smoking section. I figure it’s outdoors & the smoke won’t get too bad.

We ate our chicken fingers (yum!) & rehashed our favorite parts of the day. SP was definitely converted into an MK loving girl! She’s always enjoyed it, but preferred Epcot. I think she’s about 50/50 now, with Epcot just edging out MK.

The tables around us were soon grabbed up & the smoking began in earnest. SP was really dismayed. She & I are both rather allergic to cigarette smoke, but luckily the wind was in our favor & we didn’t suffer too much. SP already plans to get a top tier table for our next trip, though!

While eating, we noticed a skywriter in the sky above us. He wrote out FOOD = Very cute.

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It soon darkened & the announcements started. “Magic Kingdom’s Wishes fireworks show will begin in 10 minutes…” or something like that. SP & I both get giggly & excited to hear them. We both just love the fireworks show! I always end up teary eyed at the end. SP just smiles and smiles. We were both on

Just as the show was about to begin, a mother, grandmother, and 2 small children came by. Seeing that they needed chairs, we insisted they sit with us. The father & grandfather were standing back against the fencing & didn’t want to sit. We talked a bit with the family, who were from New Jersey, & when SP heard the little girl say she loved Tink best, she told them about waking up Tink & to look in the keyhole. They decided they’d do that first thing when they came back in the morning. I just love spreading the magic!

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The fireworks were spectacular as usual. No matter how many times I see them, I’m still so moved & awed. Once they were over, SP & I made our way to the bathrooms one last time before heading over to the Emporium. We both gathered up the items we wanted to purchase (she a Princess CD, me the Wishes CD, plus some other souvenirs & goodies for folks back home) and stood in the long line to check out.

By the time we’d finished shopping, the crowds had thinned some & we were able to make our way out of the park with no problem. The line for the POR bus was very long. There were 4 scooters ahead of us in the handicapped loading area, so I knew we’d have quite a wait. SP sat down beside me & we struck up a conversation with a man from Brooklyn & his family. A bus came & loaded 2 of the scooters. Another bus pulled up shortly after & was loading the next 2 in. The CM told us he’d called ahead for another bus as he was sorry but I couldn’t get on this one, either. I just smiled & said ok. By the time the 3rd bus came, the line was manageable & we all got loaded up no problems.

We got back to the resort & prepped for bed. We were both out like lights, still humming the Wishes tune. We had an 8 a.m. appointment to go on the DVC tour.

Up Next: DVC Tour, Magic Kingdom for Our Last Day

 

[scooby9932]

When I first started this report, I was on a roll. Now it seems like I'm only rolling backwards...

It seems like I've lost my readers, but not being a quitter, I've decided to do a quick summary of the last 2 days of our trip.

We woke up bright & early Thursday morning & met the DVC van out in front of POR. He was able to load my scooter in the back & off we went. Within just a couple of minutes, we were at SSR. We unloaded the scooter & made our way into the lobby. We were greeted nicely & given name tags & asked to wait in the reception room until an agent could meet with us. SP was super excited to see PASTRIES! & juice. She indulged, but I didn't. It looked really good, though.

Only about 2 minutes went by before our guide, Sue, came to take us on a tour of the resort. Sue is an amazing woman - very outgoing, friendly, and just super, super nice. Her love of Disney is clearly evident & her excitement about DVC ownership easily rubbed off on both of us. SP was hooked almost immediately. I was a little slower to warm up to ownership, mainly due to my stretched thin finances. The resort was really nice & we were treated to a view of what the rooms at AKL look like, as well. After the tour, we went back to Sue's office for the slideshow & details on ownership. I do have to say that they are very accomodating & answer any & all questions we had. We left by way of the ice cream shoppe where we enjoyed some free ice cream before heading out to the resort of our choice.

Did I buy in? No. But only because my medical expenses have hurt my credit, plus with all my medical problems, it would be hard to know I'd have enough for the monthly payments. But, I tell you what. If I had the $$, I'd buy in immediately!

We asked to be taken to Magic Kingdom, and the van driver dropped us off right in front. So nice! I see why some people take taxis to the parks!

We had been given a small token to use while in the parks, so SP & I decided on which 3 rides we wanted to FP. First off, though, I wanted to look for a watch. I'd been checking out stores all week long & hadn't found "the one" yet. I finally found one I really like in the watch shop on Main Street.

We first went for SM, but the ride was down for maintenance, so we made our way to Frontierland to ride BTMR. SP hadn't consented to ride this one with me before, but I convinced her it would be fun. And it was! SP's now a fan!

Afterwards, we made our way over to Adventureland, and rode POC. On the way, we ran into my crush, Jack. Wow! Those guys really look like the real thing!

We then decided to head on over to Fantasyland & check out Peter Pan. We didn't need to FP this one, just got right on! Fun as always. By this time, we were both really hungry. So we made our way to Pinocchio's for some lunch.

Let me just say - they need to do a much better job of training the CMs who guard the "non entrances". They fail to really direct you to the right entrance. We finally made our way in, only to find it jam packed! We ended up sharing our table with a Grandma, Grandpa, and their 5 yo DGD. They take each of their grandchildren to WDW when they turn 5. What a great tradition!

It was getting really hot by now & we were growing tired. We decided to try SM one more time before heading back to the resort for a rest & an evening in DTD. SM was still down for repairs & they said it would be 6 p.m. before they were expected to have it fixed. We decided to let it go & just head on back. Ah, well.

The bus was uncrowded at that time of day & we were back to the resort in no time. SP decided to hit the pool while I got our room cleaned up, bags mostly packed, and generally got ready for leaving the next day.

I took a shower & changed clothes & was just starting on the packing when SP showed up. She said the no see ums were killing her, so she decided to come back & get her shower instead. While she showered & primped, I got our bags back in order & had all our stuff ready for loading in the morning.

We then headed over to the boat to catch a ride to DTD. The heat had abated by now & it was a pleasant evening of browsing/shopping before trying to get something to eat. We couldn't get in to any of the sit down restaurants, and SP didn't want Earl of Sandwich (which I've yet to try & really want to next time), so we made our way back to the boat for the trip back to the resort.

We ate some dinner in the food court before going to the store & buying all the souvenirs/gifts we'd been looking at all week. SP is really happy with the charm bracelet & charms I got her. She also got a couple of pins. We managed to find something for everyone on our list & then headed back to the room for a good nights sleep. The next day would be a sad, long one of driving to Pensacola.

Up next, checkout, saying goodbye, and driving to Pensacola.