DESTINATION...DISNEY (part 1- Whose up for a 14 hour road trip? YEAH!)

msudawgs30

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Messages
145
Welcome to possibly the most planned out trip to Disney that has ever exsisted :crazy: . What can I say, I'm an obsessive compulsive planner/list maker and I had 10 months on my hands :confused3 .

The Cast:

Me: OCD woman (no kidding, germ-a-phobe and plan-a-holic).

DH: How much is this going to cost me guy/Magic stealer (before he can unsqueench his cheeks and have fun this question will be asked many times).

DD: Birthday girl (5) loves all things Disney and is convinced she herself is a princess (wink wink aren't they all???).

DB: Never been to Disney and is always up for a good time.

DSIL: Been to Disneyland and said she saw Yogi Bear there when she was 10 or so :confused3.

DN: He is 4 years old and has never been to Disney. He thought the monorail was such a cool “ride” when we first arrived.

The Baby: The newest nephew who's 1 year old and will be sitting this one out.


Saturday, April 16, 2005

We woke up at about 7:00am so that we could get to the airport by 9:00am to pick up the rental van. Before I left DB and DSIL were yelling at me to get a silver van and one with a DVD player…yea…okay I’m sure they can just whip up my order in a Jiffy :rolleyes: . Magic stealer dropped me off at the loading and unloading spot and told me he would wait for me. This is where my rule breaking husband loves to provoke me. There was a sign that clearly said no parking and something about this area needing to stay clear, so I said, hey you can just circle and I’ll probably be done about your third round. He insists that it won’t be a problem for him to wait, all the while I’m staring at a police officer that is glaring in our direction already over the 5 minutes we’re wasting arguing on his turf. So, I leave and am silently gloating over the fact that he’s going to get it sometime after I enter the building ::yes:: . When I got there check in was really fast and efficient. The guy behind the counter must have sensed my nervousness over a 14 hour ride with two 4 year olds and, oh yea, a one year old that we would drop off with his grandmother a few hours outside Orlando. He had mercy on me and gave us a Montana with a DVD player on board (YEAH!!!). We had two portable players but the sound on them is so low that it’s hard to hear even with headphones. I get the keys and I’m off to the loading and unloading area only to find my husband and the police officer in deep conversation with a lot of laughing and business card exchanging going on. AAAAWWWWEEEE COME ON…can I never catch a break? Seems that officer happy guy had just bought a big house on a big lot in a really nice wooded area where deer and turkey and such practically lounge on his front porch and that’s right up my DH’s alley. Mr. policeman invites DH to stop by anytime and see this oasis spot and tells DH to tell the gate guy he said it was okay. HUH??? I can’t even weasel out of a measly ticket much less get an officer to give me full access to his private property with a high five to boot.

I get to the lot and there she is silver (check) and with a DVD player (check). Won’t I be the popular one with the fam? We could not be any more excited to be leaving and then we look around at the piles…and piles of luggage and coolers and food boxes and toy boxes and did I mention luggage??? Everyone’s mood shifts just a tinch and we begin the stuffing and shoving that is required to get everything in. I comment to DB that he needs to put his Eagle Scout skills to work and get this puppy loaded. About 1 hour later we’re loaded and DSIL and I are in the VERY back with bags under our feet in between our bottoms and the baby’s seat (who was in between us) as well as in our laps. DH and DB are captain and co-captain and DD and DN are in the captains chairs in the center of the van. I asked DB who was in the front passenger if I could put a bag by his feet, no no no...are you kidding? Gotta have my leg room woman! Who's idea was this seating arrangement anyway??? I dunno, still trying to pinpoint that one. As we roll out of the driveway I am settling into the realization that this is going to be for 14 HOURS!!! Everyone managed to keep a great mood going for the first few hours and we were able to locate an awesome road trip radio station with classic rock which is a good mood lifter for anybody. Along about the Alabama state line we began to slow with the traffic and noticed that the oncoming lanes had stopped and people were pulled over all along the roadside. We all moaned about why a detail would be on an interstate and then we saw it. A ninja type motor cycle (you know, the ones that people love to wind out to the max and the sound makes your hair stand up). It was laying in the middle of the road and an older truck had been split in half by it. People were in the weeds and woods looking for him. We were all pretty quiet for a good hour or so as we silently thought about him and his poor family. Okay, time for a mood lifting pit stop where else but McDonald’s for a great artery clogging meal and a playground unwind for the kiddos. We pulled up and everyone bailed out accept for DSIL and I and the baby. Ah…Hello…we need to be uncovered by packing crap so we can move! After unloading several pieces we can breathe and move. We didn’t want to be buried alive again but we wanted to get to the happiest place on earth so after a good long break we snuggled into our spots and off we went. Everyone finally tamed their excitement and we all eventually drifted off to sleep and woke up at the occasional gas stop. At about midnight we reached DSIL’s mother’s where we would stay the night and drop the baby off for a fun filled week of spoiling by his Nini. Understand that DSIL had not seen her mother since the baby was born…A YEAR AGO! So, we HAD to stay up and chat and eat the awesome crab boil that she had labored and prepared for our arrival. Everyone squealed and hugged and savored the few precious moments that we had to see each other. We finally got in the bed at about 2:00am and I had already warned everyone ahead of time that I AM THE ULTIMATE DRILL SGT. So, it was up and at em at 5:00am so we could be at Magic Kingdom for park opening…you know, gotta get your money’s worth out of those $1100.00 tickets by golly! I do have to interject here for a moment and say that I am a youngish 30 something and have never experienced being with people (ladies that is) who are going through the…hhuummm change. Okay, this was a cold time in April for this sunny state and we were sleeping on an air mattress on the floor of one of the bedrooms. Sometime in the few hours we managed to sleep DH wakes me up shaking and saying there’s a breeze on the top of his head. HUH? yea…okay all that driving you insisted on doing has caught up with you hon :rolleyes2 . Seriously I moved over just a few feet to where he was laying and discovered the window was OPEN! Heat off, I can see but window open? It was 50 something degrees outside and Nini said, “hey hon it’s hot flashes what can I say?” So…so much for resting up before our big first day. Five o’clock came waaaaay too quickly and an excited and groggy group of us all managed to get up and get going by the Master Drill SGT’s scheduled time. Good Job soldiers!!! :cool2:


Coming soon…Are you trying to steal my magic??? I know you’re not trying to steal my magic!!!
 
Enjoying your report so far, can't wait for the rest. :earboy2:

That poor motorcyclist...
 
Oh, I can't wait to read more! I feel for you on the luggage thing. I am trying to convince DH we need a rooftop carrier for our van for our trip. I like my space and with three kids, luggage, a cooler, a stroller and whatever else comes along for the ride, I want to be comfortable during those 20 hours. If I wanted to be cramped, I'd take the plane, thank you very much! :)
 

Hey guys, let me tell you what my darling husband cooked up for our luggage!! You know those little grill thingies you can buy at Walmart to hook up to your hitch in the back of your suv? well we bought one like that then he extended all four sided upwards about 3 feet with heavy duty metal grates, welded it together and volia... you can line your suitcases standing up in here and not have to worry about them sliding off. Holds at least 4 very large suitcases and wrap them up with tarps and your good to go. Throw the stroller, pack and play and whatever else you might have in there too. I was doubtful, but it works great. Everytime we see one of those plastic turtle top things we laugh. So if your ever in Disney and see a white Tahoe with a large basket on the back, it's me :goodvibes :goodvibes Dh wants to start a business making these!! :rotfl: :rotfl: Just had to share when I read about how packed you were in the van, yall must have been like sardines!! :rotfl2: :rotfl2: Enjoying your report!! Keep it coming. :)
 
I have a Montana and I have been the passenger in the back row!!!! ;) :) What we won't do for a week at the world! :teeth:
 












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