Four rashes & a knot on the head-a trip report-part I

[jimmiej]

Cast:

Me- 44, trip planner, WDW fan
DW- 43, WDW fan
DD#2- 18, couldn't let us go w/o her
Nephew- 11, never been to WDW
Niece- 8, never been to WDW

Preview:

About 15 months ago, DW & I decided we wanted to do one of two things on our next WDW trip. Either take our nephew & niece, or do a Disney cruise. We decided to ask my brother & SIL before deciding. We gave them several months to think about it before asking again. Ultimately, they said yes. Let the planning begin!

I initially made a ressie at Dolphin w/teacher discount. We had stayed at Swan in '02 & I really wanted to try something else, but this was a good backup. Eventually, I was able to secure a discounted rate (thanks mousesavers.com) at CR. I knew the rooms were better suited for five people. Our room ended up being fine.

My brother & SIL told the kids around March & they were very excited, obviously. We were set for June 12-19.

Day 1- We flew out of Austin (TX) on Southwest at 8am on a non-stop flight to MCO. This was our first non-stop & it was great. We were in Orlando by 11:20. A quick word re: Southwest Airlines. Overall the service was great. Good flights, customer service, & on-time. One thing bothers me about SWA. We arrived two hours early both ways, group A going & group B returning. Since our niece & nephew hadn't flown before, we wanted to make sure we could sit together. Ultimately, we were able to both ways. However, 2/3rds of the plane (or so it seemed) was taken by pre-boarders! I don't know what the solution is, but arriving two hours early shouldn't get you in the back of the plane!

Tiffany Town Car picked us up. We had Marcus & he was great! Made a quick grocery stop & arrived at CR by 12:45pm. Since our room wasn't ready, CR stored our luggage & we rode the monorail to Epcot to pick up our tix at will-call. We ate some lunch at the Food & Fun Center & purchased our refillable mugs. The mugs were a real money saver. By that time our room was ready.

For my thoughts on the CR, look here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=592362

We went for a swim & then returned to the room to get ready for our 6pm PS at Chef Mickey's. Chef Mickeys's was great. It was very crowded, but we were seated in 5-10 minutes. We had lots of fun w/the characters. Mickey, Goofy, C & D, Minnie, Donald. FYI-They take your pic before you are seated & then bring it to your table for possible purchase. We bought ours because it was good. For a complete dining report, look here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=593196

After dinner, we caught a bus to DD & did a little shopping before returning to CR to watch the Electric Water Parade. We watched it from the circle pool area behind the resort. That was neat. We'd never really watched it before. It lasts just a few minutes.

Wondering about the title of this trip report? You'll have to read the next installment. More later!

 

[Minniespal]

Great report ~ Thanx for sharing.

 

[Katy Belle]

OOHHH! I can tell I'm going to love your report! Keep 'em coming! What a nice Uncle and Auntie you are to take your niece and nephew along! Can't wait for more!

Katy Belle

 

[LovesHauntedMansion]

I fly to Orlando using Southwest also. I too like to get to the airport 2 hours early. I always end up in the "A" group. Unfortunately, almost everyone flying to Orlando has a young child & is able to pre-board. If you were flying to another location, the pre-boards wouldn't take up so much of the plane. On my last trip, after the pre-boarding was completed, an employee came out to get the "A" group & jokingly said that the plane was already full. We all laughed, but he wasn't too far from the truth. People traveling with more than 2 in their party had to split up. We too sat towards the back of the plane. Fortunately, they had made an announcement that only the immediate family could pre-board with the youngsters - no grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. They had to wait with the other people.