Fun at the World with someone who doesn't "get it"

[Lyndarella]

I didn't plan to write about this trip, but got enthused after reading other TRs recently!

Who went: Just DH and I. Ages: Old enough to have two (somewhat) adult children. DS still lives at home. DD has moved as far as across the street. They are both WAY TOO COOL for anything at WDW. We alternate between dragging them along, and leaving them with a baby-sitter. (We would have been more comfortable leaving them home alone at 9 and 11 than at 19 and 21. And finding a sitter becomes increasingly more difficult now that they are both over 20...)

When you live in northern MN, you are always thinking about taking a winter vacation! We took our winter vacation in May this year. You will notice from my signature that we ALWAYS take our winter vacation in May... That is because by the time DH commits to taking a trip, all the best reservations are already gone. (So are the best flights.)

We arrived at MCO late on a Saturday night. (See above paragraph.) The airport was nearly deserted and the lights were dim. Yay! There was no wait for a shuttle to our resort!

An aside note on Car Rental: We have learned not to rent a car at the airport. Every time we've tried this, there has been a Mishap -- missing cars, non-working cars, a shuttle to the far side of the state, road construction, and one time DH spent TWO HOURS choosing a car he liked... Now we wait til mid-week, and rent a car from a DTD hotel, where the counter and selection are small, and they pick you up!

We arrived at our resort (now it is REALLY late) and there is a long line of people checking in! Where did all these people come from? I notice the Express Lane, and can't remember what it is you have to do to use it. Apparently nobody else can remember how to use it either, because there is NO ONE IN IT!! I make a mental note to check-into the express check-in next time we come here.

Sunday -- our first day! And it's the most beautiful day there's ever been! DH decides it would be a good day to rest, and tries to sleep with all the curtains closed... Now I have to explain our different traveling styles. DH thinks vacation is a time for rest. He has a stressful job working at DHS for the State of MN, and looks forward to having this down time. My style of travel is hand-on-the-doorknob-at-sunrise. We have reached a compromise by deciding that vacation is a time for rest... I spent the first day walking around the resort taking pictures.

An aside note about the resort: It is not Disney, but it really is as nice. Really! What we own is always a 2BR any time of year. And what makes it as nice as Disney, is that guests aren't trying to take the furnishings home for souvenirs, so there are cloth napkins and rings, more pictures on the walls, and decorations and pillows everywhere. Disney used to do this. We also own at DVC, and sometimes spend part of our FL week there, so we know how they compare.

So I spent the most beautiful day there's ever been, walking around in the most beautiful tropical scenery there's ever been! Every 10 feet is a Kodak Moment, with fountains, flowers, and waterfalls! Really as nice as Disney. We ordered pizza at the end of our first day.

Monday -- It's the second most beautiful day that's ever been! DH decides this is another day of rest... So I worked on some of the activities I'd brought with me: books, puzzles, sewing, magazines, and other misc. On one vacation I finished a quilt because I had so much down time! Monday evening we went to one of the many restaurants at the resort. Yum!

Tuesday -- We rented a car at the Doubletree at DTD. Their selection is limited, but they always have some type of small 2 door sportscar left over, that nobody else wanted. Perfect! While we were in the neighborhood, we decided to stop at DTD.
It was the middle of the afternoon, and I wanted a cup of coffee. This is hard to find, if you are not at a restaurant. There are many small food stands at WDW, but they all want to sell you Popcorn! Bottled Drinks! Ice Cream! DH asked if I was sure I wanted to search by myself, but I said, "It's OK -- I'm just getting coffee!" A sandwich restaruant had just opened there, so I went in to order coffee. They must have been so new that their signage wasn't complete, because I could not tell where to order and where to pick up... And it didn't help that there were no CMs anywhere to be seen. While I was trying to peek around the end of a counter, a young couple came up, a CM appeared, and the young man started to order food. His GF was embarrassed when she saw me already standing there, but I told her, "It's OK -- I'm just getting coffee!" An elderly couple came up behind me, and just as I was starting to order, DH pulled me away and said, "You have to wait it line!" The couple and the CM looked bewildered, so I said, "It's OK -- I'm just getting coffee!" and we left... I found a popcorn stand, and the CM there told me there would be a wait for popcorn, but I said, "It's OK -- I'm just getting coffee!"

I sat at a table enjoying the beautiful FL weather and drinking the last dregs from the bottom of the pot at the popcorn stand. The day was perfect! No heat! No crowds! Disney music! Just DH and me in all that Disney atmosphere!

From there we went into the toy store. DH became interested in an $80 robot there! Like you always do with children, I asked him if he thought he would still play with it when we got home, and he decided he didn't need it.

 

[Lyndarella]

Tuesday evening we spent sitting outdoors at the bar & grill at our resort. There was a rumor that there was Karaoke that night, so we ate and drank, and escaped before that Painful Experience. It was a perfect end to a perfect day!

Wednesday -- Magic Kingdom day! We arrived at the MK during the afternoon parade, the time that we usually get there. Usually, we duck and weave to avoid the parade, and head directly into Adventureland, but this time, we went to the top of the train station to watch. I took some great pictures with my new digital camera! After the parade, it was time to rest, so we went to the smoking spot in Frontierland. I took a picture of DH smoking, and told him I was going to put it in the scrapbook, labeled "What I Did at WDW!" Then we got fast passes to Splash Mt, which is DH's favorite ride. We rode Thunder Mt RR, because there was no wait (unless you count the 20 minutes it takes to walk from the entrance to the loading platform!)

Then we rode Splash Mt, DH's favorite, which is my LEAST favorite ride! I can think about nothing but the Big Drop, and am anxious the whole time! I tried to concentrate on the colorful animation around me. It is the delightful story about how Brer Fox is able to kidnap and torment another creature... I am never fooled by the Not So Steep Drop that comes first. But soon the ride is over, and I wipe my glasses on the wettest part of my shirt as I stumble blindly through the exit.

We wanted to see our ride photo, as we'd been in a front seat. We had a hard time picking ours out, as our heads were down in the photo. Actually, ALL of the people in the front seats had their heads down in the photos, which is why it was so hard to find ours! I was tempted to buy one that had better looking people sitting behind us, since you really couldn't tell that it was us...

It was time to rest again, so we went to the smoking spot near the Tom S rafts. This is a rather large wild area, with lots of natural scenery. There are many baby ducks there that chidren try to stomp on while their parents watch in amusement.

Next we rode the train to Tomorrowland! The train CMs posed for pictures, then we walked into T land. We decided to ride the new Stitch ride. I was disappointed that there were so few changes from the old Alien ride. And I have a real problem with seat belts that hold you in an entire CAGE... (I always test the seat belts after fastening them, on every ride. I am only slightly dismayed that once you have fastened them, they won't unfasten until the end of the ride. You never know what kind of crazy things people will try to do on a ride, but still it is a creepy trapped feeling...) Anyway, I kept figeting and wiggling, and DH had to keep reminding me to "Lean back -- you're missing it!" I think most of it was wasted on me!

After that, we rode the TTA, which we still call the People Mover. There was almost NO ONE ON IT!! We could have ridden it forever, but unfortunately, it was time to rest again. After leaving the T land smoking spot, it was starting to get dark, so we headed back to the resort.

I don't remember where we ate that night, but I love any food that I don't have to cook! It was the end of another perfect day!

 

[Lyndarella]

Thursday -- Epcot! We hurried to get there and arrived at about 4:00... First we wanted to ride Soarin', as it was new to us. There was only a 50 minute wait, so we got in line... I THINK we liked that ride, although parts of it were a bit intense!

We got fast passes for Test Track, then sat at our favorite resting (smoking) spot near Ellen. We ate $4 hot dogs and spent $11 on coffee and cookies! After Test Track and indigestion, we decided to pass on Mission Space. The Energy ride was temporarily closed for cleaning, because someone had just thrown up in there (probably from $4 hot dogs followed by Test Track and Mission Space!) We sat again at our resting spot and I talked to a woman I recognized from Soarin'. What are the chances of running into the same stranger at a place as big as WDW?! She was not impressed that I felt that I knew her --she had not seen ME -- I'd spent 50 minutes staring at her back, while in waiting in line...

A CM from Ellen came out and said it the ride was clean now, and ready for guests. She was only half right, because when we rode, the second half still had the lights on, and no sound track! Now I know a lot of people say they are tired of that ride, but I still find it amusing. And I think being in the middle of those huge animatronics, is WDW at its best!

We ate back at the resort, and ended another perfect day in Florida!

Friday -- our last day! Since we had spent the last 3 days at WDW, I thought we were on a roll! However, DH said since it was our last day of vacation, we should use it for rest. I couldn't even talk him into going to the VWL to drink with our refillable mugs. (Yes, they were sold as FOREVER refillable...) It really was a wonderful last day at a beautiful resort.

Saturday -- going home! We woke up near the middle of the night to prepare to leave. (Remember the part about how all the good flights were already taken?) We packed up and drove the rental car back to the Doubletree, and met our airport shuttle there. It was still dark when we arrived at the airport!

 

[onemoretracy]

You have me cracking up here. Thanks for the quick report!

 

[bouncy54]

What a wonderful trip report. I was through the whole thing.

Thank you for ending my day in such a delightful manner.

 

[OhMari]

Where did you stay. I'm thinking at the Wilderness Lodge, but you really didn't say. I'm lucky my dh is a morning person. I let him rest in the afternoon. I enjoy reading Tr's with just 2 adults. We did it last year in April. Yes I miss my kids, but their lives are getting to busy to go with us any more.

 

[Mickey Nut 50]

My husband is like yours - and from MN to boot! I'm a morning person - up and ready to go at 7 usually. He wants to sleep, and walks slower than molasses in January.

I solved our "problem" by going one week a year by myself, or with our youngest son who is my Disney buddy.

Once every 3 years is ok for my husband. He would rather paddle his butt off and sleep on a rock in the Boundry Waters.

 

[Lyndarella]

OhMari: We stayed off-site this time, where we own at Vistana.

Mickey Nut: Maybe there is something in the MN water that makes guys non-disney people! I would LOVE to go by myself, and have managed 2 trips with a girlfriend (cousin), but DH likes us to vacation together. Lucky me!

 

[winkers]

Great report! I loved it!