It's A Jungle Out There! ! ! (and we may starve!!)

[ShortStuff]

I don't really think anyone could ever starve at WDW, but I hope it got your attention!!

We've had a hard year. I wont go into detail, but suffice to say that we not only want a vacation, we NEED a vacation!!

When I tell people I am going on vacation, they always say, "Are you going to WDW AGAIN?" I usually say, "Yes!! Yes we are!!"

This time I can say that it has been 13 months since we have been to our favorite vacation spot! Doesn't sound too long, until I tell you we have gone twice a year for 4 years, the exception being one year we went 3 times, once for 21 days!!! Needless to say, we are ready!!

This will be a budget trip for us, or at least as budget as a week in AKVK in a two bedroom Savannah View room, followed by a week at Marriotts Harbour Lake in a two bedroom villa can be.

How did we make this kind of move, while staying on budget you ask?? (Well maybe you didn't ask, but I'll put it here for those who may want to know!)

We own Hilton timeshare, which trades through RCI into Disney!!! We also own Shell, which trades into Marriott! Pretty nifty points expenditures for a wonderful 2 week vacation in Florida!! :

Next budget move! My daughter owns a Fiat 500, olive green, cute I may add!! We are driving from Central Texas to WDW! 26+ hours actually! Just kidding, we've done this before and made it there and back safely each time!! We've just gone in MUCH larger cars before, like our Durango, a Trailblazer etc. So this will be a first. BUT, this means our transportation cost will only be about $500 or less for 4 people, who would all have to have airline tickets!! So...... , well not quite, but, you get the picture!!

Who are we, you ask??!! Well maybe you didn't, but I thought I would let you know, with pictures soon!!! Coming up in the next chapter!

 

[ShortStuff]

So who are we? Let's see, 2 bedroom villas, they sleep up to 9. Nah, that wont work, we're traveling in a Fiat 500.

We'd better stick to the four of us!!

One last budget measure is our tickets! My older Grandmunchkin is home schooled. He will be attending a YES class, which enabled, (don't you like how I can get away using that word here and you can all understand the concept), us to purchase our 8 day hoppers at 1/2 the price of Disney tickets.

This changed our planned 5 day trip, non park hopper military tickets, into 8 day park hopper tikets for only $60 more a person!! ( There should only be 2 of us dancing in this picture, as my Grandmunchkins were giving my daughter and I some pretty big snort, laugh, giggles, when I gave her the news and we actually did jump/dance around. )

So, we'll move along now....

Me: I'm Grammie, at least to my youngest Grandmunchkin, so that will do here, I think. I'm an RN by night and a Disney fanatic by day. I don't have a favorite park, unless you consider Disneyland a choice. (Native Californian). I love WDW though and it is the only Disney parks my Grandmunchkins have been to!!

This trip, I want to try a Napolean, get a Mickey make your own rice krispy treat at Goofys, a red velvet cupcake, butternut squash soup at Mara and a kaki gori. The rest of my food will be real food. Hmmmm, maybe in WDW sweets are real food?!

My Daughter: Rae Rae. She is not only awesome because she is MY daughter, but she is also my Grandmunchkins Mommy!!! She loves AK and AKKV and Jambo house!! She likes the other parks also, but AK is her favorite! I promised her we would get her some good scallops this trip!! She has never met a caramel anything she doesn't like. : I bet you can guess where we will shop in Epcot!! She loves vinylmations and we have several to trade, as well as pins.

Grandmunchkin 1: CT. He is 7. He is a boy. Need I say more?! He has the biggest heart of anyone I know, but he has 0 patience!! I love him with my entire being!! He and I are very close and he is starting to become more independent. I am happy for him and I am adjusting.

His favorite ride is Star Tours, followed by Buzz Lightyear. Last year he went on Splash and BTMRR for the first time. This year he vows not to ride anything scary.

Grandmunchkin 2: JD is 4. Going on 13, lol. I love this kid! He has these deep thoughts, that astound me. The next minute he tells me, 'Grammie, you can't play my game, cause you don't know how.' (even if I do ). He loves TSM, Buzz, jungle cruise and the safari ride. He also likes getting his own way. All the time. 24/7. He is learning quickly that wanting your own way and trying to get your own way at the expense of others, gets you in trouble. n: Luckily he is sweet and learns fast!!

So, that's us! In a nutshell.


When?? We leave Thursday, arrive Friday and don't get home until October 1 or thereabouts!! I hope you'll join us, as we will try to do a combo of a live report, along with adding details as we go along!!

Can you tell I like smilies?

 

[ShortStuff]

Save for chapter links if I can learn how to do them.:

 

[MEK]

Yeah - subbing!!!!! So, did you just get back? I can't wait to read all about this trip. Yup - 13 months is too long to wait between trips.

You got some great trades. Awesome and the ticket deal - you can't beat that.

Your grandchildren sound like they are wonderful kids.

 

[ShortStuff]

Yeah - subbing!!!!! So, did you just get back? I can't wait to read all about this trip. Yup - 13 months is too long to wait between trips.

You got some great trades. Awesome and the ticket deal - you can't beat that.

Your grandchildren sound like they are wonderful kids.

Woo hoo, thank you for venturing over!!! I am so happy to 'see' you! I am hoping to do somewhat of a live report. We leave Thursday, so everything will start up soon!

My Grandsons are awesome, but I will admit, I am more than a little prejudice.

The first hurdle will be trying to fit everything into the car!!

 

[glennbo123]

Subbing! Hiya Shortstuff.

 

[firecracker725]

Can't wait to read more about your trip! Two weeks sounds fabulous!

 

[ShortStuff]

Subbing! Hiya Shortstuff.

Thank you so much for stopping by and !!! I hope you will enjoy the ride!!

Can't wait to read more about your trip! Two weeks sounds fabulous!

and thank you so much for joining in!! I am getting REALLY excited, now that my long working weekend is over!! Now I only have a two hour class tomorrow, work 12 hours Tuesday and Wednesday night and we are out of here!!! Love your screen name!! :

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Signing on! Sounds like a fabulous trip you have planned!

 

[ShortStuff]

Signing on! Sounds like a fabulous trip you have planned!

and thank you so much!!! I am quite excited as I only have one more night to work, (tonight) and then the party begins!! Thanks so much for joining!!

 

[Bridora]

Hello!

Sounds like you guys are going to have a wonderful time!

You leave tomorrow, then? Be safe and happy driving!

Can't wait for some live updates!

 

[ShortStuff]

Hello!

Sounds like you guys are going to have a wonderful time!

You leave tomorrow, then? Be safe and happy driving!

Can't wait for some live updates!

Hi and !!! We leave town late tonight!! I am very excited, have worked 35 out of the last 72 hours and I can't sleep as I am so excited!! Thank you for joining in!!

 

[ShortStuff]

Well, we have arrived and are two days in to our trip. Problem is, the internet service is spotty at best and horrible at worst. I liked the hook up a computer, make it a hot spot internet better. I know! Never satisfied.

I think, unfortunately, that I will have to start the report when we are at Marriott Harbour lake, as i have tried to post this three times and it keeps vanishing!

Lets see if I can leave at least one or two pictures here of our trip. Nah, tried again and it blew up the connection!! "See" you soon!!

 

[MEK]

Hey Shortstuff -

I hope you are having a great time! Looking forward to hearing all about it.

 

[ShortStuff]

Hey Shortstuff -

I hope you are having a great time! Looking forward to hearing all about it.

Thank you so much!!! We got home last night, in time for the "Once Upon A Time" season premiere. Unfortunately photobucket is being particularly unco operative this fine day. We had a wonderful time, despite the plague, the rain and trying to fit everything in the fiat, for the return home!!

Thank you so much for thinking about us and I will try to post pictures soon!! :

 

[ShortStuff]

You know, at the beginning of a vacation, how you have that hair standing up on the back of your neck, come on, hurry up, we HAVE to get going, NOW, feeling!!??!!

We've all been there, right? Usually after all the preparation, packing, preparing, purchasing and philandering, whoops, think that should be on Dr. Phil, so leave out the last 'p', we get to go!!

Well, prior to leaving Grammie sent Mommy to sleep over at her friends house. After all, Mommy had a lot of hours of driving ahead!! The car was packed, the grandmunchkins were watching cartoons, movies and charging their i-pads and Mommy was sleeping.

So, in the deep of night, er, early morning, we were off!!

No pictures at 0400, so as not to awaken the grandmunchkins. The thing about driving to Orlando from central TX, is that is takes a LONG time just to get out of TX. But soon, it was light out! Someone is excited!!

The grandmunchkins, err, not so much. But at least they were busy!!

 

[ShortStuff]

So, as you can see, we were a little but 'tucked in.' The stroller sat between the boys on the way to Orlando. On the way home it found a new home, donated to Marriotts Cypress Harbour, as they accepted it as a loaner.

We got a good start traveling, stopping at Wal Mart for a break and a breakfast break at their Mickey D's. Sorry, no picture, except for these.

Yeppers, it really says that on cups from TX.

Here is our car, in the Wal Mart parking lot, somewhere in small town TX.

And, yes, we bought even more stuff to fit into the car!!

One thing I can say about TX, is that the roads, even the roads through rural areas are well maintained and easily navigated. Here is an example.

So, we were on our way, and doing quite nicely, both time wise and traveling mode wise.

 

[ShortStuff]

So, 'on the road again', which unfortunately for my daughter and grandmunchkins, they did hear a time or two.

I wont bore you with the two hundred and seventy six pictures through TX, however, I will show you our first traffic jam. Road work in Louisiana, but hey, that's what lets us keep traveling, right?!

This next picture was a mile or so up the road, and it made me miss our Dodge Durango, sitting in the driveway at home.

When what to our wondering eyes should we see!!?? Yeppers Lake Charles, with visions of Steamboat Bills, dancing in our heads.

But alas, it wasn't time for lunch yet, the grandmunchkins were being good travelers, so we put our seafood cravings aside, and figured we would stop in Rayne at the candy store instead!! Oh, the harships of life.

 

[ShortStuff]

One of our favorite stops in Louisiana is the Candyland Cottage in Rayne, LA. It is great, as it has a lot of old fashioned candy and gum, 'toy' candy, like the little planes filled with hard candy, ice cream and the Worlds Larget Gunny Bears and worms. Yeppers, worms. My grandsons love this place. We often end up stopping on the way back from Orlando, but this was mid morning and time for a break.

You can find some really fun things, some of which I remember from childhood. I'll let you 'feast your eyes'.

Cute, but I've never bought one.

This was so huge, that my grandmunchkins gave up after about a fifth was gone.

My attempt at 'artsy'

More candy!!

Sorry, can't find the gummy pictures right now, but I shall try later and will post them then!!

 

[ShortStuff]

Found the largest gummy bear and worm:

The grandmunchkins haven't asked for one.....yet.

Rayne is not only known for Candyland Cottage, but for being the frog capitol of the world. Having lived in CA most of my life, I thought that was Calavares County and annual frog jumping contest. Live and learn. Please excuse the glare, but this will give you the idea.

A couple of more random shots, including one of the whole brood!! Make sure and sign the guest book if you visit. I added my Dis name in the book.

And of course, the obligatory clean/themed bathroom shot.