Just me and the Kiddos: Returning to the Happiest Place on Earth! Sept 1-6, 2021 (Finally complete!)

[MaleficentMe]

Great report!

Thanks!! I've very much enjoyed reliving the experience. Getting that "mom time" with the kids was really awesome. ❤

 

[MaleficentMe]

Sept 6 Travel Day - The final crushing disappointment and getting home

(And this is why, despite my best efforts, I will never be a published author. Once the "fun" stuff is done, I lose all interest in the rest of the narrative!)

Anyhoo.

Woke up at 5am. I really wanted to go back to sleep, but I kept thinking about traffic, turning in our rental car, hoping to get to the SNA lost and found and maybe finally find DC's phone, so I finally scraped myself out of bed at 5:30 and started cleaning up/packing up. We left our room at 7:30. The 5 and 55 were clear as a bell, so we got to the rental car place at 7:55, SNA at 8:10. Thanks to awesome cologne dude, no extra cleaning fees for our car!

Headed to Lost and Found. Still no luck with the phone. The Final Cut.

Grabbed a coffee and a breakfast sammie at starbucks. After a gate change, boarded the plane at 10:55, backed out of the gate at 11:20 - right on time! There was a line of planes on the tarmac, so we chilled there for a bit. In the air at 11:35.

While waiting for our turn to take off, there was a beautiful example of human kindness: a kid (8ish?) was having a meltdown a few rows ahead of us. The folks behind them got into their bags in the overhead to get a brand-new, never-used pair of ear buds to help soothe him.

Little booger was still whining.

Smooth landing in PDX at 1:30. Shuttle to Thrifty, wait to pay for the parking, then a ~2 hr drive home through Portland traffic. In our door just after 5pm. Happy to be home.

(But was WAYYYYY happier in Disneyland!!)

We're planning a true gonzo trip in late October - only 2 days in the parks. Driving there and back (30+ total hours in the car!) Hopefully Genie+ and the crowds will be merciful! isitpacked is showing 'Hey it's alright' for the 1st day, 'Yup it's packed' for the second. I've renewed my Touring Plans subscription and will be using that to hopefully make it all a little easier. Hoping that we won't get bumped out by after hours parties - or maybe we'll actually participate this year - I've never done one in all my years at DLR!

(and for some reason, this isn't letting me insert smilies.) :-(