NO COMMANDO?? . . . .ARGHH! Can I do this?

[DisneyJo]

Your other Grandchildren are cuties too Sounds like you're going to have a fabulous summer

 

[lynn2art]

Let me start by saying that my computer has been having problems and I have been unable to get online for some time (sorry Mom).
Alas the end of any trip is always a sad time. I remember as a kid having that let down in the pit of your stomach at last day or two. I don't know if anyone else does this but towards the end of a trip anywhere fun, my brains starts a "count down". It is not on purpose or intentional, but my brain does this on its own. I don't let it spoil the end of a trip, but inevitably my mind starts reminding me at weird times of the day that there are only x number of days left. I got this feeling the last day we went to Epcot. I just knew it was the begining of the end of the trip so it was a little sad. My Mom was right that the kids were a little off that day during the middleof it. WC was tired (more than usual) and dreamy was a touch irritable (which is unusual for him). Luckily dinner turned it around, but part of me wondered if the kids had that intuition that the trip would soon end. The last day of magic kingdom was fun, but again the last day at a park, particularily the one that started it all, is bittersweet. You've had fun, and you get to hit the highlights and favorites, but then again, this is it and you know it will be a long wait before you come back. "Real life" has been blissfully suspended for a while, but you'll soon reenter it. This trip went so well too.
[ SIDE NOTE :We took this trip after a terrible Spring one year ago when WC spent Three full months extremely ill. It turned out we were lucky to some degree and she had status migrainus (when a migraine never goes away, and hers affected more than just terrible headaches and not keeping food down). At any rate I say lucky because it is treatable to a degree and even though there are rough times she does ok now. So all of this made us realize that you have to make the time and opportunities to do fun things with your kids while you can. ]
Anyway the trip was great and it was so nice to see both sets of parents (or grandparents depending on your perspective). We had a really great time. So it was with a tiring but heavy heart that we left the MK and Polynesian that night. (I still liked Le Celier better, Mom, though I enjoyed Kona too ). We were consolled by the thought of hitting downtown disney and Disney Quest the next day though, as a sort of Disney buffer back into the real world again.

 

[PittypatBR]

What a terrific last night! And glad you guys enjoyed your Lapu Lapus
But. I'm worried about what's coming next...

Those Lapu Lapus were good, but if I had to pay those prices often I wouldn't drink much!

Your other Grandchildren are cuties too Sounds like you're going to have a fabulous summer

Thanks! Yes, I'm looking forward to really enjoying my sweeties!

Anyway the trip was great and it was so nice to see both sets of parents (or grandparents depending on your perspective). We had a really great time. So it was with a tiring but heavy heart that we left the MK and Polynesian that night. (I still liked Le Celier better, Mom, though I enjoyed Kona too ). We were consolled by the thought of hitting downtown disney and Disney Quest the next day though, as a sort of Disney buffer back into the real world again.

Thanks for joining in, honey. Now I guess I have to post about our departure day, huh? Okay, here it comes.

 

[PittypatBR]

Departure Day
Since we hadn’t gotten much packing done the night before, DD and I hit the floor running this morning. The plan was to check out as early as possible, check our bags, and then head for Downtown Disney and Disney Quest. We would use our last counter service credits to get a meal there. We were packing like crazy when Wild Child awoke, and we knew right away that plans would be changing, because she said she had a headache. She had seemed to not feel too great the night before, but we thought she was just tired. Now we knew it had been a migraine coming on. (A year ago, she was very ill with a constant migraine for three months before it was diagnosed and brought under control. Now she takes two different medicines to help prevent migraines, and another couple to help when she gets one. She tends to have breakthroughs in the spring when the pollen is out and anytime a front comes through and the atmospheric pressure changes. After we scheduled the trip, DD and I had posted on the family board for ideas to help avoid migraines at WDW, and got lots of great suggestions. I do think the suggestions helped.) But not today. So she got her meds and went back to bed while we finished the packing.

We were through by about 9:30, so went up to check my bags in to be held and DD’s bags in for ME. DSIL took Wild Child to the TV room and settled in a quiet corner with her. His parents came by to visit after they checked out of their condo. DD and I took the bags out to check them. Ohmigosh, the line was LONG!! We got in line and then I realized that this was the ME check-in, so I toodled over to the short line with my bags and was finished in 5 minutes. A Pop CM was walking around to make sure everyone was in the right line, and he said this had never happened before. He said the line had NEVER been like that. I didn’t realize that Disney doesn’t handle the ME check-ins. It is handled by airport personnel and Disney just provides the space. Apparently one of their computers wasn’t working, and the other one was bogged down and running very slowly. So I went back to keep DD company. The line moved like molasses. After about an hour in line, we started trying to figure out what to do. It didn’t look as though anyone was going to get to DD or DQ today. DD had planned that either she or DSIL would take Dreamy over to DQ, and the other one would stay there with Wild Child. This picture was made BEFORE the LONG LINE, or we wouldn’t have looked so happy!

DH came out to see what the hold-up was and he said he would take Dreamy to the video arcade, which he had been eyeing all week, and buy him a $20 card so he could play video games to his hearts content. I had not bought souvenirs all week because I was planning to use my Disney Visa discount at the big DD store to buy everything. Now I had to find some way to get souvenirs for my other two grandchildren back in Louisiana, so I decided to just go to the Pop gift shop and see what I could find. But first I was going to stay with DD while she waited. She would go in periodically to check on WC. WE STOOD IN LINE FOR TWO AND ONE HALF HOURS!!! So that was a real DOWNER to end our trip. If it wasn’t bad enough that WC felt so badly, we didn’t get to do anything that day but stand in line!!
So, what do we do now?

 

[jenr812]

Checking in! I'll be back to catch up as soon as I can!!

 

[PittypatBR]

Checking in! I'll be back to catch up as soon as I can!!

Glad you're back, Jen. I can't wait to hear about your trip!

 

[PittypatBR]

If they hadn't had 6 suitcases, and WC with a migraine so she had to be carried, DD would have tried to schlep their luggage themselves and gotten out of that crazy line, but under the circumstances they had no choice but to use ME. When we finally got her luggage checked in, it was 12:30, so we went to the food court to get something to eat. We grabbed a quick burger and some chicken strips for the kids and tried to catch our breaths. We went back to the TV room to relieve DSIL so he could go eat, and tried to get WC to eat a little. DSIL’s parents had been keeping him company, so they decided to head on to the airport and eat on the way. I DASHED back to the gift shop and literally grabbed the souvenirs. Fortunately I had been looking around in the gift shop during the week so I had some ideas. We took a couple of pictures to end the day. (Note that we had planned to wear our matching polos this day. DH rebelled, but everyone else wore them.)

We had planned to take a picture earlier in the week of the “fearless femmes” but never did. This doesn’t quite portray the spirit, but it was the best we could do on this day.

It was now time for DH and I to get our bags and go wait for ME to head back to the airport. DD and her family were leaving two hours later, so they had later ME reservations. She wanted to go ahead and go with us, but the busses were completely booked up so they had to wait for their scheduled time. It was really tough to leave them, especially when DD teared up. She was just overwhelmed by this terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day. And then it turned out that Dreamy didn’t know they weren’t going to Disney Quest, and got very sad when he found out. It did get better for them though, because after they went to the airport WC was feeling a little better and enjoyed watching the fish in the aquarium and holding her Marie, and Dreamy enjoyed posing for pictures at the Disney Store.

All of which was good, because their flight had been delayed forty minutes or so. This was going to make them get home really late. Even after they landed at the airport, they had another 45-60 minute drive home to the other side of town. At this point, they were just very grateful to get there and fall into bed. In the meantime, we visited with the in-laws in the airport, and then made it home pretty easily, even with the hour drive after the flight. (I just couldn’t believe it was over for at least a year or two.) We had time to unwind a bit before bed, but I didn’t even try to unpack. I’ll just dump the suitcase contents into the washing machine tomorrow! My mom was glad to see us return, and so were the cats!

I will post a final "My favorite things at Disney" in a day or two. I still have Dreamy here, and he got sick last night and needed a little extra TLC, and I have the other two grandsons coming tomorrow to spend the night, and then my brother and his family coming for a week. So I may not get the wrapup done right away. Oh well, that drags it out a little more, doesn't it?!

 

[lynn2art]

Yes, it was an unfortunate end to an otherwise wonderful and magical trip. My Mom forgot to mention how hot it was to stand in that line. It was a scorcher, but despite my telling my mom she didn't have to, she stayed with me in line the whole time! Thanks Mom. I did tear up before my parents left (which you can see in one of the photos if you look closely) which is very unusual for me. I am not usually the weepy type. It is very disconcerting to be "homeless" (no room or home base) when a child is sick. We have been through this and worse before but not without a home. Also it was the let down of it all. I knew one child felt miserable and the other would be highly disapointed. There was also a security in having my parents there to lend a hand (and a shoulder). When wild child was so sick one or the other of my parents was always with us. WC back then was too ill to leave the house so I needed someone around to stay with her when I took dreamy to school or got groceries. My husband works long hours in his job so they were beyond a huge help! Thank goodness my husband was a rock. The closer we got to home the better I felt.
The trip was a great sucess all things considering, so hopefully we will be back in a couple of years!!

 

[dddisrunner]

I am so sorry you had such a bad departure day! When we were at POP I saw that ME express baggage line get pretty long too. Your grandchildren are just adorable (all of them). I have really enjoyed reading your report and sharing your journey with you. You are such a great family! I think it is great that your daughter posts too! I hope WC continues to do well and manage her migraines She must be a brave little girl to deal with that pain Thank you for sharing with us!

 

[DisneyJo]

OMG what a terrible last day poor WC with her head ache and Dreamy for missing out on DQ you'll just have to go back won't you

 

[lynn2art]

Thanks for the sympathy! I love the advice that we just need to go back (...sooner than we planned?!....) Maybe I can tell my husband that we need to erase the negative energy from that last day so we MUST go back sooner than we'd planned! I loved the time that we went b/c the temperatures were reasonable, not a lot of rain, no chance of hurricanes, and the crowds were way down. However, spring is not WC's best time of year, so we may look into a fall trip next time! Thanks for all your kind words!

 

[punkin413]

so sorry you had an icky last day! that stinks. and i can definitely relate to the disney's-over feeling you get when you get home. luckily my DH loved it just as much as i did so we're going back in april, but now we just have to wait 10 months! hopefully you guys can get back soon! i've loved your TR!!!

 

[KathyRN137]

Well, Pittypat, departure day always stinks; but yours was doubly yucky.

At least you had all your bad luck in one lump sum at the end instead of spread out evenly throughout your trip.

Hopefully you will eventually remember it the way we remember childbirth... the bad stuff will kind of fade away, and the strongest memories will be of the really wonderful parts!

I've really enjoyed coming along on your trip!

Kathy

 

[ArielSRL]

However, spring is not WC's best time of year, so we may look into a fall trip next time! Thanks for all your kind words!

Fall is the free dining, the Halloween Party, Food & Wine Fest...an excellent idea!

 

[PittypatBR]

Thanks to all of you for the sympathy and the suggestions! I will try to post a wrap-up soon, but in the meantime, I am enjoying reading everyone else's TR's! Maybe DD and I will post our Top Ten Lists.

 

[PittypatBR]

I almost forgot! I got my Photopass pics so wanted to share some HAPPIER moments than the last batch. First here is Wild Child coming down the kiddie slide at Blizzared Beach.

Then we have two from the early morning excursions of Dreamy and me to Epcot and Disney Studios.

Finally a picture of the whole family at TT.

I definitely want to end on a happy note, because almost the whole trip was magical and wonderful, and we all can't wait to go back!

 

[burly]

Ah just read the whole thing and i enjoyed every word. Thank you for sharing your family with us. Sorry about that last day. Have fun planning the next trip. and congrats on leaving the commando spirit at home.

 

[PittypatBR]

Ah just read the whole thing and i enjoyed every word. Thank you for sharing your family with us. Sorry about that last day. Have fun planning the next trip. and congrats on leaving the commando spirit at home.

Hi, and thanks for reading! I think I have learned a better way to see WDW with a family, especially with younger ones!

 

[byoung]

Great report.

 

[PittypatBR]

Great report.

Thanks! That means a lot from a DIS veteran like you. I did have a lot of fun reliving the trip to write it.