The Sybah Shelstah
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2002
- Messages
- 456
Part one is basically how we decided to go on this trip, getting there and our first day there -not at WDW that day though.
Let me preface this by saying that this was a VERY spur of the moment decision to go. It just worked out that during the exact time my oldest two were out of school on holiday- that my husband had a plant shutdown and was laid off almost exactly the same amount of time! This was not a stressful thing for us as we had had a few good years (income wise) and he already had 2 wks vacation pay coming to him that hadn't been used. We had also already been on a 8 day long vacation to San Antonio- although that wasn't a huge deal since we live in Texas anyway and that was only a 6hr or so drive for us then.
So we weren't thinking about "vacation" anytime prior to that- but when we found out he was off and we had the vacation pay anyway- we started trying to make plans to visit his family (who live all over in other states) for the holidays. Since my family hasn't been getting together for Christmas for some years now (my mother is quadraplegic and other family members including my sisters spend their holidays with their inlaws mostly) and we hadn't any other plans. Turns out HIS family members weren't "getting together" either and all spending the holidays with their inlaw families also. So then our thoughts turned to well... if we were going to drive or fly to visit family- where ELSE can we go for the holidays? My first thoughts turned to WDW.
Why? Because I have always wanted to go ever since I was a child. It was a dream of mine- as of that time unfulfilled. Coming from a most-of-the-time single parent family with 3 children... finances were never ever even close to us being able to go. In my adulthood and marriage- we had talked about going but after the much awaited birth of our first child we had decided we might only get to go ONCE- so we'd rather wait till she was old enough to enjoy and remember it and be able to ride rides/etc. We were thinking around age 4. Ofcourse by that time we had ANOTHER child... so scratch that and wait till HE was around 4. And (you are probably getting this by now LOL) then we had ANOTHER child... and had still been thinking we'd go when she was 3 or 4 (that way the oldest was still young enough to not be in her teen years the first- maybe only- time she got to go!) Then this situation came upon us and we decided to forget about the fact that our youngest was only 2.5. Things had changed in our lives (especially financially) and we really felt like it was no longer an issue of this might be the "only" time we'd get to go. So we decided to go.
Within a few (and I do mean less than 3 days) we made reservations, ordered tickets for WDW and US/IOA online, and were in the van driving there.
We chose to drive because tickets for 5 people were astronomical on such short notice during the holidays- ofcourse. We have a minivan and we had driven long distances to visit his family before so we felt we could handle it even with the kids. We usually just brought things to play with (new inexpensive toys), regular toys, things to color with/etc and allowed for many stops on the way (potty breaks, diaper changes, eating, gas, etc.) We also went one better this time by deciding to bring our 13" tv/vcr and buying an adaptor to be able to plug it in and use it the entire drive. Bringing along a lot of their favorite singalong videos and Disney videos (ofcourse! I have every one so far.. hehe). This worked out great-even though the 13" barely fit between their seats and ours- it was crammed tight at the floor tilted towards them so they just looked down and watched it. (believe me it wasn't going anywhere- stuck tight. The only disadvantage to this was that the passenger couldn't recline the seat to get some sleep since we were rotating "driving shifts" on a 20hr+ drive!! That was really not good.. but we survived. LOL)
The trip there was really uneventful. Lots of stops (as mentioned above we allowed for this) and yet we still got there in 20hrs. (online map said just over 20hrs) I suppose that might be because we drove the speed limit the entire time and in some places on the way it's higher than the speed limit is here on the highways!
We left at noon and arrived in the morning. I drove at night since I am a night person and my husband is NOT. I couldn't have slept anyway knowing he was driving because he would have been dozing. So he drove till 9pm and I drove till around 8ish and he completed the rest of the drive because by that time I was getting dozy feeling myself!
I had printed out directions not only to where we were staying (which was the Lake Marion Golf resort- 3br, full kitchen, lots of amenities, etc.- booked on hotels.com online- paid in advance fully by credit card and confirmed before leaving) but to a place called WonderWorks that we wanted to check out also. (and from Wonderworks to the resort). I had to do this because I could never find a direct address to anything WDW to be able to find specific driving directions -other than from the airport!!!- from our home to WDW. It was a good thing I did this- as you will soon see.
We arrove way too early to check in at the resort (which was 4pm and we were there around almost 10am) so we went to WonderWorks first after eating breakfast. The kids really loved it and we spent most of the midday there. We also had paid for their dinner magic show that evening. So we left to go have a late lunch and planned on checking into the resort and coming back to Wonderworks for that dinner.... when I received a phone call on my cellphone from someone with Lake Marion Golf Resort saying there was a mixup and they had already been booked when hotels.com booked us!!!! I had already called that morning to confirm and find out how to get in the house since it's not like a hotel and everything! So I wasn't expecting this! We were basically in Orlando, FL- homeless for 8 nights!
The person explained they would find us accomodations and then called back to say they had us a 2br (which was fine- we only got the 3br at their resort because we were told that was all that was left!) which was more sq footage, they said townhome but being from Texas and I guess living in a bubble (haha) I had no idea what a townhome meant- and he said it cost more so it was an upgrade but we wouldn't be charged extra- so I really thought it would be better.
(side note: I was wrong- and this is the only time I'll complain about this but obviously a townhome means an apt type room with 2 stories and that totally was not good for us. There were a TON of amenities not the same at all- no security... which was a big issue for us with staying so long and having so much stuff with us and leaving it everyday in our room... and our door was even all torn up on the sides of the bolts and when I asked about it the elderly "manager" said that some of the employees had robbed that room but that they'd replaced the door. But the frame was still damaged making it even easier to force entry there again! It was also the very front- the office was way in the back/middle- on the far end. Prime spot to burglarize and not be noticed except from those passing down the highway who would not be looking there!
ugh
Plus many other amenities that I won't bore you with listing out- this is getting long enough already. But another major complaint of mine is now having a 2 story place to stay with a 2yr old and no GATE or anything to keep her from falling down the stairs! (we used the dining room table's chair to block the stairs -or atleast slow her down if she happened to be trying to go down them in the daytime or nighttime unassisted! She still managed to fall down the stairs twice- not really injured except one of those times did give her a beautiful bruise on her forehead which is forever memoralized in all the pics I bought everywhere we went on this trip. *sigh*) Plus who wants to walk up and down stairs all the time after walking all day long at the parks? Not I. That is why I would not have chosen this.
We did not have the option of just refusing and going somewhere else- since this was not a case of like hotels take your CC but don't charge you until you have stayed there.They had already taken the FULL payment days before and therefore had our money already. If we did that- we'd be paying for an additional place to stay with no guarantee we'd be reimbursed when we returned home. So we clenched our teeth (so to speak) and dealt with it. I have since complained to hotels.com and will update you (if interested at all) if they make any kind of compensation but so far they just keep stalling with emails saying they will get back to me later that day (then don't), emails asking me to resend the complaint email since they are having computer problems and lost it, etc. *sigh*
My problem is that they felt it was an upgrade since the place charges more than they had charged me- but I got a deal through hotels.com which I'm sure wasn't the regular rate and regardless- the type of home it was, less rooms, 2 stories, as well as not being very clean (long story- think fecal matter dried and stuck to one of the showers- things like that), as well as MANY amenities not the same at all!
Enough of that- we checked in, went back to WonderWorks for the dinner/magic show (which was GREAT! The all you can eat pizza left something to be desired but it was all you can drink also -with popcorn/etc and the show was hilarious. Since it was a discounted price for both WW and their dinner/magic show that I found online- it was really worth the money. Although paying parking $5 a pop 3 times there wasn't something I enjoyed. LOL I'm so cheap sometimes!)
Then we went back to the "townhouse" (which is totally to me like a 2story apt) and everyone went to sleep while I, the nightowl, stayed up late planning (yes, also the family "planner/organizer extraordinaire LOL) what we'd be doing that week and everything for the following day.
Next day... IS CHRISTMAS and we're going to MK! I was so excited I couldn't hardly sleep that night and even though I was exhausted from being up for almost 3 days nonstop.. I slept only a couple of hours!
If you would like to read more of my long ramblings about our trip- (look for pt2) hehe
Oh- I'm editing to also add that I forgot to mention noteworthy happenings on my drive up there at night- while everyone else slept their heads off. First was the first time I have ever driven in a tunnel. I know I know... living in the country in Texas you don't see tunnels- okay!!! LOL It was really neat- except it made me lose my radio station while in there. I don't think I'd like to ever live somewhere you have to drive in tunnels a lot- or like get a traffic jam in one or something. LOL I gotta have my music! And it keeps my youngest one happy also. It was very clean, and oh so lit! I wish all the roads were that lit at night! If they were- I wouldn't get so drowzy after a long drive at night. I was wide awake when driving in there- but got sleepy again afterwards (although I will never actually fall asleep while driving. Hubby would- that's why I was driving at night! NO matter how tired I am- I will abuse myself with pinches and slapping or STOP THE CAR before falling asleep- but with my husband I couldn't even sleep if I wanted to if he was driving because he would just sit there and start dozing off! I caught him doing that once a few years ago. ugh!)
Also- I don't know what body of water it is but it was in Mississippi.. but I didn't realize for awhile that after the tunnel I was driving on the longest bridge EVAH. LOL It was so dark, 2 lane bridge and I honestly didn't think it was a bridge because the side rail things were so LOW. I'm used to higher ones than that when it's a bridge going over land or water in Texas. LOL But I was glancing over to the left one time (*note: it was also drizzling rain almost the entire trip from Texas to Florida- we were scared it was going to be rainy the entire vacation but ofcourse it wasn't. Cleared right up in Florida.
) and noticed it sure looked like there wasn't anything out there- no lights, houses, etc. So I kept glancing to the left at times (you know- I AM driving in the dark and rain- so I couldn't look for long LOL) and after a few times I finally noticed very choppy waters (it was windy that night also)
ohmy.. it was scary. Dark, nighttime and until my adrenaline rush came in I was kinda tired ofcourse, drizzling rain with sometimes harder downpours at times (you know- those times when you have to turn your windshield wipers faster, then slower, then faster. LOL) and here I am on the world's longest (haha) bridge over water with tiny little side rails to protect us if I lost control! Well I slowed down- and that just made it take even longer. I looked at the mileage on the way HOME later the next week and it was a 7 mile long bridge! 7 miles long!!!! wow. I'm so morbid though that the entire time (on the way there) I kept thinking man.. I hope I don't hit water and slide- we'd go right over that tiny railing in this minivan and someone would die. Period. Even if my husband woke up -we'd have a hard time getting 3 kids out of the car with 3 of them in 5-pt harness carseat & booster! And that's assuming DH could help. If he got hurt from sleeping when the accident happened- there's no way I could get my 3 kids out before we sunk much less swim them all 3 to shore!!
I know- terribly morbid. But I worry about stuff like that and I was SO relieved when the stupid bridge finally ended. LOL
OH and this was the first time I'd been in/thru Alabama and Florida. I've only been to Mississippi before... just another little tidbit of info. LOL (ps. hubby had been to WDW before- on spring break his senior year in highschool like 17 years ago. So it wasn't HIS first time to WDW. LOL)
Let me preface this by saying that this was a VERY spur of the moment decision to go. It just worked out that during the exact time my oldest two were out of school on holiday- that my husband had a plant shutdown and was laid off almost exactly the same amount of time! This was not a stressful thing for us as we had had a few good years (income wise) and he already had 2 wks vacation pay coming to him that hadn't been used. We had also already been on a 8 day long vacation to San Antonio- although that wasn't a huge deal since we live in Texas anyway and that was only a 6hr or so drive for us then.
So we weren't thinking about "vacation" anytime prior to that- but when we found out he was off and we had the vacation pay anyway- we started trying to make plans to visit his family (who live all over in other states) for the holidays. Since my family hasn't been getting together for Christmas for some years now (my mother is quadraplegic and other family members including my sisters spend their holidays with their inlaws mostly) and we hadn't any other plans. Turns out HIS family members weren't "getting together" either and all spending the holidays with their inlaw families also. So then our thoughts turned to well... if we were going to drive or fly to visit family- where ELSE can we go for the holidays? My first thoughts turned to WDW.
Why? Because I have always wanted to go ever since I was a child. It was a dream of mine- as of that time unfulfilled. Coming from a most-of-the-time single parent family with 3 children... finances were never ever even close to us being able to go. In my adulthood and marriage- we had talked about going but after the much awaited birth of our first child we had decided we might only get to go ONCE- so we'd rather wait till she was old enough to enjoy and remember it and be able to ride rides/etc. We were thinking around age 4. Ofcourse by that time we had ANOTHER child... so scratch that and wait till HE was around 4. And (you are probably getting this by now LOL) then we had ANOTHER child... and had still been thinking we'd go when she was 3 or 4 (that way the oldest was still young enough to not be in her teen years the first- maybe only- time she got to go!) Then this situation came upon us and we decided to forget about the fact that our youngest was only 2.5. Things had changed in our lives (especially financially) and we really felt like it was no longer an issue of this might be the "only" time we'd get to go. So we decided to go.
Within a few (and I do mean less than 3 days) we made reservations, ordered tickets for WDW and US/IOA online, and were in the van driving there.
We chose to drive because tickets for 5 people were astronomical on such short notice during the holidays- ofcourse. We have a minivan and we had driven long distances to visit his family before so we felt we could handle it even with the kids. We usually just brought things to play with (new inexpensive toys), regular toys, things to color with/etc and allowed for many stops on the way (potty breaks, diaper changes, eating, gas, etc.) We also went one better this time by deciding to bring our 13" tv/vcr and buying an adaptor to be able to plug it in and use it the entire drive. Bringing along a lot of their favorite singalong videos and Disney videos (ofcourse! I have every one so far.. hehe). This worked out great-even though the 13" barely fit between their seats and ours- it was crammed tight at the floor tilted towards them so they just looked down and watched it. (believe me it wasn't going anywhere- stuck tight. The only disadvantage to this was that the passenger couldn't recline the seat to get some sleep since we were rotating "driving shifts" on a 20hr+ drive!! That was really not good.. but we survived. LOL)
The trip there was really uneventful. Lots of stops (as mentioned above we allowed for this) and yet we still got there in 20hrs. (online map said just over 20hrs) I suppose that might be because we drove the speed limit the entire time and in some places on the way it's higher than the speed limit is here on the highways!
We left at noon and arrived in the morning. I drove at night since I am a night person and my husband is NOT. I couldn't have slept anyway knowing he was driving because he would have been dozing. So he drove till 9pm and I drove till around 8ish and he completed the rest of the drive because by that time I was getting dozy feeling myself!
I had printed out directions not only to where we were staying (which was the Lake Marion Golf resort- 3br, full kitchen, lots of amenities, etc.- booked on hotels.com online- paid in advance fully by credit card and confirmed before leaving) but to a place called WonderWorks that we wanted to check out also. (and from Wonderworks to the resort). I had to do this because I could never find a direct address to anything WDW to be able to find specific driving directions -other than from the airport!!!- from our home to WDW. It was a good thing I did this- as you will soon see.
We arrove way too early to check in at the resort (which was 4pm and we were there around almost 10am) so we went to WonderWorks first after eating breakfast. The kids really loved it and we spent most of the midday there. We also had paid for their dinner magic show that evening. So we left to go have a late lunch and planned on checking into the resort and coming back to Wonderworks for that dinner.... when I received a phone call on my cellphone from someone with Lake Marion Golf Resort saying there was a mixup and they had already been booked when hotels.com booked us!!!! I had already called that morning to confirm and find out how to get in the house since it's not like a hotel and everything! So I wasn't expecting this! We were basically in Orlando, FL- homeless for 8 nights!
The person explained they would find us accomodations and then called back to say they had us a 2br (which was fine- we only got the 3br at their resort because we were told that was all that was left!) which was more sq footage, they said townhome but being from Texas and I guess living in a bubble (haha) I had no idea what a townhome meant- and he said it cost more so it was an upgrade but we wouldn't be charged extra- so I really thought it would be better.
(side note: I was wrong- and this is the only time I'll complain about this but obviously a townhome means an apt type room with 2 stories and that totally was not good for us. There were a TON of amenities not the same at all- no security... which was a big issue for us with staying so long and having so much stuff with us and leaving it everyday in our room... and our door was even all torn up on the sides of the bolts and when I asked about it the elderly "manager" said that some of the employees had robbed that room but that they'd replaced the door. But the frame was still damaged making it even easier to force entry there again! It was also the very front- the office was way in the back/middle- on the far end. Prime spot to burglarize and not be noticed except from those passing down the highway who would not be looking there!
ugh
Plus many other amenities that I won't bore you with listing out- this is getting long enough already. But another major complaint of mine is now having a 2 story place to stay with a 2yr old and no GATE or anything to keep her from falling down the stairs! (we used the dining room table's chair to block the stairs -or atleast slow her down if she happened to be trying to go down them in the daytime or nighttime unassisted! She still managed to fall down the stairs twice- not really injured except one of those times did give her a beautiful bruise on her forehead which is forever memoralized in all the pics I bought everywhere we went on this trip. *sigh*) Plus who wants to walk up and down stairs all the time after walking all day long at the parks? Not I. That is why I would not have chosen this.
We did not have the option of just refusing and going somewhere else- since this was not a case of like hotels take your CC but don't charge you until you have stayed there.They had already taken the FULL payment days before and therefore had our money already. If we did that- we'd be paying for an additional place to stay with no guarantee we'd be reimbursed when we returned home. So we clenched our teeth (so to speak) and dealt with it. I have since complained to hotels.com and will update you (if interested at all) if they make any kind of compensation but so far they just keep stalling with emails saying they will get back to me later that day (then don't), emails asking me to resend the complaint email since they are having computer problems and lost it, etc. *sigh*
My problem is that they felt it was an upgrade since the place charges more than they had charged me- but I got a deal through hotels.com which I'm sure wasn't the regular rate and regardless- the type of home it was, less rooms, 2 stories, as well as not being very clean (long story- think fecal matter dried and stuck to one of the showers- things like that), as well as MANY amenities not the same at all!
Enough of that- we checked in, went back to WonderWorks for the dinner/magic show (which was GREAT! The all you can eat pizza left something to be desired but it was all you can drink also -with popcorn/etc and the show was hilarious. Since it was a discounted price for both WW and their dinner/magic show that I found online- it was really worth the money. Although paying parking $5 a pop 3 times there wasn't something I enjoyed. LOL I'm so cheap sometimes!)
Then we went back to the "townhouse" (which is totally to me like a 2story apt) and everyone went to sleep while I, the nightowl, stayed up late planning (yes, also the family "planner/organizer extraordinaire LOL) what we'd be doing that week and everything for the following day.
Next day... IS CHRISTMAS and we're going to MK! I was so excited I couldn't hardly sleep that night and even though I was exhausted from being up for almost 3 days nonstop.. I slept only a couple of hours!
If you would like to read more of my long ramblings about our trip- (look for pt2) hehe
Oh- I'm editing to also add that I forgot to mention noteworthy happenings on my drive up there at night- while everyone else slept their heads off. First was the first time I have ever driven in a tunnel. I know I know... living in the country in Texas you don't see tunnels- okay!!! LOL It was really neat- except it made me lose my radio station while in there. I don't think I'd like to ever live somewhere you have to drive in tunnels a lot- or like get a traffic jam in one or something. LOL I gotta have my music! And it keeps my youngest one happy also. It was very clean, and oh so lit! I wish all the roads were that lit at night! If they were- I wouldn't get so drowzy after a long drive at night. I was wide awake when driving in there- but got sleepy again afterwards (although I will never actually fall asleep while driving. Hubby would- that's why I was driving at night! NO matter how tired I am- I will abuse myself with pinches and slapping or STOP THE CAR before falling asleep- but with my husband I couldn't even sleep if I wanted to if he was driving because he would just sit there and start dozing off! I caught him doing that once a few years ago. ugh!)
Also- I don't know what body of water it is but it was in Mississippi.. but I didn't realize for awhile that after the tunnel I was driving on the longest bridge EVAH. LOL It was so dark, 2 lane bridge and I honestly didn't think it was a bridge because the side rail things were so LOW. I'm used to higher ones than that when it's a bridge going over land or water in Texas. LOL But I was glancing over to the left one time (*note: it was also drizzling rain almost the entire trip from Texas to Florida- we were scared it was going to be rainy the entire vacation but ofcourse it wasn't. Cleared right up in Florida.
) and noticed it sure looked like there wasn't anything out there- no lights, houses, etc. So I kept glancing to the left at times (you know- I AM driving in the dark and rain- so I couldn't look for long LOL) and after a few times I finally noticed very choppy waters (it was windy that night also) ohmy.. it was scary. Dark, nighttime and until my adrenaline rush came in I was kinda tired ofcourse, drizzling rain with sometimes harder downpours at times (you know- those times when you have to turn your windshield wipers faster, then slower, then faster. LOL) and here I am on the world's longest (haha) bridge over water with tiny little side rails to protect us if I lost control! Well I slowed down- and that just made it take even longer. I looked at the mileage on the way HOME later the next week and it was a 7 mile long bridge! 7 miles long!!!! wow. I'm so morbid though that the entire time (on the way there) I kept thinking man.. I hope I don't hit water and slide- we'd go right over that tiny railing in this minivan and someone would die. Period. Even if my husband woke up -we'd have a hard time getting 3 kids out of the car with 3 of them in 5-pt harness carseat & booster! And that's assuming DH could help. If he got hurt from sleeping when the accident happened- there's no way I could get my 3 kids out before we sunk much less swim them all 3 to shore!!
I know- terribly morbid. But I worry about stuff like that and I was SO relieved when the stupid bridge finally ended. LOL
OH and this was the first time I'd been in/thru Alabama and Florida. I've only been to Mississippi before... just another little tidbit of info. LOL (ps. hubby had been to WDW before- on spring break his senior year in highschool like 17 years ago. So it wasn't HIS first time to WDW. LOL)
How neat to plan a spur of the moment trip like that! In May, we drove down to Florida with our 2.5 year old and I couldn't believe how great he was. I think it took us about 23 hours. My DH works 3rd shift so he is used to being up at night so it made it easier to drive right through. I know what you mean about being nervous to sleep, though. I was awake the entire trip (DH and my mother in-law took turns driving). Glad to hear you enjoyed Wonder Works. It is something we may check out next trip. If I am remembering right you would need to park in the Pointe Orlando parking garage and that is why you have to pay to park?? Can't wait to read more.
