Disneybridein2k3
I am and I'm not afraid to admit
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
- Messages
- 3,151
Better late than never, right? These are the recaps from our Disney wedding from May 8, 2003:
May 2-3
Well, it didnt start out as we had planned (does it ever, though?) We chose Amtrak because we needed to bring a good bit of our wedding things with us. We departed Union Station in DC on time at 4:35pm on May 2. Our train should have arrived in Orlando at 11:44am on May 3. But that isnt what was meant to be, apparently (NOTE TO SELF DO NOT TAKE AMTRAK!) I guess I knew it was bad when we got on the train and they told Ken and I (and many others) that they always overbook the train by 10% because many people dont show, but wouldnt you know EVERYONE showed this time??? Yup, no seats for us! Ken and I stood outside of the smoking car (neither of us smoke) from DC to Richmond, and the train was an hour late getting to Richmond. Finally, we reach Richmond, VA and get seats. At that time, we were thinking If this is the worst that is going to happen then we shouldnt complain. We spoke too soon
Due to bad weather, all of the train crossing signals were out through both North and South Carolina forcing the train to travel 25 mph through BOTH states. I mean, CARS WERE PASSING US. Well, of course this was making us late. Several times in the middle of the night we were at a standstill. Sometime on May 3 (remember we were supposed to get there at 11:44AM, right?) we came to a stop right on the tracks in a Podunk town in South Carolina. After a half hour, the conductor gets on the loudspeaker and announces that he cannot work anymore because his 12 hour shift is over but he just called someone to replace him for the remainder of the trip. Bad news though the new guy is driving from Jacksonville, Florida (from Fl, through Georgia, and still further to the town we were at in South Carolina). Did I mention that the train had run out of water by this point so we didnt have use of bathrooms??? Well, it just so happened that the place we stopped at was just a half mile from a volunteer fire dept that had a bathroom. We literally went car-by-car and walked the half mile each way to use the bathroom. Four hours later (starting to feel a little like Gilligans Island, isnt it?) we finally start moving slowly again and are on our way. Because the train also ran out of food, we were told they would buy some food and give us a complimentary dinner. I mean, we havent eaten since the day before so we were hungry. We got to our next station and I guess they miscounted. Remember when I said we didnt get a seat in the beginning? Well, when we finally got our seat it was in the last train. This is important because when they were calling everyone to get food, they went in order of trains. Because we were the last train, they had run out of food by the time our train was called. Not exactly a great start to our Disney vacation/wedding! We finally arrived at the train station and got a Mears van to the Boardwalk. We arrived at 1:15AM on May 4th 13 ½ hours late! We were definitely ready for some Disney magic! It didnt take long for us to get some of that magic, either! There was one person working the check-in counter her name was Marlene but she was a fairy Godmother to us she handed us our room key and we started off to find our room it turned out that she had upgraded us to the concierge level! As soon as we put our things down and got our badly needed showers (and checked out the cool view from our balcony!) we were off to sleep around 2:30am.
May 4
We had the Keys to the Kingdom tour scheduled for 9:30am so we were up at 6:45am. We took advantage of the concierge room breakfast and headed out. After a quick stop at guest services to change our vouchers into annual passes, we stopped in to get some mouse ears for my 6-month-old twin niece and nephew. The tour was very cool and lasted until 2:45. We left the park and went back to the hotel to unpack. Afterwards, we went to the Wilderness Lodge to the Whispering Canyon Café for dinner. The food was good and our server Miss Understood was wonderful. She had the entire restaurant serenade us with You Are My Sunshine. We walked around the lodge for a little while and then went to Downtown Disney to get a little shopping in before the stores closed. We managed to shop until they closed at 11:00 and then went back to the hotel to get all of the wedding things together before our EM Karen Heyn came the next morning.
May 5
After breakfast, we called ERAC to make sure theyd have a car for us and we were told they would be there at 9:45am. We went downstairs to the BW lobby for our 8:30 meeting with Karen. She was so sweet and helpful! After she took all of our stuff (toasting glasses, programs, confetti wands, etc), we got our rental car and went to get our marriage license. That was easy enough so we had time for a quick stop at Walmart (how could I forget SHAMPOO???) and then put our bridal Mickey ears on to meet up with DMer Becky, her husband Ryan, and their daughter Kayleigh at Beaches and Cream Yummm! After lunch, we took a walk over to Epcot and then back to the hotel. We got our welcome bags together and delivered them and then we finally got some well-needed rest.
May 6
Another EARLY day (are you sensing a trend?) Ken though we had to be at his brothers house by 8:00 but oops! - we should have been there at 7:00! We were up at 4:30am to drive to Port St. John (Titusville approx an hour away). Ill admit to not being overjoyed about this day. Ken was gone the entire day with his Dad and brother deep sea fishing while I was left with his sister-in-law and mother. This is our 3rd full day in Florida and we havent gone on any rides I said I wanted to do so the idea of not being in Disney this day SUCKS. The plan was that I was to go with Jaime (Kens sister-in-law) to get manicures and pedicures. Well, because Jaime was late getting us to the day spa, we were told we had to choose between getting a manicure and pedicure because they didnt have time for both. Oh Lord! We both got French manicures and then left to find a walk-in place for pedicures. I chose Galactic Blue for my toes (it looked more purple than blue but it SAID blue in the title this was my something blue). Afterwards we met up with the guys for dinner. Poor guys all three of them threw up on their fishing excursion. Jaime took me ***shopping*** after dinner (apparently Kens brother told her to take me to this particular store to purchase some things for our wedding night to make Ken happy) how uncomfortable. We finally got back to the hotel at midnight another long day!
May 7
After going to bed at 1:30am, I thought Id be sleepy but I woke up at 6:00am. Too excited to go back to bed, I got up and went to the lobby to see if we could check in to our villa room early. I did go downstairs and speak with someone but no rooms were available. As I was going back upstairs, I saw our scheduled rehearsal on the screen in the lobby. I was so tickled! I went upstairs to pack and we got breakfast. We got into our new room at 1:30 the tux fitting was at 2:00 and from the moment we got to the new room it seemed like we were running to get somewhere for the rest of the night. So busy! We met with Reverend Jack in the lobby of the BW (he had another wedding to do during our rehearsal) and then we met with our wedding party for our 4:00 rehearsal. Karen Heyn was awesome! We went to the Olive Garden for dinner 29 people in all and it was wonderful. After getting back to the room, we waited for my sister, Kristy, and then we went to the Super Walmart for breakfast foods. She dropped me off at the BW and then took Ken to stay with his brother at the Swan it was 12:30 am. Ken was sweet after midnight, even though we were riding in the same van together, he refused to look at me. J
May 8 The Big Day!
The alarm was set for 6:00 but I was up at 5:00. I took my time in the shower and got dressed and ready because everyone was due to arrive at 7:00am. Irene (from cosmetology) arrived at 6:55 and Ana arrived at 7:00 but none of my girls were there yet! Kens mom Alison was the first to arrive and we had decided the night before that she and Jaime (Kens sister-in-law) would get their hair done first since they had would be in both Kens pictures and mine. But since no one else was there, Alison and I went first. (Apparently, Jaimes alarm never went off and it was only the alarm Ken happened to have set on his cell phone that finally woke her up at 8:00). I knew from previous posts that Irene was nervous about us DMers so I mentioned it right off but calmed her down by letting her know that she came recommended. Irene did my hair and Ana did my make-up. One of the things I liked best was when she finally sends you over to the mirror; she makes sure you absolutely love it. If not, she does it again. With us though, she didnt need to move one hair. I loved it when she sent my sister over to the mirror to see if she liked her hair when my sister was quiet for about 30 seconds, we thought maybe she didnt like it but then we heard her say, Oh my God is that me??? She looked lovely. I had no clue how I wanted my hair and asked Irene to do what she thought would look pretty. When she was done, I was in tears. I looked in the mirror and saw a princess if only for the day.
A knock at the door came and a lady was there with 6 mimosas and a box. Who ordered it? Apparently someone who thought I may need alcohol to start my morning! No notes attached but when I opened the box and saw it was a teddy bear I had seen in the MK all purple with Mickey paw prints I knew it was Ken. How thoughtful! Another knock at the door and the flowers arrived. Maybe Im not too particular or maybe its because I didnt really know what I wanted, but I LOVED the flowers. I didnt have any pictures to show floral other than my bouquet when we were deciding what kind of flowers to have so I was very pleased when the flowers turned out so lovely. When I matched the picture I had sent Rosie of the bouquet I wanted to the bouquet I got that day, everyone thought my flowers were prettier. The only thing I was slightly disappointed with was my daughters (officially our Fairy God Daughter) flower ball. It was still beautiful, but it was darker than I had imagined based on the description Rosie had sent. Ana did my make-up and even though it looked a lot like it normally does when I do it myself, I would still have it done again. Plus, she had finishing spray and it was a hot day! Randy Chapman had already been by to take a few getting ready shots and Stan asked me to say a few words on camera to Ken. Oh Lord! I dreaded this moment I hadnt a clue what to say. He left before I opened the gift Ken had given to me (delivered by his sister-in-law) it was a beautiful jewelry box with an engraved plate that read To My Wife - May 8, 2003 I wept like a little girl when I opened that gift. But, no time to cry because just after 10:00, the phone rang and it was Karen telling us the coast was clear. All 8 of us walked down the long hallway to the elevator. On a side note, we decided to not to a bouquet toss or garter toss because we didnt have many single guests but I still wanted to wear a garter I had bought. Well, apparently the garter was too big for my leg (who says one size fits all?) because on the way down that long hallway, my garter fell completely off my leg and was hanging at my ankle. Thankfully, someone told me and I was able to take it off (and keep it off!) I just kept thinking how embarrassing it would be if that were to have happened as I walked down the aisle! Anyway, we had just gotten into the elevator and the doors were closing when the parent of a little girl put his hand in the door of the elevator to get it to stop. He apologized and said his little girl wanted to see the princess just one more time. Awww how sweet!
We went into the lobby of the BW where Randy, Stan, and Rev Jack were waiting for us. Rev Jack said his typical sweet things and Stan videotaped a little bit and Randy started his pictures. Stan asked me (on camera, of course) what was in the box that Ken had given to me. I completely broke down and told him about the engraved box that said To My Wife. (I still tear up when I think of that!) I havent gotten the video back yet, so Im not entirely sure, but I think I also said on camera to Ken that I wanted to thank him for making me his princess.
We took some pictures inside and outside the BW and then Karen said it was time. So many people came up and congratulated me. I really felt like a princess then complete strangers were taking pictures of me and coming up to talk. It was all very cool. We all began walking to SBP but when we got to the ESPN Zone, everyone went on except Karen, me, and my Dad. The weather was beautiful although it was HOT. I swore I wouldnt complain about the heat just so long as it didnt rain and I got my wish. I think it was a high of 94 degrees that day (record highs all week long). Thankfully, I had read Lindas recaps of her daughters wedding and purchased sandalwood fans for each guest that Karen had laid on each chair. Karen snuck us up to the tiny tree near SBP to hide so no one would see me. Then she exclaimed, Its time! and I heard my song Canon in D. Instantly, the tears welled up in my eyes. My father and I walked down the walkway and I dont know if I even saw any of our guests because I was so focused on Ken. He was so handsome and I was so proud that he had chosen me. It was like a dream when he looked at me walking toward him almost like slow-motion. My Mom stood up beside my Dad and they both gave me away and then the ceremony began. I must apologize in advance to Brooke and Alison. Our entire ceremony was a combination of Brookes and Alisons ceremony because they were both too lovely for words. When I first read the words, I promise to love, honor, respect, encourage, and ASTOUND you, I knew it was wrong to steal but I had to have that in our ceremony. So there we were to this day, Ken says he didnt forget his vows, but he stumbled a bit and I helped him out. If you ask him, hell say he didnt forget but was fighting back tears a likely story! Rev Jack did a beautiful job reading our ceremony and when we prayed, the tears came like waterfalls. I couldnt seem to stop crying tears of happiness. But then the best part Kens best man (his brother, Tom) had asked him about the rings earlier that morning. Ken told him I had them. My sister had asked me and I told her Ken had them. The only ring tied to the ring bearers pillow was the ring we were giving to Morgan. When Jack asked Tom for the rings, he bent down to take Morgans ring off the pillow. Ken told him, No, thats not our rings, its Morgans ring and he looked panicked. Well, then Rev Jack asked my sister if she had the rings and it is a good thing that looks dont kill because I wouldnt have made it out of the ceremony alive. She looked like she was going to kill me! She loudly whispered to me, YOU SAID KEN HAD THE RINGS! Then strains of When You Wish Upon a Star began and Major Domo in all of his formal elegance came in to save the day! He took the rings from the glass slipper he was carrying on a pillow and handed them to Rev Jack. Rev Jack thanked him for saving the day and we finished our ring exchange. Then he started to pronounce us husband and wife but wait, Rev Jack! What about Morgan? Oh no he forgot we were going to do a childrens ceremony to include my daughter! Panic flooded me and I quietly whispered to him, Can Morgan have her ring? He looked surprised and told me he thought we had already done that part of the ceremony. Aghhh! But no worries he called Morgan up and had me place a hand on one shoulder and Ken place his hand on her other shoulder and declared it was a circle of love. He had Ken and I say vows to her and then her to us and then Ken placed the ring on her finger. She looked happy enough to pop! Rev Jack then pronounced us husband and wife, and the newly formed Mogle family a not-so-quick kiss and we walked down the aisle MARRIED AT LAST! (Morgan doesnt have a relationship with her biological father and Ken is the only Dad shes ever known when she got to the end of the aisle after the ceremony, she screamed, I have a Dad! It was too cute for words.)
We had planned to do a staged exit so after pictures, we all walked to the BW Convention Center. Ken and I waited while Major Domo showed everyone how to use the confetti wands (two thumbs up for Flutterfetti.com) then Karen told us to RUN to the limo. Randy got some great shots of this and I am so glad we chose to do the confetti wands. Instead of the wedding party, we took our parents and Morgan with us in the limo. Everyone else got on the chartered bus and off we were to the LivingSeas. It was nice to finally relax (in the air conditioning!) and talk about how great our day has been so far! We truly felt blessed to have our parents with us and were glad we chose to invite them in the limo for the ride to the reception. Our guests got there first and were shown to the LivingSeas by Major Domo he was a great help! Because all of the wedding party were already seated, we decided to only have Major Domo announce Ken, Morgan, and I. We then had the first dance and then the father/daughter dance. Neither Ken, my father, nor I dance at all and the songs didnt seem long until we were out there with all eyes on us. Then it seemed like time stood still Ken and I joked about how we wished we had taken dancing lessons and how silly we felt just turning around in circles. Thankfully, the two songs were over and we sat down. (Ken was going to do a dance with his mother originally but a week before the wedding she had to have her knee operated on and was lucky to have been able to walk down the aisle we werent going to make her dance on her bad knee!) Shortly thereafter, Major Domo said it was time for the toast from the best man. But where WAS Tom??? Oops he was in the bathroom. When he came out, all eyes were on him and Major Domo thanked him for being able to embarrass him TWO times in one day! Everyone had a good laugh at Toms expense and then he said his speech. Major Domo said he was needed back at the castle and off he went his work here was done. Ken and I were called to get our lunch it was a little awkward because we each had a cast member that put whatever food we wanted on our plates (it was a buffet) and we didnt carry a thing. I guess Im just not used to that. When I first began planning this wedding, a read a recap from a past bride and she said she had a brunch instead of a dinner. The thought stuck with me the entire time, so our menu consisted of breakfast and lunch items we had Mickey waffles, breakfast potatoes, made-to-order omelets, a ham carving station, a pasta station, eggs, fruit, and lots more. It was all very delicious. Instead of a DJ, we chose to do a caricature artist and he was a hit! Everyone was having a good time and said the food was wonderful. I kept watching the clock, waiting for the time when our special guests would arrive. Ken and I were able to keep the mice a secret the entire time we had been planning so not one person there knew they were coming. Without a DJ, it is hard to make a grand entrance but it didnt take long for our guests to realize that Mickey and Minnie were there! Everyone, young and young-at-heart, gathered around for photos. Minnie had wondered off and we saw her with Morgan looking at the fish. She must have been there with Morgan for at least 10 minutes with Morgan just gabbing away. When Minnie finally got up to get pictures with other guests, Morgan thanked her for the wonderful conversation. Too cute considering Minnie couldnt say a thing! M & M helped with the cake cutting on the way to the table I threatened Ken with an annulment if he smashed cake in my face and then the cake was taken away to become dessert. Ken and I were so busy talking to everyone that we forgot we didnt get a piece of cake luckily the servers had left two pieces on our table and we got to taste the best cake ever. Because we had bought bubbles for our exit before buying the confetti wands, we thought we would have a last dance and the guests would blow bubbles while we were dancing. Well, the first dance was so agonizingly slow and seemed to last forever, neither one of us wanted to do that again. We decided to forgo the last dance and end the reception there. The bus took everyone back to their respective resorts and it was time for a break because the dessert party was to begin in just 4 ½ hours!
A few of us went back to the villa room at the BW and cleaned up the terrible mess we had left earlier that morning. When we got the lobby of the BW, we were standing around talking. Now I still have my dress on, tiara in my hair, and my bouquet in hand. My sister told me later that she saw a family with two kids near us and she said the mom was looking at me like she was really mad. My sister overheard her tell the kids I wasnt a very nice princess and it was better not to ask for my autograph! People are so strange Then we were off to the room to get cleaned up. I know most everyone likes to wear their wedding dress to Illuminations, but it was so hot I couldnt think of anything better then getting my heavy dress off and putting a sundress on. There wasnt enough time to get the tiara out of my hair and wash my hair so I kept it as is and just changed clothes. What a relief! Dont get me wrong I loved my dress and I really did feel like a princess wearing it, but man was it hot! In no time at all, we had to get over to Epcot to meet our guests. We had decided on not having transportation and told everyone to meet us at the front gate of Epcot. Originally, I worried about this but when we got there, everyone was already there! So off we went, 42 of us following the lady with the light saber to the Upper Terrace of the UK. There was a wedding reception going on in the lower terrace that night and I felt a little twinge that I didnt have my dress on like the bride on the UK lower. Oh well When we got there, I noticed that there wasnt enough chairs for everyone. Karen told me then that I had to have requested them and it was an extra charge. There must have been some miscommunication somewhere because I didnt know that the existing chairs werent going to be enough for all of our guests. Karen quickly went to find some extra chairs and had them delivered so everyone had a place to sit down. If anyone chooses the UK upper, make sure you tell your EM how many chairs you need so they make sure everyone has a seat! Crisis over We chose to do a modified version of the menu For the Child In You and took out the Florida lemon bars and added tuxedo strawberries. This was probably the best idea we ever had. The strawberries were an absolute hit there were by far the best chocolate covered strawberries I had ever had! And they were HUGE! Thanks so much Arianne for the idea! Plus, I made sure that I bought three one-pound boxes to take some strawberries back to the hotel with us. Great idea! The second best idea was to have (in addition to the beer and wine bar) strawberry daiquiris. Since the night was so warm, the daiquiris were very refreshing. I have to admit that I cant remember much of the show since Randy and Stan were both there with their cameras and we were getting pictures taken. Im looking forward to getting the video so I can finally see the show we missed! Although I had already filled my three boxes with strawberries, there were still a lot left over. When I told one of the cast members that was tending the bar that it was a shame to let the strawberries go to waste, she quickly got some plastic cups and helped me put the strawberries in them to hand out to guests. Yummy!
We all hung around and continued to eat and drink until around 10:00 or so and then everyone left. Although it was sad to see the day end, it did end perfectly. Ken and I went back to the villa room and he spent the next 2 ½ hours taking the 54 bobby pins out of my long, thin hair and brushed it. The bobby pins were so embedded into my scalp that it hurt when Ken took them out and I whined like a little girl when he brushed the tangles out. Sometime while I was whining, my sister had come to decorate the outside of our door with a banner that said Congratulations and some silver wedding bells she hung beside the banner. I told my brother-in-law the next morning that if she heard anything while she was working on the door that nothing was going on Ken was just brushing my hair. He just smiled and winked at us and said, Sure, he was. That was so embarrassing!
May 9
We decided to spend the day with my family at MGM studios. We were supposed to meet my family in the park but we were running late and were concerned that we wouldnt be able to find them. Ken and I wore our Bride and Groom t-shirts and we both wore our wedding ears. When we walked into the park, the guard who checked our bags asked when we got married. When we told him it was only the day before, he looked a little angry and asked what our names were. We quickly told him and he said to step aside. He then yelled (loudly!) to everyone in line that Ken and Stacy were married just yesterday. He ordered everyone to scream congratulations to us. My family had no problem finding us then because they heard all the commotion. We thanked the guard who then was smiling at us and wishing us years of happiness. The entire day was a blast and I spent way too much money on frames for our caricature and a framed print of bridal Mickey and Minnie. My sister told me her son and my daughter were walking hand-in-hand together in the park singing Morgan was signing, Ive got a Daddy and my nephew was singing, Ive got an uncle. We split up at one point and my sister took one of the twins with her and I took the other. Ken and I (baby in arms) went to Who Wants To Be a Millionaire Play It. There was another couple in the audience with wedding ears on too and the announcer had fun with us. On camera, he asked us how long we had been married and we told him one day. He said something about the cute baby in my lap and I turned three shades of red and yelled that the baby was my niece. Sure she is He then put the camera on the other couple and asked how long they had been married. They said they got married a week ago and the announcer told them they were a little behind the other couple (meaning us) already had a baby! After Fantasmic, we headed back to our room to pack because we had to check out early the next morning.
May 10 May 19
We met family and friends (16 total) at Ohanas (because Ohana means family) for a character breakfast. It was wonderful but too short because Ken and I had to say goodbye to everyone so we could get back to the BW. We had a reservation for Tiffany Towncars to come pick us up and take us to Port Canaveral. My sister drove us to the BW and the towncar was already waiting for us. We packed everything in the car and drove away. I know I should have been excited, but my heart was breaking when I thought of my family vacationing in Disney and me leaving them. My sister just had her twins 6 months before and because she lives 8 hours away, I dont get to see them often. It seems like they triple in size each time I see them and here I was leaving them. It didnt help that I knew I wouldnt be seeing everyone again for at least 2 more months. Poor Ken I cried all the way to Port Canaveral. When we got there, we saw another couple with their wedding ears on in conversation, we found out they had been married at SBP earlier that week and they had the same photographer as well. I asked if she was a Disneymooner and she said she was but she only lurked. So if you are still lurking, Sarah and Chris -- hello!!! It was a long line to get to the Disney ship but well worth the wait. The cruise was awesome and if anyone has any specific questions, Ill be glad to recap specifics.
We got back from the cruise the following Saturday (May 17) and took the LONGEST bus ride back to Disney. If there was any advise Id offer, it would be to book another form of transportation other than the Disney Cruise bus. We were on the bus for 4 ½ hours. We finally got to the All Star Music (by this time, we were looking to save a little money!) and got into a room. We were so hungry that we jumped on a bus and were going to go to Beaches and Cream. Because you cant go from resort to resort, we had to get on a bus to a park and the first one to come was the one for the Animal Kingdom. At that point, we ditched the idea of Beaches and Cream and headed to the Rainforest Café located in Animal Kingdom. Just as soon as we finished eating, Kens cell phone rang and it was his father telling him that his great uncle (who Ken thought of more as a grandfather) had passed away. The funeral was Tuesday (it was currently Saturday) and arrangements needed to be made. We called Airtran and told them Ken wouldnt be flying back on Monday and they were excellent. They waived the $50 fee for us and Ken made arrangements to have his brother pick him up at the airport (I was still going home).
It was tough to enjoy the next two days since we had just gotten bad news, but we made the best of it. On Sunday, we were park-hopping and when we were in Epcot, we rode Test Track. When we got off the ride, a cast member announced on his microphone that we were newlyweds and everyone yelled their congratulations. He then led us around to ride again and this time we got our own car!
On Monday, we sat though the presentation for the Disney Vacation Club and then went to meet Randy at the WL to get our pictures. Randy really came though for us I LOVED that I had my pictures to take home with me and didnt need to worry about when I would get them. And I loved the pictures! I could tell Randy was pleased with them as well and he showed me which picture he had picked for his website (I checked and he hasnt updated it yet). Disney transportation sucked that day and we waited forever for busses! We ended up being almost 2 hours late for the Tiffany Towncar but (thankfully!) the driver waited for us. He rushed us to the airport I had originally planned to get there 2 hours early with an hour to get there. He got us to the airport in only a half hour but I was still there with less than an hour to catch my flight. I got to the front of the line to check my bags and the lady at the counter gave me the bad news my flight had changed and it was leaving in less than half an hour. I looked at her and said, I missed my flight, didnt I? When she said yes, I broke down completely. She quickly calmed me down (sobbing as I was) and told me about another flight to BWI that day and was looking to make sure there was room on it for me when Ken came in to say goodbye because his brother was waiting for him outside. I cried like a baby and the poor lady at Airtran didnt know what to do. I told her that we had just gotten married and although he should have been coming home with me, he had to stay for a funeral. She was so sweet and helped me with my bags and gave me a hug and told me everything would be okay. She was able to get me on the next flight to Baltimore. When I boarded the plane, I was surprised to see the nice lady had upgraded me to business class! It was nice to have a little pixie dust sprinkled on me to end such a trying day! My parents and Morgan were waiting for me at the airport and although I love Disney, it was great to be home after 3 weeks.
May 2-3
Well, it didnt start out as we had planned (does it ever, though?) We chose Amtrak because we needed to bring a good bit of our wedding things with us. We departed Union Station in DC on time at 4:35pm on May 2. Our train should have arrived in Orlando at 11:44am on May 3. But that isnt what was meant to be, apparently (NOTE TO SELF DO NOT TAKE AMTRAK!) I guess I knew it was bad when we got on the train and they told Ken and I (and many others) that they always overbook the train by 10% because many people dont show, but wouldnt you know EVERYONE showed this time??? Yup, no seats for us! Ken and I stood outside of the smoking car (neither of us smoke) from DC to Richmond, and the train was an hour late getting to Richmond. Finally, we reach Richmond, VA and get seats. At that time, we were thinking If this is the worst that is going to happen then we shouldnt complain. We spoke too soon
Due to bad weather, all of the train crossing signals were out through both North and South Carolina forcing the train to travel 25 mph through BOTH states. I mean, CARS WERE PASSING US. Well, of course this was making us late. Several times in the middle of the night we were at a standstill. Sometime on May 3 (remember we were supposed to get there at 11:44AM, right?) we came to a stop right on the tracks in a Podunk town in South Carolina. After a half hour, the conductor gets on the loudspeaker and announces that he cannot work anymore because his 12 hour shift is over but he just called someone to replace him for the remainder of the trip. Bad news though the new guy is driving from Jacksonville, Florida (from Fl, through Georgia, and still further to the town we were at in South Carolina). Did I mention that the train had run out of water by this point so we didnt have use of bathrooms??? Well, it just so happened that the place we stopped at was just a half mile from a volunteer fire dept that had a bathroom. We literally went car-by-car and walked the half mile each way to use the bathroom. Four hours later (starting to feel a little like Gilligans Island, isnt it?) we finally start moving slowly again and are on our way. Because the train also ran out of food, we were told they would buy some food and give us a complimentary dinner. I mean, we havent eaten since the day before so we were hungry. We got to our next station and I guess they miscounted. Remember when I said we didnt get a seat in the beginning? Well, when we finally got our seat it was in the last train. This is important because when they were calling everyone to get food, they went in order of trains. Because we were the last train, they had run out of food by the time our train was called. Not exactly a great start to our Disney vacation/wedding! We finally arrived at the train station and got a Mears van to the Boardwalk. We arrived at 1:15AM on May 4th 13 ½ hours late! We were definitely ready for some Disney magic! It didnt take long for us to get some of that magic, either! There was one person working the check-in counter her name was Marlene but she was a fairy Godmother to us she handed us our room key and we started off to find our room it turned out that she had upgraded us to the concierge level! As soon as we put our things down and got our badly needed showers (and checked out the cool view from our balcony!) we were off to sleep around 2:30am.
May 4
We had the Keys to the Kingdom tour scheduled for 9:30am so we were up at 6:45am. We took advantage of the concierge room breakfast and headed out. After a quick stop at guest services to change our vouchers into annual passes, we stopped in to get some mouse ears for my 6-month-old twin niece and nephew. The tour was very cool and lasted until 2:45. We left the park and went back to the hotel to unpack. Afterwards, we went to the Wilderness Lodge to the Whispering Canyon Café for dinner. The food was good and our server Miss Understood was wonderful. She had the entire restaurant serenade us with You Are My Sunshine. We walked around the lodge for a little while and then went to Downtown Disney to get a little shopping in before the stores closed. We managed to shop until they closed at 11:00 and then went back to the hotel to get all of the wedding things together before our EM Karen Heyn came the next morning.
May 5
After breakfast, we called ERAC to make sure theyd have a car for us and we were told they would be there at 9:45am. We went downstairs to the BW lobby for our 8:30 meeting with Karen. She was so sweet and helpful! After she took all of our stuff (toasting glasses, programs, confetti wands, etc), we got our rental car and went to get our marriage license. That was easy enough so we had time for a quick stop at Walmart (how could I forget SHAMPOO???) and then put our bridal Mickey ears on to meet up with DMer Becky, her husband Ryan, and their daughter Kayleigh at Beaches and Cream Yummm! After lunch, we took a walk over to Epcot and then back to the hotel. We got our welcome bags together and delivered them and then we finally got some well-needed rest.
May 6
Another EARLY day (are you sensing a trend?) Ken though we had to be at his brothers house by 8:00 but oops! - we should have been there at 7:00! We were up at 4:30am to drive to Port St. John (Titusville approx an hour away). Ill admit to not being overjoyed about this day. Ken was gone the entire day with his Dad and brother deep sea fishing while I was left with his sister-in-law and mother. This is our 3rd full day in Florida and we havent gone on any rides I said I wanted to do so the idea of not being in Disney this day SUCKS. The plan was that I was to go with Jaime (Kens sister-in-law) to get manicures and pedicures. Well, because Jaime was late getting us to the day spa, we were told we had to choose between getting a manicure and pedicure because they didnt have time for both. Oh Lord! We both got French manicures and then left to find a walk-in place for pedicures. I chose Galactic Blue for my toes (it looked more purple than blue but it SAID blue in the title this was my something blue). Afterwards we met up with the guys for dinner. Poor guys all three of them threw up on their fishing excursion. Jaime took me ***shopping*** after dinner (apparently Kens brother told her to take me to this particular store to purchase some things for our wedding night to make Ken happy) how uncomfortable. We finally got back to the hotel at midnight another long day!
May 7
After going to bed at 1:30am, I thought Id be sleepy but I woke up at 6:00am. Too excited to go back to bed, I got up and went to the lobby to see if we could check in to our villa room early. I did go downstairs and speak with someone but no rooms were available. As I was going back upstairs, I saw our scheduled rehearsal on the screen in the lobby. I was so tickled! I went upstairs to pack and we got breakfast. We got into our new room at 1:30 the tux fitting was at 2:00 and from the moment we got to the new room it seemed like we were running to get somewhere for the rest of the night. So busy! We met with Reverend Jack in the lobby of the BW (he had another wedding to do during our rehearsal) and then we met with our wedding party for our 4:00 rehearsal. Karen Heyn was awesome! We went to the Olive Garden for dinner 29 people in all and it was wonderful. After getting back to the room, we waited for my sister, Kristy, and then we went to the Super Walmart for breakfast foods. She dropped me off at the BW and then took Ken to stay with his brother at the Swan it was 12:30 am. Ken was sweet after midnight, even though we were riding in the same van together, he refused to look at me. J
May 8 The Big Day!
The alarm was set for 6:00 but I was up at 5:00. I took my time in the shower and got dressed and ready because everyone was due to arrive at 7:00am. Irene (from cosmetology) arrived at 6:55 and Ana arrived at 7:00 but none of my girls were there yet! Kens mom Alison was the first to arrive and we had decided the night before that she and Jaime (Kens sister-in-law) would get their hair done first since they had would be in both Kens pictures and mine. But since no one else was there, Alison and I went first. (Apparently, Jaimes alarm never went off and it was only the alarm Ken happened to have set on his cell phone that finally woke her up at 8:00). I knew from previous posts that Irene was nervous about us DMers so I mentioned it right off but calmed her down by letting her know that she came recommended. Irene did my hair and Ana did my make-up. One of the things I liked best was when she finally sends you over to the mirror; she makes sure you absolutely love it. If not, she does it again. With us though, she didnt need to move one hair. I loved it when she sent my sister over to the mirror to see if she liked her hair when my sister was quiet for about 30 seconds, we thought maybe she didnt like it but then we heard her say, Oh my God is that me??? She looked lovely. I had no clue how I wanted my hair and asked Irene to do what she thought would look pretty. When she was done, I was in tears. I looked in the mirror and saw a princess if only for the day.
A knock at the door came and a lady was there with 6 mimosas and a box. Who ordered it? Apparently someone who thought I may need alcohol to start my morning! No notes attached but when I opened the box and saw it was a teddy bear I had seen in the MK all purple with Mickey paw prints I knew it was Ken. How thoughtful! Another knock at the door and the flowers arrived. Maybe Im not too particular or maybe its because I didnt really know what I wanted, but I LOVED the flowers. I didnt have any pictures to show floral other than my bouquet when we were deciding what kind of flowers to have so I was very pleased when the flowers turned out so lovely. When I matched the picture I had sent Rosie of the bouquet I wanted to the bouquet I got that day, everyone thought my flowers were prettier. The only thing I was slightly disappointed with was my daughters (officially our Fairy God Daughter) flower ball. It was still beautiful, but it was darker than I had imagined based on the description Rosie had sent. Ana did my make-up and even though it looked a lot like it normally does when I do it myself, I would still have it done again. Plus, she had finishing spray and it was a hot day! Randy Chapman had already been by to take a few getting ready shots and Stan asked me to say a few words on camera to Ken. Oh Lord! I dreaded this moment I hadnt a clue what to say. He left before I opened the gift Ken had given to me (delivered by his sister-in-law) it was a beautiful jewelry box with an engraved plate that read To My Wife - May 8, 2003 I wept like a little girl when I opened that gift. But, no time to cry because just after 10:00, the phone rang and it was Karen telling us the coast was clear. All 8 of us walked down the long hallway to the elevator. On a side note, we decided to not to a bouquet toss or garter toss because we didnt have many single guests but I still wanted to wear a garter I had bought. Well, apparently the garter was too big for my leg (who says one size fits all?) because on the way down that long hallway, my garter fell completely off my leg and was hanging at my ankle. Thankfully, someone told me and I was able to take it off (and keep it off!) I just kept thinking how embarrassing it would be if that were to have happened as I walked down the aisle! Anyway, we had just gotten into the elevator and the doors were closing when the parent of a little girl put his hand in the door of the elevator to get it to stop. He apologized and said his little girl wanted to see the princess just one more time. Awww how sweet!
We went into the lobby of the BW where Randy, Stan, and Rev Jack were waiting for us. Rev Jack said his typical sweet things and Stan videotaped a little bit and Randy started his pictures. Stan asked me (on camera, of course) what was in the box that Ken had given to me. I completely broke down and told him about the engraved box that said To My Wife. (I still tear up when I think of that!) I havent gotten the video back yet, so Im not entirely sure, but I think I also said on camera to Ken that I wanted to thank him for making me his princess.
We took some pictures inside and outside the BW and then Karen said it was time. So many people came up and congratulated me. I really felt like a princess then complete strangers were taking pictures of me and coming up to talk. It was all very cool. We all began walking to SBP but when we got to the ESPN Zone, everyone went on except Karen, me, and my Dad. The weather was beautiful although it was HOT. I swore I wouldnt complain about the heat just so long as it didnt rain and I got my wish. I think it was a high of 94 degrees that day (record highs all week long). Thankfully, I had read Lindas recaps of her daughters wedding and purchased sandalwood fans for each guest that Karen had laid on each chair. Karen snuck us up to the tiny tree near SBP to hide so no one would see me. Then she exclaimed, Its time! and I heard my song Canon in D. Instantly, the tears welled up in my eyes. My father and I walked down the walkway and I dont know if I even saw any of our guests because I was so focused on Ken. He was so handsome and I was so proud that he had chosen me. It was like a dream when he looked at me walking toward him almost like slow-motion. My Mom stood up beside my Dad and they both gave me away and then the ceremony began. I must apologize in advance to Brooke and Alison. Our entire ceremony was a combination of Brookes and Alisons ceremony because they were both too lovely for words. When I first read the words, I promise to love, honor, respect, encourage, and ASTOUND you, I knew it was wrong to steal but I had to have that in our ceremony. So there we were to this day, Ken says he didnt forget his vows, but he stumbled a bit and I helped him out. If you ask him, hell say he didnt forget but was fighting back tears a likely story! Rev Jack did a beautiful job reading our ceremony and when we prayed, the tears came like waterfalls. I couldnt seem to stop crying tears of happiness. But then the best part Kens best man (his brother, Tom) had asked him about the rings earlier that morning. Ken told him I had them. My sister had asked me and I told her Ken had them. The only ring tied to the ring bearers pillow was the ring we were giving to Morgan. When Jack asked Tom for the rings, he bent down to take Morgans ring off the pillow. Ken told him, No, thats not our rings, its Morgans ring and he looked panicked. Well, then Rev Jack asked my sister if she had the rings and it is a good thing that looks dont kill because I wouldnt have made it out of the ceremony alive. She looked like she was going to kill me! She loudly whispered to me, YOU SAID KEN HAD THE RINGS! Then strains of When You Wish Upon a Star began and Major Domo in all of his formal elegance came in to save the day! He took the rings from the glass slipper he was carrying on a pillow and handed them to Rev Jack. Rev Jack thanked him for saving the day and we finished our ring exchange. Then he started to pronounce us husband and wife but wait, Rev Jack! What about Morgan? Oh no he forgot we were going to do a childrens ceremony to include my daughter! Panic flooded me and I quietly whispered to him, Can Morgan have her ring? He looked surprised and told me he thought we had already done that part of the ceremony. Aghhh! But no worries he called Morgan up and had me place a hand on one shoulder and Ken place his hand on her other shoulder and declared it was a circle of love. He had Ken and I say vows to her and then her to us and then Ken placed the ring on her finger. She looked happy enough to pop! Rev Jack then pronounced us husband and wife, and the newly formed Mogle family a not-so-quick kiss and we walked down the aisle MARRIED AT LAST! (Morgan doesnt have a relationship with her biological father and Ken is the only Dad shes ever known when she got to the end of the aisle after the ceremony, she screamed, I have a Dad! It was too cute for words.)
We had planned to do a staged exit so after pictures, we all walked to the BW Convention Center. Ken and I waited while Major Domo showed everyone how to use the confetti wands (two thumbs up for Flutterfetti.com) then Karen told us to RUN to the limo. Randy got some great shots of this and I am so glad we chose to do the confetti wands. Instead of the wedding party, we took our parents and Morgan with us in the limo. Everyone else got on the chartered bus and off we were to the LivingSeas. It was nice to finally relax (in the air conditioning!) and talk about how great our day has been so far! We truly felt blessed to have our parents with us and were glad we chose to invite them in the limo for the ride to the reception. Our guests got there first and were shown to the LivingSeas by Major Domo he was a great help! Because all of the wedding party were already seated, we decided to only have Major Domo announce Ken, Morgan, and I. We then had the first dance and then the father/daughter dance. Neither Ken, my father, nor I dance at all and the songs didnt seem long until we were out there with all eyes on us. Then it seemed like time stood still Ken and I joked about how we wished we had taken dancing lessons and how silly we felt just turning around in circles. Thankfully, the two songs were over and we sat down. (Ken was going to do a dance with his mother originally but a week before the wedding she had to have her knee operated on and was lucky to have been able to walk down the aisle we werent going to make her dance on her bad knee!) Shortly thereafter, Major Domo said it was time for the toast from the best man. But where WAS Tom??? Oops he was in the bathroom. When he came out, all eyes were on him and Major Domo thanked him for being able to embarrass him TWO times in one day! Everyone had a good laugh at Toms expense and then he said his speech. Major Domo said he was needed back at the castle and off he went his work here was done. Ken and I were called to get our lunch it was a little awkward because we each had a cast member that put whatever food we wanted on our plates (it was a buffet) and we didnt carry a thing. I guess Im just not used to that. When I first began planning this wedding, a read a recap from a past bride and she said she had a brunch instead of a dinner. The thought stuck with me the entire time, so our menu consisted of breakfast and lunch items we had Mickey waffles, breakfast potatoes, made-to-order omelets, a ham carving station, a pasta station, eggs, fruit, and lots more. It was all very delicious. Instead of a DJ, we chose to do a caricature artist and he was a hit! Everyone was having a good time and said the food was wonderful. I kept watching the clock, waiting for the time when our special guests would arrive. Ken and I were able to keep the mice a secret the entire time we had been planning so not one person there knew they were coming. Without a DJ, it is hard to make a grand entrance but it didnt take long for our guests to realize that Mickey and Minnie were there! Everyone, young and young-at-heart, gathered around for photos. Minnie had wondered off and we saw her with Morgan looking at the fish. She must have been there with Morgan for at least 10 minutes with Morgan just gabbing away. When Minnie finally got up to get pictures with other guests, Morgan thanked her for the wonderful conversation. Too cute considering Minnie couldnt say a thing! M & M helped with the cake cutting on the way to the table I threatened Ken with an annulment if he smashed cake in my face and then the cake was taken away to become dessert. Ken and I were so busy talking to everyone that we forgot we didnt get a piece of cake luckily the servers had left two pieces on our table and we got to taste the best cake ever. Because we had bought bubbles for our exit before buying the confetti wands, we thought we would have a last dance and the guests would blow bubbles while we were dancing. Well, the first dance was so agonizingly slow and seemed to last forever, neither one of us wanted to do that again. We decided to forgo the last dance and end the reception there. The bus took everyone back to their respective resorts and it was time for a break because the dessert party was to begin in just 4 ½ hours!
A few of us went back to the villa room at the BW and cleaned up the terrible mess we had left earlier that morning. When we got the lobby of the BW, we were standing around talking. Now I still have my dress on, tiara in my hair, and my bouquet in hand. My sister told me later that she saw a family with two kids near us and she said the mom was looking at me like she was really mad. My sister overheard her tell the kids I wasnt a very nice princess and it was better not to ask for my autograph! People are so strange Then we were off to the room to get cleaned up. I know most everyone likes to wear their wedding dress to Illuminations, but it was so hot I couldnt think of anything better then getting my heavy dress off and putting a sundress on. There wasnt enough time to get the tiara out of my hair and wash my hair so I kept it as is and just changed clothes. What a relief! Dont get me wrong I loved my dress and I really did feel like a princess wearing it, but man was it hot! In no time at all, we had to get over to Epcot to meet our guests. We had decided on not having transportation and told everyone to meet us at the front gate of Epcot. Originally, I worried about this but when we got there, everyone was already there! So off we went, 42 of us following the lady with the light saber to the Upper Terrace of the UK. There was a wedding reception going on in the lower terrace that night and I felt a little twinge that I didnt have my dress on like the bride on the UK lower. Oh well When we got there, I noticed that there wasnt enough chairs for everyone. Karen told me then that I had to have requested them and it was an extra charge. There must have been some miscommunication somewhere because I didnt know that the existing chairs werent going to be enough for all of our guests. Karen quickly went to find some extra chairs and had them delivered so everyone had a place to sit down. If anyone chooses the UK upper, make sure you tell your EM how many chairs you need so they make sure everyone has a seat! Crisis over We chose to do a modified version of the menu For the Child In You and took out the Florida lemon bars and added tuxedo strawberries. This was probably the best idea we ever had. The strawberries were an absolute hit there were by far the best chocolate covered strawberries I had ever had! And they were HUGE! Thanks so much Arianne for the idea! Plus, I made sure that I bought three one-pound boxes to take some strawberries back to the hotel with us. Great idea! The second best idea was to have (in addition to the beer and wine bar) strawberry daiquiris. Since the night was so warm, the daiquiris were very refreshing. I have to admit that I cant remember much of the show since Randy and Stan were both there with their cameras and we were getting pictures taken. Im looking forward to getting the video so I can finally see the show we missed! Although I had already filled my three boxes with strawberries, there were still a lot left over. When I told one of the cast members that was tending the bar that it was a shame to let the strawberries go to waste, she quickly got some plastic cups and helped me put the strawberries in them to hand out to guests. Yummy!
We all hung around and continued to eat and drink until around 10:00 or so and then everyone left. Although it was sad to see the day end, it did end perfectly. Ken and I went back to the villa room and he spent the next 2 ½ hours taking the 54 bobby pins out of my long, thin hair and brushed it. The bobby pins were so embedded into my scalp that it hurt when Ken took them out and I whined like a little girl when he brushed the tangles out. Sometime while I was whining, my sister had come to decorate the outside of our door with a banner that said Congratulations and some silver wedding bells she hung beside the banner. I told my brother-in-law the next morning that if she heard anything while she was working on the door that nothing was going on Ken was just brushing my hair. He just smiled and winked at us and said, Sure, he was. That was so embarrassing!
May 9
We decided to spend the day with my family at MGM studios. We were supposed to meet my family in the park but we were running late and were concerned that we wouldnt be able to find them. Ken and I wore our Bride and Groom t-shirts and we both wore our wedding ears. When we walked into the park, the guard who checked our bags asked when we got married. When we told him it was only the day before, he looked a little angry and asked what our names were. We quickly told him and he said to step aside. He then yelled (loudly!) to everyone in line that Ken and Stacy were married just yesterday. He ordered everyone to scream congratulations to us. My family had no problem finding us then because they heard all the commotion. We thanked the guard who then was smiling at us and wishing us years of happiness. The entire day was a blast and I spent way too much money on frames for our caricature and a framed print of bridal Mickey and Minnie. My sister told me her son and my daughter were walking hand-in-hand together in the park singing Morgan was signing, Ive got a Daddy and my nephew was singing, Ive got an uncle. We split up at one point and my sister took one of the twins with her and I took the other. Ken and I (baby in arms) went to Who Wants To Be a Millionaire Play It. There was another couple in the audience with wedding ears on too and the announcer had fun with us. On camera, he asked us how long we had been married and we told him one day. He said something about the cute baby in my lap and I turned three shades of red and yelled that the baby was my niece. Sure she is He then put the camera on the other couple and asked how long they had been married. They said they got married a week ago and the announcer told them they were a little behind the other couple (meaning us) already had a baby! After Fantasmic, we headed back to our room to pack because we had to check out early the next morning.
May 10 May 19
We met family and friends (16 total) at Ohanas (because Ohana means family) for a character breakfast. It was wonderful but too short because Ken and I had to say goodbye to everyone so we could get back to the BW. We had a reservation for Tiffany Towncars to come pick us up and take us to Port Canaveral. My sister drove us to the BW and the towncar was already waiting for us. We packed everything in the car and drove away. I know I should have been excited, but my heart was breaking when I thought of my family vacationing in Disney and me leaving them. My sister just had her twins 6 months before and because she lives 8 hours away, I dont get to see them often. It seems like they triple in size each time I see them and here I was leaving them. It didnt help that I knew I wouldnt be seeing everyone again for at least 2 more months. Poor Ken I cried all the way to Port Canaveral. When we got there, we saw another couple with their wedding ears on in conversation, we found out they had been married at SBP earlier that week and they had the same photographer as well. I asked if she was a Disneymooner and she said she was but she only lurked. So if you are still lurking, Sarah and Chris -- hello!!! It was a long line to get to the Disney ship but well worth the wait. The cruise was awesome and if anyone has any specific questions, Ill be glad to recap specifics.
We got back from the cruise the following Saturday (May 17) and took the LONGEST bus ride back to Disney. If there was any advise Id offer, it would be to book another form of transportation other than the Disney Cruise bus. We were on the bus for 4 ½ hours. We finally got to the All Star Music (by this time, we were looking to save a little money!) and got into a room. We were so hungry that we jumped on a bus and were going to go to Beaches and Cream. Because you cant go from resort to resort, we had to get on a bus to a park and the first one to come was the one for the Animal Kingdom. At that point, we ditched the idea of Beaches and Cream and headed to the Rainforest Café located in Animal Kingdom. Just as soon as we finished eating, Kens cell phone rang and it was his father telling him that his great uncle (who Ken thought of more as a grandfather) had passed away. The funeral was Tuesday (it was currently Saturday) and arrangements needed to be made. We called Airtran and told them Ken wouldnt be flying back on Monday and they were excellent. They waived the $50 fee for us and Ken made arrangements to have his brother pick him up at the airport (I was still going home).
It was tough to enjoy the next two days since we had just gotten bad news, but we made the best of it. On Sunday, we were park-hopping and when we were in Epcot, we rode Test Track. When we got off the ride, a cast member announced on his microphone that we were newlyweds and everyone yelled their congratulations. He then led us around to ride again and this time we got our own car!
On Monday, we sat though the presentation for the Disney Vacation Club and then went to meet Randy at the WL to get our pictures. Randy really came though for us I LOVED that I had my pictures to take home with me and didnt need to worry about when I would get them. And I loved the pictures! I could tell Randy was pleased with them as well and he showed me which picture he had picked for his website (I checked and he hasnt updated it yet). Disney transportation sucked that day and we waited forever for busses! We ended up being almost 2 hours late for the Tiffany Towncar but (thankfully!) the driver waited for us. He rushed us to the airport I had originally planned to get there 2 hours early with an hour to get there. He got us to the airport in only a half hour but I was still there with less than an hour to catch my flight. I got to the front of the line to check my bags and the lady at the counter gave me the bad news my flight had changed and it was leaving in less than half an hour. I looked at her and said, I missed my flight, didnt I? When she said yes, I broke down completely. She quickly calmed me down (sobbing as I was) and told me about another flight to BWI that day and was looking to make sure there was room on it for me when Ken came in to say goodbye because his brother was waiting for him outside. I cried like a baby and the poor lady at Airtran didnt know what to do. I told her that we had just gotten married and although he should have been coming home with me, he had to stay for a funeral. She was so sweet and helped me with my bags and gave me a hug and told me everything would be okay. She was able to get me on the next flight to Baltimore. When I boarded the plane, I was surprised to see the nice lady had upgraded me to business class! It was nice to have a little pixie dust sprinkled on me to end such a trying day! My parents and Morgan were waiting for me at the airport and although I love Disney, it was great to be home after 3 weeks.
