Monday morning, we woke up in Orlando for the last time.
We had to head for the airport by 11:30am though check out time was 11:00am.
My original plan was that we could be packed up the night before and have breakfast at one of the resorts.
I didn't make an ADR ahead of time, I figured I would just see how early we were ready and decide then what we would do. I thought it would be cool to try Boma, and then we could hang out at AKL and see the resort and view the animals.
The reality was I was running around until 11:15 throwing things into the suitcases.
We had so much stuff. And it had really spread out to every corner of all 4 rooms and 2 bathrooms. It was so nice to have so much space all week, except until it came time to pack.
The kids of course are not that good at following directions or packing. They were sucked into the TV again. I had to turn it off a couple of times to get them to get ready. They were also busy taking photos and videos of the time share.
We made it to the airport plenty early. We got our bags checked, and I guess we looked pretty sad, because the airline employee told us to cheer up. We told him we were going home, and he said "There's no place like here."
We found the universal shop and replaced Hannah's lost pin. We had to stop in the disney earport shop as well. Accumulated a few more souveniers.
We had lunch after we passed through security and waited around for our flight.
Smooth and on time.
We came home to this lovely weather!
Jacob who had been so good all trip had a meltdown when we got home. He missed Disney so much.
I really did too!
Just a few thoughts on this trip.
It was tough to have different people with different interests and energy levels. I wanted to stay out late and ride rides with Jacob, but I also wanted to do things with Hannah. Like shop and meet princesses and got to BBB. We are really working on her to try more rides next time. We've been talking a lot about it. She is going to try BTMRR next trip.
I thought about renting a car so we could come and go to the parks at different times. But I wasn't sure how much my Dad would want to deal with Hannah at the hotel. Also this trip our rooms were a ways apart. Same building and floor, but opposite ends. That and I really don't like to drive.
My stepmom could not make this trip at all due to medical treatments. She is fully recovered now and will join us on a future trip. She was really disappointed to miss this one. I think that would make Hannah happier, as they are very close and love to talk. It would also be easier to leave Hannah with both of them. So they could trade off. And their is always the hope that as Hannah gets older she will stay out later and try more rides.
After our 2006 trip, my Dad commented that we had been to all the parks, so in the future we could spend a day or two at Disney on our way to or from Ft. Lauderdale.
I told him we had barely seen half of the parks. This trip I think he realized how many things we did in 06 and not 08 and vice versa, and how much more there is to do. Since we have been home, he has been recording Disney specials off the travel channel for us. Since we don't have that channel. He was not surprised that Jacob and I went back this fall. He thought it was a great idea. He also told a friend of mine how much stuff I had planned on that trip. He was really amazed. I thought we didn't get to half of what I wanted.
I know my Dad thinks of Disney primarily as a great place to take the kids and have fun with them. And he always took us when we were young. He and his wife are the type of grandparents that talk to the kids and take them places, and know what they like, and know what really helps me out, without my having to ask. But I think he enjoyed himself a bit more this trip. He even commented on how great DVC sounded. I think if they had DVC when my brothers and I were young, he would have bought it.
I did not enjoy having to share my camera this trip.
After I got home it occured to me we were off site, we had a car, there are stores everywhere. Why on earth didn't we just go buy another camera?????
I didn't even think of it at the time. I guess to me a camera is something I like to research in advance. Since some are better than others.
It had been two years since our last trip, and I just couldn't wait another two years to go back, so Jacob and I went this fall. I'm not sure when we will be back. I hope it is sooner than it looks like right now. My husband owns his own business and things are slow. My work hours were supposed to increase this fall and that fell through, instead the organization has been making cutbacks. My job hasn't been affected, and it does not look like it will, but no extra hours.
I was talking about going back for Halloween again, and Jacob suggested we go at Christmas. He would like to see those decorations, and he thought Hannah would like that better. Next fall may be tough to miss school as Jacob starts High school, and Hannah starts middle school. As much as I'd love to go next year, It may be sometime in 2010.
Jacob and I also want to go in June for Star Wars Weekends, and I'd like to go for the 4th of July, and sometime I would like to go to the Flower and Garden festival (preferably as a solo trip, or partially solo). And in 2011 my birthday is the same week as Feb Vacation and I'd love to spend my birthday in Disney. It would be so much easier if we lived in FL and had Annual passes now wouldn't it.
We also can't wait to go to Harry Potter world at Universal. Guess that will be 2010 unless they change it.
So, we don't have any trips that we KNOW we can take, but I will just keep planning for them anyway. And eventually one of them will work out.
Especially since we have that time share no one else uses but me. Every trip I learn more and can plan better. All the trips are just too short. I need a really long trip! So now that this report is (finally) done, I need to start the report for the Sept trip. It was different than this trip, but both were a lot of fun.
Thanks to everyone who has read along.
Sorry I have been so slow. Having the other trip to plan was a bit distracting, along with everything else that keeps me busy.
I'll end with some of the pins we ended up with this trip.
Jacob usually collects keychains, but I did not get a photo of those. Maybe he can round them up for me and I'll take one.
He did get a few pins.
Jacob's pins:
The jedi pin he received from Build your own lightsabre, and a mickey jedi pin we bought at WOD/DTD
Terminator pin from Universal:
My pins:
2 from Sea World
My Disney pins from this trip:
They are all on my bulletin board in the kitchen.
Hannah's lanyard.
The Muppet pin was supposed to be for Joe, who likes the muppets. She has had it on the lanyard until this week. She gave it to me for the bulletin board. Probably so she could make room for her new pins.
