OUTPLAN-OUTPLAY-OUTLAST: a Sleepingbooty TR! New Princess trip update 4/2

[Sleepingbooty]

I always thought it was funny how the guest stars that would be on Love Boat one week would show up on Fantasy Island the next. Barbi Benton, Bill Bixby, Charo....

See, that's just it, its been so long I don't remember too many details. Just the general impression. LOVED the Love Boat too, though.

Hope I'm not too late to join the party.

Heck no! Thanks for coming over!

Just found your TR! I'm in!

Yay! Glad you found me Heather!

Love the Survivor theme Outplan U - R - 2 funny. I was a Fantasy Island fan and I totally agree with what you said. I watched some FI episodes recently though and they were a little disappointing from when I remembered watching them. I guess being younger they were just cooler when I was 12 or so than now. It seems at least to me, the premise behind Fantasy Island was fantastic, but a lot of the episodes just seemed to not live up to the potential. Great report so far.

Thanks, and

That's what I'm worried about - that it won't live up to my (vague) memories. I have added it to my Netflix Queue, but who knows when I'll get around to shipping it. I've had the same movie at home since June 17th!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Challenge #1: Getting There is Half the Fun!

My family leaves the trip planning up to me, for the most part. I attempt to involve them in the decision making (remember my PowerPoint, anyone) but I pretty much call the shots. And of course, take care of all the booking, etc.

So, no one was the wiser when I employed a little slight of hand to gain an extra day. The day Southwest opened booking for September, I was on top of it. Great fares were available.... but only arriving in the evening. Well, who wants to do that? You miss the whole first day! If we were to book our usual early morning flight, we'd be paying twice as much on that leg. Hmmm.... time for some fuzzy disney math!

My creative calculations told me that for the same price we'd pay for the desirable early morning flights, we could buy cheap flights the night before and add another night to our trip. Uh, that's a no brainer to me. Of course, I probably could have bought the cheap return flights and waited for the price on the departure flights I wanted to go down, but I've never been a big risk-taker. What really surprised me, was I did not get any resistance at all when I presented this option to the clan. I guess they trusted me

So, we added a night to our reservation. We'd now be arriving on Friday, September 17th at 10:15 (but it would feel like 9:15 to us, so not too bad). Hey wait, arriving at night like this, we'll miss our whole first day! Maybe we need to fly in on Thursday instead! You see how this could really snowball! Anyway, the really cool thing about adding a night was that we get extra meal credits!

Scott and my mom would both be working that day, so it was up to my dad and I too get everything ready to go. He came over about 3 in the afternoon and we loaded the suitcases up. To save on parking costs, all six of us were going to ride together to the airport in our Mountaineer. We fit what we could behind the third row seat and put the rest on the luggage rack.

Then we had what you might call a "Griswold Moment." I went to go back the car out of the garage and I hear a "Whoa whoa whoa!" I slammed on the brake and got out. I thought maybe one of the girls had come out of the house and gone behind the car - my heart was beating like crazy! It was only my dad standing there, shaking his head. If I'd gone another foot, we would have had a big problem. My dad, the genius, had not noticed that the suitcases stood higher up than the garage door when he put them up there! Of course, I hadn't either. Oops!

So, we unloaded them, backed the car out, and reloaded. Then he went home to wait for my mom to get home from work.

Scott got home about 3:30. He changed clothes and we did all those last minute things you do when you are leaving for a week. Thermostat, blinds, locks, pets, petsitter info, computer and tv power strips off.

My mom and dad were at our house by 4:15. They'd brought Subway sandwiches that we would eat at the airport for dinner. We were out of the house and on the road by 4:25 - 5 minutes ahead of schedule!

We parked in the $7/day lot (almost couldn't find a spot!) and boarded a shuttle to the airport. A quick and uneventful trip through check-in and security and we found our gate and sat down to eat our Subway. We were actually surprised that security was uneventful. Typically, my dad always gets "randomly" selected to be searched or questioned. He says its because of his swarthy good looks.

We boarded the plane about 6:30 and ended up with seats over the wing. I think Southwest is reserving more and more of its spots in line for its platinum members and those who are willing to fork over the $10pp/per leg to pre board. Even when I get on the website at EXACTLY 24 hours and 0 seconds before my flight to check in, I barely make it in to the back of the A group. Oh well, at least we got two rows together.

The flight was smooth. I had drugged myself up, so I didn't have any ear problems, which was a blessing. Before I fly, I take three sudafed and several sprays of Afrin. If I don't, I have such horrible sinus pressure it feels like my ears and face are going to explode. My doctor suggested the meds and it works really well! The "Earplanes" plugs did not, when I tried them on a previous flight.

We landed about 15 minutes early. This always reminds me of the bit Jerry Seinfeld does where he talks about the pilot coming on and saying, "we're going to make up some time in the air." We picked up our luggage ourselves (no DME luggage service after 10pm) and headed down to Magical Express.

I'd like to take this time to give a shout out to the Orlando International Airport. I love this place. I realized that a big part of could be that just being there means that I'm going to Disney (well, or coming home from Disney), but it really is a very nice airport. I love the fake monorail, the mosaics on the floor, the lovely atrium, the conversational groupings of rattan chairs a la Golden Girls on the Magical Express level. It is SO much nicer than the St.Louis airport.

Magical Express was practically deserted, and we joined the very short line. With almost no wait, we were led onto the bus.

We stopped at Pop Century first, and I got a little nostalgic for our 2009 trip when we stayed there. A little, but not too much, because we were headed for........ Caribbean Beach Resort!!

Of course at this time of night, the lobby was completely empty. I had checked us in online previously, so the check-in process was very quick. We had gotten our request - ground floor Jamaica, connecting rooms. Yay!

A lovely gentleman from bell services loaded our many bags into a van and drove us over to our room. He unloaded us and got a nice tip. Here's a bad picture of our building while we are waiting for him to stack all the suitcases on a dolly.

The room was lovely, and once again we lucked out with a corner room. Those extra windows do make it feel bigger.

By this time, it was midnight (11 to us), but we were excited to be there and not at all ready to hit the sack. We quickly changed into suits and headed for Old Port Royale. The pool looked beautiful at night.

We headed straight for the hot tub, surprised to find people there so late. We soaked our bones for a bit, but my eyes were really stinging because of the amount of chlorine. I hoped it wouldn't be like that the whole time, because I really enjoy hot tubbing after a long day at the park! We were back in our rooms and in bed by 1am. We did not set a wake up call for the morning. We figured that normally we wouldn't even be there until Saturday afternoon, so having Saturday morning there was bonus time. We'd get a good night sleep and a good breakfast and then head to......

Up Next: Episode 4: Magic Kingdom & Ohana, part 1

 

[martinolichfamily]

Great update! CBR looks great..love the pool!

So funny about the luggage on top of the car!

Wonder where ya'll went the next day??!!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

I know, it was really ridiculous yet funny at the same time!

 

[englishrose47]

Great Update !!Especially the part about the sudafed !!!Judy suffers with her ears when flying and one time I told her to take a ssinus med and she did and said it worked , then we couldn't find it coming back!!So I am putting sudafed and afrin on my list of must haves !! Thanks !!

 

[__disneygirl]

I love that you said you had a Griswold moment, cause my mom & I love those movies and say that on our trips too!

MCO is my favorite airport I've ever been to. Mostly cause it means I'm at Disney, of course, but it really is just nice. Our airport here is kind of cold and uninviting, but MCO is so warm and welcoming.

I love the pics, you guys are such a cute family. Your CBR pics are making me miss it there so much! It's so hard to try new Disney Resorts when you are so glued to the ones you've already tried and love.

Can't wait for more

 

[KatGarcia]

I'm in! Sounds like a fun trip already!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Great Update !!Especially the part about the sudafed !!!Judy suffers with her ears when flying and one time I told her to take a ssinus med and she did and said it worked , then we couldn't find it coming back!!So I am putting sudafed and afrin on my list of must haves !! Thanks !!

Glad I could help! It really does work amazingly well

 

[Sleepingbooty]

I love the pics, you guys are such a cute family. Your CBR pics are making me miss it there so much! It's so hard to try new Disney Resorts when you are so glued to the ones you've already tried and love.

Can't wait for more

Aww thanks! I feel the same way - except my favorite resort is POR. I so would rather have just gone back there, but in the interest of research I felt I needed to stay at CBR at least once, so I'll have tried all the mods. But we loved it. I'd definitely go back!

I'm in! Sounds like a fun trip already!

Hey there! Thanks for joinin in!

 

[glennbo123]

My family leaves the trip planning up to me, for the most part. I attempt to involve them in the decision making (remember my PowerPoint, anyone)

Yes, I remember.

but I pretty much call the shots.

Yes, I believe it.

Then we had what you might call a "Griswold Moment." I went to go back the car out of the garage and I hear a "Whoa whoa whoa!" I slammed on the brake and got out. I thought maybe one of the girls had come out of the house and gone behind the car - my heart was beating like crazy! It was only my dad standing there, shaking his head. If I'd gone another foot, we would have had a big problem. My dad, the genius, had not noticed that the suitcases stood higher up than the garage door when he put them up there! Of course, I hadn't either. Oops!

I almost did that a couple of years ago, but the other way around. I was about to drive into the garage while we had a cartop carrier on the roof. That was a close one.

He changed clothes and we did all those last minute things you do when you are leaving for a week. Thermostat, blinds, locks, pets, petsitter info, computer and tv power strips off.

...have the kids take a bathroom break even though they just went 10 minutes ago.

Typically, my dad always gets "randomly" selected to be searched or questioned. He says its because of his swarthy good looks.

The Security people probably just want to meet Frank Zappa.

I think Southwest is reserving more and more of its spots in line for its platinum members and those who are willing to fork over the $10pp/per leg to pre board. Even when I get on the website at EXACTLY 24 hours and 0 seconds before my flight to check in, I barely make it in to the back of the A group. Oh well, at least we got two rows together.

I have had this same suspicion also. I think it's more people taking the $10 deal.

By this time, it was midnight (11 to us), but we were excited to be there and not at all ready to hit the sack. We quickly changed into suits and headed for Old Port Royale. The pool looked beautiful at night.

You guys are vacationing maniacs! I'm impressed.

Cool looking pool!

We'd get a good night sleep and a good breakfast and then head to......

Cliffhanger?! Aaaaah!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

I almost did that a couple of years ago, but the other way around. I was about to drive into the garage while we had a cartop carrier on the roof. That was a close one.

So who realized what was going to happen and stopped it - you or Judy?

The Security people probably just want to meet Frank Zappa.

And give old Frank a pat-down

I have had this same suspicion also. I think it's more people taking the $10 deal.

I'm WAY too cheap to take the deal.

You guys are vacationing maniacs! I'm impressed.

Yeah, I don't know what got into us - we're usually in bed by 10!

 

[soldiersmom]

Joining the party late, but enjoying the heck out of your report. I had to look really close at that first picture in front of the castle because your mom looks almost EXACTLY like a girl I went to high school with. Not her, though. The one I know married a non-Frank Zappa look-alike too few years ago to have a 30-something daughter.

Can't wait to read the rest....cliffhangers...

 

[jenbear123]

Griswold moment! Love it!

I'm amazed you all still had enough energy to take a swim. After a long trip on the plane all I want to do is sleep.

Your daughters are adorable!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Joining the party late, but enjoying the heck out of your report. I had to look really close at that first picture in front of the castle because your mom looks almost EXACTLY like a girl I went to high school with. Not her, though. The one I know married a non-Frank Zappa look-alike too few years ago to have a 30-something daughter.

Can't wait to read the rest....cliffhangers...

You're not too late!

How funny - my mom has a doppelganger! When I was a kid, people used to tell her she looked like Darryl Hannah. She loved that. I always told her she looked more like Sally Kellerman. She didn't like that comparison as much

Griswold moment! Love it!

I'm amazed you all still had enough energy to take a swim. After a long trip on the plane all I want to do is sleep.

Your daughters are adorable!

Aww thanks Jen!

You gotta remember, we aren't flying all the way from Canada! Plus - we 'made up some time in the air' so the flight only took about 2 hours. But mostly it was just first day excitement.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Episode 4:Magic Kingdom & Ohana, part 1

After a late night arrival and check-in and our midnight swim, we planned to sleep in. Normally, our first day would also be our arrival day. We typically fly in to MCO about 11, take DME to our resort, drop the bags and head to a park by early afternoon. After getting up early to get to the airport, traveling all morning, back and forth on Disney buses, and spending the rest of the day at the parks, that first day is usually exhausting. This would be a totally different experience for us. We would get a good night's sleep, a leisurely breakfast, and still make it to the parks HOURS before we would have if we'd arrived only that morning.

Of course, when you have the opportunity to sleep in, it doesn't happen. We got up around 8. Not too late, but a good hour to hour and a half later than we normally would at Disney.

We took our time getting ready and headed over to the food court at Old Port Royale for breakfast, stopping to take some pics along the way.

Hmmm, I guess I just took one pic. I know I took more on another morning. Anyway, we made the short trek over the bridge to OPR. 5 minute walk, tops. We were really ideally located in the Jamaica section. Plus, its the prettiest, in my opinion.

We checked out the breakfast options at the foodcourt and I went for the french toast. It was just okay - I had to heat it up in the microwave. I'd been looking forward to dining in this foodcourt - I've always been a sucker for faux-outdoor spaces. But honestly - it was a bit disorienting. It was dim in there, it felt like dusk - all the time.

Anyhow, we enjoyed our leisurely breakfast and then proceeded to the bus stop at OPR to catch a ride to Magic Kingdom. I've tried starting out our trips at other parks, but we've come to the conclusion that for us, we don't truly feel like our trip has begun until we see the castle.

With a short wait, we were on our way.

We arrived at MK about quarter after 10. I was a little worried that we would run into massive crowds because this was an a.m. EMH day and therefore not a recommended day to visit MK (unless you were going to get there at 8am and take advantage of EMH before hopping elsewhere - which we weren't)

Normally, I would have been in such a rush to get in the I would have snapped a quick shot of the girls in front of the train station and that would have been it. By looking at our pictures, it looks like we just stood around chatting for a while - you'd think we weren't anxious to get to the good stuff! But we were all still in that 'no rush' frame of mind that we took our time and got some photopass pics and then leisurely strolled in and got our bearings. I just love all the Halloween decorations.

I can't remember the last time I visited that there wasn't a crane in my castle pics for one reason or another.

We asked the girls what they wanted to do first, and to my surprise, they said the TTA. Really? I mean, it's definitely one of my favorites, and I know its one of theirs as well, I just thought they'd pick a bit more of a headliner. But, it was unanimous, so off we went.

As we zipped by Space Mountain, I noticed there was no wait at all, and this was 10:30 on an EMH Saturday morning!

Would this be the year I get my girls to ride it???

Up Next: We Now Interrupt this Broadcast...

 

[glennbo123]

I love your relaxed attitude. I don't know if I could have been so relaxed.

 

[englishrose47]

So who realized what was going to happen and stopped it - you or Judy?



And give old Frank a pat-down



I'm WAY too cheap to take the deal.




Yeah, I don't know what got into us - we're usually in bed by 10!

We plan on taking the deal but I am hoping we can get away with only 3 of us doing it and saving seats !!Any body know if that's been done successfully!!!

 

[englishrose47]

Great MK update !!!!The park didn't look to crowded at all!!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

I love your relaxed attitude. I don't know if I could have been so relaxed.

It was very out of the ordinary!

We plan on taking the deal but I am hoping we can get away with only 3 of us doing it and saving seats !!Any body know if that's been done successfully!!!

I bet you'd get away with that - I don't see why not. I'm too cheap!

Great MK update !!!!The park didn't look to crowded at all!!

I think the crowd level was rated at "1" that day, but still - it wasn't a recommended park due to the a.m. EMH and the park closing early for MNSSHP. This was the first time we've ever gone against touringplans' advice, but it was fine.

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Looks like a great start at MK!! Can't wait to read more!!!!!