Pocahontas1
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2002
- Messages
- 362
Just want to let everyone know, these look like they are going to be long. I'm having a great time writing them, but have to wait until everyone is asleep to write. Looks like it takes about two days for each part. Hope you have as much fun reading as I have had writing....
Part 1: I have a confession to make
Cast of Characters:
Me: 35 year old major Disney fan. DH bought into DVC in 2002, so I now get to go at least once a year.
Omi: My mom. She is 59 and enjoys Disney (but not nearly as much as I do), but she was wiling to go to spend time with the grandkids.
Tater: DS Almost 5 years old (to be exact he is 59 months old this became important later on in the trip). Has been to Disney about 6 times. Knows exactly what he wants to do.
Princess Squidgy: DD 13 months old. This is her second Disney trip. Walks everywhere, but not independently. Has just begun to have major temper tantrums.
First, some background
This was initially planned to be a short trip to Disney to use some extra DVC points. We were going to have a surplus this year and didnt want to bank, since it looks like well have a surplus next year, too. So, I booked four nights at OKW. Our home is VWL, but weve stayed at OKW before, so I didnt mind going back. Then, about four months before the trip, Omi mentioned she had gotten this postcard thing in the mail.
You got a postcard? I cant believe she got a post card. The woman couldnt care less and she got a card. I, on the other hand, wait patiently by the mailbox, hoping the Disney postcard fairy will make a visit, but nope, no luck in the last three years
Uh-huh is it special? Doesnt everyone get these? Can you believe this? She thinks everyone gets this promotion.
No, mom, people would kill for those. Does it have our dates on it? Please, be yes, please be yes, then I can add some extra days to our vacation.
She looks it over and tells me Value resorts for $59.00 during our trip. Should I add a couple days? Hooray for mom!!!! I tell her yes, but see if we can book PO-R instead. I think she would like it better and wont be as crowded.
A couple days later, she calls me back and yes, we are booked for two extra nights at PO-R for $79.00 a night. Well now be headed down June 3rd instead of June 5th. No problem for me, I can find something for use to do with the extra time.
Two months later .
Omi and I are talking about driving to Orlando. We live outside of Charleston, SC, so it is only about a 7 hour drive (or so I thought). We have decided to leave later afternoon and let the kids sleep most of evening and well check in about 11pm or so. Lets add an extra night at PO-R, I told her. That way we wont lose all of Friday driving, we can go down on Thursday. I call Disney and have no problem adding the extra night at the postcard rate (thanks to a very nice CM).
Tater tells me he wants to eat at the monorail restaurant where you can twirl you napkin. We last ate there two years ago. It must have made some kind of impression on him. Ok, no problem, well eat there Thursday night. Well now that just defeated the entire purpose of the extra day. We were supposed to travel at night, but instead, were still going to be traveling during the day to get to Orlando in time for a 5:30 dinner reservation.
Advance to present day, June 2nd:
A soft knock at my door. Are you sure you want to get up at 3:30am? Its Omi. She is up and ready to start the day. I feel like Ive been run over by a truck. Leaving at 4:30am had sounded like such a good idea, but that was before I stayed up until 11am watching the first episode of Lost (yes, I know it was a rerun). Im such a Lost junkie. Unfortunately, I didnt start watching until midway through the season, so I missed the first episodes. But, I digress
I roll out of bed and stumble to the bathroom. I turn the light on and force my contacts into unwilling eyes. Thought about wearing my glasses, but then I couldnt wear sunglasses, if it got sunny. Its been raining in Charleston since Sunday, and the forecast for Orlando doesnt look much better. No make-up today. Im not likely to see any of these people again and my skin deserves a vacation.
I wander over to Omis room and she is still packing. Now, Im not sure why she isnt packed. I finished on Tuesday night (Im an overachiever) and I packed for three people. There is only one of her and she still isnt ready. Most of the stuff we loaded in the van last night, but we still had to pack the cooler, bags of toys for the kids and the food bag. Me, Im just ready to go. If we dont have it, well buy it (remember that for later). We load up Tater and Squidge and head out. Well we started to head out, but Omi had to go back inside for something. It sure seemed like she was gone for a long time, though. Wonder what she was doing? Finally, she gets back in the car and we leave. Not too bad, its 4:32am were only two minutes late.
Oddly enough, there isnt much traffic on the road. We head down highway 17 toward Beaufort and will pick up 95 just north of the SC/GA boarder. My plan is to travel as far as we can while the kids are asleep. It was a good plan except they are both awake. Tater wants a DVD and Squidge is just looking at everything and smiling. Im praying theyll go back to sleep or it is going to be a long trip.
DH and I just bought a Dodge Grand Caravan. Now, I flat out love my van. It met all my criteria lots of room for my two giant Disney suitcases and an antenna that isnt automatic which topper to buy? Tater wanted a DVD player so, being the nice parents we are, we forked over the extra money for that. The idea is that it would keep him quiet on long trips. No lie, the boy talks 24/7. He even talks in his sleep. So, we watch a Disney movie (of course) and pray sleep will overtake the younguns.
About half-an-hour later, Squidgy is sound asleep and Tater is making an O-sign. He is sound asleep with his headed tilted back. You know, the top of his head is resting on the back of the car seat, and his mouth is hanging wide open. Of course, he is snoring. Omi tried to reposition him, but no way, he was comfortable.
At this time, Omi says to me I have a confession to make. Now all sorts of things are going through my head. She and my father divorced about six years ago, but everything is not settled yet. Could it be that? Is she having trouble with her husband, Poppy? Is she sick? Were going to be there over Gay Days and I know it is a stretch, but her real name is Gay. What could it be ?
Remember when it took her a long time to get back to the van after she went back to the house? That is because she fell off the step. Now, she has lived there for 15 years and never fallen off the step. Why this morning? She tells me she thinks she will be fine. I ask her if she broke her foot and she says she doesnt think so, but she is keeping the shoe on so it wont swell too much. She is afraid if she takes the shoe off, shell never get it back on. I kindly offer to take her to the hospital for x-rays (little does she realize Ill leave her), but she says she thinks she will be fine. Probably just pulled a tendon or stretched a ligament. Mmmhummm maybe I should leave her you have to be able to walk fast to go to Disney. I certainly dont need her holding me up. And, if she cant walk, I cant push her in a wheelchair and push the stroller. Just kidding, I love my mom and would take her anyway. Bottom line, she thinks the foot is ok, but might need to take it easy for a day or two.
Now, the running joke in my family is that my mother and I have to stop every 30 minutes to go the bathroom when we travel. Ive told here there are no stops until the kids (specifically Squidgy) are awake. If she has to go, she better hold it. Shed be wise to go easy on the Diet Pepsi.
Time and miles are flying by. Mom and I are enjoying some good mother/daughter conversation. She only lives about an hour away, but she has remarried and I have my own family, so we dont get to really talk anymore. We reminisced about growing up with my brother and she told me some stories about her family. It was just such a nice start to the vacation and we really had a chance to re-connect (sniff, sniff Im getting teary eyed remembering).
Tater wakes up and when he does, he immediately started talking. I wasnt quite fast enough with the headphones for the DVD player. Since he has made noise, Squidge, is now also awake. Not too bad, they slept until Jacksonville. What! Im in Jacksonville already. It is not even 7:30am. Ive been hauling butt. Yes, I did look down and see that I was doing 85mph. I slowed down to a more respectable speed, but honestly I was just keeping up with traffic and boy that mini-van is one smooth ride.
The good news is were making awesome time. The bad news is were hitting Jacksonville at rush hour. Also, I wasnt planning on getting to Disney until after lunch, but now it looks like well be there before noon. Im going to be dog-tired since I havent slept much and the kids will be wild since they have slept all morning. What to do, what to do?
Well, we decided to stop at a Cracker Barrel on the other side of Jacksonville. At least Tater will eat something. He is one of the pickiest eaters I have ever seen. He has issues with his food touching (cant imagine where that came from). Usually, though, he will eat pancakes, but not this time. Too much Disney excitement. He cant sit still and Omi takes Tater to play checkers leaving me with Squidgy. Now, we have taken her out to eat a whole lot, but for some reason she is having a meltdown today. I feel really sorry for the other people eating in Cracker Barrel. The only way she will be quiet is if you walk with her. So, if you were eating a Cracker Barrel and saw a frustrated 30-some year old mother walking with her child, that was me. Now, everyone is looking at us, thinking Squidge is so cute no one knows the harridan that lies within.
Several checkers games, stacks of blueberry pancakes and strips of bacon later, we head back to the car. Weve all gone potty and Squidgy has been changed, so no more stops until we get to Disney.
Since Tater and I are headed to Star Wars Weekend tomorrow, I decide to let him watch the DVD. He is using his headphones, but Omi and I decide to listen to the audio while I drive. It is sort of bringing us back to when we used to travel cross country in the late 70s. We had a very small, bronze Honda Accord hatchback that all four of us rode in. It had a cassette player (that was a big deal at the time) and we bought the Star Wars tape to listen to in the car. I remember it was gold and took exactly one hour to hear the whole thing. Anyway, I always felt a little cheated since the movie was much longer than an hour. But, as Omi and I are listening, we notice that Star Wars seems a little short of dialogue. Lots of music, shooting, heavy breathing, but the dialogue, not so much. Must not have been too difficult to edit it to a one hour audio tape but I digress again
We finally make it to Daytona Beach and if I look really hard, I can see the Speedway. I havent been to the Daytona 500 in several years, but it still cool to see the Speedway, even if there arent any cars. Omi cant believe how big the track is. We decide not to stop at Daytona USA since were only about a hour a way from Disney. As we turn on I-4, we tell Tater to start looking for signs.
Now, I know there used to be a lot of really cool 3-D signs for Disney and Universal. What happened to them? We didnt see a single sign until we were almost in Orlando. I know, Tater kept complaining about not finding any signs. Were getting close now we pass by the exit where my grandmother used to live (Altamonte Springs) and drive through downtown.
Then we look over and can see Universal. We were there last year so Tater still remembers. My mother kindly points out Tower of Death, better known as Dr. Dooms Fearfall. She thinks she is being funny, but I get chills just thinking about my horrible experience there last year. I hate heights, but had never ridden a freefall like that before. But, since we were staying at Universal, we didnt have to wait in any lines. My brother and I decided to ride. NEVER AGAIN WILL I RIDE THIS RIDE!!!!! I spent most of the time curled up in the fetal position very difficult to do since you are strapped in, but I did my best. I vaguely remember the lady next to me laughing and saying it was fun. Not sure which planet she was from but back to the present and on to Disney.
It is just a little before noon when we pass under the big Walt Disney World sign. Tater looks up from the movie long enough to check it out and yes, he is excited, Omi is excited and Im so happy I want to cry. We follow the well marked route (yes, Im being sarcastic, but that is another story) to PO-R. Omi is gushing about how beautifully landscaped it is. I look for a place to park and find one of the 30 minute check-in spots. The happy travelers from South Carolina have finally arrived oh, and did I mention, the rain that has plagued us for the last five days looks like it is starting to lift.
Next episode Theres got to be an easier way
Part 1: I have a confession to make
Cast of Characters:
Me: 35 year old major Disney fan. DH bought into DVC in 2002, so I now get to go at least once a year.
Omi: My mom. She is 59 and enjoys Disney (but not nearly as much as I do), but she was wiling to go to spend time with the grandkids.
Tater: DS Almost 5 years old (to be exact he is 59 months old this became important later on in the trip). Has been to Disney about 6 times. Knows exactly what he wants to do.
Princess Squidgy: DD 13 months old. This is her second Disney trip. Walks everywhere, but not independently. Has just begun to have major temper tantrums.
First, some background
This was initially planned to be a short trip to Disney to use some extra DVC points. We were going to have a surplus this year and didnt want to bank, since it looks like well have a surplus next year, too. So, I booked four nights at OKW. Our home is VWL, but weve stayed at OKW before, so I didnt mind going back. Then, about four months before the trip, Omi mentioned she had gotten this postcard thing in the mail.
You got a postcard? I cant believe she got a post card. The woman couldnt care less and she got a card. I, on the other hand, wait patiently by the mailbox, hoping the Disney postcard fairy will make a visit, but nope, no luck in the last three years
Uh-huh is it special? Doesnt everyone get these? Can you believe this? She thinks everyone gets this promotion.
No, mom, people would kill for those. Does it have our dates on it? Please, be yes, please be yes, then I can add some extra days to our vacation.
She looks it over and tells me Value resorts for $59.00 during our trip. Should I add a couple days? Hooray for mom!!!! I tell her yes, but see if we can book PO-R instead. I think she would like it better and wont be as crowded.
A couple days later, she calls me back and yes, we are booked for two extra nights at PO-R for $79.00 a night. Well now be headed down June 3rd instead of June 5th. No problem for me, I can find something for use to do with the extra time.
Two months later .
Omi and I are talking about driving to Orlando. We live outside of Charleston, SC, so it is only about a 7 hour drive (or so I thought). We have decided to leave later afternoon and let the kids sleep most of evening and well check in about 11pm or so. Lets add an extra night at PO-R, I told her. That way we wont lose all of Friday driving, we can go down on Thursday. I call Disney and have no problem adding the extra night at the postcard rate (thanks to a very nice CM).
Tater tells me he wants to eat at the monorail restaurant where you can twirl you napkin. We last ate there two years ago. It must have made some kind of impression on him. Ok, no problem, well eat there Thursday night. Well now that just defeated the entire purpose of the extra day. We were supposed to travel at night, but instead, were still going to be traveling during the day to get to Orlando in time for a 5:30 dinner reservation.
Advance to present day, June 2nd:
A soft knock at my door. Are you sure you want to get up at 3:30am? Its Omi. She is up and ready to start the day. I feel like Ive been run over by a truck. Leaving at 4:30am had sounded like such a good idea, but that was before I stayed up until 11am watching the first episode of Lost (yes, I know it was a rerun). Im such a Lost junkie. Unfortunately, I didnt start watching until midway through the season, so I missed the first episodes. But, I digress
I roll out of bed and stumble to the bathroom. I turn the light on and force my contacts into unwilling eyes. Thought about wearing my glasses, but then I couldnt wear sunglasses, if it got sunny. Its been raining in Charleston since Sunday, and the forecast for Orlando doesnt look much better. No make-up today. Im not likely to see any of these people again and my skin deserves a vacation.
I wander over to Omis room and she is still packing. Now, Im not sure why she isnt packed. I finished on Tuesday night (Im an overachiever) and I packed for three people. There is only one of her and she still isnt ready. Most of the stuff we loaded in the van last night, but we still had to pack the cooler, bags of toys for the kids and the food bag. Me, Im just ready to go. If we dont have it, well buy it (remember that for later). We load up Tater and Squidge and head out. Well we started to head out, but Omi had to go back inside for something. It sure seemed like she was gone for a long time, though. Wonder what she was doing? Finally, she gets back in the car and we leave. Not too bad, its 4:32am were only two minutes late.
Oddly enough, there isnt much traffic on the road. We head down highway 17 toward Beaufort and will pick up 95 just north of the SC/GA boarder. My plan is to travel as far as we can while the kids are asleep. It was a good plan except they are both awake. Tater wants a DVD and Squidge is just looking at everything and smiling. Im praying theyll go back to sleep or it is going to be a long trip.
DH and I just bought a Dodge Grand Caravan. Now, I flat out love my van. It met all my criteria lots of room for my two giant Disney suitcases and an antenna that isnt automatic which topper to buy? Tater wanted a DVD player so, being the nice parents we are, we forked over the extra money for that. The idea is that it would keep him quiet on long trips. No lie, the boy talks 24/7. He even talks in his sleep. So, we watch a Disney movie (of course) and pray sleep will overtake the younguns.
About half-an-hour later, Squidgy is sound asleep and Tater is making an O-sign. He is sound asleep with his headed tilted back. You know, the top of his head is resting on the back of the car seat, and his mouth is hanging wide open. Of course, he is snoring. Omi tried to reposition him, but no way, he was comfortable.
At this time, Omi says to me I have a confession to make. Now all sorts of things are going through my head. She and my father divorced about six years ago, but everything is not settled yet. Could it be that? Is she having trouble with her husband, Poppy? Is she sick? Were going to be there over Gay Days and I know it is a stretch, but her real name is Gay. What could it be ?
Remember when it took her a long time to get back to the van after she went back to the house? That is because she fell off the step. Now, she has lived there for 15 years and never fallen off the step. Why this morning? She tells me she thinks she will be fine. I ask her if she broke her foot and she says she doesnt think so, but she is keeping the shoe on so it wont swell too much. She is afraid if she takes the shoe off, shell never get it back on. I kindly offer to take her to the hospital for x-rays (little does she realize Ill leave her), but she says she thinks she will be fine. Probably just pulled a tendon or stretched a ligament. Mmmhummm maybe I should leave her you have to be able to walk fast to go to Disney. I certainly dont need her holding me up. And, if she cant walk, I cant push her in a wheelchair and push the stroller. Just kidding, I love my mom and would take her anyway. Bottom line, she thinks the foot is ok, but might need to take it easy for a day or two.
Now, the running joke in my family is that my mother and I have to stop every 30 minutes to go the bathroom when we travel. Ive told here there are no stops until the kids (specifically Squidgy) are awake. If she has to go, she better hold it. Shed be wise to go easy on the Diet Pepsi.
Time and miles are flying by. Mom and I are enjoying some good mother/daughter conversation. She only lives about an hour away, but she has remarried and I have my own family, so we dont get to really talk anymore. We reminisced about growing up with my brother and she told me some stories about her family. It was just such a nice start to the vacation and we really had a chance to re-connect (sniff, sniff Im getting teary eyed remembering).
Tater wakes up and when he does, he immediately started talking. I wasnt quite fast enough with the headphones for the DVD player. Since he has made noise, Squidge, is now also awake. Not too bad, they slept until Jacksonville. What! Im in Jacksonville already. It is not even 7:30am. Ive been hauling butt. Yes, I did look down and see that I was doing 85mph. I slowed down to a more respectable speed, but honestly I was just keeping up with traffic and boy that mini-van is one smooth ride.
The good news is were making awesome time. The bad news is were hitting Jacksonville at rush hour. Also, I wasnt planning on getting to Disney until after lunch, but now it looks like well be there before noon. Im going to be dog-tired since I havent slept much and the kids will be wild since they have slept all morning. What to do, what to do?
Well, we decided to stop at a Cracker Barrel on the other side of Jacksonville. At least Tater will eat something. He is one of the pickiest eaters I have ever seen. He has issues with his food touching (cant imagine where that came from). Usually, though, he will eat pancakes, but not this time. Too much Disney excitement. He cant sit still and Omi takes Tater to play checkers leaving me with Squidgy. Now, we have taken her out to eat a whole lot, but for some reason she is having a meltdown today. I feel really sorry for the other people eating in Cracker Barrel. The only way she will be quiet is if you walk with her. So, if you were eating a Cracker Barrel and saw a frustrated 30-some year old mother walking with her child, that was me. Now, everyone is looking at us, thinking Squidge is so cute no one knows the harridan that lies within.
Several checkers games, stacks of blueberry pancakes and strips of bacon later, we head back to the car. Weve all gone potty and Squidgy has been changed, so no more stops until we get to Disney.
Since Tater and I are headed to Star Wars Weekend tomorrow, I decide to let him watch the DVD. He is using his headphones, but Omi and I decide to listen to the audio while I drive. It is sort of bringing us back to when we used to travel cross country in the late 70s. We had a very small, bronze Honda Accord hatchback that all four of us rode in. It had a cassette player (that was a big deal at the time) and we bought the Star Wars tape to listen to in the car. I remember it was gold and took exactly one hour to hear the whole thing. Anyway, I always felt a little cheated since the movie was much longer than an hour. But, as Omi and I are listening, we notice that Star Wars seems a little short of dialogue. Lots of music, shooting, heavy breathing, but the dialogue, not so much. Must not have been too difficult to edit it to a one hour audio tape but I digress again
We finally make it to Daytona Beach and if I look really hard, I can see the Speedway. I havent been to the Daytona 500 in several years, but it still cool to see the Speedway, even if there arent any cars. Omi cant believe how big the track is. We decide not to stop at Daytona USA since were only about a hour a way from Disney. As we turn on I-4, we tell Tater to start looking for signs.
Now, I know there used to be a lot of really cool 3-D signs for Disney and Universal. What happened to them? We didnt see a single sign until we were almost in Orlando. I know, Tater kept complaining about not finding any signs. Were getting close now we pass by the exit where my grandmother used to live (Altamonte Springs) and drive through downtown.
Then we look over and can see Universal. We were there last year so Tater still remembers. My mother kindly points out Tower of Death, better known as Dr. Dooms Fearfall. She thinks she is being funny, but I get chills just thinking about my horrible experience there last year. I hate heights, but had never ridden a freefall like that before. But, since we were staying at Universal, we didnt have to wait in any lines. My brother and I decided to ride. NEVER AGAIN WILL I RIDE THIS RIDE!!!!! I spent most of the time curled up in the fetal position very difficult to do since you are strapped in, but I did my best. I vaguely remember the lady next to me laughing and saying it was fun. Not sure which planet she was from but back to the present and on to Disney.
It is just a little before noon when we pass under the big Walt Disney World sign. Tater looks up from the movie long enough to check it out and yes, he is excited, Omi is excited and Im so happy I want to cry. We follow the well marked route (yes, Im being sarcastic, but that is another story) to PO-R. Omi is gushing about how beautifully landscaped it is. I look for a place to park and find one of the 30 minute check-in spots. The happy travelers from South Carolina have finally arrived oh, and did I mention, the rain that has plagued us for the last five days looks like it is starting to lift.
Next episode Theres got to be an easier way
Spoken Like A True Disney Fan!
LOL about the postcard. The other night DH and I were sitting around the table with a friend of DH and the friend mentioned he just got an email from WDW with a really good rate. I immediately looked up and almost screamed, "WHAT?" He said he had gotten another one a couple of months ago. He only JUST started using email and he NEVER gave his email to WDW. 
Me on the other hand, I check my mailbox, inbox and spam box religiously. 
