The alarm rang at 6:00 am. Usually I have to get up at 5:30, so 6 am was a treat. Besides, I know that I wouldn't be going to bed in Buffalo. I'd be going to bed at Walt Disney World. And no matter what time the alarm goes off - that's a good day! Or so I thought.
Today would set the tone of the entire trip, and I knew it!!!
I had made a run to the grocery store the night before so we'd have breakfast ready to go. Bagels, cream cheese, coffee, orange juice, and some ham. I jumped in the shower, dressed myself in the clothes that I had laid out the night before, and crammed everything in my suitcase that I had to use that morning to get ready. I popped our bagels in the toaster, cream cheesed them with a couple of wafer thin slices of ham on each. We were ready to go!
By 7am, mother-in-law had pulled up to the house. She was originally supposed to be joining us on the trip. But when wife's grandma passed, mother-in-law used up all of her sick time for the wake and funeral. So she would drive us to the airport, but wouldn't be joining us.
We arrived at the airport by about 7:10, and I noticed an ominous text message. Our flight had been delayed from 9:00am to 9:43. No big deal, I thought. I had checked out the delays the day before. The flight that we'd be on left a half hour late, so I was fine with it.
Typically, you start boarding a half hour prior to departure. By 9:00, they still hadn't decided which gate we'd be departing from - and there was no plane at either of jetBlue's gates at BUF. The phone vibrated. Another text message. We'd been delayed again for a 10:03 departure. Another half hour. No biggie!
I took the girl for a walk and bought a bottle of water. While the Buffalo airport I relatively small, it gate concourse is extremely long, so it killed a bit of time walking back and forth. But as we were walking, another text message. We'd been delayed to 10:43. Now I'm starting to get peeved!!!!!!
AND OH CRAP! The flight is supposed to arrive at about 1:30 now. We have a 4:10 pm reservation for the Candlelight Processional package. That's cutting it way close! Any more delay, and I may have to cancel.
I immediately get the iPhone out and start looking for later Candlelight Processional package reservations. NOTHING. It is completely booked. So if things get worse, I have to cancel. Which means cancellation fees and missing one of the things I have been looking forward to since we booked this trip a year ago!!!!!! Today I the last day the Candlelighht Processional is being offered, so I have no hope if things get bad today.
I get on the phone and Bobbi at Disney dining answers. I explain the situation and she offers to look for a later time for me. I tell her that would be great, but I'm not holding out hope because I've already looked and couldn't find anything. She confirm that.
"So, Bobbi.", I ask. "I'm absolutely heart broken to even have to ASK this. But if we're delayed any longer, would I be able to cancel this without penalty, considering the circumstances?"
"Let's leave it for now,", Bobbi says. "And if you do have to cancel, call back and canceling without penalty is definitely something we can discuss."
Still hopeful that we'd make our 10:43 departure, I'm feeling a bit better about the situation. Until I get another text message. We're delayed until 11:03, getting us in at 2:03. Oh good LORD!
More walking, more waiting and getting snacks. We'd eaten early and by now, we were getting hungry again. jetBlue was great. They'd brought some free bottled water and jacks, but we needed real food. We got some sandwiches and something to drink and took another concourse walk.
Another text. Delayed until 11:18. Only 15 minutes this time. I'm hopeful that we'll really leave, but that's 15 minutes we simply can't afford. The good news is that BFF has already checked in for us and has a room. So that will save some time.
A PLANE!!!!!! That marvelous hunk of steel is sitting out on there, and we're ready to board. We get on and by now, everyone is just ready to go, but also pretty cranky. A few scuffle ensue between the members of my family, but eventually we're in the air.
After an uneventful flight (which included a brief nap for the girl), we land!!!! YAY! But wait a minute. Why are we not at a gate? And why are we not moving??
"WHAT THE HELL?!?!?", I'm screaming to myself. "Get me the %#*@ off this plane! I GOT BIDNESS!!" Fully realizing that screaming these things out loud would do nothing (except make other passengers, and possibly airline and TSA officials question my sanity), I kept my mouth shut, ready to jump out of my skin. There's a plane at our gate so they can't park next to the jet bridge and deplane us.
"THERE'S OVER 200 DAMN GATES AT THIS AIRPORT!!! FIND ANOTHER ONE!!", my mind is screaming at me. A brief glance at my watch proves the time as 3pm to me.
"If our bags are the first ones out, we can do this!", I think to myself, "SO LONG AS THIS DUMP OF AN AIRPLANE PARKS AND LET'S US OFF!!!!"
FINALLY, it pulls up and we're allowed off. As fat as my stiff legs can muster, I drag as much carry on as I can and throw the girl into the stroller. As close to a run as is safe and wife can handle, I'm running for the baggage claim area. By the time we get down to the ground transportation level, not even having the rental car yet, it's 3:40.
Defeated and heartbroken, I realize it's just not going to happen. Making the family wait for me in in the balmy 70 degree Floridian air, I dig out my phone and dial the Disney dining number.
I explain my plight to the dining cast member and what my sweet Bobbi had said earlier. She has to check with her supervisor, she tells me. I sit on hold for what seems like an eternity. She comes back and starts with "I'm really sorry." - and not the kind to say "I feel bad for you...". The kind to say "You ain't gon' like what I have to say next..." Her supervisor won't allow it and she will have to charge the cancellation fee. Attempting to restrain myself as much as I can, I ask this dining cast member (whose name I cannot, for the life of me, remember) if I can please speak to the supervisor. "This is a crappy start to a vacation and the fact that your supervisor wants to charge me for this is unacceptable. If there were ANY way I could be there, believe me! I'd be there!!!!!! I don't WANT to miss it!"
"Hang on.", she tells me. She puts me on hold again. She must have spoken to someone else. Because now, she's able to do it. Much as it broke my heart, it felt pike a weight off my shoulder. It STILL hurts that I had to miss it, but we pulled up to the hotel after 4 pm.
We check in and speak to Nathaniel. I let him know we've got a split stay, and we just wanted to knw if there were anything he could do now to help increase our chances of being able to keep the same room. "Nope.", he says. "You'll have to do that when you check out and back in again." Fine. Whatever. Just give me my room keys and I want to put all this stuff down and get some food!
We reunite with BFF. Hugs ensue, as do the oohs and aahs as we look out our balcony for the first time and see Space Mountain, Cinderella Castle, the Astros Orbiter. We also see the peaks of buildings on Main Street, Big Thunder and Splash Mountain. It's breathtaking.
But the rumbly in my tumble tells me that. Long day of travel, a cancelled Candlelight Processional package, and little sustenance are all conspiring to make for a VERY cranky SnackyStacky. We need food, and we need it NOW.
We look online, and available Disney dining isn't appealing to anyone. The parks are mobbed - so we'd rather not fight crowds for overpriced, mediocre counter service. We decide that Bahamas Breeze on Vineland road is a good choice. We don't have one at home - and I've only eaten here once. We drive over, fighting TONS of traffic. I have only ever been in mid-January and September. I have never seen traffic like this!!!!!!!
We eventually get there. Wife and I order and split the melted goat cheese appetizer. Wife gets Buttermilk fried chicken, the girl gets chicken fingers and I get paella. I. Ate. Everything. I really made quite the pig of myself!
Any who, full and feeling much better, we head to the resort. It's getting to be time for fireworks by now! I dig out our Pentax DSLR and the tripod. I missed the Processional, but I have been looking forward to taking some GORGEOUS pictures of fireworks with the new lens and camera we got this past year. I set up the tripod, and attach the camera. I turn around to grab something that I can't even remember - but I watch the tripod fall apart. It broke, and the camera fell. Onto the hard surface of the balcony. Pieces flew everywhere. I think I stopped breathing. I fell to the floor and started weeping. Yes. A grown man. Cried. And I am not ashamed to admit it. This had been the crappiest day ever.
We had missed an entire day of vacation because of a delayed flight, we missed the Candlelight processional and an expensive camera was now in scraps. I was done. It was too much and I wasn't prepared.
I gathered up the pieces, put them into the camera bag and tried to enjoy the fireworks. I really couldn't. I was just heart-broken at this point.
Afterwards, I jammied and got into bed. I was done. Everyone else followed suit and we all hoped for a better day 2!!
The plan for tomorrow is breakfast at Tusker House, dinner at Chef Mickey's and New Year's Eve fireworks.
I can't wait to read about your trip and see all the pics!!! 
hopefully things got better for you the next day. Looking forward to reading more of your trip.
