Round the 'World in 6 Days or Doing Everything Quickly! *Chapter 4 Up! Page 4*

[RayaniFoxmur]

It started with a simple suggestion.

First it was “When we get married someday, I’d like to go on a Disney cruise for our honeymoon”.

Then it was “Well, if we can’t afford a Disney cruise, I’d love to go to Disney World for our honeymoon”.

A skeptical boyfriend, an enchanting princess… I mean girlfriend… and a plan to go to Disney.

Well there you have it. That’s my attempt at a lame trip report introduction! I admit I'm no LaLa or DU or any of the other greats, but I try! I can’t say it’s something I’ve ever done before, but then again this last trip was the first trip I had taken since I was 10 years old!

Let me introduce you to the cast of characters before we go any further.

Me: A 24 year old Disney fanatic. No really, I am. I was raised Disney. It’s all we watched in my house. My mother had a Disney bathroom. We displayed the shampoo and soap we got on our trip when I was nine on the bathroom counter for 4 years afterwards. I used to fall asleep with Minnie ears on. And at the age of 9, I could recite the entire movie “The Little Mermaid” including songs and sound effects. Fanatic.

FH: A 25 year old first timer. Yep, never been to Disney World. Never really liked much Disney until I got ahold of him. As the trip got closer he began to get more excited and convert to the dark… er… Disney side. Even put a countdown of days on the calendar he did. Let me change my initial description. Newly reformed Disney fanatic.

And… that’s actually it. Yep, just me and the boy! I should probably start from the beginning…

What you read in the introduction was true. I had begun planting my seeds of curiosity in his brain. I’m mean like that. Plant a seed, water it a little bit. Plant a seed, water it a little bit. Take him to doombuggies.com. Order the planning DVDs without telling him. Make him watch them. Whine a little. It all works.

Finally in July I whined a little more than usual. I made mention that I would die to go there over New Years Eve since I had never been… and actually hadn’t been in over 10 years. He got very quiet over the phone. He was making me twitch (he was good at that!). Finally he told me to go check my e-mail. So I toted my butt over to the computer and checked it. There was an e-mail from him… which is odd because ever since he started driving an hour and a half every weekend to come see me, he never e-mailed me anymore. I looked a bit more closely. It was a forward. Now that was even MORE weird. I HATE forwards!

I was about to delete it until I saw the subject line.
FW: Walt Disney World(R) Travel Reservation Confirmed

He went and booked the trip! Without telling me! You could tell he was awful proud of himself. I was squeeing too hard to notice. I’m easily excitable like that.

Everything was there. Set in stone. Pop Century, 5 nights, tickets with park hopper… I was proud of him for booking the tickets like I had instructed him to if we ever booked a trip. I had never stayed at Pop Century (duh) so I was excited about that as well. It looked… well… colorful! But I admit to being a bit apprehensive about it. A value? I had only ever stayed in deluxes! I was a snob! Never mind that the values didn’t exist the last time I was there, I have to make my snobbish mother proud!

I decided, however, that a trip to the world with a stay at Pop Century was a million times better than toasting in the new year at home with Regis on my TV screen, so I made myself get excited for staying there. You’d never be able to tell the difference between not excited me and excited me! At least that’s what I’d like to fool myself into thinking.

Fast forward a few months. July to the end of December is too long for me to write about. Besides, lots happened that I don’t want to relive thank you! Let’s just cap it to say that by Christmas time, we both needed this trip desperately.

In November, it came time to pony up the rest of the money for the trip. The boy had applied for a Disney Visa specifically for this purpose (that’s my boy!). We went ahead and paid, but then I remembered that they had his old address. He had moved in with me since then (scandalous or Ooh-la-la? I’ll let you decide) and we needed to change it. I gave a call to the number that’s been pounded into my head, 407-W-DISNEY. Once I got a very nice cast member, I began to change the address so we’d get the funny smelling envelope, and not his parents.

Then on a whim, I got an idea. I asked her… “I know this is kind of last minute, but do you have anything available in any of the moderate resorts?”

The boy got a funny look on his face. We had been talking about upgrading jokingly since I got my school financial aid refund check and didn't have to pay rent since it's part of my financial aid package (Part removed since apparently I'm not funny.) but he didn’t think I was serious. She went off to find anything and he mouthed to me “What are you doing?!” All I could do was smile at him. So I did.

She came back on the line “Well, I have a king room at Port Orleans French Quarter for 200 dollars more if you’d like that.” My heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t CS which I was hoping to surprise him with, but it was a moderate and it was a guaranteed king bed!! I looked at him, smiled and said “We’ll take it!”

And that was that.

I know I’m nuts. But just like I told the boy, trust me!

So anyway, it was getting closer and closer to the trip. The amount of things we were needing to take down with us was growing. 4 suitcases, a duffle bag, a picnic basket of food, a tote of electronics and other miscellaneous things… we were overpacking. But we didn’t care!

Christmas came and went, and suddenly there were only three days before we had to leave. Holy crap! Three days! It was time to pack!

On the 27th, I emptied our drawers. Yeah, pretty much completely emptied. We both got about 10 outfits for 5 nights, you know just in case you get caught in a sudden downpour and you’re soaking wet? But yet I only packed two pairs of shoes for each of us. Maybe I’m backwards. I don’t know. The boy followed me around with my new video camera taking video of me packing in my pajamas. I scowled at the camera more than once. I threatened him with his life twice. Or maybe not. There’s a video that won’t be released straight to DVD any time soon…so you’ll never know!

Our kitten packed herself. Literally. She hopped in the suitcase and looked at us with a look of innocence and “I’m going to go get a giant mouse!”. So we took her to my mom’s. Because I was going to throw a plush mouse at her head. That and my mom agreed to take her for us.

The boy started loading the car so I chased him around with the video camera. Only he wasn’t wearing pajamas. Darn it… I swore to get him next time gadget, next time!

We went to sleep for all of three hours before the alarm went off at 2. AM. Yeah, 2 AM. We’re nuts. But we also live in Northern Ohio and would like as much alone on the road driving time as possible! So we got up, grumbled a little bit, got dressed and smiled at each other. I chased him around with the video camera just a bit more and then we headed out to the car, got settled and squeed.

Our Disney Adventure had begun.

Next chapter: This car’s boring. Oh yeah… well you’re boring!

 

[DisneyObsession]

Great start!

When's the next installment?!?

 

[Gregory]

Thanks for sharing your trip report. Can't wait for more.

 

[Gregory]

Thanks for sharing your trip report. Can't wait for more.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

YOu are doing a great job, now get to typing up the rest lady!!

 

[tinawv]

Looking forward to reading more.

 

[RayaniFoxmur]

Thank you everyone! I'm a bit slow with chapters and I apologize for it, since school has to come first, my mommy said so! But I'm getting them up as quick as I can!

 

[RayaniFoxmur]

How small of an area can you confine yourself to for 18 hours?

A van? A box? A compact car?

Trust me, the last one isn’t very much fun.

The boy and I began our journey in the dark. It was 3 in the morning, and the rest of the world was actually sleeping. You know, except for the truck drivers and the college students and the 3rd shifters and us… the crazy people.

How fun.

We decided to do it in 4 hour shifts, that way we’d both have 2 stints of driving. Him twice the first day, me once the first day and then the rest of the way to Disney. We thought it’d make sense. Then again we also thought a kitten would be all cuddles and sunshine. That is to say, we were wrong.

The boy was extremely excited to be driving; he had never seen much of the country before. He wanted to see the mountains, he told me! He wanted to see Georgia; he wanted to drive under that big “Welcome to Walt Disney World” arch he had seen in the pictures I had shown him. He also didn’t want to pay 500 dollars for plane tickets for each of us.

Now when I was 9 and 10, we had driven to the world with my family, my grandmother drove the entire way. I remember the trip not being so bad (except for throwing up every 30 minutes when I was 9. I got carsick easily I guess… that or my grandmother’s driving is scary!) so I agreed to this car trip. That and I also did not want to pay 500 dollars for plane tickets for each of us. No way no how.

About halfway to Orlando I wished I’d of paid the 500 dollars for each of us.

As much as I love the boy, and I do, he drove me insane. I drove him insane too. We love each other dearly, and we both totally believe that driving each other insane is the key to a good relationship. It keeps it nice and interesting!

The first leg was completely in the dark. I was quite tired from not getting to sleep much (only about 3 hours or so) so I closed my eyes after the boy convincing me that it was ok to sleep. Suddenly, I hear “Holy crap Raya, look at that over there!!!”. I looked up. The place was lit up like a light bulb. It looked like we had driven into an amusement park. But we were still on I-75. I was confused! But then before my wondering eyes should appear…

Big Butter Jesus.

Yes, big butter Jesus, thank the lord! There he was in all of his big buttery glory, melting into his reflecting pool in front of us! Lit up like the fourth of July at 5 in the morning. It truly was a sight to behold.

In fact, behold it. I don’t unfortunately have a picture at night since we went by so fast, but we swear to each other to take a picture on the way home.

After laughing for approximately 20 minutes, I drifted back off to sleep. He woke me up at 7, pulling into a Steak and Shake. I guess it was my turn and breakfast time!

God I love Steak and Shake. So very very much. We were the only ones in there, and the manager flirted with me a bit, but a steakburger biscuit and hash rounds were devoured and we were on our way.

Side note, do not let the boy in the passenger’s seat with a video camera. You’ll quickly see why:



My leg of the trip went pretty smoothly, thank god. Hardly any traffic (except for what you see me yelling at!) and smooth sailin going 80 the entire way. We stop at a rest stop, eat our cheese dogs, and switch drivers.

Now I say at this point that the boy has made it his mission to drive in every single state on the way down. I drove all the way through Tennessee, so after making me swear I’d let him drive through on the way home, he was happy. He ate his cheese dogs in peace.

Things were going pretty smoothly, until Atlanta. No… actually we weren’t even in Atlanta yet. We were north of Atlanta. Suddenly I hear him cuss, loudly. I look up from my Futurama on DVD (laptops rock so hardcore) and I see what he’s cussing at.

Traffic was stopped. Completely. As in no one was moving. For what seemed like hours. I think we maybe moved 4 miles in a half hour before moving on. And there was no reason for it! No accident, no construction, no any of it. Just stopped traffic. We both breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the traffic jam behind and went around Atlanta on 275. No way were we going through there at 12 in the afternoon!

I think we’re going to be ok. Then suddenly… I hear it again. The cuss. The LOUD cuss. I think my great grandmother on my mother’s side heard it, and she’s dead. We’re stopped again. The boy’s near tears… and he begins proclaiming loudly that after I graduate if I ever suggest moving to Atlanta he’s leaving me for another woman.

Isn’t he the sweetest?

We finally get out of the traffic jam after much cussing, some tears, and some ramming through the crowd with the cow catcher installed on the front of the car.

Traffic from there on out was a nightmare. I kept begging him to stop, let me drive…

NO! He would exclaim! I must drive through Florida!

Never mind the fact that we’re still two hours from the border and we have to go to Gainesville. Right? I think it was right about then he started he hawing like the stubborn mule he is. Or maybe he didn’t. I didn’t get it on video so you’ll never know.

If he would have been in the passenger's seat, he would have gotten it on video though.

So white knuckled we go, right across the Florida border. Know how it feels when you FINALLY get somewhere? We weren’t even to Disney yet, and we were rejoicing to get to Florida! To be honest… nothing against anyone who loves Georgia with all of their heart, but we really really hate driving through Georgia. Never again until 6 days from then, we swore it on our undead mother’s graves!

We switched drivers one last time since we really needed gas and I really needed to peel the boy’s hands off the steering wheel with a spatula.

The drive in to Gainesville was pretty smooth, if not riddled with heavy traffic. Where were these people coming from? After searching frantically for the hotel we couldn’t remember the name of, we pulled into the driveway. Checked into our king bed room, and passed out watching the Cheetah Girls after ordering fresh baked chocolate chip cookies from room service.

We are a simple folk. Fill us with chocolate chips and we are happy. In fact, send some to Bowling Green. I will eat them out of the bag, really I will.

We woke up the next morning bright and early, a pretty common theme to the next few days. 7 AM. Pretty early for us anyway. At least until classes start. I’m convinced 8 AM classes are the work of the dean of arts and sciences and the devil himself.

We went through express checkout and hopped back on the interstate. We got a few looks at the hotel for wearing shorts, given it was 60 degrees only… but hey, we’re from Northern Ohio, that’s like late spring shorts time to us!

We hop on the turnpike from I-75 and traffic got a bit lighter. Let me tell you, we were not used to the turnpike system. We're used to "get on the turnpike, go through the tollbooth, drive, get off the turnpike, go through the tollbooth... city". So we were a bit confused... but it soon was all ok.

Driving along the turnpike, I hear a small voice proclaim “18 miles to I-4!” then “17.8 miles to I-4!” then “17.5 miles to I-4!”

I think he’s training me for children.

After going over the instructions from AAA about how to get to our hotel 50 million times, I think I finally got it. I hop on the turnpike, hop onto 4, and wonder and marvel at all of the nearby buildings. We simple farm folk are amazed by things such as tall buildings. I think it’s the secret reason why we have silos.

We got off at the Downtown Disney resort exit, and suddenly I saw it. My eyes filled with tears and the boy got out the video camera. I softly squeaked out “Welcome to Disney World” as I began to cry happy tears and we went under the archway.

Then I saw it! The second sign of Disney! DISNEY BUS! It was going to Downtown Disney, and I yelled out “Disney bus!” as loud as I could and pointed. Lots of neats, cools, how cool, and oh my gods were suddenly thrown around as we took everything in. The boy got the entire thing on video. Seeing as it is long and insane, I will not post it.

But many of our videos turn out like that.

Kinda like this one:



Anyway, after getting cut off by several cars, I got into the right lane and made a sudden sharp turn into Port Orleans French Quarter. You know, since I nearly missed it. Cause I’m so observant.

But that was it. We were here! We went through the gate, parked in visitor’s parking, and looked up. It was time… we were in Disney!

Next Chapter: If it’s shiny, she’ll buy it

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

Great writing! Can't wait for the next installment.

 

[DisneyObsession]

You are quite brave to drive from Ohio to Florida! (or crazy ...not sure which!)

But, you made it to Disney!!!

Can't wait for more!!!

 

[J&J'sMOM]

That statue is shocking!! We live about 10 minutes from there and probably about 5 min from the steaknshake you stopped at. They put that up about 2 years ago- it is a church called Solid Rock. Loving yourTR!!

 

[mytwotinks]

We had been talking about upgrading jokingly since I got my school financial aid refund check (The government paying for my tuition and Disney trips since 2006.)

Am I really the only one who finds this odd?????

 

[TKDizneyluver]

More, More, More!

Please.

 

[OhMari]

My dh had to come over and see what I was laughing at, that Jesus picture was funny.

Gotta love road trips. We are always lucky when we drive through Atlanta, once we sailed through at 10:00 p.m. another time we sailed through at 2:00 a.m. On the way home, we avoided it all together and came up I95 and cut over in South Carolina, into TN.

 

[kilee]

Great report- I'm enjoying it.

About halfway to Orlando I wished I’d of paid the 500 dollars for each of us.

This was so me on our last driving trip to WDW---- we're in the state of NY- around Charolette, NC I was begging DH to please take me to the Charolette airport so we could just fly the rest of the way-- I don't travel well in the car.

 

[Mono~rail]

Am I really the only one who finds this odd?????

I find it odd also.

 

[RayaniFoxmur]

I see some people reading this don't understand sarcasm. If you really think I used my refund check (which pays for rent and books) to pay for my Disney trip I'm sorry you didn't get me trying to be funny.

Thank you to everyone who has been enjoying the report! Jokes and all!

The road trip had me frazzled, that's for sure. I had lived in West Chester myself when I was growing up and that statue was NOT there, and I found it completely hilarious now! Every now and then FH and I sing "Big Butter Jesus", just the chorus, and crack up laughing

I'm currently typing the next installment so look for it in the next day or two, pictures and all

 

[mytwotinks]

I see some people reading this don't understand sarcasm. If you really think I used my refund check (which pays for rent and books) to pay for my Disney trip I'm sorry you didn't get me trying to be funny.

Thank you to everyone who has been enjoying the report! Jokes and all!

The road trip had me frazzled, that's for sure. I had lived in West Chester myself when I was growing up and that statue was NOT there, and I found it completely hilarious now! Every now and then FH and I sing "Big Butter Jesus", just the chorus, and crack up laughing

I'm currently typing the next installment so look for it in the next day or two, pictures and all

You specifically say that you could afford the upgrade because you had received the check. I wasn't aware that financial aide was based on your income after you paid for your Disney trip. I would have thought it was based on your pre-expensive vacation income. You learn something new every day!

 

[RayaniFoxmur]

You specifically say that you could afford the upgrade because you had received the check. I wasn't aware that financial aide was based on your income after you paid for your Disney trip. I would have thought it was based on your pre-expensive vacation income. You learn something new every day!

See, I can tell what sarcasm is, and I'm not really appreciating yours. We could afford the upgrade because the refund check pays for my rent. It's part of the "room and board" that I apply for. That takes out an expense. That means we could get the upgrade. Is that a bit hard to understand?

I applied for my financial aid in January of 2006. That was long before I even MET FH. I'm not exactly grasping why you're digging me for using the money that I get. Especially considering I do still work, and guess what... I will be paying back the loans after college. OMG! Shock!

Please. If you don't like the trip report, read someone else's. I don't want to have to be defending myself in my own trip report. Thanks.

 

[lajones81]

I find it odd also.

Same here.