We awoke early to go to our scheduled breakfast so that 1) we could properly say goodbye to Jac, Christa, and their families and 2) have some hot food. As far we knew, our luggage would greet us in Newark airport and we didn’t have to do a thing. Due to the
Castaway Cay emergencies and our late departure, we arrived to Port Canaveral late. Had I known how much time we’d have to wait to clear customs, I wouldn’t have set the alarm for 5am so that I could go to Shutters one last time before breakfast (to take a final look and to pick up the crystal we had ordered). By the time we did pass through customs, the late seating was long done with their breakfast. They (whoever ‘they’ are) set up a cut-off of 1pm saying that the luggage they picked up and were transporting to MCO would go in 2 groups – those for flights before 1pm and those after. Hmm, well our flight was scheduled for 1:05pm so where would that leave us?
As we walked through customs (after an almost tearful goodbye to our new friends) we asked if we’d make it for our 1pm flight. The response, I kid you not, “you’ll make it, your luggage may not”. Wow – clearly the Customs people do not believe in the Disney spirit. “How will we know if our luggage makes it?” The response, and I couldn't make this up, “if your luggage doesn’t show up on the carousel at your destination airport, you’ll know it didn’t make it.” Again,
After just looking at her and blinking a few times we walked over to a supervisor to find out where our luggage stood (literally and figuratively). We gave her our luggage # and she said she’d go find it and move it if need be. We walked out of the terminal and saw the airline check-in. Tip: Pick up your luggage and check it yourself at the port, it’s literally right out the door and then you’re sure that your luggage goes to the right place at the right time.
The
DCL transfer bus area was total chaos. People were walking all around, no one knew which bus to get on. Our names weren’t marked off of any list so anyone could have just walked on. We finally got on a bus and pulled out of the terminal (interestingly enough, other buses that were full before us just sat there). I don’t know how much time passed exactly, but I do know that all the car rental shuttles left long before we did. We finally got to MCO and checked Fallon in (we had received 2 boarding passes, not 3). I fully understand why DCL says to not book a flight before 12, the airport was a madhouse. We got on line to go through security. A security guard came over and told us to move to this other line because it was wider. This was very confusing because 1) it was much narrower than the original line and 2) it wasn’t moving whereas all the others were. Turns out we weren’t moving because we were already going through the scan while the other line then split into 10,000 to go through the scans. We eventually made it through, had some lunch, and boarded the plane.
Princess (as every CM refers to little girls on the cruise) was a royal pain the whole flight back. It was her naptime so I thought it’d be a perfect time to fly but instead she insisted on screaming on and off throughout the entire flight.
To any DIS member that may have been on either flight and is reading this, please accept my apologies.
To any DIS member that’s a CM on the Magic, thank you for the all the wonderful memories.
And finally, to my fellow DISBoarders, thank you for being a part of this amazing experience.
If anyone has any questions on the trip or traveling with a toddler, do not hesitate to ask. I’ll try to add a few pics tonight before I mark this officially ‘complete’.
and I found out about disboard,
If you remember me it's OK
just saying Hey there to my fellow cruisers
(California) A fun kinda Guy!!!
TrickTony
I like being on the cruise and making friends.
This site help me remember to time we shared.
After some more swimming in the ocean (and a little bumming off of Christa's floaters, thanks!) and a quick look around at the souvenir shops, we headed back to the ship. On the way back I remembered that we never flew the kite I made the day before. I had also missed the second (and final) photo op with Captain Jack Sparrow which I had really wanted. We did, however, finally get a pic with Pluto for the first time all week (right as we boarded the ship). I tried to take some pictures from the verandah while waiting for the shower but it was too sunny so they came out bad. We were late leaving Castaway Cay due to 2 medical emergencies, hopefully both passengers are now long safe and sound.
In any case, he kept coming over and bringing us things. Not sure who had him as their waiter but we thought he was great and I even wrote about him on the comment card.
Here’s the real kicker – at Sesame Place this past weekend she called a character Mimi, before if she didn’t know them she would just call them Elmo. I guess it's official - her love for Mimi has surpassed that for Elmo. We haven’t rebooked yet because I want to wait until she’s potty trained. We’re planning on going in 2009, so as soon as the dates come out we can’t wait to rebook (using DVC points, which is why we didn’t book a dummy date on the boat). 
