Sit down! Buckle up! & Hang On! Mickeystoontown's Gang is going to Walley World! 5/15

[francis6306]

I'm here, i'm here!!! Sorry, I'm late, but you know I just can't make it anywhere quite on time!

I'm so excited for you to try POFQ! I want to try POR- But I want them to get it all cleaned up first!

11 days sounds like perfection!!!

 

[Kerpgh]

Subscribing!! Heading to the CBR for the first time in weeks!! Soooo very excited...hopefully heading towards the fantasy in 2015
Thank you soooo much for helping me continue my Disney obsession ...lol

 

[pwdebbie]

Finally getting here to say Hi. I'm ready to see the new adventures we will live vicariously through you and your family.

 

[gopherdame]

Hi Lisa. I came over from Judy's trip report. You and your family are so sweet to send them such wonderful gifts that I just had to come over. Your writing is such a hoot and I love the fun your whole family has. I haven't written much on trip reports being mostly a lurker, but I retired in Feb. so am trying to. I read your last trip report and enjoyed it so much. Looking forward to this trip report. We usually go in Jan. to get away from Minnesota winters and had our warmest trip ever this year. We stay off site at Windsor Hills because we go with my daughter's family (3 grandkids) to save money, so I really enjoy all the pics of the resorts. I think you need to talk your boss into giving you 2 weeks vacation. I think you deserve it after 5years!
Robyn

 

[GrammyJudy]

Hi Lisa. I came over from Judy's trip report. You and your family are so sweet to send them such wonderful gifts that I just had to come over. Your writing is such a hoot and I love the fun your whole family has. I haven't written much on trip reports being mostly a lurker, but I retired in Feb. so am trying to. I read your last trip report and enjoyed it so much. Looking forward to this trip report. We usually go in Jan. to get away from Minnesota winters and had our warmest trip ever this year. We stay off site at Windsor Hills because we go with my daughter's family (3 grandkids) to save money, so I really enjoy all the pics of the resorts. I think you need to talk your boss into giving you 2 weeks vacation. I think you deserve it after 5years!
Robyn

Hey Robyn I just retired in Jan...best job I ever had! Anyway we usually go to WDW in Jan too to get away from Vermont winter but are going in Dec. to see the lights and decorations this year. We travel 3 generations also.Many great people on the Disboards

 

[Kathy Jetson]

Hi I'm here

Now am I crazy or did you mention on your TR that you were going to be having even more family besides Lacy and Jesse and mama?

I hope you had a happy Easter!

 

[gopherdame]

Hey Robyn I just retired in Jan...best job I ever had! Anyway we usually go to WDW in Jan too to get away from Vermont winter but are going in Dec. to see the lights and decorations this year. We travel 3 generations also.Many great people on the Disboards

Boy do we have a lot in common. We are going the 1st two weeks of Nov. this year for our 40th anniversary. We also want to see the Osborne lights and all the decorations. We went a couple years ago in Oct. to see the Halloween decorations and go to MNSSHP.

 

[Tinker_Tam]

I'm here!! Just making my way over!

 

[GrammyJudy]

Boy do we have a lot in common. We are going the 1st two weeks of Nov. this year for our 40th anniversary. We also want to see the Osborne lights and all the decorations. We went a couple years ago in Oct. to see the Halloween decorations and go to MNSSHP.

You might want to check but I'm not sure the Christmas decorations etc are up the beginning of Nov. We are going 11/30-12/7 which is right after Thanksgiving. Sorry we won't be there at the same time so we could have a Dismeet. There is a Dec 2013 thread under resorts and also a nov 2013 that you might want to check out.

 

[jenseib]

You might want to check but I'm not sure the Christmas decorations etc are up the beginning of Nov. We are going 11/30-12/7 which is right after Thanksgiving. Sorry we won't be there at the same time so we could have a Dismeet. There is a Dec 2013 thread under resorts and also a nov 2013 that you might want to check out.

Some are. The go up starting the first week of Nov.

 

[pwdebbie]

You might want to check but I'm not sure the Christmas decorations etc are up the beginning of Nov. We are going 11/30-12/7 which is right after Thanksgiving. Sorry we won't be there at the same time so we could have a Dismeet. There is a Dec 2013 thread under resorts and also a nov 2013 that you might want to check out.

We were there the first two weeks of Nov. 2010. The Osborne lights started the 8th that year. The parks were transformed overnight during the first few days of our trip. Orange everything and pumpkins disappeared and green and red and Christmas trees appeared over night. It was amazing to me! However, our resort POFQ, did not have any Christmas decorations up when we left. I guess they do the resorts later.

 

[MHTeacher]

Laughed at all your resort changes...Somehow I knew you'd be at CBR for the trip!

 

[natebenma]

It was fun reading your plans and changes and changes and changes. And I loved that you at least considered Beach Club as one of your options! But I'm not sure I could really justify that for you for one night.

Someday...

It will be interesting to hear what you think of POFQ.

And it just wouldn't seem right for you not to be at CBR.

 

[BridgetR3]

We've stayed at both CBR and POFQ and LOVE them both!!! Being from Louisiana, you may really enjoy the dinner specials at POFQ and the beignets!!! We decided not to stay there this vacation because well it felt too much like home..... I know, I know....sad but true!!

We will be spending May 31- June 2 at CBR so we may see you around!! Just look for the family of purple and gold!

 

[lilyfrog73]

Hello!! I'm mostly a reader and do not comment much but I just finished reading your last trip report and look forward to reading about your upcoming adventure. My hubby, daughter (12), son (soon to be 6) and I will be going on our 2nd trip to WDW shortly before you (5/7 - 5/15) and staying at CBR. I have enjoyed sharing your pics of the resort with my family so thanks for sharing!!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Good morning! I've not abandoned my own pre-trip report. John's been working his tail feathers off on his brother's new home construction (meaning that I'm tending to everything on the homefront by myself) and I've been sewing like a mad woman on some super cute pillowcase dresses for a Diser who is leaving for Disney this month. They are adorable, if I do say so myself. Just one more dress to go and then I have a couple of backsack orders to do for a couple of May Disers.

I'm trying to work on an update while my boss is in court but I keep getting interrupted by phone calls. Silly people....don't they know that I need to my Dis time? Apparently, they haven't a clue! Anyway, I'll try to finish that up and then come back with replies.

 

[KELLY]

All caught up and joining in.

 

[mickeystoontown]

820 miles? That aint nothin! Dont you dare ask are we there yet?!

Waaaay back in 1998, when we planned our first trip to Walt Disney World, it took us almost two full days to get to Disney. We took a different route too. Wed go straight through the middle of Tallahassee, Florida...the States Capitol. We never had a problem until November, 2000, when Al Gore and George Bush fussed and fought over who won Floridas electoral votes. There were news crews EVERYWHERE! It took us forever to get through Tallahassee.

We sworn never to go that way again! Not only did our route change from that point on but our schedule changed as well and it works great for us.

So, what exactly is our plan? Well, the plan is to leave home within thirty minutes from the time I get off work on May 20th.

The first highlight of the trip, besides actually leaving our house, will be passing by the Elvis Tree in Waverly, Louisiana:

Okay, so I know that its a bit of a stretch of the imagination to see Elvis in that tree but it really does look like Elvis! See how Elvis is turned to the side and kinda slumped down in this picture:

Now....scroll back up and look at the Elvis tree. See him? See Elvis in the tree? Seriously? You cant see him? Scroll back up....scroll back down.....scroll back up.....scroll back down. Still cant? Must be a Louisiana thing cause I see Elvis just as clear as if he were standing before me. Actually, if he were standing before me, Id probably pass out cause Jesus must be coming since Elvis was resurrected from the grave.

The next semi-big thing that well come to. Well, it really IS a big thing is the Mighty Mississippi River which is what well cross and head into Mississippi:

Travel through Jackson, Mississippi where well pass by what we like to call the play-like Spaceship Earth building. Look to the right of the Texaco sign:

Soon after, well be taking this exit:

Along highway 49, well see these:

Whaaaaaaat? Freakin A! Seriously, I hope like heck we dont see any snakes that size on Hwy. 49, or anywhere that I ever travel. When I was searching google for neat things to see along Hwy. 49 in Mississippi, that picture popped up. If there was even one iota of a chance that Id encounter those two, Id be wearing Depends because thered be no pee-pee breaks until we got closer to Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Our usual route would take us through Hattiesburg but my sis-in-laws dad is a truck driver and he recommended a different highway which goes around Hattiesburg and I think that were going to give it a try.

Around 10:00-11:00 p.m. or so, we should be in Mobile, Alabama and driving through the tunnel where well honk the horn over and over again until we reach the other side. Yall dont honk your horns when you go through a tunnel? I swear, us Louisiana folks must be different that yall cause honking the horn in a tunnel is just something that youre raised to do.

Well pass on through Pensacola, Florida and make our way to Crestview where well stay in our own Haunted Mansion. Wheres the haunted mansion that Im talking about? Well, you see, when I was writing my pre-trip report for our 2012 trip, one of the readers informed me that the Jameson Inn in Crestview was supposed to be haunted! How cool is that!?!?! Ghosts and I get along really really well. Im serious! Our office building is the home to many ghosts. At least once a week, we have something go missing and well find it in some obscure place days later. I smell old timey pipe/cigar smoke sometimes. I hear footsteps above me (its multi-story). Ive heard whistling down the hallway. My bosss chair has turned all the way around (without him in it) while I was using the fax machine. Just stuff like that.

Im thinking that well roll into Crestview around:

and well have traveled about halfway to Disney:

Ill send John in to sweet talk the desk clerk into a good rate cause hes good at those things. The view from the room wont be spectacular but itll do, especially considering it will be 1:00 in the morning!

Someone from my trip report said that it looked like I had captured the imagine of a ghost in the above picture. What do you guys think?

**Continued in next post!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Im sure that well be exhausted and will fall into a deep sleep before we can get the covers pulled up tight.

The next morning, well hit the ground running or should I say hit the pavement rolling? Unfortunately for us, theres really nothing to see from Crestview to Interstate 75 which is where well make the turn from the panhandle and start heading down down down the State of Florida. Oh wait! Theres something to see. These:

And well see lots of em.....every mile it seems. I remember Darla saying that Elizabeth asked why anybody would want to see b**bies while they were eating! I think they show wonderful hospitality in that they offer free showers and couple are always welcome.

While I was googling for pictures of the billboards along Floridas Interstate 75, I found this one:

Break out the Depends again cause we aint taking no pee-pee breaks here either!

As I was saying, theres really nothing to see along Interstate 75 until we reach Clermont, Florida, home of the Citrus Tower and House of Presidents:

Ooh and this cute little ice cream stand:

Clermont isnt that far from Disney but the traffic is stop-and-start, start-and-stop because there are traffic lights that are close together. Seems like you get to going and then you come upon another traffic light. An option that we are exploring is hitting the toll road but that would mean that wed miss going through parts of Kissimmee and, even though its changed a lot since we used to stay there, we like seeing the kooky looking buildings:

Besides, it only adds about 15/20 minutes to our drive time and its a tradition so well probably keep going that same way. Before long, well be on World Drive where well pass underneath the Pearly Gates of Walt Disney World:

Im sure that well all be bouncing in our seats and ready to get out of the car by the time we arrive at Port Orleans French Quarter. Itll be our first time staying there and Im excited to see the resort:

So, there you have it...our boring, almost 820 mile, road trip to Disney! Shoot, that aint nothin!

**Up next: Dont look now but there's a creepy guy looking at you!

 

[lovethattink]

LOL love the road trip overview. Let's hope you don't see any snakes. Yikes!

We have an alligator in our pond right now. He's a little fellow. Sadly someone must be feeding him because he is not afraid of people according to my neighbor today.