Suzy and Perla Skip the Lines Again: From roughing it to the lap of luxury

[reelmom]

Thanks for the input! If I fall in love with it, it might be a stepping stone to a full out "real" camera. We have the HD video camera so our pictures need to be better to seamlessly fit into our videos. Is your name because you love movies or make movies?

The name is not for movies but for fishing, as in rod and reel. My DH and kids love to fish and since our first initials are R E E L, it just fit.

 

[estherhead]

Love, love, love your new camera pics. The polar bear shot is awesome. What kind of camera did you get?

I agree with you about the public pool chaos. Definitely not a relaxing way to spend an afternoon for mom. My two don't understand why I don't take them more often.

Sounds like Suzy needs to let Milo stand in the next food line and order for everyone. Maybe he might be a little more appreciative of her taking one for the team then.

I remember going to an outdoor movie at the campgrounds as a kid and it seems like Chip and Dale were there. I don't remember the s'mores or the sidewalk chalk though.
Is this available to any Disney resort guest or only campers?

Thanks for the phone apps, that was very helpful. I actually have a Touring Plans subscription right now and have been trying to make sense of why the best park is not the one with the lowest estimated crowd level.

It's available to any resort guest. Just hop the boat from MK or the Contemporary and walk or take the bus from the marina to the Meadows. Prior to this trip I wouldn't have thought it would be worth the effort, but now I would do this.

As for Touring Plans, they have a complex system of how they rank things to do with quantity of available show times, crowd levels, emh mornings and nights, etc. Thus not always recommended just the least crowded.

But since you have it already, definitely get the Lines ap!

Wow. That evening was incredible!

And it isn't even over!!!

The name is not for movies but for fishing, as in rod and reel. My DH and kids love to fish and since our first initials are R E E L, it just fit.

Gotcha! That's a great name. Very clever.

 

[sk8jdgca]

Great report...and I kind of stumbled here on accident- I had searched trip report for gulf coast beach trip and somehow yours came up...glad it did! I DONOT camp but after looking at your camp site- i might be able to do it.. love your tips. My kids are now 12 and 8 and now pool time/restaurant can be peaceful and sometimes a bit lonely as they go off without me at times

 

[dalmatian7]

Hi ladies, if you look at my post count you will see I am a long time lurker but am always so intimidated by the extremists on these boards I rarely post. Your trip report ROCKS! You have me wanting to go camping..... Okay for about 5 seconds... Sorry not a camper on vacation. You gals have common sense, or at least I agree with you so it seems like common sense to me. Hehehe thanks for giving me something to read this weekend. Can't wait for more updates.
Heidi

 

[estherhead]

Great report...and I kind of stumbled here on accident- I had searched trip report for gulf coast beach trip and somehow yours came up...glad it did! I DONOT camp but after looking at your camp site- i might be able to do it.. love your tips. My kids are now 12 and 8 and now pool time/restaurant can be peaceful and sometimes a bit lonely as they go off without me at times

It was very cozy. But the trick with camping is it has to be the perfect weather to be enjoyable. And that's hard to schedule out, ya know? So in June when we go back, we're doing rental houses.

As for lonely: I simply cannot imagine! Saturday my dh had to install his dad's heat pump and my girls were at their cousin's so I was at my in-laws (so no chores to do) for the entire day alone. DELIGHTFUL! Simply amazing. I do believe you, just not comprehending.

Hi ladies, if you look at my post count you will see I am a long time lurker but am always so intimidated by the extremists on these boards I rarely post. Your trip report ROCKS! You have me wanting to go camping..... Okay for about 5 seconds... Sorry not a camper on vacation. You gals have common sense, or at least I agree with you so it seems like common sense to me. Hehehe thanks for giving me something to read this weekend. Can't wait for more updates.
Heidi

Is this the blushing smilie? Thanks! We like to think we are the coolest, so it's nice to hear someone say it.

I'm back at work this a.m. so no TR today.

 

[justakrazymom]

It was very cozy. But the trick with camping is it has to be the perfect weather to be enjoyable. And that's hard to schedule out, ya know? So in June when we go back, we're doing rental houses.

As for lonely: I simply cannot imagine! Saturday my dh had to install his dad's heat pump and my girls were at their cousin's so I was at my in-laws (so no chores to do) for the entire day alone. DELIGHTFUL! Simply amazing. I do believe you, just not comprehending.



Is this the blushing smilie? Thanks! We like to think we are the coolest, so it's nice to hear someone say it.

I'm back at work this a.m. so no TR today.

LOL.. well I know I believe this is the best TR I've ever read ( and in the last 13 years I've read a LOT of em).. it's mostly because you are very REAL.. and I dig real!

 

[mma800]

Loving the report! Can't wait to hear about the Dolphin part of your trip!

 

[estherhead]

LOL.. well I know I believe this is the best TR I've ever read ( and in the last 13 years I've read a LOT of em).. it's mostly because you are very REAL.. and I dig real!

Real. I like that. But usually realist is a word a pessimists use to describe themselves. But Suzy and I are optimists. We believe everything will work out for us, and we would be the first to tell you it almost always does. But it isn't just because we are lucky (although we are). It's because we work our butts off, make intelligent, well thought out choices (in everday stuff and in big stuff like life partners and careers), and plan, plan, plan.

This influences our feelings of Disney World too. We love Disney World because we love watching them produce super cool. Because pixie dust and magic don't just happen. It takes planning, planning, planning, working, working, working, and intelligent, well thought out choices by a whole ton of CM's. We that. From the tissue paper fake fire in It's a Small World to the CM at the campfire, it's fun to see and try and figure out how the pixie dust is made. And to make a bit of our own.

And if we can share our secrets to producing pixie dust to others, all the better!

Thanks for reading!

Loving the report! Can't wait to hear about the Dolphin part of your trip!

Thanks! Can't wait to get there too! As cool as our camping was, we loved the Dolphin too. As soon as our "best night ever" at the Fort is over, we move right on over to the Dolphin.

 

[justakrazymom]

Real. I like that. But usually realist is a word a pessimists use to describe themselves. But Suzy and I are optimists. We believe everything will work out for us, and we would be the first to tell you it almost always does. But it isn't just because we are lucky (although we are). It's because we work our butts off, make intelligent, well thought out choices (in everday stuff and in big stuff like life partners and careers), and plan, plan, plan.

By real I meant..you dont add smoke and mirrors.. I feel like what I read is who you are.. I like real.. I'm an optimistic type but try real hard to be real and tell things like they are!

 

[estherhead]

Before I get started, I have to back track a minute. I left out something that happened. There was a point that Suzy and I AGAIN walked back to the campsite. That's right. Again.

Suzy was TIRED. And CRANKY. Much like our chocolate eating post-Donald getting lost, we spent the walk with her venting about McQueen, and Milo, and the fact that it is just so very MUCH work night and day to take care of these men. I mostly listened. Sometimes a person just needs to vent, get it out of their system, and move on.

It's a 10 minute walk from the Meadows to the campsite. We dropped off the giant jogging stroller and did our other chores in preparation for the fireworks on the beach.

After that we were able to take the bus to the beach for the fireworks and back from the beach. I just needed to tell you this because Suzy DID actually take the bus TWICE at the Fort. Thought you should know.

Also, in the picture of Buzz and Haley the CM, if you look in Buzz's hand, she gave him a special signed photo. She LOVED him because of all his Disney trivia and because he had known so much he had stumped her.

To sum up: a) Suzy walked around the fort a LOT because she loves her family. b) Though they didn't fully acknowledge this, they had the best night ever. c) Buzz is very well received at Disney World. d) Suzy only ride buses when you tucker her out so much she can't think straight. OK, you're all caught up.

So. We had the two smaller strollers, bug spray, and some warmish clothing. We were done with Cowboy Bob and Chip and Dale and we were watching the Aristocats. This is one or Ariel's and Boo's favorite movies of all time. But really, it's kinda boring for a mixed company campfire. At first we were a little disappointed. But it turned out better as we were able to use the potty and skiddadle pretty early on and therefore get to the beach in time to see the water parade. We just watched the movie through our favorite part: scales and arpeggios.

We then left and headed toward the beach. On auto pilot, Suzy headed us toward walking to the beach. We all greatly protested and we ended up riding the bus. Literally 30 seconds in she was annoyed with waiting. Sigh. It was maybe a two minute wait. The fort buses are FAST, IMHO.

Getting our glow stuff adjusted.

Off the bus, the relatively short walk to the beach was interesting. We hadn't been down here at the "normal" evening time. There was some little outdoor shops, photos were being taken at a little photo spot, etc. Lots of people drinking.

Side note, and perhaps I've covered this already? The fort, like lots of fun places at WDW, has a lot of alcohol. Perhaps even more than other places since the huge majority of people can and do bring cheap beer and alcohol from home. But unlike Epcot, for example, where the fastest people can go is the speed of a scooter, at the Fort they have golf carts which go 35 mph. During the day it was dangerous enough as there are just crazy drivers and rules don't apply to golf cart drivers evidently. But at night.

It wasn't this huge part of our trip. But be forewarned. STAY on sidewalks. And preferably on tree lined sidewalks where stray golf carts still couldn't hit you.

We got to the beach and settled ourselves. McQueen sat FAR away from us for some unknown reason. I was fairly close to him in a far kinda way which was funny because even though he wanted to sit over there, he kept trying to talk to me. But I couldn't hear him.

Boo sat on my lap. We sprayed bug spray, which only partially worked because I got bites this night. Suzy had bought one of those campsite bug be gone things and it worked GREAT. So it was sad to have bug bites.

The first thing to happen was the electrical parade. If you do not have childhood memories of this, are not a crazoid Disney freak who wants to see classic, not that great stuff, and you are not staying at an MK resort PLEASE do not go out of your way to see this.

Donald LOVED this because other than the Little Mermaid stuff which has been added, it was exactly the same as when he was 11. It's so silly. I couldn't stop laughing. The music is crazy cheesy. CHEESY!

It also seemed like it took forever to get to us as we could hear it at the Wilderness Lodge but not see it. So it was very anti-climatic. Wait, wait, wait. Yea! It's here. Oh, wait, this is really stupid. And then the giggles. We are clearly "late night" gigglers. And by late night I mean 9:30 p.m.

After this exciting water pageant, we waited a bit for the fireworks. Mostly, since we were all laying in the lounge chairs chilling on the beach, we all just laughed and talked and said our silly, sarcastic, life is good banter. I also tickled Boo's arm. She has this thing where she bribes me and flings her arm onto me saying, "I'll go to sleep if you tickle my arm." Clearly she knows I'm always in for anything that gets her to sleep.

I also fireworks. And lately, because Boo is soooo scared of the big booms, I haven't had a chance to enjoy fireworks. But from the Ft. Wilderness beach they were far enough away the booms weren't scary. Boo actually really enjoyed these fireworks. Woohoo!

After we were all done, we headed to the buses. Thank GOD! Take me home or lose me forever!

I was relaxed and happy. Sadly because of being so relaxed and happy, the rest of our group got off and some of us (ok, me and the idiot kids who trusted me) stayed on an extra stop. It ended up being completely fine and we were only a tiny bit, if at all, further since our site was halfway down the loop. But I clearly wasn't paying attention at all and was dead wrong. I admit it.

So when we got back to camp everyone who had been smart was already getting ready for bed.

The next morning was tear down and we were DREADING IT, despite being excited about going to a fancy resort.

To bed!

 

[estherhead]

By real I meant..you dont add smoke and mirrors.. I feel like what I read is who you are.. I like real.. I'm an optimistic type but try real hard to be real and tell things like they are!

 

[Mommy2BnB]

Thanks for the info about the water parade. That was something I had considered doing, but we won't waste our time on it now. We're only going to be there for 5 days, and I don't remember it from my camping trip to Disney as a child.

Can't wait to read about your stay at the Dolphin. Don't make us wait too long, please!!!

 

[estherhead]

Thanks for the info about the water parade. That was something I had considered doing, but we won't waste our time on it now. We're only going to be there for 5 days, and I don't remember it from my camping trip to Disney as a child.

Can't wait to read about your stay at the Dolphin. Don't make us wait too long, please!!!

I'm not sorry I saw it, but my life wasn't enriched either. And with only 5 days, it'd be a no brainer. There are just way too many amazing things to see at WDW.

Dolphin comin' right up!

 

[estherhead]

We got to bed at a fairly reasonable time the night before.

I awoke pretty early, as always. There was SO much to do and our goal was to be at DHS by lunch. The first thing was to sit out what we were going to transfer to the Dolphin and get that packed. Make-up, park stuff, sunblock, and the like. This was stressful. I had to pull out the suitcases from the van which had some stuff in them we hadn't used at the Fort. It was just as stressful as packing from home because I DID NOT want to have to run back to the van.

Sadly, that was a goal we didn't reach. I never did run back to the van, but Donald did have to. Oh well. I tried.

In this process I want to say the green light I had bought at the Dollar Tree came in SO handy. I pushed Donald into the bed and was able to do a lot while everyone still slept. Best $1.00 ever. Maybe 2nd best. The big Buzz Lightyear pen was a great $1.00 spent too.

Then I packed up the interior of the tent. For this my family had to get up and get dressed. There was a bit of protesting but they were pretty good natured. Donald made coffee and got breakfast for himself and the girls and hung out in the food tent. I did a half hearted job on the girl's hair.

While all of this was going on, Milo had gotten a business call. There is a guy at work who is a very nice guy and he takes care of things while we are gone. But he is a bit of a panicker. And customer service is not always his strong suit. And, to be frank, he doesn't really like Milo. He doesn't get him. So trouble had been caused on one of Milo's projects and Milo had to save it. This made him VERY stressed.

Add to this the night before not having been an A+ get along night for them and the fact that Suzy has (I'm gonna list them) Charming: disorganized, Buzz: falls apart and cries when there is angst, McQueen: cannot just cooperate and do things without arguing, Jack: needs Mommy. And a huge campsite to break down. Things weren't going well for them.

Donald had moved our iphone dock to the picnic table and we were jamming to the tunes and so happy to be at Disney World, to be moving to real beds, to have had a magical night the night before. And other than Boo, the four of us were working fairly seemlessly together. This made our part of the breakdown go super quick. Boo was digging in the dirt as always.

Which made Suzy's blood pressure go even higher because she felt behind and didn't want to throw us off. Donald and I kept assuring her that we would not be mad if we were done first. But still. The pressure was there.

We got our tent broken down. We got the food packed and that tent broken down. And we started helping with some other stuff. And Donald, master packer, got our van all loaded.

Here are Suzy and Milo at the very end. Milo was back, in charge, and a man on a mission. Everyone stand back.

Other than the bikes, all this stuff goes in Suzy and Milo's van. Take a moment to look at Donald's handiwork there. LOOK, I demand you look, at how great our van is packed. All the fort stuff is in the carrier so we wouldn't need to get in there. Sigh. Love that man.

Here is our iphone dock playing tunes and looking over the picnic table towards the road to the CS. My kids had finally been allowed to full out be kids (no work) and were playing over there.

Here is the CS and our kids. This is 10:30 a.m. So we may have been bothering sleeping people but I didn't feel guilty. Sorry if our giggling and music was annoying you fort people but really, 10 am? We're allowed. I think we turned the music on at 9 a.m.

I just want to reiterate for anyone who wants to know, this was site 2035. A great site.

While Suzy and Milo were wrapping things up and putting all that stuff in their van, Donald and I ran to the "front desk". I had to call and find out where the front desk was and it turns out it was at the marina which we had never driven to before so, you guessed it, we got lost. We ended up driving through the DO NOT COME IN HERE EMPLOYEES ONLY area. Donald really didn't want to but I insisted because I had the map, I knew it went through, and no way I was risking getting lost turning around. So we got a chance to see where the employees all hang out.

Donald dropped me off and found a spot to hang out and I had a lovely lady help me with my few issues, got us checked out, and allowed me to pay the part Suzy wanted to pay so the rest could go on my cc. I don't really remember a lot about this except to say if I hadn't called and gotten specific instructions I would NEVER have found this. It's just an outside window on a nondescript wall. And the paper was just the ordinary invoice you get in your room attached to the post at the end of our campsite (I think a kid found it) and it just said to come to the front desk if you needed to change something. Thank the lord for cell phones and me putting the direct fort line in there before leaving home.

Because we had been avoiding Milo and Suzy so as to not get caught in crossfire, we had not communicated that we were coming back to the site. This was a bit of an issue as we were supposed to take some of their stuff in our van. So they just crammed it all inside their van. Which was not best case scenario.

Fortunately it wasn't that long of a drive.

They got to Dolphin first and since we had then been confused and driven back to the site and got lost all the time anyway, they were there way before us. Suzy texting me every 2 seconds, "Are you here yet?" By this point Donald was also highly amused by his never turning the right way and the WHOLE way to Dolphin he kept saying at EVERY turn, "Is this it?" Seriously, I was so stressed. And then the Swan is first and he literally as a joke turned in there. So I'm YELLING "NOOOOO!!!!!" and he is laughing his head off at me.

Finally, we were there!!!

It was 11:30 and we were concerned about our room being ready. PLEASE BE READY!

And now, I must go to work. And you must all wait. Ha, ha!

 

[houseful of boys]

Donald had moved our iphone dock to the picnic table and we were jamming to the tunes and so happy to be at Disney World, to be moving to real beds, to have had a magical night the night before. And other than Boo, the four of us were working fairly seemlessly together. This made our part of the breakdown go super quick. Boo was digging in the dirt as always.

Which made Suzy's blood pressure go even higher because she felt behind and didn't want to throw us off. Donald and I kept assuring her that we would not be mad if we were done first. But still. The pressure was there.
Here are Suzy and Milo at the very end. Milo was back, in charge, and a man on a mission. Everyone stand back.

Everybody stand back is right. At this point Milo was so mad at me for being mad at him that he wouldn't talk nor accept any help in breaking down this final tent. There is no point in explaining who said what or who was angry and why, but let's just say, things were touch and go for about half an hour.
In my younger and newly married years, I would not have been able to recover and would have spent the rest of the week crying. But I'm not younger nor newly married so I just waited and during the ride between the campsite and Dolphin we put it all out there and yelled, then apologized, then assured the kids we loved each other and were going to forget about the morning and have a great, fun time at DHS that afternoon. So by the time we checked into the Dolphin, for the most part things were pixie dust and magic once again.

 

[estherhead]

Everybody stand back is right. At this point Milo was so mad at me for being mad at him that he wouldn't talk nor accept any help in breaking down this final tent. There is no point in explaining who said what or who was angry and why, but let's just say, things were touch and go for about half an hour.
In my younger and newly married years, I would not have been able to recover and would have spent the rest of the week crying. But I'm not younger nor newly married so I just waited and during the ride between the campsite and Dolphin we put it all out there and yelled, then apologized, then assured the kids we loved each other and were going to forget about the morning and have a great, fun time at DHS that afternoon. So by the time we checked into the Dolphin, for the most part things were pixie dust and magic once again.

This is why when I hear about women on the 4th or 5th husband I say, "No thanks! Do you know how long it took me to get this man trained? And he's only halfway there. No way I'm starting over with a new model."

 

[knitster]

I just love your trip reports so much! Having just returned from our first ever trip to WDW, I can say that I now fully understand and appreciate your level of planning and decision making that goes into making a great vacation for the whole family.

Also, as an aside, we were at Monster's Inc on our last day in the World and the little girl they picked to be Boo looked just like your Boo! So much so that I whipped around to see who she was sitting with and I was just sure I was going to see the whole Suzy/Perla clan! Unfortunately, and obviously, it was not your Boo, but I was really excited there for a split second! lol

 

[Queen Mamadala]

I have to chime in and say that this trip report has been an addiction (and a pleasure) for me these last few days. You sell yourself short by saying that it wouldn't be humorous--I am still snickering to myself periodically about "pole confusion."

This information presented in your delightful prose has been invaluable. We leave in 3 days for a week at the world, having lied through our teeth to DD whose fondest wish is to go to "busy world." She thinks we are tagging along to Daddy's (fictitious) conference in St Petersburg and will find out the truth when we get to the DME terminal!

I have been worried about taking the military operation that is traveling with our two on the road to WDW but your TR gives me some confidence that if you two ladies can handle 7 kids and 2 husbands, I can manage 1 (also directionally challenged) husband and 2 kids, one of whom is still a handbag. (She will turn 7 months while we are there. Her toes are still extremely entertaining to her so WDW might be overkill. This trip is for Sister, tho!)

I am going to have to go back and read your other TRs after we get back! For now I have 3 suitcases to jam full of stuff and a touring plan to formulate!! And a house to clean so the catsitter won't turn us in to the health department...

 

[estherhead]

I just love your trip reports so much! Having just returned from our first ever trip to WDW, I can say that I now fully understand and appreciate your level of planning and decision making that goes into making a great vacation for the whole family.

Also, as an aside, we were at Monster's Inc on our last day in the World and the little girl they picked to be Boo looked just like your Boo! So much so that I whipped around to see who she was sitting with and I was just sure I was going to see the whole Suzy/Perla clan! Unfortunately, and obviously, it was not your Boo, but I was really excited there for a split second! lol

Awwww.. did you have fun? Any magical super cool moments?

That would have been so fun if we had seen each other. Sadly we're in Ohio where it rains and there is no magic nor castles. No Disney till June

I have to chime in and say that this trip report has been an addiction (and a pleasure) for me these last few days. You sell yourself short by saying that it wouldn't be humorous--I am still snickering to myself periodically about "pole confusion."

This information presented in your delightful prose has been invaluable. We leave in 3 days for a week at the world, having lied through our teeth to DD whose fondest wish is to go to "busy world." She thinks we are tagging along to Daddy's (fictitious) conference in St Petersburg and will find out the truth when we get to the DME terminal!

I have been worried about taking the military operation that is traveling with our two on the road to WDW but your TR gives me some confidence that if you two ladies can handle 7 kids and 2 husbands, I can manage 1 (also directionally challenged) husband and 2 kids, one of whom is still a handbag. (She will turn 7 months while we are there. Her toes are still extremely entertaining to her so WDW might be overkill. This trip is for Sister, tho!)

I am going to have to go back and read your other TRs after we get back! For now I have 3 suitcases to jam full of stuff and a touring plan to formulate!! And a house to clean so the catsitter won't turn us in to the health department...

Wow!!! Maybe if your video turns out great you can be in a Disney commercial! We never were able to pull off a surprise trip and now my kids are old enough it would be disappointing to not be part of the planning.

Our 2007 TR is just Donald, I, the two big girls, and Boo is 6 months old. You talking about the entertaining toes, I have like 200 pictures of Boo's feet in those pictures because it just cracked me up that we were at Disney World and she spent the whole time looking at her toes. We put her in a parrot costume one evening and her toes had webbed feet on them and it was seriously the most amazingly wonderful thing that had ever happened to her.

But really, it was that trip that truly and honestly started the Perla clan's fascination with Disney. That age is a great age. It's before they are scared of anything. So most anything big sister can ride, the baby can ride.

Do you have an Ergo or other really nice baby carrier? LIFE SAVER!

 

[estherhead]

Now, I need to refresh your memories. For those of you with REALLY short term memory loss. We had spent the last 4 nights in tents. And though the tents were nice and we did a great job at camping, it was camping. Tent camping. And all that goes along with it.

So it was with a little bit of trepidation that Suzy and I entered the Dolphin lobby.

It isn't that we don't know how to be classy. On the contrary. Suzy and I can be very classy. Still down to earth, naturally, but we both own a LOT of dress clothes and we know how to wear a nice pair of heals.

But 10 minutes before walking into this:

We had been here:

So it was worrisome.

While Suzy was checking in I was taking these pictures.

The room had been booked in my name (everything is always booked in my name because I am the person who actually talks to people) but she was doing a fine job of checking us in without me and wanted to pay for her half with her credit card so I took the opportunity to wander about. The thing that fascinated me the most were the fresh floral bouquets. IMHO that is how you can separate the pretenders from the class. Pop Century? No fresh floral bouquets anywhere. Grand Floridian? Huge fresh floral bouquets left and right.

The Dolphin had these potted orchids all over the place. They were not splashy at all. They were subtly placed. But that's the point isn't it? Class doesn't have to scream at you. It quietly says, "Bet there aren't any fresh orchids at All Star Sports are there?"

Once Suzy had asked all of our questions and taken care of the money we got the answer we were most nervous about: Could we take all of our bags to our room?

YES! Woohoo!!!! We had a three room suite. A living/dining/kitchen room with 2 bedrooms off of it. The main living area was ready and we could drop all of our bags off there. She then asked if we still needed to two cots. I said no. Which ended up being the wrong answer and I called later and got cots delivered.

I then went to the bag carrier helper area, you know porters, and asked for help. You can't have your own luggage cart in classy places. Because people with money don't need to carry their own bags. We got a lovely gentleman, maybe 50 years old, who had had WAY too much coffee and was HYPER! I absolutely loved him. Suzy and Milo brought their stuff over while I told Donald which things should come and which should stay. Our porter was nice and patient with us. But once we were packed up he booked it. I guess the faster you are moving, the more tips you can earn.

He was a porter by day and drove Disney bus by night and was originally from New York City. Well, I'm quite the fan of New York City and suddenly understood this quick moving and so just rushed to keep up while he told me all about his teenage daughters and life. He then made super quick work of dumping all our stuff nicely into the room. I spent this entire time trying to scramble and get him a nice tip as I'm not the person with the cash. I'm the person in charge of DDP credits and making reservations. Never the person with the cash.

I did scrounge something together but I know Milo, who is a great tipper, would have been upset with me. Cause this guy deserved a real Milo sized tip and instead he got what Mulan (who is 10 and therefore not very rich ) and I had in our wallets. I then asked Donald for a bit of cash when he came up, which really came in handy.

The men had parked and Suzy had brought up the remaining children and miscellaneous bags. Honestly I'm not sure what everyone was doing. Perhaps Suzy was with me all along? I just know I had Boo in her stroller and Mr. NYC Porter and that was my entire focus.

Whatever. Once he was gone all of us (and Suzy was here by this point) all looked around and basically started screaming. HELLO!!!!! This is TOTALLY WICKED!!!!! It was love at first sight. And Suzy promptly forgot that she had ever been at a campground to begin with. That first day she said, "I love this place," "This is awesome," "I'd stay here again in heartbeat" a zillion times.

We quickly threw refrigerated things in the refrigerator and as soon as Donald and Milo were done parking, we headed down to the boats.

And this is where we started getting lost OTHER places than just in our van. Because the Dolphin was huge and had elevator bays that did not lead to your room. So you had to be at the right elevator bay. Except they all looked alike. We didn't really get that lost that often, but it was tricky for those of us who are directionally challenged.

Suzy was very excited to have boats instead of buses. They had loved the monorail at the Poly and this seemed like the same only to DHS and Epcot. You don't have to fold down any strollers and as you can see from this picture they come one right after the other.

And this is where Suzy became disillusioned. Because despite the boats coming one right after another, being quite convenient, having a short walk from the boat stop to the entrance, and not having to be too close to other people, they were SLOW. Very, very slow. We referred to them as the slow boats to China. I'm not sure why, but Suzy doesn't like to sit at WDW. Me? Do you see how happy I am with my family at the back of the boat?

It's not just the walking part, I like exercise, it's also just a chance to look at our photos together and journal and talk.

From the photo of Milo tearing down the final tent to us eating lunch inside DHS was 2 hours exactly. That includes packing up the tents, checking out of the Fort, driving to the Dolphin, checking into the Dolphin, unloading the vans, waiting for and riding the slow boat to China, bag check, ticketing, Photopass pictures, walking to lunch. 2 hours. I think that is amazing. Suzy would say had we WALKED to DHS it would only have been 1 hour 50 minutes. This I cannot deny.

Next up? DHS Photopass and lunch.