Tabetha
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2004
- Messages
- 1,545
Cast:
Tabetha: Disney fan who came to the "World" late in life, and am now making up for it! This is my second trip on property, last year we stayed at Pop Centruy with my sister.
Greg: Disney fan who has been to the "World" pretty much every year for the last 15 years. Has seen it all, and is starting to see a little tarnish on the magic. Has been his lifelong dream to stay at the Polynesian.
We've been dating for over a year now, and this is our first "alone trip"!
02/13/05 Day One, Part One: Is getting there really half the fun?
Let me tell you. No matter how excited I am about finally going to DisneyWorld, I must acknowledge there is always a foggy moment where I linger between unconsciousness and consciousness, between downy comfort and the chill of morning, between the crack of dawn and the light of day, and wonder why the F the alarm clock is buzzing at 5AM. What idiot set it for such an unholy hour, and what can I do to that idiot when I find them? Slowly, ever so slowly, awareness kicks in and I sit up like a bolt. A sleepy eyed, mildly confused bolt, but its the best I can muster on three hours sleep.
Id stayed up till midnight the night before to print up our Southwest boarding passes in the business centre at the hotel. And when I say business centre, I really mean a computer and a printer locked in a closet. I swear the girl at the front desk was Sybil.
Hi, I need to print up my boarding passes.
Ok, its $5.00.
But you told my boyfriend that youd just print it up, no problem. (True. Hed just been to the front desk half an hour earlier to scope out the scenario and smoke a cigarette.)
Its $5.00. You have to use the business centre.
But he said you said you could do it for me
You have to use the business centre. Heres the key.
Where is it?
Over THERE! Shes right. Im an idiot for not noticing the darkened closet.
I step into the closet, print up our passes, send an email to my sister, and check the DIS one last time - heck, Im paying $5, I might as well get my moneys worth. I come out of the closet (much to the chagrin of my boyfriend, ba dum bump), and give the key back to Sybil.
Can I just charge the fee to my room?
Now shes super sweet. Dont worry about it. What? Ok, whatever crazy lady. Im going to bed.
But Im too excited to sleeeeeeep.
Which brings us to 5AM, and my angry rousing. Greg hits snooze, and Im already mentally prepared for the person hes going to be for the next few hours. Early Morning Greg is not the same person I choose to date. EMG is some other being, and when combined with travel, can be quite volatile. We just let EMG do his thing. Me, I get up and scrub up. Im in and out of the bathroom just as the snooze period elapses. I watch amused as EMG rumbles around, trying to figure out the best way to accommodate our multiple carry on bags, and his golf shoes. Im not sure what takes so long, but I notice that its getting pretty tight to catch our 5:30 shuttle to the airport. At 5:25, I run a Hail Mary, and head down to the lobby and throw my belongings in the van. Theres one more coming! We wait another few minutes, and EMG appears. I apologise to the very cute family waiting in the van. Bet they were all early for the shuttle. Id hate me if I were them.
We get to the airport, and through security with no trouble and get to our gate in plenty of time. I go buy water for me, and orange juice for EMG and we settle back watching the kind folks at Southwest manhandle luggage. Everything is going smoothly. Were about to hit the open skies!
Then, like some Old Testament inspired irony, all the power went out. Not just at our gate. Not just down our hallway. All the power. In the entire airport. And so we wait. Theyre not sure what happened. The radios and phones arent working. We got word from a late arrival to the gate that shed seen a transformer explode on her way there. Well, thatd do it. I just sat there, recalling the big blackout a couple of summers ago and recalling friends who had been trying to travel during it, and trying to trust that it wouldnt happen like that AGAIN. I mean, it was a really fun few days in Toronto, but Im on vacation! That kind of fun, I could do without.
We saw a plane take off, so that was promising. Maybe wed still get out of here today! Finally, the gate attendant (who was getting a real workout running to get information) told us that because the gangway had already been brought up to the plane, they werent going to be able to get it AWAY from the plane, because they needed power to do it. We saw guys trying to push it, chains made a brief appearance. No good. I called Tiffany Towncars to make sure they knew wed be late.
I watched a family of little girls express their frustration. We should be there by nowwww. Um, no girls. We should really only be boarding by now.
Eventually EMG went to look for a magazine. Naturally, as he did that I noticed that they turned around the little pully/pushy tractor that moves the planes around, and put it facing the plane. This, to me was a good sign. I wondered if I should get in line. Suddenly, the gate attendant told us to start lining up, wed be boarding soon! So, I grabbed all our gear, and headed to the A line, hoping EMG would return soon. He showed up just in time, and the boarding began! The preboarding line was long, and EMG was concerned that theyd take up all of the exit rows (EMG needs an exit row. Weve both got long legs, and I really dont need a cramped EMG sitting next to me), either that, or the 10 people in front of us. I reassured him. They dont allow children in those rows, and Im pretty sure the elderly people werent going to take them either. Sure enough, we got on the plane and right into a perfect exit row. The seat for EMG had nothing in front of it, so he could stretch his monster long legs to his hearts content.
The little pushy/pully tractor pushed the plane away from the gangway, and Greg mentioned that he had been wondering why they didnt just do that in the first place. Seems like he was sitting on a great idea that could have saved us an hour. But then, who was he to tell Southwest how to run their fleet?
We hit the open skies!
EMG napped, and when he woke up, he was just plain Greg again. We took out my computer and watched SNL: Best of Chris Farley, and laughed like idiots.
We arrived in Orlando to sunny skies and 80 degree weather. Our driver from Tiffany was waiting by the baggage claim, and we were finally off to the Polynesian!
Day Zero: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=746706
Tabetha: Disney fan who came to the "World" late in life, and am now making up for it! This is my second trip on property, last year we stayed at Pop Centruy with my sister.
Greg: Disney fan who has been to the "World" pretty much every year for the last 15 years. Has seen it all, and is starting to see a little tarnish on the magic. Has been his lifelong dream to stay at the Polynesian.
We've been dating for over a year now, and this is our first "alone trip"!
02/13/05 Day One, Part One: Is getting there really half the fun?
Let me tell you. No matter how excited I am about finally going to DisneyWorld, I must acknowledge there is always a foggy moment where I linger between unconsciousness and consciousness, between downy comfort and the chill of morning, between the crack of dawn and the light of day, and wonder why the F the alarm clock is buzzing at 5AM. What idiot set it for such an unholy hour, and what can I do to that idiot when I find them? Slowly, ever so slowly, awareness kicks in and I sit up like a bolt. A sleepy eyed, mildly confused bolt, but its the best I can muster on three hours sleep.
Id stayed up till midnight the night before to print up our Southwest boarding passes in the business centre at the hotel. And when I say business centre, I really mean a computer and a printer locked in a closet. I swear the girl at the front desk was Sybil.
Hi, I need to print up my boarding passes.
Ok, its $5.00.
But you told my boyfriend that youd just print it up, no problem. (True. Hed just been to the front desk half an hour earlier to scope out the scenario and smoke a cigarette.)
Its $5.00. You have to use the business centre.
But he said you said you could do it for me
You have to use the business centre. Heres the key.
Where is it?
Over THERE! Shes right. Im an idiot for not noticing the darkened closet.
I step into the closet, print up our passes, send an email to my sister, and check the DIS one last time - heck, Im paying $5, I might as well get my moneys worth. I come out of the closet (much to the chagrin of my boyfriend, ba dum bump), and give the key back to Sybil.
Can I just charge the fee to my room?
Now shes super sweet. Dont worry about it. What? Ok, whatever crazy lady. Im going to bed.
But Im too excited to sleeeeeeep.
Which brings us to 5AM, and my angry rousing. Greg hits snooze, and Im already mentally prepared for the person hes going to be for the next few hours. Early Morning Greg is not the same person I choose to date. EMG is some other being, and when combined with travel, can be quite volatile. We just let EMG do his thing. Me, I get up and scrub up. Im in and out of the bathroom just as the snooze period elapses. I watch amused as EMG rumbles around, trying to figure out the best way to accommodate our multiple carry on bags, and his golf shoes. Im not sure what takes so long, but I notice that its getting pretty tight to catch our 5:30 shuttle to the airport. At 5:25, I run a Hail Mary, and head down to the lobby and throw my belongings in the van. Theres one more coming! We wait another few minutes, and EMG appears. I apologise to the very cute family waiting in the van. Bet they were all early for the shuttle. Id hate me if I were them.
We get to the airport, and through security with no trouble and get to our gate in plenty of time. I go buy water for me, and orange juice for EMG and we settle back watching the kind folks at Southwest manhandle luggage. Everything is going smoothly. Were about to hit the open skies!
Then, like some Old Testament inspired irony, all the power went out. Not just at our gate. Not just down our hallway. All the power. In the entire airport. And so we wait. Theyre not sure what happened. The radios and phones arent working. We got word from a late arrival to the gate that shed seen a transformer explode on her way there. Well, thatd do it. I just sat there, recalling the big blackout a couple of summers ago and recalling friends who had been trying to travel during it, and trying to trust that it wouldnt happen like that AGAIN. I mean, it was a really fun few days in Toronto, but Im on vacation! That kind of fun, I could do without.
We saw a plane take off, so that was promising. Maybe wed still get out of here today! Finally, the gate attendant (who was getting a real workout running to get information) told us that because the gangway had already been brought up to the plane, they werent going to be able to get it AWAY from the plane, because they needed power to do it. We saw guys trying to push it, chains made a brief appearance. No good. I called Tiffany Towncars to make sure they knew wed be late.
I watched a family of little girls express their frustration. We should be there by nowwww. Um, no girls. We should really only be boarding by now.
Eventually EMG went to look for a magazine. Naturally, as he did that I noticed that they turned around the little pully/pushy tractor that moves the planes around, and put it facing the plane. This, to me was a good sign. I wondered if I should get in line. Suddenly, the gate attendant told us to start lining up, wed be boarding soon! So, I grabbed all our gear, and headed to the A line, hoping EMG would return soon. He showed up just in time, and the boarding began! The preboarding line was long, and EMG was concerned that theyd take up all of the exit rows (EMG needs an exit row. Weve both got long legs, and I really dont need a cramped EMG sitting next to me), either that, or the 10 people in front of us. I reassured him. They dont allow children in those rows, and Im pretty sure the elderly people werent going to take them either. Sure enough, we got on the plane and right into a perfect exit row. The seat for EMG had nothing in front of it, so he could stretch his monster long legs to his hearts content.
The little pushy/pully tractor pushed the plane away from the gangway, and Greg mentioned that he had been wondering why they didnt just do that in the first place. Seems like he was sitting on a great idea that could have saved us an hour. But then, who was he to tell Southwest how to run their fleet?
We hit the open skies!
EMG napped, and when he woke up, he was just plain Greg again. We took out my computer and watched SNL: Best of Chris Farley, and laughed like idiots.
We arrived in Orlando to sunny skies and 80 degree weather. Our driver from Tiffany was waiting by the baggage claim, and we were finally off to the Polynesian!
Day Zero: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=746706
