The everchanging dates trip - FINALLY.. The TRIP ITSELF!!

[Valentine]

So my story begins a year ago.... I had started on my permanent weight loss journey... and as further inspiration I decided to set a goal.. or prize (or so I thought at the time) of running/walking the Disney 1/2 Marathon. After all, this was exercise.. just what I needed to help me lose weight.. and it was Disney... I don't like exercise.. but I love disney.. sooooo perhaps if I mix up the 2 I might grow to love exercise?? Sounds logical right? I registered and got my little email saying I was in. I signed up on Yahoo for the Penguins thread.. I frequent the WISH board here on the DIS.. and I even bought a book or two on how to train for a marathon. Now.. let it be known that although I am rather active, I walk, Dance, Ride a bike.. but NEVER.. EVER have I had any inclination to Run. Sooooo.. why would make me think I could run a marathon you ask? I HAVE NO IDEA!! Needless to say, I have lost quite a bit of weight.. BUT I have done no.. you got it.. NO training whatsoever for the marathon. As the months flew by, I kept telling myself that I would get into the swing of it... But I just never did. So, as the final step of this fantasy that I have created in my mind, I went ahead and booked myself a disney trip based around the marathon dates. What was I thinking?????

Well, reality finally set in about a week ago and I realized that not only can't I attempt to walk/run any part of this thing.. I really don't want to!! So.. here I am with a trip set for 1/5 - 1/13... What to do? Well.. I decided.. I am going to go anyway! I just won't run.. but I can volunteer.. and cheer on all those folks who are actually crazy enough to do this thing!! LOL!! Well.. as fate would have it.. only a day after making this decision things got a bit hairy at work. Two people put in their notice that they would be leaving in January... UGH!! That means that my vacation may go down the proverbial toilet! WAIT!! All is not lost.. I can move my dates up to the week before and be back before we lose these 2 folks. Only problem... moving it up a week.. well, that means NYE. WHAT??? I hear you all saying.... you are all scrolling back up to the part where i said that this all just transpired a week ago... well.. actually it was only a few days ago...Impossible... you won't get a room... or a flight.. and if you do they will be twice the price than you were paying before. Well.. that is what I thought too! BUT... I really had my heart set on going now, so, I set out on the Journey of rebooking this trip!

Here were my original plans:
Flight: Jet Blue - Arrive 1/5 Depart 1/13 approx 140 rt plus tax etc
Car - Alamo 1/5 - 1/ 13 - SUV total $227
Accomodations - 1/5-1/7 staying with my boss
1/8 - 1/13 - SSR - 55 points (I am a DVC owner)

Okay... pretty simple right? All I need to do is call and switch everything up to now be arrive 12/31 and depart 1/9. Not so simple!

Next up.. I think Member services has me on their caller ID

Kathy

 

[jamzots]

Good luck and BTW your son is adorable!!

 

[agotta]

Can't wait to read it!! Are you still planning on going to the half? I kinda did the same thing you did, except I roped DH into it!!! Lol he decided he still wants to run it, so I am head to see him cross the finish. Let me know if you want to go cheer on our fellow WISHer's. I planned on heading to the Magic Kingdom I think for 6:30 and then to EPCOT to see him cross the finish. Which means I think I have to take a bus to EPCOT then monorail to MK then back to EPCOT. lol what fun!! PM or shoot me an email if you are going.

 

[Valentine]

Okay... armed with hope, ambition and all of the disney numbers in my speed dial.. I start on my quest to rearrange my January trip to include NYE with less than 2 weeks to go. Crazy you say? Nuts? Yeah.. well after about an hour I thought so too!

First I searched Jet Blue's site to see if I could even get a flight.. and guess what..amazingly enough there were flights available.. and only $30 more than my original flight.. Okay.. not bad.. I don't make the changes yet.. I want to make sure that I can secure my rooms.

First call.. Member services... I want to move my DVC ressie to 1/1 - 1/6..I didn't think this would be too difficult as most people would be leaving on the 1st and not arriving for the marathon until the 5th... well.. apparently i was very wrong. I could only get 3 of the dates I wanted and I would have to wait list the other 2. Hmmmm... Okay.. I can do that... But.. not yet.. first let me call Disney and see if I can get a regular resort ressie for the 31st.

But before I do that, I decide to check the alamo website and see what the car is going to be.. well.. that wasn't such a good idea...same car I was getting for $200ish has now inflated to over $400... UH OH...
Okay.. what's next?

I call CRO and ask for the CM not to laugh at me... and then proceed to ask about availability for the 31st.. well... just as I suspected.. nothing! Well.. except for the Presidential suite at the Yacht Club.. or the Executive Suite at the Coronado... oh.. and let's not forget the something or other suite at the Grand Floridian.. What? Only $800 for the night? Sure.. I'll take that! NOT!! I thank the CM and proceed to hang up shaking my head.. UGH.. What have I gotten myself into? Of course I begin to wonder if I have to scratch this trip entirely.. but I really don't want to.... This was supposed to have been a cost free.. well.. minimal trip.. My AP's for both Disney and Universal are expiring the first week in Feb.. and I wanted to squeeze another trip out of them. Well.. what follows is a fine example of what the DISboards has taught me over the years. Here is how I ended up with not only the dates I wanted ..but spending less than I was originally! Watch the DISboard magic in action. (Note.. If you don't care about details.. skip the middle and jump to the end!!)

I begin to search the DIS, Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia... you name it.. I searched it... I found availability at the Radissson Resort Parkway for the 31st and the 1st for $99 per night. I jump on it and reserve those dates. I call DVC Member services to reserve the 2, 3 & 4th.. and waitlist the 1st and 5th.. but SCREEEEEECHHHH.. Now there is nothing available for the 2nd either.. UGH!!! Okay...So.. book 3rd & 4th.. waitlist 1st, 2nd & 5th. Okay.. back to DIS.. book Radisson Resort for the 2nd also. Call CRO.. any availability yet for 31st & 1st?? Nope.. Nothing on property... Weird I tell them.. I see availability all over the internet for disney property.. so how come you don't have it... Get some lame excuse why and move on... Okay.. How about availability for the 6th - 9th? What Nothing available? Marathon Weekend you say? Yeah.. i know all about it... UGH!! Okay.. back to DIS.. guess what? Radisson has availability here too.. Grab it... Okay.. at least I have somewhere to sleep. Yeah.. so now it's costing me about $800 more than I was before.. but hey.. I am going!! Right?!??

Okay.. back to Jet Blue... what's this? My current flight prices have dropped? Hmmm.. quick call to jet blue and I have a $30 credit on my account.. PERFECT.. just enough to cover the cost difference in my flight.. and i already had a credit in there from a previous trip to cover the Change fee. okay.. so I book my new flights.. All set.. and no additional cost!

Now the problem part.. Rental car! I play with the codes I find here on DIS..Mousesaves Allears... You name it.. I tried it.... I search other companies.. I just can't find a car for less than $400. I need a car because I do drive from Disney to Universal a few times during the week. And being solo.. a towncar costs me USUALLY the sameas a rental car for a week. Okay... so... I tried one last thing.. I moved the rental date to 1/1/ instead of 12/31 and wham.. the price dropped like a rock.. down to $200. Okay.. not bad.. same as what I was paying before.. Hmmmm..now how do I do this? I can pick up the car from Disney property.. take Mears to my hotel.. Oh wait.. No I can't I am not staying on property.. UGH.. Frustration... it is at this point I decide to call CRO one last time. I get Noah on the phone... I love Noah... I proceed to tell him my pllight.. ask him nicely not to laugh at me... but he does anyway when I tell him what dates I need... and then tells me those words I am waiting to hear.. Sure. we have availability... and then lists.. the Presidential suite at the Yacht Club.. or the Executive Suite at the Coronado... etc. etc... UGH!! I tell him that I don't understand.. I tell him that even my DVC rep said they could book me a regular room on points (which I wouldn't do cause it was just too many points!) at Carribean, or POR... so.. how come they had availability and CRO diddn't? Wasn't it all the same data base? He sounded surprised that I knew as much as I did...and was willing to try again.. and guess what? He said I had a PIN code attached to my account.. and that is why nothing was coming up for me. Imagine that.. the one time I get a code and it was working against me!! The Disney gods were not smilling on me!! LOL!!! Well.. guess what? Availability!!! DING DING DING!! We have a winner!! AS Sports... BOTH 12/31 and 1/1... Grab it! Total of $268 for the 2 nights.. Yeah.. a little high for a Value.. but.. it is on property.. and I can now take ME from the airport.. so a savings... So.. shall we have a grand tally at this point?

Airfare.. EVEN - No additional cost
AS Sports - $268
DVC - 2 nights booked.. 2 waitlisted..
Radisson Resort parkway - $468 for 4 nights
Alamo - $200 ish

But wait.. it gets better... I realize not 15min after I hang up the phone with Noah.. still flying from my success.. that hey... the 31st is Holiday season and the 1st is Value! (HUGE DIS TIP!!!) Hmmmm.. I should book those 2 nights seperately..So.. back on the phone.. After a tense 15 min not wanting the new rep to lose my precious 31st ressie.. my mission was complete. New total.. $220. Savings of $48!! Yippppppeee!!

Oh... phone call... DVC.. my waitlist has come through for the 2nd.. Yippee!! Okay... things are looking up!

Next day at work my boss wants to know what nights I am staying with her.. uh oh.. didn't consider that.. Hmmmm.. Okay... how about the 5th and 6th... Riiiiinnnngggg.. phone call.. DVC.. waitlist came through for the 5th.. Okay.. how about I stay with her on the 6th! LOL!!

New tally...

AS Sports 12/31-1/1
SSR 1/2-1/6
Boss - 1/6
Radisson - 1/7-1/9

Okay.. let's get really crazy now... I book a room at Universal for 1/7 - 1/9 Portofino AP rate $189 & 159 . I figure hey.. why not FOTL etc.. and Portofino is BEAUTIFUL!! But I really didn't want to spend that much money.. and my tally keeps getting lower and lower...

aw heck.. speed dial DVC.. any availability 1/7-1/9 ?? Well.. they do have the 8th at the boardwalk.. Really.. I'll take it! Waitlist the 7th..

During all of this I come across a code I forgot I had.. and head on back to the alamo website.. WOW.. $146 for the same dates!! A $56 savings!! I grab it!

I also then realize that i never got a confirmation email from Jetblue about my new flights.. so i go onto the website.. I see my new dates are there and click on one to see my seat assignment.. but it took me to the book flights section.. and guess what?? My flight has dropped $50!!! On the phone with jetBlue.. i now have a $50 credit!

Okay... new tally...

Jet Blue $160 rt
ME From Airport - Free
AS Sports 12.31 - 1/1 $220
DVC SSR Studio 1/2-1/6 - 44 points
Boss's House 1/6-1/7 Free & Dinner included! LOL!!
Portofino 1/7-1/8 - $189
Boarwalk Studio 1/8-1/9 - 12 Points

So... this is where I now stand... I can't believe it... If you managed to follow ANY of that above.. than you are a true DIS fanatic like me!! LOL!!

But it only goes to show that persistancy does pay... as does Reading the DIS!!! And don't think I am setlting for this either!! As I typed this Out I found some options that I didn't consider yet... So.. I will be on the phone to Member services in the morning... I better send them a nice holiday basket!! LOL!!

So.. I can't wait now.. All that is left is to set up some DIS NYE meets perhaps.. and pack!! Oh yeah.. and that pesky thing called Christmas shopping! LOL!

I plan to take my laptop with me so I will be reporting live from my various locations!! Till then.. Happy Holidays everyone!!!! Stay tuned for more!

Kathy

 

[Valentine]

Good luck and BTW your son is adorable!!

Thanks! And I WISH he was my son.. but he isn't.. he is my nephew! He is my cutie! I can't wait till my sister lets me take him to Disney!

 

[Valentine]

Can't wait to read it!! Are you still planning on going to the half? I kinda did the same thing you did, except I roped DH into it!!! Lol he decided he still wants to run it, so I am head to see him cross the finish. Let me know if you want to go cheer on our fellow WISHer's. I planned on heading to the Magic Kingdom I think for 6:30 and then to EPCOT to see him cross the finish. Which means I think I have to take a bus to EPCOT then monorail to MK then back to EPCOT. lol what fun!! PM or shoot me an email if you are going.

If you read the craziness above, after all this, I won't be around for the day of the 1/2...I am going to cheer on the full though! Good luck to your DH!!!!! And thanks for the invite.. IF my plans change as we can see from my itinerary they do... I will PM you!


Kathy

 

[Cinerama]

Wow, very impressive! Have a great trip and I'll be looking for your reports!

 

[vpack05]

My friends call me their Disney Guru, but even I have to bow down to your determination. What a score you achieved!! NICE WORK!!

 

[cannp123165]

Very interesting reading........ you did very well cutting all those costs. ))))).

 

[Saxton]

Wow ... I've got a headache after reading all that!! Pretty impressive, though.

 

[OhMari]

I wish we had decent airlines that had low prices. We have Midwest which gives you comfortable seats. Northwest is suppose to be their rivalry. Sometimes you can find good rates out of Milwaukee, but not to often.

 

[swankybeth]

Wow, I'm quite impressed with what you managed to book after all of that craziness. I guess persistence definitely pays off, can't wait for the trip report.

 

[Valentine]

Thanks! I can't wait now... Getting very close now! Yay!! And I am REALLY considering NYE at MK.. I figure.. I only live once.. and I have always wanted to try it.. so.. no time like the present!

YAY!!

Kathy

 

[goalie5hole]

What are all these codes you speak of? Do tell

 

[Valentine]

What are all these codes you speak of? Do tell

My Car rental codes came from the following sources:

BJ's - I am a member
Mousesavers - Mary's website is the BEST place for all recent codes for just about anything disney! LOL
My AP - I am an Annual Passholder 20% Off Alamo
Allstate MC - I work for Allstate
DVC - Also a DVC member
Universal AP - Yep.. annual passholder there too!!

So.. that about sums it up... it takes alot of inputting and retrying.. but as you can see, it is worth it not to accept the first price you get!

Anything else you need.. let me know!

4 More Days!!

AND.. I am so excited.. I just figured out how to "Right Click" on my MAC so.. now I can post pics with my soon to be Live Trip Report!

Here's an example.. Me getting ready for my trip with my Mickey Ears yesterday!

Same little guy as in my siggie.. isn't he growing up sooooo fast????

Kathy

 

[Valentine]

Okay... I have been home for almost 3 weeks.. although it seems like SOOOOOO Much longer and I am finally getting down to my trip report! I had planned on reporting live from the World.. but I didn't really have much internet time this trip... so... I decided to wait until I arrived home! Okay.. On with the fun stuff!

If you bothered to read my pre-trip madness.. here is what I finally ended up with.. YES.. there were more changes from above!

12/31 - AS Sports

1/1-1/6 - SSR

1/6 - 1/7 Boss' house

1/7-1/9 BWV

Rental Car from 1/2-1/9 from ALAMO
R/T Flight Jet Blue

On with the report!

Cast : Me - Kathy Solo traveler... 41 Completely single.. and happy to have something to distract me on NYE! All you single folks out there know what I mean!! LOL!!!

12/31 - With all the craziness of christmas and all, I ended up not packing my bag until .. you guessed it.. the night before I left! So, between having to pack, taking down the christmas tree (I put up a real one.. and didn't want to deal with it when I got home!.. fyi.. I didn't put it up until Christmas Eve..so, my tree was up for a total of 6 days this year!!), preparing the cat food and litter boxes for my catsitter, and cleaning my house so that my aforementioned catsitter wouldn't think I was a complete slob! LOL!! ... I didn't end up getting to bed until about 3 am... Now.. all my past Disney trips have consisted of VERY early in the morning flights.. so, this is normally what time I would be getting up... but this time I was smart and I booked an early afternoon flight... thinking that I would get a normal amount of sleep.. well.. that plan when down the drain since I just didn't get to bed at a normal time! So.. I was up VERY early anyway.. and I peek out the window and see the beautiful snow falling.. what a pretty sight... WHAT?? SNOW??? Hey... NOOOOOO!!! MY FLIGHT!!! All my planning... I envisioned hours of delays and not getting to Disney in time for Midnight.. visions of being banned from all the parks cause they will all be packed to capacity...Well.. All I can do is hope.. so, I get moving, and the hours just flew...I got my bags to the car... and headed off to pick up my Friend/carsitter/catsitter/cabdriver who was going to drive me to the airport in my car, then keep my car for the week to go and feed my kitties and then pick me up at the airport when I returned home! What a friend!!! She's a keeper!!! I decide that I am liking this leaving in the afternoon thing... much more human.. and relaxing.. and the odds of getting someone to drive you to the airport at noon are so much better than at 4 am!!!! Just a little tip!

Well.. I make it to the airport with no problem... I had done the precheck in online before I left the house.. so I just had to utilize the counter at jetblue to check my bag... while I was there, I inquired as to my seat change request that I had made online to an exit row.. and the ...ummm whatever you call the lady who works at the counter at Jet Blue... said that she didn't see the change.. but went ahead and reassigned it for me and wrote my new seat number down on my boarding pass.... I was feeling adventurous and felt like trying new things.. I had a good feeling about this trip... it was going to be a new start for me for the new year... ALL GOOD THINGS ..... Happiness, Peace, Contentment.. and ME... a year where I plan to focus on taking care of myself.. and starting it off at Disney was, I thought, a great beginning! (Side note.. 1 and 6 are my lucky numbers... they come into play ALOT in this trip... for those of you who believe in such things, this was something I took notice of this trip!) Well, due to the snow.. yes.. there will be a slight delay.. only a 1/2 hour or so... however.. there was a gate change... and guess what it was? You got it... 116... So, 2006 was going to be a good trip for me... Okay.. it begins... my gate is 116 my old seat was 6C, my new seat was 11C... Hmmm... okay.. so good start.. safe flight to be had by all... It was all I could do to refrain from telling everyone around me that they were going to have a safe flight cause my lucky numbers were there... Oh wait... There was noone around me... you got it.. for the first time ever.... I got an ENTIRE row of seats to myself.. yes.. and an exit row to boot... sooooo roomy!! I was in heaven! Well.. the flight was uneventful.... I watched "Monster-in-law"... very funny.. much better than I anticipated. and before you knew it, I was in Orlando.

I usually rent a car from the airport.. but as you have previously read, the prices were OUTRAGEOUS, so ME it is for me. I head down to the ME counter and there is literally Noone there... I get checked in and sent across the room to the check in lines.. and I am put immediately onto a bus that has about 10 other people on it. We wait about 5 minutes and then we are off. The bus was a ME bus.. very nice... they did show the little movie... cute... we stopped at the AKL first.. then AS Sports... I tipped the driver and headed into ASSports to check in... well.. there were approximately 1 million people in the lobby.. I got onto the very long check in line...but it moved pretty quickly and everyone was in such great spirits...AND, I was in Disney, so, nothing was going to get me down! The CM checking me in was very nice.. and my room was ready..well it WAS after 4pm, so, I didn't think it wouldn't be... but, you never know! I was sent over to the Hoops section... I am sorry, but I don't remember my EXACT room number.. but I can tell you that it was the furthest room that you could possibly have gotten from the lobby!! WOW.. what a hike! Glad I am only staying here 1 night!! If I had a car, it wouldn't have been a problem though.. the parking is right near the rooms.

(side note: I have now stayed at both POP and AS SPorts... and I have to say that I think they are both great! I would not hesitate to stay at any of the values for a Budget conscious trip. They are Loaded with Disney spirit.. great food courts, pools, and some of the best CM's around!)

Okay.. back to our regularly scheduled program.... I have no luggage since I haven't seen it since JFK, but, since the weather was quite cool, I could head straight to the park wearing my New York clothes! So.. after leaving a tip with a note for the ME luggage person plainly in sight on top of the luggage rack, I don my fanny pack and head on out to the Magic Kingdom. Yes.. I have decided to take a chance and brave the Magic Kingdom on the night of all crowded nights.. New Year's Eve.. AND horror of all horrors.. I am heading over there at approximately 6 pm... will I be locked out?? Well.. I have already decided that if I am, I would head over to MGM.. No big deal! So.. I go out to the bus stop and wait 0 minutes for the MK bus as there was one waiting for me when I got there! Get to the MK and breeze right in! So... there you have it people.. all the urban myths of MK closings... YES.. they do close the park when they reach capacity.. BUT the reopen it also.. this happens several times during the day. So.. it is doable.. HOWEVER.. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THERE you will NOT get in.. that is consistantly the case. THe parking lot closes once.. and then stays that way.

My first impression when I walked in was how pretty everything looked.. the holiday decorations were all up... and it had been years since I had seen them.. there were people lined up on main street for the 7:00 Spectromagic parade. There were 2 showings scheduled for that evening, and 2 fireworks shows scheduled. I planned on skipping Spectro and catching both fireworks shows... from the rose garden. I didn't plan on being able to do any rides because of the crowd level, and figured if there was anything with a short wait, I would do that... otherwise, I would just walk around and people watch. As I passed the Ice Cream parlor, I noticed no line... so I popped in for my traditional cone. Ah.. I am really here now! So, I decide to take a trip to the back of the park and see what the wait times were like...I head into adventureland and pass by a few rides...I figure Pirates won't have a line.. it never does.. So, I head on in there... Wait a minute.. why are all these people hanging around outside the entrance?? Ummmm... is that a line??? OMG... It is... and it is wrapping around the outside of the building!!! So much for No line on Pirates! LOL!! Okay... onward I go... I now know that SPlash and BTMRR will be horrific.. but, I head over there anyway... Yep... Crazy long lines for Splash.. so I grab A FP for Splash for later... I walk through Frontierland and see that they are handing out Hats and Noisemakers and get on line to get mine.... I am now fully equipped and festive! HM had a long wait... and as I turn into Fantasyland I know that I will just be walking right on through.. even Small world had about a 40 minute wait!! NO WAY!! I figure i will head on over to Tommorowland and complete the circuit. As I am walking I notice a show going on in the tommorowland theatre.. wow.. I haven't seen anything going on in there in a while, so I head over. It turns out that the holiday show was just beginning, and my luck, it was the last one of the season! Wow.. what timing! I found a great place to watch from and enjoyed it immensely! When that was over, so was my cone... and I see that a show is just loading for COP.. so, I pop on over there and enjoy a show! While in there I end up sitting next to a cute little boy who kept admiring my NYE hat... he didn't have one of his own... So... I gave him mine! He was so excited and put it on right away! It was so cute!! I had grabbed a FP for Buzz as I walked by the machines so, I was able to get onto that before heading over to grab my spot to watch Holiday wishes. I head into the rose garden and find it much more crowded than usual... but I was still able to get my usual spot to watch from. There was a really nice family there also who, I found out, had been staking out their spot there since 5 pm! They were taking turns going to get food and shop... amazing! I felt bad just walking up 1/2 hour before the show and being able to get my spot! That's one benefit of travelling solo... only need enough space for one! Holiday wishes was beautiful.. but not as Stunning or moving as regular wishes to me. There is just something about Wishes that gets me EVERY time! When it was over, I head out again.. My stomach was grumbling for more than that cone.. and I didn't want to make the same mistake that I had made the last time I was in Disney for NYE.. I waited too long to get food and I just couldn't find anyplace without a 4 hour line and gave up and went back to my hotel.. Low blood sugar will do you in every time!!! I head on over to Casey's to grab a hot dog and the line wasn't too long... I got my food and walked outside to see if I could find a place to sit and WOW.. where did all these people come from??? There were people everywhere! I found a garbage pail to stand near and set up camp... Where else other than in Disney would you actually eat near a garbage pail??? It just struck me how odd that sounds... but we do it all the time! Anyway... Here I am, enjoying my dinner off of the Disney buffet table watching people trying to go left and those trying to go right... cm's directly everyone into the stores for an easier egress from the park... and stopping those who feel that it is their god given right to jump fences and walk on the grass to get past the crowds.. People.. if Disney wanted you to walk on the grass, they wouldn't have put up a fence!!! It finally dawned on me that these people who were sitting at the tables around Casey's were not eating anything... they were all sitting there waiting for the midnight fireworks... okay... so it was only 8:30 now... yowsa... Well.. I finish my gourmet meal.. and the crowds have thinned a bit.... a very little bit! Well.. Now I know that the lines for everything were just insane.. and here I am with a bit of time to kill until the midnight fireworks.. so.. I decide that I will grab a spot to watch the later Spectro after all. So, I shop a bit on main street and then find a spot on main street behind, yes, another garbage pail! LOL!!! LOL!! I met a lot of really nice people and chatted with them while we waited what ended up being an hour before the parade!! OY!! I thought it was a 9:00 pm parade...but it was 9:30!! Oh Well!! After the parade I headed on over to the Rose Garden.. I figured I better get over there early... strange thing.. ALL of the same people were still here!! They had been sitting in that same spot from 4pm to now... all of em... craziness!!! Oh.. I forgot to mention before.. there was a grassy area in between the rose garden and the castle that they were doing the live TV shoot from.. It was very entertaining watching them "work the crowd"! Oh My Goodness.. this post is SOooo Long!! I will continue this tomorrow!! LOL!! AND I have a video clip of the NYE fireworks that I will have to figure out how to link here! Hope I haven't bored you all!!

To Be Continued!!

Kathy

 

[DaisyGirlAllTheWay]

Totally enjoying your trip report! Can't wait for more! I think I may have had a meltdown with a crowd that size!

 

[Valentine]

Okay... when we last left off, I was awaiting the 9:00 spectromagic parade which turned out to be the 9:30 spectro parade! Well.. while waiting for the parade I encountered some of the most festive folks around! It was fun wasting some time with them... and a turn of the tables... a little boy that I had been chatting with actually gave ME one of his stickers! LOL!! I am usually the one handing out the goodies! It was such a special moment for me! So sweet! Once again I was surprised at how manageable the crowds were... it didn't seem so much more crowded to me than a Sat in July! But seriously, it really was not nearly as horrible as I had feared. Yes, if it was my first time in the MK I would have been horrified that I couldn't ride the rides...but I guess since I do know my way around.. a little .... it really wasn't that terrible to me... I actually found it to be fun! Well.. Spectro was great as usual... and I strolled on over to the Rose Garden to re-claim my spot... and hang out with the same crowd from the earlier fireworks! LOL!! Okay.. so, now to address the "Live from Disney" tv shoot... well.. for anyone who is interested in getting on TV for next NYE.. here are some tips to get up your odds:
1. Show up near the Rose Garden approx 1 hour or so before the earlier fireworks show;
2. Do NOT wear any clothing that has a name brand or logo on it anywhere;
3. DO wear funny homemade T-shirts... or Disney themed attire;
4. Do be an ethnic blended family
5. Do NOT expect to get to watch the fireworks;
6. DO like to be squished REALLY close to 100 or so COMPLETE Strangers!;
7. DO expect to yell and cheer at absolutely nothing;
8. Do NOT expect to be able to sit down for several hours;
9. Do NOT be afraid to beg to get into that coveted area!

That's what I managed to pick up just sitting in the rose garden and seeing how they "randomly" selected folks to be in the shoot... This is how it REALLY went down.

Several "regulars" had positioned themselves where the bigwigs would be standing to start the selection process. They asked nicely to be allowed in and were following rules 1 and 2 from above. They were let in. This family was a typical caucasian, middle america type - Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa and about 4 kids ranging in appropriate ages approx 2 yrs apart ending in an infant. 2 boys and 2 girls. This was entertaining to watch, so I decided to watch and see what happened next. Well.. for the next 20 minutes or so.. various families of multiple combinations were admitted to the grassy knoll. But I noticed a trend.. ALL of these families where.. well.. caucasian...some Typical Mom, Dad 2 kids.. or 1 kid.. some MOm only with 1 or 2 kids.. some Dad Only ... some Couples only... but ALL Caucasian... but then.. aha... what is that I see? Some families of other ethnic persuasions were appearing... This time it was Hispanic.... same deal as above... multiple combinations.. but, again.. all hispanic. Well.. being cold and bored waiting... all of us in the rose garden started taking bets as to what was going to be the next admission...Well.. this went on for quite a while until Disney felt they had the proper "mix"! Gee.. talk about demographics! It was quite interesting to watch... It really is a Magical Kingdom! These people were all made to stand REALLY REALLY REALLY Close together and none were allowed to wear their jackets when the cameras were on them.. and believe me.. it was QUITE frosty! It was really funny how they would have to practice Yelling and screaming.. and Happy New yearing!! But I felt bad for all of them when the fireworks WERE going off .. they had to face the cameras with their backs to the fireworks.. cheering... they missed some great fireworks!! And MAN were they GREAT fireworks... Worth every chilly second of standing around... But let's back it up a bit.... While waiting for the fireworks and Placing bets, I met some REALLY nice people... I met a family who were there from Puerto Rico... I spent alot of time talking with the father of this family. He had saved and saved to bring his ENTIRE family with him... along with some friends, cousins, etc. They were the sweetest family.. and he was just so happy and proud to be there at that moment. I really enjoyed chatting with them. Also the CM's working that night.. what a great bunch there were.... So festive and friendly... we tend to forget that these people are working.. away from their family and friends... and that is the one thing that dampened my buzz... was the total ignorance of the general public in saying a simple "Happy New Year" to the CM's... I mean.. what does it take folks??? They are not robots.. they are human beings... who work to bring home a paycheck.. just like you and me... most of them with significant others they would much rather be spending the New Year with.. Just like you and ... ummm... well.. not me... ... But hey. that's a story for another time! ... Anyway... back to our story... The fireworks were scheduled to start at 11:45 that night.. and at approx 11:35 a teenaged boy hurried past me Yelling for someone.. he looked quite upset.. and it caught my attention.. There was something Panicked looking in his eyes as he hurried past. I jumped up and ran after him.. I caught him by the sleeve and he turned towards me... I could tell immediately that he was terrified... I asked him if he was lost and he just nodded and was trying hard not to cry... He looked to be about 12.. and I knew right away that he was a special needs kid.. I guessed autistic... Turns out I was correct... I took him by the hand and explained to him that when he gets lost we find someone who works there and has a nameplate... and I walked him over to the sweetest CM (Frank) who was working in the Rose Garden that night... Frank took control right away and told me not to worry.. that he would take care of him. I had all the confidence in Frank.. but, I must admit more than 1/2 of my attention was focused on whether that little boy was going to find his family.. and what his parents must have been feeling at that moment. But, even with all of that, the fireworks STILL managed to bring tears to my eyes.. THank goodness it wasn't wishes or I would have been a puddle on the ground!!! The fireworks were shot 360 Degrees around the park and seemed to go on FOREVER! They were just stunning! I was so happy that I had chosen the Magic Kingdom that night. And I wouldn't hesitate to do it again and again... so for any of you wanting to try it.. but afriad to try.. I say GO FOR IT!! It really is something every disney addict should do once in a lifetime!

When the fireworks ended I said goodbye to my new found friends and wished them all a happy and healthy new year...then I went off in search of Frank and the outcome of my little lost friend. Instead of frank, I found another CM.. who amazingly enough turned out to be Frank's WIFE! What are the odds!!!??? LOL!! She told me that they hadn't found his parents yet, but he watched the fireworks with them.. and then Frank took him to a restroom... then for some Ice Cream.. and then off to City Hall to await his eventual reunion with his family. She assured me that they would not leave him until he found his folks. She told me to go on my way.. enjoy the rest of my night.. and told me where I could find her later for the update. I went off to do just that.. assured that Disney would do what they did best!

At this point, I headed back to the mountains.... I figured that I would ride some rides if the lines weren't too long until the park emptied out. It was open until 1 am that night. When I got to the back of the park, it was quite empty! I rode BTMRR several times and then Splash a couple of times as well... Everyone was in a great mood and horns were tooting all over the place! It was great fun! I figured I had killed enough time at this point and decided to head to the front of the park and back to ASsports... I strolled and enjoyed the emptiness of the park... I hit main street and shopped a little... also amazed at how empty the park was already... I decided to head into City Hall on my way out to check and see if my little lost friend had been picked up yet... I was SHOCKED to see that he was still sitting there.. waiting. He recognized me right away and smiled and came over to me. I think the CM thought I was his mom cause she looked relieved! I was sorry to tell her that I wasn't... but I was concerned that they weren't here yet. She told me that they had been located and were on their way over right now... I was really surprised.. it had been almost 2 hours since he got separated from him family and they still weren't there? I would have been frantic if it was my kid. I just couldn't understand what the delay was. I wondered if they had left the park without him? I guess I will never know. I waited with him until they came to get him... and disappeared quietly when I saw them entering City Hall.... At least I could sleep that night knowing he was safe again...

As I headed out under the train station filled with the disney glow, I was marvelling over my luck.. and what a wonderful evening it turned out to be.. how I was so looking forward to the upcoming new year...I came out on the other side of the train station and noticed people... lots of them... but something was out of whack... they was something not quite right about the people... I mean.. sure. there seemed to be a lot of them.. just sort of hanging around.. but it wasn't that... it was... I got it.. they were all SITTING... that was what was wrong.. they were all sitting on the ground righ there in front of the train station.. hundreds... no .. thousands of people.. all shapes and sizes... just everywhere... it was odd.. I knew something must be terribly wrong.. but my body just kept on.. going on automatic pilot.. out the turnstiles.. towards the bus stop... as I was walking I figured out what was wrong... NO MONORAIL.. there were none moving.. at all.... can you imagine??? The busiest night of the year.. and the monorail breaks down??? And apparently had been broken down for some time... Picture it... no monorail.. to get people back to the parking lot... and trans/ticket center where all the off site busses were... that let only one option.. the SLOOOWWWW MOving ferry.. which can only hold so many people per trip.... well.. Disney kicked into gear and started getting some busses over there.. but nothing could make this nightmare less.. All the magic was sucked out of everyone.. it was a horrible sight to see... I headed over to the bus stops and saw the line for the shuttle bus to the parking lot... that thing had to be over 2 hours long... I got to the ASsports line and it was better.. but not by much... at least an hour wait.. because Disney was taking some resort busses off and putting them on the shuttle line... So.. I decided that I was going to preserve my magic and walk on over to the contemporary and grab a cab. I asked some folks around me on the ASsports line if they wanted to join me and split the cab.. but I had no takers.. so.. off I went... I was MORE than happy to leave that mess behind! I got over to the Contemporary and there were just a few other people there who had the same idea.. not too bad.. and I was 3rd in line for a cab. When mine pulled up.. I asked if anyone else was headed my way, and a lovely couple at the end of the line, said they were... so, I invited them to join me... and they did... It was a fun cab ride back to the hotel and I learned that this couple had met in ireland while he was there on a work visa from portugal... she was engaged to be married to someone else, and they met, fell in love.. she broke off the engagement.. he had to move back to portugal.. and they were long distance relationshiping it.. but he was planning to move back to portugal... they taught me that your life can change at any moment... you think you are going in one direction.. and then wham.. your whole life is turned upside down... It was quite beautiful.. and they gave me back some of the glow I had lost in that mob! I had it all back now! When we reached the hotel, they insisted that they pick up the cab fare... I fought them, but relented and said I wanted to tip the driver... I gave him 10bucks and said goodnight to my new friends! I took the long hike back to my room and was happy to see that my luggage had arrived "magically" but was surprised to see that they had not taken the tip I left.. CLEARLY marked for them!! Oh well!! So, I changed and set my wake up call for the morning and my first trip home to SSR!! I was excited!

To Be Continued: The New Year.. and WHY ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE HERE NOW?????


Kathy

 

[Minniespal]

Sounds fantastic ~ Thanx for sharing.

 

[babytrees]

Loving the trip report!! So happy to see you to go back and check on the lost boy...I would have been a frantic mom!!! Glad to know he go to watch the fireworks (and got some ice cream too!!)