MKFan-PR
Certified MK Freak! Work is what I do for Vacation
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2002
- Messages
- 495
THE CAST:
MKFan-PR: Me, 34. Disney nut since my parents took me when I was 5. This is my 10th trip overall, number 6 with my DW and number 2 with my DD.
Carmen: DW, 38. Her 7th trip (6 with me). Knows a little English but enjoys Disney a lot.
Larissa: DD, 3.5. This is actually her 2nd trip, but this is the first that she will actually have memories of. Has been excited about the trip ever since she saw the vacation video.
We live in Puerto Rico, so a trip to Disney involves quite some planning and investment; it is very difficult to go more than once a year. With Larissa starting school this will be the first time that our family will NOT be going off-season, and who knows when we'll be able to return, so this trip is extra-special for my DW and me.
8/1 - DAY 1 : We're here! Well, almost...
Got up at 9:00 AM. Our flight leaves at 5:15PM, so I have time to do some things first. I leave Carmen and Larissa having breakfast and leave for the bank and the post office to take care of a few things. I stop by Walgreens to pick up a couple of 4-packs of film, since I found them cheaper there than at Wal-Mart.
When I get back it's time to close the suitcase. We're taking a lot less stuff this year. Plus there's no diapers this trip (we use them only occassionally when she sleeps at night, so we're just taking a few), so it's a lot easier to handle. I put the bags in the car (one big hardside, which we'll check in, two carry-ons, a small backpack for Larissa and the stroller). We decided to take the stroller not only to save $$, but because it is so much easier to move DD in the stroller when she's tired or sleeping. If we don't, that job belongs to daddy!
AT about noon, the car is loaded we turn on the small light we'll leave on, make sure everything else is off, and we're gone!!!...until I remember that I had a letter that I wanted to send that I forgot when I went to the post office earlier, so we turn back. Thank God for that! When I open the garage door I see that we had left a door open on the other car. That exact same thing happened on our last trip, and when we came back (after 10 days), the car battery, of course, was drained. I close the door, lock the car, get the letter and now, after a prayer for God to watch over our house and our trip, really, we're gone!
We live in a town called Arecibo, which is about 45 minutes from San Juan, the capital. We arrive at the house of our friends Raymond and Lourdes, who will take us to the airport. They called us earlier to tell us they had prepared lunch. We eat and talk a little while Larissa plays with their two DDs. They've gone twice to WDW. Before their first trip they talked to me to ask about staying on-site. I told them about the All-Stars and how great and convenient it is to stay on-site. They stayed at AS-Sp and they were hooked! On their next trip they stayed at AS-Mu, and they convinced another couple that traveled with them that was going to stay off-site to try it. Now THEY are hooked too! I love doing that to people!
It's now 2:30 PM and it's time to head for the airport, which is about 15 minutes from their house. Lourdes reminds us to bring her some Apple Butter. She loved it when she tried it at Liberty Tree in MK, and when we go, we always bring her some from the Yankee Trader shop in MK.
We arrive at Luis Muñoz Marin airport, take our bags and say goodbye to our friends. We put our suitcase through the USDA inspection and then head to the ATA counter. Although we find a long line, it moves quickly. We check in the bag and I'm surprised that the suitcase is not searched: I didn't even locked it so it would be easier. They are now doing 'selective screening' or something like that for MCO flights. I don't mind being searched. I don't know, I just feel 'safer' that way. The guy at the counter had put the suitcase in the conveyor and he had to get it back so I could lock it. Thankfully it hadn't gone to 'the other side'. Oops!
Larissa is excited and in full cute mode in the airport. She places her toy backpack in the scanners, makes noises like a plane, puts her plush Minnie in the stroller and secures her with the belt...everyone who sees her smiles.
The flight (ATA 438) is not full and the baording is a pleasure. We sit way in the back, in row 35. The stroller is checked at the gate and we board. One flight attendant stands out. She is the one that gives the instructions in Spanish, and she becomes like a 'mother' to the Spanish-speaking passengers: very kind and at the same time very strict She comforted a young boy who was traveling alone and was crying; she takes good care of the passengers in wheelchairs; she calls over the intercom to two passengers that apparently boarded the wrong flight: 'Mr. So-and-so and Mr. So-and-so, this flight is going to Orlando. We are NOT going to Miami. If you are going to Miami you are in the wrong flight and I'm NOT taking you home with me!'. After the flight some talk about her as 'Mami'.
Carmen gets a little nervous flying. My only concern is that the plane is an L-1011, which reminds me of Eastern Airlines, which reminds me when we traveled to WDW when I was a kid, which then reminds me that... this plane is probably old!
But the flight is very smooth except for a little turbulence while descending into MCO.
After we arrive at about 8:20PM, Carmen (she'll kill me if she finds out I actually wrote this!) continues her tradition of having to go to the airport restroom immediately after leaving the plane! And Larissa apparently decided to join in on the tradition! (I read a thread about 'traditions' that people have when going to WDW and this immediately came to mind!! LOL!!).
After the 'break', we take the monorail (Love that voice!) and claim our bags and head for the Airport Hyatt. I check-in smoothly and in no time we're in our room, #7019, a nice corner room. This is a nice hotel. It's soundproofed so we don't hear a thing. We have a Room Service dinner, freshen up, watch some TV and go to bed. Carmen goes to sleep at about 10:00 PM, but Larissa is so excited she finally goes to sleep at about midnight. I watch a little TV, and I finally doze off at about 1:30AM. It's been a long day but...yes...we're here!!...well, almost.
Tomorrow - we get the car and head for home!!!
MKFan-PR: Me, 34. Disney nut since my parents took me when I was 5. This is my 10th trip overall, number 6 with my DW and number 2 with my DD.
Carmen: DW, 38. Her 7th trip (6 with me). Knows a little English but enjoys Disney a lot.
Larissa: DD, 3.5. This is actually her 2nd trip, but this is the first that she will actually have memories of. Has been excited about the trip ever since she saw the vacation video.
We live in Puerto Rico, so a trip to Disney involves quite some planning and investment; it is very difficult to go more than once a year. With Larissa starting school this will be the first time that our family will NOT be going off-season, and who knows when we'll be able to return, so this trip is extra-special for my DW and me.
8/1 - DAY 1 : We're here! Well, almost...
Got up at 9:00 AM. Our flight leaves at 5:15PM, so I have time to do some things first. I leave Carmen and Larissa having breakfast and leave for the bank and the post office to take care of a few things. I stop by Walgreens to pick up a couple of 4-packs of film, since I found them cheaper there than at Wal-Mart.
When I get back it's time to close the suitcase. We're taking a lot less stuff this year. Plus there's no diapers this trip (we use them only occassionally when she sleeps at night, so we're just taking a few), so it's a lot easier to handle. I put the bags in the car (one big hardside, which we'll check in, two carry-ons, a small backpack for Larissa and the stroller). We decided to take the stroller not only to save $$, but because it is so much easier to move DD in the stroller when she's tired or sleeping. If we don't, that job belongs to daddy!
AT about noon, the car is loaded we turn on the small light we'll leave on, make sure everything else is off, and we're gone!!!...until I remember that I had a letter that I wanted to send that I forgot when I went to the post office earlier, so we turn back. Thank God for that! When I open the garage door I see that we had left a door open on the other car. That exact same thing happened on our last trip, and when we came back (after 10 days), the car battery, of course, was drained. I close the door, lock the car, get the letter and now, after a prayer for God to watch over our house and our trip, really, we're gone!
We live in a town called Arecibo, which is about 45 minutes from San Juan, the capital. We arrive at the house of our friends Raymond and Lourdes, who will take us to the airport. They called us earlier to tell us they had prepared lunch. We eat and talk a little while Larissa plays with their two DDs. They've gone twice to WDW. Before their first trip they talked to me to ask about staying on-site. I told them about the All-Stars and how great and convenient it is to stay on-site. They stayed at AS-Sp and they were hooked! On their next trip they stayed at AS-Mu, and they convinced another couple that traveled with them that was going to stay off-site to try it. Now THEY are hooked too! I love doing that to people!
It's now 2:30 PM and it's time to head for the airport, which is about 15 minutes from their house. Lourdes reminds us to bring her some Apple Butter. She loved it when she tried it at Liberty Tree in MK, and when we go, we always bring her some from the Yankee Trader shop in MK.
We arrive at Luis Muñoz Marin airport, take our bags and say goodbye to our friends. We put our suitcase through the USDA inspection and then head to the ATA counter. Although we find a long line, it moves quickly. We check in the bag and I'm surprised that the suitcase is not searched: I didn't even locked it so it would be easier. They are now doing 'selective screening' or something like that for MCO flights. I don't mind being searched. I don't know, I just feel 'safer' that way. The guy at the counter had put the suitcase in the conveyor and he had to get it back so I could lock it. Thankfully it hadn't gone to 'the other side'. Oops!
Larissa is excited and in full cute mode in the airport. She places her toy backpack in the scanners, makes noises like a plane, puts her plush Minnie in the stroller and secures her with the belt...everyone who sees her smiles.
The flight (ATA 438) is not full and the baording is a pleasure. We sit way in the back, in row 35. The stroller is checked at the gate and we board. One flight attendant stands out. She is the one that gives the instructions in Spanish, and she becomes like a 'mother' to the Spanish-speaking passengers: very kind and at the same time very strict She comforted a young boy who was traveling alone and was crying; she takes good care of the passengers in wheelchairs; she calls over the intercom to two passengers that apparently boarded the wrong flight: 'Mr. So-and-so and Mr. So-and-so, this flight is going to Orlando. We are NOT going to Miami. If you are going to Miami you are in the wrong flight and I'm NOT taking you home with me!'. After the flight some talk about her as 'Mami'.
Carmen gets a little nervous flying. My only concern is that the plane is an L-1011, which reminds me of Eastern Airlines, which reminds me when we traveled to WDW when I was a kid, which then reminds me that... this plane is probably old!
But the flight is very smooth except for a little turbulence while descending into MCO. After we arrive at about 8:20PM, Carmen (she'll kill me if she finds out I actually wrote this!) continues her tradition of having to go to the airport restroom immediately after leaving the plane! And Larissa apparently decided to join in on the tradition! (I read a thread about 'traditions' that people have when going to WDW and this immediately came to mind!! LOL!!).
After the 'break', we take the monorail (Love that voice!) and claim our bags and head for the Airport Hyatt. I check-in smoothly and in no time we're in our room, #7019, a nice corner room. This is a nice hotel. It's soundproofed so we don't hear a thing. We have a Room Service dinner, freshen up, watch some TV and go to bed. Carmen goes to sleep at about 10:00 PM, but Larissa is so excited she finally goes to sleep at about midnight. I watch a little TV, and I finally doze off at about 1:30AM. It's been a long day but...yes...we're here!!...well, almost.
Tomorrow - we get the car and head for home!!!
Krissy
