Toetoe, we're not in Anaheim anymore! A fully completed TR - links on pg.1

[averill94]

It is over already?

It was a great trip- thanks for taking us along.
I love the way you ended it.


Hope you get back as soon as you want!

 

[Luvchefmic]

Loved meeting you & your family, it was a great TR you pulled is right into WDW with you, I could almost smell the food at EPCOT and feel the rain in the air as you described it. I am definitely going to steal the idea of the notebook for my next trip so that I can do a proper TR. worthy of all of yours, hope your toe & tooth gets better soon

Ruthie

 

[uhtimex]

We woke up on Tuesday, resigned. It was time to go home. With no park to go to today, I slept a little later, but was still up by 8:00 a.m. I made a last pot of coffee in “my” kitchen, and then scrounged up whatever could be eaten as breakfast before we cleaned out the fridge. Stuff got packed, I checked the laundry room for lost socks, peeled off my LGMH window cling, and removed the LGMHPC card that I’d stuck over the peephole so the porch light couldn’t shine in at night. Then I opened the door to remove the LGMHPC that had been on the outside of our door for the last 7 days, advertising, in not so many words, that “A DISer Lives Here!” There was a laundry basket outside the door, as there had been most days around that time, waiting for the housekeepers to bring it in after we’d left for the day. Only this time we were leaving almost forever. I said to my son, “Oh. This stuff must be for the next people.” And we looked at each other in a rare moment of mental communion and moaned, in unison, “The NEXT PEOPLE!” Nooooooo! This was OUR villa! Our WDW home! We didn’t want to go, and we certainly didn't want to let THOSE people come in and take over!

But time was running out and DH, who was feeling less nostalgic about our departure, was hurrying us along. It’s funny. DS and I did miss home, particularly the cats, but we’d much rather have stayed another week and missed them just a little bit more. DH and DD were both really missing home, enough that they were both eager to get going and on the plane.

Now, our flight was scheduled to leave at 1:17 p.m. DME (which, you will remember, we didn’t need because of the car) wanted to pick us up at 10:30. Well, part of the reason we got the car was so we wouldn’t be bound by DME schedules, and yet here DH was trying to get us on the road at…you guessed it…10:30!!! When I said we could leave a bit later than that since the airport was not nearly as far away from WDW as LAX is from our house, he got kind of irate. He needed to put gas in the car, don’t you know, and check out (of course, no, you don’t have to do this if you’re using a credit card, but he found that out after he tried to check out. Heh.), and all manner of other little things needed to be done that could make us late, and if we had to spend another $1500 or more getting tickets home because we missed our flight, we were never coming back, that was for sure, blah blah, and you get the picture. Vacation’s over! Time to stress out now!!! So, we ended up leaving the room at 10:40, all of us irritated…DH and I because we felt the other was being unreasonable and didn’t understand our point of view, and the kids because they really didn’t want to hear us bicker in our last moments at WDW.

So, we left 2.5 hours early. It took us 5 full minutes to get gas, 25 minutes to drive to MCO, 10 minutes to drop off the rental car, 15 minutes to check the luggage at the curb, 20 minutes to get through security, 5 minutes for the monorail trip and the walk to the terminal, and then we sat in the airport for more than an hour. Thank heavens for the MCO wireless connection. DD played VMK and I DISed, which made my being right about not needing to leave that early a little less annoying.

The flight home was uneventful, with the possible exception of the approximately 12 year old girl sitting behind me who kept kicking my seat really really hard. DH and DS had window seats, but DS was generous enough to trade my aisle seat…right over rural Texas. Thanks, buddy. You get to see all the islands and tropical water and I get to see….dirt. All the way home.

I read my new book and soon, as I glanced out the window, there was Palm Springs below us, which meant we were almost home. It’s funny; I didn’t know our homeward bound flight path went almost right over our house. I mean, it’s not right on top of it, but if I look out the south upstairs windows at the right time, just before 3:00 p.m., I can see the plane that’s carrying all those people from Orlando. I rather wish I could see the morning plane instead…that’s a happier plane, full of anticipation and giddiness, hopes and wishes, grand expectations and carefree people who will fall gently into the lap of childish fun. That westbound afternoon plane is full of people who will soon be belched out into LA traffic, smog, and other annoyances.

We landed at LAX a little bit early, but the joy of that was killed when the previous plane in our spot at the terminal was delayed and we had to sit on the taxiway for 25 minutes until it got out of there. Keep in mind that, at any time of day, we were already driving straight into the maw of hell that is So Cal traffic, but at 4:30 p.m. it is at its very worst. Long story short, it took us 2.5 hours to drive 75 miles. After stopping off for a to-go order from our favorite real actual authentic Mexican food restaurant (at 7:00 p.m. – which, incidentally, is 10:00 p.m. Orlando time – and no, we were not allowed to stop to eat before this even though we were very hungry. No food, no potty breaks, no stopping for any reason until we were back in our town; I believe this is what is known as a “man thing”), we finally pulled into our own driveway and were home.

Straight in the door, we chowed down the food, and let the cats in. The poor neglected kitties forgave us, surprisingly quickly, for abandoning them for a week. It WAS good to be home. I had forced the family to clean the house before we’d left the week before and so it was clean and fresh and welcoming. After we were full and relaxed and stretched out on the couches, we got out the backpack full of our souvenirs and WDW-generated paper and began already reliving the trip that had ended just hours ago.

The next morning, after an excellent night’s sleep in my own bed, I got out what had been my constant companion for the last week: my trip report notebook.

Just moments ago, I finished ripping out the last little page of shorthand and tossing it into the recycle bin, where the others have gone each time after I’ve posted an installment of my TR. The story has been written and now there are no more nostalgic notes. What is left in that trusty notebook, however, is equally precious: a lot of fresh blank pages, all ready for the next adventure….

What a great example of storytelling. I have really enjoyed reading your TR. I feel close to you and your family. I am so glad you had a wonderful trip. When I go to the Pop for New Years, I will take a moment while I am in my room to think of all the wonderful times that have been enjoyed by the "previous" families. Thank you for letting us look into your trip.

 

[rer1972]

For some reason I didn't see the pics of the aircraft's wing and your notebook when I posted my response. Nice shots. Oh, was that picture over rural Texas?
If so...
My Dirt! My Dirt!

 

[cynderella]

For some reason I didn't see the pics of the aircraft's wing and your notebook when I posted my response. Nice shots. Oh, was that picture over rural Texas?
If so...
My Dirt! My Dirt!

I believe this picture was before we passed into New Mexico, yes. Texas is all well and good, but he traded seats with me about 20 minutes before we hit NM. Now THAT is dirt, ladies and gentlemen. I drove with my grandma, mom, and brothers to Amarillo, Texas when I was 16 and remember NM as being a really loooong stretch of mostly nothing but red dirt. It was interesting to note that it looks almost exactly the same from the air. I've come to realize since then that all areas of US geography have their charms, but from that altitude, you can't see any of them from about mid-Texas to about 1/3 of the way into So Cal. Palm Springs is really about the first time any real sign of civilization appears! I remember the captain saying we were passing over Pheonix, but I guess that view must have been from the other side of the plane.

 

[cynderella]

It is over already?

It was a great trip- thanks for taking us along.
I love the way you ended it.


Hope you get back as soon as you want!

Thank you very much for reading. DH is now saying 2009 instead of 2008, so I'm thinking...January!!

 

[cynderella]

Loved meeting you & your family, it was a great TR you pulled is right into WDW with you, I could almost smell the food at EPCOT and feel the rain in the air as you described it. I am definitely going to steal the idea of the notebook for my next trip so that I can do a proper TR. worthy of all of yours, hope your toe & tooth gets better soon

Ruthie

Thanks for reading, Ruthie. Actually, my toe is much much better...I'm even back to my regular workout routine with no pain (as long as I don't give it a direct hit or anything). The tooth is only slightly better, but still bugging me and the endontist can't see me until Sept 6! Oh, well. I told myself the whole time that a couple of minor sources of discomfort were infinitely better than a major vacation disaster any day - and we didn't have any of those - so it was all good in the end!

 

[cynderella]

What a great example of storytelling. I have really enjoyed reading your TR. I feel close to you and your family. I am so glad you had a wonderful trip. When I go to the Pop for New Years, I will take a moment while I am in my room to think of all the wonderful times that have been enjoyed by the "previous" families. Thank you for letting us look into your trip.

I'm glad you enjoyed my TR, my lime green friend - thanks for coming along. It will be nice to know you're thinking of me and the "other people" when you go back to the motherland in Dec. I hope you have tremendous fun!!

 

[uhtimex]

I loved that part, too!!
As a Texan, you see what I'm saying here. If your state is not bordering Mexico by land, your Mexican food may not be "authentic"


:

Do not ever eat mexican food in Indiana

You have been warned

 

[cynderella]

How did they like TL???

They definitely thought it was fun, but for whatever reason said they were planning to do BB next time instead. I'd have to discuss it with them again to get the exact details.

70 bucks saved. DQ is a Glorified Mall Arcade!!!! Not worth ANY admission!

Good to know especially since we didn't find out the hard way by spending the money first!!

P.S. Don't think I didn't catch that crack about checking the

, pal!

 

[cynderella]

Do not ever eat mexican food in Indiana

You have been warned

That's pretty funny. When we went on the aforementioned trip to Amarillo, we were really headed to Kansas to see our relatives. I am guessing that the "Mexican food" we had in Kansas is just about the kind they have in Indiana. My KS relatives were saying "This is a really good Mexican food place! The food is really spicy!" In CA, when we talk about food being spicy, we do not mean spices like oregano, thyme, salt, allspice, etc.

 

[rer1972]

Thank you very much for reading. DH is now saying 2009 instead of 2008, so I'm thinking...January!!

Better nip that in the bud.

 

[SleepingBeautyDreamr]

I just finished reading your TR. Looks like you had a great time. Next time you are able to go override your Dh's commando attitude and spend more time in the WS at EPCOT. The Biergarten is a German good buffet (at least it was when I last went there).

 

[tarheel]

Such a good read, thanks so much for taking time to share. I enjoyed it alot!

 

[dwheatl]

I'm sorry to see this end. I really enjoyed it, and in a way, it extended my trip.
Don't feel bad for those people flying into LAX. They be making their way to the all of the things they've seen on SOARIN', including the original, the one and only, DL!

 

[Eeyore's Tiara]

That's pretty funny. When we went on the aforementioned trip to Amarillo, we were really headed to Kansas to see our relatives. I am guessing that the "Mexican food" we had in Kansas is just about the kind they have in Indiana. My KS relatives were saying "This is a really good Mexican food place! The food is really spicy!" In CA, when we talk about food being spicy, we do not mean spices like oregano, thyme, salt, allspice, etc.

 

[tiggerwannabe]

I had to comment...

Cynderella, GREAT JOB!

Your report is awesome, you have a lovely family...esp commando Dad!

Love your pictures, brings the whole report to life!

Epcot!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cynderella]

I just finished reading your TR. Looks like you had a great time. Next time you are able to go override your Dh's commando attitude and spend more time in the WS at EPCOT. The Biergarten is a German good buffet (at least it was when I last went there).

Thanks for reading, SBD. I wanted to try Biergarten and will definitely be aiming to try it next time!

I'm sorry to see this end. I really enjoyed it, and in a way, it extended my trip.
Don't feel bad for those people flying into LAX. They be making their way to the all of the things they've seen on SOARIN', including the original, the one and only, DL!

Yes, that is a much more optimistic way of looking at that westbound flight. I totally forgot that some of those people will be heading to DLR and the other beauties of CA. Too bad they have to go through the traffic and smog to get to them!

Such a good read, thanks so much for taking time to share. I enjoyed it alot!

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading!

I had to comment...

Cynderella, GREAT JOB!

Your report is awesome, you have a lovely family...esp commando Dad!

Love your pictures, brings the whole report to life!

Epcot!!!!!!!!!!

My DH is actually a big sweetie, but who knew I'd end up marrying a man who, when traveling, is a lot like my dad. They both remind me of Chevy Chase in the movie "Vacation," especially that scene at the edge of the Grand Canyon, where they take 30 seconds to enjoy the view and then, oops, time to go! Thanks for reading and thanks for the praise. Glad you had fun! EPCOT!!

 

[tiggerwannabe]

My DH is actually a big sweetie, but who knew I'd end up marrying a man who, when traveling, is a lot like my dad. They both remind me of Chevy Chase in the movie "Vacation," especially that scene at the edge of the Grand Canyon, where they take 30 seconds to enjoy the view and then, oops, time to go! Thanks for reading and thanks for the praise. Glad you had fun! EPCOT!!

 

[pixie dust 112]

Cyn,

I finally am catching up on all the TRs. Yours was great! Thanks for sharing it with us!