Puget Peach
My name is Puget Peach and I'm a Disneyholic!
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2007
- Messages
- 428
I’m dancing to the solo trip happy song. Oh yea, I got myself a no kids, no hubby, no whiner, low budget, long weekend in Walt Disney World in September. Woo Hoo!
I’m staying at Pop while my significant other (called Too Dad from here forward) stays home with the cockatoo (Too for short). Footloose and Fearless, that’s my solo style! Free dining? Nope. I booked too late but even so, when I factored in my 20% AAA room discount and only one light diner in the room, I don’t think it would be “free” for me. Anyway, it’s the start of the Food and Wine Festival so I plan to do several international grazing meals.
The cure for Disney Withdrawal is planning another trip, right?
I was in the throes of DWS (Disney Withdrawal Syndrome) after a truly pixie dusted two week trip the first two weeks of December 2007. My fairy godmother granted us two weeks of total sunshine, temperatures in the high 70’s every day, a two-bedroom condo 10 minutes from AK (via Sherbeth Road) 10-day park hoppers, and $85 per week full size rental car. The real magic was that I had my BFF from Chicago with me, on her Virgin WDW trip. We did absolutely everything! <sigh> I was missing my Mickey!
Then my company announced our annual convention is scheduled at the Orange County Convention Center on I-Drive the last week of February 2009! Yes! I was lucky enough to snag a two-bedroom vacation share on I-drive for 13 nights! Great! 3 Days of convention and 10 days to play, with room to invite guests! February 2009 sure felt like it was a long way off, though. Okay, more like an eternity! But my sister and Mom in Indiana needed a visit sometime soon.
I was just going to suck it up and live vicariously through other people’s trip reports until the February trip in 2009. What changed my plans? Did I get to visit my family? How the heck does that relate to this trip report? It’s all related, really. It is!
Family First –
The next couple of installments may seem unrelated to my PT but bear with me and you’ll see how this worked out…
In March I was able to book the trip to Indiana for my visit with my aging mother and my sister. I would fly out June 7 and return on the 17th. This was a DIRECT flight SEA, to IND for $330 total. I gotta tell ya, that just never happens! It’s always via DFW or ORD or MDW or Memphis, St. Louis, Detroit, Denver, Minneapolis... at least not since ATA went under. Since the airline search fairies were working in my favor, I decided to enter a search for under $200 RT SEA to MCO with an e-mail alert. It was one of those deals that you make with yourself based on something truly improbable happening. If I win the lottery... If Publisher’s Clearing House knocks on my door… If the airfare across the North American continent falls below $200 round trip… And in the unlikely event that, in spite of the price of oil and jet fuel on the steep rise, the price dropped that low, would it be on a schedule I could use? So doing $200 for a WDW interim “fix” trip is definitely in the budget but is it in the cards?
Travel Gremlins work in mysterious ways - Floods Block the Freeway
Fast Forward to Saturday, June 7th. I arrived at Indianapolis about 7:00 pm, spotted my BFF and yes, the same aforementioned BFF from the December Disney trip, there to pick me up (she drove down from Chicago to spend the weekend with me) and we started our drive south to Bloomington. 30 Miles south, at Martinsville, we could go no further. Massive rain had washed out the main highway and all other routes were flooded out. We turned around and spent the night in Indianapolis. This was the 100-year flood by which flood plains are rated. The roads were still closed the next morning, so we decided to go back to Chicago and hang out until things dried out. My BFF had to go to work the next day (Monday). Would I ever get to see my Mom and sister? And what does this have to do with my Pre-TR anyway? Read on and you shall see…
Blame it on United Airlines!
Hanging out on my BFF’s OLD, slow computer (WIN 98) Monday while she was at work, waiting for the floodwaters to recede, I got the e-mail… There it was – the email from the (seemingly) impossible search I had set up back in January. SEA to MCO for $186! I was sure that was going to be each way fare or one of those fares that disappears before you can push the “submit” button or the infuriating calendar that shows “fare available” but they aren’t when you click on them. But with a burst of optimism, I went on the United website and there it was. For September. My thoughts start racing… Low season… Low Disney Value Resort Rates. Could it work out?? Is it some weird flight schedule that absolutely no one would fly? Could I fly it?
The Obstacle Course to the Airport.
Vashon Island, my beautiful home, is less than 5 miles as the crow flies from the Seattle-Tacoma airport. However, there are no bridges – only a ferry with limited service, no taxis, and our buses don’t run on Sundays or after 9:30 PM or before 9:30 AM on Saturdays. Figure about 2 – 3 hours in travel time to get to the airport plus 2 hours before flight time. On the return the last bus back from the ferry to town is 9:30pm. Yes, I do have friends that could help out, but that wasn’t part of the “improbable deal” now was it?
In spite of the near impossibility that the stars would align in my favor, I clicked through to the flights available for the advertised fare. Would I find a schedule that would work with all these time and budget constraints? If so, I would have to go. It’s a cosmic rule, right? (he he). I held my breath while I waited for the screen to load (there’s a reason we don’t have WIN 98 anymore!).
SEA 12:15 PM Departure. Thursday, September 25
Hmmm… that works perfectly! What about getting home on the bus (that doesn’t run after 9:30 PM or Sundays)?
Return flight arrives SEA 5:10 PM Tuesday, September 30th
Hmmm… be still my heart… will it really book with that schedule at that price?
Booking the Mission Impossible Walt Disney World Trip
There I was, sitting in an upstairs room at my BFF’s house outside of Chicago on Monday, June 9th. Floodwaters were still over all the roads between me and my Mom and Sis. It was 95 degrees outside and must have been 120 degrees in that upstairs room with my BFF’s old Win 98 desktop computer. The travel fairies had seemingly deserted me. But I didn’t give up hope! I saw the flights on the United Website but were they really available? Everything looked absolutely perfect… too perfect??? I ran (okay, walked slowly and poured myself an ice water) to get my purse downstairs, then back upstairs with my credit card in my shaking hand. Would it book? I punched in the wrong CC number. Deep breath, tried it again… Waited for it… Waited for it… Waited for it…
My cell phone rang… It was my sister … Roads were open, or at least the one that we needed … the screen refreshed and asked me if I wanted to print my receipt. I was going! I’m sure my sister thought the shout of joy she heard was about getting on with our visit… and it was…. Really!
Finishing the family visit and the plans
In the two hours remaining before BFF got home from work, I called Disney reservations and booked 5 nights at Pop with 20% AAA discount. What about tickets? Tickets… hmmmm.
4 Days in September on site + 10 days in February off site with parking fees = Annual Pass!!!!
(Hindsight now tells me how very smart I was since prices went up in August.) It has always been my dream to have an Annual Pass. It’s my second choice after a CM pass…
After my BFF got off work she drove me to Lafayette where my niece picked me up and drove me to her place in Indianapolis for the night. My sister picked me up the next morning to drive me south to Bloomington and the visit continued. Relay Relatives, gotta love it!
Sis drove me directly to Mom’s, who announced that my Aunt (her sister) had died that morning and we needed to go to visitation and her funeral. No pre-amble. Just put it right out there. Before we could deal with the emotional side of this sad event, we needed to figure out how we were going to get further south in Indiana where all the floodwaters were rushing toward the Ohio River.
I won’t bore you with the rest of the details but, yes, we got to the visitation and back on what looked like a causeway instead of a highway. Being able to work on my Disney Trip during the next few evenings (Seattle-ite + Eastern Time Zone = online after everyone else goes to bed) was one bright ray in an otherwise extremely challenging family visit. Disney Magic? I’m convinced!
Next Post: Tevas, Crocs, Crops, and Lucky Luggage Rules for Too Mom!
I’m staying at Pop while my significant other (called Too Dad from here forward) stays home with the cockatoo (Too for short). Footloose and Fearless, that’s my solo style! Free dining? Nope. I booked too late but even so, when I factored in my 20% AAA room discount and only one light diner in the room, I don’t think it would be “free” for me. Anyway, it’s the start of the Food and Wine Festival so I plan to do several international grazing meals.
The cure for Disney Withdrawal is planning another trip, right?
I was in the throes of DWS (Disney Withdrawal Syndrome) after a truly pixie dusted two week trip the first two weeks of December 2007. My fairy godmother granted us two weeks of total sunshine, temperatures in the high 70’s every day, a two-bedroom condo 10 minutes from AK (via Sherbeth Road) 10-day park hoppers, and $85 per week full size rental car. The real magic was that I had my BFF from Chicago with me, on her Virgin WDW trip. We did absolutely everything! <sigh> I was missing my Mickey!
Then my company announced our annual convention is scheduled at the Orange County Convention Center on I-Drive the last week of February 2009! Yes! I was lucky enough to snag a two-bedroom vacation share on I-drive for 13 nights! Great! 3 Days of convention and 10 days to play, with room to invite guests! February 2009 sure felt like it was a long way off, though. Okay, more like an eternity! But my sister and Mom in Indiana needed a visit sometime soon.
I was just going to suck it up and live vicariously through other people’s trip reports until the February trip in 2009. What changed my plans? Did I get to visit my family? How the heck does that relate to this trip report? It’s all related, really. It is!
Family First –
The next couple of installments may seem unrelated to my PT but bear with me and you’ll see how this worked out…
In March I was able to book the trip to Indiana for my visit with my aging mother and my sister. I would fly out June 7 and return on the 17th. This was a DIRECT flight SEA, to IND for $330 total. I gotta tell ya, that just never happens! It’s always via DFW or ORD or MDW or Memphis, St. Louis, Detroit, Denver, Minneapolis... at least not since ATA went under. Since the airline search fairies were working in my favor, I decided to enter a search for under $200 RT SEA to MCO with an e-mail alert. It was one of those deals that you make with yourself based on something truly improbable happening. If I win the lottery... If Publisher’s Clearing House knocks on my door… If the airfare across the North American continent falls below $200 round trip… And in the unlikely event that, in spite of the price of oil and jet fuel on the steep rise, the price dropped that low, would it be on a schedule I could use? So doing $200 for a WDW interim “fix” trip is definitely in the budget but is it in the cards?
Travel Gremlins work in mysterious ways - Floods Block the Freeway
Fast Forward to Saturday, June 7th. I arrived at Indianapolis about 7:00 pm, spotted my BFF and yes, the same aforementioned BFF from the December Disney trip, there to pick me up (she drove down from Chicago to spend the weekend with me) and we started our drive south to Bloomington. 30 Miles south, at Martinsville, we could go no further. Massive rain had washed out the main highway and all other routes were flooded out. We turned around and spent the night in Indianapolis. This was the 100-year flood by which flood plains are rated. The roads were still closed the next morning, so we decided to go back to Chicago and hang out until things dried out. My BFF had to go to work the next day (Monday). Would I ever get to see my Mom and sister? And what does this have to do with my Pre-TR anyway? Read on and you shall see…
Blame it on United Airlines!
Hanging out on my BFF’s OLD, slow computer (WIN 98) Monday while she was at work, waiting for the floodwaters to recede, I got the e-mail… There it was – the email from the (seemingly) impossible search I had set up back in January. SEA to MCO for $186! I was sure that was going to be each way fare or one of those fares that disappears before you can push the “submit” button or the infuriating calendar that shows “fare available” but they aren’t when you click on them. But with a burst of optimism, I went on the United website and there it was. For September. My thoughts start racing… Low season… Low Disney Value Resort Rates. Could it work out?? Is it some weird flight schedule that absolutely no one would fly? Could I fly it?
The Obstacle Course to the Airport.
Vashon Island, my beautiful home, is less than 5 miles as the crow flies from the Seattle-Tacoma airport. However, there are no bridges – only a ferry with limited service, no taxis, and our buses don’t run on Sundays or after 9:30 PM or before 9:30 AM on Saturdays. Figure about 2 – 3 hours in travel time to get to the airport plus 2 hours before flight time. On the return the last bus back from the ferry to town is 9:30pm. Yes, I do have friends that could help out, but that wasn’t part of the “improbable deal” now was it?
In spite of the near impossibility that the stars would align in my favor, I clicked through to the flights available for the advertised fare. Would I find a schedule that would work with all these time and budget constraints? If so, I would have to go. It’s a cosmic rule, right? (he he). I held my breath while I waited for the screen to load (there’s a reason we don’t have WIN 98 anymore!).
SEA 12:15 PM Departure. Thursday, September 25
Hmmm… that works perfectly! What about getting home on the bus (that doesn’t run after 9:30 PM or Sundays)?
Return flight arrives SEA 5:10 PM Tuesday, September 30th
Hmmm… be still my heart… will it really book with that schedule at that price?
Booking the Mission Impossible Walt Disney World Trip
There I was, sitting in an upstairs room at my BFF’s house outside of Chicago on Monday, June 9th. Floodwaters were still over all the roads between me and my Mom and Sis. It was 95 degrees outside and must have been 120 degrees in that upstairs room with my BFF’s old Win 98 desktop computer. The travel fairies had seemingly deserted me. But I didn’t give up hope! I saw the flights on the United Website but were they really available? Everything looked absolutely perfect… too perfect??? I ran (okay, walked slowly and poured myself an ice water) to get my purse downstairs, then back upstairs with my credit card in my shaking hand. Would it book? I punched in the wrong CC number. Deep breath, tried it again… Waited for it… Waited for it… Waited for it…
My cell phone rang… It was my sister … Roads were open, or at least the one that we needed … the screen refreshed and asked me if I wanted to print my receipt. I was going! I’m sure my sister thought the shout of joy she heard was about getting on with our visit… and it was…. Really!
Finishing the family visit and the plans
In the two hours remaining before BFF got home from work, I called Disney reservations and booked 5 nights at Pop with 20% AAA discount. What about tickets? Tickets… hmmmm.
4 Days in September on site + 10 days in February off site with parking fees = Annual Pass!!!!
(Hindsight now tells me how very smart I was since prices went up in August.) It has always been my dream to have an Annual Pass. It’s my second choice after a CM pass…
After my BFF got off work she drove me to Lafayette where my niece picked me up and drove me to her place in Indianapolis for the night. My sister picked me up the next morning to drive me south to Bloomington and the visit continued. Relay Relatives, gotta love it!
Sis drove me directly to Mom’s, who announced that my Aunt (her sister) had died that morning and we needed to go to visitation and her funeral. No pre-amble. Just put it right out there. Before we could deal with the emotional side of this sad event, we needed to figure out how we were going to get further south in Indiana where all the floodwaters were rushing toward the Ohio River.
I won’t bore you with the rest of the details but, yes, we got to the visitation and back on what looked like a causeway instead of a highway. Being able to work on my Disney Trip during the next few evenings (Seattle-ite + Eastern Time Zone = online after everyone else goes to bed) was one bright ray in an otherwise extremely challenging family visit. Disney Magic? I’m convinced!
Next Post: Tevas, Crocs, Crops, and Lucky Luggage Rules for Too Mom!
