We're home!

[dianeschlicht]

After spending a fantastic week in a GV at OKW with friends, we are finally home from our long drive. I'm not sure I would do that drive again with 6 people, but it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated it would be.

We left home on Jan. 20 at 11PM and drove straight through until we got half way between Atlanta and Macon. Then we decided to stop for a short night of sleep in a cheesy motel before making the final 6 hours of the drive. It was very cold when we left Minnesota (-15), and we didn't hit zero until we got into Kentucky. We even still saw snow in Tennessee, but it was gone for the trip home.

The funny thing is that we ended up in GV 1523 (building 15), the same exact unit we had the last time we stayed in a GV!!! What are the chances? It was kind of like when we got the exact same 1 bedroom two trips in a row a couple of years ago too.

I love building 15 because you can choose from 3 bus stops. We always got on at HH and off at Peninsular, but we could have used Miller's if we wanted to also. We just liked being able to watch for the bus going to Miller's and then heading over to HH to catch it.

I did have some issues with this unit, but I'll post about them in my old "good bad and ugly of OKW renovations" thread I started last month.

 

[DVC Mike]

I hoped you enjoyed that huge Grand Villa at OKW!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I'm go glad to read that you had a fantastic week and that you're home before this next icy winter storm hits!

Bobbi

 

[dianeschlicht]

I'm go glad to read that you had a fantastic week and that you're home before this next icy winter storm hits!

Bobbi

Actually, Bobbi, it's storming here right now. We'll be sending it east to the rest of you tonight!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Actually, Bobbi, it's storming here right now. We'll be sending it east to the rest of you tonight!

Oh...were you home by the time the storm struck? There are many cancellations here just in preparation for this one. No one wants to be on icy roads.

 

[cosmos]

Welcome back! Couldn't you have brought some Florida weather with you? I thought that I saw a notice on TV that Lakeville schools were closed today.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Welcome back! Couldn't you have brought some Florida weather with you? I thought that I saw a notice on TV that Lakeville schools were closed today.

I have no idea if schools are closed or not, but I do know I need to shovel before I head out to teach in the studio this afternoon. It's been 18 years since I've had any kids in school, so I don't pay a whole lot of attention to school closings anymore. Lakeville rarely closes though. They usually just do a 2 hour late start instead.

 

[friends with mickey]

Hi Diane,
Glad you made it home alright. It was fun meeting you and the other folks at the dis meet on Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for putting that together. I hope the rain that night did not mess up any plans. At least the weather was nice for all of the trip except for that one evening.

 

[jekjones1558]

Hi, Diane,
I thought about you last week while we endured another miserable week of winter here on the frozen tundra. Glad you made it back safe and sound. We have never driven to WDW. I don't think DH's knees and back could take the long drive. But as airfares continue to rise, we have considered driving. Welcome home (the MN one!)

 

[ritaread]

Glad you enjoyed your trip!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Jean, we actually found it to not be as bad a drive as we remembered. We used to drive it a lot when we were showing dogs and doing Disney at the same time, but since DVC, we haven't driven. This was easy enough, that I think we will attempt it again. I'm guessing it will most likely be on our March trips when we like to go to Fort Myers for Spring Training along with Disney.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Oh, and Friends of Mickey, it was nice meeting you too! We ended up cancelling our visit with John for the Owner's Locker meet in Epcot that night. We left Turf Club in one of the lulls between thunder storms and just stayed in and watched movies the rest of the night.

 

[jekjones1558]

Jean, we actually found it to not be as bad a drive as we remembered. We used to drive it a lot when we were showing dogs and doing Disney at the same time, but since DVC, we haven't driven. This was easy enough, that I think we will attempt it again. I'm guessing it will most likely be on our March trips when we like to go to Fort Myers for Spring Training along with Disney.

Thanks, Diane. We have talked about giving it a go but I don't know what we would do if we got halfway there and Bob got too stiff to continue. Still it might be fun to try it when we could take a long time and stop 3 nights or so along the way.

 

[friends with mickey]

Oh, and Friends of Mickey, it was nice meeting you too! We ended up cancelling our visit with John for the Owner's Locker meet in Epcot that night. We left Turf Club in one of the lulls between thunder storms and just stayed in and watched movies the rest of the night.

Good call. We also choose not to go to Epcot and stayed dry at AKL and watched giraffes and zebras from our balcony. Since we missed our Le Cellier reservations that night we went to the restaurant on Wed at lunch to try and get in. It was booked solid. When we told them about not being able to get there because of the storm, in true Disney style they not only got us in but comped us dessert and champagne to remember our trip. We will definitely go back on our next trip because of their thoughtfulness.

 

[Mom B]

Welcome back to the land of ice and snow, Diane! I'm still in mourning and we've been back home for 2 weeks now. But the little getaways help make the winter easier to handle, don't they? Good luck with the current storm; as often happens, you guys in the south appear to have gotten it worse than us up north! Let's keep looking forward to spring! Hopefully things will tame down again before the March trip.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Mom B, I wish we were doing a March trip again this year, but we typically do every other March, so this is an off year. I'll be going to Texas for dog shows in March instead. That is if I can get my big van out of the snow bank it's in next to my garage by then!

 

[Mom B]

Mom B, I wish we were doing a March trip again this year, but we typically do every other March, so this is an off year. I'll be going to Texas for dog shows in March instead. That is if I can get my big van out of the snow bank it's in next to my garage by then!

Oh, well, Texas in March sounds pretty good too. Good luck with the dogs! What kind do you have? And I DO understand about the snow bank, good luck with that as well!

 

[RumpleMom]

Diane, thanks for organizing the Dismeet. We really enjoyed meeting everyone.

 

[friends with mickey]

Diane, thanks for organizing the Dismeet. We really enjoyed meeting everyone.

It was nice meeting you guys at OKW. Just wanted to say GO STEELERS!