Saturday, April 1 - Day 8
You may remember that yesterday we tried to book an extra night at the Yacht Club and extend our vacation by another day. Not to do the parks, but just to relax and hang out by the pool. A little decompression time, if you will. But the resort was booked, and this morning we are headed home.
I woke up on this last day actually thankful that it was time to go home. Really and truly, seven days of the Mouse is a little too much. I was ready to get back into a routine. I got up shortly after six and quietly started packing. It was probably a good thing that the Yacht Club was booked for tonight. I am over staying another day. Plus, we teach Sunday School in the morning and it is always a pain to call in substitutes. Lets just head to the house. Dont get me wrong, it was an AWESOME vacation its just time to go home.
Guess what day it was? Yep Saturday, April 1st.
In case you are a little slow thats April Fools Day. And in case you think any self-respecting DISer can actually tire of a Disney vacation, this is a retroactive April Fools joke. What are you crazy? The above was the exact OPPOSITE of the way I felt! You all know the drill. Good grief, ZZUB coins the word Disneyfreude and at computer screens across the world, DISers nod their heads in sad agreement. We KNOW what he is talkin about. So lets just skip it and get to packin, okay? Weve got an ADR at Boma before we hit the road.
For our family, packing to go home is just as methodical as packing to go on vacation. Its been that way since our honeymoon, when my husband and I got in the first disagreement of our married lives. I wanted to just throw all the clothes in and deal with it when we got home. He couldnt quite get his Type-A arms around that thought process. Lets put some calm in the chaos and organize our RE-packing just like we did the packing. Thatll make it easier on us when we get home and unpack. He won, and weve organized our packing to go home ever since. And it really is better.
So this morning we get everything together, and check, double check and triple check the room to make sure nothing is left behind. As long as I have my wedding rings, my daughters Tigger and our camera equipment, its all good. I can buy another toothbrush if needed. I can even replace a jacket or pair of shoes. There is not much in life that I am attached to. But my wedding rings, Tigger, and all of our tangible memories of this trip would be a tough loss. I get a visual on all the necessities, and with a sad goodbye to our home for the week, we close the door. We pass off the room key to the happy family waiting in the hall to take over our room. Have a great week -scrubs.
Now yall know what Im talkin about here there are just some vacations that were OVER before they were over. Or maybe even before they started. Example: A full week at the beach with the following folks all in one 3 BR condo Me, my husband and our then 5 and 2 year old; my parents; and my sister and her husband AND their 6 month old that did not sleep through the night. Yep, thats three little families in three little rooms. Who thought that would be fun? 10,000 square feet wouldnt have been enough for all of that. That was over before it even started.
But
Disney vacations are not like that. They are fun from beginning to end. Well
almost the end. The fun actually stops when my REALLY budget conscious husband spots the envelope that has been discreetly slipped under the door. And the fun comes to a loud, screeching HALT when he wants to bring all the weeks receipts (yes, he keeps them) and the check-out documents to Boma to match it all up. Ya know, make sure Disney hasnt OVERCHARGED us for anything. Heres a tip sweet husband weve been overcharged, alright. And well have receipts for every bit of it.
We pack the car and drive over to AKL for breakfast at Boma. My purpose for this breakfast was two-fold. One, we needed to eat. Two, I wanted to check out the Lodge because of the hype from its loyal DIS fans. Evidently, life doesnt get much better than waking up to a stare-down with a giraffe. I had to see this for myself.
All the DISers that feel so passionate about the AKL are right. The lodge is absolutely beautiful. The pool area is cool, and the opportunity for my kids to sleep in a bunk bed would be more than they could stand. Since the Animal Kingdom has now trumped the Magic Kingdom for my daughters favorite park, I can see a stay at AKL in our future. In fact, the minute we walk in, the kids declare that we HAVE to stay here next time. Im game. No pun intended.
Like the complete geeks we are, we are seated at our table and my honey pulls out the stack of receipts and hands them to me. You call them out and Ill check them off. At home, we play this fun little game with our credit card bill all the time. Making sure nothing has been inadvertently charged to our Disney Visa. But at the last meal of our vacation, this is not cool. And its definitely not magical. Not magical at all. But I humor my husband because this trip was a huge step out of his comfort zone. To agree to a last minute, week long vacation at Disney just goes to show how much he really loves the place, too. I wouldnt be surprised if he was a closet DISer.
All the money checks out, weve finished our meal, weve shopped in the gift shop, checked out the pool and there is only one thing left to do. Get in the car and go home. None of us want to. Weve had a great trip. Weve connected as a family in a way that the busyness of life outside the World does not allow. Weve ALL been together ALL week long. Slept in the same room all week. Eaten EVERY meal together. Enjoyed each others company really, really enjoyed each others company. And aside from the few minutes at Ft. Wilderness when we made some bad calls while waiting in the cold for a boat there has not been a tense moment the whole time. Its hard to see that kind of thing come to an end.
You see and I know you all feel the same way family is really important to us. My husband and I come from close, happy families. Not perfect families, but happy families. We want our children to say the same thing one day. We want them to WANT to spend time with us like we do our own parents. We want them to know that no matter where life leads, no matter what mistakes they make or what trials they face our home will always be a soft place to fall. A place of love, laughter and Christ-centered joy. Thats why we love vacations. My husbands business takes a backseat. My carpooling, homework checking, cooking and cleaning take a backseat. The kids dont have ball games, gymnastics or school. We just have each other lots of hugs, shoulder rides, smiles and happiness. No wonder we want an extra day.
So with everyone buckled in and the Spectromagic CD blaring, were off. Before long we pass the See Ya Real Soon sign. There is nothing that finalizes your trip more than passing that sign. And all the cars going in the other direction toward their Disney World vacation. All four of us are singing loudly the words to our favorite parade.
On this magic ni-ight, a million stars will play beside us
and then we get to the part that always makes me teary:
Though we say good ni-ight, weve cast a spell that wont be broken.
Let this night forever, live in our dreams.
It will - it will forever live in my dreams.
And just like that, the Disney trip is over. Pretty soon we are on I-4 headed to the turnpike.
Because this trip report is all about Disney and the remainder of our trip didnt take place at Disney Ill only give a quick summary.
We actually end up in such horrible traffic that we pull off on the exit for the Grande Lakes Orlando and call to see if THEY have any availability. Last summer, before we conquered Disney during a busy season, and when we were too afraid to set foot in the parks during the summer, we took a trip to Orlando. And that trip didnt include GASP! anything about the Mouse. We stayed at the Grande Lakes and had a really wonderful time. Not Disney wonderful, but wonderful still. Our son had just turned three, and it was the first time just the four of us had gotten away without leaving someone with grandparents, or taking the grandparents with us. The Grande Lakes resort has great pools, golf, food, etc. Its very relaxing. And it sounded like the perfect way to spend an extra night after being denied by the Yacht Club.
So within 30 minutes it was their pleasure to have us checked into our room (that was $100 cheaper than our Disney room go figure) and we spent the day at the pool just hanging out and relaxing. We woke up early the next morning to head back home, and as we drove away from Orlando, we still blared the Spectro CD and sang our hearts out.
Because even though the Ritz rooms SERIOUSLY trump the Yacht Club, and even though getting up and out early every morning to beat the crowds is not relaxing, and even though Free Dining really isnt free, and the coffee we put in our refillable mugs isnt worth the money we paid for the mug Disney is our kind of place. We dont care about a winter ski trip out West. We dont care about a Spring Break in the Caymans, or Bahamas or Mexico. We go to Disney. And we love going to Disney. Next time I pull the kids out of school for a trip (hopefully this fall), friends will say Are yall going to Disney again? And Ill smile and say yes. Without apology. Until then
Ill DIS.
Thank you friends, Im out.
Because it means something good. I think.
but I like it and have been wanting to use it. I'm using it here, like my ubiquitous use of this 
cracks me up!!!
