Will I be Herding Cats Again?* **** COMPLETED *****
- Thread starter mom2mek
- Start date
Day 1 - Departure Day
Part 3 - Arrival to Orlando!
So, moving right along we arrived in Orlando, and managed to all get off the plane without killing anyone with our many carry-ons!
Excuse me!
Pardon Me!
Look out for that booster seat about to fall on your head, lady!
(Just kidding)! I dont think anyone was harmed as we exited. I hope not anyway.
Shawn waited on the jetway for the umbrella stroller, Pop Pop took Michael to use the bathroom, and the grandmothers took the girls to do the same. Woo-hoo! Alone time for Sara! I wandered towards the center of the terminal where they have the fast food places. I was on a mission. I knew they had a Krispy Kreme at the Orlando airport SOMEWHERE (hey, I try to research everything people!), and I wanted to buy some doughnuts for the morning, as our Garden Grocer order wasnt coming until 2:00 the next day (didnt want to interfere with rope drop at Epcot in the morning having to wait around for groceries). Anyways, I didnt see the Krispy Kreme where I was, so I wandered back to the gate just as everyone was meeting back up again.
Everyone good?
Great!
Lets get a move on!
We made our way to the fake monorail, which at night just seemed like the subway type system in the Atlanta airport the kids didnt even look around outside - just laughed and tried to balance as it "took off"! Then we were off to retrieve our prized possessions in the baggage claim area.
Oh boy!
We had some serious luggage. Shawn went ahead and got a smart carte (why the e I ask you, why not just "cart"
), but for some odd reason my step-dad did not get a second one. I waited with the girls and the carry-on bags and broke out a couple of snacks for the girls while we were waiting. The suspicious pop-tarts from my earlier security check came in handy at this point!
After a few more minutes .I saw it!
The giant monstrosity that was our luggage. Yikes! And behind Shawn was my step-dad attempting to roll 3 full size suitcases! Um, hello? There isnt a limit on smart cartes
we can get two, people! But I guess that wouldnt be much of a challenge, now would it? Men! 
Shawn is rolling along with this cart that he cant even see over 6 suitcases, his carry on, Michaels carry-on, Emily's booster seat, and Katies car seat (which we had checked). Pop Pop was rolling their 3 suitcases and holding his carryon. They looked annoyed. I dont know what men expect I cant pack for four out of five members of our family and get it all in one suitcase!
At this point I think my Mom took one of their suitcases from my step-dad, Grammy took a carry-on or two off Shawns cart, and I was pushing the stroller.
We made our way to the elevator so we could go down to the rental car counters that are below us on the 1st level! Why do they do this, I ask you? Airport layouts always bewilder me!
I had rented two cars from Alamo. The first being an 8 passenger mini-van. I scored a great deal for the week a little over $200 for the rental and with all the fees, taxes, etc it came to $270! Not too shabby!
The other car I reserved was basically going to be used for just getting us to and from the airport, as our plan was to all fit in the mini-van when going to and from the parks. Needless to say, I didnt want to spend a lot of money on the 2nd car (geez- I only spent $270 on an 8 passenger minivan for 6 days, I sure as heck wasnt going to spend a lot for a car we would never be in!)
So, the 2nd car was a compact class I told Shawn he might be riding a bike. LOL! But after a great contract rate and a coupon code (thanks TGMers), I got that sucker for $60 for 6 days!
Of course once you add the ridiculous taxes, fees, surcharges, it came to $103 for 6 days! Still a good deal, no? Mini-rant warning I mean, really, its kind of ridiculous youve got Customer Facility Charge, Concession Fee Recovery Charge, Florida Surcharge, Tire/Battery Fee (huh?), License Recoupment Fee, and Sales Tax .come on already! Sorry, rant over its been like that for a long time and I dont see those fees changing anytime soon...just thought I would get in a little whining of my own! Thanks.
I gave myself a virtual pat on the back for the good deals, and we made our way all the way down to the Alamo counter. There was a small line, only a couple of people, but I thought I would show off my smartness and do the self-serve kiosk! Woo-hoo! Well, I managed to touch-screen my way to the end in short order while Shawn (Mr. Computer) was huffing and puffing next to me.
What do I push here, Sara?
Geez, why do they have to ask me all these questions?
(grumble, grumble)
Alright, Mr. Grumpy Pants move it along its just new and you feel like you are being watched!
Him: Do we want to do the gas refuel charge up front?
Me: NO.
Him: Additional Driver?
Me: NO.
Him: Need additional insurance?
Me: NO.
Just your standard questions they would be asking you at the counter. Scroll, scroll, scroll .and finish! Let's go!
We took our herd of luggage and made our way out into the muggy Florida air to go find our vehicles!
Ahhh .the rain! Yes, it was drizzling as we walked across the street to the parking garage, but it felt good! Refreshing! I already looked like a scary sight, so I didnt care at that point I was in Orlando! The Disney buzz had definitely kicked in full gear by then, and I was just trying to remember every little detail!
The airport had blocked the part of the walkway we needed (naturally), so we had to go all the way down to one end of the terminal to cross and then walk all the way back through the garage to get to the elevators (which would have been right across the blocked walkway ugh) to go up to the Alamo section of the garage to find our cars.
I was smiling the whole time, you know trying to keep the balance
, while Shawn and Pop Pop were grumbling
.Come on, people! You are the ones who insisted on flying! Our luggage is not going to miraculously appear in our vehicles and be brought to us on a silver platter!
Nope, that would be Magical Express! Ha!
(I think that aspect of ME would be a BIG selling point to hubby, by the way).
As we exited the elevator, I moved along ahead and saw the signs for the categories. Of course 8 passenger mini-vans, and Flintstone (er, I mean "Compact") cars were nowhere near each other. Figures! Well, we were closest to compact so we decided to go there and dump off the first load of people and luggage! Shawn picked out a snazzy little silver car very sporty! I was like, "Are you sure this is compact?" I was expecting like a Yugo or something! It was cute and sporty-looking! Very nice! Especially for $100 buckaroos!
We dumped as much luggage as we could manage to shove in that little car, and then wheeled ourselves over to the 8 passenger mini-vans with the rest of our junk. Shawn and Michael stayed with the compact car to get Shawns girlfriend all set up inside the car (the TOM TOM navigational system).
I let Emily and Katie pick our mini-van.
Hmmmm .white, white, white, white, white, or sage green?
Choices, choices I nudge them towards the green one (its so light its called silver on the tag, but it is SO clearly not silver ) and they agree that that is indeed THE mini-van they must have!
Yay! Brand new Toyota Sienna with 400 miles on it! (Personally, I thought the green shade might make us stand out more in the parking lot sea of mini-vans in the parks! Turns out not so much LOL)
Looks great! Pop Pop starts loading us up with the rest of the luggage that wouldnt fit in the other car, and Mom gets to work installing the car seat for Katie. Gotta love those Mighty Tights! Easy Peasy!
Pop Pop walks back towards the other car, we climb in our fancy-schmancy new ride and we are off to the world of wonder and excitement!
Well, not so much.
We couldnt figure out how to close the sliding doors!
Then I couldnt figure out how to turn the interior lights on!
We were a comedy of errors and luckily, at this point, we were all laughing hysterically about it!
We finally got it all straightened out, but by now, my step-dad has made his way BACK to our car
wondering what the hold-up was! I just told him, hey man, this is the ladies car
we got it covered
no need to worry
scoot on back to your little man car
shoo
We followed Shawn out of the airport and we were off!
A little sidenote about Shawn and driving in a new place .its not enough for him to rely on mapquest, street signs, or turn by turn directions provided by the rental company to get to the house. Nope. He must have the Enhanced Positioning Technology, the 4.3 widescreen map, and the Voice Address Input that is provided with a TOM TOM navigational unit! He likes to know exactly where his vehicle is in relation to the map on the screen. He must know, at all times, approximately how many miles away he is from his next turn. Just so hes not caught off guard at some point... you know 30 minutes down the road!
Its all about the technology with him!
I poke fun but really I love it too! Its reassuring, especially at night, to have that added confidence that you are indeed going in the right direction! So, thanks hon'
for remembering to bring that little gadget (it wasn't the only time it came in handy!)
As we left MCO, you wouldnt believe all the lightning. All I can say is Im glad I wasnt still in an airplane and trying to land right now. They would have had to drag me off the plane in a straight jacket! But on land, it was really beautiful watching it all around us. The girls (and grandmothers) spent the time looking for "not-so-hidden Mickeys on the billboards as we were driving closer to our destination.
About 20 minutes later, we passed our first Disney World sign. Woo-hoo! Shortly after, the sign for our exit! Woo-hoo! The girls were complaining of hunger, and despite the late hour (it was approaching 10:00 at this point) we decided to stop at a drive thru off the main road (192) to get them some grub before getting to the house.
Right next door to the Wendys that we were going to, there was a Walgreens. I dumped Mom off at the Walgreens to get some doughnuts (not Krispy Kreme, but hey they will work) and after getting our Wendys order, we pulled back around to pick her up.
We arrived to the gate of Windsor Hills a little after 10 PM and after Shawn schmoozed with the security guard, pointed back at our car, then turned back to her, then laughed, then kept talking .Ugh...COME ON ALREADY!!! We were given our gate passes for the week and let in the gates!
Can I just say that, even though it was dark and we couldnt see a whole lot of Windsor Hills at that point, we were really impressed with it. It was beautiful! The palm trees, the landscaping, the clubhouse, all very, very nice. A big thumbs up from us! Our unit was right near the front, so I never did venture further back to see more of the resort, but what I did see, I liked. A lot.
Im sure I will be back.
Oh wait...I will be back.
In December.
With my peeps!
LOL!
We pulled up to our teeny-tiny driveway and unloaded! We made it! Here are some pictures of the townhouse. These are not mine they are from the rental company, but the house looked exactly like this as we entered (except it was dark out).
Five minutes later it did not look like this. Just sayin....
Our room - it was very large and had a big bathroom:
My Parents Room - it was small but had it's own bath and the color in there was really soothing:
The Kids and MIL's room. Again, had it's own full bath!
The pool:
I attempted to unpack while the kids finished eating their nuggets, and were winding down over all the excitement, but eventually I had to give the un-packing up in return for getting them to settle down and go to sleep. That was not an easy task. Eventually they did, but it was after 11! Yikes! How was that going to affect tomorrow morning?
I talked with my parents for a while about the next day, and then I finished un-packing. Shawn was long asleep by the time I got to this part of the night! I got the kids outfits out for the next day, organized my park bag and their fanny packs and pins, and hit the pillow about 12:30.
My hopes for rope drop were not great but it was our first day we could do it, right?
Thanks for hanging on and reading I promise to have actual pictures in the next installments!
Part 3 - Arrival to Orlando!
So, moving right along we arrived in Orlando, and managed to all get off the plane without killing anyone with our many carry-ons!
Excuse me!
Pardon Me!
Look out for that booster seat about to fall on your head, lady!
(Just kidding)! I dont think anyone was harmed as we exited. I hope not anyway.
Shawn waited on the jetway for the umbrella stroller, Pop Pop took Michael to use the bathroom, and the grandmothers took the girls to do the same. Woo-hoo! Alone time for Sara! I wandered towards the center of the terminal where they have the fast food places. I was on a mission. I knew they had a Krispy Kreme at the Orlando airport SOMEWHERE (hey, I try to research everything people!), and I wanted to buy some doughnuts for the morning, as our Garden Grocer order wasnt coming until 2:00 the next day (didnt want to interfere with rope drop at Epcot in the morning having to wait around for groceries). Anyways, I didnt see the Krispy Kreme where I was, so I wandered back to the gate just as everyone was meeting back up again.
Everyone good?
Great!
Lets get a move on!
We made our way to the fake monorail, which at night just seemed like the subway type system in the Atlanta airport the kids didnt even look around outside - just laughed and tried to balance as it "took off"! Then we were off to retrieve our prized possessions in the baggage claim area.
Oh boy!
We had some serious luggage. Shawn went ahead and got a smart carte (why the e I ask you, why not just "cart"
), but for some odd reason my step-dad did not get a second one. I waited with the girls and the carry-on bags and broke out a couple of snacks for the girls while we were waiting. The suspicious pop-tarts from my earlier security check came in handy at this point! After a few more minutes .I saw it!
The giant monstrosity that was our luggage. Yikes! And behind Shawn was my step-dad attempting to roll 3 full size suitcases! Um, hello? There isnt a limit on smart cartes
we can get two, people! But I guess that wouldnt be much of a challenge, now would it? Men! Shawn is rolling along with this cart that he cant even see over 6 suitcases, his carry on, Michaels carry-on, Emily's booster seat, and Katies car seat (which we had checked). Pop Pop was rolling their 3 suitcases and holding his carryon. They looked annoyed. I dont know what men expect I cant pack for four out of five members of our family and get it all in one suitcase!
At this point I think my Mom took one of their suitcases from my step-dad, Grammy took a carry-on or two off Shawns cart, and I was pushing the stroller.
We made our way to the elevator so we could go down to the rental car counters that are below us on the 1st level! Why do they do this, I ask you? Airport layouts always bewilder me!
I had rented two cars from Alamo. The first being an 8 passenger mini-van. I scored a great deal for the week a little over $200 for the rental and with all the fees, taxes, etc it came to $270! Not too shabby!
The other car I reserved was basically going to be used for just getting us to and from the airport, as our plan was to all fit in the mini-van when going to and from the parks. Needless to say, I didnt want to spend a lot of money on the 2nd car (geez- I only spent $270 on an 8 passenger minivan for 6 days, I sure as heck wasnt going to spend a lot for a car we would never be in!)
So, the 2nd car was a compact class I told Shawn he might be riding a bike. LOL! But after a great contract rate and a coupon code (thanks TGMers), I got that sucker for $60 for 6 days!
Of course once you add the ridiculous taxes, fees, surcharges, it came to $103 for 6 days! Still a good deal, no? Mini-rant warning I mean, really, its kind of ridiculous youve got Customer Facility Charge, Concession Fee Recovery Charge, Florida Surcharge, Tire/Battery Fee (huh?), License Recoupment Fee, and Sales Tax .come on already! Sorry, rant over its been like that for a long time and I dont see those fees changing anytime soon...just thought I would get in a little whining of my own! Thanks.
I gave myself a virtual pat on the back for the good deals, and we made our way all the way down to the Alamo counter. There was a small line, only a couple of people, but I thought I would show off my smartness and do the self-serve kiosk! Woo-hoo! Well, I managed to touch-screen my way to the end in short order while Shawn (Mr. Computer) was huffing and puffing next to me.
What do I push here, Sara?
Geez, why do they have to ask me all these questions?
(grumble, grumble)
Alright, Mr. Grumpy Pants move it along its just new and you feel like you are being watched!
Him: Do we want to do the gas refuel charge up front?
Me: NO.
Him: Additional Driver?
Me: NO.
Him: Need additional insurance?
Me: NO.
Just your standard questions they would be asking you at the counter. Scroll, scroll, scroll .and finish! Let's go!
We took our herd of luggage and made our way out into the muggy Florida air to go find our vehicles!
Ahhh .the rain! Yes, it was drizzling as we walked across the street to the parking garage, but it felt good! Refreshing! I already looked like a scary sight, so I didnt care at that point I was in Orlando! The Disney buzz had definitely kicked in full gear by then, and I was just trying to remember every little detail!
The airport had blocked the part of the walkway we needed (naturally), so we had to go all the way down to one end of the terminal to cross and then walk all the way back through the garage to get to the elevators (which would have been right across the blocked walkway ugh) to go up to the Alamo section of the garage to find our cars.
I was smiling the whole time, you know trying to keep the balance
, while Shawn and Pop Pop were grumbling
.Come on, people! You are the ones who insisted on flying! Our luggage is not going to miraculously appear in our vehicles and be brought to us on a silver platter! Nope, that would be Magical Express! Ha!
(I think that aspect of ME would be a BIG selling point to hubby, by the way). As we exited the elevator, I moved along ahead and saw the signs for the categories. Of course 8 passenger mini-vans, and Flintstone (er, I mean "Compact") cars were nowhere near each other. Figures! Well, we were closest to compact so we decided to go there and dump off the first load of people and luggage! Shawn picked out a snazzy little silver car very sporty! I was like, "Are you sure this is compact?" I was expecting like a Yugo or something! It was cute and sporty-looking! Very nice! Especially for $100 buckaroos!
We dumped as much luggage as we could manage to shove in that little car, and then wheeled ourselves over to the 8 passenger mini-vans with the rest of our junk. Shawn and Michael stayed with the compact car to get Shawns girlfriend all set up inside the car (the TOM TOM navigational system).
I let Emily and Katie pick our mini-van.
Hmmmm .white, white, white, white, white, or sage green?
Choices, choices I nudge them towards the green one (its so light its called silver on the tag, but it is SO clearly not silver ) and they agree that that is indeed THE mini-van they must have!
Yay! Brand new Toyota Sienna with 400 miles on it! (Personally, I thought the green shade might make us stand out more in the parking lot sea of mini-vans in the parks! Turns out not so much LOL)
Looks great! Pop Pop starts loading us up with the rest of the luggage that wouldnt fit in the other car, and Mom gets to work installing the car seat for Katie. Gotta love those Mighty Tights! Easy Peasy!
Pop Pop walks back towards the other car, we climb in our fancy-schmancy new ride and we are off to the world of wonder and excitement!
Well, not so much.
We couldnt figure out how to close the sliding doors!
Then I couldnt figure out how to turn the interior lights on!
We were a comedy of errors and luckily, at this point, we were all laughing hysterically about it!
We finally got it all straightened out, but by now, my step-dad has made his way BACK to our car
wondering what the hold-up was! I just told him, hey man, this is the ladies car
we got it covered
no need to worry
scoot on back to your little man car
shoo
We followed Shawn out of the airport and we were off!
A little sidenote about Shawn and driving in a new place .its not enough for him to rely on mapquest, street signs, or turn by turn directions provided by the rental company to get to the house. Nope. He must have the Enhanced Positioning Technology, the 4.3 widescreen map, and the Voice Address Input that is provided with a TOM TOM navigational unit! He likes to know exactly where his vehicle is in relation to the map on the screen. He must know, at all times, approximately how many miles away he is from his next turn. Just so hes not caught off guard at some point... you know 30 minutes down the road!
Its all about the technology with him!
I poke fun but really I love it too! Its reassuring, especially at night, to have that added confidence that you are indeed going in the right direction! So, thanks hon'
for remembering to bring that little gadget (it wasn't the only time it came in handy!)As we left MCO, you wouldnt believe all the lightning. All I can say is Im glad I wasnt still in an airplane and trying to land right now. They would have had to drag me off the plane in a straight jacket! But on land, it was really beautiful watching it all around us. The girls (and grandmothers) spent the time looking for "not-so-hidden Mickeys on the billboards as we were driving closer to our destination.
About 20 minutes later, we passed our first Disney World sign. Woo-hoo! Shortly after, the sign for our exit! Woo-hoo! The girls were complaining of hunger, and despite the late hour (it was approaching 10:00 at this point) we decided to stop at a drive thru off the main road (192) to get them some grub before getting to the house.
Right next door to the Wendys that we were going to, there was a Walgreens. I dumped Mom off at the Walgreens to get some doughnuts (not Krispy Kreme, but hey they will work) and after getting our Wendys order, we pulled back around to pick her up.
We arrived to the gate of Windsor Hills a little after 10 PM and after Shawn schmoozed with the security guard, pointed back at our car, then turned back to her, then laughed, then kept talking .Ugh...COME ON ALREADY!!! We were given our gate passes for the week and let in the gates!
Can I just say that, even though it was dark and we couldnt see a whole lot of Windsor Hills at that point, we were really impressed with it. It was beautiful! The palm trees, the landscaping, the clubhouse, all very, very nice. A big thumbs up from us!
Our unit was right near the front, so I never did venture further back to see more of the resort, but what I did see, I liked. A lot. Im sure I will be back.
Oh wait...I will be back.
In December.
With my peeps!
LOL! We pulled up to our teeny-tiny driveway and unloaded! We made it! Here are some pictures of the townhouse. These are not mine they are from the rental company, but the house looked exactly like this as we entered (except it was dark out).
Five minutes later it did not look like this. Just sayin....
Our room - it was very large and had a big bathroom:
My Parents Room - it was small but had it's own bath and the color in there was really soothing:
The Kids and MIL's room. Again, had it's own full bath!
The pool:
I attempted to unpack while the kids finished eating their nuggets, and were winding down over all the excitement, but eventually I had to give the un-packing up in return for getting them to settle down and go to sleep. That was not an easy task. Eventually they did, but it was after 11! Yikes! How was that going to affect tomorrow morning?
I talked with my parents for a while about the next day, and then I finished un-packing. Shawn was long asleep by the time I got to this part of the night! I got the kids outfits out for the next day, organized my park bag and their fanny packs and pins, and hit the pillow about 12:30.
My hopes for rope drop were not great but it was our first day we could do it, right?
Thanks for hanging on and reading I promise to have actual pictures in the next installments!
AZMickeyfans
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
- Messages
- 13,765
Great start! If we would have been getting off the plane at the same time we could have had a carryon battle!!!
I cant believe your van price from Alamo. Amazing!
Love the townhouse pictures, even if they weren't yours.
I cant believe your van price from Alamo. Amazing!
Love the townhouse pictures, even if they weren't yours.
mkluvsmickey
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2007
- Messages
- 3,990
Oh no! No doughnuts!
Shawn is rolling along with this cart that he cant even see over 6 suitcases, his carry on, Michaels carry-on, Emily's booster seat, and Katies car seat (which we had checked). Pop Pop was rolling their 3 suitcases and holding his carryon. They looked annoyed. I dont know what men expect I cant pack for four out of five members of our family and get it all in one suitcase!
Video here would be great.....
Shawn and Michael stayed with the compact car to get Shawns girlfriend all set up inside the car (the TOM TOM navigational system).
We couldnt figure out how to close the sliding doors!
Then I couldnt figure out how to turn the interior lights on!
We were a comedy of errors and luckily, at this point, we were all laughing hysterically about it!
Video here would be great too!
Yay for doughnuts! Hope they were yummy!
m sure I will be back.
Oh wait...I will be back.
In December.
With my peeps!
Great update Sara!! Look at you with your handy dandy links - I'm impressed!
You are such a descriptive writer - I feel like I was right there with you!
kaysmommie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2006
- Messages
- 6,861
That townhouse looks great! If it weren't for these great deals Disney resorts are offereing then I would love to stay in Windsor hills. The private plunge pool is very nice too. I have to agree your struggles with all that luagge make ME sound wonderful . I can imagine how hard it was to get the kids settled in after just arriving in Disney . Hoping rope drop happens the next day 
. That is why I did the parks in the AM by oursleves and not with the group .
. I can imagine how hard it was to get the kids settled in after just arriving in Disney . Hoping rope drop happens the next day . That is why I did the parks in the AM by oursleves and not with the group .Great start! If we would have been getting off the plane at the same time we could have had a carryon battle!!!
I cant believe your van price from Alamo. Amazing!
Love the townhouse pictures, even if they weren't yours.
Ooo...a carry-on battle! Are you forgetting that I was packing heat? I had the very suspicious Pop-Tarts in my bag - Strawberry Frosted ones, no less!
Apparently, that makes me "dangerous"! Might not want to mess with me in that battle! I think we did good on our rental rates for the car and the van - I kept looking for cheaper but the closest I could get was still way over $300!
I know! Scary! Where is that Krispy Kreme place at MCO anyway? I saw the dag-um thing on the internet!!!!Oh no! No doughnuts!
Sorry.
Eh, they were ok! Not my beloved KK though.
I second that! Woo-hoo!
Thanks Michelle!
Well, it only took me like 50 attempts before I finally got the links to work! Sad, really.... Thanks for the compliment on my writing...your nice way of saying I drag it out, huh? That townhouse looks great! If it weren't for these great deals Disney resorts are offereing then I would love to stay in Windsor hills. The private plunge pool is very nice too. I have to agree your struggles with all that luagge make ME sound wonderful
Thanks Nichole! The ME thing sounds appealing to me if, for nothing else, the luggage. Shawn would still want a car while we were there though! I guess he could follow the bus to the resort, huh?
Yes, the townhouse was very nice...we enjoyed it and I will definitely look at WH again if/when we stay offsite! I like the houses better, but for our smaller group, the townhouse was perfect. The kids loved the splash pool...that is, until they saw the resort's pool! Stay tuned for rope drop cliffhanger! LOL! Sara
OhioDisneyLover
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2006
- Messages
- 3,648
I was doing a lot of this when I read that you rented a small car for your luggage. I am so bad about packing! DH and I go for 8 nights with 2, yeah 2, huge suitcases EACH and the maximum number of carryon bags allowed. He laughs because we have to get at least a full sized car to accommodate the luggage back and forth!
Enjoying your TR !
when I read that you rented a small car for your luggage. I am so bad about packing! DH and I go for 8 nights with 2, yeah 2, huge suitcases EACH and the maximum number of carryon bags allowed. He laughs because we have to get at least a full sized car to accommodate the luggage back and forth! Enjoying your TR
!I was doing a lot of this
Enjoying your TR
Thanks for reading Lynn! Yes, it does appear that I rented a car just for my luggage!
Well, at least it did get taken out one other time during the trip! My luggage travels in style....little silver sporty style! 
Sara
starrzone
<font color=purple>Quirky with snack cakes<br><fon
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2006
- Messages
- 1,327
I am amazed at your organization skills! Congrats on "herding" kids, parents, and husband through the airport successfully and to the condo! After reading, I am convinced that we need to get my father a TOM TOM for Christmas; without going into detail, I will say that he is NOT a patient person and in past trips we have had some "not-so-golden" family moments whilst trying to make our way around Orlando in a rental car. My parents and brothers are heading to Disney next month without me , so I hope things turn out OK for them (they are staying onsite at CSR this trip, though, and will be able to take advantage of the wonderful Disney road signage! ).
AZMickeyfans
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
- Messages
- 13,765
Ooo...a carry-on battle! Are you forgetting that I was packing heat? I had the very suspicious Pop-Tarts in my bag - Strawberry Frosted ones, no less!
I know! Scary! Where is that Krispy Kreme place at MCO anyway? I saw the dag-um thing on the internet!!!!
Sara
Bring it! I had the same Strawberry Frosted Pop Tarts I kid you NOT. We would have been evenly matched sista!
I think I even had a Cherry box thrown in there. How do you like them apples? Why did I NOT see the Krispy Kreme at MCO? Are we being serious here because you cannot joke about those. They went out of business in Arizona for over a year. I do not take this lightly if I missed it. Luckily they are back in AZ but still. An opportunity missed. sigh.
Thanks for the shoutout! I'm really not that organized at anything other than a Disney trip!
The TOM TOM was great, I will admit. Have you seen the mousesavers.com thing for GPS. I've heard great things about it. We have never used it, but it looks really great for using your GPS to get around within Disney property! Here is the link: http://www.mousesavers.com/gps.htmlBring it! I had the same Strawberry Frosted Pop Tarts I kid you NOT. We would have been evenly matched sista!
Why did I NOT see the Krispy Kreme at MCO? Are we being serious here because you cannot joke about those. They went out of business in Arizona for over a year. I do not take this lightly if I missed it. Luckily they are back in AZ but still. An opportunity missed. sigh.
Drat!
Thwarted once again by the extra box of cherry pop-tarts! But hold the phone...Did you have fruit snacks? I had Lego ones! As far as the KK thing, I saw on the MCO airport website that there was indeed a KK there, but it must not have been in the Southwest terminal.
Sad. Very. Very. Sad. Im just picturing that the doughnuts were probably not right off the conveyor, and therefore would not have been that good. It makes me feel better anyway. Sara
Poohtigeey
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2007
- Messages
- 2,581
LOL! I've been just reading along and it just occured to me that I haven't posted! So sorry Sara. You mean you didn't cruise through and find our December house? I can just picture you all hiking through the parking garage w/ your luggage!LOL. The only reason Shawn wan't you to fly in December is so he doesn't have to share Tom Tom w/ you!! I can't wait to hear about park day 1. Keep it coming. You have 6 weeks to finish.
I can just picture you all hiking through the parking garage w/ your luggage!LOL. The only reason Shawn wan't you to fly in December is so he doesn't have to share Tom Tom w/ you!! I can't wait to hear about park day 1. Keep it coming. You have 6 weeks to finish.
LOL! I've been just reading along and it just occured to me that I haven't posted! So sorry Sara. You mean you didn't cruise through and find our December house?
I was beginning to wonder.... You know what? I couldn't remember where the house was...I should have checked my notes before I went down...drat!
But the resort is great! And so close...like the first exit from Disney and then the first or second turn off the main road! It was really fast to get to the parks! Even with herding 3 small children, a husband, a grandfather, and 2 grandmothers with me! I will be happy to be herdless in December! Yes, you are right...Shawn is very attached to his little "friend"! Should I be worried?
I WILL be stealing her away in December, but I might have to do it under the cover of darkness!
Hey there! Glad to have you come along! I did figure out how to put those handy dandy little links on the 1st page, if you just want to skip to the trip (plus you haven't missed much, LOL, just a plane ride and a trek through the airport!)
Sara
julezdisney
Disney Obsessed
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2008
- Messages
- 2,393
I had read your report @ work the other day, but just now pulled it up to look at the pix (work has pix blocked). That house is gorgeous! I would've lOOOOOOOOOved to have so much room to spread out. That dip pool looks very inviting too.
It was great Julia! We really loved the house and the resort. And it was super close - like 2 miles!
I'm hoping to have another update soon! I've been out of town, and I don't have photopass pics yet (which I really wanted for my 1st park day update) but I'm tempted to just go ahead and start and then add them in later! We'll see!
Sara
Day 2 - October 9, 2008 - EPCOT
Part 1 - Do We Make It For Rope Drop?
I fell asleep close to 1:00 AM on Wednesday night (well, technically Thursday morning) with the alarm set for 5:45! Yikes! But, as is usual with a Disney trip, I had no problemo waking up! My only issue I had was when I first woke up I just didn't feel too good! But hey! There's no time for getting sick at Disney! Not this trip, baby! (We've done that before...and it's just not fun, I gotta tell ya!) 
I hit the shower and got myself somewhat presentable, and by then, I was feeling fine. Then I woke Shawn from the dead and he got ready. I woke the kids about 6:40 and Michael jumped in the shower to "get the sleepies out". He usually wakes up pretty easily. Katie is usually pretty easy to wake up as well, and today was no different.
Emily, on the other hand....well...let's just say...she isn't always a ray of sunshine first thing in the morning!
I'll leave it at that.
Here they are, in all their early morning greatness:
(Emily doesn't look too bad, attitude-wise, in this pic...just trust me when I say, mornings aren't her thing!)
(Michael is ready to go!)
I hear that Grammy is up and moving in her room and I head downstairs to get the kids something in their bellies, by way of the doughnuts we bought last night and the pop-tarts we brought from home! For me....it's all about the coffee! Tip: Bring disposable cups with lids with you to bring coffee in the car, or on the bus...then you can ditch the cup in the trash can outside the park!
I had rented a stroller from www.orlandostrollerrentals.com and she offered to bring it to the house at whatever time was good for us! I asked her to bring it by around 7:30 and at 7:28 we had a knock on the door. She brought the stroller in, showed us how to fold it, left her card (all wrapped up in a pretty ziploc bag with further instructions about where to leave the stroller after we checked out, etc, etc...and tied with a Halloween bow), and she was on her way out a couple minutes later.
The stroller was absolutely fantastic - I cannot say enough good things about this company. They will deliver the stroller to your house or hotel and are much cheaper than Disney. The stroller itself was fantastic - easy to push, great coverage from the sun, plus it folded in a cinch - so easy. We saved 1/2 of what we would have paid for the Disney double stroller! I will most certainly use them again.
Grandmommy, Pop Pop, Grammy, and Shawn all made their way into the kitchen and grabbed some doughnuts and I gave out my "trip buttons" that I made using a "fall" design I saw on a fellow DISser/TGMer's trip report. It said "Fall into the Magic"and has Mickey and Minnie sitting in the leaves with the castle in the background. Here's a copy of the button:
I pinned mine on my green bag!
My mom had some Disney $ she gave the kids and we were on our way a little after 8:00. Woo-hoo! My goal was 8:15! Here are the kids waiting to go:
Katie looking out the door (I think the stroller lady was leaving...)
Emily wanted a "side" ponytail! Don't know why...
We loaded up in our Sienna (no problem with the doors this time) and in short order we made our two turns and were headed under the Disney sign. The kids were so excited to see it and as we got closer we chanted "not in Disney, not in Disney" (like my bud Michelle does ) and at the last possible second, Shawn stuck his hand way up in the dash to say he was the 1st into Disney! No fair! Because of this, I have no picture of the sign, but he made up for it later by taking a really nice one, so I'll post that pic later!
Another thing I absolutely love about getting to the parks early are the empty roads as you are headed in! I love pulling up to the parking lot attendants' booth, and seeing that great big old empty parking lot in front of me! I got an AP for this trip since I thought I might be able to save some money with the DDE card (oh, excuse me...Tables In Wonderland...whatever ) so one of the perks of the AP, is free parking, so I flashed my voucher and she waved me on in! Woo-hoo! $12 saved and it's not even 8:30 yet! Love it!
We parked and walked towards our destination....the Epcot turnstiles!!
Here is the stroller:
Here is our view! Cue the Hallelujah music!
Here is Shawn's view:
Here is my view (think Grammy looks tired already...)
She wasn't...I just caught her with a bad expression on her face!
First off, I had to exchange my "fake" AP (the voucher) for the genuine real deal AP! Plus, I wanted to get Katie's Birthday Button!
The lines were definitely forming at the turnstiles, and so I told my parents and MIL to take the kids and go to the far right where no people were standing, and to line up behind a turnstile...people or not. Shawn and I headed to the ticket booth to handle the AP and button.
Up next...finding our group (did they follow my advice)...followed by the first pouting of the trip!
Part 1 - Do We Make It For Rope Drop?
I fell asleep close to 1:00 AM on Wednesday night (well, technically Thursday morning) with the alarm set for 5:45!
Yikes! But, as is usual with a Disney trip, I had no problemo waking up! My only issue I had was when I first woke up I just didn't feel too good! But hey! There's no time for getting sick at Disney! Not this trip, baby! (We've done that before...and it's just not fun, I gotta tell ya!) I hit the shower and got myself somewhat presentable, and by then, I was feeling fine. Then I woke Shawn from the dead and he got ready. I woke the kids about 6:40 and Michael jumped in the shower to "get the sleepies out". He usually wakes up pretty easily. Katie is usually pretty easy to wake up as well, and today was no different. Emily, on the other hand....well...let's just say...she isn't always a ray of sunshine first thing in the morning!
I'll leave it at that. Here they are, in all their early morning greatness:
(Emily doesn't look too bad, attitude-wise, in this pic...just trust me when I say, mornings aren't her thing!)
(Michael is ready to go!)
I hear that Grammy is up and moving in her room and I head downstairs to get the kids something in their bellies, by way of the doughnuts we bought last night and the pop-tarts we brought from home! For me....it's all about the coffee! Tip: Bring disposable cups with lids with you to bring coffee in the car, or on the bus...then you can ditch the cup in the trash can outside the park!
I had rented a stroller from www.orlandostrollerrentals.com and she offered to bring it to the house at whatever time was good for us! I asked her to bring it by around 7:30 and at 7:28 we had a knock on the door.
She brought the stroller in, showed us how to fold it, left her card (all wrapped up in a pretty ziploc bag with further instructions about where to leave the stroller after we checked out, etc, etc...and tied with a Halloween bow), and she was on her way out a couple minutes later. The stroller was absolutely fantastic - I cannot say enough good things about this company. They will deliver the stroller to your house or hotel and are much cheaper than Disney. The stroller itself was fantastic - easy to push, great coverage from the sun, plus it folded in a cinch - so easy. We saved 1/2 of what we would have paid for the Disney double stroller! I will most certainly use them again.
Grandmommy, Pop Pop, Grammy, and Shawn all made their way into the kitchen and grabbed some doughnuts and I gave out my "trip buttons" that I made using a "fall" design I saw on a fellow DISser/TGMer's trip report. It said "Fall into the Magic"and has Mickey and Minnie sitting in the leaves with the castle in the background. Here's a copy of the button:
I pinned mine on my green bag!
My mom had some Disney $ she gave the kids and we were on our way a little after 8:00. Woo-hoo! My goal was 8:15! Here are the kids waiting to go:
Katie looking out the door (I think the stroller lady was leaving...)
Emily wanted a "side" ponytail! Don't know why...
We loaded up in our Sienna (no problem with the doors this time) and in short order we made our two turns and were headed under the Disney sign.
The kids were so excited to see it and as we got closer we chanted "not in Disney, not in Disney" (like my bud Michelle does ) and at the last possible second, Shawn stuck his hand way up in the dash to say he was the 1st into Disney! No fair! Because of this, I have no picture of the sign, but he made up for it later by taking a really nice one, so I'll post that pic later! Another thing I absolutely love about getting to the parks early are the empty roads as you are headed in! I love pulling up to the parking lot attendants' booth, and seeing that great big old empty parking lot in front of me! I got an AP for this trip since I thought I might be able to save some money with the DDE card (oh, excuse me...Tables In Wonderland...whatever
) so one of the perks of the AP, is free parking, so I flashed my voucher and she waved me on in! Woo-hoo! $12 saved and it's not even 8:30 yet! Love it! We parked and walked towards our destination....the Epcot turnstiles!!
Here is the stroller:
Here is our view! Cue the Hallelujah music!
Here is Shawn's view:
Here is my view (think Grammy looks tired already...)
She wasn't...I just caught her with a bad expression on her face! First off, I had to exchange my "fake" AP (the voucher) for the genuine real deal AP! Plus, I wanted to get Katie's Birthday Button!
The lines were definitely forming at the turnstiles, and so I told my parents and MIL to take the kids and go to the far right where no people were standing, and to line up behind a turnstile...people or not. Shawn and I headed to the ticket booth to handle the AP and button.
Up next...finding our group (did they follow my advice)...followed by the first pouting of the trip!
jeremysdisneymom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2008
- Messages
- 1,956
Yipee!!! Another Sara Report. Yours are by far are the best I have read on the Dis. Boy, this will get me through the next four weeks! Yes, that's right, 28 days from now we will be landing in Orlando! Can hardly wait for the next installment!
Erika
kaysmommie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2006
- Messages
- 6,861
Your off to a good start on your Epcot day. Everyone looks so happy in the pics, especially Michael. I love the outfits on the kids, did you make them? The girls outfits are just so adorable!
I just realized, this is my 5000 post
I just realized, this is my 5000 post
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