Wilma, forgotten suitcases & cruising October 2005 ""Finally Completed"

[Bee]

So, it was the night before we left. As I have stated before we own a small town bar, and we had Karaoke that night Oct. 21. I had gotten up at 7am and been working on the bar, last minute errands and such. Had girls and my hair cut and then opened the bar. DH was still out of town but hoping to be home by 12am. Recieved a call from him, he was on his way to pick up my dry cleaning and failed to stop behind a car. He ran into a lady, no one hurt but she demanded the police to come. DH fuming because the dry cleaners said they would stay and wait for him after they closed. He ran into a lady who had a old car with lots of wear and tear, 3 missing hub caps, she jumped out of her car kicked around a little and bent over to see what damage was done to her car. Then, she said, I have whip lash. DH is saying I will sign something.. just let me go.. I am going on vacation. Needless, to say he didnt get home from his business trip till about 1am.

Now, I have still not slept and we havent packed. Ok, so we get the bar cleared out by 2am. DH brings in our suitcases, and the packing begins. Not very organized mind you. He isnt feeling well so he relaxes and helps some with the packing. We are outta here on way to the airport at 3:45am.

We get to the airport, flights are good. Plane leaves on time at 6:05am.
We get to Dallas change planes. Everything is going so smoothly. Car accident forgotten we are going to Disney for goodness sake.

We land in Orlando, walking thru the airport I feel bad for the people I see leaving with all their Disney goods. So, glad I am just beginning.. Not wanting to think about the fact that will be me in just a few short days.

We go to get our rental car. Get a little lost on the way to ASMo, streets are not marked well enough on Disney property IMO. We go to check in, have to wait a little while. Get to our room with all 3 pieces of luggage. Hmm... I think I will change before we go to dinner at Chef Mickey's. Now, where is my suitcase. I know I packed it.. hmmm.. Call home to my assistant manager.. Will you please run up and check to see if my suitcase is still in my bedroom... Oh it is... great.. right next to my bed at home.. Awesome!
Did I let this ruin my night? NO WAY. Let just go with the flow.. They will overnight it to me on Monday, this is now only Saturday.. I will have it on Tuesday. GREAT!

So, we drive to the Contemporary. (dont penalize me for spelling). We valet park go to Chef Mickey's. Food is just ok.. but we were there for the characters anyway. We do a little shopping.. then monorail to the Magic Kingdom! OMG we are at Disney World. We are able to practically walk on to most of the rides. What an awesome start to our vacation. We get back to the room... and after over a day and a half.. I am going to sleep around midnight. We closed down Magic Kingdom and took monorail back to Contemp. Got our car.. no charge to valet due to DH disability.

More to come.... day 2 Wilma decides to come out and play with us.

Bee

 

[MazdaUK]

No suitcase - nightmare

(BTW you spelled contemporary correctly!)

More more!

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

I would have panicked without my luggage.

 

[cindermomma]

Bee-thanks for the great trip report. OT-I live about 20 minutes from you in Hooper and just went to your website for your bar/cafe. Me and DH will be getting over there one of these weekends! The food sounds great!

 

[Bee]

Sunday October 23rd.

I am up and ready in DH clothes since mine are still in Nebraska .
I work on getting the crew up. Finally, we are up and at em. We are off to Animal Kingdom. We open the park, get to watch the opening. Have picture taken with photo pass. Off to the safari. Awesome, walk right on. We have our first Mickey Bar. Yum.. Then we ride Dinasour and the Raft ride.. It is so not crowded that they let us stay on the raft ride as long as we want. We decided twice was enough. Saw Devine.. she was so cool... she made a tunnel with herself and let a man with a baby carriage walk under her. Weather was still pleasant. We then go shopping at DTD and eat at Planet Hollywood. We spent way too much money and later I find my 10% discount card.. we never used.. DH still brings this up. We run (drive) back to ASMO and get ready for MNSSHP. We drive over to the Contemporary and valet park again. We go to monorail and we get to sit up front. How Cool. .

We get to MK and it is around 5-6pm. We ride Splash and Big Thunder multiple times.. Then we decide to do a little Christmas Ornament shopping.. While we are in there... It begins to rain. I was so smart.. before we left I bought poncho's... but, the poncho's are in our room... Rain Poncho's all around. Several people leave. It has gotten cold. We wonder from ride to ride.. never finding the place to have our pictures taken. We ride Space Mountain several times.. It is around 9-10pm. We decide to give up. Oh we did eat dinner at Casey's. On our way out.. they are trying to do the fireworks. We stay and they do the fireworks thru light rain.. We again decide after.. tis time to leave.. what is this.. they are setting up for the parade.. ok, so we get a bench by the front of the park.. parade is delayed but they finally are able to do it.. I understand it is much shorter than normal.. But, cool anyway. We get back to our room and there are announcements that only Epcot and MK will open on Monday when the storm passes. Good, because Monday was our Epcot day anyway.

Wilma did do a lot of damage to Southern Florida but Orlando made it thru. My girls were really excited, when we left MNSSHP they gave them several handfulls of candy.. Back to Contemp to get the car. The last time they let us do that.. more on that later.

Thank you all for being patient with me... just have been really busy since getting back.. and once I write these reports up.. vacation will really be over.. so, stay tuned.. we still have Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.. then we go to sea. AWESOME!!

Tomorrow... eldest DD becomes a Pin trader and one o'clock opening of Epcot!!

 

[MazdaUK]

later I find my 10% discount card.. we never used.. DH still brings this up.

This is the sort of thing I do - whenever I clear out my handbag there's always loads of "money off" coupons!

My DH would still be bringing up unused discount card after years

 

[Bee]

Monday.. wake up.. it is quite windy and still rainy. I go and get breakfast for the crew from the ASMO cafeteria. We work on getting somethings organized. Parks are not open yet. More shopping in gift shop. I still dont have my clothes... Side note.. went to Wal-mart last night. They have no shorts! They have the same things in their stores that I have in the middle of Nebraska. They have WINTER clothes.. AMAZING. We are already tired of the multiple tolls we pay to get anywhere.

Find out that MK and Epcot will open at 1pm. We are among the 1st 200 in the park. We go on the ride that takes you thru the communications.. Then off to MISSION SPACE. I am very aware of the things I read and tell my family over and over again.. Do not close your eyes.. Keep your head straight.

No one in my party have any problems.. This is where we screw up.. We go shopping.. We didnt use our time wisely... first and only major meltdown coming... watch for it...

We go over to the land. We get into the building... take elevator down due to DH being in an ECV. WHAT Soarin' has an 80 minute wait. I am sooo upset.. I say somethings my family doesnt appreciate. My DH says he is never coming back due to my bad attitude.. Luckily, I gain my composure quickly. We decide to skip Soarin' cause we rode in Disneyland 2 yrs ago.

We leave and I think due to the fact that several people wont come to their Priority Seatings... I want to swap San Angel Inn for Le Cellier. We go to World Showcase.. I drop into Canada and ask if we can eat there. It is around 3pm. They say.. shouldnt be a problem come back at 5pm.

We watch Off Kilter, go to England.. see Pooh and the gang. Just hang out.. go back to Canada at 4:45pm. NO WE CANNOT eat here.

We basically rush back around they World.. We have 6:15 reservations San Angel Inn. Oh, another sidenote.. I was at Epcot when I was 22yrs old.. I didnt take my id with me... so my maiden name is Becker... and I want a beer in Germany.. No go... no id no beer... SO, now I stop in Germany and have a beer and a pretzel.. Funny, no one asks for my id.. . I guess I look like all of my 38 years. I call my mom... "mom, guess where I am?" "where?" " I am in Germany having a beer and a pretzel." She laughs.. so it took 16 yrs almost and I finally had that beer in Germany.

About now, my eldest DD has discovered Pin Trading.. she is itching to trade.. Some nice CM explains to her what pins only CM'S get and they are not sold to the public. My DD is so into it.. the rest of the trip we are buying and trading pins. My youngest decides to do it also about a day or 2 after the first. I just want to take a moment to say those CM's are awesome. No matter what they are doing, they stop to Pin Trade. We also noticed that they were trying to point out the special pins also, by a tap.. not really being overly obvious.

Ok, so we work our way around the world, ride the few rides and eat at San Angel Inn.. Way too much food.

We leave and find ourselves a place in front of the Lagoon for Illuminations.. We are at least an hour early.. We take turns saving our places while some of us explore.

We meet some people from the Midwest by accident and we enjoy the show.. It is really quite chilly for Florida.. we are not as warmly dressed as some. The show was awesome and we left after, back to the ASMO. I decide this is a good night for hot chocolate.. hmmm.. what would be good in hot chocolate.. a shot of bailey's.. $7.50 for 1 shot.. needless to say this is the only night I have hot chocolate.

We get a good nights sleep and tomorrow we have CRT for breakfast!!

See you then!

Bee

 

[tiki23]

Thanks for sharing your adventures with us, Bee. What a rollercoaster you were on even before your trip! And wow, you're my hero; I would have had a major meltdown without my suitcase - you handled it like a trooper!

Can't wait for the rest of your report.

 

[MazdaUK]

I found cute hello kitty shorts in Japan in Epcot - way short for parkwear though, but DH loves them

 

[PaMom001]

I would be needing some serious alcohol by the time I hit Orlando.

 

[Del]

This is funny.....

Del

 

[Bee]

Get the troops up. We are running behind. DH decides we will park at the Contemp and monorail over. It is about 9:20am and our CRT reservations are for 10:10am. We go up to the Contemp.. a guard.. never been a guard before.. We tell him a white lie.. We have breakfast at Chef Mickey's.. He looks for our name and tells us we do have breakfast, but it is not at Chef Mickey's.. Oh... really.. where is it ? Oh, it is at MK.. We cant park here we have to park over there. They know everything!

We then leave there and park at the TTC. Monorail over it is getting close to 10am.. Dang.. I dont want to be late. We get into the park. Rush to the Castle. Breakfast was good.. but again, we were there for the princesses.

After breakfast we get the girls their Golden Ears. We get our picture taken with Photopass.. this is the last picture we will see... Seems photopass has lost our others.

This is where I discover how magical the Magic Kingdom really is.. We are in front of the MK and we are watching Cinderellabration. DH is busy taking pictures of what is going on in front of the castle.. I look right in front of me.. What is this.. my 2 DD are holding each other and pointing things out to each other. THAT is the PICTURE I WANT. I nudge DH.. he takes a series of pictures.. This is what just about brings tears to my eyes.. My girls love each other but, they also fight ALOT. This is the moment that I realize that all we have been thru to get here has been worth everything it has cost us.. That is the MOMENT. .

After, this we leave and go to Epcot for awhile. Tour the World Showcase.. more Pin Trading.. Awesome!

I believe we ran back to the room..My suitcase came in..!!

Go change clothes.. oh, when I was at the counter getting my suitcase, a young man was trying to get his room changed.. He was a newlywed, had his grooms ears and all on. He told me they put him and his new wife in a room with 2 double beds.. He said that was not cutting it .

I wished him luck and I was on my way. After changing clothes it was off to Fort Wilderness to the Hoop De Doo Revue. We met a nice family there. It was also here that those Magic Moments at MK were almost forgotten. You ever have one of those moments that you wish the ground would open up and swallow you whole. Well, my eldest dd said something she should never have said to our youngest dd.. Youngest dd repeated very loudly what eldest dd had said. It was really something she should have never said. I wanted to die right there. My beautifull dd's were overly tired or something but, they were just acting crazy. The same kids that I have been so proud of this entire trip. Eldest DD would get up and give her seat away on the monorail to an elder, and now they were acting like this.. The other family seemed to take it in stride. There 2 DD were now in their 20's and one of them had her husband with her... I think they had been where I was and done that before.. Probably shocked me more than them. Anyway, off to have the picture taken.. DD's now dont want to have anything to do with each other.. I offered to buy other peoples pictures.. Since, didnt appear mine were going to be very good. About that time, I threatened oldest dd with no more pin trading unless she smiled and hugged her sister. That worked. Bought the picture.

Into, Hoop De Doo. Very good food, very cute show. Daughters took tons of pictures. Met some people from Canada. I was playing with them on ride back to our car.. They got kind of snarky. I was just playing about the eh thing.. They said we americans always say huh.. They said eh sounds better, eh? .. DH said I had a little too much sangria. .

I dont know what they thought of me really, but again I was just playing with them.. We are at WDW and I was really, really, happy.

Back to the room. Night, night. Tomorrow. MGM day and last day at parks before we go cruising! Major magic time tomorrow.!!

 

[MazdaUK]

looking forward to major magic time!!

 

[VanniGirl]

Happy to hear your luggage arrived

Looking forward to the next installment!

 

[Bee]

Ok where was I.... oh yes, Wednesday Oct 26th.
So, today is MGM day. We get up, go to the park. We walk right onto Tower of Terror and go over to Rock n Roll.. Ride RNR twice. Then off to see the parks. I am doing this from memory so, be patient.

Ok, so we go to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Tried all the tricks, we didnt even get on the board. Ate lunch at the ABC Comm. Got more pins for trading. Talked the DVC guy for awhile.. DH wanted to go to the spiel. I didnt want to waste the time. I know it sounds great.. I also know we dont have the money.

We ride the behind the scene tour. We find the umbrella that rains. We go back to Who wants to be a Mil... For some reason we smell smoke and they have to cancel the rest of the show after one contestant.

It is getting late around 5 or 6.. lol

So, we decide to go back to the room... Here comes the Magic.. My DH and youngest DD want to laze around.. I know it is EMH night at Magic Kingdom... oldest DD and I go back to Magic Kingdom at 8 and stay til midnight. Dh drops us off and off we go. How awesome to spend some alone time in this place with my first born. We also have a mission. She promised younger dd that she will do some pintrading for her.. She wants to find special Cinderella's for her little sister.. AWWWW!

We go to just before the bridge and watch the beginning of the fireworks... she wants to see Tink fly! Her favorite!! Mission accomplished.. We still have 2 counter service meals left on our dining plan.. So, back to Casey's for hot dogs.

I let her decide what we were going to do... This is a time when nothing was planned and I was probably the most relaxed mom.. I have ever been!


This is a time that we shared that when my first born is a mom herself she will never forget these few short hours she had her mom to herself in this wonderful place... I was not stressed, I was a kid at heart. We rode the mountains.. we rode Haunted Mansion.. We rode Pirates.

I wasnt thinking about bills, or my business, or what will happen next.. It was all about the moment. AWESOME!!

We talked to several people from the UK.. they were on holiday and they were everywhere. It was such a pleasure to visit with these people. My DH wants to travel to Europe someday... but I think the farthest I will ever go is the World Showcase .

We closed down the park and we rode the Disney Transportation back to ASMO.

We got back to the room and our other family members were sound asleep.

Tomorrow we go cruising!!!!

Thanks for reading, Bee

 

[fabumouse]

Oh good luck!

 

[MazdaUK]

What a great way to spend special time with DD! (Much better than just setting time to help with schoolwork etc.)

What countries in Europe does your DH want to visit? Some of the newer members of the EU like Estonia and the Czech Republic are still not too expensive, but the UK is very expensive unless you have a strong dollar (expect to pay in £ what you're used to paying in $, except for petrol (gas) which is four times the price). Just don't expect them to be exactly like the World Showcase - how typical is the USA bit of America in general?

 

[Bee]

What countries in Europe does your DH want to visit? Some of the newer members of the EU like Estonia and the Czech Republic are still not too expensive, but the UK is very expensive unless you have a strong dollar (expect to pay in £ what you're used to paying in $, except for petrol (gas) which is four times the price). Just don't expect them to be exactly like the World Showcase - how typical is the USA bit of America in general? [/QUOTE]

Well as you know America is the Melting Pot.. We both have European ancestors. I am German, Italian, Swedish, Irish, Welsh.. So, it would be fun to go see several countries. I was joking about the World Showcase. But, it is a little (very little) taste of several countries. I am not very adventurous and am leary when I leave the soil of my homeland.. I am trying to get better. We will probably travel when our girls are older and out on their own. However, I took only German in highschool and I cant speak it well and I have no idea how to speak the other languages. I struggle with English ..

Thanks for the input, Bee

 

[fabumouse]

I spent a day of our trip with my DD4, just doing what she wanted, and it was the best time. With no plans, I was happy to ride her favorites over and over. Boy, am I thankful for fastpass!

What a great trip report.

 

[cindermomma]

How awesome! I have a DS5 and I love our moments together! Thanks for the great report!