"You can't do it in two days," you say? "Wrong!" says I.

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Resort: Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort
Arrival: Sunday, August 23, 2009
Departure: Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The Brave Travelers

Me (37): This was my ninth trip to WDW, the seventh staying on property. I am a teacher (if my userid didn’t give that away), and I taught summer school and professional development courses over the summer. My only “vacation” was a family trip to the Dayton Airshow.

DW (39): I’m guessing this was my wife’s ninth trip as well; I know it was our sixth trip together. She also works at the school, but as a case manager for pregnant and parenting teens. Unlike teachers, she doesn’t have the summer off. Her “vacation” was a week as a camp counselor at church camp.


The Occasion
We usually take a short trip to celebrate our anniversary, which is July 26. A typical trip might be a weekend in Pittsburgh or New York. This year, my wife was at camp and I was working, so we had to delay our trip. We decided to take a trip to HERSHEYPARK in August. I started to put together a budget, and it turns out that HERSHEYPARK would actually cost MORE than a trip to WDW! With our DVC membership, annual passes, the quick service dining plan and Southwest Airlines, we could enjoy a trip to our favorite destination.

The catch? We could only go for two nights.

I called member services and made a reservation for Aug. 23 – 25 at Saratoga Springs Resort in a studio accommodation. I also arranged for childcare through various relatives.


The Burning Question…
Is it possible for two adults to actually accomplish anything at WDW on a two night, three-day trip at the end of August?
Read on, friends.

Coming Up Next: The Bird Is the Word

 

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Day One

BWI to MCO
We left our home in Altoona, PA at 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Our flight departed at 8:00 a.m. from BWI. The trip took three hours from our door to the long-term lot at BWI.

We were able to park across from the shuttle bus stop. A bus picked us up in less than five minutes. After making stops at each station, we were off to the terminal, about a five minute drive.

After checking our bags at the Southwest kiosk, we were quickly through security and headed towards our gate. When I looked at my watch, it was only 6:30; we had plenty of time to grab something to eat. Given the choices at BWI, we decided on McDonald’s. You can’t go wrong with an Egg McMuffin!

After breakfast we sat near our gate and watched the departing planes. The gate worker called for the A group to line up at about 7:40. Holding A 30 and 31, we obeyed. We ended up in a row right in front of the port engine.
The full 737 pushed back at 8:00 a.m. and was in the air five minutes later.

Arrival at MCO
After an uneventful flight, we touched down in Orlando at 10:20 a.m. The monorail to the landside terminal arrived just as we reached the concourse. After reaching the terminal, we headed down to the Magical Express desk.

Disney’s Magical Express
We last used Magical Express in July 2007. The process was slightly different. After a CM verified that we had our DME travel voucher book, we were directed immediately to the red carpet. Two CMs checked our vouchers, verified our information, and sent us to the correct line.
The CM at the end of the line verified our destination and sent us out to the coach.

When we got outside, another CM told us that the SSR bus wasn’t there yet. Huh? After a few minutes the CM determined that our bus was a few bays down, not directly in front of the doors. No problem.

We boarded the bus and enjoyed the air conditioning. The bus left MCO at 10:40 a.m., only 20 minutes after we touched down. Not bad at all!
The trip to SSR took about 20 minutes. We were in the Carriage House lobby at 11:10 a.m.

Coming Up Next: Online or In Line? Checking in at SSR