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Old 12-13-2011, 08:57 AM   #1
cindybelle
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The Best (Re)Laid Plans December TR

Original Title: The March "Twins" Get Merry TR

Intended Participants:
My dear friend Judy and me. We've called each other "Twin" ever since we discovered we have the same birthday (different years). Judy and I worked together at Western Union in the Credit Card Money Order Department from 1980-1985.

Dear -- if you were born after 1985, you need not chime in here -- oh, go ahead; I don't mind!

Where: Wilderness Lodge

When: December 5 (Walt's 110th birthday) to December 10

Why: So many reasons. Why these dates is because I could get a fabulous room rate via Schedule | Reunion 2011 and Mouse Fan Travel.

Why the March Twins: Judy lost her dear husband John this spring after years of being his caregiver. At the visitation, she introduced me to several people as a Disney nut (hey, I’ve been called worse ). At one point, Judy said, “You know, I’d like to get down to Orlando sometime to see the Harry Potter stuff at Universal.”

Me: “I would love to do that as well, but when I fly solo the metal plate in my head keeps me at Disney World the whole time. If the two of us went together, I bet we could tug me out of there for a trip to see Harry -- as long as you're willing to spend some days at WDW with me."


Judy: “You would DO that?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!”


Me:


Judy:


Me:


And so the planning began. Judy has had a few health issues over the years and doesn’t move as fast as she used to, so I listed a few attractions at each park that I thought she and I could enjoy together. We made lunch and dinner ressies for lingering over table-service meals, etc. It was going to be perfect.


What happened: Judy called me Sunday morning, the day before our scheduled flight. She was close to tears. “Cindy, I have a fever and a scratchy throat. I don’t think I can go.”


We spoke again that afternoon, and I called her the next morning. She was still feverish and now had a dreadful headache. We were both so disappointed, and she felt horrible to leave me in the lurch.



She said, “I hope you’ll still have a good time” and I said, “Judy, I don’t know how NOT to have a good time at Disney World.” I promised that we would visit Harry and Mickey together sometime in 2012, and that I certainly wouldn’t see Harry without her.

Thank goodness we had booked Southwest Airlines, so Judy can use her cancelled flight on our future trip to Orlando. So the only money she might be out would be for the 6-day Parkhopper Pass that we had prepaid via Mouse Fan Travel. I called Stephanie at Mouse Fan on my way to the airport and she said she’d see what she could do.

Now, fellow Disney and to all my dear – you can imagine how I scrambled to change our fabulous Twinny Trip to a Solo Trip. Could I do it? Well, can I spell M-I-C-K-E-Y? You bet I can!


We had scheduled an 11:20am flight for Monday, which was nice because (for once) I didn’t have to get up before dawn and rush to the airport. I’m really glad about that now – it meant I started the trip feeling pretty relaxed and rested – and it gave me a chance to throw some last-minute things into my bags.

Unfortunately, I’d had the Disney’s Magical Express (DME) luggage tags sent to Judy (because I wanted her to get that cute envelope with the characters traveling the Monorail). But as I assured Judy that morning, I knew Disney would take care of me.

On the flight, I got the second row aisle seat and enjoyed chatting with an elderly married couple – a retired principal and biology teacher who went into financial planning & real estate (respectively) after retiring from teaching. She had a stroke a few years ago but with physical therapy and a cane is able to get around pretty well. They’ve been to every continent (Antartica being her favorite!!! ) – and they visit WDW every other December and have a timeshare barely outside the parks.

2:35pm: Arrived at Orlando airport. Of course DME took my luggage tag and assured me that I’d find my suitcase in my room that night, and of course they whisked me off to Wilderness Lodge (WL) – we arrived a bit after 4:00pm.


The sky in St. Louis had been grey with the hint of snowflakes to come (no accumulation) -- it was 32 when I left at 11:20am.









Orlando was already 80 when I arrived. Disney's Magical Express was whisking me to the Happy Place!







Could this be -- yes, it's the entrance to Wilderness Lodge! Oh Judy, how I wanted you to see this!












And here is the sight I'd promised Judy as I checked us in. Sorry, Judy -- photos will have to suffice for now!








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__________________
My Previous TripsWDW March 1975 (first visit when I turned 20. Space Mountain was brand new--what a blast!), 1979, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1999 (solo/Herzogs), 2005 (Disneyland's and my 50th bdays -- four of us acted like 5-year-olds! - CSR/AKL), Dec. 2005 chick trip (CSR), solo Feb 2009, Passporters May 2009 (ASMo), Feb 2010 Solo/Sheri (BW), Oct 2010 MNSSHP (Poly), Dec 2010 MVMCP (WL), Mar 2011 GF, Dec 2011 WL, Feb 2012 AKL/BC, Nov 2012 AKL/PC Dreams Take Flight, Apr 2013 w/Sheri & Nora, Nov 2013 w/Sheri & Dreams Take Flight, Feb 2014 Sheri, May 2014 Nora, June 2014 SHRM & Sheri, Nov 2014 Dreams Take Flight w/Sheri & Diane, Dec 2014 Nora, Feb 2015 Sheri, Nov 2015 Dreams Take Flight w/Sheri, Dec 2015 weekend w/Nora ---- Disneyland June 2006

Last edited by cindybelle; 12-13-2011 at 09:01 AM..
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