Tikibird's Whirlwind Weekend at WDW - Completed! - ASMu 12/12-12/15 2002 About This Page:

[Irenaroo]

Can't wait to hear about it. I'm very jealous of your solo trip. It won't happen for me anytime soon. Anxiously waiting....

[DebiDebiDebi]

A GMM is a "great mind moment" or so I am told... [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[disneyjessi]

I don't handle suspense well...tell!!! I leave Friday at 3am, will I know by then?? Love the pictures! It looks like you had a blast!

Jessi [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[Teddysmom]

I can't wait to hear your moment. Write, write soon.

Irenaroo-what about a trip for two tired Mommies who are just extending thier Disney Store visits a little farther south. Well the Braintree store doesn't have it so we have to go to DTD? I didn't think so.

[Bert & Sully]

Ok Sandy it's the weekend [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] . Cough it up! Where's the rest of your trip report? [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[DVC_Don]

Well? [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[tikibird]

Sorry - crashed on Monday, appt. on Tuesday, dinner w/friends on Wednesday and Youth Group Christmas Party last night. I dropped off the pictures tonight, and will get them tomorrow. Will try to figure out what in the world Chris did to the scanner [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img] and get started on the report tomorrow.

[DVC_Don]

This is the longest TR thread I've ever seen where the TR hasn't even started. [img]graemlins/puter.gif[/img] You have a following Tikibird. [img]graemlins/wavin.gif[/img]

[AKLRULZ]

Originally posted by Disnydad:
This is the longest TR thread I've ever seen where the TR hasn't even started. [img]graemlins/puter.gif[/img] You have a following Tikibird. [img]graemlins/wavin.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS, Arial">Dang! I saw the number of replies and thought surely there was another installment - just the Tiki fan club though! We're ready! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Elliot'sDragon]

Well I guess everyone is going to go for the bait, thinking our beloved TR moderator has gotten around to getting her report done. I can relate to being busy.

[Bert & Sully]

Hey quit worrying about the pictures lady! We want the goods [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] .

[tikibird]

Day One – Thursday, December 12, 2002 - Departure!

Wow, I had waited a whole WEEK for this trip! I know that I had decided no more trips till December 2003, but a need to get away for a bit, an annual pass that expired 12/16, mattjs posting that the WL Christmas tree was up and looking good, and finding out that Jennifer and Dave, and some RADPers were going to be in WDW were irresistible one the airfare dropped to $138!

I called Andy and said “How dead would I be if I went to Florida next weekend?” After a few unmentionable replies he said – “Well, I guess that could be your Christmas gift. We’ll talk about it tonight.” Now, that definitely was NOT a “no” so the airfare was booked 30 seconds later!
[img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

I had to scramble to get my hotel room, but fortunately got a room at ASMu after two calls to CRO for $49/night (which was perfect, since I spent about 5-6 hours per night sleeping in it and that was it). Car through the Emerald Club at National, as I knew I would need every minute I could to do what I wanted to, and didn’t want to rely on the buses. Called and bought my tickets for the Candlelight Processional (Biergarten for dinner) and MVMCP, both on the 13th. Made a PS for the Fantasmic dinner package (Hollywood and Vine for dinner) for the 14th and a PS for Boma for breakfast on the 15th, and I was ready to go!

I do not believe I was very productive at work on the 12th! I parked my car in the building where I work, as I have a lease there. I had decided to leave it there for the weekend, and take the airport flyer to the airport ($2.25!), as I don’t like driving the Parkway at night, and knew I would be pretty trashed when I got home on Sunday night. Got to work at 7:00 a.m. and did the best I could to keep my mind on work, but people keep stopping by my office, where I had my suitcase with me, and saying “What will you do there by yourself?” I kept replying “Whatever I want to!” I was anxiously awaiting being able to go wherever I wanted, eat whatever I wanted, and not answer to anyone for anything in my favorite place to vacation! I was an only child for 15 years until my brother was born, some I am quite comfortable with my own company.

After what seems like forever, 3:20 p.m. rolls around. I gather up my suitcase and my carryon and take the elevator downstairs, cross the street, and wait at the bus stop. As I arrive at the stop, a sign says the stop has moved, but many people are standing there, so I ask a man by me if it was still a stop. He replies that it is. This sends the young woman behind me, completely arrayed in Gothic attire into a fit of laughter. Perhaps it was my Disneyland jacket that set her off? Anyway, she continued to break into these sporadic laughing fits, until her bus arrived. I think she just needs a trip to Disney World! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

The bus, which is a small-shuttle-type affair, showed up around 10 minutes later. I had to struggle to lift my suitcase onto it (okay, I pack way too much stuff!), but get on to see that it is packed, and I have to put my luggage in the aisle and stand, hanging on for dear life! However, I don’t care; I’m on my way to see the Mouse! We start off and I realize that it is approximately ninety degrees on the bus, so I am soon shedding my Disneyland Jacket. I feel like I am on my first attraction – Big Thunder Mountain Ninety Degree Bus! The next thing I know, my cell phone is blaring “It’s a Small World” which normally annoys me (but it is the only Disney Park tune I could find for the ringer). I struggle to hang on, and answer the phone, but am finally able to. It’s Andy, aka The Food Police. He wants to know what I plan on doing and then “What are you going to eat?” [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img] I gleefully tell him, as I can always turn the phone off! He manages to not get too irritated and tells me to have a good flight.

After a stop at a shopping mall, some individuals get off of the bus, so my suitcase and I are able to share a seat. Directly in front of me is a woman with a cat in a bag! Okay, it was a cat-carrying bag, but the cat kept sticking its head out and trying to get out of the bag, which was quite entertaining. Kept staring me down, to which I kept saying “Noe” in a weird voice (long story, has to do with our last cat). Anyway, the cat keeps me amused the rest of the way to the airport. The trip takes around 35 minutes, which is not bad at all – and for $2.25 you can’t beat it! I get to the airport around 4:40; 2.5 hours early for my flight, and no one is there to carry on about my wanting to get there early. This is beautiful! [img]graemlins/love.gif[/img]

I feel weird heading up to the United counter, as we always fly USAirways to WDW, but the price was right! Unfortunately, there are no echeck in kiosks at United, though, so I get to stand in line while a woman takes luggage from suitcase A into suitcase B so she doesn’t have to pay extra for suitcase A being too heavy. This goes on for about 10 minutes, but I am completely relaxed with so much time to spare. Another woman can’t find her ID. No problem, I’ve got all the time in the world!

I get through security with no problems, unlike my recent trip to New York. Now, the big question – where to have dinner? Don’t want to pay for sit down service, so I get some chicken parm at Sbarro (love their sauce!) and a Diet Coke (figure I will need the caffeine). Total was $7.79. I then have a ton of time to shop, so head to the GAP. Oh look – they have long-sleeved T-shirts on sale, and I don’t have a dark gray one – so I, of course, have to have it! One can never have too many GAP t-shirts!

I browse around Bath and Body works, but no foo purchase this time. I have decided to recycle the Sugar Plum from last December’s trip, as it will be my official WDW Christmas time foo!

There is a bookstore that I look through, and spy a book on Rowdy Roddy Piper, the wrestler. Little known fact – I had a huge crush on the man a while back, and made him a reindeer with a kilt that I gave to him when he came to a parade here in Pittsburgh. He kissed my hand and I didn’t wash it for a week, and then I was over it and him. Figure I better not pick up the book – Andy still hasn’t forgiven me for the parade – because the weather was really bad and I got really sick afterwards. Oh, and it was our anniversary, too, so that didn’t go over well, either! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Anyway, I notice that the bookstore has this really neat MAC-type machine on the outside wall, where individuals can put in a credit card and it vends the best sellers selected. I thought that was a great idea!

I stop at Eckerd’s and get some Sarris mints for the trip, and an “In Touch” (new tabloid-type paper) – I like to have the Star or something for the plane – need absolutely mindless stuff to read on the plane!). The cashier tells me “It is a really nice little magazine for $1.99.” I wouldn’t buy it on a regular basis, but serves well for the mindless plane reading requirement.

When I get to my gate (I flew to Dulles first, and connected there to Orlando), I see that 3 flights are departing from it around the same time. Huh? What’s up with that? At boarding time, we are told that our plan has no overhead compartments. Huh? I walk out, and down the steps, and there is our little baby turboprop. I’ve ridden on a commuter jet once before, but not quite like this. I drop off my carryon on the cart provided, and go up the steps to the plane. I get on, and it is so tall, I cannot stand up. It is a thirty (tiny) seater, with no BATHROOM??? I have had nightmares of being on a plane with no bathroom (whenever I am someplace there is no bathroom, I immediately feel like I have to go). However, I remind myself I am going to WDW, and relax the best I can in my seat. The flight attendant sounds a bit like Minnie Mouse as she scrunches through the aisle saying “Drink? Drink?” By the time she gets back to our row, it’s more like “Eh? Eh?” The flight is only around an hour long, but by the end of it, I feel like I can’t breathe. It’s warm and stuffy and I just want to get out of this tin can! Finally, I get off the plane and pick up my bag. Orlando is not showing on the monitor, so I ask a United Employee, who sends me on my way to my gate. I have to take a shuttle to it. This is a cool thing. A really wide vehicle that looks like shuttles at other airports that are on rails, but this one drives right over the area that the planes do. Everyone crams onto it, and then the driver drives it over to the other terminal. I’m imagining myself attempting this, and driving into planes, luggage trucks, etc. (the Neon is about as big as I can handle). We make it safely to the other side, as I am not the one driving! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Unlike the Pittsburgh airport, the only thing open by the gate is a McDonald’s. I stand in line for what seems like forever to get a bottle of water. The flight leaves on time, and we land in Orlando at 11:25 p.m. I am getting pretty tired by now, as I have been up since 4:45 am that morning. My suitcase is one of the last to come out, and I pick it up and head over to the Emerald Isle. I pick out a baby blue Mitsubishi Galant, as I figure it will be easier to pick out in the parking lot, and head, Disney Club coupon in hand, to the check out. It is quick and painless, and I head out of the garage to RAIN! I have always had a fear of driving at night, and driving at night on a highway in the rain is about one of the worst things I can imagine. However, I am bound and determined, and I pop in my Toby Mac CD (one of the members of the Christian band DC Talk, that I recently got to see and meet in person). This CD was what helped me get comfortable driving the highway back and forth to church, so I settle in for the drive to ASMu with no problems or panic attacks.

It feels so familiar to pull into Melody Lane (this is my third stay at ASMu). I park the car and head over to check in. Even though it is late, all three CMs are busy with other guests, and there is one in front of me. I wait about 10 minutes. I asked for the White Glove package, since I booked with Amex and get my lanyard and pin – I guess these will be going away soon, since Amex will no longer be the CC of WDW. I had requested Jazz, but knew there would be slim pickings checking in so late. I am given a room in Broadway, which would have been my next choice, so that’s fine. I drive to the room, 8506, on the second floor facing the marquees. I open the door and notice the ashtray, but I am so exhausted, I kind of stumble into the shower, set my wake up call, and fall into bed and sound asleep at 1:30 a.m.

Next up – Day 2 - Part One “What’s Up with This?” and “In the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room”

[Bert & Sully]

Sandy sounds like you really needed this trip eh?! YIKES

I am so intimately familiar with Pittsburgh Airport (I call it Pittfall Airport as I ALWAYS wound up in Gap, Bath & Body works as well as the others on that *strip* as I was on US Scarelines at least once a month, if not more, coming down here to Tallahassee. - I preferred that to the Phili airport anyway. - Gotta love those crop dusters huh [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ?

You did really well with last-minute PS and I tip my hat to you [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] .

Dulles is a trip with that "smoking room"!

I hope that this trip was everything you had anticipated it would be and look forward to reading more in upcoming days...........Even “In the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room” (big Eeyore sigh) I gueeeeeeeeeeess [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] .

[wheatenwalker]

YIPPEE!!! Glad you started your report!! Anxiously awaiting the rest! Sheila

[Heidi]

Great start. Looking forward to reading more. Keep [img]graemlins/puter.gif[/img] !