A Little Disney in PA: Updated 7/14 About This Page:

[iamgrumpy]

Ok so here we are just 3 days before my Mom's birthday (7/12) and what does that mean???

It means its Time for my Pre Trip report for our Trip to Camp Hill PA for the Magic Meet for Online communities and a Passporter Luncheon on our Departure day!!!!

But before we get ahead of ourselves we have to start at the beginning and also go over the who , the what, the where and the when! So with that Let us start!

The Who:
Your Author and writer of this report:

Amy (<---me) "iamgrumpy" age 25


Then there is My mom

Angela (qvcnut55) Turning 52 the day we leave


When: July 12, 2007 to July 15, 2007
Where: Camp Hill, PA
What: Magic Meet on Saturday 7/14 and Passporter Luncheon on 7/15

Pre Trip:

Well last year we heard that there was going to be a huge meet for online communities and it was going to be held in Pennsylvania a lot of the people we have read about online or listened to on pod casts were going to be there and it sounded like fun. By the time we made the decision to go the tickets were sold out and we were out of luck So we decided that next year (2007) we would go no matter what and would buy the tickets the day they came out.

So in early January or February they announced this years event. So we quickly bought tickets for this years event. Which fell on the Saturday after my mom's birthday so this meant we could celebrate her birthday with a long weekend getaway!

So with tickets in hand I made reservations for the hotel that the meet was happening at which is in Camp Hill PA. Its a radisson and we were lucky enough to get a room booked that had Sleep Number beds. Lucky Sleep number 57 here i come!

So with the room booked and our tickets secured the time seemed to drag but in between this trip and booking a certain Disney trip was born so i could plan that one and focus on something to pass the time.

Well minus one thing our original plan was to stay until Monday the 16th but then because of another fun trip being booked (look for a different TR in this forum soon to be written) I had to shorten our PA trip by one night and so now we were set. We would drive to PA on the 12th and leave on Sunday the 15th.

So with our dates more in stone I PM'd passporters who i knew would love to get together and meet up for lunch and now on Sunday before leaving PA (hopefully not ending up in Canada but in CT instead) we will have a nice lunch with some old friends and then drive home.

So so the plan was looking like this:

Thursday July 12
Drive to PA early morning
Check in at the hotel

Friday July 13
Drive to QVC studios pick up a few things maybe take a tour

Saturday July 14
Magic Meets all day

Sunday July 15
Lunch with friends
drive home to CT

Up Next... this wouldn't be an Iamgrumpy trip unless there were more changes right?

[DyanKJ130]

Sounds like a fun plan, Amy! Can't wait to hear all about it! And, I'm sure there will be plenty of changes. Hope there aren't any trips to Canada!!

[iamgrumpy]

Pre Trip Report Continued...

So of course being an Iamgrumpy TR it wouldn't be the same if there weren't changes right??? Of Course not so here is the changes...

So now our plan was to leave our house early like 7 or so that we would be in PA by 1pm or so. Well unfortunately my lovely place of employment announces the trip to Saratoga Springs Race Track the same day I got my Magical Upgrade to Disney's hotel by the same name (for more info read my Disney TR) i thought that was quite a coincidence and meant to be! Well back to the point I promise I have one.

So they announce the trip and I know it has sold out every year so far so I have to buy tickets the day they go on sale well guess what day that would be!!! July 12th they won't let anyone else buy them for me and i have to be there by 7am or I will never get tickets. They go on Sale at 8 am so hopefully this all won't be for nothing and i'll get the tickets.

So the new plan is that I will get up like I"m going to work at 5am I will drive to work buy the tickets drive home. Mom will follow me up to my friend Victoria's house where I will park my car for the few days and then we will leave for PA.

We won't get onto the road until most likely 10am and won't hit PA until about 4 or 5 now what i do for tickets to shows.

So hopefully we won't hit too many delays and find it easy enough. But once we get to Camp Hill and check in we will find dinner and crash for the evening.

So now that Thursday wouldn't have as much free time as we would have liked we were looking forward to friday going to QVC and shopping and having a nice relaxing evening but about 2 weeks ago we got an email about a raffle for the event being held for a special invitation to a Pre Meet Dinner on Friday so I sent in our entry and we figured we weren't that lucky and wouldn't get chosen.

Well Imagine my surprise when Sunday we got an email saying we were chosen and so now our plans will have to include a very lovely meal on Friday with the Event Cordinator and other special guests.

So now our Plans look like this:

Thursday 7/12
Drive to my work get the tickets for the bus trip
drop my car off at Victoria's
drive to Camp Hill

Friday 7/13
QVC shopping in the Morning
Special Dinner in the Evening

Saturday 7/14
MagicMeet

Sunday 7/15
Lunch with friends
Drive home

So I'm super excited to be going and can't wait to meet with people who I have heard and read so much about. It will be nice to have a nice long weekend but as relaxing and fun this should be I won't have much downtime when i get back to CT because I am leaving Monday for a week long camping trip with a good friend.

Up Next... The After Trip Report

[lauren-roxy]

Sounds like a great trip you have planned Amy!!!

[Colexis Mom]

Have a great time Amy

[Chrissi]

Have fun, Amy! It's a great time of year to come to PA!

[JaimeandChad]

Have a great time!!

[chezp]

Sounds like you've got a great trip planned Amy - I can't wait to hear all about it!

[DrDolphin]

Sounds like a great trip!

[WDWfan]

Amy - Have a great trip!

[MrsM]

Looks like you've got a great weekend planned! Maybe I'll see you at Magic Meets!

[iamgrumpy]

Wednesday July 11th

I hadn’t even looked at a suitcase before today much less even thought about packing but unfortunately I had to work a full 8 hours today and there would be NO way I could leave early we are just swamped at work so no Early Outs!

So I knew I would have a lot to do tonight but do you think I had any motivation to get packing Nope! I worked 8am to 4pm and then was home by 5pm. I spent 4 hours trying to earn my Pogo Game Badges and chatted with Dyan about our camping trip, this trip, everything and anything to avoid having to figure out what I was taking and what I was packing!

Soon it was 9pm and I knew I HAD to pack and I had to figure out what to bring. So I first had to find my large suitcase and my medium suitcase and figure out which I needed. Well Both because I was packing for this trip and then camping as well which I needed the large bag.

Now I found out where I put my Christmas Tree and decorations, my Christmas Hat and a few other things from our trip in December. I guess I never emptied that bag all the way! So with Empty bags I could start filling them with what I needed for each trip and whichever was full first would end up going with me to PA

So I called in my back up which my mom soon realized that I was packing my entire wardrobe just to avoid having to do laundry and would need a U Haul for all my things. So we figured out what I needed and what I could just rewash for my next trip. So I was down to my Medium Sized bag and with just the bare necessities.

So with my Bag packed I finished online with a few things and then said my Goodbyes and set up for my email away message. I was asleep by 11:30 pm and knew that getting up at 5am was going to be hard as I’m not used to getting up so early after going to bed that late. I’m an early to bed Late to rise kind of person

Up Next…..honestly who gets up this early and why?????

[iamgrumpy]

Thursday July 12th

So honestly who gets up at 5 am and why would they want to do that???!!!! My eyes were being forced open with my fingers as I tried to focus on that awful beeping machine they call an alarm clock!!! Seriously I know I get up early for work but 5 am is not normal to me… I am Grumpy in the Morning can you tell???

So I dragged myself upstairs got ready and at 6 am proudly woke my mother up ON her Birthday and sang to her as a wake up call for her so after singing WAYYYYYY off Key and as LOUD as I could she was up and looking at me like I was insane.. No Ma just sharing the Morning Grumps with you….she always told me I should share so Grumpy Personality heads her way

So I headed out the door I had tickets to get so off to my work to pick up the tickets so we could leave for PA as quickly as possible. I made it to work in record time and the traffic was light but the drivers weren’t the brightest on the road… Seriously who would be that early I swear there should be a law everyone must sleep until at least 7am and nothing opens until 9am minimum I Know good luck with that!

So I was there an hour before they were to go on sale but explained why I was in a rush and the guy let me sneak in and buy them an hour early. So now in August 1 month before we go to WDW Dyan and I will be going to Saratoga Springs Race Track and enjoy a few races.

So with tickets in Hand I ran back home to pick up mom and have her follow me to where I leave my car. So I got home we loaded the bags into her car and were soon on our way! We dropped my car off and arranged for my friend to pick up our mail and check on things for us and then started on to Pennsylvania :woot;

We made a stop for breakfast and Home Depot to try and fix the GPS holder that we broke OOPS! Unfortunately we have to hold it now to use it but at least we won’t get lost or will we??? Stay tuned

So making good time we headed on into NYC and then the traffic Flow just STOPPED! And then crawled along at 2 miles per hour or so over the George Washington Bridge as they were picking up Garbage!!!! We spent an HOUR going 5 miles and it was Garbage pick up not even anything worth while!

So after that cleared up we were doing ok until we got over the bridge and came up to where the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway Split off and the GPS insisted we stay to the left and we saw the signs for the NJ Turnpike heading off to the right which is what we wanted but the GPS insisted we stay left so OK fancy GPS off to the left we go. Not even 100 ft from the off ramp we just missed for NJ Turnpike which we wanted to take but it said no we hear the now infamous words “Recalculating route” and she shows us going the wrong way!! DUHHHHH!!!

So to those who say its me who has issues navigating NO I said to take the exit the GPS said go Left! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

So we took the Garden State Parkway and connected to I-78 further down and made good time. We ended up stopping at a Pilot Gas station and it had a Subway in it so Lunch was two Sandwiches and some drinks.

With our stomachs full and satisfied and a stretch and move around break we got back into the car and headed on into Pennsylvania. We passed Crystal’s Exit and we waved as we blew by We will stop there further on in this journey so no worries Crystal won’t be forgotten

I slept for a while and we stopped near a Military base and well the eye candy was very nice there as we saw a bunch of guys who stopped for gas and they were all very nice to talk to! Do we have to go Mom?

By now we both were tired of the car, tired of driving, and really wanting to just stop but we still had about 2 more hours to go so on we drove! I fell back asleep and about 30 minutes from Harrisburg mom woke me up and we found the hotel. It was easy to find and the GPS really did good minus that ONE mishap but then again it can’t be perfect so its forgiven

We parked the car in front and the building is very historic looking and the lobby was nice so we hoped that the rooms would be similar. We checked in quickly and paid in full so we didn’t have to worry about it after that.

I will say that while they do try hard you could tell this hotel wasn’t rated higher then 2 stars and was showing signs of it age. The room was ok size but seemed small to us. The Bathroom well lets just say it was just a Little bigger then a RV bathroom and the noise the commode made well I jump every time the guy 2 rooms down flushes. Its that loud!

The Beds were sleep number bed so that is a nice plus but every time mom tries to inflate or deflate it I swear there is a plane taking off from inside the room Quite noisey.

It wouldn’t be our first choice but the staff is really nice it’s a place to sleep and frankly I think we are just spoiled by Disney and their hotels. Enough Said.

Well we went out and got the bags and remember my packing style and well Mom ended up packing MORE then me her bag as Extremely Heavy and well by the time that the 2 suitcases, 2 laptop cases, 2 toiletry bags and 2 purses were hauled in by Angela’s Sky cap aka ME! Amy! Yep you guessed it the only reason I’m brought along is to lug the luggage Well by the time all those bags got heaved into the room I was exhausted and I’m really dreading September and our Cruise… Seriously MA 9 pairs of shoes for 1 Weekend trip to PA?

Well we unpacked and the hotel slid my Rewards Points Card under the door and well I went to pick up the envelope and my back decided it wanted to go out and I ended up in bed unable to move I was in tears. Mom is yelling at me to tell her what came under the door and I’m yelling that I am unable to move without stars going by my eyes and NO not the kind you ask for autographs either!

She found an aleive in her bag and so I took that and layed in bed and tried to get online using the wireless unfortunately it keeps logging on and off every 5 minutes so it wasn’t working well. I watched some tv and adjusted the bed to a comfortable softness so at least that was a plus!

We were getting hungry so the original plan of dining at Perkin’s which is right in the parking lot of the hotel but unfortunately with my back that was out of the plan. So we found a Chinese restaurant who would deliver for free and so we placed our order and within 20 minutes we were on a tour of China via General Tso’s , Vegetable Lo Mein, Moo Goo Gai Pan, Fried rice, and wonton Soup. My mom and I could live on Chinese and Japanese food so we were enjoying the food immensely.

We watched a little tv but I was soon fast asleep and found bliss with Sleep number 35 which seemed to do good for my back!

Up Next… Everything ½ Off and Do you want fries with that?

[JaimeandChad]

Great updates Amy! Score on buying the tickets early and for the GPS thing a man probably made it so that's why it had to recalculate

[chezp]

Wow - sounds like quite a journey up there, in between getting the tickets, the "route recalcuation" and the commode noise!