Who Turned Up The Heat?! - TR May 2011 - Page 8 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Sounds like a great last day....sorry the weather was so hot! Glad they got yall the luggage so that Stitch has a ride home! Hope you and your DW get an adults only trip, I would love to do one myself, but I dont think I could go through with it, as I would feel bad leavin my son home.
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Me and Cole in the Sears Tower Skydeck, 103 floors up, in a glass box hanging off the side!
Finally caught up. I love the TRs. You are such a great writer. Your daughter and mine would get along great. She also has never met a stuffed animal she didn't like LOL
Thanks! Every year she sells a few at our annual garage sale, but that doesn't counter the many more she gets every year! LOL
Quote:
Originally Posted by southerngirl1014
You did miss some of the electric water parade. Actually a bunch Definately have to try and see it again. It is cute. Not as moving as Wishes but still worthy of some attention. At least in my opinion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Great last day! The Florida heat and humid can be a major energy and enthusiasm depleter as my family knows all to well as we visit annually in June. It seems you just saw the tail end of the Electric Water Pageant, so give it another try. It is cute!
By tail end do you mean time-wise or the actual end of the parade? I'm wondering if it was a location issue so we could only see part of it. Is it a moving parade or stationary?
Quote:
Originally Posted by elisa1006
I just read your TR from start to current~! Love your writing style! Sounds like yáll had an amazing trip. Great job on being flexible. You could have stuck to your plans and possibly been miserable. And of course that's not worth it when your on vacation!
Thanks! It definitely helps that we have an idea of what we want to get to but not in any specific order.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pixar Pixie
Great report. Sorry about the heat, it can really slow you down. You reminded me that I wanted to look for the Mickey gnomes on our next trip; I've never seen them. And I hope to stop for as many dole whips as you managed to get!
I believe they were at a kiosk on the main walkway between American Adventure and Japan.
Sounds like a great last day....sorry the weather was so hot! Glad they got yall the luggage so that Stitch has a ride home! Hope you and your DW get an adults only trip, I would love to do one myself, but I dont think I could go through with it, as I would feel bad leavin my son home.
DD was not happy about Stitch having to ride in cargo, but she had too much to carry on already! I told her 626 better not cause any problems while he was down there!
It is a moving pageant and those are the two last floats. We've seen it from WL's boat dock and from the MK boat dock, so I'm not sure if your view was obscured or not.
For our last morning at Disney we had an ADR at ‘Ohana for 9:45am. I hadn’t packed much the night before, so after I showered I started folding my clothes and trying to get everything to fit in my suitcase. I didn’t have much new, only a shirt and hat, but for some reason things weren’t fitting as they did on the way down. LOL I had it mostly worked out before we left for breakfast. We got to ‘Ohana about 9:35am, and there was quite a crowd. At 10:00 we were still waiting. At 10:05am I approached the stand to inquire as to whether we were coming up soon since we were checking out this morning. I knew that this breakfast would take about an hour. Our table was assigned but not ready yet, but they moved us up and we were soon seated.
After I had finished eating, I left to check on our DME reservations since only DW’s was in the envelope under our door. There was quite a line outside for that, and I had waited almost 20 minutes before I got to the front…only to find out that I needed to be there with all three of us with our luggage. As it turns out, that is how they handle everyone – and I wasn’t the only one confused by it. When we were there later, there were 2 other people with the same “There is only one tag in my envelope” question.
Once I had that answered, I stopped inside to request a late check-out till noon since we weren’t scheduled for DME pickup until 1:15pm. I was only 2nd in line, and the CM who was directing traffic asked what he could help with. All of the counter CM’s were helping other guests, including the temporary one they have out on the floor. So instead of waiting he asked me our room number, shook my hand, and said “No problem, you have till noon! Have a nice day!” That was nice. And good timing, as DW & DD had just returned from breakfast.
Yet another Stitch picture!
So we returned to our room to finish packing. DW helped take some of my miscellaneous items and spread them around to the extra suitcase. I had a little time to dry my swim trunks with the hair dryer before packing it, and then we made our way to the GCH to drop them with DME. It was exactly 12:00 noon when we got in line. We had a good laugh with the family in front of us in line because they had also purchased a suitcase – the embossed Mickey carry on bag. After paying the baggage fees and getting our boarding passes, it was 12:30pm. We went inside to kill time till our 1:15pm bus arrived. DD colored by the TV in the lobby, and DW and I just sat and watched the people coming and going for a bit. I suggested that since DW wanted to stop at the Disney store in the airport maybe we should try taking an earlier bus. So I went outside to ask about that while DW took one last picture in the lobby:
They told me we would have to ask the bus driver and that the next bus would be at 12:45pm. The next bus didn’t arrive until 1:00pm, and they were able to take us. We stopped at the GF and then left for the airport.
As we arrived at MCO, storm clouds were starting to move in. We stopped at Terminal A first, then unloaded at our Terminal B at 2:10pm. Our first stop was at the Disney store, where DW wanted to see if she could get a charm she had forgotten to get her mom. We were also looking for Mickey canvas gym shoes that DW had purchased at CR that DD later decided she also wanted a pair. No luck on either. It was there that we realized we forgot to use our unused snack credits for Mickey rice krispy treats. I think they should let you use Dining Plan credits at the airport store!
There was a good sized crowd waiting to go through security, but they were efficient and it only took us 15 minutes to get through. For those curious, I noticed they had some lines for regular scanners and some for the full-body ones. When the line forked they weren’t directing us, so I chose the regular. Once through that, we put our shoes back on and made our way to the mini-monorail. At this point it was raining pretty good outside. When we got to our gate at 2:45pm (our flight was scheduled for 4:19pm) the plane that was supposed to leave from that gate at 2:15pm was still sitting there. It’s cargo door was open, the pilots and everyone were on board, but there was no activity outside. A flight after ours was already on the board as being delayed 90 minutes, but ours was still showing “On-Time”. Suuure!!
We sat there for awhile, and then they announced they were moving us one gate down. The ramp workers at MCO have a clause in their contract that they don’t work if there is lightning within 5 miles of the field. The poor people on that flight were stuck in their plane. At least we were waiting inside. Our plane was finally able to land (they were circling over Daytona Beach), but weren’t able to get to the gate because there was nobody to wave them in. They actually shut down their engines out in the taxiway. Finally there was a break in the weather and everyone started hustling. Our plane parked and everyone deboarded. The United crews were trying to turn us around quickly, they had the first group (handicapped, First Class, families with kids under 4) assembled. But before they received the go ahead to board, another storm rolled in and they had everyone sit back down.
At 4:55pm we were still sitting, and almost got to see a mother get in a fist fight with a guy standing in the First Class line. This woman’s two kids were out of control, and had been for 2 hours – especially her little girl. She was throwing fits, screaming at and kicking her mother, etc. Twice I had turned to my DW and said “I hope they are sitting in the back!” as we were in Row 6. Apparently this First Class guy must have said something, because all of a sudden I heard the mom yell at him from her seat, “REALLY? A three year old! – She’s three!” I couldn’t hear his response and couldn’t see him because there was a pole blocking my view, but she didn’t like his response because she then said, “You’re going to end up with my fist in your face!” and jumped up to get within range. I grabbed for my camera. Her husband restrained her (the first time he did anything but play with his cell phone the whole afternoon) and she ended up sitting back down. But she kept yelling at the guy about how “this is Disney and there are going to be kids” and “just sit up in your 1st Class with your champagne”, etc. Now I certainly understand that it is Orlando…and there were a LOT of small children on our flight, as most flights do. And I also understand that small children will have moments. But these two were definitely out of control. I’m not saying he was in the right either. He should have done like the rest of us and kept his mouth shut. While I am glad they didn’t get in a fight, I’m also a little disappointed I didn’t get a video that would have gone viral! J/K!
At 5:00pm they finally started boarding our flight. Interestingly, this time they boarded the economy class from back to front. At O’Hare they boarded front to back. Since we were the first row of economy, we were pretty much last to board. Everyone was getting settled, when one of the flight attendants told a guy a few rows back that “It will have to go under the plane, sir.” I gathered that it was a car seat, and the guy refused. He tried telling her that his daughter was a special needs child and may need it, but the attendant told him it absolutely had to go in baggage. He loudly refused again and she said, “Well then it and you are going to have to leave the plane.” And he said, “Then you’re going to have to get my bag back.” She replied, “No sir, we do not!” Just what we needed with all the delays was another ordeal. They ended up kicking the guy off the plane. Strangely, he was the only one to leave – I assume his family stayed on the flight? With that finally taken care of we taxied away from the gate. We got in line and were 5th for takeoff. When we made the turn to pause at the runway, I looked back and there were 12 planes behind us. Everyone was trying to get out before the next storms came in. They were still also working in the landings of all the planes that were arriving. We finally took off at 6:12pm, almost 2 hour late.
It was a bumpy flight, but not too bad. As a once student pilot, I understand how it all works. I just don’t like flying commercially. I had the window seat, but because of the sun had to keep the shade lowered. I could tell by the turbulence when we were transitioning between fronts so I would look out the window to confirm. I did get a couple good pictures:
Here’s a good example of one of those transitions. I don’t like flying commercial, but I do love looking at the clouds from above!
As we were nearing Chicago I spotted this thunderstorm head in the distance:
After we were home I checked online to see our flight tracking. They took a strange course to go around the storms. After leaving Orlando, we flew up the Atlantic coastline of Georgia. Then over Indiana we went around another area of thunderstorms. During the flight, there was a little girl in First Class that was crying/screaming most of the flight. I couldn’t see where, but my DW who was on the aisle said that apparently the mom and daughter of the family in the row behind ours had been upgraded for free. And they were in the row in front of the fight guy from earlier. DW said she could see he was really irritated. I guess he got his karma.
We landed at O’Hare at 7:35pm CDT, so they made up some of the delay in the air. After retrieving our luggage, I called the limo company and we went outside to wait. It was 46°, windy, and rainy. Talk about culture shock after a week of 90° plus! I was standing in a light jacket and shorts, and had to use two suitcases to block the wind. We cranked the heat in the limo for the ride home. We arrived home safely to find a lawn that badly needed mowing. DD said, “Hey! The trees have leaves!” LOL They had been just starting when we left. I ordered pizzas and we began the sad process of unpacking and laundry.
I will make one more post, a recap of the whole trip.
I have really enjoyed your TR! WOW yall had alot of Drama at the Airport and on the plane! Glad yall made it back safe and sound. I too hate the unpacking and the laundry! Cant wait to read your recap!
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Me and Cole in the Sears Tower Skydeck, 103 floors up, in a glass box hanging off the side!
I'm so sad that your trip is over. Poly is my fave and is so hard to leave. Last stay there I had to leave two days before the rest of my family due to work - I cried the whole way to the airport.
Ugh, what an ordeal at the airport! I don't know what's come over people but kindness, compassion and understanding has been lacking the last few years.
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Definately have to try and see it again. It is cute. Not as moving as Wishes but still worthy of some attention. At least in my opinion.
The Florida heat and humid can be a major energy and enthusiasm depleter as my family knows all to well as we visit annually in June. It seems you just saw the tail end of the Electric Water Pageant, so give it another try. It is cute! 
Yet another Stitch picture!
They told me we would have to ask the bus driver and that the next bus would be at 12:45pm. The next bus didn’t arrive until 1:00pm, and they were able to take us. We stopped at the GF and then left for the airport.
Here’s a good example of one of those transitions. I don’t like flying commercial, but I do love looking at the clouds from above!
After we were home I checked online to see our flight tracking. They took a strange course to go around the storms. After leaving Orlando, we flew up the Atlantic coastline of Georgia. Then over Indiana we went around another area of thunderstorms. During the flight, there was a little girl in First Class that was crying/screaming most of the flight. I couldn’t see where, but my DW who was on the aisle said that apparently the mom and daughter of the family in the row behind ours had been upgraded for free. And they were in the row in front of the fight guy from earlier. DW said she could see he was really irritated. I guess he got his karma. 
your cloud photos!!!!! I'll have to share those with my dd's.
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