The Twelve Days of Disney...what did Mickey give me??? About This Page:

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Preface: I might be adding photos, but chances are, if I do, I'll put them in a seperate post. I haven't had a chance to sort through them all yet!

The Twelve Days of Disney!

(Day one doesn’t really count, since we weren’t in WDW yet) Took the stroller/wheelchair to the bike shop to have the wheels checked b/c they’ve been losing air. Guess it was my pump, so I bought a new one (out of my Mickey Bar money [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/cry.gif[/img] ). Went to the grocery store for milk for DH, then headed home to load up and wait for the mail. Still no check from the school (it’s been several weeks), so I’m starting out with $200 less than planned. L We finally got underway about 430 pm and stopped by Sears for a quick return, then headed toward the Holiday Inn Express. Dds were hungry and wanted KFC, but spied a Bob Evans instead, so that’s where we went. Bad move, service was slow, the menu had been reduced, and there was no corn?!? B had had a bad day and no corn put her precariously near the edge. A promise of dessert finally brought her back. Checked into the HIE for our park ‘n’ fly (DH refused to drive us/pick us up due to his anxiety issues, so we had to go this route…I was not very happy about it) Signed us up for the 7am shuttle and got the girls in their swimsuits. They swam happily while it was 18 degrees outside. Watched Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas and Dds went to sleep around 930pm, I didn’t sleep at all. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

On the First Day of Disney, Mickey gave to me…Tickets to a Christmas Party!

Got up at 6am and got dressed. Went to the breakfast area at the hotel, but no one was really very hungry. We were loaded up and ready (in 7 degrees) by 650 or so. The shuttle driver loaded us and unloaded all 10 bags (!) plus the stroller. Uneventful pass thru security (except the girls’ magic wands! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img]) and we were at the gate by 725. Boarded at 820 and then were subjected to a kid (5 or 6yo) *screaming* all the way down the aisle that he didn’t want to sit in the back, didn’t like the seat, hated the seat, hated his parents, hated the airplane. Fingernails on the chalkboard kind of shrill screeching. It was awful and his parents did NOTHING to stop it, other than hiss at him under their breath every so often. He kicked S’s seat the whole way and at some point his bratty little sister stabbed the flight attendant to the point that she cried out and limped the rest of the flight. I know very well about “unseen disabilities” and people being rude about it, but you can frequently tell how the parents react whether it is a disability situation or the kid is just a brat. In this case, the kid was a poster child for brattiness. He would just randomly look out the window and start screaming on purpose to set off his little sister (who also started screaming…we’re going to crash type stuff). This *really* upset S who does have an unseen disability and she was miserable the whole flight. I tried to do something about it, but she hates having any kind of attention even worse, so we just put up with it. After no sleep at all, I was exhausted by the time we got to MCO and ready for that afternoon nap! Dds watched Suite Life and Raven on my new iPod on the flight…LOVE that gadget!!!

Arrived MCO about 1110 and went to get the bags. I rented a $3 cart and was able to fit it all on. Made my way to the Alamo counter and was upgraded to a full size SUV for the same price as my midsize…get this rate: $183 for 12 days!!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/woot.gif[/img] Chose a gold one and loaded up. We arrived at the Pop about 100 (the same time as people on our flight who used DME) & checked in. Our room wasn’t ready yet, so we went to eat. B had M&C, I had lo mein and so did S. She didn’t like it, though, so I got her M&C, too. As I was walking back to the table, I heard my first of many parents yelling at their kids about how they chose the food, they were going to eat it b/c it cost a fortune and no they weren’t going to buy them anything else. It was so sad, and I reminded S that if there was anything she got and didn’t’ like, to let me know and we’d get something else. Went to lobby concierge to pick up our CP tix to discover that our 2nd one (Monday) had been cancelled altogether when I called to remove my Dad from the ressie! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] AND…it was completely sold out! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/dizzy.gif[/img] After some finagling, we got it sorted out and by then the room was ready (245ish). We were in the 70s, sorta far out, man. Got to the room and decided there wasn’t time to nap and it was too chilly to swim. As I started to pack our MVMCP bag, I realized there were no coats/fleece ponchos. I’d left them on the plane!!! I called the airline and was told they’d call if they were found. Nothing. So…I had to wait for bell services to bring the suitcases to get out layering shirts, hats, gloves, etc. We were soon “on our way”. Valet parked at the Poly and rode the ferry to MK. Went straight to GS for our GAC’s, but they give a tag now for the stroller as wheelchair (like a luggage tag). Headed over to VMK Central and I filled out the quest forms while Dds created a character in the park.

We were told to go back to GS to book the tour only to be told that all tours had been cancelled, so we had to go back to VMK central for the pack of cards/bracelet. Finally it was time to find a ride! BTMRR was the first choice, so off we went (it was about 530 by this point). Rode that and headed to Splash, but B had a breakdown, so we skipped it for now. Stopped in Pecos Bill’s for dinner and just sat for a bit. Walked around to Adventureland and decided to do POTC (1st for them). B wasn’t all that wild about that one, either and wanted to get to ‘her’ pirate ride (Peter Pan). On the way around, I was the photo spot, so we stopped for our picture, about a 10 minute wait. Went to Fantasyland and rode PP & IASW. B wanted to ride Buzz, so we headed that direction and got sidetracked by a Silly Old Bear, where B learned that it’s no all about her and what she wants. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/ukid.gif[/img] Went to Buzz and got my hiney kicked (38000 to 6000!) Stopped in to look at MVMCP merch and only got the stripey antenna ball…it was all too spendy and not that nice-looking. Went for cocoa and cookies (no line, the first parade was on), so we sat on the terrace and had a break. Went and staked out our usual spot for Wishes and waited for 30 minutes. All I can say is WOW! It was beautiful. We snailed back toward Liberty Square…complete gridlock and RUDE people. We finally got back to BTMRR and decided to try Splash. B agreed and we had fun. We staked out a parade spot just outside the Christmas Shoppe. The parade was wonderful. A reindeer kissed B’s hand and wow-ed her. We loved watching that parade! It was 1130 or so and we were exhausted (esp me), so we retrieved the car and went back to the Pop.

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On the Second Day of Disney, Mickey gave to me…a cool Epcot tour and a dinner followed by a CP! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Got up at 830 and got ready for a day in Epcot. Walked to the Land and rode Soarin’ (1st for Dds), which we all loved, then got a bite to eat…strawberries and croissant (cha-ching!). It was 10, so we went on the Behind the Seeds tour which was supposed to be an hour, but wound up more like 1 ½. The girls were bored in places, but enjoyed feeding the alligators! After the tour, we rode Soarin’ again and grabbed a quick lunch (where we encountered more yelling parents b/c the kids didn’t like the food L) Dds wanted to ride Figment next (woohoo), so we walked on to that. I think they need to rename it the Ursula Ride - you poor, unfortunate souls! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] Walked across and went to SSE where a car of teen boy kept reaching out and touching things, throwing stuff, and just being jerks. I did report them to a CM (they were that bad), who detained them, so I hope something was done. They really ruined the ride for us and it was the only time we rode it this trip. After that, we went into Innoventions to do the robot thing, which was fun. Out of 12 people, S was 3rd and I was 4th in the race! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/woot.gif[/img] B was 4th in design, too. We ‘built’ our plastic robots and decided to check out Club Cool. It was nice and I bought the girls the most expensive frozen coke known to man! We did the Build a Cup (they got Stitch, I got Mickey) and they are cute, but I’m not sure if they are worth eight bucks each! We wandered into the WS and went to Mexico. Now I remember why we never go on that ride! LOL! The girls started their Kidcot masks (Santa hats on them), but the station at Norway was too crowded. Maelstrom had broken down while we were on it, took awhile, but we finally got off, but all the people in the line flooded the store. Went through China to get B a headband and a gift for S to give her vision therapist. It was time to see about our 500 CP. We were a little early, so we went in the American pavilion to see the gingerbread house. The line for CP was LONG…past Japan. We line up and B was losing it so I kept her in the stroller and I’m so glad…she fell asleep before it began (just like 2003). Jaci Velasquez was a disappointing narrator. Granted, it was her first time, but you’d think she could have rehearsed a litlle. She also messed with/flipped her hair a *lot*, ‘boogied’ a bit too much, tried to sing along, but didn’t know the arrangements (seems like she could have at least picked up a CD to listen to a few times) and was generally nervous. Even so, she seemed ill-prepared, reading line by line rather than complete sentences. The musicians were fantastic and B did wake up for the last part, so that was nice. When it was over, we started around for our Garden Grill dinner and had a chance to see the tree-lighting along the way, which was delightful. We were taken in to GG quickly and seated in Jan’s section…she ROCKS! She brought Dds and ‘industrial’ sized plate of M&C and they polished it off. We had big laughs with Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale (especially Pluto’s “Chippendale” routine! :O and Mickey hauling him off to the doghouse!!!) After dinner, we rode Soarin’ again before heading back to meet up with M at the Pop (she’d flown in) Repacked all our bags and had a little iPod mishap (trouble downloading photos…froze up) which stressed me a bit, but it fixed itself after the battery ran out by the next morning. Finally got to sleep excited about the cruise tomorrow.

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On the Third Day of Disney, Mickey gave to me…a trip to a ship and some very, very, very high seas!!!

Raining, overcast, and chilly were the words of the day. We loaded all our bags in the car (in the rain…it’s a hike to the Pop parking lots!) at about 1030 and headed to Port Canaveral. We took bonine and a homeopathic remedy (for little ones) while we were in the car. The weather made it very difficult to see the ship when we finally got to the port, but seeing it’s sheer size rise out of the mist was stunning. Dropped off Dds/bags and went to park, and literally blew into the terminal. Got all the docs filled out, checked right in and boarded about 1215 or so. I amazingly did NOT cry. We were directed to Beach Blanket Buffet, but I wanted to eat in Parrot Cay, so they let us in. I’m not sure why they were discouraging it. After we had lunch, I went to change our late dining, only to discover that it had already been changed to the 6pm seating…perfect! Went to the kids clubs and got Dds all checked in. I moved S to the 10yo group b/c she’d met a ‘friend’ online at the Disboards, but that turned out to be a mistake. Around now, the rooms were available, so we went in search of our cat 8 (upgrade!). I hadn’t told Dds about it yet, I wanted yet another surprise and it was, indeed! Their faces lit up when they realized we had a porthole!!! We settled in a bit and met our stateroom host. Our bags had arrived, so we quickly unpacked, stored the suitcases under the bed, and highlighted the navigators (schedules). This is where I think Disney blows it…the girls had to choose between some things and that’s too hard for them. The dinner/show hours need to be just down/play time in the clubs and save the activities for other hours. They also need to coordinate with character greetings b/c S missed out on most of that. B didn’t, but that’s another story for tomorrow! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] Had the safety drill (still amazed at the number of people who just wandered up 20 minutes after it started [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img] ) and went back to the room to lose the vests and take some ginger. The captain had advised people to take medicine during the safety drill [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img]


The sail away party had been moved inside b/c of the weather and the girls wanted to check it out. Didn’t like it so we went to deck 4 to watch us leave. I’d gotten a ginger capsule stuck in my esophagus and it was on FIRE, so I grabbed a non-alcoholic daiquiri for M and I and headed out. It was windy and chilly and the girls were being difficult (yet another precursor for this voyage). Some people arrived late, so they were met with cat calls and jeers from other watchers (pretty rude), but we soon discovered that they were already 3 sheets to the wind (how’s that for sailor talk??? [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] ) They moved the gangplank only to have an officer run out of the building with another late arrival, so replace the gangplank among more rude shouts, etc, etc. All this time, B has decided she wants OFF the ship, so M takes her (and our cups) to the room. They came back after we had started out of port and were almost in open sea when I saw something in the water - 2 dolphins!!! The girls were SO excited! We stepped inside and right on line for Lilo and Stitch. After photos, we started walking forward to Animator’s Palette for dinner. The dining room was nearly empty and the server quickly brought bread and told us to eat, but not drink too much water. I found out later that 25 crew members had been ill and they only had a few guests show for the late seating. I also later found that we had some 16-18 foot swells. Good thing we took our meds early!!!

Our servers were Levi and Kecha and they were wonderful. M thought Levi was hot, but he was married. Kecha was in love with Miss B. They were great the whole cruise and the dining experience really made the trip worthwhile to me. After dinner, we stumbled (literally) back to our stateroom and got ready for Hercules. It was a good show, but for the “Hoochie Muse” who continued to make an appearance as Cruella DeVil among others. Interesting, the observations of children -- they said she “didn’t fit in with everyone else on stage”. I agree, she looked like a stripper and kinda wrecked it for me. Anyway, we laughed our head off at Pain and Panic & Hades was a hoot (“I know there’s only 3 of you in the audience, but STILL!” when no one laughed at his jokes!) The girls went to the clubs and I took a walk around deck 4 (although the doors on one side of the ship were locked) The waves were HUGE & I had a panic moment, but I really reel like I went a very long way with my fear of the ocean. BTW, there were people basically passed out all over deck 4 and I encountered several “protein spills” on deck. L

I lilted (nice way of putting it) back to the room to write, but the movement was VERY BAD in our very forward room, so I tried to lay down…bad move! I popped more ginger and homeopathic remedy and headed back mid-ship. I stopped in Shutters (photos) and I was the only person there. The Cms told me they’d NEVER seen that before…only one guest! I arranged for a 10 photo pkg (although I’d budgeted for 20) and purchased our embarkation photo. As I was walking back, the pager went off (around 11pm), so I picked up the girls (B was crying) and we went back to the room to get ready for bed. We ordered some hot tea and cookies from room service and settled in for the night. M’s excursion had been cancelled, so we decided to go to Nassau for a bit the next day.

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On the Fourth Day of Disney, Mickey gave to me, a walking tour of Nassau and an awesome pirate party!

I woke up in time to see us pulling into the port at Nassau and dock…very cool. We ordered room service for breakfast (didn’t get the order right, but didn’t have time to fix it) and got ready. By the time we got the girls checked in the clubs and off the ship it was 1000 and I had to pick them up at 1115 for lunch! I had taken the map of Dave’s walking tour out of my Passporter and set a course for Ft. Fincastle. The map didn’t exactly line up with my route (and I refused to pick up a “tourist” map [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] ), but we got there in short order, took some photos, and set off in search of the Governor’s mansion. Took a photo and headed toward the straw market. I took some pictures at Christ Church and we finally made our way through the straw market, which was not NEARLY as bad as I’d thought it would be (guess nothing beats a Turkish market for pushy vendors!). M bought a LV knockoff (very nice one) and I got little ones some bracelets. M paid, since she was the only one who made it off the ship w/ cash (I’d changed purses). As we left, I spied a hat that I *LOVED*, so I tried it on and loved it more. For me, $20. M spotted one she liked and for her, $15. I tried to haggle the total to $30, but she wouldn’t budge. M pulled out her cash only to find we were short $5, so I asked the vendor’s name so I could come back after lunch. Her name was Ardel and I memorized where she was. As I turned, I put my hand in my pocket and lo & behold pulled out $6! I was so excited and she said, “The Lord be praised!” to which I said, “Amen, sister!” and she started blessing us and we had a lovely time talking about God. It was truly a blessing to my day! Got back on the ship right on time and picked up the girls. B had been crying again, they tried to page me (even though I told them I’d be in Nassau). No one seemed to try to comfort any children who wanted their parents or try to redirect them or anything (there was another little girl that was upset and they just said, “Your mom and dad are in Nassau, we can’t page them.” rather than try to help her…made me sad) For some reason, they never got my “do not page” message, which upset B even more that they’d page and I wasn’t right there. Most of the counselors seemed disengaged and uncaring in both clubs. Very much a sit back and make sure they don’t kill one another rather than hands on and involved. Both girls really disliked their clubs.


Went to Triton’s for a lovely (empty) lunch and took S back to the club (she was torn, but insisted on trying it again). B refused, so we went to Shutters to find the AP photos. We saw Mrs. Claus in the atrium reading stories, so we stopped for that when Mickey and the gang showed up. We got photos and soon thereafter S paged and was VERY upset at having missed, but it was one of those choice things, plus there wasn’t time to get her checked out of the club in time to see them. I was exhausted from Mom’s One Hour Walking Tour of Nassau, so I laid down for a little nap. We got dressed and went to Parrot Cay for dinner. B wanted to make flubber, so M left dinner early to take her (plus she wanted to get back to the teen drama-of-it-all, the boys, the excitement…ugh!) S and I got our pirate bandanas (after disappointing Levi with the news that M&B would not return to the table…I just think that’s kind of rude, but what do you do??) BTW, B made flubber, but never got to keep any… they “ran out” before she picked hers up (you make one, there should be one to take home). I took S with me to shop in Treasure Ketch and one of the Cms admired S’s pirate costume, so we had a delightful chat about sewing. I picked up B, rounded up M and went to the Golden Mickeys. Wonderful show, made me tear up, and the Toy Story segment THRILLED Miss B. Tonight was the Pirates IN the Caribbean party, so I staked us out a spot on deck 10, overlooking the stage. S was upset b/c she wanted to be on the dance floor ([img]/ubb/images/graemlins/ukid.gif[/img] who are you and what have you done w/ my child???) but B refused and it turned into yet another, “I’ll feed you room service and keep you in the room the rest of the cruise” moments. We stayed put and I was glad. We wound up having a perfect view of the stage and Goofy, Captain Hook, and Mickey made their ‘appearances’ just to our right, so close we could have touched them. As an aside, Johnny Depp could have stood there and I would have been, Oh, hey look, it’s Johnny Depp, but you put Mickey next to me and I’m all “IT’S MICKEY!!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/woot.gif[/img]” Man, I’m weird. Back to the pirates…we also had a perfect view of the fireworks and the girls were singing “We will, we will rock you” for a long time! After, the girls were hungry, but didn’t want to eat from the “midnight” buffet, so I snapped a couple of pictures of the chocolate show pieces and we went back for room service (manciotti…yummy!) and bed.

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On the Fifth Day of Disney, Mickey gave to me, Castaway Cay (pronounce “key”, btw!)

Had room service for breakfast again and disembarked around 915. S and I had a 1000 excursion with Castaway Rays. We stopped for a photo by the snowmen (I was having trouble finding 9 more photos to buy!) and at the ship photo spot (and the fish). Caught the tram and I left M w/ instructions to drop off B (along with the do not page message) and started w/ S to the C Rays spot which was another 10 minute walk. Yikes. We hoofed it and arrived right up 1000. S got her snorkel (none for me, thanks) and we stepped into the icy cold waters of the Bahamas! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] It was just a bit cheeeeellly!!! This excursion, though, is a WOW. The rays just do their thing and you just hang out with them. I got to feed Big Mama (feels like a pool vacuum…a slimy pool vacuum!) and it was awesome. S went snorkeling and I was trying to take pictures. My pager went off up on the beach, so we had to cut it a little short. Trudged back to Scuttles Cove to pick up B (crying again, no Cms anywhere near her) and headed for the beach. It was “no fun” without tubes, and Dds were hungry, so we went for lunch and trudged all the way back down to rent tubes, then drag them all the way back to where our stuff was (are we having fun yet?). The next 2 hours were spent watching them play in the water with a million other people and get sand kicked on me by bratty kids whose parents were too sloshed to control them. I finally could take no more of this “relaxation”, so we dried off, stopped in a shop, and went back to the ship. Got everyone showered and dressed and to the clubs for the Disney Sea University graduation show. I had to stop at guest services as I’d had a few issues with our room…my tip receipts and shutters punch card were missing along with our souvenir cups from the sail away. They got it all sorted out for me, so I went to shutters and picked up the last of the 9 photos…the *ONLY* photos there were of us. If I’d wanted 20, I’d be in trouble, there just weren’t any. No candids of the teens or any shots at dinners other than the first night. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

I went to the disembarkation talk (had nothing else to do…”When you decide who the head of the household is, this is what SHE needs to fill out on the form!” [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img]) and stayed for the graduation. It was really sweet…S showed up as “most popular” and “most relaxed” in Mickey’s Yearbook. B wasn’t in a single picture…she was never in the club long enough! After this, we got dressed for Triton’s and our final dinner. Gave out tip envelopes and took photos. The meals/servers were certainly the highlight of the trip. Wandered a bit and decided to go check out the Laila perfume in the duty free shop. They had an awesome gift set that was a large bottle of perfume, full size lotion and a dusting powder in a gorgeous handbag for “only” $89. I decided that was my Christmas present! Went to see Disney Dreams and enjoyed it, but not as much as the Golden Mickeys. After, we went back to pack and I walked in to find a Magical Moment certificate on my bed from the CM I’d talked w/ about sewing. It said, “Great job on the costumes!” What a nice surprise!!! We had a 615 wake up call for a 700 breakfast, so we went to bed early.

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On the Sixth Day of Disney, Mickey gave to me…getting off the ship and a very long and busy dayyyyyy eeee)!

Got up and had breakfast in Triton’s, stopped to get one more photo of the Chihuly chandelier, and went to fine our bags. Immigration was painless, except for the luggage porters who didn’t understand the concept of “wait your turn”. I guess if people have 25 bags, they’re supposed to get priority clearance [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img]. We were in the car and on the way back to WDW by 8am. It was wet and chilly, so a wee bit of a shock after the warm sunshine of the Bahamas! Drove to the CBR and checked in. Our room wasn’t ready yet, my mom was already all checked in from the day before, so we unloaded our stuff in her room (we had connecting rooms) and headed over to Epcot for a 1200 Coral Reef lunch. Had a little time, so we stopped in to see Crush. We still had our ‘sea legs’, so this was an interesting first pavilion! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] Got kind of a crappy table at Creef and ordered the Chef’s Selection…mistake! The lobster bisque was yummy, but everything else was just gross after the cruise food! Went back into LS for the girls to start their KidCot things and for B to visit ‘her’ manatees. Oma bought a poncho b/c it was rainy/windy. Went over to the Land for the girls to do the KidCot thing and went to ride Soarin’. Oma wouldn’t go, so I took Dds and parked her. Hile we were in line, I noticed a VIP guide behind me, so I glanced over my shoulder and there was Eartha Kitt (the CP narrator we were seeing)! She was right next to me, but she was “incognito”, so I didn’t say anything to her. She had her DD, SonIL, and DGD along and they looked like they were having a lot of fun. Rode Soarin’, got Oma and headed for Test Track (Oma went into Mouse Gears). Once around and the KidCot stop, then off to Mouse Gears to collect Oma, but got sidetracked with the spending money. We started toward the WS, but M had blisters from “cute before comfort” shoes, so we sent her to 1st aid while we sat and enjoyed the tree. Went to the International Gateway and took the boat to MGM.

This was my Tower of Terror day, not to be avoided in any manner, shape, or form, and believe me, I tried. Yikes. I think Rachel coined the phrase: mean ride. This is the personification of that and I think Walt would hate it as much as I do!!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] All I can say is what I was saying in the picture, “holy crap!” [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] No, I did NOT buy the commemorative keepsake of my sheer terror and I will never (EVER) ride it again. I was so physically uncomfortable (chest pain, but it is benign/stress-related, I’ve been tested!) that I told my mom if anything happened to me not to let Dds feel guilty for making me go on it! RnR was next (not for me, thank you), so I went and sat with my mom until they got back. It took until they finished for me to finally calm down enough that I felt like we could move on. Horrid, horrid ride!!!

Everyone was getting hungry, so we stopped for pretzels and drinks (memo to self: pretzels are huge, 2 can share!!!). S wanted cotton candy, but it had all wandered into Fantasmic, so we went in search of the Osborne Lights. I have never seen this before (didn’t have it in 2003) and I have never even been in this part of the park before (shocking, I know), but when we rounded the corner, I was awe-struck. Stunning, gorgeous, a must-see for Christmas Spirit! We wandered through, trying to take photos, but pretty much had our mouths hanging open the whole time. I was able to find some cotton candy and gingerbread for Dds, so they were happy. On the way out, we spied the Narnia thing and decided to give it a go. I was under-impressed and it seemed like just a big ad with a VERY few props thrown in. We went back to the boat and I had Oma and the girls get off at the BC (to take pics of decorations) while I rode on to Epcot to retrieve the car and pick them up there (this was also to keep my mom and Miss B from having to walk so far) I was 20 minutes from boat to car, so I was proud of myself! Drove around, picked them up and went back to CBR. Everyone was really hungry, so we stopped in OPR for refillable mugs and a bite to eat. Stopped in the shop for milk (and for Oma to shop -- theme!) and went back to our rooms to sleep. BTW, B said it was “Oma’s House” and “Our House” when we went into our connecting rooms!

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On the Seventh Day of Disney, Mickey gave to me, a Jingle Jungle parade and another awesome CP!

Got a late start (as usual) and went to AK. I’d planned lunch at Tusker, but B pitched a fit for RFC and Oma caved. It’s her nickel right now (meals=Christmas gift), so we ate there. Too much food/high prices -- I’d like to see smaller portions (less waste) and more reasonable prices, but we were only there for the atmosphere and the volcano dessert anyway. Went into the park, got Oma a wheelchair and headed for Dinoland. Dds wanted to ride Dinosaur and talked Oma into it, too…bad move! She HATED it almost as much as I hated ToT. In all reality, Peter Pan is a “thrill ride” to her. M to little ones to Primeval Whirl and we hoofed it over (get it??? [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] ) FOLK. This is where we had our first major breakdown. I told the CM that B and Oma could transfer from chairs. B LOST it when I had her sit on the bench. I finally put her back in her seat and moved (a CM helped). After that, she was perfectly fine, but Oma was rolling her eyes and telling M and people around her that B just needed to be spanked. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] I don’t know exactly what it is, but sometimes B *HAS* to sit in the stroller to be able to calm herself. It reminds me of the autistic woman who works w/ cattle and designed a sling for herself that presses around her when she starts feeling out of control. It is exactly like that for B and I wish people who are supposed to lover her could see and understand. OK, enough of that rant.

The FOLK was awesome. Timon was in love with B, she had a little monkey that he played with and he kissed her hand a lot. Then, he had her kiss him and made a big scene…it was so sweet!. In that moment, she forgot that lots of people were watching her and I got a glimpse of “Italy” (some of you know what I mean). I cried. After the show, we made our way over to the safari and rode that. Got off just in time to find a spot for the Jingle Jungle parade and *really* enjoyed it. Shuffled out of the park with the masses and to the car. I dropped Oma and M off at the TTC for them to monorail straight to Epcot, get the wheelchair, and check in at GG in Jan’s section (waitress from last week). I drove to the Poly, valet parked, and took the girls to the NLC. A hug and a kiss and off to Neverland! I walked to the TTC and caught the front of the monorail w/ a lovely woman from S Africa who didn’t know you could ride up front until I came along. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] I imparted some Disney knowledge to her along the way, then made a beeline to the GG. M called when I was walking by SE to tell me that Jan had called in sick and they were beeping. A forced march up that gosh-awful steep slope to the Land (25 minutes from NLC to GG!) and we were seated for dinner. Service was “eh”, food was good, but not great, and the characters were OK. Left there and walked through to go under the Lights of Winter (Oma’s never done this). The fountain was doing its thing, so we watched that, then took our time to the CP line (which was well into Japan). Spent some time imparting yet more Disney knowledge to some people behind us in line who thought no rides were open for MVMCP??? I’m still amazed at the number of people who spend thousands on a vacation without spending a dime researching the place, KWIM? My mother also told these ladies that I’m poor, to which they laughed (uncomfortably), “Because of all the visits to WDW?” and she said, “No, she’s just poor.” L I wanted to crawl under a rock, but that’s just to give you an idea of why I was glad when Thursday rolled around and my mom left.

We had excellent seats for CP. It was superb. Eartha Kitt clearly puts a lot of effort, heart, and soul into her reading and it shone through. We were all in tears by the end. Afterward, we had a potty/hot tea break and scoped out a spot for Illuminations. There was a woman who had claimed her piece of ground and was not going to budge, although she had at least 18” to her left. There was a woman to her right in an ECV, but not quite enough room for my mom’s wheelchair. This was, however, THE spot my mom wanted, so we said “excuse me”, but she would not move, just the 3 inches we needed her to. My mom was flipping out that she couldn’t see, so finally I just rolled her on up. The woman literally pivoted, as though her foot were glued to the ground. She finally stepped another 3” to her left and we could watch the show. The level of obnoxious-isity this trip was off the scale and even Cms commented to us about it in various places. One even said he hoped Santa brought everyone manners for Christmas, they were so lacking. Holiday Illuminations was spectacular and I’m glad we stayed to watch it. BTW, my mom also announced that she’d heard a voice a few weeks ago that told her this was her last Christmas. I don’t know what to think of that, but it really put a damper on the evening. We rode the monorail to the Poly and picked up the girls. The CM was rude (didn’t want to put down her newspaper) and wouldn’t let me go in to get them like we’d always done before, so I wasn’t able to get a photo of the crocodile food bar. Went back to CBR and found a lovely surprise from a lovely CM (you know who you are!!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/love.gif[/img] ). I had to do laundry, I *SO* did not pack well for this trip! I was up until 2 am and $12 later, back to the room with a suitcase full of clean clothes! BTW, I totally flashed back while doing laundry b/c this was the laundry/pool we used when older Dds and I were here in 1993!

[graygables]

On the Eighth Day of Disney, Mickey gave to me…Downtown Disney and *another* Mickey’s Christmas Party!

We slept in since we’d had a late night. Decided to make this the DTD day, so we headed out. 1st stop was Once Upon a Toy for a My Little Pony box. Everyone was hungry, so we went to Earl of Sandwich for lunch. Had a B meltdown b/c she doesn’t like “roasty” sandwiches, so I ordered hers lightly done w/ cold meat and got her a small salad and a fruit cup, just to be safe. Oma was miffed that I was “catering” to her, but she did wind up eating well (we all shared the fruit). I needed to go to the World of Memories store for some things for my scrap booking business, but the Christmas store stood in our way. It was REALLY warm inside and I got to not felling well. I went to the WoM, shopped fast and went back out to cool off. Through the whole trip, the girls had been making a list of souvenirs they wanted, so we could buy them at the WoD w/ my AP discount (and make their hard-earned dollars go farther), so we went back that direction. Stopped in the under $10 for a couple of grab bags, which are always fun. Got to WoD (I’m still queasy) and we find that they don’t have most of the items the girls wanted (most notably the Stitch Santa hat). Seems they are trying to compartmentalize more (toys at the toy store, etc), but are not expanding the AP discount to cover the other shops. Sooooo, Oma and M went back to the toy and Christmas stores while I took S & B to the Lego store. DH and Dds sit and build elaborate Lego creations in the evenings, so we always “stuff a cup” for him. This trip, we stuffed a large and a small, got some road plates, plus bought a damaged advent calendar on sale, but still had enough to get a free stuff a box, so it took even longer! The girls had a great time picking out wheels and all sorts of fun things. M found us and we went to the car while she went to get Oma. I misdirected them, so they had a little extra walk and M was hacked off. Also, she and my mom had had it out over a t-shirt M wanted (“she said I was too fat for it” -- “I just asked her if it came in a larger size”…OY!!!) M wanted to go back to CBR, but we were going to GF to see the gingerbread house and for my mom to see the resort. M was royally peeved and I told her she could meet us later, but she decided to make us all miserable instead. Went to the gingerbread house and bought a shingle and some candy, took some photos, and caught the monorail to the MK. Got our MVMCP wristbands and went to CRT for dinner. We all ordered prime rib and it was SO not good (unusual in our experience) It was very overcooked (my med-rare was med-well) and had too much juice, so the potatoes were inedible. My mom refuses to say anything or let anyone else, so we choked it down (along w/ very poor service). We left and went to Frontierland/Adventureland. The girls wanted to ride PoC again, so we did that while my mom waited. Went back toward the hub and walked right up for photos. Found a spot to watch the castle Christmas show, but it was hard to see. We still enjoyed it, though. We cut thru Liberty Square to Fantasyland and did IASW, Peter Pan, and Philharmagic. The girls wanted to ride Space, so M took them while I took my mom to the Tomorrowland Terrace for cocoa/cookies. She decided she wanted to sit there to watch Wishes, so I called M and told her. They met us and we watched from the terrace. I was very bummed that they didn’t even dim the lights, so a lot of the effect was diminished. After Wishes, we went back to Liberty Square, and sent the girls to BTMRR. Went back into the Christmas Shoppe (theme!) then got our parade spot. The girls rode BTMRR twice and met us for the parade. We enjoyed it again (love that parade!) and made our way back to CBR for another late bedtime.

[graygables]

On the Ninth Day of Disney, Mickey gave to me…a whole World Showcase and a dinner ending with a Z (ebra dome…I’ve been reading too many of Tara’s poems! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img])

Oma wanted to do the WS, so we parked at BW and took the boat. Started in GB and worked our way around clockwise. We met a CM from Maidstone (I asked if he knew Cheryl…he didn’t! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] ) Oma had rented an ECV, but that slowed us down, believe it or not. Drive/shop/drive/shop--THEME! Rode the Mexico ride (yawn) and continued around. Dds met Mulan and Mushu in China, were the only ones there and had a very nice chat…another little glimpse of “Italy”! Stopped in Germany for lunch and surprisingly, B ate a frankfurter! BTW, they did have “Holiday Cheer” food stands, but not the Goulaschsuppe shown on the Raven TV special L Finished up the WS in about 5 ½ hours, which wasn’t too bad, I guess. Took the boat back to BW and got the car. Drove to AKL and got there about 615. Called M who was back at CBR (she’d bailed on us to go hunt princes) and told her to come on over. She got there a little after 7 and we had our dinner at Boma. Since they replaced the servers w/ non-natives, the service seems to have slipped, but the bobotie, carrot-ginger soup, couscous, and zebra domes are just as yummy! After we finished we went back to CBR and went to OPR to get refills/snacks since Oma was babysitting while I took M to the Adventurer’s Club at PI. Got them settled in and we were off. Got there about 930 and each had a virgin kungaloosh. We saw the Christmas show, which was hilarious and sweet. There were 2 guys that M flirted with and an older Army guy who was a bit sloshed and followed me uncomfortably. M was able to see the new member thingy, the rhythm thing, and the hoopla, which got out of hand at the end and I was a sorry we stayed. Yes, I know, it’s an adult club, but they proved earlier in the evening that you can be hilariously funny without talking about sex or inviting a drunk hoochie to practically do a strip tease on your stage. I was very disappointed by the end of the evening. Got back about 1am and scheduled an 8am wake up call for M to finish packing…they have a 1030 DME to the airport.

[graygables]

On the Tenth Day of Disney, Mickey gave to me…an Animal Kingdom morning and a final MGM Eve.

We slept in a bit and got ready. Drove Oma and M to the customs house where we were able to check their bags (AA-standby). I left them out front and took the girls around to OPR for breakfast. S didn’t like what she’d ordered and I have refused to be a poster family for what NOT to do at WDW, so I got her something else. Stopped into the WoD store for me to replace my missing coat. The girls ponchos, I’d made and still have fleece to make more and they have lots of clothes to layer with, so they will be OK (plus I left their good coats in the van at the hotel). I found an awesome fleece/sherpa jacket in a sage green w/ Mickey and Pluto embroidered on it. W/ my discount, it was about $50.

We decided to go to the AK for the Safari, Rafiki’s, and Kali, so we did just that. It turned out to be a beautiful day, so I insisted that we go back to CBR and swim. They haven’t swum since Castaway Cay. S insisted that she was NOT going in the pool, but I made her wear her swimsuit anyway. We wound up swimming for nearly 2 hours! S spent most of her time enjoying the slide and they both said it was a great day (just that alone made it all worthwhile!) Went back to the room, cleaned up, and went to MGM. They wanted to ride RnR and the Cms let them go on without me (thank Heavens!) We went to see Ariel, and then one more walk through the Osborne Lights for me…I needed it! We came back to CBR and ate at Shutters. It was OK, not great, but a nice relaxing break. Got back to the room and started the process of packing. I think I’ll have enough room, but I’m not sure about that! I was thinking today (during Osborne…they played “No Place Like Home for the Holidays”) how much I’ve missed home and I feel like I’ve missed a lot of the Christmas season. I know that sounds strange, being surrounded by the ultimate in Christmas décor/music, but there’s usually cookies to bake, church activities, etc and lots of introspection. This year has been more about the trip, and although the days w/out Oma and M have been very nice and pleasant, it’s not the same. I am SO GLAD I brought the Christmas tree and music.

[graygables]

On the Eleventh Day of Disney, Mickey gave to me…a VMK day and a chance to bid Epcot arrivederci!

We had breakfast w/ Lilo and Stitch today, so the girls were excited! They wore their Stitch gear and we drove to the Poly. Breakfast was good, but during the parade, I was back in “Holland” again, no more visions of “Italy” for me. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/cry.gif[/img] It breaks my heart b/c they so very much want to be like the other children, but neither one can bring themselves to try it. Took the monorail to MK and rode the train to Frontierland. BTMRR and Splash were top of the list! Went to Fantasyland and did the usuals there…IASW, Peter Pan, Philharmagic, and we stopped in Pinnochio’s for lunch. Went to the front of the castle and were able to catch the last half or so of Cinderellabration that made Dds happy. Went to Tomorrowland for one more whirl on Buzz and Space (another ride without me…yay!) They had brought another quest so needed to stop by the VMK place to get their code when they spied a Christmas Quest! I didn’t have a cheat sheet for this one, so off we went! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smileysanta.gif[/img] We had to watch the Country Bears which they HATED [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/ukid.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/bear.gif[/img], but we got it done. Went back to the VMK place and got loaded up with codes/cards and they were thrilled. Hopped the ferry to the TTC and waved goodbye to the MK for 2 years. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/cry.gif[/img]

Took the monorail to Epcot and went straight to Soarin’. They were debating whether or not to do another robot and decided against it. Test Track was next and then another stop at Club Cool. It was about 600 and we had 715 ressies at Akershus. I have never, EVER had any problem checking in early and being seated at the next available table for your party size. Ever. We went to Norway and were able to see part of Julenissen which was fun. Went to the podium and was told we’d have a 30 minute wait. It was COLD and we had no coats, so I asked to wait inside and was told it was too crowded. After about 10 minutes, B started to lose it, so I just told the CM we were waiting inside. It wasn’t crowded at all and there were even seats available. Dds saw Belle and got her autograph/photos and we waited. And waited. People were angry, pushy, yelling, managers were running around, it was a mess. Finally, 45 minutes later, there were people being seated who had checked in after us (and had been late for their ADR time), so I asked what was going on. The manager told me that they don’t seat anyone before their scheduled time [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] I asked why I hadn’t been told that (we could have ridden Maelstrom or done something else this whole time) and he just shrugged. I’m sorry to say that I became one of “those” people and I told him he’d better find us a table (I was quiet, but he knew I meant business).

We were seated and Aladdin showed up right away. Dds were blushing and enjoyed meeting him, although every other time we see him they say, “We aren’t in love with Aladdin, we love Jasmine!” [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] Jasmine followed shortly, sat down and said, “What’s for dinner, ladies?” We were still looking at the menu, so she gave us some recommendations. The server came and took our orders. We went to the koltbord and enjoyed some items from there. S ordered the grilled chicken, B had pasta w/ sauce on the side, and I had the salmon. As has been our previous experience, the service was painfully slow. We finished our meals and still hadn’t seen Cinderella (she was making an appearance along with Aurora), so the server found her for us. We left there at 845, so 2 ¾ hours from when I checked in, and 2 hours for the meal. yikes.

I wanted to buy some Milka chocolate (my Hershey’s growing up in Germany), so we swung through there and went to find a spot for Illuminations. Dds weren’t all that interested and I reminded them that very little of what we’d done on this trip had been for me and this was for ME. B wanted a pretzel, so I picked one up for her. We found our spot, spread out the ponchos and S and I sat on the ground. It was breathtaking again and I was crying by the time it was over. We took our time leaving, walked out under the Lights of Winter with lots of stopping and looking back for me. I’m such a sap. I know I need a break from WDW, I’m feeling a bit “Disney-ed out” and people were really hard to get along with this trip…lots more un-magical moments than I’d ever seen before. Even so, leaving Epcot is the hardest for me. Went back to CBR to finish packing and OMG, I’m really cramming stuff in here! If the suitcases don’t explode, it will be a miracle. I have 6 to check and 6 to carry on. Ugh!

[graygables]

On the Twelfth Day of Disney, Mickey gave to me (OK, this was NOT from Mickey…) a retching little girl and a firm goodbye to DME!

630 am, we have a 730 wake up call to get everything down to the airline check in desk/DME and a breakfast at 1900 Park Faire at 930 w/ Mary Poppins and Friends. Only it’s 630 and B is in the bathroom throwing up. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/dizzy.gif[/img] I’m so glad she made it. She’s not running a fever, but she is a very sick little girl. I get her cleaned up and back in bed with a “spitty bowl” (her CBR kids meal sand bucket!). She has a few more episodes, so I bumped our wake up back to 930 and decided to cancel breakfast. They are so sad, they were SO looking forward to this one, but there is no way B will make it. I’m up, so I finish the packing and barely get it all crammed in. B has several more episodes, but still no fever. I’m sure it’s food poisoning. L I loaded up the car with all our bags and the girls and head over to the customs house. I’m not having a very good morning and the “greeting” from a CM didn’t help any. I schlepped all 6 bags in myself only to find that the airline check in for Continental has been down (thanks for telling me, TSA people!) So, I schlep all the bags back out to the car, get the girls in and decide to just drive ourselves back to MCO (I was supposed to turn the car into the car care center).

I now have 45 minutes to get it back before being charged for yet another extra day (I’d already kept it one). I got to feel the pain of the SUV fill-up ($50 [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] ) and made it back with one minute to spare! Whew! A porter loaded up our luggage and I discovered I had to take the ticket to the counter, there was a problem with the check in. I go in and there are several people with Give Kids the World, so I had to wait for them to get all their cars, sign off extra drivers, etc. I gave the ticket to the lady and was advised there was an extra fee for keeping the car (they didn’t tell me that when I called to ask about it). I was on the edge, B was still throwing up outside the office in her stroller, and so the lady very kindly waived the fee for me. Gave her my CC and we were off. The porter was so patient and we got to the CO desk with no more problems. I only had $9 left in cash, so I gave him all of it (and apologized…he deserved more). Got our bags checked and went to security. No problems there, just getting everything re-situated. B wasn’t able to carry anything at all, S could only manage her backpack, so I had 5 carry-ons plus the stroller. We finally made it to our concourse and I needed a break. Found an ATM machine (going to need cash for bags in Cleveland) and got S and I Burger King (B had fallen asleep by this point). Got around to the gate and on the plane with no problems. B’s stomach seems to have settled down, but she fell asleep again on the plane. We had a very rough ride (and people STILL get out of their seats, even when the FA-s have been told to stay seated. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] ) and S watched Raven and Suite Life on my iPod the whole trip. Arrived in a frigid Cleveland, got a luggage cart and our bags, and called the hotel for a pick-up. He was on his way already for another passenger, so we only had to wait about 5 minutes. He loaded everything from the cart to the van and then straight into my van for me. So nice! We were soon on the road with a quick stop in Subway for dinner. B slept some more, but wound up eating at about 1100 and she’s all better now.

I’m so glad to be home and a little panicked that Christmas is in just a week and there are no cookies baked, no gingerbread houses, no meat trays!!! I know I have all week, but then there’s laundry and unpacking and that whole reality thing.

I went over the original budget and was pleased. The cruise was right on the money, including the perfume I bought for myself. I had saved in photos, a cancelled excursion, and less in room service tips than I’d thought we’d use.

The land portion was (get this!) $100 LESS than I’d planned, including the coat I bought myself. I saved with cancelled ADRs (Raglan Road and 1900 Park Faire) as well as some other meals/souvenirs. It was nice to come home having spent less than I’d planned, although it would have been nice to not have to tell Dds “no” at a couple of things they had drooled over, BUT, we were trying to teach them good money management and they did each have $130 to spend (and spend it, they did!) Also, I lost 5 pounds on this vacation! All the walking really paid off...now to keep it up!

Memos to self:
Find a decent rate on a rental car and use it.
Bring lots of money for tips. Think of it as helping them put shoes on their kids and food in the stomachs. I feel like I tipped everyone adequately *except* for the porter at MCO [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]
The company matters! (this has been a memo to self several times, but I still haven’t learned it!) The people you travel with can make or break a trip. I can’t even begin to express the calm and relief that came over Dds and I when Oma and M left. I know that sounds mean, but they are very emotionally (and physically) draining people. So, if you do have to travel with those kinds, try to schedule a few days without them…it makes a world of difference!
Get a sand bucket from the CBR…you never know when it might come in handy! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img]

[MAria R]

Great TR, thanks for sharing it with us.

[lauren-roxy]

Thanks for sharing your trip report Dawn!!

[clio]

Great report, Dawn. I know what you mean about screaming parents. The whole time we were there in October we kept running into them and people seemed so much ruder than they had on our last trip. It sounds like you managed to enjoy youself inspite of everything.
Liz