The first pictures from the trip are up at:
Our photo album
DAY 4 – The Buses Strike Back
DAY 5 – A New Hope
The plan for day 4 was simple. Typhoon Lagoon in the morning, a barbeque lunch at SSR and La Nouba at night.
So we arrived at the Springs bus stop at SSR at 10:35 EDT. We waned to do Typhoon as it was a perfect warm day with a low forecast of thunderstorms (although I found out later that was revised – read on, dear reader). Also, J11 was sure she would try Shark Reef this time.
We saw all sorts of busses. Epcot, Disney MGM Studios, even 2 for Animal Kingdom/Blizzard Beach.
But no Typhoon Lagoon. I started having each bus call the base to ask where the missing bus was. The answer was always a few minutes away. I even used the house phone to have the operator check. They told her a few minutes too. She at least was close to right at that point.
In all, we waited 49 hot minutes for the bus. 49 minutes that stressed the usually friendly (but always fragile) détente between J’s 7 & 11.
We arrived at Typhoon Lagoon about 11:22. After we were under way, the bus driver (amazed that it had been more than the normal 20 minutes between busses) said he called and found that a bus had broken down. Amazing no one else apparently knew that.
We stated out some seats near the lockers we rented (which were next to Shark Reef) and hopped in the lazy river.
Two stops later, we were instructed to exit the river because rain was coming. The skies were still blue and full of puffy clouds, but we realized it did take a while to clear the waters of guests. So after about a half hour in the water, we raced to the nearest stand to get food (figuring others would soon get the same idea).
We ate standing, unable to find seats. The rains did come as we made out way back to our towels and beach chairs. It was quite a downpour, but we heard that other areas of Disney got hit quite worse.
The rain stopped, but apparently the front was still in the area, as we sat listening to continual announcements that the water attractions were closed. I went off for a moment to find the others huddled into a full shelter (that they were previously just outside of). Apparently some lifeguard (let’s just call her the Surf Nazi) ordered them there.
Oh, I have no problem with a policy that when thunderstorms are in the area people must be out of the open. However the policy wasn’t being universally enforced by all the lifeguards, just this one apparently. Others on the other side of the shelter were left unwarned in the open, even as a gaggle of red suited tanned lifeguards chatted right next to them. Also, as J4* pointed out, if they won’t let you stand except under a wooden canopy perhaps there should be more such shelter.
After an hour or so (which seemed much longer) we were allowed back in the water. The park was less crowded, so that was a good thing. We finished our circuit on the river and headed for the big pool. The kids got progressively bolder after an initial wave knocked them both down, leaving red marks on the parts of their bodies that happened to hit the pool floor.
At one point, they stopped the wave machine because the lifeguards had to check out someone (which turned out to be nothing). The pumps apparently need a cycle to get back into it, leading the crowd to chant “WAVE, WAVE…” during the interval.
When the waves restarted, the first was a tiny one foot swell that caused the entire crowd to boo.
Chicago brave J11 decided against Shark Reef, and I decided not to do it alone at this point. I did spend a while sitting on the wall at the end of the wave pool – the waves breaking up on you there can be pretty fun!
We returned to SSR at about 4:30, just enough time to get ready for La Nouba. Once bitten, twice shy, I called a cab while waiting at the bus stop. He beat the bus there, so we took the can to the West Side – a $7 trip, and I gave him $10 total to help make up for the short ride.
We made the show in plenty of time and had great seats – Section 202, row AA 1-4, right behind the aisle, just left of center (house left, not stage left). The kids had never seen this show. J4* and I did in ’99 (that was an experience – J4* seat was broken and they tried to give us seats all the way in the back (we were in the center section, halfway back – this when all seats were the same price – but that’s a whole different story!). They have seen Cirque in Chicago (and will again this summer). It was great. Those Chinese girls are still a little creepy, but amazingly talented (if you’ve seen it, you probably know what I mean). I imagine they just clone them.
After the show, the weather was again threatening, so we made a beeline for indoor food. House of Blues wasn’t taking names, so we continued on to Raglan Road. What a great place! We waited at the bar for our table (much relief to our Chicago/part-Irish sensibilities – on a trip to Indianapolis we couldn’t even sit in one whole half of a restaurant, because that was considered
”bar area.” If you can’t take kids to the bar, where do you rest your infant when you go out? ).
The music was live, great, and loud (albeit acoustic). A dancer accompanied the band, dancing on a special table (with patrons seated at it!). J4* had the salmon, I the loin of bacon (a very lean ham steak, basically), J7 the fish and chips and J11 the Dakely Duo – sausages battered and served with a mustard sauce. It was very nice. If you like Irish music and a good pint of Smithwick’s, this is the place to go.
Back home after a walk through Downtown Disney and to bed.
DAY 5
J7 has been unusually combative at points this trip. Suddenly today, she was a joy. Hopefully she realizes that this is a good thing!
This was moving day – SSR to BCV. I packed as the rest got up. I put the fridge food in an insulated bag from Publix (Keeps ice cream cold after 3 hours! It says) and a rolling cooler we brought. Bell Services arrived to take out 17 bags (some of these just small items, like the charcoal I’ve yet to use!) and the rest of the family went of to Epcot (got to get those puppets the rain stopped!)
I took the first bus (Magic Kingdom) and got off to find the YC/BC bus. One bad part of transferring at MK is the side of the sign you can see exiting doesn’t tell you the destination of the buses. So you have to walk and keep looking backwards to see. I found the YC/BC stop and waited. A bus pulled up. He told me that even though he was at the stop, his marquee didn’t say YC/BC, but he’d get me there, probably after taking us past the Contemporary and WL. He checked with a supervisor in a van and sure enough, he had to go to CR/WL. We did so (picking people up for MGM) and then went to the Beach Club to drop me off. I didn’t ask for this, and I’m sure the folks waiting at the BC and those on the bus were all confused, but this small detour was really helpful to me.
I checked in – no rooms ready – drat! – and took the boat to Epcot. Met the family by China in WS (got the puppets!) and we journeyed on. We stopped to eat in Italy for the first time. It was quite nice. I had Ceasar Salad with shrimp (nice and hard to mess up. Could have been larger, and the “crouton” was a rectangular cracker, which wasn’t bad actually). J4* had some delicious buttery lasagna. The kids had pasta, and I commented J7’s meatballs better than my mom’s, for which J4* felt sure I would be rained on.
Glad to a giant lizard again menacing the small Germany railroad village (on a previous trip, a horde of the man sized beats descended on the town, accompanied by Volkswagen sized birds). Love that garden railroad setup!
We caught most of the Voices of Liberty in the rotunda at the American Adventure – they are really worth stopping!
Back to BCV - called and the room still not ready. We waited in the lobby. Kids watched cartoons and J7 traded a pin with Art, the doorman. We switched after a while to the Game Room in the BCV – a wonderful spot to watch cartoons and kick back. Finally, at 4PM exactly, the room was ready. A nice 1 bedroom overlooking the canal and BCV pool.
We relaxed in the room (J4* went out on the balcony to read, not understanding this doing nothing on vacation stuff!). The food looked not too much the worse for wear. The ice cream was soft, but as advertised unmelted after several hours (of course kept in a fridge at Bell Services during most of that time. The meat was a bit oxidized, but should still cook up fine.
For perhaps the last time, we took J11 to the kids club (they serve ages 4-12, but older kids are in the minority). J7 and J11 actually love this time in the kids area. The Sandcastle Club at BC is nowhere near as elaborate ass their usual haunt, the Neverland Club at te Poly, but they reported having a good time. J11 looked a bit silly on the kindergarten chairs playing video games, but a few hours of video games for her is just fine.
J4* and I went to the Boardwalk. We ate at ESPN, which we always like for a quick bite. Not as good as the ESPN Zone’s that it spawned, but still OK. We left, with a flock of Mets and/or Red Sox fans circling our table by the bar.
We walked down to Jellyrolls/Atlantic Dance, but they were not fully open until later. So we caught the next boat (Epcot) and walked around – caught the tale end of Off Kilter (they do rock), and went shopping. We got J7 a book she had been eyeing as a reward for such good behavior today, picked up “Leroy and Stitch” and “High School Musical” (J7 watching Leroy now). Also got a pin trader outfit for J7’s Pal Mickey. Very cute. I picked up the Stitch Independence Day jumbo pin.
We walked back, picked up the kids and relaxed yet again. Good night
DAY 3
Today was Animal Kingdom day. J7 loves animals, and infact aspires to be a zookeeper (and after taking pictures at “Flights of Wonder,” a photographer as well, she says).
Up early today for an 8 AM breakfast at Boma in the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Of course there is no bus direct to the Animal Kingdom Lodge, so we hopped the first bus we saw to Typhoon Lagoon. At the next stop within SSR, we saw an Animal Kingdom bus, so switched to that. Doing the resort-to-resort bus transfer, it doesn’t make that much difference, as the travel time is more when the bus to your next destination shows up, rather than distance, This was true in this case, as we waited about a half hour at Animal Kingdom for the Animal Kingdom Lodge bus. Still, we made it there about 8:15, and there were plenty of empty tables at this hour.
We will have to stay here someday. It’s truly a beautiful resort, even without the benefit of animals outside your window.
Boma is a great breakfast. They ask upon checkin about food allergies, for those concerned. Everything was great. J7 and I especially liked the quinoa. It was a soupy porage-like dish, with a sprinkle of what seemed to be some sort of brown sugar and sesame seeds.
After our meal, off to Animal Kingdom. We headed to Expedition Everest. A lot of construction walls in Asia, probably for the new restaurant as well as a few other things it seems. The Finding Nemo show building is going up as well, and looks to be pretty large. The Everest area looks every bit as cool as it does on TV. Definitely a draw, as the park was much more crowded than it seemed last year.
J4* rode while I and the other “Chicago brave” folks checked out the shop. There was a shirt emblazoned “Scream like a girl’ that caught my eye (and my wife’s too I found later). Apt for me, as I (on the rare occasion I get up the courage for a thrill ride) do just that. In fact five years ago on Tower of Terror, I amused my friend Liz and her family who rode with me, as they had never heard a human scream like that. They were especially amused when I stopped, they soon realized, merely to catch my breath and scream some more.
We chickens headed over to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. The kids really enjoy this. I enjoyed the freshly cleaned bathroom (and the cool high power hand dryer there that actually blows your skin around!). Seriously, I like it too. They were treating a small bird for an eye infection while we were there. I did refrain from joining my daughters in the goat pen. J7 would be there still had we not moved on.
We met up with J4* who reported the ride is very fast. She liked it, although not so much the heights you reach (she said you can see all the other “mountains” of Disney). You do only catch a glimpse of the Yeti, as designed.
We saw “Flights of Wonder” for the first time. Last trip, J7 didn’t want to do it, then reversed herself of course after the last show. It is a good bird show. We’ve seen quite a few over the years (there’s a good on at the Ren Faire near us), but it ranked right up there and did feature more exotic species.
We had time to “Festival of the Lion King.” First time we saw it in the enclosed theatre (and first time J7 remembers it, having been 3 the last time). Still a great show, if unchanged aside from the air conditioning.
We stopped at the bridge to Camp Minnie Mickey to get a picture of the Dragon Rocks waterfall, last vestige of the Beastly Kingdom promo on the boat ride back in ’98 (we never saw that, taking ’98 off from parks to have J7!). J11 loves dragons, so she was very interested. Maybe the Dragon in the park’s logo will finally appear someday!
Now the temperature was climbing and we were dragging a bit, so back to SSR for a lunch of cold cuts and fruit. We relaxed in the room for a few hours (it too a bit to get there waiting for buses – we went to the 12:40 FotLK and were not back in the room until 2:30). Our timing was excellent, as a huge thunderstorm rolled in about 3.
While it was still showering, we headed out to our 6 PM reservation at Jiko in the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We took a bus to Magic Kingdom this time, and luckily the Animal Kingdom Lodge bus was waiting. We were there in under 40 minutes total.
We had never been to Jiko before, but would gladly go again, J7 and J11 ordered of the kids’ menu, but that even featured salmon, chicken breast and filet. J4* and I aren’t big wine drinkers, but we ordered glasses, as we had heard the South African wines here were great. She had a chardonnay and I a pinotage, a grape native to South Africa. Both were very nice. I used my “order the second most expensive glass” methodology to good results. We’d never make it through a bottle, but we did get fresh glasses as they had none open of what we ordered.
For appetizers, we ordered the “Taste of Africa” flatbreads and hummuses (hummusi?). Very tasty and plenty of hummus for dipping (outlasted the bread, but went well with the normal table bread too). The cheeses were all surprisingly mild, but very good. The sweet chutney that came with them was delicious.
J4* and I both had the scallops. Fantastic! Served on a spicy mix of onions and tomatoes with cilantro and on top of a rectangle of some cornmeal type bread (I’m sure allearsnet.com could inform you exactly what we ate!).
After dinner, back to Animal Kingdom. First to “It’s Tough to be a Bug,” with J7, newly 3D brave after her success at “Honey I Shrunk the Audience.” J4* and J11 shopped. Headed to dinoland where J7 was disappointed (and we secretly glad) to find the Boneyard closed for the night. J7 could live in the Boneyard. Some trips, we think perhaps we should forgo the hotel and just stay there with her.
At dinner J7 had announced she would try Dinosaur, but J4* brought up some of the scary parts and ended up talking her out of it. In retrospect, J4* realized that she was remembering some things from Universal’s Jurassic Pak ride. Still, it was probably for the best as when J4* rode the ride (a walkon during Extra Magic Hours evening), J7 was uncharacteristically afraid of Cretaceous Trail, which featured dinosaur statues and occasional “dino noises.” While the typically scared J11 would go in, J7 refused, so we stayed away.
After J4*’s ride (which she pronounced J7 could have handled, had he kept her resolve), we wandered back to Asia. The animals were all in, but the park did look nice in the setting sun. The violent storm left the evening cool and refreshed, so it was a good night.
J7 announced it time to return to the hotel, so we did. Even with few rides the kids would do open, we did enjoy EMH in AK. On this beautiful night, it was nice just to enjoy this beautiful park.
Back to SSR and bed!
My wife, the beautiful J4*, points out correctly that I have glossed over a few key items
One is my dancing. Oh, I’m happy here at WDW. There is music in the air. So I encourage my family to dance with me. Anywhere.
The other is my wildlife photography. J7 loves animals. I, being a biology major once upon a time, have a fondness for them too. So what has most caused me to whip out the camera? A wandering princess? The imposing sphere of Spaceship Earth? No. A bunny and a frog. It was a cute little bunny in
The frog joined us at the bus stop at
That brings me to last night. We took the bus to Downtown Disney. I became covetous of a Chernabog crystal sculpture (the figures from “Ave Maria” march across a bridge imbedded in the crystal of Chernabog’s bald mountain base - those Fantasia-challenged, see below!). We were urged on by the kids to World of Disney (or WOD) to see the new Adventure and Princess rooms.
The Adventure rooms are petty neat. Large displays of pirate skeletons and a talking pirate animatronic (urging you to buy, of course! Of course he also repeatedly says, “Take what ye can, give nothing back!” so one wonders if that could be a suggestion to shoplift!). The kids made pirate hats - you buy the base hat and snap on patches and medallions. Cast members there tell me that many people don’t realize there is a charge for each doodad - the $10 base hat and $7 base bandana can easily become $20. The kids will put these to good use on pirate night on the cruise.
The princess room is kind of boring. They have an animatronic too, but it’s a creepy looking girl dressed as a generic princess. The big draw here is the Bibbidy Bobiddy Bootique, a makeover for girls (it appeared very popular with long haired girls, who were clustered about the entrance, although at this late hour no one appeared to be inside.
We left, with pirate hats and a watch for me (I love this one with a Velcro wrist band - I had one that I wore until it fell apart, and somehow managed to loose the replacement I last bought).
Back on the bus. Speaking of busses, we noticed an odd phenomenon. Both on the bus there and the bus back, there were folks seeking the Polynesian. One was a family trying to get to their dinner reservations. Apparently, they were instructed to go to Downtown Disney and get on the bus at stop 3, which they did. They didn’t connect with the fact that multiple buses stop at stop 3, and that the sign saying “
They, however, were not alone. Returning at 11 PM, another family was apparently on the wrong bus. The parent(s) sent their boy up to the driver to ask if the bus they were on was going to the Poly. A move I can understand - always better to have the kids do the dirty work when you can! 
So those not frequent Disney bus riders, note the big orange letters on the front and side of the bus. They will tell you where the bus will go, and only where the bus will go, not just the next stop. If the sign hasn’t changed fro where you are now to the destination, ask before boarding. Being trapped in the bus system is a circle of Disney Hell a few levels below being trapped on small world.
Today, Boma for breakfast, AK and then Jiko (first time!) for dinner. J7 loves AK, so this should be a good day for her!
Finally a moment to get organized and set down some of the chronicles of JMC2006! Well, dear reader, our journey begins…
DAY 1
Up early. With not knowing for sure what group we will be entering the plane with, getting to the airport on time is more important than ever. And although Midway is only a dozen miles from our home, it is a dozen miles that have the potential for unforeseen delays.
My dad drive us (his driving style more, um, interesting than normal this early summer morning - but thank God for him! He does so much for us and I really appreciate it.
We arrive at Midway with plenty of time. We check our luggage, and proceed to the gate - B1 - nice and close! I ask and yes, we can all go in group A with J7! That’s great, as we have more carry-on than usual and J7 & 11 need an adult with them for those stressful takeoffs and landings!
Flight was fine, a bit bumpy at the end. J11 listened to her iPod Shuffle, and J7 and I watched Pirates of the Caribbean until she fell asleep (than J11 watched). J4* was across the isle (tried to get her in the exit row behind us, but apparently if you have kids on the plane you can’t sit in the exit row, even if the kids don’t. Makes sense, actually.
Raining in Orlando when we landed - the suitcases all damp, but luckily little inside got too wet. Next time we travel in the summer, we should put all the stuff in the soft sided luggage in Space Bags or Ziploc giant bags (we did bring some of those along - great for dirty clothes, etc.)
Picked up the car a new Cadillac DTS. Needed a car to get groceries for the week, and for 1 day, the Caddy was only $50. Drove great and had tons of buttons to fiddle with. Favorites were the heated back seats (much to J7 & 11’s delight) and the cooled front seats. I want every chair I have to be air cooled!
First stop - mousesurplus.com. Really neat place! A little show room and amazing warehouse of Disney discards. Unsold merchandise, signs, and even park vehicles (including a monorail and the buss from “Speed”
Checked into DoubleTree (than;s Hhonors points!). Really nice little place by Downtown Disney. Very friendly. Little desk just for kids to check in. We had a surprise of a couple chocolate covered strawberries in our fridge for being repeat guests.
Went off to MK. Kids exhibited their “Chicago courage.” In Chicago, they (from a family of basically trill ride chickens, except J4* who will try, but not seek out thrill rides) had been all about trying Splash and Test Track and maybe even Mission Space Green. We set foot in the park and that evaporated! Oh well. Maybe they will get the courage up.
It was a while before we actually set foot in the park though. We had to renew our passes, bought with the DVC discount. Well, the ticket worker at the MK accidentally rang them up as Florida resident, then backed out the value (off our vouchers and into her drawer). She was thinking she’d just redo the renewal with the $1200 credit she now had, but she didn’t have authority to the DVC screen! So much waiting (for which we got 2 coupons that work like Fast Passes on any ride - being thrill averse, we still used one on Peter Pan!), a supervisor and calls, we had a resolution. We had to go to MK Guest Services and meet the supervisor, who was driving over there with out vouchers, old passes, DVC card and $1200 from the drawer. We got there and everything was all set. We had our new vouchers!
So we went to Fantasyland, did Philharmagic (from the front in seats J7 picked, which my wife said she liked better. I found it a tad hard to focus on some things, but overall agree), Peter Pan and ate at Geppeto’s. We sat waving at the small world boats going on their never-ending voyages… The food was definitely OK, and better yet, paid for with Disney Visa Rewards! They had replaced the sub par pasta they had our last trip there with a turkey and bacon panini.
Went on small world ourselves. Oh the horror… Seriously, the ride was looking pretty good.
After a while (my phrase for I don’t recall exactly what we did), we shopped Man Street and headed out before Spectro. Back to the hotel (got to watch Illuminations finale from our car).
Back to the hotel and quickly to sleep!
DAY 2
Kids slept late - didn’t stir until about 9. I got up, loaded the car and went to Saratoga Springs to check in. DoubleTree made one mistake and left me waiting for a bellman for about a half hour, but I still got off plenty early.
Got to SSR and there were rooms available - plenty! I had my pick, so I took The Springs. Got a 1 bedroom on the first floor (great for carting in my luggage). The view is of the Theater, which is hosting Disney Magic Music days again (as it was on our trip last year).
Back to DoubleTree. Dropped the family at Epcot and went to Publix. I had forgotten the directions to the nearest one, but TA DA - there is that little blue OnStar button! What a great service. Makes me want yo buy a GM (even though sis-in-law works for Chrylser!).
Did some shopping - figure we’d have a few meals in the room, and grill one night. Sure I have too much food, but at Disney prices, it’s still a bargain. Only I forgot the charcoal. And the buns, And the hot dogs. But I did get breakfast stuff, snacks, steak and burgers. Rest I’ll just get at Artists’ Palette.
Drop the car off at the Dolphin (you just leave it with the valet and he writes you an Alamo receipt) and off to meet the family at Epcot.
J7 did overcome one fear and did Honey I Shrunk the Audience - and she even asked to do it! Yeah! I met them in World Showcase. We went for lunch at San Angel, which was OK, but certainly not as good as most Mexican I’m used to. Still, can’t beat the atmosphere (and the remaining Disney Rewards coupled with the Disney Dining Experience discount softened the blow!).
We went around - J4* and J7 did Maelstrom (another thrill for J7!). The kids (whom we empowered with $100 each to spend) really wanted to get those marionettes from China. So we scooted over there, and on queue as they were selecting them, the skies opened. The rain that had been predicted all day came. Luckily, we scurried under the cart and donned ponchos (which we remembered this time - yeah!). So puppet purchasing was delayed. We’ll be at the Beach Club later in the week where such Epcot purchases will be much easier.
Saw American Adventure. Still a great show, although it really needs to be updated past Kristi Yamaguchi. Continued around - got J7 some marble pop in Japan (soda with this marble in the neck that seals the bottle - it’s fun and designed so the marble cannot escape). Saw folks grouping for the candy lady. We skipped that, as with her only making 5 or so pieces a show, it seems to get dominated by the groups that gather early. Me, I’d prefer to see all 5 go to different families, but that didn’t seem to be the case last time we saw it.
Made our way out. The rain had ended for a while now, and the very second I stepped under the canopy of Pin Central, the heavens emptied out again! Once more into the ponchos and back to SSR. I went to get charcoal (Scottish lass working the counter did not know what I meant at first - she was thinking charcoals to draw with!) and a new key as mine had become demagnetized (I think having it next to my ringing RAZR phone did it!).
The kids started watching Nanny McPhee on the DVD player in the room and I started this blog. They ran to Artists’ Point (where J7 unfortunately failed in her quest to, um, keep every meal on vacation down! I hope she manages on the ship! I think the excitement just gets to her.)
They are back, and I am done - for today!
My wife always uses cute, Disney inspired code names for the rest of us. Guess I should too. Hhmm. Can’t just copy hers.
I’ve got it! What would any good sys admin do. Here we are:
Me (J40)
Wife (J4*)
Daughter (J11)
Daughter (J7)
OK, so it what it lacks in poetry, it makes up in pragmatism.
Anyway - we leave tomorrow for the land of oh the anthropomorphic rodent.
So I made sure I was online at southwest.com at 9:34 AM this morning (our flight is at 9:35). Sure enough, couldn’t print out boarding passes yet. So I waited a minute.
Bingo. Got in with J7 in group A. Normally, that’s what I’d expect. For those unfamiliar, Southwest (the airline from which our plentiful American Express and Diners Club points we earn many free flights) does not use reserved seating. Instead, you get a group, and are allowed to pick the seat of your choice. Of course, in practice, this leads to long lines an hour or more before takeoff as people jockey for the correct seat. Not as big an issue travelling alone, but with kids it is indeed possible not to find the needed number of seats together. And as J11 needs to grab on to my arm during takeoff, and J7 would talk a stranger into a frenzy, this is key. Normally, almost all of the passes the first few hours online are A. No problem.
Until today. Enter J11’s confirmation number (because of our free flights and such, we each have our own confirmation numbers). B
What? J4*, J40, B. Hhmm.
Call Southwest. If we ask at the ticket counter, they might let us go on together (wonder if J7 could fend off all takers for 3 seats near here? She just might… No, bad idea). OK, we’ll see. if not, we’ll just have to camp out at the front of the B line.
Find out from my favorite Disney board (disboards.com) that this sort of thing can happen when the flight connects from elsewhere. At 9:35? Well, maybe someone is getting up really early tomorrow to fly to MCO via MDW.
Well, we will get there. Not as bad as when we went to Disneyland in ‘01 and American said I boarded while I was at the car rental return with my boarding pass in hand. Worse yet, they split us up, so J11 (then J6, not to be confused with this year’s J7 - maybe this nomenclature needs work…) was seated next to some stranger, while J4* (then J3*, oh you get the idea) was with J7 (yes THIS year’s J7) and I was forced to wait for the next flight.
But that’s a story for another time!
So got to finish working from home and get packed! Early day tomorrow!
Welcome to my Disney blog. The impetus to create this is our upcoming family trip to Walt Disney World, followed by a 7 night Western Caribbean cruise aboard the Disney Magic.
Itinerary:
June 24 - arrive in Orlando via Southwest Airlines. Stay one night (for free - thank you Hhonors points) at the Doubletree Downtown Disney.
June 25 - switch to our “home” Disney Vacation Club resort, Saratoga Springs.
June 28 - switch to the Beach Club Villas.
July 1 - board the Disney Magic
July 8 - home again, jiggity jig.
So stay tuned and follow us…