eye R.N.
<font color=660000>Many TF's like pins ;-)</font><
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2000
Cast Me 42 complusive planner Disney nut. DH 45 finishing his first year as an assistant principle in dire need of vacation. DD1, 15 junior Disney nut has wanted to do this since they first mention building the ship. DS 12, pin trader, DD2 9 junior pin trader ready for almost anything.
Our tale begins. We check out of Animal Kingdom Lodge according to plan at 9:30 this should put us at Port by 11:00 with plenty of time to check in. We have the directions given to us by the hotel staff and they seem easy enough. Nothing looks like the previous year when DH and I went by ourselves.Somehow we end up in the restricted section of NASA. No I have no clue as to how it happened. The nice guards let us turn around and tell us just how far off course we are. It's now about 11:30, we find a gas station and tank up for 1.22 and get soda for 5.00 a twelve pack.
We cross the bridge and I turn to see the look on my kids faces as they first spot the ship. It was that "Christmas morning look," only on steriods. "We are really going to be on that?" Wow it's bigger than the picture.
Pulling in to drop off the luggage we notice the first sign of trouble. People are still boarding buses to return to the airport. Porters are still running to and from the parking lot and the area outside the enterance is packed with people. We are told to "find someplace to go till 12:00". I am now wishing I didn't have that second cup of coffee this morning. We find a shady place to park and wait out the last 30 min.
By 11:50 both DS and I were very uncomfortable campers. We decide to pull in and beg to be let in to find a bathroom. They let us upstairs and lo and behold people are checking in. There was still very little line after the much needed bathroom break so I send DS to the enterance and I go to check in. Here you have one of two choices for the kids, to charge or not to charge that is the question. With DH out dropping off luggage and parking I make an excutive decision, they can charge. Check in completed it was no time to find the rest of the family. DD's were outside sitting on a bench waiting for DH. I sent them up to join their brother. Soon DH joined me and we went upstairs to find boarding had begun!!! We moved through with no time to ask for a trading card (more on that later) They announce our names and take the picture. We are here, at last. A process I expected to take more than an hour took about 20 minutes.
We decided on Parrot Cay for lunch. The spread was impressive and the desserts amazing. At lunch I finally look at my Key to the World card. Yes, the cruise Gods are smiling we have the PLAP rotation I wanted. No extra "dressing up" that DS was dreading.
Now it's time for the "divide and conquer" ressies run. I take the Southern route to Palo. Tues dinner and Thur brunch ressie were absolutly painless to aqcuire and took less than 5 min. DH took the northern route to the Spa as the Surial was #1 on his list of things to do. I met him at the spa and set the older two kids free to explore while we were in line (two way radios work great for this). DS returned shortly his sister had found common grounds and had no more time for a little brother.
Surial for Sunday morning and a seven day rainforest pass later we decided to finish the preliminaries and sign up the kids in thier lab. There are still people boarding in the lobby as we head to the clubs. DS decides he likes the look of the lab and is comforted by the fact they spend time in common grounds in the morning. We give sign out privledges to DD2 so she can come and go at will.
Off to the state rooms 2038 and 2040, our gift from AAA was waiting a lovely pin set in each room. My husband just started laughing "one to keep and one to trade. . . they must really know you." The joy of the lower floors is that your muster station is in the Walt Disney theater. Let those on the upper floors sweat it out on deck we were cool and comfy. . .well as comfy as you can be in those life jackets happily sitting in theater.
As we returned the life jackets and unpacked what had arrived at our door the sky turned ugly and the rain started. This moved the sail away celebration to Rockin Bar D and Studio Sea. DD 2 loved danicing with the characters and her parents. Older two disappeared until dinner.
The Welcome Aboard Variety Show was a relief to my husband who was dreading the lack of the improv group he was so fond of last year. From there it was off to Mickey Mania Game Show. DD2 and I made a brave attempt as the ducks we were in first place till the last round were the mixed up pictures of the characters did us in. We did recieve a cute red coin for our efforts.
Next came dinner were we met Maclean and "Jackie Chan" otherwise know as Pairjo (pronounced Piro) There was no one else at our table of ten this night. DH and DS started to have Pairjo teach them Thia. The dinner was great I remember the coconut shrimp.
By the end of dinner the long day and the three previous park days had caught up with me. DD2 decided to sleep in our room as the older two disappeared after dinner.
Tomorrow is another day.
Our tale begins. We check out of Animal Kingdom Lodge according to plan at 9:30 this should put us at Port by 11:00 with plenty of time to check in. We have the directions given to us by the hotel staff and they seem easy enough. Nothing looks like the previous year when DH and I went by ourselves.Somehow we end up in the restricted section of NASA. No I have no clue as to how it happened. The nice guards let us turn around and tell us just how far off course we are. It's now about 11:30, we find a gas station and tank up for 1.22 and get soda for 5.00 a twelve pack.
We cross the bridge and I turn to see the look on my kids faces as they first spot the ship. It was that "Christmas morning look," only on steriods. "We are really going to be on that?" Wow it's bigger than the picture.
Pulling in to drop off the luggage we notice the first sign of trouble. People are still boarding buses to return to the airport. Porters are still running to and from the parking lot and the area outside the enterance is packed with people. We are told to "find someplace to go till 12:00". I am now wishing I didn't have that second cup of coffee this morning. We find a shady place to park and wait out the last 30 min.
By 11:50 both DS and I were very uncomfortable campers. We decide to pull in and beg to be let in to find a bathroom. They let us upstairs and lo and behold people are checking in. There was still very little line after the much needed bathroom break so I send DS to the enterance and I go to check in. Here you have one of two choices for the kids, to charge or not to charge that is the question. With DH out dropping off luggage and parking I make an excutive decision, they can charge. Check in completed it was no time to find the rest of the family. DD's were outside sitting on a bench waiting for DH. I sent them up to join their brother. Soon DH joined me and we went upstairs to find boarding had begun!!! We moved through with no time to ask for a trading card (more on that later) They announce our names and take the picture. We are here, at last. A process I expected to take more than an hour took about 20 minutes.
We decided on Parrot Cay for lunch. The spread was impressive and the desserts amazing. At lunch I finally look at my Key to the World card. Yes, the cruise Gods are smiling we have the PLAP rotation I wanted. No extra "dressing up" that DS was dreading.
Now it's time for the "divide and conquer" ressies run. I take the Southern route to Palo. Tues dinner and Thur brunch ressie were absolutly painless to aqcuire and took less than 5 min. DH took the northern route to the Spa as the Surial was #1 on his list of things to do. I met him at the spa and set the older two kids free to explore while we were in line (two way radios work great for this). DS returned shortly his sister had found common grounds and had no more time for a little brother.
Surial for Sunday morning and a seven day rainforest pass later we decided to finish the preliminaries and sign up the kids in thier lab. There are still people boarding in the lobby as we head to the clubs. DS decides he likes the look of the lab and is comforted by the fact they spend time in common grounds in the morning. We give sign out privledges to DD2 so she can come and go at will.
Off to the state rooms 2038 and 2040, our gift from AAA was waiting a lovely pin set in each room. My husband just started laughing "one to keep and one to trade. . . they must really know you." The joy of the lower floors is that your muster station is in the Walt Disney theater. Let those on the upper floors sweat it out on deck we were cool and comfy. . .well as comfy as you can be in those life jackets happily sitting in theater.
As we returned the life jackets and unpacked what had arrived at our door the sky turned ugly and the rain started. This moved the sail away celebration to Rockin Bar D and Studio Sea. DD 2 loved danicing with the characters and her parents. Older two disappeared until dinner.
The Welcome Aboard Variety Show was a relief to my husband who was dreading the lack of the improv group he was so fond of last year. From there it was off to Mickey Mania Game Show. DD2 and I made a brave attempt as the ducks we were in first place till the last round were the mixed up pictures of the characters did us in. We did recieve a cute red coin for our efforts.
Next came dinner were we met Maclean and "Jackie Chan" otherwise know as Pairjo (pronounced Piro) There was no one else at our table of ten this night. DH and DS started to have Pairjo teach them Thia. The dinner was great I remember the coconut shrimp.
By the end of dinner the long day and the three previous park days had caught up with me. DD2 decided to sleep in our room as the older two disappeared after dinner.
Tomorrow is another day.
?
