Travel dates: September 4 - 8, 2009
Travel method: Personal car
Resort: Travelodge Suites Big Orange on Irlo Bronson Highway
Accommodations: King size bed standard suite
Ages Represented in Group: Adults
Disney Resort Experience Represented in Group: Experienced
Cast of characters: Rich and Sheri Niklewski, 49 and 47, respectively
Comments: This trip did NOT go as expected. It's a study on how to adapt when something very unexpected happens.

Foreword

Since we've moved to the Atlanta area in 2001, we've taken a Labor Day weekend trip to Disney World every year but one. That one year was when our grandson, Mitchell, was supposed to come into the world but the little guy (now three years old) took after his mother and was late. For 2009, all of our Disney trips were in limbo because of me being unemployed. However, a job finally found me (really, I did not find it) in April so this Labor Day trip was a possibility.

Except NASCAR decided to mess with us. We've attended the Atlanta races both in the spring and the fall almost every year since we moved here. NASCAR decided to move the fall race, typically run close to Halloween, to the Labor Day weekend. Ugh. Which would win out, Disney or NASCAR? Rich and I went back and forth a lot on this and a compromise was reached. We'd go to Disney World for the normal Labor Day weekend but we'd take in a fall NASCAR race at another track. So we'll be going to Talladega for that race over Halloween (it's being toted as "Hallow-Dega").

After our Memorial Day and Fourth of July trips, we don't have very many wants or needs for this outing. I managed to talk Rich into a sit down lunch for which I made online reservations at the Rose and Crown. I initially made the seating for 3:00 on Sunday but then changed it once Off Kilter's schedule went back to five days a week instead of the seven days they were doing during the summer. I moved the time back to 1:00 so we could have a nice meal and then watch the guys for the rest of the day. Sunday is the only time they will be performing during this trip.

Here are my thoughts on the new online system of dining reservations. For me, it was fairly easy. I only had one seating to make and it wasn't going to be for a popular dinner time. I really liked that the system returned not only options for what I plugged in but also other alternatives. However, if I had to make multiple reservations, I think the online way would be cumbersome.

I've been reading a lot of negative posts about people's experience with the online dining reservation system and I find it quite amusing. For years, guests have wanted online dining and it's here. No, it's not perfect and I challenge anyone to design a system that is. Especially one that caters (no pun intended) to the extremely picky Disney guest. I liked the online system but my wants and needs are very simple. I think when a guest gets into the complicated process of having to have this or that for this specific time, it gets frustrating. I don't think that's a fault of the system. I think that's a user "error". My opinion only.

The decision on Rose and Crown for lunch was made mainly for Rich to do the fish and chips. He can get them from the counter service but likes to enjoy them at leisure. That was fine with me as I can usually find something at Rose and Crown for myself. Until the menu was changed. I'm OK with the burger and maybe the vegetarian shephard's pie but I'd honestly like to be somewhere different. I will be fine with Rose & Crown but I still tried twice a day to get the ever elusive LeCellier. Oh well, maybe next trip.

Our hotel in Kissimmee will be our usual Travelodge Suite on Irlo Bronson Highway. As Rich said, we know the place, it is what we need and want, and it's easy for us to come and go from Disney World. Quite honestly, offsite seems to suit us very well so I doubt we'll be back onsite anytime soon. I do love Disney's accommodations but having me out of work for over two years got us into a very budget minded environment so why change now?

I had enough points on the Wyndham Rewards program to get a free night on the way down in Valdosta. I booked that at the Super 8 at Exit 5 off I75. It's our normal stopping point so nothing new there either.

What is making this trip very special for me is that it's Labor Day. And I'm a laborer once again. I am very grateful for my job and I have found something that I really enjoy. I can honestly say that I don't mind going into work every day. It's fun and never boring. I've only been working since early April but I moved from 30 hours a week to 35 hours a week to now a full time job. I am very happy in my life right now so this is a very positive trip for me.

Day One – Friday, September 4, 2009

The day started just like any another day. Rich up at 6:00 and me following when he was out of the bathroom. Both into work with different ending times. Rich’s second in command has been playing hardball with the company and not letting anyone leave early the day before a three day weekend. That had always been perk until this year. So we both planned on his normal arrival home time of 5:30, probably later due to the holiday traffic. As for me, yesterday had been a busy day so I had put in over eight hours. With that, I had to work less than eight today (I know, it’s a shame, ain’t it?) or I would go over 40 hours which is not allowed except under special circumstances. I would be able to leave work at 3:00 with a home time of about 3:35 (I work much closer to home than Rich).

Work went fine except my boss called in sick (he’s never sick and sounded awful) so it was kind of a loose day. I was packing up right before 3:00 when Rich’s last email reached me. His direct boss had made her own decision to let her staff (all two of them) leave early. At 3:00. Whoo hoo! I was home when I thought and used the time before Rich arrived to do last minute things like feed the birds, gather reading material, get the cooler contents together and put out extra food and water for the pigs. I mean our four adorable and lovely cats, a couple who could qualify as pigs based on weight. I was just about ready to clean out the litter boxes (we have about ten – the critters are not spoiled in any way, no sir-ree bob) when Rich pulled up. He made it home in record time – just under an hour. Maybe this is a sign people still aren’t traveling. We hoped. I left the litter boxes to Rich (it’s his daily job anyway) and then we were ready to go shortly before 4:30. Unexpected but certainly appreciated.

The drive down wasn’t that bad. We had the usual backups at Spaghetti Junction and I675/I75 but we’re used to them and got through unscathed. Traffic was a bit heavier just south of Atlanta due to the weekend’s NASCAR race (the one we are missing). Nothing was going on at the track tonight but people, especially the campers, were arriving today for the two days of festivities. We actually were making normal time for our drives down to Valdosta – about 4-1/2 hours.

Originally, I had planned to stop on the way home from work for a top off of the gas tank but once Rich said he was released early, I didn’t want to take the time. That resulted in us having to stop for fuel before we reached the hotel. Rich chose the wrong gas station again. He saw a BP station advertised along the interstate for $2.42/gallon but when we pulled in, the pumps said $2.48 (the gas I could have gotten at home was $2.27 which had Rich cringing to begin with). Turns out, you received a six cent discount for paying cash. Grr – why don’t some gas stations make that obvious from the interstate? I know Pilot brand stations do – their billboards rotate the digital prices between cash and credit but others seem to like playing with their customers and getting them into the station and then applying the screws. Rich grumbled but paid the cash anyway. He just wanted to get gas and get it over with which I’m sure is exactly what the management wanted. We will never stop at that particular BP again.

I should mention that gas was a particular concern of Rich's for this trip. My fuel pump on the car had gone out a month or so ago. It was an adventure in getting it fixed complete with my gas gauge not working correctly and me running out of gas. We were able to get it repaired finally and opted for an aftermarket one to save some money. Rich hadn't really driven the car since then so he was concerned the gas gauge still wasn't working properly. I told him he worries too much.

Rich pulled us into the Super 8 parking lot shortly after 9:00. Check in was easy and our room was in the front of the building this time. Still a nice room with no neighbors on one side which I always appreciate. After quickly unloading the car, we made our way across the street to the worst McDonald’s on the planet. A person needs a lot of patience to utilize this place. But it’s the easiest thing for us to do. I ordered a McDouble and small fries, Rich ordered medium fries and a double cheeseburger with pickles and ketchup only. Then we stood back to wait for the food and watch the ineptness of the staff. Maybe I am missing something but how difficult is it to read the monitors that repeat exactly what the cashier just punched in? I think every single order (including ours) was wrong. On our order, it was the cashier’s fault. She punched in two McDoubles so Rich didn’t get his double cheeseburger (there is a slight difference between the two). The preparers did get the pickles and ketchup only correct. We could have complained but we would have had to wait behind everyone else who had something wrong with their order. How can you screw up a simple order of a 20 piece chicken McNuggets and three small drinks? By forgetting to give out the drink cups. So the mom had to flag down someone for that. One lady wanted her iced coffee without ice but they put ice in it. It’s always things like this. I can see one mistake or so but not every order.

We took our food back to the room to relax for the rest of the night. The only time we ever watch the show Numbers is when we are in Valdosta on our way to Disney World and tonight was no exception. I took the opportunity to read the latest People magazine. I have to keep up with what Bradley Cooper and the Jolie-Pitts are doing! Actually, the cover story was about Jaycee Dugard and her return home after 18 years of captivity with some very sick people.

Lights out at 11:00 with the alarm set for 7:30.

Day Two – Saturday, September 5, 2009

The phone alarm went off on time and I got up to hit the shower first. Rich is not a great early riser so I get it out of the way and let him slowly wake up. He’s fine when he has to get to work but not when he doesn’t. He followed me and I packed things up.

We didn’t have to do our normal fill up of gas this morning since we had gotten robbed last night but we did have to stop for Rich to get his breakfast of two Diet Cokes. There were doughnuts and mini muffins at the hotel but the guy in front of me actually took everything that was left! At least I had some orange juice.

While Rich was getting his Diet Cokes in the convenience store, an odd transaction happened in front of him. A guy asked the price of a newspaper-like publication lying on the counter. It was $2 so he handed over the money. Rich looked to see what the guy purchased. It was a list of all sex offenders in the state of Georgia organized by counties. So if you ever want some light reading, you can pick up this list at the Chevron station off Exit 5 of I75. I guess there is some law dictating that this publication needs to be available but it was quite odd to see it at this particular place. “Hey honey, I’m going out for gas and getting the latest sex offender list, see you in about a half hour!”

The rest of our morning was uneventful although we had our normal interesting diversions and conversation while on the drive. There were a lot of Gators out and about. Meaning Florida Gator fans since we drove through Gainesville and Florida was playing some patsy at home today. Ah, the first games of the college football season. The ranked teams get to beat up on some hapless school that agreed to play only to get some TV money. And the NCAA isn’t about money at all, nope, not at all. One of the reasons we don’t follow college football (except for Maryland and who ever is playing against Georgia).

I also noticed that the Geico pile of money (“I always feel like somebody’s watching meeeeeeee”) is very prevalent on billboards now. I think Geico holds the record for most entertaining advertisements with the pile of money, the geeko and the cavemen. They also have the best commercials for remembering the product it's intending to sell.

And the usual billboards for Jesus, God, and anti-abortion are still there along with the “We Bare All” advertisements. You can run the full gambit of morality along I75 just by reading the billboards. My favorite, though, is for vasectomies. Just call an 800 number and you can get one too! Yeah, just the way I would handle that situation – call an 800 number. I’d love to meet someone who did that to see if he talked in a soprano voice.

We arrived at the hotel somewhere around noon. The check in went fine and the room was ready. I had the same desk person I’ve had the past several times here. He really could be George Carlin’s younger brother and is ready for a stand up comedy routine anytime. We hear the same lines each time we’re here, such as the guy’s name is Mike unless we don’t enjoy the stay and then he’s Skippy, the evil twin. And that I look so much younger in person than my driver’s license photo. I put a lot of stock into an establishment’s staff and the Travelodge has rarely let me down and having Mike check me in is always a pleasure.

Our room was almost the same as the last two times only we were on the first floor for this stay. We don’t have a neighbor on one side and face out towards the pool. I was concerned about the pool noise but that was only a factor one morning which was fine – one small girl who was having a good time but a bit loudly.

After unloading the car, we took a bit of a break then got our gear ready for the rest of the day. We each take a small day pack to hold our cell phone, ponchos, extra shirt (Rich) and a pair of plastic shoes (me). I really don’t understand the need to take much more than that to the parks. For this trip, I debated even taking my camera bag since I have more than enough pictures of Disney World and I could easily put my ID, pass, insurance card, etc. in the day pack. In the end, I decided it was easier to take the bag than try something new. I also finally found my water bottle strap (I had misplaced it at home) so I had a frozen water bottle for the day as well. Finally well-equipped (for us), we headed out around 1:00 or so.

Rich wanted to go to Animal Kingdom after dismissing The Studios again. He doesn’t think there’s enough for us to do at the third park. However, along the way to Animal Kingdom, Rich discovered it was only open until 5:00 so that made our day a little more hectic than I wanted it to be.

I knew Flights of Wonder was going down for a refurb in the near future so that was a priority – to see the show one last time in its current incarnation. We had just enough time to get a beer for Rich, a pretzel for Rich, and two vegetable egg rolls for me before the show. That sounds easy but it wasn’t. Rich had to go to one kiosk for his beer and then discovered the only beer they currently had was Amber Safari and not Bud Light (both were on the menu but no Bud Light). He settled for the Safari and then had to walk across the way to another kiosk for his pretzel. While there, he lamented to the Cast Member that he used to be able to do one-stop shopping. The Cast Member directed Rich to somewhere near Kali River Rapids that had both beer and pretzels. We’ll have to check that out on a future trip; for now, Rich was satisfied. My egg rolls were at a kiosk near the entrance to Flights of Wonder so we walked over there after Rich suggested we sit at the Flame Tree BBQ and eat. He didn’t realize my snack was not near his and that time was winding down until the show. We ended up finding a table across from Flights of Wonder. Rich sat while I went for my egg rolls. Two of them later and I was a happy camper. I really like these. They aren't hard rolls, but nice soft ones. I’m usually not a vegetable person but I certainly don’t mind them in these delectable things. The kiosk also has a combination of pork and shrimp rolls but I didn’t see anyone getting those.

We both made bathroom breaks and then headed in to a slightly crowded show. I always have to laugh at the seating here. Everyone crowds into the middle section which really isn’t the thing to do. The seating area is level so if you are towards the back, you miss some of the things that happen on the stage floor. And you can see just as well, if not better, from the right side which is where we took seats. For the first time, we were in the bleacher section and that worked out nicely for photo opportunities. Now I was glad I brought my camera along for this trip.

One thing happened at the start of the show (which was great as always and a little bittersweet since it was the last one we’ll see – we hope the replacement show will be even better) that had me puzzled. A woman in an EVC along with her husband and about 12 year old son came into the show. The woman sailed right by the handicapped seating area and around to the far right side. That’s where she and her family wanted to sit. A Cast Member came after her and told the woman she had to put the EVC in the handicapped spot. Her family could sit with her there. Well, that was in the back row of the right hand section but the woman’s family had already sat down about two rows back from the stage still in the same section. The woman parked her EVC in the handicapped space, got out and walked back up to her husband and son. I’m not one to quickly judge as to why someone is in an EVC so I didn’t question the hopping out and walking thing. I figured the EVC would just sit there until after the show when the woman would retrieve it. However, after a conference with her family, the woman returned to the EVC and then drove it out of the theatre. Odd but maybe she was miffed her family didn’t want to move back to where she was. But a few minutes later, she walked back into the theatre and sat with her family! All she had done was move the EVC out of the theatre. This is a great example of how having an EVC or wheelchair does not get you much more of anything when it comes to sitting in a theatre.

After the show, Rich was a bit antsy about the park closing at 5:00 (he’s worse than I am) so we just walked over to Expedition Everest for him to do the single riders line. It was just after 2:30 and the FastPass Return time was 3:10 so things were definitely not busy today. I had Rich take his cell phone with him because I was not going to sit around waiting for him to ride. I continued walking over to Dinoland and strolled through the Midway. I’d love to see our grandson whacking away on some dinosaurs here. The few prices I noticed seemed to be $2.50 for whatever chance available. I think that would be worth it to see Mitchell's face when he’s told to smack the living daylights out of something with no fear of punishment!

I had just entered Hester and Chester’s when my phone rang. Rich was already done with Everest. Very quick today with the single riders line. We met up under the big yellow dinosaur (that was interesting directing him there). Since Rich was still concerned about the closing time, we headed for the exit. We could have gotten a lot more done but my husband was being anal for some reason today. I think he just wanted to get over to Epcot. There really wasn’t any hurry to do that as Off Kilter was not performing today.

We went over the Epcot with really no plan in mind. A couple of walks around World Showcase maybe. Our first stop was in Mexico for a margarita for Rich. And his world collapsed. First it was having to get the Amber Safari at Animal Kingdom and now this. His green apple margarita was gone! Oh, the humanity of it all! After this slap in the face and talking a bit with the Cast Member, Rich decided on a mango drink. But oh no! No more sugar available!!!! To his credit, the Cast Member tried to get Rich happy and suggested several different things like a combo drink and going over to the restaurant for sugar. But Rich passed. Later, he said it was just the shock of having his favorite hot weather drink totally gone that had him so indecisive. Rich is a man who likes having a routine; trying new things is not an easy prospect for him. And having to make a quick decision on a new thing is not going to happen. (He did get a blue one later in the day.)

A beer in Norway cheered him up a bit and we continued walking. The day was getting cloudier but it was still humid. We arrived at America and I had to go into my shop to see if there was anything new since July 4th. Not too much and I have to register my complaint about a particular type of merchandise available here. Since when is anything related to David Beckham American? He’s British and he’s not even playing soccer in this country this year. And when he did play in America, he wasn’t exactly great. Can we please remove him from America at Epcot? I can think of a ton of worthy Americans to feature instead of David Beckham. Why not turn that area (it’s small) into a place to get merchandise from the Super Bowl and World Series champs? I saw absolutely no Steelers or Phillies things in the shop. Yankees stuff, yes (that team is called The Great Evil by my husband) but not the reigning champions of two of the most popular sports in our country. Put the David Beckham stuff in the United Kingdom where it belongs.

After our walk around “the pond” (as Rich calls it), it was mutually decided to go on Spaceship Earth. We certainly were walking enough today which is par for the course for our Disney trips. Spaceship Earth was a walk on and I told Rich he could do the choices at the end. He did and I totally cracked up with one of the options. “Are you a planner or just wing it”. Now, while Rich doesn’t like changes to his routine, he’s not a planner at all. I am and he wings it. Wing it according to his routine but not a long range plan. I enjoy the interactive part of this attraction. Later, Rich said something about Spaceship Earth not seeming as boring as before. I pointed out that the part where he usually would nod off is now where we get to press buttons and have to pay attention. It really does add something to the experience.

The clouds were rolling in and we had to make a decision to either leave the park or take one more walk around the Showcase. I decided for both of us that we had enough energy and time before the rains came to go around one more time. We almost made it. We had picked up a beer for me at the Promenade Refreshments and that blue margarita for Rich in Mexico before our trip. We walked clockwise around and were in Morocco when the skies opened up. Fortunately, we made it to a little area where we could don the ponchos and I could put on my plastic shoes. I am not a sandal person, never have been and never will be so the shoes were my compromise on keeping my sneakers as dry as possible. It did the trick although this was the first time wearing them and my feet hurt by the time we got back to the car.

We probably could have stayed since the rain wasn't that bad and looked like it might end soon but Rich was on a Walmart mission. On the way down, I had mentioned that I forgot my bathing suit and Rich immediately said "I know where there's a Walmart!" Rich loves Walmart for their sports cards so we usually will stop at any one that is convenient. Since we knew there was one off Osceola Parkway not too far from the hotel, we had to go. Well, Rich had to go.

I didn’t mention it yet but we invested in a Florida mini-SunPass for my car. This allows us to go through toll booths in the state without having to have the cash for it. We still pay the same amount of money but it's a little less painful as the amounts are automatically taken from reserve we have set up in the account. So jogging off the toll Parkway wasn't that bad.

I'm not quite sure if this will hold true but Rich claims we'll never be back at this Walmart again. It turned out it's the one at 535 (we could have gotten there for free but we didn't know until we were done) that is recommended to everyone for the area. It was packed! Rich did get a few boxes of cards and I picked up some candy since I like to have something sweet after dinner. Then we headed out of there and back towards the hotel (the free way this time).

We needed dinner and upon exiting on 535, discovered that Highway 192/Irlo Bronson Highway was very close. Rich turned left towards the hotel and it was only about a mile up the highway. Of course, this means Rich will want to make a Walmart stop part of every Disney World visit, drat it. But it's nice to know we have something very close by in case we forget something (I never did get a new bathing suit).

The easiest place for dinner was Ruby Tuesday's as Macaroni Grill, Pizzeria Uno (Rich is limited to one pizza a month so that really wasn't an option anyway), Chili's and Cracker Barrel were all on the wrong side of the highway. It seems this Ruby Tuesday's is our old standby on our trips. Good food, good service and decent prices - what more could you ask for?

Both of us had fleeting thoughts of the salad bar but when we were seated at the front of the restaurant and the salad bar was at the back, neither one of us felt like walking that far. Rich settled for one of the many burgers while I opted for a fried chicken sandwich. That's the only way I'll eat a chicken sandwich - fried - so it's very difficult for me to find those on restaurant menus. Everyone wants you to be healthy and eat grilled. No thank you.

Rich's beverage choice was the beer special. For the same price as a domestic draft ($3), you could get a specialty draft beer. Which was Yuengling. I thought Rich would have a convulsion. He went to college in northeast Pennsylvania in the same area as his father was born and raised. So he knows cheap Pennsylvania beers. And Yuengling was one he and his college friends called "crap beer". The kind you get when you have almost no money but want/need beer. To have this product called a specialty beer was an insane concept to Rich. And to me since I drank my fair share of crap beer in college myself. I decided on a raspberry lemonade that was extremely good and a fantastic bargain as it came with free refills. Overall, a nice and pleasant meal.

With our stomachs satisfied, we went back to the room for the evening. The NASCAR Nationwide race from Atlanta was on and we watched what turned out to be a very boring race until the end. When there's only eight cars on the lead lap and the leader is out in front by six or seven seconds, it's a snoozefest. If we had opted for the race instead of Disney World this weekend, we probably would have been asleep in our bleacher seats by now. Kevin Harvick eventually won but man, it was boring.

During the race, we did our fantasy NASCAR weekly draft with our son via AIM on Rich's work laptop. This is turning into a routine now with us when we come to Disney World for the holiday weekends. We'd be watching most of the race tomorrow night but Chris will have to settle for a recorded version as our grandson's third birthday is tomorrow night. Mitchell talked to Grandpa and proudly announced "I’m going to be FREEEEEE!!!" which translates to "Grandpater, I shall be three years of age quite soon". We miss the little guy and his big sister, Marlie. And their parents I guess.

The incredibly boring race lasted an incredibly long time so we didn't have lights out until 11:30. It had been a long but nice day. The rain shower that hit us at Epcot did end while we were at Walmart. Temperatures weren't that bad but the humidity was pretty high. And I remembered one thing I forgot and then forgot to get it at Walmart. Suncreen. So we were a bit pink after the day.

Day Three – Sunday, September 6, 2009

No alarm was set for last night and our sleep was uninterrupted which is why I love having only one neighbor. I got up around 8:30 and worked on the report as quietly as I could. Rich followed a bit later and did his normal thing of wanting to have his two Diet Cokes for breakfast before even considering doing anything. I normally wouldn't mind but I can watch only so much SportsCenter before my mind goes to mush. I took my shower and got ready for the day which forced Rich to do that same. We had our 1:00 lunch seating at the Rose and Crown and Off Kilter was performing so today would be nothing up Epcot. Although I mentioned The Studios yet again. The crowd levels were low and I thought maybe we could finally get a FastPass for Toy Story Mania. Rich vetoed the idea for some reason. Oh well, there's always the Thanksgiving trip when we have more time.

Each of us carries a cell phone in our day packs but today I had to make sure mine was in my pocket so we could have a timepiece for checking the Off Kilter performances and for our lunch reservation time. Neither Rich nor I wear a watch anymore. I used to be so anal about time but not having a watch is a very liberating experience. I'm sure Rich wishes I would have done this years ago!

The car had a hard time starting this morning. It started but only after a delay. It reminded both of us when I had my fuel pump problem a few months ago. I always hold my breath in the mornings just hoping the car will start.

We arrived at Epcot around 11:30 or so and had plenty of time to do something before lunch and our entertainment. Rich suggested checking out Soarin' for a FastPass. We were able to do this on July 4th and get a very good return time and hoped the lack of crowds again would mean the same thing. On our way to Future World, we came across the World Showcase Players just starting their show in front of the Rose and Crown beer cart. It had been a long time since we'd seen the performance so I suggested we stop and watch since we had plenty of time. Rich didn't want to as "they expect the audience to do stuff" but I won him over. Nice performance and had a smile on Rich's face. I doubt we can do this every time we're at Epcot but it's nice every once in a while.

We continued on to Soarin' and our luck was in again. Our FastPass return time was 2:30-3:30. That was right during Off Kilter's first performance so I did what I swore I'd never do. I planned on coming back later than our window time. I'm not a fan of doing that at all. If Disney World decided today to enforce the window hour and only the window hour, I'd applaud it. I also would have never gotten the FastPass for Soarin' in the first place if it had interfered with my plans and the rule was enforced.

But with our FastPasses in hand we left The Land for another walk around World Showcase before our lunch seating. The Land was still doing a brisk business even with Living With the Land undergoing an unexpected refurb. I only wish the underappreciated Circle of Life film was more popular.

After our 50th walk around the World (well, it seems that way), we were at the Rose and Crown around 12:40 to check in for our lunch. Today was just like yesterday - warm and humid so I was sure we'd now get an outside table when an inside one was much preferred. I was given my buzzer and told about 15 minutes. Another performance of the World Showcase Players was going on at the same spot as the previous show so we set up to watch it again. We never got the chance as our buzzer went off. So Disney World's wait time conservative nature extends to dining reservations as well.

Fortunately, we were led inside to the blessed air conditioning. As I said, it wasn't that hot temperature wise but the humidity was sweltering. Our server was Georgia so that made a nice introduction as we are from the state of Georgia. Rich asked her how she received such an "unusual" name. I honestly don't think Georgia is all that unusual but Rich thinks everyone should be name John or Mike or Sue or Ann. He also is not a fan of the unique spellings of names these days. His thinking is that our son should then have been named Krystofer. Actually, now that I have that spelled out, it looks kind of neat. Chris himself has blamed us for "the more boring name in the world". He doesn't get that from his father. Anyway, Georgia said her mother liked unusual names and if Georgia hadn't been picked, she would have been India. Rich later thought he should have said at least the mother didn't think of Pakistan.

Drinks orders were taken and I had thought long and hard about what I wanted. Something cold and virgin. Rich had the margarita yesterday and that sounded good so I ordered a virgin strawberry margarita. Rich settled on a cider (hard cider, of course) for his drink. We waited for our beverages but Georgia returned shortly and informed me that the bar couldn't make a virgin margarita but they could do a daiquiri and sweeten it a bit for me. That was fine with me although I'm not a daiquiri fan at all. At long as it was cold and wet, I'd be happy. The drinks arrived and I shouldn't have worried. My virgin drink was one of the best drinks I've ever had in my life! Rich can have his margaritas, I'm going to make some stops in the Pub for this delight! Yum! Rich had me sample his cider and he can keep it. Yeck! But he loved it so all was right in the world.

For entrees, I had the pub burger and Rich did the fish and chips which was the only reason we came here. He will not order fish and chips anywhere else except here. He says no place comes even close to this version for him. It didn't disappoint this time. My pub burger was very good and it's going to sound stupid but it didn't taste like an American burger. I'm sure the beef was American but it just didn't taste like it. Maybe it was the sun dried tomato or the bun or something but I could just envision myself in a pub in England somewhere. And I've never been to England. Excellent meal, excellent service. We will be back again.

We were satisfied with food for the day. Neither one of us can handle two big meals a day and that's a big reason why the dining plan will never be for us. We do consider a Disney counter service meal a big meal. Now we needed some entertainment which was right down the walkway. Ah, Off Kilter as they were meant to be. Sunday - Thursday will all five original guys. We endured the long summer of seven days a week with at least one sub per day (we did see three subs in one day). That's not Off Kilter to us.

Towards the end of the first set, I noticed that a woman sitting in the front row looked familiar. I could only see the back and part of one side of her but she looked like a friend we had met many years ago and hadn't seen recently. Well, I had seen her last September when I was here with my in-laws (on the worst Disney trip of my life) but Rich hadn't been along then. Sure enough, it was our friend so we spent the time between the first and second sets getting reacquainted and meeting some of her new friends. We enjoyed the next set all together which brought back memories of a few years ago when we used to take up two full rows of benches during the shows. Times change, people move on to other problems and lives.

After the second set, it was time for us to use our Soarin' FastPass so Rich and I headed for Future World. I still felt badly for using the pass outside the hour window and hoped I'd never have to do it again. I guess if the current system of allowing use after the expiration of the window is working, I shouldn't complain too much. It did allow me to fit in the Soarin' visit during the longer break between the second and third Off Kilter shows.

I don't have this huge love affair with Soarin' as a lot of Disney guests seem to have. It's a fine attraction and done well but I don't feel the need to ride it over and over and over again. Rich and I lived for quite a long time without doing this attraction when the lines were so long and FastPasses impossible to get unless you were here for rope drop. But the recent economic slump has made this attraction possible for us without a lot of effort so we've been doing it simply because it's there. It doesn't have to be an every trip thing for us - we're more into Flights of Wonder or Off Kilter for those activities. On the old scale of Disney attractions, I'd probably give Soarin' a D ticket and not label it an E-ride. My opinions only.

We were able to walk right on and actually did not have a huge bunch of people waiting for their FastPass time to arrive. Our only problem was with the group in front of us. It was four young adult males and when they were told to take the back row (therefore being the lowest on the level of tiers), they wanted to be seated together in the front row. They were told they would have to wait for the next group but they wandered off back to the other loading area where all those people were already in their places. Instead, Rich and I were given the final two spots in the front row which meant we would be the highest up. Gulp. I don't do well on the movement type rides like Ferris wheels. Anything when I can imagine myself easily falling out. I'm fine on most things with heights but when I can feel the free-falling sensation, I have a problem.

But the ride was enjoyable (I think I conquer my "fear" a little each time I do things like this) and since we were in and out so quickly, we had time for another walk around World Showcase before the next Off Kilter show. Rich used the opportunity to get another blue margarita and I picked up a Bud Light from the Promenade Refreshments. I stick to the Bud Light draft at this stand and the Fife and Drum in America. It's only $5.50 compared to other kiosks around the lagoon at $6+. I don’t need fancy. I proved that by marrying Rich.

It was with this margarita that Rich discovered the blue one was a special drink. It had special alcohol in it so the cost was $4 more than a regular margarita. This would be the last blue margarita Rich would have. It took him this long to figure that out. That whole "no-green-apple-and no-sugar" thing really had him flummoxed if he didn't realize he was spending more money than normal.

On the way back to Canada, we ran into our friend in France. She had attempted to do her own walk around but was stopped several times by people she knew. That's the bad thing (good thing?) about coming to Disney World as often as she does (almost every weekend) - you know people all over the park. We briefly talked and then she continued to get a pastry for a snack/dinner. We went back to Canada for the last Off Kilter sets for our trip.

We saw two more sets and then decided to call it a night. The NASCAR race in Atlanta was on TV and while that wasn't an overriding decision maker, we would have something to do back in the room. Our friend was staying for the last set at 7:30 so we bid her goodbye and hoped to see her again but it wasn't likely with her schedule and our long weekends. She spends Thanksgiving with her family (the nerve of her!) so we wouldn't see her then.

We took the walk back to the car after our nice enjoyable weekend at Disney World. The weather had cooperated nicely (although we did have that shower yesterday). It was humid but not that bad. Rich didn't even need to change shirts so it couldn't have been that terrible. I was glad for my water bottle and washed down my face and arms several times in the bathrooms. You just have to adjust at Disney World in late summer.

But little did we know our vacation was not over. Once we got to the car, Rich turned the key and……… well, remember this morning when it wouldn't start right away? This time everything sounded great except the engine didn't turn over. It wanted to but no gas was getting to the engine. The fuel pump had died. We knew this could happen since we hadn't gotten the brand spanking new part last time. Rather than admit defeat right away, Rich wanted to wait to ensure he just hadn't flooded it. I knew right away since I was alone when the thing died before. It was close to 8:00 before Rich gave up the ghost and called AAA. Thank goodness we have that coverage as we've certainly needed the free towing this past year.

A couple of funny things with the AAA call. Rich told the operator we were at Disney World. The operator's next question was where did we want the car towed? Um, we're on vacation, we have absolutely no idea of a reliable mechanic. But Rich realized the woman was in some office somewhere and had no idea of the situation. She ended up putting in the closest AAA approved garage which was fine with us. We could ask the tow truck driver when he got there for any other places. As Rich was ending the call, she said "have a better evening". Not "have a nice evening" because it was obvious we weren't having a great time! Rich was told the truck would be there in about 45 minutes.

But less than a minute later, the phone rang (so glad for cell phones) and Rich was told the driver would be there at 8:22. Fantastic, only twenty minutes away. I had already suggested that we walk to the Boardwalk and get a cab back to the hotel from there. We really weren't thinking too far ahead at that point. During the wait, I had the only bad thing happen during the whole experience (other than the car dying, that is). Something bit me. I thought just once but it turned out to be four times. Right across my left knee area. The bites were very itchy for several days and became pussy. Gross I know, but we couldn't figure out what it could have been. Rich thought a horsefly but the bites weren't ragged enough. Then we thought an ant had dropped down from the tree but I would have seen that and it would have maybe bitten once before dropping off. Rich thought a chigger but it was too high up and I wasn't near any tall grass. Whatever it was, I had the effects for about a week after.

The truck arrived right on time and recommended Rikers Automotive on the Florida Parkway. It was the same place the AAA person had put into the system for us anyway. Our key question was whether the place was open tomorrow since it was a holiday. The driver indicated that he had dropped off a car there earlier and he thought it was open but wasn't sure. Well, nothing we could do about it now.

While the driver was hooking up the car, Disney security came through and stopped to see if everything was OK. I kind of hoped they would go really out of their way and give us a ride back to the hotel but realized that would be impossible. The tow driver offered to call a cab that would save us the walk to the Boardwalk but that meant waiting around again and we wanted to move or do something. So we said goodbye to the car and went for the cab.

The Boardwalk is definitely a great place to catch a cab. The Cast Member at the valet stand just yells "TAXI!" and one pulls up. Ours was a van type and I felt guilty for taking that but the driver would get the same amount of money with two people as he would with seven (or so claim their ads). We climbed in and told him where we needed to go and then we were off. Only to get stuck at a long Disney light. In the time we sat there, our fare increased 85 cents. Rich joked it was an expensive light and the driver said he'd make it up on the drive. He actually went the same way to do to the hotel and avoided Highway 192 as much as possible which saved time and distance. He could have tried to rip us off knowing we were tourists but he didn't. That didn't help the ouch of the total cost which was $21 with tip. Gulp.

Once at the hotel, we reasoned we might as well get another night because even if the garage was open tomorrow, it would take most of the day to get the car repaired. So I went to the front desk and got that all arraigned. No problem with that and we kept the same AAA rate (thank goodness again for AAA).

Then we went back to the room and watched the race and tried to forget the night. It wasn't easy to do as the race was just as boring as last night's until towards the end. Kasey Kahne ended up winning which was good. After the long night, we had lights out with no plans on waking up the next morning. We had no where to go anyway.

Day Four – Monday, September 7, 2009 - Happy Labor Day!

I slept until 9:00 and was in the bathroom putting in my contacts when Rich's phone rang. Well, that's a misstatement. We were both woken up at 7:00 AM by the cell phone. AAA with a recorded message that the service vehicle was approaching our car. What? I think the message should have been delivered last night before the tow truck arrived but Rich was insistent that it was because the garage had opened up. Why would AAA call us about that? At least we could go back to sleep after that rude awakening.

The call at 9:00 was, at least, from Rikers Automotive. They were open today until 1:00 and, miraculously, had a fuel pump in stock. The guy said they would do their best to get everything done by the time they closed for the holiday. Rich was quoted a price of $685 which was slightly higher than our mechanic said it would be but his operation is literally a mom and pop place. We may live in the Atlanta metro but we are so far out, we still have guys who get their hands dirty the old fashion way. And besides, what choice did we have?

We both got ready for the day and then decided to walk to whatever touristy gift ripoffs, I mean, shops we could. There was one near the Ruby Tuesday's so we headed down that way. Fortunately, we could walk on a feeder road and through parking lots and not anywhere near Highway 192. We also stuck to the same side of the street. Crossing Irlo Bronson Highway on foot means taking your life into your hands.

On our walk, we went by the Waffle House on the other side of the Big Orange Gift Shop. Breakfast sure smelled good and I remarked to Rich that it might be an idea to get something in our tummies since we didn't really have any idea of what the day would hold. However, just like with any other Waffle House in America, this place was packed. We continued on and found the gift shop area next to Ruby Tuesday's was actually closed for good. So we walked back (thank goodness we don't mind walking) and went into a place that was very over priced for the area and for what you were getting. If I want $12 sunglasses, I'm sure not going to get them here. In fact, you can get cheaper ones at Walmart. Then we found a grocery store in one of the strip shopping areas that would have what we would need for dinner if necessary. They had frozen entrees and we had a microwave in the room. There was even a beer selection and a liquor store was also found on our walk. Yes, we would be well set up if needed.

Waffle House was now more manageable so we went in for food. Waffle House is a southern institution in that there is one at just about every interstate exit. They are open 24 hours a day with breakfast their specialty but anything on the menu is available at any time. It's good, cheap food that is probably on the American Heart Association's Hit List for unhealthy items. But it's been a life saver for travelers everywhere. And drunken college students who need a place to go at 4:00 AM to get the alcohol out of their system before passing out. I think every American should experience a Waffle House at least once in their lives.

There is no hostess on duty at a Waffle House. You just walk in and sit wherever you want. The only clean table available was right next to the counter so we got a view of the grill happenings. There's no kitchen at a Waffle House - just an open grill. There were two fry cooks (they are not chefs) and about five waitresses hurrying around. This is the type of place with their own food language so it was interesting to sit and watch and listen. Rich ordered a ham and cheese omelet and I got the three egg breakfast. Rich's meal came with bacon and sausage and hash browns while mine just had hash browns and toast. The omelet was huge and my eggs actually tasted like eggs. And I know they were real because I watched the cook making them. It would have been a very cheap breakfast but Rich's omelet was $8. My three eggs were less than $4 so you can eat for a very low price. Your arteries might pay for it later but it's good food.

We waddled out of the Waffle House (that sounds like a country-western song) and still had time until Rich wanted to go back to the room. His excuse for even leaving the room today (besides sheer boredom) was to let the housekeeper "do her thing". After a brief walk through the Big Orange Gift Shop (I think it's only really good for produce), we went over to the flea market shops on the other side of the hotel. We had been here before and knew since we weren't in the market for suitcases or sunglasses, there wouldn't be anything here for us. But it was a good time killer.

About 11:30, while we were walking through the flea market, I got this gut feeling that we were not going to get the car back today. I've had these feelings from time and time and they are always correct. I didn't say anything to Rich but I just knew my gut was right. I wanted to get out of the market and back to the room as soon as possible so the feeling would go away but we didn't leave for another half hour or so. Back at the room, the housekeeper still hadn't "done her thing" and I nagged Rich a bit to call Rikers and find out what was happening. Rich seemed content to wait until we received a phone call from them. The housekeeper knocked finally and we let her "do her thing" while I fretted a bit more (internally). After our room was clean, I finally persuaded Rich to call about the car.

When I heard, "that doesn't sound good", I knew my gut had been right all along. Yes, Rikers had the fuel pump in stock and yes, they had installed it. However, the car was showing all the signs it would work except for one critical element - fuel was not reaching the engine. The part was bad. And a new one wouldn't be available until the next day. Ugh. But, the part would be there by 10:30 tomorrow and our car was top priority since the mechanic knew we were from out of town.

Our fate was sealed for the rest of the day. We were carless and a taxi ride to Disney World would be $21 each way. The hotel didn't have a shuttle and even if it did, most of the offsite places had very limited schedules, like one bus in the morning and one bus in the evening. It was now 12:30.

Before we could make any decisions about what we were going to do for the rest of the day, we both had to call our respective bosses. My boss didn't answer his cell phone so I left a message. Rich's boss was available and while he was talking to her, he said he was going to check into getting a rental car. What? That's Rich for you - he'll have solutions and suggestions in his mind but he's very slow to offer them verbally. Once he got off the phone, he went to the office where the clerk gave him numbers for three car rental companies. One of them was Enterprise.

There's a story behind why we chose to call Enterprise first. A few years ago, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. did a series of commercials for the company. One commercial touted their "we'll pick up you" policy. It was a really cheesy commercial but it featured my favorite driver so we remembered it quite well. One of the Enterprise "employees" in the commercial was named Mei-Ling. So Rich wanted to see if "Mei-Ling" would "come pick us up". But first we had to find out if any of the rental car companies were even open on this holiday.

Rich called Enterprise (it was an 800 number so not directly to the local agency) and was told that unless we could get to the airport, the other places were closed. But wait, now that she checked, there was one open. At the Marriott on World Center Drive (not World Drive at Disney World). She gave Rich that local number and when he called, asked about being picked up. The stars must have been aligned because not only was the place open on the holiday, they had a compact car available and, after some discussion with Rich, would be here in an hour to pick us up!!!! Cost for this was $30/day! Heck, that taxi ride last night was $21 by itself. Now we would have a car for just $9 more and we could go anywhere we wanted.

While we were waiting the hour for "Mei-Ling" to pick us up, my boss called me back. He was great about the whole situation, just like Rich's boss was. After I hung up with my boss, my phone rang again almost immediately. He had called back to see if I needed him to go up to my house and check on the cats! What a nice guy. Unfortunately, there was no way to get into the house without breaking a window so we hoped the cats would survive for one more day.

I'll interject this in here now. Yes, it was a big pain in the butt to have the car die while on vacation. However, we couldn't have picked a better place for it to happen. We were in a very familiar place and everyone had been so nice. From the AAA phone representative last night ("have a better evening") to the desk clerk here at the hotel, to "Mei-Ling" and her friends. And both bosses were absolutely fine with us missing tomorrow at work. Both were more concerned that we were OK. I cannot imagine what would have happened if the fuel pump had gone out while we were at a rest stop in South Georgia.

While we were passing the hour until "Mei-Ling" would be here, Rich realized he had left his sunglasses in my car. After making sure I knew to remove anything I would need from it last night. Rich recently had to switch from contacts to glasses for daily use but for this trip, he was back to contacts. So he needed sunglasses. I sent him over to the flea market next door for replacements. He came back with not one pair but two as the guy threw in a second set for $5. Now I think Rich has 52 pair of sunglasses since he likes to have them in every car and at home. See, carrying a purse isn't that bad - I have one pair of sunglasses that are with me at all times. And cost $1 at the dollar store. I think Rich spent the cost of our lunch at Rose and Crown on sunglasses in the past year.

We left shortly before 2:00 to go to the front office to wait for "Mei-Ling". The van arrived within a few minutes and a person who definitely was not "Mei-Ling" picked us up. He (see, not "Mei-Ling") apologized for being late since we were waiting for him. At this point, I felt like kissing him for even picking us up and I didn't care if we had to wait five hours for it.

The Marriott on World Center Drive is the big place you see slightly beyond the huge Gaylord Palms. Until the Gaylord was built, the Marriott was one of the very few tall buildings on the east side along International Drive. It was a quick five minute drive our hotel and we were deposited to pick up our car for the next day (or two but we hoped only one day). We were given a Kia Rio which was a fine car (manual windows and door locks) but it looked like it should have a big wind-up key on the trunk. But it had four wheels and an engine that actually was receiving gas so I was happy. The Kia was also this burnt orange color so we were not going to lose it in a parking lot anywhere.

We had to go back to the hotel to get our park things since Rich insisted that they would be bringing the car to us (he's 0 for two on insisting things this long weekend). Once we did that, we were finally able to relax a bit for the day. We went back to our favorite place (although after today it wasn't a favorite anymore) - Epcot. It was 3:15 when we entered International Gateway so we headed for Canada and our boys. Our friend was there again today and was very surprised to see us. We enjoyed the day with Off Kilter and a few walks around World Showcase. Rich had another margarita (a cheaper mango one) and a few beers while I enjoyed my Bud Lite. Not much to report on this day since it was an unexpected afternoon to be here. I think we were both shell-shocked at the developments and retreated to a warm and familiar place of Epcot.

After the 6:30 set, we made the decision to go back to the room and relax. It had been a stressful day with all the unknowns and we really didn't have a chance to sit back to catch our breaths. Our breakfasts from Waffle House had worn off and dinner was mutually decided to be one of our new found favorites - burgers and onion rings from Checkers at Old Town. There's a walk-up take out window so we bring the bag back to the room to enjoy. It's a great treat, certainly not gourmet but cheap and good food. I think this will be our record day for cheap and good food with Waffle House this morning and Checkers tonight.

Once back in the room, we thoroughly enjoyed dinner and watched some mindless TV. Including that really mindless show - CSI:Miami. I find it funny that we used to watch this show every week until we started making fun of just about everything. At least it was a diversion and we had a good time making fun of it again. To top it off, it was an episode featuring Elizabeth Berkley. Really mindless.

Day Five – Tuesday, September 8, 2009 - The Day We Should Have Been Home

No alarm was set again but we did have to check out of the hotel today. We hoped we wouldn't be back. I was up around 9:00 and wanted to get going but Rich had other ideas. When the mechanic said "10:30" yesterday, Rich insisted that's when the car would be done. My gut was telling me that's when the part would be delivered and we'd have the car around 2:00. My gut has been right almost every time - it knew when Rich was in the emergency room with what he thought was a heart attack; it knew when Rich was laid off from his job; it knew when a house we were looking at was literally signed for minutes before we arrived to do the same. Would I be right today?

We were ready to go by 10:30 and Rich gave up the ghost and decided we should check out. The desk clerk was the same one who had given Rich the rental car information and she asked if we had everything resolved. We said we hoped so but she said if we still needed a place to stay that night to come back for the same rate. I knew the hotel was not full and had anticipated that but it was nice to know that we had a bed should we need one.

Now that we were homeless, we needed a place to go. I was totally sick of Epcot by now so that was out. Anywhere but there. We finally were headed to The Studios after so many false starts and thoughts. I mentioned that with the low crowds, we might be able to get a FastPass for Toy Story Mania. Rich just grimaced and said he hoped we couldn't use it even if it was for a good time. What I didn't realize at the time was something that was weighing heavily on Rich's mind. The rental car was $30/day. If we kept it past 2:30 today, we'd be subject to hourly charges until we either had it one full extra day or we returned it. I found that out after we were home. But it explained a lot of what he was going through today.

We arrived at The Studios around 11:00 and I suggested checking out the FastPass situation for Toy Story Mania. Much to my surprise, the return time was for 2:00-3:00! So much for all those horror stories about having to be at The Studios at rope drop or you'll never get a FastPass for this attraction. I chided myself for not being more aggressive the other day and insisting we come here. Oh well, if the car isn't going to be ready by 2:00, at least we'll finally get this ride out of the way.

We couldn't get another FastPass for a couple of hours and Rich was still in his "mood" wondering about the car and getting the rental back before 2:30. He hadn't told me any of this yet so finding out what he wanted to do was like pulling teeth. I finally got him over to the American Idol Experience based on our friend's positive reviews. She had said she didn't think she would like it but ended up enjoying it very much and wanted to do a full day of nothing but the shows, ending with the finale. I think hearing someone else liking the show was a deciding factor with Rich agreeing to experience this. I don't know why he was reluctant as we are fans of the real show. Maybe he thought we'd have to audition first or something.

The show was basically a walk-in with just a slight wait outside the theatre. Actually, you aren't outside the theatre, you are past the turnstiles and in a large holding area. Once we were let into the theatre, we were entertained by the warm-up person who was a bit too much for the way we felt. We didn't want to clap and show excitement. We just wanted our car back. But he quickly exited and we were treated to the show itself.

Overall, I liked the show and Rich said he could do it again. However, I thought the judges were hugely exaggerated. The one who was supposed to be Randy Jackson was a bit too over the top. Yes, Randy is a big personality but he's also very intelligent about the music industry and does offer constructive criticism. This guy just seemed to want to show off. The woman who was supposed to be Paula (wonder if they are going to have an Ellen clone soon?) was just too nice and sweet. The Paula clone does not have to report on clothing. And I think the Simon person was saying the things he did because he was supposed to be Simon. I think more helpfulness is needed and less acting like the real judges.

The three contestants were a young man who was just home from Afghanistan and wanted to sing "Your Song" to his wife. He was OK but definitely not a singer. The sentiment was really nice, though. The second was a 14 year old young lady (wow, 14 year olds are certainly more developed than I was at that age!) who sang "Black Horse & The Cherry Tree" and she could really belt it out. The judges did give her better input as I sensed they knew she would be coming back later tonight. She was that good. The last guy was from Canada and worked for IBM. He sang "Home" by Daughtry and was fairly good but it was too big of a song for him. The 14 year old young lady won and probably by a landslide although Rich thought the serviceman might have received a few votes based on his service to our country.

I can also see why it would be very easy to control the voting here if the show is not full. Both of us not only had our chair voting devices available but also the ones on the seats next to those. All a person would have to do is move to an empty seat and control voting for two people. And if you had a contestant who had lots of friends, they could control the voting quite a bit. Since the top prize isn't anything tangible, it's probably not a huge priority on Disney's list of things to fix, though. Plus, Disney expects its guests to be honest.

After the show, I suggested lunch. I think Rich was still hoping the phone would ring and we could go get the car so we wouldn't have time to eat at the park. When food was mentioned, the words "hot dog" immediately came to my husband's lips. So we went in search of one even after I told him we were right near the Backlot Express and I knew they had the dogs. He wanted to go over to the Tocula Turkey Leg place all the way across the park near Twilight Zone/Rock N Roller Coaster. So we headed that way.

Well, the turkey leg place had a chili dog. And a pork BBQ sandwich but nothing much else. Rich talked me into getting the chili dog without the chili (I honestly didn't want a hot dog at all) and we stood in line waiting. And waiting. That's when Rich realized this is probably the worst place to get "quick" food. Because the Cast Members move like their feet are stuck in cement. We bailed out of there and re-crossed the park back to the Backlot Express where I wanted to go in the first place. Ugh!

I was hoping for a kid's meal but the only options were chicken nuggets or sloppy joes. No thank you. We both ended up getting hot dog baskets even though Rich didn't want the fries and I didn't want the hot dog. In retrospect, we should have just gotten one basket for a snack. But we couldn't tell the future.

After our meal, with Rich brooding about not getting a phone call yet and me brooding because he was brooding, I finally convinced Rich to call the mechanic and get an ETA. He did and the magical words "so we can leave the Studios now and pick it up?" came out of his mouth! Joy, joy, joy! But we had to go back to the car and then find Rikers Automotive on the Central Florida Parkway. Fortunately, I had written down the directions from the internet before we left the hotel.

When we got to the rental car, it had a hard time starting. Again. It had done the same thing that morning. I think we are cursed with cars this trip.

We were finally leaving Disney World for good this trip around 1:30. My directions to Rikers (still sounds like we were picking the car up from a prison - must be all that Law & Order we watch) were excellent and right at 2:00 (my gut was right!), Rich was paying the $704 to get the car back to us. Ouch but at least she ran now. I give big kudos to Rikers Automotive as their estimate was $685 and the final bill was $704. But what impressed us even more was they explained why it was more. A state imposed fee and a filter. But they waived the fee so the total would come closer to the original estimate.

Now here's where the trip took the only ugly turn for us (aside from the car dying, that is). Rich asked the mechanic just for directions on how to get to World Center Drive. Which we knew was back the way we came, just about a mile back. But he didn't ask exactly how to get to the Marriot so we could return the car. Both of us figured we'd see the massive structure and it wouldn't be a big deal. Oh, we were so wrong. And remember, Rich is still obsessing over getting the rental back by 2:30 although he still hasn't told me that yet.

With Rich driving the rental (still with its starting problems) and me in my car, we headed back to World Center Drive. Rich was intent on getting the rental topped off with gas so he wouldn't have to pay the Enterprise price; therefore the first stop was a gas station. I was also very low on my car so when Rich pulled into a 7-Eleven, I took a pump near him. Only to have him tell me I wasn't getting gas, I had to wait until we were someplace we could use a credit card. This was the beginning of Rich's eventual meltdown.

About a minute after we got back in our respective vehicles (Rich did not turn off the Kia's engine during his refuel for fear the car wouldn't start again), my fuel light went on. With the repair, I did not want to run out of gas so I phoned Rich to let him know my situation. He told me if I found a place to pull in for gas and use a credit card, to do so. But shortly after that, he pulled into a place where we would need to use a debit card. I had no idea what he was doing and he pulled off to a parking space while I pulled up to the pump. I thought maybe he had a credit card to this particular place but he didn't. He was just about at the boiling point when he came over to me and told me to use the debit card and hurry because he thought the Kia was going to conk out. So while I'm pumping gas and asking if I should just stop at $10 until we got to somewhere else, he's angrily taking our luggage out of the Kia and putting it in my car. It was getting closer to 2:30 but I still didn't know that was the reason for him getting so upset. I was told (pretty nastily) to fill up the "damn tank" and then had to go into the station itself for a receipt. Where I discovered the clerk with her back turned to me filling up the cigarette displays. She ignored me for a while until I finally said, a little loudly, "I need my receipt". I really didn't want to speak that sternly to her but I had a very aggravated husband outside and needed to get going.

Once all that was accomplished and my car now had all the luggage in it, we started out again after a discussion of which way to go. Neither one of us could see the massive Marriott from where we were but neither one of us wanted to ask for directions. And I didn't think the clerk inside this particular station would know anyway. She was more concerned about stacking cigarettes. Rich started out with me following him.

Big mistake. Huge mistake. Worst mistake of the trip. Rich headed east on 417. The Greenway. A toll road. That goes to the airport. We were totally stuck on it and had to pay a toll. I was OK in my car since we have the mini-SunPass on the windshield. Rich needed cash. I had some with me but the way the tolls are set up, I had to use the SunPass lane while Rich had to use the cash lane so there was no way I could go first and pay for him. Fortunately, he had enough. Once we were past the first toll (I came out of the booths first), I pulled over to get out a map. I took the map back to Rich who had seen me on the side of the road, and attempted to talk about where we were and where we had to go.

My husband, a normally calm person, exploded. He was tired, hot, and frustrated. So he let it all out on me. I took it, told him I was frustrated too, and then suggested we go to the next exit and get off this toll road and then regroup. As I walked away from the Kia, I took the map and crumbled it in my show of anger. It was either that or keep walking down The Greenway until I got to the airport, buy a plane ticket to a tropical island, and drop out of life.

The next exit was John Young Parkway and, after paying yet another toll, I stopped in a Walmart parking lot. Now I knew where we were. We had stopped here many times on the way to Disney World from the airport. That was back when we lived in Nebraska and flew in for our trips. I showed Rich on the smoothed out map (he was quite calmed down now and I think my map mutilation had something to do with that) that John Young intersected Osceola Parkway so we could go back to the area we knew best. This time, I made sure I was in the lead vehicle as I knew where I was going and I was the calmer of the two of us.

I took John Young south to Osceola Parkway west and then back to International Drive and then north to the Nickelodeon Hotel where I turned left and then a right onto World Center Drive. Yes! The Marriott looms! We finally pulled into the rental car area close to 3:30.

And both of us realized that the Marriort was just one mile away from that fateful station I stopped at for gas. If we had gone to the left instead of the right to the Greenway, we would have been here an hour ago! Aaarggghhhhhh! One mile away!

While Rich was inside with the return, I made sure everything was in my car from the rental. As I was doing that, one of the Enterprise employees came out to try and start the Kia. It started but reluctantly. I foresee a visit to the car doctor in the Kia's future. It was a good car for what we needed. And Rich said it would make a good commuter car. Although it did look like it should have had a wind up key on the trunk.

I went inside to use a bathroom and Rich was finalizing everything. The desk person said that this office of Enterprise had opened at the last minute on Labor Day so I guess we were lucky we could get any rental car yesterday. He also waived the additional hour charge. All that aggravation for Rich and the fee was waived in the end. But I still wasn't told the source of Rich's frustration. Men are so silly sometimes.

After taking care of our bodily needs, we finally were in my car and headed the hell out of Florida. Rich was driving and asked which way we should go to get to the Turnpike. I thought we could get there going north but had no idea if that was a toll way. So I directed us back to the area we knew and then onto I4 to the Turnpike. We just wanted to get home.

Which we did after a dinner stop at Wendy's somewhere near Macon. We were finally home at 10:30. The cats were very glad to see us and the feeling was mutual. All we did was unload the car and unpack the few essentials we needed for the morning. 6:00 AM would come around very quickly but we stayed up for another hour just to wind down. This surely will be a vacation not to forget.

Summary

Well, the car troubles were unexpected but I think Rich and I handled the situation fairly well. Rich had the meltdown but it was brief and understandable. If we hadn't been at Disney World and its' familiarity, it would have been much, much worse. We would have managed but certainly not with the relative ease we did.

The lunch at the Rose and Crown turned out to be better than I anticipated. I find it a little amusing when people post that they want advice in what to order at a specific restaurant. I'm sure if I asked that question, I would not have been advised to get the standard cheeseburger. But it was a very good choice for me and one that I would repeat without hesitation. It simply tasted like an English burger. Or at least what I imagine one would taste like.

We were again able to get a FastPass for Soarin' without getting to Epcot at rope drop and without making any special effort. And we would have finally been able to enjoy Toy Story Mania if the car hadn't been ready (although I'm very glad that attraction will have to wait). I think we'll skip Soarin' for a few trips even if FastPasses are available. I'm not a huge fan. To me, it's an every now and then attraction.

However, while the lower crowds were nice for attractions, it's not great for our country. The recession is supposed to be ending soon and I hope the experts are correct. Business usually runs in cycles and I can't wait for this down cycle to be in the history books. I am very grateful that Rich and I are able to enjoy Disney World and we both have jobs again. Here's hoping a lot more people can say that in the next year.

Our next trip will be for Thanksgiving. We'll be there for three full days, arriving on Thanksgiving Day. I'm looking forward to that trip as we'll be able to visit all four parks without rushing. And I even managed to get a lunch reservation for the coveted LeCellier for our one sit down meal.

SHERRI I WILL TELL YOU A LITTLE SECERT. SSHHH I GOT LOST @ OUR HAPPY PLACE ONCE & HAD A MAJIOR HISSY FIT. :mad: BUT MY DUMPLIN ENDURED & PUT UP WITH IT. SORRY ABOUT THE CAR PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY THE BILL. I AM SURE THE DRIVE HOME WAS " STRESSFULL " TO .GLAD YOU LIKED THE ROSE & CROWN . TRY DINNER ONCE & ASK TO BE SEATED ON THE PATIO FOR FIREWORKS YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED . AND YES WITH ALL THE FREE DINNING QUALITY HAS SUFFERED. EXCEPT HAPPY TO SAY VICTORIA & ALBERTS.

Do you know what is really funny - here in the UK, if we have a 'pub burger', it would usually be rock hard, stale, tasteless, made of the bits of cow that are left over once the nice establishments have had their good bits of beef, and drowned in ketchup. It would also probably give you a nasty dose of food poisoning!!

Admitedly, there are a few pubs in the UK that do nice food, but the area I live in has some of the dodgiest pubs in the country - and it is highly probable you wouldn't want to eat one of their burgers!! :D

Anyway, great trip report, really enjoyed reading it (as is usual with your reports).

Hugs.

Sheri,
Thank you. I was looking forward to this one.
Ellen

TRY DINNER ONCE & ASK TO BE SEATED ON THE PATIO FOR FIREWORKS YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED .

Thanks for the suggestion but we're still doing things on the cheap side so I don't see a Disney dinner in our future. Lunch is so much less expensive and has a better selection for us. Plus, just that meal is enough for us for the entire day. If we ever returned to doing Disney dinners, I know we'd skip the hassle of trying for a good time to see Illuminations. I would have this picture in my mind of how it would be and if it didn't turn out perfectly, I would be disappointed.

Do you know what is really funny - here in the UK, if we have a 'pub burger', it would usually be rock hard, stale, tasteless, made of the bits of cow that are left over once the nice establishments have had their good bits of beef, and drowned in ketchup. It would also probably give you a nasty dose of food poisoning!!

Admitedly, there are a few pubs in the UK that do nice food, but the area I live in has some of the dodgiest pubs in the country - and it is highly probable you wouldn't want to eat one of their burgers!! :D

Anyway, great trip report, really enjoyed reading it (as is usual with your reports).

Hugs.

If I ever go to England, I'll stay away from their pub burgers! Maybe you should have one from the Rose and Crown and tell them to make it more authenic. Then no one would order it! This one really was very good.

Sheri,

I'm so glad to see another of your Trip Reports! Looking forward to digging in. Thanks!

Jan

Whoa. Sorry about the bill. That is awful.

You know that offender list the guy was buying? My first thought was maybe he was seeing if his name was on the list. Oh--I'm terrible!

Hope the next trip is drama-less. I would've lost "it" a lot sooner than Rich or you did, frankly!

Thanks for the trip report, Sheri! I enjoyed reading it very much (as usual), but so sorry to read about your car troubles! Did this happen to 'Jasmine' or do you drive another car to WDW now?

Whoa. Sorry about the bill. That is awful.

You know that offender list the guy was buying? My first thought was maybe he was seeing if his name was on the list. Oh--I'm terrible!

Hope the next trip is drama-less. I would've lost "it" a lot sooner than Rich or you did, frankly!

Inever thought that maybe that guy was checking to see if his name was on that offender's list! I'll have to mention that to Rich.

I'm sure the next trip will have less drama. I really don't want a repeat of what happened on this one. But, on the positive side, at least we know what to do if we're ever in that situation again.

Thanks for the trip report, Sheri! I enjoyed reading it very much (as usual), but so sorry to read about your car troubles! Did this happen to 'Jasmine' or do you drive another car to WDW now?

Yes, this was Jasmine. We didn't take her to Disney World for a few years because her radio was on the fritz and Rich cannot ever drive without music. And now that we have the mini-Sun Pass on Jasmine's windshield, we have to take her. Poor girl is usually so dependable, I'm sure she felt embarrassed to get sick while on vacation.

Yes, this was Jasmine. We didn't take her to Disney World for a few years because her radio was on the fritz and Rich cannot ever drive without music. And now that we have the mini-Sun Pass on Jasmine's windshield, we have to take her. Poor girl is usually so dependable, I'm sure she felt embarrassed to get sick while on vacation.

Ooh...I'm with Rich; can't drive on trips without music! Hopefully she (and you two) are feeling much better now! ;)

Sheri, Good trip report as usual. Too bad about the car problems, but it couls have been worse if you were stuck in Valdosta or somewhere on the road. At least you were in a safe familiar place. Bet that even with the car repairs and problems it caused it was still a better trip than the one with the in-laws! Maybe now your lives and next trip will be stress free- health problems improved, new job, Jasmine all fixed and ready to go, and Off Kilter without replacements.

and Off Kilter without replacements.

Well, unfortunately, that's not going to happen. They are back to seven days a week and I've heard it will continue for the rest of the year. So our Thanksgiving trip will be filled with substitutes. I'm just glad the subs are almost as good as the regulars.

...her radio was on the fritz...

I have a 1997 Sebring Convertible, which my hubby is now primarily driving since he sold his car, and the volume knob hasn't worked very well in a few years...it just turns and turns without adjusting the volume. Well, I just coped with it but now that it's his primary car he decided he needed to replace the radio in it! Men... :D

I’m so sorry about the car troubles. What a pain to have to deal with that and all the stress it causes. It’s especially annoying when you’re just trying to escape reality for a few days of rest and relaxation.

I’m glad to hear that the new job is working out and that you’re now working full time!

Thanks for taking the time to write another trip report as always it was a great read.

Mily

Another great trip report Sheri! I'm glad that you were able to see Off Kilter with the whole crew together this trip! Sorry you had such trouble with your car. We experienced similar problems on one of our car trips with our two young girls back in 1993 and had to have AAA tow it from our hotel to have the water pump replaced. It was very stressful at the time but that particular trip turned out to be one of my most memorable with the family. I'm looking forward to reading your Thanksgiving Trip Report!:)

Sheri, I saw this and thought of you and couldn't resist.

http://hotels.travelzoo.com/orlando-hotels/682152?utm_source=top20_us&utm_medium=email_top20

Sheri, I saw this and thought of you and couldn't resist.

http://hotels.travelzoo.com/orlando-hotels/682152?utm_source=top20_us&utm_medium=email_top20

Thanks! I tried to for the Thanksgiving trip but, unfortunately, we are arriving on Thanksgiving Day and that is a blackout day for the promotion. Last year, we went down the day before Thanksgiving and encountered all kinds of traffic problems and then went home the Sunday after Thanksgiving and had even worse traffic. This year, we are shifting everything back a day.

I actually have our same Travelodge reserved at a little over $40/night for that long weekend which is the lowest fare I can get without having to prepay in advance. Although I might still try for lower closer to the date. You'll have to wait for the report to read how I did all that.

Hi Sheri,

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving trip (without any car troubles)! I can't wait for the trip report. Sheree

Oh no, poor Jasmine!
Our car once refused to start while we were at Downtown Disney. Triple A came and gave us a jump and told us of a dealership we could go to! They fixed the vehicle that afternoon - I don't remember what was wrong. But I remember trying to explain to the AAA guy where we were...ok, if you can see the large spinning purple dinosaur, go to your right....LOL!

Glad you had a good trip and I can't wait to read about your Thanksgiving adventures!