Sheri Niklewski - December 2004 - All Star Music

Time of Year: Holiday
Travel Method: Personal car, Plane
Resort: ASMuR
Accommodations: Standard
Ages Represented in Group: Elementary, Adult, Senior
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Infrequent, Veteran
Comments: Sheri outdoes herself in this trip report detailing her visit to Walt Disney World last December. What was originally planned as a trip for just two people bloomed into a quasi family reunion with a wide range of experiences.

Sheri Niklewski -- December 2004 -- Walt Disney World (ASMuR)

Introduction –

This is a sort of family reunion that started out with just two people and exploded into something much more. This will be a long report with lots of different people and different experiences. Our ages will range from 6 to 74. Some of us are veterans, some are relative newbies. Some will enjoy the magic that is Disney, some will be less than enthusiastic. You’ll get a little bit of everything with this report.

The Cast –

The “Younger” Niklewskis

Sheri (42) – me and the trip report writer. Accountant at a textile services company. We launder all those hospital sheets and gowns. Tries to see pixie dust every day if I can. Thinks the glass is always half full, never half empty.
Rich (44) – wonderful husband. Nature Boy Junior. He’s forever more Eeyore, dooming and glooming everything. Somehow, we get along well after almost 23 years of marriage.

Rich and I are very much the Disney veterans. I’ve given up keeping track of our visits. The trip reports are great for re-living each trip since 1998. We live in northeast Georgia, about 35 miles outside of downtown Atlanta near Brasleton.

The “Older” Niklewskis

Ed (74) – father-in-law and retired psychiatrist. Nature Boy Senior. Ed is very much laid back and calm. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen him down right mad.
Bobbie (68) – mother-in-law and retired nurse and educator. She’s my partner in the planning although she tells me to do what I want. But she’s the go between with her group. Bobbie does whatever will make her family happy.
Dave (43) – brother-in-law and physicist with a contractor that works with NASA. He does something with the weather satellites going around and around up there. Way too technical for me. Nature Boy III. Loves rocks and fossils. Dave is a very cynical guy. Doesn’t see the need or value of any magical moments. Things must have a “purpose”.

These guys live in Maryland – Bobbie and Ed in Hagerstown and Dave down near the DC area. The three of them are making the annual trek to the Florida Everglades before they join us at Disney World. Bobbie and Ed have been to Disney World several times with us and Dave once with us.

The Kid Niklewskis

Chris (22) – our son and movie theatre worker. He’s the most sarcastic person I have ever met in my life. Will do anything for his wife and stepdaughter. When I look at him, I know the reason I was put on this earth.
Chandra (28) – our daughter-in-law and college student. She’s been such a bright spot in our family. She makes my son extremely happy and I’m glad she’s a Niklewski now. Chandra can be a stubborn girl and is very protective of her little family.
Marlie (6) – Chandra’s daughter, Chris’ stepdaughter, our granddaughter. Marlie is like the light in everyone’s eyes. She’s cute, funny, adorable, and precocious. There will be lots and lots of Marlie Moments, I’m sure.

The Kids (as they are collectively known to me) live outside Toledo, Ohio. Chris and Chandra were married this past February and this is kind of like a honeymoon for them. Even though they are 800 miles away from us, thanks to AOL Instant Messaging, we “talk” just about every day. Chris has been to Disney World numerous times with us, and we took Chandra and Marlie there in May 2003 (Chris proposed to Chandra on that trip).

The Moment in Time -

Trip dates vary for each group. For us, it’ll be December 23 – January 2. For The Kids, it’s December 26 – January 2. For the Older Niklewskis, it’s December 30 – January 2.

The Setting -

All Star Music Resort with two adjoining rooms. Yeah, I know, we’ll be cramped but that’s the way things worked out. All eight of us get along extremely well so not a problem at all.

The Long Prelude (I warned you) -

When I was gainfully employed at a manufacturing firm, my company was going to be shut down the week between Christmas and New Year’s. It was a paid time off too. So I thought about what to do with the break. We wanted to bring The Kids down to our place but a 12 hour drive with a 6 year old is a little much. Plus, we had to work around the timing since Chandra wanted to be in her hometown with her extended family for Christmas. And Marlie’s father is there too and that’s a big consideration.

I thought about going up to Ohio to be with The Kids. But they were in a small apartment with a roommate so things were already “cozy”. Then they all moved into Chandra’s mother’s house which is bigger but there’s an extra person involved so that got ruled out entirely.

I thought about going to Bobbie and Ed’s. Plenty of room and lots and lots of family and friends coming by. But then I remembered that they always head out to the Everglades the day after Christmas for their annual trek with Dave. We’d just have a couple of days with the family and then turn around and come back here.

I’ve always spent Christmas with people in a family home. Whether it was the big family thing growing up (lots and lots of relatives in my hometown); just Rich, Chris and me in the early days; or with Bobbie and Ed in Maryland. The thought of spending the holidays somewhere else was foreign to me. But I did think of the Mouse. Since Rich and I are so close to Disney World now, we haven’t had a long trip for a while. This would be nine nights (originally) and I was looking forward to that.

I mentioned my plans to Bobbie. She and I do all the vacation planning for our families. I get along very well with my in-laws which is great. They have given us lots of good examples of how to be in-laws to Chandra. I naturally wanted to share what Rich and I were doing for the holidays with Bobbie. Normally, with the Everglades trip, Bobbie and Ed will stop in here at our place on the way back and celebrate our wedding anniversary (which is January 3rd). Bobbie asked if we would be there the weekend before. I replied that we wouldn’t but they could stop at Disney World instead.

Bobbie and I email each other all the time. When her reply came to my message, I expected an “OK, that’s fine”. What I got floored me. Bobbie sweetly replied that they would give us the entire trip to Disney World as a Christmas/anniversary present! Hotel and tickets. Well, we didn’t need the tickets since we already have Annual Passes (which were our Christmas/anniversary present last year from Bobbie and Ed) but nine nights for free at Disney World? And Bobbie, Ed and Dave would join us for three nights.

After I picked up my jaw from the keyboard, I read the rest of the message. We were to invite Chris, Chandra and Marlie to join us. Bobbie and Ed would pick up their tab as well. Now the tears were starting. Bobbie said it was important to them to have the whole family together. But would I do all the planning? So here’s what I came up with (once I got my heart going again after this wonderful surprise!).

Resort - When I started, the only definites were Rich, me, Bobbie, Ed and Dave. Everyone except Dave had stayed at Fort Wilderness Cabins last year (with The Kids and my dad and stepmother and Rich’s cousins). Ed, being Nature Boy Senior, absolutely loved the cabins. The entire reason for the trip to the Everglades is for Dave and Ed to soak up nature. Last year, I got us two cabins for the unbelievable rate of $154/night. I wasn’t a fool this year. The timing for this trip is the holiday season at Disney World. There was no way I’d ever be able to duplicate that earlier stay. In fact, when I was thinking about just Rich and me, I had already turned my mind to offsite since I knew everything at Disney would be rack rate and then some.

One thing that Bobbie and Ed like on family trips is “togetherness”. That’s why we were looking at the Cabins which can sleep six. So everyone would be together. I wasn’t thrilled with the option since our habits are so different from each other. Bobbie and Ed are up by 8:00, have to have breakfast in the room and read the newspaper before they get ready for the day. That takes them about an hour and a half. Rich and I always feel obligated to get up at the same time but we get ready right away so we’re left to sit around watching TV for a while. Dave waits until the last minute to get up and then does his morning routine which takes quite a bit of time. At night, things are opposite. Bobbie is usually in bed by 10:00, Rich and I are still going strong and midnight is an early turn in time for us. Having the five of us together would take some planning.

I found the Days Inn Suites on Highway 192 aka Irlo Bronson Highway. It has a full kitchen and a living room with a fold out couch and the bedroom has two double beds. That would be enough for the five of us. The price was very reasonable at $69-$85/night. The price fluctuated with the holiday times. I think it averaged out to $74/night. Even though Bobbi and Ed were footing the bill, we all are very frugal and look for deals as much as we can. I thought this was a great bargain and called Bobbie to see if I could book it. She said to go ahead and do what I thought was best. So I booked the Days Inn and was happy.

Then Bobbie emailed me and said that getting the Cabins wasn’t important – they really just wanted something on Disney property. Then my real work started. I still had those holiday rates to contend with. And we needed space for five adults. Rich and I would be there for nine nights, Bobbie and Ed for just three. I played around with lots and lots of options. Rich and I could stay at the Days Inn for the first six nights and then join Bobbie and Ed onsite for the last three. That wasn’t a problem. I went through everything I could think of.

If we did anything onsite except a Home Away from Home, we’d need two rooms. Our needs are very simple. So I tossed out any deluxe resorts. I have spoiled Bobbie quite a bit since her two Disney onsite experiences have been the Cabins and a few years ago, a one bedroom suite at the Boardwalk Villas with a fantastic Epcot view. That wasn’t going to happen here. I looked at moderates and focused in on Port Orleans Riverside. I thought the Nature Boys would like the grounds. Ed is into the Southwest culture so Coronado Springs was second. The rates were the same but I thought I’d enjoy Riverside better. I looked at the value resorts and Pop Century. Each of these options was for two rooms. Bobbie was still thinking about just one room but I assured her five adults would not be comfortable.

I finally went through every single option that was out there. I mixed and matched everything. The Days Inn was still an alternative for Rich and me. This was an important choice so I threw out five options to Bobbie that indicated all the rates (including tax). One of those selections was the Fort Wilderness Cabin for all nine nights. That rate was enough to choke a horse. But I wanted Bobbie to see the highs and the lows. The lowest option was Rich and me in the Days Inn for six nights, then two rooms at All Stars or Pop Century for the other three nights.

I really did want Rich and me to be onsite for the entire time. And I thought Riverside would be great. After several conversations with Rich and lots of emails to Bobbie, we finally settled on that. But Rich and Bobbie both thought Pop Century would be fine. The difference in price was enough to make me wonder. Riverside was $169/night while Pop Century was $114/night. Remember, it was holiday prices and rack rates. Bobbie had said what she was willing to spend on accommodations and Riverside for the time was a little over that. I said we’d pay the extra. She said not to worry, just go ahead with the plans.

I tried to convince everyone that Pop Century would not work. But after Rich and I stayed there for July Fourth, he was certain things would be OK. I researched the visitor comments about Pop Century and when I saw someone write that they had a teenager who slept on an air mattress and everyone was fine, I gave up and decided to go with the two Pop Century rooms.

I booked the two rooms at the rack rate. Bobbie was content with everything. I put one room in my name for the nine nights. For the other room, I booked that in Ed’s name but with my address. I’ll check them in on December 30. The Cast Member was great with all the differences in the reservations but did connect them in the system. Then I had to laugh. He asked if I wanted any special requests like adjoining rooms, rooms in the same building, or rooms as far away from each other as possible. I had told him the other room was for my in-laws. I said that since they were paying for it, I better say adjoining rooms.

I thought I was done for the resort. How could I get any discounts during the busiest time of the year? Well, Disney can surprise you, can’t they?

The winter Annual Pass rates were announced. I just about spit out my drink while looking at mousesavers.com. The rates were good through check ins as of December 25. At that time, Rich and I would be checking in on the 24th so we’d be eligible for the rate for the entire nine nights. The value resort rate was $49/night. Could I get this rate for at least Rich and me? I called the day the rates came out. Nothing at Pop Century. Drat. I even tried Fort Wilderness Cabins. Nothing there either. Phooey. I guess we’re stuck with the rack rate.

I tried again a few days later after the flurry had died down. Still nothing. Then, the next day, I re-thought things. Pop Century is the newest value resort. What about All Stars? I called back and got Blaze (love those Disney fake names). I asked about Pop Century. No nothing there. Then I asked about any of the All Stars. Music was available. For the $49 rate? Yes! Now, could I get both reservations moved over? Not a problem and the adjoining rooms request was noted as well. Bobbie would still have to pay the rack rate for their three nights but I saved them $650 for our stay.

The Queen of Bargains hung up her cape for the resort stay. At this point, Chris and Chandra were not an option (see below for that little saga). But I figured that Marlie could be on an air mattress and we’d bunk together if they could swing the trip.

The Kids Saga – The Kids are on a very limited budget. They just got married in February and their honeymoon was just a couple of nights at a local hotel. I thought they’d jump at the chance for a free Disney vacation. But it didn’t work out that way for quite a while. Things were too uncertain. The rest of us were driving and having to go from Toledo to Orlando with a six year old wasn’t a prospect The Kids wanted to entertain. Plus, everyone wanted to be home for Christmas. Well, everyone except Rich and me. So the only way for The Kids to get to Disney World with us would be for them to fly.

Chandra has never flown. In fact, she’s very scared of flying. Marlie has never flown either but she’s getting a preview when she goes out to Las Vegas with her dad for his wedding in November. So she’ll be seasoned by December. I tried different options of flights for The Kids. Nothing worked. I tried them flying out of Toledo, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati. I tried them going into Orlando, Sanford, Tampa, Jacksonville. I couldn’t find anything less than $300 each.

I challenged Chris to do better. And he did immediately. I never plug in more than one connecting flight. Chris didn’t care. So he got a $253 rate for each of them with two connections. Flying with Delta so that’s pretty good. Now, the biggest plane they are getting is a 737 and that’s only for one of the six round trip legs. The other planes are smaller. That’ll work real well with a first time flier (sarcasm intended). They go through Cincinnati both ways and through Raleigh on the way down, Lexington on the way back. They’ll leave December 26th at 5:30 AM and get to Orlando at 12:30 PM. They’ll leave Orlando on January 2nd at 10:00 AM and get into Toledo at 3:45 PM. Not bad. They will have to watch their carry on baggage since the planes will be smaller. Chandra probably won’t be able to concentrate too much on anything.

Once Chris found the airfare, he called Bobbie who said to book it. The Kids were committed at that point. I was very happy that we would be able to see them again. It’s tough living so far away from your only son and his family. Thank goodness for AIM so we can chat with them on a daily basis. The Kids will be in our room and that’s fine. Marlie is on the air mattress on the floor which works because once that kid goes to sleep, you could bend her into a pretzel shape and she’d never know it.

One problem that came up with all this is transportation from the Orlando Airport to the All Stars. We’d be there already at Disney World but my car only seats four and has very limited trunk space. Jasmine (I name my cars) is a 2000 Sebring convertible which is fantastic for two grown adults but she’s not quite a family car. Marlie would be fine in the middle of the back seat but only for short distances. And the luggage would never fit into the trunk. Jasmine has a big back end but not that big.

Since Bobbie and Ed travel with the Big A** Van or BAV, I knew we could get The Kids back to the airport on the 2nd before we all headed north to Georgia. So I looked at one way transportation options from the airport to All Stars. Mears shuttle is always an option. It would be $49 one way for the three Kids. The shuttle is a shuttle with other passengers and makes multiple stops along the way. My least preferred method. Tiffany Towncar was $55 one way. This is a dedicated car. The driver meets you at baggage claim, gets the car and then takes you directly to your resort. It’s just your party in the car. Definitely my preference. Tiffany Towncar is “endorsed” by allearsnet.com which is in high standing with me as a Disney planning tool. I checked mousesavers.com (also a great planning tool for bargains) and they “endorse” Happy Limo. Same thing as Tiffany but only $45. I researched trip reports and the newsgroups and Tiffany and Happy Limo seemed comparable so I ended up booking Happy Limo. It was the cheaper option and I’m going with that. I did think about upgrading to a stretch limo but the price was double the town car and it’s not worth it for the hour The Kids would be traveling. I sent all the confirmation notices to Chris and Chandra and it’ll be up to them to connect with the driver and get to the resort.

Admission (The Ticket Preference) –

Rich and I have Annual Passes that Bobbie and Ed bought us last year. We didn’t activate them until May, 2004 so we are good to go. We don’t have the Premium aspect to the passes.

The Kids will need seven day hopper passes. These come with four Plus Features, though. I don’t think we’ll use them but they never expire either so we can keep them for future visits as well. Rich and I are not nightclub people but the Comedy Warehouse is pretty funny and if the admission is “free”, well, we just might take ourselves out for an evening away from the family. These I ordered by calling Disney World. I had the tickets in about 10 days. There is a discount for pre ordering the tickets. Personally, I wouldn’t want to be down there without tickets already in hand.

The most The Older Niklewskis would be visiting the theme parks would be 2-1/2 days. Bobbie was fine getting four day hopper passes for them. They could keep the unused extra days for future visits. I had to laugh because when they were here with us last year for Chris’ 21st birthday, Bobbie declined getting seven day hoppers because she said they probably would never be back again! Oh, if only we all had crystal balls to predict the future.

I got the mousesavers.com newsletter and they had a link to a ticket broker that was offering the very exclusive three day hopper passes. These are not available through normal channels. They are legal but not advertised. That would be perfect for The Older Niklewskis. Dave thought a two day pass would be fine but those passes would not allow park hopping. Through many emails to Bobbie, I had to make a decision on what to get them.

Bobbie said to go ahead and get the three day hopper passes. If they didn’t get there in enough time on the 30th to use that one day, they’d save it for a future visit. I chuckled at the future visit thing. Hehehehe – turning them one by one. So I went through the website and ordered the tickets. Well, it was more complicated that that.

I’ve been trying to coordinate everything and have things sent to me so I can keep everything straight for everyone. This site will only ship via Fed Ex and only to the billing address. Which is Ed’s. I can live with that but will probably remind Bobbie a dozen times to make sure she brings the tickets. Also, I have Ed’s credit card number but this site wanted that three digit security code on the back of the card. Actually, I felt so much better about ordering these tickets when I needed that. The site is extremely secure. A bit of a pain for me sitting in Georgia when my in-laws are in Maryland but a quick phone call to get the security code and I was done.

A special thanks to Mary and mousesavers.com for this very valuable resource. This was the perfect solution for our ticket situation. About the only bad thing was I had foolishly ordered the tickets a couple of days before Bobbie and Ed were due to be on vacation. So the Fed Ex envelope showed up while they were entertaining Rich in New Orleans. I had to call Fed Ex and have them hold the package until my in-laws arrived back home. This was not a problem but I should have waited one week and then done the last ticket order. Oh well – if that’s the least of my worries, then I’m fine.

Touring – “Tour Guide Barbie is Back”

With the Older Niklewskis, they look to me for what to do and when to do it. It’s the “whatever you think is best” mode. Before The Kids were committed (that sounds really odd, doesn’t it?), I came up with a game plan for December 30-January 1.

The Older Niklewskis would arrive from the Everglades hopefully before dinner on the 30th. The Osborne Lights are back at MGM so I was hoping for a trip over there to see them. They were a big hit back in January of 2002 and I thought we’d enjoy them in their new home on Streets of America. This is a play it by ear day since no one really knows when the arrival from the Everglades will happen. The Older Niklewskis tend to “meander” in their travels. If they see something along the way, they stop and look at it. A three hour tour could take six hours.

For Friday the 31st, things will probably be crowded. I’m thinking Animal Kingdom since it’s a hit with all three Nature Boys. The last time we were here together, Rich and I hadn’t experienced The Flights of Wonder and now it’s a “can’t be missed”. Dave loved Dinosaur (more for the exhibits than for the actual ride) and It’s Tough to be a Bug (probably trying to figure out the correct scientific terms for the bugs). Also, Animal Kingdom will close earlier than the other parks and then we can go back to our rooms and have a nice family New Year’s Eve celebration. I will check the parks schedules to see if fireworks that night would be an option. Not in a park, outside of a park.

January 1st is mine, all mine. Epcot all day. I know Bobbie and Ed love the place and they were here in 2002 for the Christmas stuff but I wasn’t with them. And it’s my day to celebrate our anniversary with our family. It’ll be 23 years together with Rich. He’s not exactly the romantic type so I’ve learned to just make the plans and tell him to show up. I want a nice family dinner with all of us. With just the initial five of us, I wanted some place fun. I thought about the Biergarten at Germany. Dave isn’t the most social person and this buffet seats you at tables for eight so we’d have some additional people with us. Not a problem – we’d just make sure Dave is “insulated” from the strangers. Bobbie can talk to anyone anywhere about anything.

Then The Kids entered the picture. We’re now eight people. I just have to brush up on my German drinking songs between now and then. Dave is also a very picky eater so I had to make my choice wisely. The buffet does have the traditional German meats but I’ve eaten here before and if I can do it, anyone can. I want this more for the atmosphere and a final night all together than anything else.

The Candlelight Processional narrators were announced and what I had hoped would happen did happen. Gary Sinise, who is one of my all time favorite actors, was going to be there for the Christmas portion of the Processional. This is a wonderful Christmas presentation at Epcot at the American Gardens Theatre. It’s free with admission and it’s popular. They do have a dinner package where you can get preferred seating for one of the three showings of the Processional and then a priority seating at different levels of restaurants at Epcot.

Seeing Gary Sinise is a high, high priority for me. So I looked at the dinner packages. We could do the 5:00 show of the Processional and then a later seating for dinner at Restaurant Akershus at Norway. That was one of the lower priced options for the package. The other two on that tier were the Biergarten and The Garden Grill. Biergarten was obviously out. Garden Grill just isn’t what I wanted. So I tried the Akershus at 6:50. My one indulgence of the trip. I had booked the package for December 27th.

Then The Kids entered the picture and this flew out the window. There is a 48 hour cancellation policy so I waited a while to make a decision. The Kids want to see Gary Sinise too (they have extremely good taste). So I chucked the package and we’ll go for seeing him as walk ins. As long as we get there early enough, we should be fine. And if we do the 5:00 show, which is the first one, we should be even better. There’s no way Chris and Chandra would be able to swing the package with the dinner. I want to see the Processional with The Kids, especially Chandra. I wouldn’t feel right doing that and then dismissing them while Rich and I went off to eat dinner. So we’ll just see Mr. Sinise when we can. And we will. High, high priority.

With The Kids in the picture, the touring really became very unfocused. This will be Chandra and Marlie’s second trip so they know what to expect now. Poor Marlie didn’t even know she was going to Disney World last time until we drove on property. Now she’ll have some time to prepare (see below for the planning for that).

All five of us will be in the same room together. That’s enough to drive anyone crazy. Chris is a Disney veteran and Chandra managed to figure out Disney’s transportation system very well on her one trip here. So splitting up with The Kids will be necessary for everyone’s sanity. There are specific things that The Kids want to do since they couldn’t do them last time. The Safari at Animal Kingdom is a big one. The new Stitch Escape is essential. Chandra didn’t have a lot of time to explore the Epcot countries. So The Kids will have their priorities, Rich and I will have our plans.

We will have cell phones and walkie talkies. We’ll meet up and break up during the day. Marlie is such a great girl and Rich and I don’t mind at all taking her with us while Chris and Chandra have some time together. So the five of us will be mixing and matching up until The Older Niklewskis get there. After that, Rich and I will be with Bobbie and Ed and Chris and Chandra can do their own thing if they want.

The Marlie Factor –

The only other time Marlie was at Disney World, it was just days after her fifth birthday. Now she’s “grown up” and a whopping 6-1/2. The last time, Marlie would not ride anything in the dark. So that left out 95% of the attractions. She loved Triceratops Spin but the noise level was too loud for her. We’re bringing ear plugs this time. At Pirates of the Caribbean, which I thought Marlie would love, she cried and screamed the whole way through. Now that the movie is out and she loved that, she really wants to ride Pirates. Since she’s aware of the trip this time, Chris and Chandra can prepare her for the darkness factor. Marlie does say she wants to ride things that she was scared of last time. We’ll see about that.

We’ll monitor Marlie’s height before the trip. She understands that she can’t go on certain things if she’s not tall enough. I think she clears everything except the few with a 48 inch requirement. But if there’s anything Marlie doesn’t want to go on, Rich or I will happily stay outside with Marlie. One of my fondest memories of the prior trip is The Kids and Rich going on Space Mountain and Marlie and I going over to the old Swan Boat area near the Castle and her running around for a while. Seeing Disney World through the eyes of a child is something everyone should experience at least once.

We will be stroller-less for this trip. I had bought a cheap umbrella stroller for Marlie on the previous trip and it was needed at times. Sometimes just for pushing the Stitch plush along but when Marlie was tired, the stroller was great. Now our grown up girl doesn’t need the assistance.

I did ask Chris and Chandra to spend some time with Marlie and come up with their “must see” list. The Kids came through with flying colors. Marlie is such a grown up young lady now. She said that Triceratops Spin was a definite and she’d like either the Aladdin Magic Carpets or Dumbo but if the lines were too long, she’d be OK as long as Triceratops Spin was done. She dismissed the Carrousel because “I can ride a merry-go-round anytime”. Playhouse Disney could be forgone but only if Voyage with the Little Mermaid was in. Twilight Zone received a huge thumbs down. For Rock N Roller Coaster, she wants to see the inside portion. So we’ll do the Kid Swap here. Flights of Wonder is a must see for her but she wants to be closer to the stage and she has to be on the aisle since she knows the birds fly down that route. Chris voiced his wants of Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular (to be enjoyed without his parents – just doesn’t thrill us anymore) and Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Play It! Chandra said for the latter that she wants to hang out on Mickey Avenue and be the “phone a total stranger”.

The up front “what is important to you” was invaluable for this trip.

The Job Factor –

When I started this whole planning of the trip, I was employed at a manufacturing firm that closed the offices for the week between Christmas and New Year’s. That was the whole reason for the vacation. But then I got laid off in July so I thought this wasn’t going to happen if I became employed again. After The Kids came on board, things happened very fast. This trip had to go off. It just had to. Having The Kids with us for the season was way too important.

I had a fantastic job lead and was being highly considered for it. I went through a recruiter and he was doing the negotiations for me. But I thought I’d be a good fit and so did the company. I made sure that this week off was part of me accepting the position. It was exactly two months after my layoff and I was employed again. I’m going to have to take the time leave without pay but quite frankly, I don’t care a bit. This entire trip is about the power of family and the ties that bind.

Once I settled into my new job, I looked at the holiday schedule. This company gives its employees not only Christmas Day off but also Christmas Eve day. Since Christmas is on a Saturday this year, that holiday was now December 24th. Which meant the Christmas Eve holiday was pushed up to December 23rd. Humm, what to do if I’m not at work on the 23rd? Go to Disney World earlier!

I called to see if I could get our existing nine night reservation to include the first extra night. I don’t think this Cast Member really knew what I was asking. I think she tried to make a ten night reservation and, of course, with the Annual Pass rates having been out for months already, things were booked. I thanked her and hung up. Then tried the next day at 7:30 AM since I had an easy commute to work and was early.

This time, I just asked if there was any availability at the All Star Music for just one night – December 23rd. At the Annual Pass rate. The two reservations will be linked in the system and hopefully (and it’s a good possibility), we won’t have to switch rooms after that first night. I will have to check us out and then check back in but that’s not a problem at all. It’s a matter of getting new room keys and a new parking pass. Now we’re in at Disney World for a total of ten nights. This will be a long, long trip for us. Wonder if we’re getting too old for this stuff? Nah, it’s Disney.

Possible Guest Appearances –

My Dad and stepmother will be going to Pennsylvania from their home in the Florida Keys for Christmas. They will probably be returning while we are at Disney World. We’re leaving the door wide open for them to stop by and see everyone.

The Few Weeks Before –

Chandra and I discussed some souvenir possibilities for Marlie. Neither one of us wanted to spend a ton of money but I think we came up with some good choices. The first one was pressed pennies. Rich and I save all our change so it was a matter of going through the pennies and getting pre-1982 ones for the collection. 1982 was when the Mint started putting copper into the pennies instead of using pure zinc. When the copper pennies are smushed, you can get some green in the design. I also quickly had a roll of quarters add up. With everything, Marlie can press twenty different designs of her choice. This will take a while for her to do and the total cost will be $10.20 (51 cents for each pressing – the penny and then two quarters). A pressed penny holder will be my welcome gift to Marlie.

Another idea we came up with was for Marlie to get postcards from each of the different Epcot countries. She already did the Passport thing last time so she can use the cards to collect the Cast Member signatures this time. And to write her observations about the countries and their different cultures. Cost for each postcard is 50 cents so another cheap alternative and it will take time to collect them all.

I had one enormously unexpected surprise. I asked my supervisor what I needed to do via Human Resources to get the week off leave without pay. I wouldn’t be eligible for vacation until after I’ve been there a year. Our department lets you borrow one week of the two weeks after you’ve been there six months. I’ve only been at the company for less than three months. My supervisor said that since I had told her and the Controller when I was hired that I needed the time off, they would advance me the entire week! I’d get full pay for all of it. Some how, there’s a ton of pixie dust associated with this trip.

A Few Days Before – “You Are Never Ready for a Disney Vacation”

Work was extremely hectic and I ended up coming home every night of the shortened week totally exhausted. So not much packing was getting done. I had my lists of things to get ready but it just wasn’t happening. Rich was a great errand runner. None of my Christmas packages were getting ready but that was OK. I still had time at Disney World to do that. I’d just assemble everything while I was there.

We were taking supplies along with us to help cut costs as much as possible. Pop Tarts and cereal bars for breakfast. Peanut butter and jelly for making sandwiches to take to the parks. I picked up a hard sided sandwich holder for $1. Disney’s policy is no outside food but a sandwich or two is going to have anyone looking the other way. Chandra said that Marlie, with her school schedule, is usually hungry at certain times. Which are the normal lunchtimes so getting something at a counter service might not be the best option. We’re also picking up crackers and pretzels to tote along as well. Dealing with a hungry child isn’t the best thing while at Disney World. Come to think of it, Marlie needs food too!

We did firm up plans to meet with my dad and Betty on December 27th. Rich and I scoped out possible breakfast places last month and the winner was the Sizzler for the buffet. We’re going with a flexible plan for the day but for right now, counting on seeing my parents at least for a brief visit.

I also arranged with Bobbie to have our entire room stay taken care of before we left the house. Right now, we only had a one night deposit on each reservation. I called one morning before work and got a great Cast Member. She not only took the credit card information for both reservations but also saw I had the one night that I had to get once we changed our arrival date to the 23rd. She asked why I just didn’t have a ten night reservation. I explained that there was a problem with getting that done earlier. She said that was “stupid” (her words, not mine) and she could fix it. And fix it she did. Our deposit on the one night was moved over and our initial reservation became a ten night one. That was a big relief for me because now we don’t have to check out after one night and then check back in. It wouldn’t have been a problem but one less thing to think about.

I had typed up very detailed driving directions for Bobbie on how to meet up with us on their arrival date. Since I intended to check them in, they wouldn’t have anything to present to the security guard to verify they needed to be there. I knew a simple “we want to look around” would suffice but that’s not the way Bobbie and Ed operate. They are “fussy” about such things. So I came up with the idea of having them meet us at the McDonald’s which is right outside the entrance to the All Stars. Rich could drive them into the resort with the room key to open the gates. I would either lead or follow with Jasmine and whoever else was with us. The directions were emailed to Bobbie and she printed them out and put them with their tickets. I gave them directions from the turnpike since that’s where I thought they’d be coming up from the Everglades. If they deviated from that route, I’d have to talk them through it.

Day One – Thursday, December 23, 2004 – “The Driving Trip From Hell” or “Why Don’t You Slow Down When the Roads are Crowded?”

I’m up at 4:00 AM. Not by choice but by necessity. The work schedule was brutal again yesterday and we do a weekly trivia thing Wednesday nights so Rich and I headed there right after I got home. We did fairly well – second place which was a disappointment since we lost on the very last question. On the way home, I decided that I was way too tired to even attempt to pack anything. I was horribly disorganized but I didn’t care. So I did what any reasonable person would do. I decided to go to bed early and set the alarm for 4:00 AM. Rich thought I was insane but it worked for me.

By the time I woke Rich up at 7:00 to the sound of a steady rain, I had gotten a ton of things accomplished. I am home making all my Christmas gifts this year. All my family has very busy lifestyles and sometimes simple things are the best. They are all getting very easy kitchen gifts. Things you can microwave in a mug. Cake in a mug, cinnamon honey buns in a mug, veggie soup mix in a mug, and oatmeal in a mug. The packets are easy to make and I can mix and match things to suit each family. The packets will last at least six months so every time someone comes home tired and worn (like I’ve been the past couple of months), they can easily have something quick and easy to eat.

Rich and I weren’t in a hurry to get anywhere today. That’s unusual for me and our recent Disney trips. But the prospect of ten days at the World really had me doing a total anti-commando trip. Last May, when we took The Kids to Disney World, they brought so much stuff with them (we drove them down from our house) that we dubbed my car The Clown Car. This trip, with a smaller car, I was the one that brought so much stuff. The Clown Car was reborn – how much stuff can you cram into a car? Rich later said he thought he was done packing and then I’d bring out more stuff. Jasmine (my car) has a decent trunk but we had to take our larger suitcase and that barely fit into it. Rich packed smaller things around it. I think we made the Coke company extremely happy since we had Sprite, Diet Coke, and regular Coke. Thanks to Kroger having this on sale during the week. Then came all the Christmas presents, all our food, my laptop, our park bag, two coolers, and assorted other items. I found out that Jasmine can hold quite a bit of things. We were not cramped at all which was nice considering we (I) took a lot.

By 9:00, we were ready to go. After dealing with some not-so-nice things with the five cats. They always get upset when the suitcases come out and this morning was no exception. They tried their best to get us to stay. The littlest one, Nemo, was the worst. He’s only nine months old but, boy, is he a little stinker. Cat issues resolved, we headed out. First stop was at a QT for gas and Rich’s breakfast. He got his two Diet Cokes while I pumped. Then we headed down I85 towards the boring drive on I75.

Needless to say, after getting up in the wee hours of the morning, I crashed big time right after we got past Hartsfield-Jackson airport. That’s when, in my mind, we clear the Atlanta area. I woke up just in time for a rest stop outside of Macon. Rich continued to drive until we needed food and a top off of the tank at the cheaper Georgia prices. He stopped at our normal overnight stop – Exit 5. There’s a Shell station right next to a McDonald’s so we could do both things without any problem.

The McDonald’s was a pain. The cashier here was definitely not having a good day. It’s very simple. A double cheeseburger meal with just ketchup and pickles, and a cheeseburger Happy Meal. Heck, these people don’t even have to get your drinks anymore. Let’s see, two burgers, one large fry, one small fry. And a toy. They actually had to take our name to call out when the food was ready. This is fast food? Not a good show. I find that the customer service and quality in fast food places is slipping horribly in our country these days.

With Jasmine’s stomach full and ours about to be, we headed south again with me driving. I really do not like driving through northern Florida. It’s boring. There’s nothing but billboards. But Rich had just driven four hours so I’ll do my share. Huge mistake. Rich dozed and then the “fun” began. We were about twenty miles out of Ocala. And hit a parking lot. It took us a full hour to go those twenty miles. I was so frustrated and angry. I cannot handle being stuck in traffic. It was stop and go, then go a little faster, then hit the brakes and sit for a while. Then go again. For twenty miles. I was cursing and threatening the first born child of every Florida DOT worker. I was sure it was due to construction. Sure enough, when we got to Ocala, there was a crew finishing up on the left side of the highway doing construction. The left hand lane had probably been closed for quite some time which caused the pileup. It was open now but the crew was still on the median. I was so mad. One of the busiest travel days of the year and they have to do construction. I vowed to make evil things happen to the DOT.

I’ll insert this here. Once we got to Disney World, Rich was flipping through the channels to find something on TV. For some reason, he left it on the news channel instead of ESPN. Very glad he did that because it explained what happened in Ocala. At 10:00 this morning, a car cut off a tractor trailer and caused a wreck. The tractor trailer ended up crashing into the guardrail and hovering over a bridge. The driver didn’t realize what danger he was in until he got out and saw his back wheels had no support under him. The car was completely wrecked. Both drivers were unharmed, which was good. The car driver is going to get nailed for reckless driving (can’t be wreckless, can it?) though. What we got caught up in was the DOT getting things cleaned up and fixing the broken guardrail. DOT was forgiven.

Up to this point, we had been making great time. Rich even thought we could make the last show of Off Kilter (which was at 6:00) but the delay cost us lots of time. I just continued to drive and we didn’t stop again until we reached All Star Music. Traffic was still a bit of a problem since there were tons of people on the road. I am not a patient driver at all so my nerves were shot by the time we reached the magical World of Disney.

With the day going the way it was, I was sure there would be mobs of people waiting to check in. It was 5:00. I was helped in the time it took Rich to go to the bathroom. I had faxed in a room request of a quiet visit but Broadway if possible. I noted that we wanted to have an adjoining room with Bobbie and Ed. I hoped for the best. And got Rock Inn instead. That’s OK, it will be a quiet visit since those buildings are far away from Melody Hall which is where the food court and gift shop are. We’re in 3646 on the third floor. That’s nice since we won’t have anyone walking around on top of us.

I drove us around there and we took small stuff up until we saw where the room was. I hoped for a non parking lot view but that wasn’t to be either. We are a couple of doors from the ice machine and the elevator so we’re in the middle but we do overlook the parking lot. We are really close to the Sports and the Home Run section. We’ll have to take Marlie over there and have her see how that’s set up. She’s in T ball and she can enjoy the baseball stuff and the football field.

I think it took us four trips to get everything up into the room. I looked at all the stuff and didn’t know how five people could fit into the room for seven days. Oh well, we’ll deal with it. I was stressed and tired and wanted some wine. We brought two boxes from home. Yes, we are so sophisticated that’s how we drink wine. I started to relax when Rich said “well, what are we going to do now?” Ugh! The man wanted to do something Disney World related. Our normal routine is to do a walk around World Showcase at Epcot so that became the plan. Then we would come back and I’d unpack everything. Rich can live out of boxes and suitcases, I can’t. About the only thing I got done before the call of Disney sounded was to set up our little Christmas Bear band in the window. It’s an electrical thing that plays annoying Christmas music while these three bears kind of move around. It’s not the Country Bear Jamboree but it’s lighted and Rich was in charge of bringing Christmas things. He thinks it’s cute because he bought it.

Rich drove us over to the Swan after getting very confused about how to get there from the All Star Music. He thought we’d come out at the firehouse. I had to remind him he was thinking the way from Pop Century. Poor man lost his mental Disney road map. When we turned into the Swan parking lot, we saw a big change. This parking is not going to be in our future. They are building a guard shack here. Darn. We love to park here because of the walk through the Boardwalk and into the International Gateway entrance to Epcot. That’s how I truly know we’ve arrived at Disney World. Everyone has their “we’re here” feeling and that’s been mine. Oh well, things change, we go on. My attitude was back into anti-commando and go with the flow. Traffic was forgotten and hopefully will be forgotten for the next ten days.

The weather had really improved from the north Georgia cold and rain of the morning. I was wearing jeans and a T shirt and had a sweatshirt for later. Rich was in shorts and a T shirt with a windbreaker for later. We didn’t need any of the cold weather gear and Rich actually complained he was sweating. Let’s hope that continues.

Into Epcot and around the countries in a clockwise fashion. Rich stopped for a beer at Canada and we noticed the prices had changed. Get ready for this – for the better! A 20 ounce beer was now $6.25. Rich was poised with the $7.50 it used to be. I also noticed that the bottled water and sodas were now only $2 instead of $2.50. Was it the Christmas season? Or as Rich put it, “did the Gouge Police come out?” We took a very leisurely stroll around the lagoon. When we got to America, the Candlelight Processional was going on. I mentioned to Rich that we’d be doing that with The Kids soon. He said “aargh, I forgot about that”. Rich isn’t into this at all but he’s doing it for Chandra. And Chandra is very grateful. I know she’s going to love it. Rich asked who the narrator was tonight. I admitted I didn’t know. We checked the board. Holy crap! It’s Gary Sinise already! We peeked around the standing room only people outside the theatre and yes! It is Gary Sinise! Whoo hoo! The evening is picking up!!!! I really cannot wait to experience this with The Kids. But we will have to get there early and stand in line. I can handle that. Just to see this with Chandra and Marlie.

We got back to the International Gateway and Rich asked if we should do one more walk around. I was lagging by this time so I suggested we go back to All Star Music and check out the food court and the gift shop for the next ten days. We got back over there and forewent a trip to the room and headed straight for Melody Hall right away. I told Rich that if we had gone back to the room I’d take off my shoes and crash so we bypassed that.

We checked out the food court and the selections and prices. We might be in trouble here. They have cheese raviolis! Chris lived off of these on our first family Disney World visit back in 1993 when we stayed at the then Dixie Landings. I see those in our future. The gift shop looked promising for getting Chandra a margarita when she arrives. $3 for one of those. Not bad. We didn’t get anything at either place and then trudged back to the room for the rest of the night.

I immediately took off my shoes and then started unpacking. Rich didn’t help and before all the feminists go to town, I didn’t want him to. I’m so much more organized and wanted to get everything squared away. It took a while but somehow I managed to get all our clothes into four drawers and have two left over for The Kids. Maybe not fair since we’re two people and they are three but tough. We’re here longer. I also finished decorating the front window with the only other Christmas decoration Rich brought. Some lights that are magnolias. Those were the first lights he found that worked. He blamed his lack of choices on the cats. I guess they were really curious about us finally getting out Christmas things. We hadn’t really celebrated this holiday for quite a while.

We watched some reruns on TV and then the syndicated stuff. Rich is turning into a “That 70’s Show” fan and Red Foreman. His catch phrase has been in our house for quite a while now. Lights out after midnight.

Day Two – Friday, December 24, 2004 – “I Hope It Wasn’t This Cold in Bethlehem”

Yesterday, before the traffic jam in Ocala, Rich and I discussed stopping at the new Super Wal Mart on Route 27 on the way to Disney World. After the mess, we were both tired and frustrated so we bypassed the stop. That was our mission for this morning. But we again took the anti-commando route and slept in until 9:00. Rich got ready and I assumed he would go to Melody Hall for a newspaper. He said he’s just get one at Wal Mart. Which kind of threw me off because I like to use the time to wake up and work on the report. Rich now claims I forced him to go for a newspaper. And to pick up a pressed penny book for Marlie. That and the pennies and quarters were my Christmas present to her.

After Rich got back from his stroll (no newspaper – they were sold out), he channel surfed and watched ESPN until they started repeating Sports Center. We did get some extremely good news since we are Atlanta Falcons fans. Today was the day Michael Vick agreed to a $100 million 10 year contract! Huge whoo hoo for us. The Falcons will have a great quarterback for the next ten years. In this day and age of egotistical and disloyal sports stars, it’s refreshing to see that Vick will probably spend his entire career with one team. Then Rich fished through the channels again (that girl on the “Top Seven Must Sees at Disney World” is awfully annoying) and settled on something I’d never thought he’d watch. “Judge Mathis”. We realized that some people get upset at the silliest things. I finally got ready and we headed out for Wal Mart about 11:30.

On Rich’s walk, he wore a T shirt and shorts. He thought he could handle the day with that and a windbreaker. The temperatures were a lot lower than yesterday – expected to be in the mid 50s. Which is fine with us. I wore jeans and a sweatshirt. Rich got us to Wal Mart which was crowded, as expected. We had just a few items that we needed to get – tags for my Christmas gifts, bread for sandwiches, and sandwich bags (the one time I forget to pack Ziplocs). Rich also looks at all the sports stuff for his home based business. He’s into sports cards and memorabilia. He does weekend shows and sells on ebay as well. This pays for our spending money on the Disney trips. We normally will split up on shopping excursions but this Wal Mart is huge and it was crowded so we stayed together. I did joke to Rich that next time we do this, we’ll have to bring the walkie talkies because this place is bigger than The World of Disney. I wasn’t really kidding though.

We got our necessary things and then headed for the check outs. It’s so very true that Wal Marts have 100 check out lines but only 10 are usually open. Fortunately, this Wal Mart had the Self Check Out stands so we went off to there. We do this all the time at Kroger and are quite good at it. But not everyone is and Wal Mart doesn’t do the associate help very well. An older couple was having a very difficult time in front of us. We were about three parties behind them. They had purchased a DVD that was R rated and the associate had to come over to the machine and punch in a bunch of things to verify that yes, these people were over the age of 17. At least at Kroger, the associate can stand in one place and control all four stands – at Wal Mart, the person has to go to each individual machine. And at that moment, all three working machines needed the associate. R rated DVDs were flying off the shelf. You also need an associate if you have any alcohol to purchase. Then the older couple tried to pay but their $20 bill wasn’t being accepted. The woman in front of us was very aggravated and I tried not to laugh. Usually, it’s me who is the aggravated one. Finally, the older couple finished up and the next person moved up. Another stand opened up and we let the aggravated woman go over there and we followed. Even though the associate told us to go to the open stand first. Why should we? The woman in front of us waited longer than we did. She flew through checking out. We did our transaction and then headed out of the Wal Mart Dodge. I can’t tell you the last time I had to visit a store on Christmas Eve. And I think it’ll be a long, long time until I have to again. Just not worth it.

We got back to the room and decided what to do for the day. Where to spend Christmas Eve at Disney World? Using the “day after early entry” mentality, I suggested, gulp – Magic Kingdom. The last time we were here was for a short day with The Kids in May of 2003. Our subsequent trips have been short weekend visits so the original park of Disney World just doesn’t make the cut. We like it but we’d rather enjoy Epcot, MGM, or Animal Kingdom. Our goal was to do the new Stitch attraction with a FastPass. Maybe. Depended on the crowds.

Rich about died of shock when he realized I intended to take a bus to Magic Kingdom. I almost never take the Disney transportation. I’m the impatient person who wants to go, go, go. But a bus to the Magic Kingdom is really the only way to do it. I packed our bag for the day – we carry a denim bag with a zip top. It’s very roomy, very flexible and doesn’t look like a purse so Rich can take it from time to time. I threw my heavier jacket into the bag “just in case”. And at the last minute, put in my thin wool gloves as well. We both wore ball caps to keep our heads warm. It was misty, foggy, and the forecast called for some rain. We had our light ponchos as well.

Off to the bus stops and we waited in the queue area for about ten minutes for the bus. There weren’t many of us but this one family just had to make their own line for boarding. Why bother – there was plenty of room. Oh well. Then off to the Movies and we picked up more people. Unfortunately, they had to stand although lots of seats were being offered to people who needed them more. The ride from All Stars to Magic Kingdom is one of the longest on the Disney transportation line. This bus driver had a personality of a wet paper bag so it was a quiet ride. As we neared the Magic Kingdom, Rich said he thought we always got dropped off at the Transportation and Ticket Center. I don’t think that has happened ever. I really don’t know where his mind was regarding transportation this trip.

After disembarking the bus, we made our way over to the entrance to Magic Kingdom. It’s quite a hike from the value resort bus stops. Are frugal people supposed to be in better shape than the deluxe resort people? We scouted around for our Walk Around the World brick that we bought way back when they were first offered. We’re right at the Magic Kingdom entrance, near the last tree on the right as you look towards the train station. It’s kind of a neat thing since it says Rich, Sheri, Chris Niklewski and now our family has expanded. It also has Bellevue, NE on there which is where we all thought we’d be spending the rest of our lives. We’ve moved on and for the better.

We arrived just in time for the Christmas parade! Ugh! We’re not parade people so we went through the shops to avoid the crowds. We looked at some of the offerings in the shops – mostly candy. I sort of am expected to take more chocolate back for my co-workers. They loved my last bribe, err, gift from last month. Anytime I have to give them something to enter into the system at 4:55, I give them a piece of chocolate so I don’t get killed. We made it up Main Street and then took the short cut through the Plaza Pavilion. I remarked to Rich that it was a great place for a bite to eat since it had variety and not very many people. I was feeling a bit “peckish” as my British friends would say. Rich had a breakfast bar in the room but I forgot about bringing one along for me. We decided to check out Stitch first before food.

Stitch ain’t going to happen. 70 minute stand by line and the FastPass return was for after 5:00. Forget that. Buzz Lightyear’s stand by was awful but the FastPass was for 2:50-3:50. It was just after 2:00 so that was doable. With FastPasses, Rich suggested we backtrack and go for food. At the Plaza Pavilion, I thought we could split the Italian Stack sandwich. Rich thought it wouldn’t be enough. But it was plenty for a quick bite to eat and settle both our stomachs. We sat and watched what we could of the parade on Main Street. Not much but enough for us.

After our little lunch, we headed back into the crowded Tomorrowland to see what we could do before our window opened up. We figured the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (People Mover, darn it) would be a safe bet but even that had a bit of a line. At least it was fast moving and we were off for our little adventure. The temperatures had been dropping for quite a while and I had put on my woolen gloves. Which made Rich laugh but it sure saved my day. If my hands or feet get cold, I just can’t ever get warm. We had a nice ride although there was a boy in the next car who was talking very loudly about everything he saw. Very excited little kid. We never realized that the TTA was so exciting.

Our window for Buzz had opened so we thought about getting FastPasses for Space Mountain. From the People Mover (TTA), we checked out the FastPass return line for Buzz and it was extreme! The parade traffic had arrived. We’d come back later, thank you very much. Space Mountain had a stand by line of 60 minutes and the FastPass return time was for after 6:00. See ya later. Earlier, we saw that The Timekeeper was open but it had still been ten minutes to show time. Rich suggested we go back there while we waited for the Buzz line to clear out. But on the way, I saw the line for Carousel of Progress (also open, yea!) was just being let into the theatre. So we enjoyed this special presentation of Walt’s 1964 Worlds Fair contribution. Well, one of his contributions to that Worlds Fair. Even Rich sang a little bit along to the tune.

The line for Buzz had died down so we went with our FastPasses. Onto the attraction within five minutes, ignoring all the stares from the people in the stand by line. Sorry folks, FastPasses are free and available to anyone. Rich did our spinning and I attempted to outscore him. I should know better. I was leading for a while but then Rich finally got a handle on steering and shooting so he won but not by that wide of a margin.

After defeating Zurg, we decided to walk through the Magic Kingdom and if anything was an easy walk on, we’d do it. Otherwise, we’d go back to the room and get warmed up. Rich had been thinking about going to Epcot for a walk but decided that warmth was needed. He was regretting not wearing a sweatshirt or changing into long pants. We toyed with getting a FastPass for Mickey’s Philharmagic, which we’ve never seen, but I vetoed that because I was cold and just didn’t want to come back. Fantasyland was very crowded and the stand bys were 40 minutes or more (Peter Pan was 70). I said I didn’t even want to go near Splash Mountain because of the cold but Rich wanted to check out how long the stand by line was on such a bad day. 15 minutes and I kept walking – towards the entrance of Splash Mountain. Rich was very surprised but when else can we walk on Splash Mountain on Christmas Eve? I did promise that I would sit on the right side of the log so I would get wet when the boat gets stopped after the big drop. There’s a waterfall there and Rich always gets drenched.

I love Splash Mountain and “Song of the South” will always have a special place in my heart. The last time that film was ever shown in a theatre was a very bad time in my life. That one movie turned things around for me and made me the Disney fan that I am today. So I had a very enjoyable ride yet again. After the big drop, we rounded the corner and I was prepared for the waterfall. Which was turned off! That led Rich to call me a name. Hehehehe. He actually got wetter than I did.

Now we were really getting cold so we headed for the exit. But Jungle Cruise was a walk on. It’s been a very long time since we did this attraction and we usually get a dud of a skipper. Not this time. He was great and there were a lot of new things in the script. Plus a lot of ad libbing when we got stuck for a while behind some backed up boats.

The trip through the jungle was quite chilly and it was going to get dark very soon. We decided to get back to some warmth. Why we (I) chose to do a lot of outdoor attractions is beyond me. It had started raining just slightly by the time we made our way down Main Street and out to the bus stop. Rich didn’t realize it at first, but on the way back from Magic Kingdom, each of the three All Stars has its own bus stop. We had maybe a five minute wait for the Music bus. And if the bus driver earlier wasn’t thrilling, this one was worse. I think the only thing he said was “All Star Music” when we pulled up there.

Rich and I hustled ourselves back to the room. We had noticed the steam rising from the pools – they are definitely heated. And had some robust children in them. No lifeguards were stupid enough to be on duty. In the room, Rich turned up the heat just a bit and we relaxed and figured out what to do for the rest of the evening. A walk around World Showcase wasn’t going to happen. But we didn’t want to sit in the room all night. The wind and the cold had really taken a toll on us and we fought off falling asleep. We watched the news for the weather forecast and it’s not going to get any better until Sunday afternoon. Merry Wet and Cold Christmas Central Florida! Then we found the Packers/Vikings football game and settled in to watch the end of that. We were happy with the results – Green Bay won in the final seconds.

Our choices for dinner were either the All Star Music food court or something offsite. The only thing I wasn’t in the mood for was Italian since I knew we’d get at least pizza when The Kids are here. I suggested we just go out on Highway 192, head east and pick a place for dinner. We left to do that and I told Rich to make the decision once we were out there. I just called out the restaurants as we drove. I kind of was in the mood for seafood and Rich must have read my mind because he chose Red Lobster. Most of the restaurants we saw had full parking lots but Red Lobster could seat us immediately.

Our server was great and helped out Rich with a request. Rich wanted one dish but didn’t want the crab cake that was on it. He asked if he could substitute and the server didn’t think so but he went out of his way to go back and ask the cook. Turned out, Rich could substitute so that was nice. I settled on two appetizers as my meal – a half dozen raw oysters and a dozen steamed mussels. Two of my favorites. Rich demolished his meal. My oysters were huge and I ended up choking on the first one. After that, I had to cut the suckers. Never had to do that with oysters. I won’t even mention what Rich calls raw oysters but let’s just say he doesn’t even like the look of them. But I love them and will get them any time I can.

We took notice a little late that the restaurant was clearing out. It was about 8:30 when we left and Rich checked their holiday hours. Oops – they closed at 8:00. At no time were we made to feel rushed. Nice job for Red Lobster. The restaurant was next door to Kissimmee Old Town and we made our way over there. We had a couple of nice visits there last month when we stayed at the Days Inn Suites. We were looking for NASCAR stuff but the shop where we found a great selection last month was devoid of just about anything NASCAR related. It is the off season but still. We thought we could bring The Kids here but I guess we’ll pass. At one shop, Rich did pick up a pair of woolen gloves himself. Mine were invaluable today. These were only $3 and I knew Rich would appreciate them over the next couple of days.

Back at the room after our excursion, Rich channel surfed and I ended up falling asleep. Rich made me go to bed at 10:00. I needed the rest and I’m on vacation. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

Day Three – Saturday, December 25, 2004 – “Merry Christmas But Delta Gets the Scrooge of the Year Award”

I struggled out of bed at 9:00 after being woken up by lots of talking and excitement from our neighbors. There’s kids over there and it’s Christmas morning so I tried to ignore all the hoopla. Rich snoozed a little longer while I worked on the report. I did get up and check our front door. A nice little Christmas stocking bag with Chex Mix and some candy. It’s small but it’s a great gesture from Disney. Just perfect for our low keyed holiday celebration. Rich got up and ready for the day and then went for his newspaper run. I asked him to get me a bottle of water since I attempted to use the tap water that everyone hates so much. I used to be able to tolerate it but I’ve been drinking bottled water at home (we have horrible tap water – worse than the Disney tap stuff) and I could not handle this water even for brushing my teeth.

The day was a little warmer than yesterday but a heck of a lot wetter. It wasn’t going to get any better at all. We had talked about going to all the flea markets that are along Highway 192 so after I slowly got ready, that’s what we set out to do. Rich wore a sweatshirt and long pants. That speaks volumes for how horrible the weather was today.

We will always remember Christmas Day, 2004. Anything that could go wrong, went wrong. Nothing was open on Highway 192. I think it was one McDonald’s and Pizzeria Uno. Everything else was closed. All the grocery stores and restaurants. Rich thought maybe another hurricane had gone through. Kissimmee resembled a ghost town. All the crappy and tacky gift shops were open. Walgreen’s was doing a nice business. We went down Highway 192 almost all the way to the turnpike and saw nothing we wanted to do. At least it got us out of the room for a while.

After our little adventure, we went back to the room and decided to get ready for The Kids to arrive tomorrow. We took the regular Coke and Marlie’s juice boxes up to the room. Where the housekeeper was still making up the room. We dallied as much as we could and finally went back to the room when we thought she was done. I had left a note, along with the tip and a candy cane (this lady had to work on Christmas Day) and asked for extra towels. After we entered our room, I saw that we had two extra towels. That was perfect. But then the housekeeper came back with five extra towels! Wow! I guess the tip was appreciated.

The weather was getting worse and it didn’t look like we would really have a great time at any Disney park. We’re not the kind of people to let a little rain interfere with our fun but this was a miserable day. We decided to make our holiday phone calls. Rich called his parents who were enjoying a relatively stress free day. Bobbie had made a holiday ham a few evenings ago when most of the family could be there. They were doing the leftovers today. Bobbie and Rich ironed out a few details of the in-laws’ trip to Disney World. We probably won’t hear from them until next Thursday.

Then I called Chandra and was prepared for an hour long conversation. Marlie was with her dad for the day and Chris was working. My mission was to get Chandra calmed down about her upcoming first plane flight. I was so confident everything would go well. Chandra and I chatted for quite a while about things and then I heard “oh crap”. Mary, Chandra’s mother, had logged onto the Delta website to check on the departure status of tomorrow’s flight. CANCELLED!!!! There’re a lot of words that were uttered in Ohio and in room 3646 of the All Star Music that aren’t going to make it into this report. Crap is the most user friendly I can muster.

Thankfully, Mary was there in Ohio for Chandra. I suggested she immediately call Delta to find out what to do. Then she should call me back. Which she did after a half hour. Delta’s only number to call was busy, busy, busy. Not a good sign. Rich and I figured that all this was due to the weather that had bombed the Midwest. Lots of snow. The first leg of The Kids flight was from Toledo into Cincinnati. Cincinnati had closed their airport a few days ago because of snow. But that wasn’t the problem. The problem was ComAir. Delta’s “partner” had a computer problem that wasn’t going to be fixed until after noon on the 26th so every single ComAir flight was being cancelled (over 1,100 of them). That really torked me off. And it was next to impossible to get through to Delta. I tried, Chandra tried and all we got was a busy signal. Definitely not good. More cussing and swearing by the Ohio and the All Star people. Grr, grr, grr. I wasn’t in a Christmasy mood.

Rich and I needed food and a break from all the drama. Bobbie had suggested we go to the only open restaurant we saw – Pizzaria Uno. I thought we’d be doing the All Star Music food court. Rich wanted the pizza option. I thought I could avoid that until Chris got here. Oh well, I’ll make my husband happy since he had to tolerate my outbursts at Delta’s stupidity. On the way to the restaurant, I got a great idea. I called Chandra and suggested that she and Mary go out to the Toledo airport and deal face to face with a Delta representative. Chandra said she had called Chris at the movie theatre (he’s a lead usher) and asked that he call her back in a half hour.

Pizzeria Uno was doing a nice business and everyone was in a good mood even though they had to work on Christmas Day. I wasn’t thrilled by the choice of restaurants (remember, not in the Italian mood) but I had a great meal – a casserole of lobster and shrimp with great stuffing. Excellent. Rich did a pizza with tons of meat. And he inhaled it quite nicely. My leftover of the casserole was taken along with us. Right after we ordered the food, my phone rang. It was Chris. His manager let him leave for the day to take care of the airline problem. So Chris and Chandra were heading out to the Toledo airport to find out what they could do. All Rich and I could do was wait and worry and realize that The Kids, although they will always be The Kids to us, had to be The Adults today. Apron strings can sometimes be a strong as steel bonds.

Rich and I enjoyed our Christmas meal and then headed back to the room. Neither one of us was in the Disney magic frame of mind. It was raining very steadily and at times, heavily. Not theme park weather at all. Even a walk around World Showcase wasn’t an option since our feet and lower legs would have been soaked even with our nice Disney yellow ponchos. So back to the room where I could get those Christmas presents finished.

But it turned into the Great Delta Mess Up (well, I used a stronger word than that) of the century. For the next six hours, I dialed Delta’s phone number again and again and again and again. Three different times, I actually made it as far as to speak to a human being. Who transferred me over to a “rebooking” agent. Then I sat on hold for a half hour and then got cut off. Three different times of that happening. The last time, I told the first agent that I did not want to be put on hold. He claimed that it was a direct transfer. A half hour later, I was cut off after being on hold.

Meanwhile, The Kids trip to the airport came up with a solution. To have Mary drive them to Cincinnati the next day. That meant all four of them had to leave Toledo at midnight to get there in time for the 7:40 flight. And what was Delta going to do for them? Absolutely nothing. No compensation at all. That was what had me livid. There was no cooperation from anyone at Delta at all. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. IF you could even get through on their only 800 number. Delta is an Atlanta based company and I’ve always been a fan of theirs. Not anymore. No wonder they are going broke. This service absolutely, positively was non existent.

We watched football while all this was going on and turned in around midnight for Rich and 1:00 AM for me. I was still on hold with Delta. Only to get cut off yet again. Grr, grr, grr.

Day Four – Sunday, December 26, 2004 – “The Kids Finally Make It, Bad Weather Affects Everyone”

After our misadventures of last night, Rich and I got up later than normal. Which was fine because we were just going to be hanging around the room waiting for when we could go meet The Kids. We hadn’t heard from them and we told them to call only if there were problems. No news is good news. I worked on the trip report and Rich did his newspaper run and then got caught up on the world of sports. Thank goodness Disney gets ESPN or I seriously think we’d have to stop coming here.

Around 12:30, Rich was antsy to get out of the room and let the housekeeper do her thing. I didn’t think The Kids would be arriving until 1:30. But we went to the lobby anyway. We sat and stared at nothing for a while and then I suggested we check out the arcade. Rich used to be the video game king back in college and I was hoping they would have those types of things instead of the modern stuff. We were in luck – Galaga was there and Rich was lord of that game. But he declined, saying that he hasn’t played in years and he didn’t want to embarrass himself. Then we turned the corner and I stopped dead in my tracks. Skee Ball! If Rich is the video game king, I am the Skee Ball queen. There were three lanes but only one was working. A game was only 25 cents so I was in heaven. Rich had three quarters so I was extremely happy for a while. After that, Rich changed a dollar and played Galaga. And did very well – over 100,000 points. Not bad for an old guy. For $1.25, we killed about a half hour.

Then we went back to the bench by the front door and waited for the town car. And waited. And waited. I was bored so Rich went to the gift shop and got a wine cooler for me and a beer for him to pass the time. And we waited some more. At 2:15, Rich decided to go back to the room to see if there was a message on the phone. About five minutes after he left, The Kids showed up. Thank goodness for cell phones.

I went outside for hugs and a very upset Chandra. But at least they were on the ground and safe. Their Delta adventure continued as one of their bags was lost. The one with all of Chandra’s and Marlie’s clothes in it. How one bag can be lost but not the other one is beyond me. Again, Delta provided no help at all except to say they would look for it. Big whoop. Of course, later when we tried to get a status update, that 800 number was always busy. By now, we understood the computer problem and Delta failed miserably to deal with it.

Chandra was also a little shaken because the town car driver drove, well, a little too fast. Now, I’ve ridden with Chandra and she’s no little old lady from Pasadena and this is the Orlando area. Not sure how bad it was. Chris said he didn’t notice but by that time, he was totally exhausted and just damn glad to be on the ground. Chandra added this later –

You might want to mention that I was very pleased with Happy Limo. I called them from Raleigh when we found out we were delayed by 25 minutes and I got through right away. The man that I talked to was very very nice and told me that I shouldn’t worry about a thing. He even listened to me gripe a bit about how the trip was going so far and sympathized. The driver that met us was also very nice. She did everything possible to keep me calm when she saw that I was falling apart. She drove a little nuts, but she definitely knew how to do the “Everything is going to work out” routine. And the car was wonderful. BIG trunk (Sheri’s note – poor Jasmine and her little butt) and very roomy in the back. I really wish I had been in the mood to enjoy the ride because I would have loved it.

While we were waiting for The Kids, our parents were in contact with us (the apron strings go a lot further than just with The Kids – I guess we are The Kids to other people). Betty called for a status update on The Kids and said their drive from Pennsylvania to Florida was not going very well. They were stuck in North Carolina in a storm. And traffic was extremely bad. They had hoped to get to Jacksonville by tonight but they knew that wasn’t going to happen. After that call, I called Bobbie. They were traveling the same route as my dad and Betty. I gave them a heads up on the weather and Bobbie said it wasn’t weather that was delaying them, it was the traffic. They tried every back road they could but it didn’t help. They had hoped to get into South Carolina tonight but didn’t think they would make that either. The Niklewski/Sowa families sure weren’t having very good transportation issues today.

I had bought Chandra a pina coloda and a margarita for her arrival. I think she inhaled the pina coloda. The Kids were very tired with Chris having been awake for over 24 hours. We got everything back to the room – not hard to do since their huge suitcase was lost somewhere in Delta Land. We regrouped in the room and one of Marlie’s requests was for her first thing to do at Disney World. To see Off Kilter. Honestly, I did not put her up to that at all. That was her favorite thing on her earlier trip.

I got out The Kids admission tickets. Rich had made sure I had those on the way down. I had taken all three of them out in the car to check for about the twentieth time. I gave Chris his and Chandra’s and Marlie asked “do I get one?” I was just about to say “of course you do” when I looked into the envelope again. No ticket. Rich and I tore up everything trying to find the damn thing. I went down to the car and looked in there. No ticket. Rich, of course, was very upset and I knew I had all three of them. I knew it. But I had to just admit it wasn’t there and we’d have to eat up another $250 to get Marlie into the parks.

The day was overcast and chilly but we were all prepared. The Kids were still in their Ohio clothes (Chandra and Marlie, at this point, didn’t have anything to change into anyway) and Rich and I thought today was a much better day than the past couple. After we parked at the Swan, I told Rich I’d run ahead to the International Gateway and get a ticket for Marlie. I was about two rows away from where we parked and got called back. Loudly. Rich had found the pass! It must have fallen in between my seat and the console. See what happens when you double, triple, and twenty times check things? Huge relief and our bank account still has $250 in it.

We let Marlie run off steam with the walk over to Epcot. Our goals here were Off Kilter for their 4:30 show and then some food. We got to security and Rich could breeze through and so could I since all I was carrying was our denim bag and that’s roomy and easy to see in to. The Kids didn’t have anything. Or so I thought. Marlie was wearing this little see through plastic waist pack. And I mean a little one. She had to take it off and have security check it. A six year old little girl is a huge threat to Disney World. Welcome to the post 9/11 world, Marlie.

We got to the Off Kilter benches around 4:00 and I started to realize just how tired The Kids were. Chris and Chandra crashed. Rich and I set out to find some adult beverages and Marlie went with us. But we weren’t going to have much luck. All of the kiosks were closed down because of the cold. Rich remarked that if you wanted coffee or cookies, you were in luck. But oddly, the margarita stand in Mexico was open. We got two fiesta ones and then headed back to Canada. Marlie did get to see the character bus on the walk. Those Cast Members that make sure everyone is standing back sure are aggressive, aren’t they? I know they don’t want anyone to get hurt but if it’s such a big deal, why doesn’t the bus go slower?

This first thing to do with The Kids at Disney World was a huge hit. Marlie sat on the ground in front of us. We called her Sewer Girl since she was sitting on the sewer cover. It’s kind of an inside joke with us. We had talked with one of the band members last month and told him that we would be bringing Marlie this time. When the guys came out on stage, Marlie was acknowledged. And she was waved to and winked at all through the set. She was sitting there, moving back and forth to the music with the biggest smile on her face. That made Chandra very happy – to see Marlie happy. After all The Kids had been through in the past twenty four hours, this made up for a lot of it. In my opinion, there’s nothing better to chase your blues away than listening to Off Kilter.

Rich and I thought we’d take a walk around World Showcase and get some food and then come back for the 6:00 Off Kilter show. But The Kids were severely lagging. Really lagging. The suggestion was made to just go back to the room and utilize the food court. Then I suggested offsite and the New York Pizza World. That was one of Chris’ requests and it hasn’t disappointed us yet. The Kids didn’t care so off we went.

On the way back to the Swan, my cell phone rang. We were going to meet my dad and Betty for breakfast the next morning and this was to set that up. They hadn’t made it to Jacksonville for the night but they still thought they could meet us at 9:00. But they’d call at 8:00 to finalize the plans. The Kids kind of groaned at the earlyness of the hour but Spike and Betty were going out of their way to see us so we’ll make do.

At the New York Pizza World, we were seated and Chandra took Marlie to the bathroom while we waited for our server. They were back before anyone even approached the table. Not a good sign at all. We had more than enough time to get our decisions made on what we wanted. Finally, the server came over and he must have been having a bad day. I think his words were “what do you want?” We usually have very good service here so this is not normal. We noticed that the guy just wasn’t pleasant to anyone. He never really acknowledged us again until we were finishing up and it was time to pay. Then he turned all pleasant. The food, though, was very good again and the prices are reasonable. For all five of us, with a carafe of wine was $45 (the server had the audacity to “suggest” his tip). I decided to get a little revenge and try to confuse the guy. My supervisor had given all her employees a $25 American Express gift card that could be used anywhere American Express was taken. I decided to use it here and see if this guy could handle it. Rich put down $20 cash to add to the fun. Needless to say, the transaction took a while. Sorry, but it had been a long day. Even with the lousy service, we were always pleasant to the server. All we wanted was a little bit back.

We got back to the room and The Kids got settled in. There wasn’t much to settle with one missing bag. We had hoped there would be a flashing message light on the phone indicating the suitcase had been delivered to the All Star. No such luck. Chandra called to the front desk just to check but nothing. We kept trying the 800 baggage number but couldn’t get through. Rich and I blew up Marlie’s air mattress and got her little bed area set up. She’s under the window and we’re not cramped at all.

It was only 8:30 but The Kids were tired and my problem of the next twenty four hours started. I had a tuna sub at New York Pizza World and it decided that it didn’t like me. So I joined The Kids in slumberland very early. Fortunately for Rich, football was on the TV so he stayed up and watched that. He thought it was funny that everyone had crashed on him. He didn’t last very much longer than we did.

Day Five – Monday, December 27, 2004 – “Wal Mart, Traffic, Off Kilter and Sheri Goes Home Early”

After turning in so early last night and having a horrible “rest”, I was awake when Betty’s call came. They were still having traffic problems so we delayed getting to Sizzler until 10:30. This was a pre determined meeting spot. Rich and I had scooped out potential places last month and this was a winner with the buffet option and an easy location to find. Rich mentioned that he thought breakfast was only served until 11:00 so I suggested we all get up and over there around 10:00 just to make sure we had breakfast. From where Betty told me they were, I thought 10:30 was kind of a late estimate.

Getting five people ready to go for the day in one hotel room is a definite challenge. I stayed out of the way working on the report. Marlie is not the most cooperative little girl in the morning when you need to get up and get going. Chandra had to crawl through the clothes to find anything that she and Marlie could wear that was decently clean. After breakfast, we were hitting the Wal Mart for replacements. Still no flashing red message light on the phone.

I was the last person to take a shower and was in the bathroom when my phone rang. It was Betty and they were at Universal. I knew that 10:30 time was too late. We were almost off Disney grounds when Betty called again and said they were at the Sizzler and would get us a table. There was a line to pay for the buffet and The Kids and Rich stood in that while I hunted down my dad and Betty. I wasn’t feeling in the mood for a heavy breakfast but thought I could do fruits and light stuff. The other guys joined us and for some unknown reason, Rich ordered me a Pepsi. I’ve been off caffeine for years. All I really wanted was a glass of water. I don’t think Rich’s brain was in gear this morning.

I concentrated on the fruit while everyone else made some major damage to the buffet. Rich especially killed a pig himself with all the bacon he devoured. So much for trying to lose 30 pounds before our cruise next year. I’m going to have to watch him closer in the future. I’ll forgive him while on vacation. One of The Kids clothing issues was resolved with Marlie’s Christmas gift from my dad and Betty. Two NASCAR outfits including a complete Jeff Gordon one.

We visited and chatted and got caught up with everything. We don’t get to see my dad and Betty very much although that might change after they sell their house in the Keys and move to north Florida. My sister plans to join them up there in the next year as well.

Spike and Betty were anxious to get on their way and we needed to get out to Wal Mart. We said our good byes and realized that we had no idea when we’d get together again. That’s why this vacation is so important for all of us.

We headed west on Highway 192 out to Route 27. That’s about five or six miles. Fortunately, we were going west. Traffic going to the east was a parking lot. We kept driving and driving and seeing nothing but cars on the other side. Holiday vacationers are here. I grabbed the Florida map to see if I could figure out a different way to get back to avoid the mess. I thought I could see an alternative route.

Wal Mart was much nicer than it was on Christmas Eve. Rich and I needed a few things so we left The Kids in the clothing section and got our stuff. I wasn’t feeling the best and all I wanted to do was to sit down for a while. Rich stayed with The Kids and I went to the snack bar area and waited for them to finish up. $60 later, The Kids at least had some things they could get by with for the next few days. The biggest item was a pair of jeans for Chandra. At least there were Florida T-shirts three for $10 so that wasn’t that bad. But socks and underwear were needed too. That missing bag was a big pain in the butt. At least The Kids had a way to get out and get replacements.

With clothes in hand, we needed to get back to the room so Chandra and Marlie could get really cleaned up. However, the traffic on Highway 192 going back was going to be horrible. We tried my alternate route. Which was to go south on Route 27 and hook up just for a few miles with I4 east (actually north but it was designated as east). Then off to an unmarked road but I figured if worse came to worse, we’d just end up in Poinciana or Kissimmee and we could get back from there. This route worked very well except for the I4 part. I didn’t know that the interchange of I4 and Route 27 was undergoing major construction which turned everything into one big mess. We didn’t have much of a choice so Rich mustered through the three miles of I4 and then we got off the jam.

After we got off I4, I kind of just flew by the seat of my pants as a navigator. From the map, I thought we should take the first road north. So we did and it actually worked. We ended up right back at the Sizzler where we were a few hours earlier. Perfect. Chandra was amazed that Rich and I could maneuver around this area fairly well.

Chandra and Marlie got into their new clothes, although we had hoped there would be a flashing message light on the phone. No such luck. Because of the Wal Mart mission, we didn’t get going until early afternoon. I still wasn’t feeling the best but was willing to give it the old college try. Much to my surprise, everyone wanted to catch the first set of Off Kilter at 2:30. I wasn’t going to argue with that. Today was the last day for Gary Sinise to narrate the Candlelight Processional and I suggested we try for the 5:00 show, which is usually the easiest one to walk into. Rich wanted to know if I could make it that far. Honestly, I wasn’t sure.

We got to the International Gateway and my admission adventure began. Rich got through security before me since he had nothing to be checked. I had my bag open as usual and had no problem. Until I went to get my wallet out. It wasn’t there! The Kids went by me and into Epcot. Rich was already through the turn style. I’m searching and searching, even though there’s not that much to search through and there is no wallet. Now, I knew I had it. Every time we went through the All Star security gate, I got the wallet out since that’s where my room key was. I always handed the key to Rich to insert to open the gate. Then I always returned the wallet to the bag. That was no exception after the Wal Mart trip.

I finally got Rich’s attention and told him what happened. I was outside with no way in, he’s inside. The Kids are inside. I didn’t panic, although my upset stomach wanted to revolt again. I went over to Guest Relations and explained the problem. I have an Annual Pass which is replaceable. With photo ID. Which was in the wallet with my pass. I knew this was going to be a problem. But the Cast Member agreed with me that if Rich showed his ID, I could get a replacement. I got Rich to come back out of Epcot to help me out. It was fortunate that Rich and I have the same last name, the same address, and the same expiration date. Lesson learned for future trips – put the Annual Pass in a separate holder from your ID.

Rich had told The Kids to continue on to see Off Kilter since it was getting close to 2:30. By this time, all the benches were taken so Marlie was sitting on the ground right in the middle and right in front of the stage. Chris and Chandra were standing behind the benches. I wasn’t a fool. I joined Marlie. Rich stayed with Chris and Chandra. The set was enjoyable as always although there was a substitute drummer this week. That doesn’t take anything away from the sets but it does limit the variety since the regular drummer knows the entire library.

After the set, The Kids wanted to see some more of Epcot than just the stage in Canada. I couldn’t blame them. All I wanted to do was go back to the American pavilion and wait for the Candlelight Processional. That was still two hours away but I was getting in bad shape. All of us walked down to the entrance to Future World and Rich had to decide what he wanted to do. The Kids were heading for Innoventions and that’s not high on Rich’s list of To Dos. He never really liked it when Chris was a kid either. But he didn’t want to just sit in the American pavilion for a couple of hours. Rich suggested we go back to Canada and catch the 3:30 Off Kilter set. I actually wasn’t in the mood for that but at least it was something that I could sit down for. I had forgotten the walkie talkies so we arranged to meet The Kids back at the outdoor seating area of the Liberty Inn at 4:15. That would give us enough time to gauge the Candlelight Processional line and maybe stand in it if necessary.

For the first time, I didn’t have the best experience at an Off Kilter set. Rich helped himself to a Moosehead and I remarked that I felt so bad that I didn’t even want my usual glass of wine to enjoy Off Kilter. Now Rich really knew something was wrong with me. Rich and I made our way back to America and had about 15 minutes until The Kids were due to show up. I needed a bathroom break and told Rich that if The Kids showed up before I came back, to get in the line (which wasn’t that bad at all) and get some seats. Then he could come back and get me. About the only thing that was agreeing with me was sitting down.

Rich was gone when I came back so I waited until he retuned and led me to some good seats. Along the aisle almost towards the center section but on the left. Marlie, being the typical six year old, complained that she “couldn’t see anything”. Because she couldn’t see the entire orchestra. Sigh. Does every little kid have the same complaint? I know I always dreaded taking Chris to movies when he was a kid because if there was one inch of the screen that he couldn’t see, he complained.

The Candlelight Processional was very good with outstanding vocals and orchestration. And having Gary Sinise narrate it was fantastic. He just seems to be such a sophisticated but “every day” man. That being said, I don’t think in the future I’d really go out of my way to see this unless I wanted to see the narrator again. I guess I don’t get the “wow” factor some people do.

We had enough time for the last Off Kilter set and I was pretty much done in. The Kids were ready to go, go, go but I needed to go, go, go back to the room. It was getting pretty chilly and Chris wasn’t prepared for night time activities. Chandra wanted to stay for Illuminations and I wanted them to see the special holiday presentation. I knew there would be lots and lots of fireworks that would please them. We came up with a solution. Rich would drive me back to the room and Chris would go along with us to pick up their jackets and warmer weather gear. Then Rich and Chris would return and meet up with Chandra and Marlie. I gave Chandra my cell phone so Rich could call when they got back to Epcot to find out where to meet up with Chandra.

By this time, I was well into getting the chills and really needed to lay down for some rest. The walk back to the car seemed to take forever but we finally made it. I cranked up Jasmine’s heat even though it wasn’t that cold outside. It was just me. Thankfully, the trip back to the All Stars isn’t that long and I was safe and sound back in the room.

While I was lying on the bed and Chris was getting some warmer clothes for his family, I did a double take and then a triple take. Chris was pawing through their one bag. But what was that huge thing just inside the door? I about shrieked and yelled “Chris, what is that right there?” Rich and Chris both replied “whaa, huh?” I excitedly pointed to this mega suitcase that looked familiar. Big whoo hoo!!!! The missing bag!!!! Chris had called a couple of times to luggage services to see if the thing had been delivered from Delta. We assumed that it would be held down at Melody Hall. All Star Music really doesn’t have a formal bell service department. But the suitcase was delivered right into the room for us. Big thanks to Disney World for making that part of the trip so much better.

Chris gathered up the necessary outerwear and then he and Rich returned to Epcot. I turned the room temperature up, got some ice and then dove under the covers and channel surfed and relaxed. At least I was only ten feet away from a bathroom now.

While I was working on recovering, The Kids and Rich enjoyed foot long hot dogs with Chandra and Marlie getting into a little bit of a tiff about the food. Marlie insisted she hated foot long hot dogs and only wanted a regular hot dog. Chandra was ready to get three foot longs until Marlie pitched her fit. So two dogs were bought and one was cut in half for Chandra and Marlie to share. Then Marlie whined because she didn’t get a foot long. Ugh! Six year olds certainly tend to change their minds quite a lot, don’t they? If Marlie continues like this, I really pity her future boyfriends.

Rich got everyone back to Germany for Illuminations. This is our favorite spot for viewing. I love Illuminations but the body just wasn’t cooperating for me to enjoy tonight. I’m hoping to see the show with Bobbie and Ed on Saturday night. Rich and The Kids met up with a nice family from Hawaii who were seeing the show for the first time. Everyone chatted while waiting for the show. Which was a huge hit with everyone. Marlie was jumping up and down with the ending fireworks. I’m glad The Kids got to see this even if it was without me. I was listening to the bangs from back in the room.

By the time everyone got back to me, I was feeling much better. A few hours of non activity was what the Sheri Doctor ordered. It took a while for everyone to wind down. We discussed what to do tomorrow and the Animal Kingdom was decided on. Chandra and Marlie hadn’t been able to make it on the Safari on their previous trip so that was the goal. And to see Chris’ anteater. Lights didn’t go out until after midnight.

Somewhere along the day, we saw the newspaper headline “Massive Underwater Earthquake Kills 30,000”. Of course we now know that was the devastating tsunami that hit Asia and Africa. Unfortunately, the 30,000 estimate was way too low. Mother Nature has a mean streak in her sometimes.

Day Six – Tuesday, December 28, 2004 – “Why Aren’t All These People At Work?”

With all my rest of yesterday, I was up and working on the report before 9:00. I tried not to turn on any lights since the morning before, Marlie said that was what woke her up (actually it was the phone call from Betty). Rich got up after me and had his breakfast of Diet Coke to wake up. He headed for the shower and then Marlie got up and The Kids started to stir ever so slowly. I felt fine after yesterday and followed Rich to get ready. I had a cereal bar and continued to work on the report while the other three got ready for the day. I wanted to see how long it would take five people in one room with one bathroom and one sink to get up, showered (four of us – Marlie showered last night), and out the door. Two hours which isn’t bad considering The Kids didn’t want to get out of bed and Marlie can be a little uncooperative with certain things in the morning. She has a cough and getting her to take her medicine can be a chore. We were out the door by 11:00.

Rich drove us over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Chandra had seen the Lodge on a TV show and was anxious to see it. Rich was freaking with having to “lie” to the gate guard. We weren’t lying – we wanted to show Chandra the Lodge and Disney does encourage guests to visit the different resorts to check them out. When we pulled up to the gate, Rich had his ID out and the All Star Music parking pass on the dash and all the guard did was to tell him to have a nice day and waved him right through. Rich needs to relax a bit with the security.

What can I say about Chandra’s reaction to the Animal Kingdom Lodge? Overwhelmed? In awe? Words can’t describe it? That probably sums it up the best. We did a complete tour and Chandra wants to celebrate hers and Chris’ tenth wedding anniversary at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. She thinks that will give them enough time to save up for it. It was a little difficult getting Chandra to leave the Lodge.

We took the bus over to Animal Kingdom for the day. Things were quite busy at the bus stops and I noticed that there were mobs of people waiting for buses to the other parks. Not a good sign. This was the first relatively warm and sunny day we’ve had and that brought a ton of people out and about. While we were waiting for the bus, I had checked my cell phone for messages. My number was the one for Bobbie and Ed to call with updates on their slow progress down the east coast. I did have a message but it was from Chandra’s mother, Mary. The Kids needed a check on their finances with the unexpected trip to Wal Mart yesterday. Mary didn’t have good news. Once inside Animal Kingdom, Chris said it would relieve Chandra if she could call Mary and get some things resolved. So that call was made over by the Rainforest Café entrance area. That issue taken care of, we were off to explore Animal Kingdom. Or so we thought.

I took everyone’s passes and headed back to the Safari for FastPasses. That left the others to slowly make their way through Discovery Island to see all the animals there. Including Chris’ anteater. This is a guy that Rich and I only see with Chris. The anteater is never out when it’s just Rich and me. Chris has to be there. We joke about it all the time. And today was no exception. The damn walking carpet was there yet again. Chris said they were about ready to leave without seeing the thing and then the anteater walked out. Chandra didn’t see him at first and Chris assured her that he would come back. And he did. Chris has a way with anteaters.

We remembered the walkie talkies today and it was a good thing. When I got back to the Safari, it was 12:30. All the FastPasses were gone for the day. The last Safari was supposed to be at 4:00 due to the early sunset. But I still took this as a bad sign for the crowds today. I contacted Rich and they were at the entrance to Africa so they met me back where I was over to the side. Stand by for the Safari was 90 minutes and Chandra was not going to wait for it. I don’t blame her. Something would have to be mind blowing to have an active six year old wait in an hour and a half slow moving line. There’re plenty of other things to do.

Marlie had her mind set on It’s Tough to be a Bug. That’s all she wanted to do. But we were right next to Pangani Trail and they hadn’t done that one on their last trip. Chandra had to have a little talk with Marlie for a while and then we were off to see the gorillas. The crowds were really bad – Rafiki’s Planet Watch even had a forty minute wait. We had to think about things very carefully today.

When Marlie gets a little older, I will bring up this episode with her. As much as she complained about not wanting to do this trail, we had to constantly wait for her and Chris to finish up with each of the animal areas. Do six year olds ever really trust adults when we say they are going to enjoy something? At one point, there was an area with several exotic African animals in it. Marlie was entranced by something. Chandra went over to ask Chris what interested Marlie so much. Chandra came back laughing. There was a good ole American bunny rabbit sitting there. Marlie thought he was great. Something she sees at her father’s place all the time but this Disney World bunny just thrilled her.

The naked mole rats were a hit as well since I guess there’s a character named Rufus who is a naked mole rat on a show Marlie watches (“Kim Possible”). While Marlie was enjoying those, I watched my African bull frog. Well, there wasn’t that much to watch because I’ve never seen him move. I have to wonder what the heck the guy is thinking about. Probably “I think I’m rather attractive and not a big old blob like everyone says”.

All the gorillas were out and about and we took our time walking through this area. We didn’t have much choice since the trail was quite mobbed. But since we took our time, we got to see a lot. Marlie was delighted to point out all the “gorilla butt”. This was the first time I’ve seen this much action in this area. Sometimes we’re lucky to see two of the bachelors.

The sign at the start of the trail advises a 20 minute walk. It took us over an hour and it wasn’t because of the crowd level. So much for Marlie not enjoying it. Everyone was starting to feel a bit peckish so we decided to get some FastPasses for It’s Tough to be a Bug and then get some food. Along the way, Chris spied Flik giving autographs so The Kids stopped there and we would meet at the FastPasses for It’s Tough to be a Bug. The FastPasses were easily accomplished except the return time was three hours away at 5:10-6:10. The food wasn’t so easy. The crowds, the crowds, the crowds. Rich and I usually will just grab a couple of beers and a soft pretzel and sit at the Flame Tree BBQ area for a quick snack and break. Not today.

The Kids joined up with us with one extremely upset little girl. Flik had done to her what Aurora did to her last year. Pulled up stakes with Marlie in line. I guess the Cast Member handler hadn’t been that nice with the news that Flik had to leave. Marlie was extremely upset. I suggested finding a table at the Flame Tree area to let Marlie melt down a bit. We couldn’t find anything. Not even a bench. We stood over to one side and Chandra tried to get Marlie to calm down. I’d rather do this than attempt to have a crying kid walking through a theme park. It was a huge disappointment to Marlie and she needed to be reassured. Apologies to the people eating lunch but the kid needed to get things out.

Right when we were ready to leave, defeated in our search of food and a rest, a table opened up. I don’t think Rich has moved that fast in years. Rich and Chris took off in search of food, proclaiming themselves to be the food gatherers – “me man, me get food”. Chandra and I joked that it was about time Rich taught Chris how to provide for his family and gather food. The guys started walking away and Marlie, who was over the Great Flik Disappointment of 2004, yelled so that everyone around us could hear “Rich, you teach Chris how to get food!” Chandra and I rolled with that one.

Chandra and I had a nice chat while waiting. The guys finally came back with – a Coke and two beers. I was happy that Chris was finally over 21 and could legally get a beverage for me. He doesn’t drink but now he can carry something. Disney policy is one ID, one drink. No exceptions at all. I usually have to be with Rich. Chris did get carded, though. I do like Disney’s policy and am glad they enforce it. Rich attempted to get some pretzels but the last two were given out to the people in the line right in front of the guys. We discussed just being happy with the drinks but I guess the Hunter-Gatherer mentality was strong today because the guys headed out yet again. Chandra and I had an even longer chat this time.

The guys tried all kinds of places towards Dinoland but they ended up coming back to the Flame Tree BBQ and getting a couple of baskets of cheese fries for the adults to share and a kid’s hot dog meal for Marlie. Which was a pretty nice thing with a hot dog, a small ear of corn, applesauce and a carton of milk. On a Mickey shaped plate. Marlie had commented to Chandra and me that all she wanted was french fries. We told her she’d have to take what she could get today. She ended up enjoying her meal and we demolished the cheese fries. It was a longer break than we anticipated but it was well worth it.

While we were enjoying our rest, the old tour boat came around. At least Disney is making use of these things. It’s now a traveling band stage. Chip and Dale along with an ethnic band go around the water way at Asia and Dinoland and perform. Marlie loved it and she was waving to the characters.

Then it was time to split up since The Kids were heading to Dinoland. There wasn’t anything there that was for Rich and me so we had to kill some time until the FastPass window opened for It’s Tough to be a Bug. The Kids took a walkie talkie and we agreed to meet at 5:15 at the entrance to the attraction.

We all walked towards Dinoland and Chris spied the character greeting area for Pooh and friends so they veered off there. They did that and saw Pooh, Eeyore and a surprise visit from Tigger. They just got pictures because they forgot Marlie’s autograph book but she didn’t care. They also got the new Photo Pass thing so they can go back and see the “professional” ones online and determine if they want to order them. I’m interested in seeing how this new thing goes.

After that, they went to the Boneyard and let Marlie play for quite a while. When a bathroom break was needed, Chris noticed that Triceratops Spin, which was a “must see” for Marlie, only had a twenty minute wait so the two of them did that while Chandra took the pictures. I have to find the picture I took of Rich and a then three year old Chris on Dumbo. Passing on the Disney generations, aren’t we? For The Kids, it was time to meet us back at It’s Tough to be a Bug.

Rich and I didn’t have that much luck with things. I wanted to see up close the progress on Expedition Everest so we took the path back there. I am quite sure this is going to be something that you will have to drug me to get on. It doesn’t open until 2006 so I’m hoping something gets invented between now and then that will get rid of my aversion to roller coasters like these. That steep first climb. No thank you.

Kali River Rapids was a walk on but we passed due to the temperatures. Rich hadn’t brought his jacket although I was loaded down with a sweatshirt on and my jacket tied around my waist. I was game but Rich would have been frozen with getting wet. When we emerged from Asia, I did a “damn”. I keep forgetting about the parade here. My suggestion was for us to go to the Dawa Bar in Africa for a rest before meeting The Kids. I figured the area would be less crowded since the last Safari was supposed to be at 4:00. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Disney has got to re-think the way of handling the parade traffic. Rich always thought the old Tapestry of Dreams/Nations traffic at Epcot was bad. Try that kind of thing at the narrow paths of Animal Kingdom. And when we got to Africa, all we wanted to do was cross over to the Dawa Bar. The Cast Members said the only thing we could do was to go towards the Safari. OK, we’ll go up there and then cross over. No, we couldn’t do that because that’s where the parade started and it was starting in a few minutes. We couldn’t even stand where we were comfortable because we weren’t moving anywhere and it wasn’t a designated parade viewing area. We didn’t want to see the damn parade!!!!!! We were trapped in Disney Parade Hell.

After I finished muttering some very un-Disney like words, I resolved myself to standing back and waiting for the parade to make its way by. Rich and I are not parade people and never will be. Maybe it was all those parades my mother forced me to go to when I was a kid. They have long lost their appeal to me. When we were finally released, we joined the cattle and finally escaped into Tusker House and got a couple of Bud Lights as our reward. Then we went over (finally!) to the Dawa Bar area to sit and relax. With the crowds and the FastPass, there wasn’t much we could do. So we people watched and then saw the parade coming back into Africa. I thought I had a much better vantage point from the uncrowded seating area at the Dawa Bar than I had at the crammed Africa place we were before. Hint for parade viewing. Not sure why everyone has to have a front row seat (or stand) when most of the stuff is high up. Told you I wasn’t a parade person.

We finished our drinks and then made our way back to It’s Tough to be a Bug. We’d be early but that was fine. Chris contacted us when we were approaching the entrance and they were there as well. We were about ten minutes early. Rich suggested he and Chris go back to Dinoland and check on the stand by time for Dinosaur or possibly getting FastPasses if they weren’t too far out. Chandra and I had another nice chat. She related a mother meltdown that happened in front of them while in the character greeting line. The woman had contacted her husband on the walkie talkie to ask if he had the camera. She was going to miss out on getting her kids’ picture if he did. I guess the conversation went something like this:

Woman – “Do you have the camera?”
Husband – “What?”
Woman (louder) – “Do you have the camera?”
Husband – “Where are you?”
Woman (louder) – “Do you have the camera?”
Husband – “The camera?”
Woman (louder) – “Just answer yes or no, do you have the camera?”
Husband – “Do I have the camera?”
Woman to kids – “Your father is an idiot and can’t answer yes or no!”
Woman (even louder so I think we could hear her over in Africa) – “DO YOU HAVE THE CAMERA, JUST ANSWER YES OR NO!”
Husband – “Yes”

The woman behind The Kids offered to take pictures for the other lady and email them but the first woman declined stating that her husband was an idiot. Chandra said it was all she could do not to bust out laughing.

Rich and Chris returned without FastPasses since those would have been for after 7:00. And the stand by was 55 minutes. We knew we’d be back here with Bobbie and Ed and Dave would have to see the dinosaur stuff since he’s into fossils and things like that. So we went for Marlie’s encounter with Flik. I just hoped she forgave him for disappointing her earlier. I actually think she forgot about that little incident.

We got in for the next show and the things that bothered Marlie last year were remembered and taken care of this time. She had a much more enjoyable show this year. After exiting the show, we, along with what seemed half the crowd at Disney World, made our way to the exit of Animal Kingdom. We really hadn’t been in the park that long but it seemed like forever just because of the crowded conditions. The bus for the Animal Kingdom Lodge came in about five minutes and even though we had to stand on the way back, it’s a very short ride. We were successful in avoiding having Chandra enter the Lodge. I didn’t think we’d be able to get her out if she did.

On the ride back to All Stars, Chandra remarked that it wasn’t that late at all. It was just past 6:00 but it felt like midnight. This vacation was starting to get a little bit too hectic – I needed to slow down. Back at the room, we re-grouped and decided what to do for the evening. Rich and I had to do laundry at some point in the trip so it might as well be tonight. There’s no way we could pack for ten full days with the freaky Florida weather. I hadn’t touched my shorts but my jeans needed to be refreshed. Rich and Chandra went to check on the laundry situation to see if any washers were available. There were so we loaded up our things and all of us headed out for washing and resort exploring.

Rich gagged at the $2/load price but it’s Disney. At least I had brought detergent and softener along with me. We only had one load so it wasn’t that bad. I warned Rich that we would need two dry cycles but he didn’t believe me. After we got the wash going, we went for a walk around the All Star Movies so The Kids could see that resort. I personally think the Movies is the best themed of the three All Star places. Marlie had a good time with all the icons and Chris got lots of good photo ops with her.

After our tour, we went back to the laundry and put our stuff into the dryer. I again warned Rich that we’d need two cycles. He said we’d be fine. Dinner was up next so we headed to the food court for some dinner to take back to the room. I didn’t want that much since I was still recovering from yesterday. I grabbed a fruit (grapes) and cheese pre packaged thing while The Kids and Rich debated the choices from the pizza/pasta place. I decided to treat Chandra to a couple of pina coladas from the gift shop while the dinner discussion was going on. When I returned, a large pizza had been ordered and there was a chicken nugget kids meal waiting for Marlie. I took the food that was ready and Chandra, Marlie and I went back to the room while Chris and Rich waited for the pizza to be done. We didn’t get back to the room much before the guys did.

We relaxed in the room and ate our very simple dinner. Rich and Chandra went back to the laundry (Chandra was in search of ice cream for Marlie) and Rich admitted that we needed a second cycle of dry time. I held back an “I told you so”. The rest of the evening was watching TV and taking it easy. The only bad thing was a bit of a tiff by Rich because I thought he had folded all the laundry right after taking it out of the dryer and before he brought it back to the room. But he hadn’t and I started to put things into the drawers without realizing that. Things were quickly settled although Chris didn’t think so. I don’t think kids of any age ever think their parents can have a disagreement and World War III doesn’t break out.

Day Seven – Wednesday, December 29, 2004 – “Breaking Up is Hard to Do”

Today was going to be MGM but I didn’t want to go. I hadn’t been by myself for this entire vacation and it was getting to me. I normally have three hours of solitude every day during the work week and lots of time to myself on the weekends since Rich is usually working during that time. I needed my own personal space. Everyone got ready for the day and Rich and The Kids headed out for MGM while I stayed behind and worked on the report and chilled. Rich has to turn on the TV immediately to have “background noise”. It was blessedly silent for a few hours and I enjoyed it very much.

The others went to the Swan for parking and took the walkway to MGM. Marlie said she wanted to do Twilight Zone and they headed over there first for FastPasses. A lady in front of them in line was having a problem with the machines so the Cast Member just started handing out the passes without having anyone use their admission media to get them. So Rich and The Kids basically got a free ride on the FastPass. Which enabled them to go right over to Rock N Roller Coaster for true FastPasses there. This was a legal and valid way to have two FastPasses for the two premiere attractions at MGM. Marlie wasn’t going to ride Rock N Roller Coaster since she wasn’t tall enough but they were going to do the Kid Swap here (or so they thought).

Since the return times were for a few hours away, they went in search of other things to do. They were walking past Sounds Dangerous, which is one of Rich’s favorites. No one was sure Marlie could take the seven total minutes of darkness but she was doing a great job of handling things so far. Rich saw hardly any line at all and was told it was just six minutes until show time. They took a chance on Marlie having a good time. The girl has grown up quite a bit because she loved it. So much for her being afraid of the dark. Chuck that night light, Chris and Chandra.

Muppets was supposed to be next but the line was too long so they backtracked to Star Tours. Another one where no one was sure if Marlie would be OK. Another one that she passed with flying colors. Food was needed so they walked back to the Studio Catering Company where Rich and I have always enjoyed soft pretzels but this place has been closed for a while due to the construction of the new stunt show. With the holiday crowds, it was open again and Rich finally had his pretzel he had been hunting for the past couple of days. The Kids got some stuffed pretzels as well. Along the way, they saw a funky band that was a take off on Blood, Sweat and Tears but no one can remember the name of it. “Something, something, and Mulch” is the best they can come up with. Whoever they were, my group enjoyed them very much.

Marlie made use of the time by visiting the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground. It was nice for the adults to have a break and for Marlie to let off some steam. Marlie did have an incident here and Rich wasn’t supposed to tell me about it because she didn’t want it to make it into the trip report and have “the internet people” read about it. But too bad. She hid from Chris and got in trouble for it.

After the break, the Muppets finally entered the picture and my group enjoyed the attraction. For as crowded as the parks were, this group certainly was getting things acc