This was probably one of the best trips we have ever taken. Things went well, the weather was great and I turned 46 in the best possible way.

Cast

Me – Sheri (turning 46 this trip) and husband – Rich (47). We're from Brasleton, Georgia which is 35 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. It's about a seven hour drive to Disney World that we break up into a four hour drive after work with an overnight stay in a hotel in Valdosta and then a short three hour drive the next morning. We have the routine down pat.

Preface

Our last trip to Disney World was for Thanksgiving and there was no other trip on the horizon before our annual passes expired in early May. The prospect of renewing those passes was (and still is) a dim possibility. We had (and have) other things to take care of besides Disney World annual passes. But I still missed the place.

I had seen annual pass resort discounts at Disney World for my birthday weekend, February 9th. But of course, those were all sold out by the time I called. I figured Disney World was out of the question again.

But then Rich was given a gracious gift of two $100 gift cards – one a Visa card and the other an American Express card. So he could use them anywhere those credit cards were accepted. Rich said we should go to Disney World with them since they were "found money". I set myself to planning just a month before the trip.

A Place to Lay Our Heads

Staying onsite was out of the question since things were booked (I later figured out that this weekend was the end of Mardi Gras week) but we have been staying offsite lately anyway so that wasn't a huge disappointment. I did look for something other than our normal places but I really couldn't find anything that met all of our low expectations and didn't cost what we consider a fortune. It's a situation where I know we can get a hotel that we like and for an affordable price; so why not stay at a place that is comfortable and at a price that we can handle? I belong to the free Trip Rewards program that gives you points for staying at Days Inn, Super 8, Travelodge, Ramada and their sister hotels so I will almost always choose a hotel through that program.

For this trip, I went back to the Travelodge Suites East Gate Orange at 5399 Irlo Bronson Highway (also known as Highway 192). The "suite" sounds nice but it's really a low wall dividing the bed from the seating area. I booked a king bed as I tend to do when the price is the same as two double beds. I justify this as leaving the double bed rooms to families who need those accommodations (and we have a king bed at home). We will have a mini-fridge and a microwave in the room along with a couch that can fold out so we could have four in the room (or six with a two double bed room). The hotel also has a free breakfast (which we've never made it to – way too early), an outdoor pool and kiddy pool. The location is east of Old Town. It advertises that it's within walking distance to Old Town but it would be a long walk at the end of the day. For us, it's a short drive to Disney World since we use a couple of shortcuts to avoid the traffic on Highway 192. The rate here is $58.46/night plus tax.

On the way down for our Friday night stop, I thought I had enough points in my Trip Rewards account to get a free room (6,000 points) but I was a little less than 200 points shy so we would have to pay. Once I realized that, I knew we wouldn't be staying at the Days Inn at Exit 5 off I75. It's a nice place and all but the price is just under $70 and there are plenty of other places in the same program in Valdosta that are a lot cheaper. A quick search on the Trip Rewards website gave me a hotel for a bit under $45. Another Travelodge that is right next door to the more expensive Days Inn. Same location, savings of $15. Needless to say, I booked the Travelodge.

Birthday Plans

Not to stereotype but this is where a lot of women will think I'm insane and a lot of men will look at the woman in their life and want to know why she's not like this. I decided what I wanted to do for my birthday night.

We are a sports dominated family. I've always been interested in football and would go through withdrawals between February and September. Sure, there's baseball and hockey but it's not the same as the Sunday tradition of doing nothing but watching football all day long. After my son met our now daughter-in-law, I became interested in NASCAR, mainly because they would watch the races on Sundays and I had no idea what they were talking about. And NASCAR filled that football void since racing season is February through November (the three months of both football and NASCAR are quite a spectacle in our house). Oh – and Rich loves these sports events too.

The Daytona 500 is not until the weekend after my birthday but there is the Bud Shootout on my exact birthday – Saturday, February 9th. It's a race for all the pole winners of the prior season plus any drivers who have won the Shootout in the past. It's not an All-Star race but it's close. And it's a great warm up for the Daytona 500. So that is a must, an absolute must for Saturday night. Since the race doesn't start until 8:00, we'll have time to do some Disney World things before heading back to the room.

I did think about a birthday dinner. And decided to do an entire NASCAR themed evening. We'll stop at Checkers, a fast food burger chain (known as Rally's in some parts of the country) on the way to the hotel. Checkers/Rally's is an official NASCAR sponsor.

Yeah, sounds stupid to some but it's a perfect night for me. I honestly couldn't ask for a better birthday present (unless it was to go to the Daytona 500 itself the next weekend).

Sidenote – the Monday night before we left, we did our fantasy NASCAR league draft with our son, Chris, and our nine-year-old granddaughter, Marlie (Marlie took her mother's place because Chandra wanted to just watch the races instead of participating in our very intense Niklewski competition). There's nothing on the line except family pride and a homemade certificate given to the winner. But we are, well, cut throat about it. For the record – my four picks for my permanent roster were Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (my favorite driver), Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, and Casey Mears. I won't go into the others' rosters because they will be left in the dust by my outstanding record this season.

What Are We Going to Do?

Since we go to Disney World quite often, we get challenged to find different things to do during the day. Rich took Monday off so we could be at Epcot for Sunday to see Off Kilter, our favorite Disney entertainment. That left Saturday for something to do.

Because we are long gone from having a child with us (unless it's our grandchildren but they live in Ohio), we avoid Magic Kingdom. We drive to the parks and it's a pain in the butt to do that for Magic Kingdom. It's a haven for meltdowns and excitement that borderlines on obsession. And that's just the adults! Our feeling is that we've done our time as parents and dealing with strollers and the "I wants". It's not that we don't like kids. We're just not exposed to them very often.

However, there are things at Magic Kingdom that we still haven't done yet. So we're going to go there on Saturday and attempt to do those few things and then bail when it gets too much for us. We know it's going to be crowded and we're prepared for that. It'll be interesting to see how long we last.

Day One – Friday, February 8, 2008 – a Nice Fast Food Worker Saves the Day

Rich went to work and I got things ready at the house. The time moved very quickly and I was done a lot earlier than I wanted to be. For the entire afternoon, I had nothing to do but sit around and wait. I even had time to make up both the extra beds so the cats would be nice and comfy while we are gone. Yeah, they are spoiled. They have a certain way that they prefer their sleeping surfaces.

The night before, Rich and I discussed what to do for dinner tonight. We normally don't start dinner until 8:00 and waiting until we were in Valdosta wasn't a problem. We both made sure that we had late afternoon snacks so we could just go and not have to stop except for our normal rest area outside of Macon.

Our son, Chris, called during the day to report that his mother-in-law, Mary, had successfully had her gall bladder removed that day and would be home tomorrow. Mary’s diagnosis of gall stones came just a few days ago so this happened a lot quicker than I thought it would. I’m not a doctor and I don’t play one on TV and I haven’t stayed at a Holiday Express lately so all my medical knowledge comes from webmd.com. I’m glad Mary will be fine in a week or two. Chris and his family live in Mary’s house so having two very active grandchildren will get her back on her feet in no time. And Chris is a full time student and he’ll be able to take care of Mary most of the time. When your child gets married, you don’t lose him; you gain a whole other family – in-law in-laws.

I was bored so I decided to send my mother-in-law an email to let her know what was going on. Bobbie and Ed (my in-laws) care about Chandra’s family as much as we do and I knew they would like to know. I had a new email from Bobbie that floored me. I had written about our plans this weekend and said we were going just in case we didn’t have another chance before our annual passes expired because we didn’t think we were going to renew them. I’ve been out of work since some medical issues almost two years ago and money is tight. In Bobbie’s email, she said that they were planning all along to get us new annual passes but didn’t say anything because she thought they had until May! OK – they’ve been buying the passes for the past several years but they have helped us out so much lately that I would never dare to ask them to do it this year. This gave me a much needed boost and a very nice early birthday present.

Rich left work at 4:30 so I expected him at the house before 5:30. I got the car packed up fairly quickly, set out extra food and water for the cats (no service this time for such a short trip), ran through my mental list of things we needed and then waited. And waited. And waited. I think I mentioned we are outside of downtown Atlanta. An hour commute to and from work is not unusual and that’s what Rich’s is. Except it’s Friday. The dreaded Friday. When rush “hour” starts at noon and doesn’t end until seven if we’re lucky. When people take stupid pills before they get behind the wheel of a car. When drivers all of a sudden think it’s a good idea to daydream and not notice that a light has changed. Fortunately, Rich made it home around 5:45 with most of his patience in tact. Well, maybe not most.

We were ready to go since I had even cleaned all the littler boxes (we have seven of them for the four cats). All Rich needed to do was transfer some things (beer, laptop) from his car to the other one and we were ready. On the road by 6:00.

We have an alternate route to avoid Spaghetti Junction during rush time (I’m not calling it an hour because it never last only an hour). That’s the interchange of I85 and I285 and looks like a pile of spaghetti. If anyone wants the route, just ask and I’ll pass it along. If you don’t travel this way, it won’t make sense to you at all. The only problem with the alternate today was the daydreamers. There are a lot of traffic lights (engineers seem to think every single itty bitty intersecting road, side street, alley or entrance to a shopping center needs to have a light). And then they really screw it up by not synching those lights. It’s fine IF drivers find the gas pedal and move their cars along at more than two miles an hour. But we were finally through it and didn’t even have to sit through repeated cycles of lights. That’s pretty darn good in this area. And we were glad even for the frustration. The traffic report on the radio said Spaghetti Junction traffic was barely moving.

By the way – if you do drive through Atlanta and want to listen to the traffic reports on the radio, it’s not going to do you much good. The reporters use the nicknames like Spaghetti Junction and the Grady Curve. No person from out of town is going to know those. Ask if you want a brief rundown on the most commonly used terms. Also ask if you want to know how you can check traffic via the internet while you are driving through.

After getting through to south of Atlanta, we were only about twenty minutes off pace so not bad. No big accidents, just lots of drivers overdosing on stupid pills. We made our customary stop at the rest area outside of Macon. Rich got another Diet Coke to go along with the bottle he already had in the cooler in the car (he had already drunk a twenty ounce bottle in the past two hours). I take one bottle of water for the whole trip and I’m fine.

The rest of the trip was very uneventful and extremely boring. The two hours between Macon and Valdosta always seems to last twice that long. Rich said he needed to stop looking at the mile markers all the time. That’s one bad thing about going south. You know exactly how long it will be until you are out of the state. Or, in our case, until we got to exit 5. We finally pulled into the Travelodge parking lot at 10:30, about a half hour later than what we wanted but at least we were here.

The desk clerk could not find my reservation but I was prepared with the confirmation number. Our last name is very difficult and I always spell it instead of pronouncing it. This was one case where that didn’t help. I think it had something to do with the guy hanging around the front desk. We interrupted his “skillful” attempt at picking up the clerk. But the reservation was found and we could finally unload a bit and rest for the night. The only problem was that the parking was on the one side of the hotel and our room was on the other. We don’t like to leave our car out in front while we unpack but we had no choice. And it gave us an excuse not to go to the McDonald’s which was the only place within walking distance. We had to move the car so the sky's the limit. Well, the fast food places at Exit 5 were the limit.

We ended up at Hardee’s because it’s been a long time since we’ve been. We walked in the place at 10:45 and it closed at 11:00 so we were the last two customers of the night. I thought the employees would be surly but the cashier was great and gave us cups to get soda while we waited. There was only one person working the back and the sodas were appreciated (we hadn’t ordered any drinks). With our burgers in hand, the cashier had to unlock the door for us to go out and then wished us a good night and for her god to bless us. This could have been a total disaster since it was so late and fast food workers don’t get a great rap as employees. Always give people a chance to prove you wrong. Earlier, the guy that was trying to pick up the desk clerk had helped us with our luggage and opened the doors for us. We had thought he was some deadbeat.

We finally crashed in the room with burgers and beer and watched mindless TV. Rich opened his burger and found out that instead of just the ketchup and pickles he ordered, he also had mustard on the thing. Rich is so picky about his food but fortunately, he had enough ketchup packets so he could dose the taste of the mustard. Sigh. We stayed up later than normal and about a minute after midnight, Rich asked me how I felt. I thought maybe he poisoned my beer or something. I didn’t get it. Then he said that it was officially my birthday. But I had to correct him.

In my family, we never celebrated our birthday officially until the exact minute we were born. So my true birthday was not until 10:04 AM. Chris is the same way. He was born at 7:52 PM and that’s when I call him every year. He doesn’t consider himself a year older until then. Rich thinks it’s stupid but that’s him. His family is WAY too practical (as in they have absolutely no imagination whatsoever).

We finally turned in close to 1:00 AM and I sent my phone alarm for 7:00. The alarm clock in the room was on the other side next to the TV. I have no idea why – I guess they thought we’d like to get up and cross the room to turn it off.

Day Two – Saturday, February 9, 2008 – The Best Birthday Ever (Except for Smelling “Backside”)

The alarm went off right 7:00 and I was ready to go. Rich made me go into the shower first which I really don’t like to do. But I went anyway so we could get moving. Once in the shower, I realized why he made me go first. It had to do with something about that bag he brought in last night and wouldn’t let me handle. Yep. When I got out of the shower, I had a nice new NASCAR magazine that was given to me by the cats. Rich and I are at the stage in our marriage where the cats give us presents. I jokingly told Rich that I didn’t have any idea of how the cats got out to do something like that and he said that they really wanted to give me a Dale little car. But they thought I had enough (I have just about all of them). Then Rich said he wanted to get me another car but he looked at what I had and couldn’t find anything new. And by the way, I never buy myself Dale stuff, Rich does. Yes, I am spoiled.

We got ready and didn’t have to check out since last night I had paid for the night’s stay with the Visa gift card so everything was taken care of. We loaded up the car and then left the room key near the TV and went to get some continental breakfast. We each took two doughnuts for the road and Rich downed an orange juice while I was more civilized and took mine along.

Our attire for the day was shorts and T shirts. I had my new Dale Earnhardt, Jr. #88 shirt and ball cap on (I am not upset about the number change or team change). Rich was wearing a NASCAR shirt and a Kurt Busch ball cap. Rich is one of the ten fans Kurt Busch has. We were nice and comfortable all day long. The weather was really perfect all weekend.

We had to gas up and decided to try our luck at the cheaper Raceway for $2.80 and use the Visa card. But the outside pump didn’t take the card so we used our own debit card. While I was pumping, I thought that maybe if we used the card inside (the outside one said “over limit”) we could have Then we were on our way.

We made one rest stop just past Ocala and when we came out, I wanted to know where the marching band was. It was just past 10:00 so I was going to turn 46 very soon. Evidently, they were held up so we got in the car and continued on I heard there was going to be a salute to me with my life’s highlights and everything but they were a few minutes late so we couldn’t stay. Oh well – maybe next year.

This drive is so much better than the one we did yesterday. I still break it up into chunks but these chunks are much more interesting. Even the turnpike is better than those last two hours of last night. Root canal is better than the last two hours of last night. I was going to say my brain surgeries were less painful but I was out for those. I know – maybe at Macon, they can have something that would be safe for people to use and still be able to drive but not remember a thing until they are in Valdosta! That’s the only way to enliven those two mind numbing hours. I’m sure we both lost ten IQ points during those 156 miles.

The “new” way (called “new” because very few people seem to take this – I think the I4 folks have some sort of conspiracy that getting off the turnpike at Route 429 for Disney World is an evil thing) is so much better than Route 27 which is the way we used to go. We never made those I4 people happy and went all the way into Orlando so I don’t think a contract is out on my head for taking the “new” way.

Note – if you come from I75 to get to Disney World and want to incur the wrath of the I4 folks, your total tolls will be $3.50. $2.50 at one booth and $1 at the second (on the evil 429). It helps to have three one dollar bills and two quarters added to your list of things to remember.

We did our drive through of Disney property and then parked the car for the day. Our mission was Magic Kingdom so we waited for the bus. That really is the only way to get to Magic Kingdom. It doesn't make much sense to drive because of having to transfer to either a monorail or a ferry boat at the Ticket and Transportation Center.

While we were waiting for the bus, Rich took notice of something. And it was very odd. There was a crack in the sidewalk where the sealant had moved a bit. Hundreds, if not thousands, of little winged insects were coming out of the crack and flying away. They were not the love bugs everyone seems to hate (we, well, love them). These were about the same size but their wings were transparent. None of them went back into the crack in the sidewalk. They all flew away. Think of Charlotte's Web when the spider eggs opened and the young ones flew off (three stayed with Wilber). That's what this reminded me of. I don't know how long they were doing their flight before we got there but it was at least five minutes of flight after we first saw them. I took a few pictures to send to Rich's father for identification. We stood back a bit from the spectacle and made sure no one got close to the insects and their flight of fancy.

The bus came after a full twenty minutes and we were on with no problem although we had the last couple of seats. There were a lot of people offering up their seats to others. We were soon at the park without incident.

We went through security fairly quickly and then through the turnstiles with no wait at all. Um, - where are the crowds? We braced ourselves for hordes along Main Street and – what is that? Open space? Room to move? This definitely was not a crowded day at Magic Kingdom. We actually didn't really know what to do since we could walk without having people in the back pushing and people in the front stopping and looking at something. It could be a record but for our entire visit (which wasn't long), we had not one incident of stroller bashing. Not one. Nothing was even close.

I had thought about getting a birthday button since this was my actual birthday. But not if Town Hall was mobbed but since it was all clear at the bottom of the train station, I decided to go for it. I have never done a birthday button or any other kind of button as a matter of fact. I have never been at Disney World on the actual day. Call me a purist but I'll only do something like this on the actual day. Not the week before or the day before or even the day after. It has to be the exact day.

I was helped right away for the button and greeted by two smiling Cast Members who wanted to know whose birthday it was. When I said it was mine, they grinned a bit more and then asked for my name which they wrote down on what I thought was a piece of masking tape on the button. I thought that was cute but also thought the tape would get pulled off fairly quickly. When I got the button outside, I couldn't believe that my name was on the button in marker and not on a piece of tape! OK – I'm sure everyone on the planet except me knew that but I didn't. Made my day start out very special. To get to all the "how many times did you get wished a happy birthday" question; I'll say that not every Cast Member greeted me with a wish. But a lot of them did. What really surprised me (like I said, I've never done a button before so bear with this) is that it wasn't limited to the attraction Cast Members. The guy sweeping up trash wished me a happy birthday. The Cast Member who handed Rich a pretzel noticed me off to the side and gave me wishes. Actually, it was kind of weird because if I wore a button like this on the outside world, no one would pay any attention to it. Or, would notice it but would never say anything. I found myself stumbling to say thanks the first couple of times but the warmed up to it as the day went on. Cost of a birthday button, free. Feeling it gave me several times during the day – priceless. (Anyone else think that reference is getting a bit old?)

There were three attractions here that we have never done – Mickey's Philharmagic, Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor, and Stitch's Great Escape. Those were our goals.

Sidenote – if you've taken notice, I don't usually use initials as shortcuts when I write. That's my protest to the teenagers and young adults who constantly text and think "you are" is spelled UR or "because" is spelled "bc". I'm a throwback to those who didn't want Latin to die. However, for one of those three attractions, Rich and I referred to it by its initials. We are crude and insensitive people. If you don't know what I’m talking about, then move on. If you do, realize that we only said that to each other and not when little pitchers with big ears were around.

We always go to the left at Magic Kingdom and today was no exception. We were wandering aimlessly and if something appealed to us, we'd do it. Rich suggested Pirates of the Caribbean with a posted 20 minute wait. We had seen this since the Jack Sparrow additions but only once and had spent a lot of the time only looking for the new characters. We were held up in the line when the attraction went down for a short while. The extended family in front of us had no idea that the ride had stopped. We had to strain ourselves to hear the second announcement and then we only heard "difficulties". The families were talking over the rest of the message. When things finally got back online, one of the mothers started griping about how long they had to stand in one place without moving. Um – when an announcement comes on at Disney World – LISTEN!

This time on the ride I could relax and enjoy. And I did. I know some people think adding the characters from the movie reduced the value of this ride ("cheapened it"). I sat back and really saw the attraction. It's still a classic to me. And what is more impressive is that even with the sparse addition of the new characters (honestly, if the few times they appear really bother you, you are looking way too hard), this ride has been around since 1973. 35 years. My son wasn't even thought about then. I hadn't even met Rich yet. I was entering junior high school! I didn’t even have acne yet! And really, the storyline hasn't changed at all. Except Jack Sparrow gets the treasure at the end. Those prisoners are still locked up and that dog still has the key. Pirates of the Caribbean became a new (old) favorite once again.

I can't do the thrill rides anymore but I don't deny Rich his pleasure. Splash Mountain was closed for a refurb so I suggested Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for Rich. When we first walked up the entrance, the stand by time was 10 minutes. But then it changed to 30 minutes. Rich hesitated but we could both see the line moving very quickly. I talked him into going and took a spot near the entrance to Tom Sawyer's Island to wait. One complaint – where are the benches in this area!? I watched the rafts to the Island come and go for a while and there was a guitar and banjo player performing for a bit. But then I got bored and wanted a seat. The ground will do just fine. I'm not sure how germaphobes exist at Disney World. I prescribe to the five second (more like ten seconds) rule at cookouts and agree with Erma Bombeck that a fuzzy brownie never hurt anyone.

NOTE – I should have deposited myself in another location to wait for Rich. There's really nothing to see here except for the Splash Mountain logs coming down which wasn't happening today or the Tom Sawyer rafts being loaded. With just the two of us, we don't carry cell phones in the parks. We are on vacation, the only people who will need to reach us in an emergency know where we are so why even bother? I will deal with this matter in a much better way tomorrow.

Rich was back fairly quickly (I didn't time him) and said the line went really fast so it was basically a walk on. It has been a while for Rich to do this attraction so I'm glad he was able to enjoy it. After Rich's ride, we headed for something to eat. I had thought about getting an ice cream bar while Rich was on Big Thunder but waited because I didn't know what he wanted to do. On our way through Liberty Square, we grabbed a pretzel and sat along a planter and had our snack (said planter had bird waste on it but we didn't sit in it – I was following a thread on the boards about how birds are awful at a certain eating spot but – um – there are birds everywhere at Disney World). I know I was "saving" myself for Checkers later that night.

We did a quick check of the newly redone Haunted Mansion but decided to pass up the 30 minute wait. Fantasyland was typically mobbed but a 40 minute wait for Peter Pan was not that bad. The 70 minute wait for Winnie the Pooh was obscene. We made it to Mickey's Philharmagic and I swear we were going into it come hell or high water. That was Rich's choice. He's heard me say it was good based on the reviews I've read. We've been here before and I've balked at going. Because it's a show. I have this big aversion to shows I don't know. Rich said the wait (20 minutes) wasn't that bad. We joined the line and I didn't think we would get into the new show. But it was only twenty minutes so what the heck. Twenty minutes, smenty minutes. Once the line started moving, we were inside and waiting for the auditorium doors to open.

There was a normal group of us waiting inside. Rich and I had no idea of where to stand or when we would be let in for the show. We kind of just stood where we came to a halt. All of a sudden, the doors opened and we were nearly trampled by people rushing to get into the show. What did these people think they were going to accomplish by running (some were running, literally) into this thing? We were bumped and jostled but managed to stay within eyesight of each other. We regrouped inside the theatre and then picked our row. And that was really funny because we probably had the best seats in the house. The Cast Members did come around after the initial flurry and made people move to the end of the rows. .I don't understand why people make such a big deal out of things like this when they are supposed to be away from work, home and common every day happenings. It's not like once everyone was inside the theatre that Mickey and Donald and all the rest were going to go on strike and not do the show.

Side note: Since my medical problems, being in a mass frenzy of a crowd is not good for me. I don't think I'll ever get knocked down to the ground at Disney World but having the human cattle drive around me is not something I really want to do very often. It just ticks me off because there's no reason for it at Disney World.

Mickey's Philharmagic is a great show. Nicely done but I don't think the 3-D affects are the best. They are OK but there are better (although it could have something to do with me needing replacement contacts badly). The biggest "highlight" of this was from Rich. I won't give away any spoilers but there is a scene when Donald meets up with Peter Pan. And Peter has to give Donald a dose of pixie dust to get him to fly. Rich blurts out (not that loud but so I could hear) – "HE'S A DUCK!!" I just about busted a gut with that one. Why would Donald need pixie dust to fly in that scene and a magic carpet to fly in the scene with Aladdin and Jasmine? But then again, when have we ever seen Donald fly? Rich is such a practical person that his comment was so "him". But in the end, Mickey's Philharmagic got two thumbs up from us, flying Donald or not.

The only other two things we "had" to do were Monsters, Inc. (snicker) and Stitch's Great Escape so Tomorrowland here we come. I did have Rich check Space Mountain for either the stand by (which was decent for the day) or a FastPass for after the other two attractions. The FastPass was too far out and the standby was 60 minutes so he passed (and the queue for me isn't that great so I wouldn't have gone with him even that far). Even if I could ride this one, I would have probably passed on it with the wait. I don't like heights and I've seen this track with the lights on. I KNOW when we are up high so I tense up until I know we are in thuddable range. This is one attraction I don't miss.

Stitch was up first and I was prepared for this huge disappointment. Now, it's not Alien Encounter. It'll never be Alien Encounter. And I didn't really remember that Stitch was that evil. The storyline is lame and the "special effects" of the kids screaming sucks but this is not that bad. It's not great – maybe a C ride at the most. Skippy needs more to do. He just sits there and looks pitiful. He's not his own character. (Actually, that was added by my stuffed Skippy from the Alien Encounter days. He sits on top of my computer monitor and wants to know when he can go back to work). Would I bring Marlie? Yep. Would I bring Mitchell when he's old enough? Yep. Would I bring my in-laws? No, because they have no imagination at all. Did we like it? It was OK. It's good for every four or five years. But it was a total walk on.

Next was Monsters, Inc. (snicker). I had read things about this and the comparisons to Turtle Talk. I was prepared for a Turtle Talk Lite. First off – I am so glad they give the whole synopsis on what happen in the movie. We've only seen it once and we called Marlie "Boo" for a bit (before we met her – she certainly is nothing like Boo!). After that, I had no clue. So the introduction and the holding cell were welcome. We had an amusing incident. I guess a woman (in her late 50s and VERY vocal) did NOT like having to wait in the inside area and then having to wait in the holding cell while we got the low down on what Monsters, Inc was all about. This woman kept loudly telling her companions that she was leaving and she was leaving NOW. She saw the EXIT sign and that's where she was headed. Mike came on and said "in just five minutes" and the woman went off again. "Three minutes" – the woman wanted to know where her lord was to get her out of this. She wanted the people behind her to stop "pushing" (see above and my problems – I had none). I have no idea what happened to her when we finally went into the theatre but Rich and I both said we were going to sit AWAY from her.

I thought this was going to be a letdown like Stitch's Great Escape. I was pleasantly surprised. The constant things in the waiting area to text in your jokes were a pain (mainly because you could pay me a million dollars and I would never be able to send a text message from my phone. I have it but I've never used it). I like that the theatre is much larger than Turtle Talk. I like the cameras to get the guests on the screen. I like the whole interaction. They picked a bald guy to be Sully and that was funny because that guy would have rather been getting a bikini wax than in that attraction at that particular time (Sully is a furry bear – get it?). The jokes that were submitted were lame but we really liked one, mainly because of our appreciation of Off Kilter. "What is the difference between an onion and a bagpipe?" "No one cries when a bagpipe is cut open." We love bagpipes, Off Kilter or no Off Kilter, and it was a funny joke. This attraction will be on the "we can go back anytime" list.

After this, we were done with Magic Kingdom. I checked the watch and it still wasn't 3:00 (15 minutes before) so we couldn't even check into the hotel. I really wish that all the hotels across the country would employ Disney's policy of having people check in at whatever time and then having their room keys activated once the room is cleaned and ready. Offsite place will make you come back for your room keys, which means another trip to the front desk and potentially waiting in another line.

So we did what we usually do. We headed for Epcot. We took the bus back and then walked over.

But the story of the trip. The absolute story to end all stories of any time we've ever been to Disney World. We went out and within a few minutes, our bus arrived. We boarded and we sat across the aisle from the driver and in the front. The side seats but we took them. Others boarded us and a small person boarded that had to be carried in his mom's arms. Either the small person had, um, not been able to get his diaper changed or his diaper had been changed but for some reason, it wasn't thrown away or put into another bag. Let's say that the smell of baby wipes and a natural bodily function combined with being stuffed into a small space was quite nasty. Fortunately for us, the party moved to the back of the bus and our air supply (not the group from the 70s) was refreshed a bit. We had a driver change at that point and it lasted a LONG time. From when I started to time until it ended, fifteen minutes had passed. Meanwhile, we didn't even want to think about what kind of odors would be coming from the back of the bus. The driver had to wipe down the entire seating area (slowly) and then he had to do a complete inspection of the outside of the bus (slowly). During this time (the driver was outside), two teenage boys, about 14, boarded the bus and headed to the back. They lasted 30 seconds and came up front yelling "IT SMELLS LIKE *BUTT* BACK THERE!" Only what they said wasn't *butt* but (crack myself up) a three letter word that rhymes with crass. They got off the bus and kept saying how it smelled. They kept saying "It smells like *butt*!" They told the driver who came in and very calmly turned on the ventilation system to clear the air. He told the two kids it was fine but they refused to board the bus, opting to wait for the next one. We pulled out about five minutes later without them. As we drove away, all we could hear was "it smells like *butt* in there!" Kids, even teenagers, do say the darndest things. During the whole thing, the baby was quiet. Maybe the smell overpowered him?

The bus dropped us off and we did the walk to Epcot. We did our normal heading the left at the International Gateway and heard something. Could it be? Yes, Off Kilter was performing. It was only then that I seemed to remember that their schedule was different for this week. We headed towards Canada (the 3:30 show had already been in progress for 15 minutes) to catch their last fifteen minutes. Unfortunately, the bagpiper was not there for the day and was substituted for by the fiddler. The fiddler is good, don't get me wrong, but after seeing Off Kilter in their original five man group for over eight years, we have a disappointment when the "guys" aren't there. We listened to the rest of the set but then moved on to get some more food. A soft pretzel was not going to hold us over until 8:00 and Checkers.

Rich had grand plans for a Disney World hot dog. He loves the things. He wanted to check out the new stand at the entrance of World Showcase and off we went. The Canadian beer cart had a very long line so we passed. The hot dog/turkey leg/ beer place at the entrance of World Showcase had their taps covered. The cart at Norway was covered up! Aak! One more stop and then we were going to bag it and go back to the room where we had free beer. Fortunately, good old red, white, and blue came through. The Fife and Drum stand (exactly the same as the place at the entrance of World Showcase, just a different name) had the hot dog and beers. Yea! We "shared" the hot dog meaning I got like 1/4 of it. But that was OK. I was still waiting for Checkers. After we ate at a table at Liberty Inn, we walked around the rest of World Showcase and then headed out. We still hadn't checked into the hotel yet and I wanted to be mostly settled by 8:00. The Bud Shootout was awaitin'!

We walked back to the car and then went offsite. Here's a hint if you are staying or going offsite and want to avoid some of the Highway 192 traffic to the east of I4. Take the Osceola Parkway out of Disney World and then at the Gaylord Palms (you can't miss it), make a right on International Gateway South. This will take you past a Publix that we use for our grocery stops if we need them. International Drive will end at Highway 192. Take a left onto the Highway. This avoids the Highway 192 and I4 interchange and the area around the entrance to Celebration. If you are closer to Kissimmee than we are, there are other roads to take instead of International Drive. From experience, anytime you can stay off of Highway 192, it'll make your drive a bit better. There is a "shortcut" to the west of I4 if anyone wants to PM me about that one.

The Travelodge Orange is to the east of Old Town which was really getting busy for the Saturday night. There is a big car show there on Saturdays nights and Old Town itself is a haven for young people having a cheaper night out. When we were younger, we would join the fun but that was five whole years ago. We only had one grandchild at the time!

On the drive by Old Town, I did a look at Checkers. Mobbed. UGH! I was so disappointed because I really wanted that for dinner. We've never been to one but the whole day I had been tasting a good juicy burger. Damn. We'll have to change the plans. To quote Jason Alexander from Seinfeld "George is not happy." But it's my birthday and birthdays very seldom go exactly how you want them to. I'll adjust.

We pulled into our hotel and Rich glanced at the newspaper machines. We have stayed here three times now and there has never been an Orlando Sentinel in the machine. Not in the morning, not in the afternoon, not in the evening. Just take the machine out already! Stop tempting my husband (Rich has to have a newspaper every day or he withers up a bit).

The hotel was lot fuller than in the past, even during Thanksgiving weekend. I'd like to think the business is because of my trip reports so I'll be sure to look for my residual check in the mail. Check in was easy enough and then we drove our car back to our room. I had requested a room in the back but that was not to be. We were on the side. That was fine but the parking situation was not fine. I'm going on a rant now.

A U-Haul truck was parked right outside our room in a handicapped space. It was one of those "normal" trucks with the overhang over the cab. But it was bigger than a regular truck by far. All that's fine. BUT THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A HANDICAPPED LICENSE! Not on the license plate, not on the rear view mirror, not on the dashboard. No one could park across from it because you couldn't easily swing a car into the slot. One of the things I truly hate is when someone takes a handicapped space and they don't need it. To get ahead of myself with how ticked off I was with this damn truck, the truck sat parked in that same space all weekend long. It never moved. No one ever came out to it. If there truly was a handicapped person associated with this truck, why couldn't they have been dropped off at the room and then the truck been parked away from the day to day parking lot? There were plenty of parking spaces in the back of the hotel. Rant off.

We unloaded our car (with me wanting to key the U-Haul every time I walked by) and then decided what our backup plan was going to be for dinner. The last times we were here, we had about fifteen thousand pizza delivery notices slipped under our door. This time we had none. Pizza was actually going to be our last ditch choice. We do trivia twice a week and both places are at pizza joints. We get enough pizza and the other dishes. There is a McDonald's right across Highway 192 from Checkers so I said we could just do that. Still burgers and fries but not the nice juicy option I wanted. It would have to do.

We relaxed in the room for about an hour until 7:00 with the hope against hope that the Checkers would not be as busy. Sure – Saturday night at a popular gathering place for the younger crowd. Rich drove us up there and pulled in right before the place. As we drove by to attempt to find a parking space, much to our surprise there were only a handful of people waiting to order! Whoo hoo! But now to find a parking space. There is free parking at Old Town but it goes fast. We found a fifteen minute spot very close to Checkers in a hotel lot. It would not take us more than fifteen minutes to order our food so we parked and had a short walk to Checkers.

Since we were not familiar with the menu at all, we stood back and pondered things. I really didn't want a meal deal thing with the drink (I'm picky about my drinks – no caffeine and Sprite gets old after drinking it thirty days in a row) but I could substitute the onion rings for the fries (we weren't sure how the fries would taste). Rich settled on two bacon double cheeseburgers (just the sandwiches). Those were $4 for two. I got the Big Buford meal deal (can't remember the price) with onion rings and a Diet Coke (for Rich). Rich added onion rings to his order as well. Our total was somewhere around $12 and there was a handwritten sign asking for ones and fives. All Rich had was a twenty but I had some ones so we managed to give the cashier enough so she only had to give us a ten in change. With our bag in hand, we headed back to the hotel with one VERY happy birthday lady in the passenger seat.

We were back in the room by 7:30 and had plenty of time to enjoy our food before the race started. Maybe it was the day or whatever but I now rank Checkers (Rally's) as my favorite fast food place. The onion rings, to me, were awesome. Rich said they were "okay". And the Big Buford was great. I had to get that sandwich since our mailing address is really Buford, Georgia. I think I might like the sandwich better than I like the city.

By 8:00, we had full stomachs and a refrigerator full of beer so there was only one thing left to do to make my night perfect. Watch the Bud Shootout. Ah – NASCAR is back!!! I won't go into the specifics of the race but there was one driver who basically dominated. Now, scroll back to where I said who was on my fantasy NASCAR team and who my favorite driver is. Yes, Dale, Earnhardt, Jr. won the race. And looked very good doing it. I cannot describe just how perfect this day went. You always think your birthday will be wonderful and this one for me really was. It wasn't for everyone but it was for the one person that means the most today – me.

One of the last things I did before we went to bed was to check the internet. Specifically tvguide.com. The writers' strike was three months old and there were great signs that it would be settled this weekend. My birthday became even better. The agreement was reached and it was basically over!! I love movies, I love TV and we were getting very tired of the premieres of really stupid reality shows. The season is going to be semi-saved. That was the cherry on top of the icing for the day.

Day Three – Sunday, February 10, 2008 – Look Where You Are Going!

We didn't set an alarm this morning but I was awake by 8:00 and up shortly after that. I let Rich sleep since he gets up with an alarm seven days a week and doesn't get to sleep in without an alarm unless we are away from the house. I worked on the trip report as quietly as I could with just one small light. But by 9:30, I was feeling restless so I went to take my shower. Rich was up and watching ESPN when I came out. After drinking about a gallon of Diet Coke (Rich's breakfast), he got ready for the day as well.

I debated between jeans and shorts for the day and convinced myself that shorts would be OK as long as I took my zip up sweatshirt and another sweatshirt for later. Rich never hesitated and went with shorts and took his windbreaker with him. I ended up tying the zip up sweatshirt around my waist for most of the day. I did not wear the birthday button today. I am a purist and it wasn't my birthday. Rich agreed.

I had checked the internet to make sure Off Kilter would be playing today. They were and I saw that their schedule for the week was Sunday and then Wednesday through Saturday. So their off days were Monday and Tuesday. That was a big change from their normal Sunday-Thursday schedule. We later were told that this is a permanent change so Epcot would have entertainment on the weekends.

We were off to Epcot with one quick stop at Publix for a newspaper for Rich. I think he’ll survive now after the newspaperless day of yesterday. We parked and then started for what I thought was a walk around World Showcase. But Rich suggested checking out Future World and we had lots of time to kill before the 2:30 set of Off Kilter so I was game. Rich suggested Mission:Space Green side for us but I honestly did not feel like doing it. I don't know why as that's really the only thing in Future World that gives me a thrill and I can do. We checked out the wait board and Soarin' was out of the question. I think it was a 70 minute wait or something and the return time for FastPass wasn't that great. We still don't get the appeal of Soarin'. We like it but don’t love it. Ellen's Energy Adventure was a walk on but, again, I just didn't feel like doing it. Rich suggested Test Track which had a reasonable FastPass return. But – I cannot do Test Track anymore so Rich got a FastPass for about an hour and half away. Then we did our walk around World Showcase.

Our first stop was the Mexico pavilion and the Three Caballeros boat ride. The last time we were here, this new version had just opened up and the line was quite long. This time, it was a walk on. As with anytime Disney dares to update an attraction, people will complain. But we like this version a lot better than the old one. I'm glad that a lot of Disney World doesn’t get stuck in a time warp in the early 70s.

Both of us were hungry but not wanting anything huge. I had my appetite set for egg rolls in China and Rich said he would be happy with a pretzel. We are definitely not the type of people that need the Disney Dining Plan. I got my egg rolls in China and forgot to ask for them to go. I thought we both could eat together back in America where Rich's pretzel was waiting. I told Rich that was fine but he didn't realize I didn't want to eat there. He insisted that I enjoy my meal while it was hot. We got an outside table in the sun and boy, was it in the sun! The table and chairs were hot to the touch. This is when I took off my zip up sweatshirt. I never put it back on until that evening.

After my "lunch" was done, it was time for Rich's. He had his eye on the seasonal beer at the Fife and Drum snack stand in America. That's where we were headed. He thought he could get his pretzel from the carts they have (had?) set up at the American Gardens Theatre but much to his displeasure, those carts were gone, at least maybe for the day? Rich went for the beer and said he'd get his pretzel somewhere else. I was satisfied with my needs and I moved over to not be in the way of the line. While Rich was waiting, I took notice of the menu. Pretzels!!! Oh – that made Rich so happy. I know – it doesn't take much for either one of us to be happy. I guess that's why we have such a good marriage. Simple things.

I have to interject this here. Yesterday, Rich was behind a woman who was debating whether or not to get the seasonal beer. She asked the cashier what it tasted like. She was given a small sample to taste. She did and Rich asked her how it tasted. The woman said it was good and then held her cup up to Rich so he could taste it. Rich just smelled it but didn’t taste it. Now, I would have tasted it. OK – everyone can stop gagging right now. I honestly really don’t think twice about stuff like that.

Now that Rich had his pretzel and a beer, I suggested we take a seat at the outdoor area of the Liberty Inn. Before anyone complains that we didn't get our food, there, yada, yada, this area is never full. I checked my watch and saw that we would have enough time for a stroll back to Future World and then Rich could do his FastPass for Test Track. I had us stop in Canada so I could get a beer to keep me occupied while Rich was doing his ride.

On the walk, I thought about what I would do while I was waiting for Rich. I had several options. I didn't have a FastPass myself so I couldn't go through the queue with Rich (the queue is good but not something I would invest my time in since I've seen it before). I could go to the postshow where the cars are and spend some time there. But, as much as I love NASCAR, to me a car is something on four wheels that gets me from point A to point B. It takes gas to make it go. I don't even know which brands are GM cars. So that would keep me occupied for about two minutes. I had learned my lesson from yesterday when Rich was on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

I decided on taking a bench on the promenade between Future World and World Showcase but close to the fountain so I could see a show. I found one in the sun and shared with a mom who was feeding her three kids. Rich knew where to find me after his ride. And I watched two fountains shows in the time and had quite some "entertainment" from the mom.

The mom was feeding the three kids. The oldest, a girl about seven, was fine. The youngest in a stroller was fine. But the middle boy was the problem. He was about five. His mother brought out the applesauce and he just wailed that he hated applesauce. He thought it was the worst thing in the world. He would have rather eaten dog waste than applesauce. The mother (she was calm – I would have not been) explained that the boy had had applesauce a million times before and he liked it just fine then. He wailed he didn't care. The mom tried several times and the boy just did not want that applesauce. The mom said he could eat just half of it. No, that wasn't good enough. The mom tried for four "bites" (I don't how the kid was going to bite applesauce). Four *good* bites. Nope. The mom finally gave up and fed the applesauce to the child in the stroller with the mom saying "he eats like a horse and he'll eat anything". I’ll bet the next time the older boy is offered applesauce he eats it without any problems.

One other really funny thing that happened with the family was also with the little boy. He said he wanted to buy something. This was after the applesauce thing so I'll forgive his mother for her answer. She said "No, you can't buy that. It costs $8 and all you have is a $20 bill." Huh? When did Disney World stop giving change for a purchase? Of course, when I related this story to Rich, all he commented on was the fact that a little kid had $20 to spend at Disney World!

It took about a half hour for Rich to get done with Test Track and that included him looking at the moving things after the ride. What are they called? Oh yeah – cars. By the time he got back, we had to hustle a bit over to Canada to see the first set of Off Kilter. We held our breath when the guys came on the stage and much to our relief, all five original guys were there! Yeah! The substitutes are fine but you can't beat the original five.

Since we were late, we had to use the center open area for our viewing. Rich wanted to go across the walkway and lean on a railing over there but then we'd have the passerbyers constantly walking back and forth in front of us. We've done that before and I wasn't that thrilled. Rich cannot sit on the ground. It's almost a physical impossibility for him. He's in great shape but neither his mother nor he can sit on the floor or ground. It's a weird thing. So I was fine on the ground in the stage area. I suggested Rich go over to lean on the railing but he said he'd just stay and stand behind me. Now – here's the really odd part. I cannot stand in one place for very long. So Rich stands and he's fine, I sit and I'm fine.

The first set was good as usual and after that, the benches opened up so we got some seats for the second set which was now just a half hour away. Fortunately for us, the United Kingdom bathrooms are very convenient to the Off Kilter stage as well as the Moosehead beer cart. We make ample use of both. It was during this break that Rich found out the change in Off Kilter's schedule is permanent. Whether or not it's a good thing remains to be seen as this was only the third week of the new schedule. We like it because we can see them on weekends.

After the second set (should I bother to say it was good?), we had a longer break so we went for another walk around the Showcase. Rich had promised me that we would get back to America so I could go into "my" gift shop. I love the small shop here. In the past two trips, I had started to purchase the parchment reproductions of important American documents. The first one was a list of all the Presidents and their terms. The second was the Declaration of Independence. This time, I got The Pledge of Allegiance. The parchments are only $2 so they are a great cheap souvenir. I will have to get frames cut for them and I eventually will have them in a special place in the house. When I bleed, it's not only red, it's also white and blue.

We left the shop and we heading around towards Canada when we heard this loud BANG! It sounded like a trash can was knocked over. That was close. A dad with a Disney double stroller with kids in it wasn't paying attention to where he was going. He rammed that stroller full head on into the side of a trash can! Everyone in the area started laughing. It was hard not to. The dad was very sheepish and said "I guess I should start looking at where I am going". I can just imagine the kids in that stroller. "Um, Dad, Dad that trash can is getting really close. Dad, Dad! DAD!" Crash. The kids went all the way to Disney World and it could have left a great impression on them. The impression of the side of a Disney trash can.

When ended up back in Canada for the third and fourth sets of Off Kilter and the sun was starting to give way to the evening. And that meant a temperature drop. Rich was fine with his shorts and windbreaker but I wasn't fine with my shorts and two sweatshirts. The top half of me was OK. But my legs were getting a bit chilled. And once I get cold, there is no way to warm me up. That's another way Rich and I are different. He's hot blooded and I'm cold blooded. When it comes to body temperatures, that is. If I had had jeans on, we would have stayed for the last Off Kilter set. But it was also getting towards dinner time and we didn't exactly have a ton to eat during the day. We said goodbye to Disney World for this trip.

One more mention about the Off Kilter sets. No matter when we come here, we are always entertained by the kids. A couple stood out for us. One was a small boy about six or so. I think he was a bit mentally challenged. He had a bag of McDonald's fries with him and marched right up to right in front of the stage, sat down with the bag of fries in between his legs and proceeded to eat them one at a time. He clearly was enjoying the show while eating. Rich and I watched him for a while and he turned and saw us. He offered Rich a fry! And once during the whistle part of a song, he played a fry like a flute.

The other boy was Chip. He was fourteen months old so just toddling around. Just a few months younger than our grandson, Mitchell. Chip wanted to go up the side stairs at the Off Kilter stage but his big sister (probably about ten – close to our granddaughter's age) came over and picked him up and carried him back to the other side of the benches. Chip walked back over to the stairs. Sister picked him up and moved him. They did this about five times and then Chip became a little devil. He would walk towards the stairs and look over his shoulder to make sure his sister would be coming to get him! I asked the sister the boy's name (which is how I knew it was Chip). So the next time he came in front of us, I said "Hi Chip! Where are you going?" That got him a bit confused but once he determined I wasn't a "threat" he continued on his way over to the steps. It was really cute to see the interaction between the brother and the sister. They were both the same ages as our grandkids and their actions were very similar. I miss Marlie and Mitchell so much. If I could teleport on a daily basis, I'd wear a cyber rug from Georgia to Ohio.

We made a pin purchase o the way out. Rich's co-worker had gotten my computer back after a major crash about four months ago. He used his own time and didn't charge us anything. He even got another friend of his to strip off all my files that could have been lost (we were charged for that but at a very affordable rate). Rich wanted to repay his friend with a Star Wars pin. We had been looking all weekend and he settled on one he thought his friend would like. So we made the pin cart our last stop.

After we were back in the car (and I was starting to warm up), we headed back to Highway 192 and the predictable discussion. What to do for dinner. I was fast fooded to death by now and I did want to get back to the room and get on some jeans. So we had the discussion there. I actually was hungry for seafood but the only place nearby was Red Lobster. Which is fine but Rich has it in his head that Red Lobster is the most expensive place on the face of the earth. So I kept quiet until Rich voiced his opinion. Which was for someplace close by so we could walk. That was Pizzeria Uno (I am NOT doing pizza!) or Longhorn (which is a steakhouse). Then he said he was leaning towards Longhorn. Well, toss that seafood out the window although Rich did say we could go but he was only saying that to make me happy. Longhorn it is.

The place wasn't very full at all but not deserted. We were led to a table right away and I tried to figure out what I wanted. I eat meat but when I eat it seven days a week for a month, I want something else. Longhorn does have twin lobster tails on the menu but the last time we were here and I ordered that, the waiter said I was a "big spender". That wouldn't be a good thing with Rich "Mr. Tightwad" sitting on the other side of the table. I decided on the prime rib – steak but not really steak. Soft steak I call it. Rich had a chopped steak so he could claim ketchup as his vegetable for the day. He's the kind of person that you ask "would you like some steak to go with that ketchup?"

I thought I'd be fine with the dinner until the server came back and announced that they were out of prime rib. Ack! Why couldn't they have put up a sign in the lobby that said that? The server gave me back a menu so I could pick an alternative. Hard steaks. Sigh. But then I saw that you could add a lobster tail to your meal for $4. And there was a skewer of shrimp listed as an appetizer. So when the server came back, I asked if I could add the lobster. She said Rich could. You better believe he said he would. And since I wasn't told of the absence of prime rib right away, I also got the salad that was included in that meal. My meal ended up costing about $10! The server got a nice tip because she was able to suggest things and make my meal acceptable. Actually, it was better than what I originally ordered!

HINT – If you have people with lighter appetites and the restaurant offers add-ons to your meal, have one person get the add-on and ask for an extra plate. I actually asked for the extra plate for the lobster tail but it had its own. Disney World is great with sharing meals and asking for special things but we've found that about 99% of the "normal" restaurants also do the best they can to accommodate their customers.

After dinner, we went back to the room and watched some TV, read the Sunday newspaper, Rich went online for a while and I got further into Stephen King's new book, Duma Key. Pretty boring stuff (not Stephen King's book – that guy really could publish his laundry list and I'd read it). Oh, I did work on this fabulous trip report too.

Day Four – Monday, February 11, 2008 – Gas is How Much!?

We had the alarm set for 9:00 but Rich predicted we'd be up before then and we were. At 8:00. We got ready for the day and packed the few things that we had to. Loaded up the car and headed home. A quick check of the breakfast options (near the end of the hours) saw nothing that we really wanted. Chocolate chip muffins are not my idea of breakfast food. We were going to a new trivia place tonight and wanted to be home to see the cats before we went. There's not much to tell about the drive home except that Rich drove it all (he hasn't really let me drive since my surgeries even though I am 100% recovered) and we needed to beat the Monday rush "hour" traffic in Atlanta. Which we did by about an hour. We weren't home until 5:00 but we started to enter Atlanta at 4:00 so we were just ahead of everything. Yes, it takes an hour to get through all of the Atlanta metro area.

But the one thing I did want to tell all the people who drive to Disney World and use I75 is about gas. The stuff you put into cars, not the other kind. Georgia does have cheaper prices than Florida. Right now, it's about ten cents less per gallon. That's pretty much a given. But, watch yourself once you do get into Florida. The area just south of the border and until Ocala has REALLY high prices. We knew the Gainesville area was higher so Rich wanted to get past that until we had to stop for fuel. Once we saw the prices didn't go down, we limped over the border into Georgia and to Exit 5 (this is becoming a favorite exit I guess) for the fuel. So my advice is to fill up in Valdosta so you can make it to Disney World on one tank. Or pay some really high prices.

The Final Summary

I've already mentioned anything "bad" that happened during the trip. I'm going with Rafiki when he says the past cannot hurt you. It's done, it's gone and I'm not going to dwell on it (or, as Stephen King himself writes – done bun, can't be undone). It obviously didn't wreck my vacation so much that I feel the need to write a letter so what the heck. To paraphrase Forrest Gump (and to keep this family friendly)– Stuff Happens.

The highlights were many –

Getting the email from my mother-in-law saying that our annual passes for the next year were all taken care of. Rich's parents are so generous and they give from the heart. They know what is important to us and understand that a simple piece of paper gives us a lot more than just entrance into a theme park. They just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and their marriage and their lives are truly an example for everyone to follow.

Doing the final three things we needed to do at Magic Kingdom and not spending a ton of time to do them. It was a very uncrowded day for a Saturday. There was a Princess and Pirate Party that night so maybe people were staying away until then. I don't know and I don't care. We enjoyed the relative peacefulness.

Seeing Off Kilter and the original five guys on Sunday. They really are a great bunch of guys and appeal to a lot of different age group. We saw everyone from senior citizens to little fourteen month old Chip all having a great time.

And of course, my absolutely perfect birthday. It was what I wanted to do and where I wanted to do it. Sometimes I think when you plan a simple thing and it goes off without a hitch, it's so much better than a huge affair where anything could go wrong. And mine almost did when Checkers was so crowded our first time by it. Some people will always remember their 30th or 40th birthdays. I'll remember my 46th for a long, long time.

Finally, I didn't really know why I felt so good after this trip. Sure, I had a great time and will always remember the birthday but it was something more. And then I realized it on Tuesday after we got home. This was the first trip in almost two years where I felt great physically. My medical problems started with an auto accident in May of 2006. I've been to Disney World many times since then but have always had some problems on the trip. I got tired, I was in a neck brace, whatever. This was the first time since then that I felt normal again. I didn’t even have to think about doing anything different except not doing some of the thrill rides. My limitations at Disney World are few now. Very few. A few thrill rides. Big deal. I now pronounce myself healed.

The next trip will be Memorial Day Weekend with our renewed annual passes, thanks to my wonderful in-laws. Feel free to ask questions or PM me with anything.

Sheri Niklewski

Sheri,

Another great trip report! Glad to hear that you've been able to put your health problems behind you. Life is so much better when you don't have those to worry about. In this report, I especially enjoyed your humorous "other guest" encounters. Have fun during your Memorial Day weekend trip. Oh yeah, and belated Happy Birthday!!!

Arnold

So glad to read that you are finally feeling better and able to enjoy some rides again. Always enjoy reading your adventures. Happy belated birthday, having spent my last two birthdays in WDW I can relate how special it is to spend it there. I'm not usually one to call attraction to myself but I love putting that birthday pin on and getting all the birthday greetings. Thanks again for sharing your story. Go Jeff (yeah I know 2 DNF's) things can only get better for him. :)

So glad to read that you are finally feeling better and able to enjoy some rides again. Always enjoy reading your adventures. Happy belated birthday, having spent my last two birthdays in WDW I can relate how special it is to spend it there. I'm not usually one to call attraction to myself but I love putting that birthday pin on and getting all the birthday greetings. Thanks again for sharing your story. Go Jeff (yeah I know 2 DNF's) things can only get better for him. :)

I saw your screen name and thought this Earnhardt fan was going to be in trouble! Actually, I do like Jeff too - I'm one of the few with 8 (now 88) and 24 on my car window.

Woohoo!!! Another great trip report!!

Thanks,
Ellen

Happy belated birthday, Sheri!

I'm so happy to hear your health problems are behind you; you can't ask for a better birthday present than that. (Well, that and a trip to the World. ;)

How About That !! Great Report Sheri. Happy!!!!birthday
I Know You Like The Grass Roots I Will See Them In Mid April @ Flower & Garden Show Also Gary Pucket & The Union Gap & The Cowsills In May Same Time As You .:D

How About That !! Great Report Sheri. Happy!!!!birthday
I Know You Like The Grass Roots I Will See Them In Mid April @ Flower & Garden Show Also Gary Pucket & The Union Gap & The Cowsills In May Same Time As You .:D

Actually, I will get to see The Grass Roots too! Rich just found out he's going on a business trip in April to Tampa and Daytona Beach. His boss, knowing how much we love Disney World, suggested he take me with him and stay at Disney World and drive to the other two cities! So we will see The Grass Roots on the last day they are there - April 12th.

I have been reading your reports forever (even when you thought Nascar was just a group of cars driving in circles). We are Dale Senior fans forever and of course little e fans. I am so happy that you are feeling better. Your kind, hopeful and good view of life is a beautiful. Happy Birthday. Many, many more....

Another great report! Glad you're feeling better. :)

I have been reading your reports forever (even when you thought Nascar was just a group of cars driving in circles). We are Dale Senior fans forever and of course little e fans. I am so happy that you are feeling better. Your kind, hopeful and good view of life is a beautiful. Happy Birthday. Many, many more....

See what getting a daughter-in-law does for you? She's the reason all of us are into NASCAR now. And now *I* find myself defending the sport when people say it's just a bunch of cars making left turns!

Loved the trip report. I know what you mean by Nascar filling the void on Sunday afternoons... I personally would be lost without NCAA football, NFL, and Nascar. I'm personally an Elliot Sadler fan... please don't say who is that? lol. Again, great job on the trip report. Loved every word!

Loved the trip report. I know what you mean by Nascar filling the void on Sunday afternoons... I personally would be lost without NCAA football, NFL, and Nascar. I'm personally an Elliot Sadler fan... please don't say who is that? lol. Again, great job on the trip report. Loved every word!

An ESad fan! Of course I know who he is. He does get picked in our fantasy NASCAR league but not on the permanent roster - as a provisional driver. When I first started following NASCAR, ESad was in the M&Ms 38 car. Now M&Ms is with that driver that I don't think has any fans at all.

I believe Elliot's brother Hermie is now on the Speed Channel as a commentator. Love him too.

loved your report. Thanks for taking the time to share it. Hope you are well with the bad weather in Atlanta?

loved your report. Thanks for taking the time to share it. Hope you are well with the bad weather in Atlanta?

Thanks for the thoughts. Yes, we are fine. Although we had a couple of scary hours there. We lived in Nebraska for 12 years so we don't take those tornadoes lightly. We're actually 35 miles north and east of downtown Atlanta so we didn't even know anything about that until the next day.

Thanks for the thoughts. Yes, we are fine. Although we had a couple of scary hours there. We lived in Nebraska for 12 years so we don't take those tornadoes lightly. We're actually 35 miles north and east of downtown Atlanta so we didn't even know anything about that until the next day.

Glad to hear you are all fine.

Sheri,
As always, it was good to see your post with the trip report. There are a few people that I always read and you are one.

I will get a chance to read it at lunch which will make the 4 hour wait tough, but the one hour lunch very good.

How are you feeling?

I wrote you a couple times after reading of the accident but they must have gotten lost in the electronic flow.

We just booked for December 31 to January 10 so, after an over 3 year absence, we can't wait to get back.

I just wanted to say hello and hope that you are Rich are well.
Best/Jim

Hi Jim!

Thanks for writing. Sorry not to get your emails after the accident but I wasn't on the PC that much then. Thanks for your concern. The accident was two years ago and quite honestly, it's been a relatively easy two years. I figured there wasn't much I could do about it but get up the next day and continue on. And keep going to Disney World, of course! I was back at the World three weeks after the accident and did as much as I could. Everything got much easier after that. When I was in the hospital, I didn't focus on the things I couldn't do, I thought about the things I could do. Much better way to think about things.

So expect more trip reports. We're going next month and Memorial Day and Labor Day and Thanksgiving for this year. Next year, we'll add the Fourth of July weekend to the mix.

Good to hear from you again Jim!

Sheri,
I wanted to wait until I read the latest trip report before I wrote back.

As always, I enjoyed it immensely. I especially liked the reference to you not being able to stand for long and Rich not being able to sit for long. I am a sit on the ground person myself.

I sure wish you were going to be down there at New Year's so that we could finally meet.

You will have to educate me sometime on the appeal of NASCAR. For some reason the thought of sitting on TV watching cars take laps has never been one that did anything for me. But then again, I am a die hard baseball fan and I am sure that some people compare that with watching paint dry.

I am glad your health is better. I had a scare last January and, while that was happening, I lost my Dad so 2007 (at least at the beginning) was not one of my faves. It did end a lot better than it started.

Take care of yourself and write soon!
Best/Jim

Jim - I never understood the appeal of NASCAR either. Until my son started watching it with his now wife. They would disappear from online for Sunday afternoons. So I decided to start watching it as well. I guess the thing is that it's not just about the drivers and the cars. It's more about what happens off the track and the decision that are made. To compare it to baseball, a pit stop in NASCAR is like a manager trying to decide his late inning changes. Should he pitch hit? Pitch run? Bring in a reliever? What changes should he make to the lineup that will work for the rest of the game? That is what happens during a NASCAR pit stop. If the car isn't running correctly, they make changes to it. Not just tires and fuel but track bar changes. Also, to further compare to baseball, a NASCAR team has to decide how much fuel they need for a race and when to get more. Like a baseball manager needs to monitor his pitcher and how many pitches he can get out of him and when to take him out.

So while people think baseball is boring to watch, there is a lot of strategy that is going on that you don't see. Same thing happens in NASCAR. There's a lot more like working with your teammates and the different tracks too. NASCAR, like baseball, is a science.

Glad you liked the report!

Sheri,
Spoken like your name should also be sportsnut8!

My brother in law is a huge NASCAR fan and he is going to miss Mark's graduation in June because he forgot and got tickets for a race in New Hampshire on June 28th. That sound familiar to you?

Mark starts his final varsity baseball season today. Where does it go?

39 Weeks to go (273 days) (6552 hours) (393,120 minutes)). No, I am not too anxious.

Best/Jim

Sheri,
Spoken like your name should also be sportsnut8!

My brother in law is a huge NASCAR fan and he is going to miss Mark's graduation in June because he forgot and got tickets for a race in New Hampshire on June 28th. That sound familiar to you?

Mark starts his final varsity baseball season today. Where does it go?

39 Weeks to go (273 days) (6552 hours) (393,120 minutes)). No, I am not too anxious.

Best/Jim

Yeah, like I said, we are a sports dominated family. Looks like both of our hockey teams, the Flyers and the Capitals, will be in the playoffs so it'll get interesting about here.

Tell your brother-in-law that Bruton Smith just bought the New Hampshire race track. He should check what he can bring into the track because if Bruton has made any changes, it will be to expand that. His tracks have the most liberal policy in NASCAR. Basically, anything goes.

Atlanta might have a race switched to Labor Day weekend which is traditionally a Disney trip. Tough choice there.

Hey Sheri! Haven't talked to you in quite awhile. I got a new job!!!
Glad to read your latest trip report. Sounds like you had a good time.

As always another great trip report Sheri! I've been reading your TR's since about 2002 and you've never failed to entertain!:) So glad to read that you're feeling so well. Glad that you got to celebrate your 46th birthday in your "happy place". Looking forward to your Memorial Day weekend trip report.;)

Sherri, Happy belated Birthday! In reading you report it sounded like the day couldn't have been any better, but it did with the report of good health. So happy for you to spend your birhtday doing your favorite things in your favorite place and receiving a great gift of pass renewals. After the last 2 years that you've had, no one deserves it more! So, you were there again this past weekend for an unexpected visit, awesome. Means we are anxiously waiting to hear about it.