I am NOT doing a TR... TR Updated 6/25 About This Page:

[DrDolphin]

As I've been reading all of the Decade of Dreams TRs... and loving reliving all of the wonderful memories - I've kept saying "I am not doing a TR, I don't have time". I mean - I leave for 2 weeks of travel on Saturday (Sacramento, CA and Moline, IL here I come); I have a wedding to plan AND we leave on the cruise in 60 days and I was PLANNING on a PTR for that.... so - here I sit on Memorial Day - with Chris at work until 530pm (he worked a 10 hour day today), bored out of my skull and delaying doing things like vacuuming the stairs, dealing with Gigi's scratch box and filing 4 months of bills that have piled high in my in box in the office.

Instead, I've cleaned out drawers of old clothes, pulled out the suitcase so I can start packing for CA and IL and been on and off the boards all day. And the more I think about it - the more I want to do a TR....

SO - it may be abbreviated - but I will try to tell you about our "Decade of Dreams/Chris' 42nd Birthday and overwhelming my fiance with all my Passporter Friends" Trip.

Who:
Me - DrDolphin 38 yrs old; been to WDW 41 times prior to this trip


And DH2B (that's Fiance in PP Board speak) - Chris. Turning 42 on this trip. Three previous trips to WDW - two with me.


Resort - Contemporary Resort - Tower Room - MK View (a first for both of us).

Original Plans -
Saturday 2 May - Tuesday 5 May

A few birthday specials for Chris; as well as some needed Passporter Time for me.

[bsblady01]

more please

[Cam22]

Great start, Terri! I'm glad you caved in, too.

[DrDolphin]

I was in Philadelphia, PA for work. I was scheduled to fly out around 6pm and be home around 830. Well - as you can see by the original dates of the trip - we were supposed to leave on Tuesday. That's because I had a conference to go to in Ft. Worth, Texas starting at 1pm on Tuesday. We were planning on waking up way too early and heading to the airport, where Chris would leave me at the curb and then drive my car back to JAX and I would get on an American Airlines flight to Ft. Worth.

Well Friday afternoon, an email went out to all the conference attendees that due to concerns about Ft. Worth and the H1N1 virus - the conference would be delayed (they just rescheduled it - and we will be on our cruise - so I won't be attending . Ok - so I hop on the cell phone with Chris and tell him we now have all day Tuesday to play and that we can just drive home Tuesday night since we both have to work on Wednesday. That's when he tells me "I don't have to work till 230pm on Wednesday" and my little brain went into overdrive. I emailed my boss and our timekeeper and changed my timesheet to reflect VACATION!! I called DVC member services and asked if they had a studio available for Tuesday night anywhere on property... she gave me the choice of SSR (my home resort) and AKL-Jambo House. Since Chris had not stayed there before - we opted for AKL Jambo House I called Chris back and told him we were a go for Tuesday night at ALK! I my DVC membership.

After class was all done - Jodie and I grabbed a cab to the PHL airport and went in - only to find our flights were significantly delayed due to weather up and down the eastern seaboard. Mine by at least two hours. I called Chris to tell him, and he offered to start packing my suitcase for WDW since it did not look like I would be home before 1045pm and would still have to unpack my bags from the previous two weeks of travel, plus pack my WDW bag. I so this guy!!

I heard a flight next to mine be called to board to Orlando (little did I know Scott, Tanya and Vanessa were sitting over there waiting for it!) and I thought.... in my best Annie voice "Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love you tomorrow...."

Finally boarded the flight at about 800pm and landed in JAX at 1030pm. My bags were off the plane right at the beginning, my shuttle to the valet parking place I use was waiting at the curb and I was in my car, headed home at 1050pm. NOT BAD! I walked in the house at about 1115 and in 20 minutes had emptied two suitcases and finished packing a third.

We headed off to bed with alarms set for 630am so that we could be on the road by 800am (yeah right). I should add here that originally I was supposed to be teaching the following morning, but the class did not have enough students and did not make, which is bad for my pocketbook, but good for my sanity and WDW travel time... so 800am it was (as compared to 2pm orginally scheduled).

[Cam22]

Sometimes I don't know how you manage your schedule so wonderfully! I think I would be dizzy trying to keep up with all the travel and teaching and stuff. Glad the plans are all working out in your favor!

[DrDolphin]

** I am trying to put my DOD photos in the PP Photobucket acct and link from there - we will see if this works**

Day 1 - Saturday May 2

Well the best laid plans would have had us out the door by 800am... Instead it was 900am. I was in a hurry too - so I think I was a little crabby with Chris about "getting on the road!!". Bad Terri. I drove down and we arrived at WDW right about 1115am. That is probably one of the fastest drives I've made between JAX and WDW. Of course, I stayed on I-4 the whole way instead of my usual downtown avoidance plan of 417.

One of the best sights in the world.

We drove over to the Comptemporary, parked in the self park area, grabbed all the bags and headed into check in. We go checked in, but the room was not ready. After 3pm. So I was given a card, we gathered cameras and park stuff and headed to MK all before noon! I love it.

After entering MK - I called lesley (WDWfan) to see where she was and what she was up to - they were coming off Big Thunder and were preparing to wait for Splash Mountain fast passes to ripen. We didn't have FPs - but I wanted to go and Say Hi any way.

We caught up with Lesley, Bob and Larry - and Chris finally got to meet Lesley after many months of phone calls, emails and facebook.


uncle Bob also took a photo with his new Iphone!!


We chatted for ahile, waiting for the gang that was watching the Move it Shake It Celebrate it parade to make their way back. Lesley also thought that Chris and I might be able to join the crew for lunch at Crystal Palace (I'd made no ADR for lunch since we didn't think we would be on the road till 2 or 3pm today). After waiting awhile, Larry and Bob offered Chris and I their fastpasses, since they had an ADR for lunch at the Plaza. We graciously accepted (thanks again!) and not long after - a gaggle of Passporters arrived to ride SM.

We ended up in two boats - about 4 logs apart - and Chris and I in the front... we offered our seats with the best view to everyone else in the boat - but there were no takers. Needless to say - we got SOAKED!

Ghetto Ride photo!!

Next up - Meeting TONS of Passporters and a Lunch with Character!

[skateycat]

love the tr and the pic, terri! glad you found the time....can't wait till the next meet!

[KandJluvdisney]

great start terri
glad you decided to write a report
hurry back with more please

[DopeyGirl]

Originally Posted by DrDolphin

Ghetto Ride photo!!

Isn't that the only way to do it?! Much cheaper than $14 a piece!

Great start!

[disneydani]

Great start, Terri! Your whirlwind lifestyle is truly amazing...I don't know how you mange to do it all and do it so well, too!

danielle

[Grammy Grumpy]

Awesome, another perspective on DoD! Wish Moline was closer to Champaign-Urbana Terri, I'd try for a mini-meet. If you EVER get to come to my part of the globe please let me know!!!

Waiting for more.

[Colexis Mom]

Great updates Terri!

[Cam22]

I hate riding Splash Mountain in the front. Can't wait for your take on the CP lunch because it really sounds like it was so much fun.

[DrDolphin]

After we went on Splash Mountain, we decided to head over to Crystal Palace for the passporter meet. We saw SO many people - even I was overwhelmed and don't think I know everyone that was there.

A few folks took pictures of us - and I am shamelessly stealing them!


Chris and I were added to Tanya and Sharon's table for lunch - joining Tanya, her DH Scott; her beautiful little girl Vanessa, Lesley and Sharon. We were seated on the other side of CP from the other PP tables, but we had a good time, once we were seated.

Eeyore says Hi to Vanessa

Sharon and Eeyore

Saying HI to Tigger!

Lesley, Piglet and Scott


I just love Vanessa's expression here....

We had such fun playing with Vanessa - she was a little tired, and was overwhelmed by the characters. Lesley had pictures on her cell phone of her friend's daughters - so she would open the phone and say "see the Babies"... and Vanessa would burst into laughter.

After a wonderful lunch - we headed over to Aloha Aisle to check into the Decade of Dreams official activities. It was So wonderful to see all these great people again, and meet lots of new Passporters. After we checked in - all of us headed for the Hubb en masse - where Sheri had arranged to have a photopass photographer there to take a group photo!! What a GREAT idea! Thanks Sheri!



Chris and I had a couple of pictures taken as well


After we took photos - the group headed out with Dave and Jennifer on the Passporter Trivia challenges. Chris and I had great fun playing with other Passporters in looking for the answers to the questions on the challenges!

We rode a few rids - like Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise -- where we had a GREAT time with all of the Passporters on one boat!!

Sheri and Cindy in line for JC

Sheri showed me how to make sure we got all the Passporters on one boat - by using my womanly wiles!! I think Ann's expression is HILARIOUS!!

After Jungle Cruise - it turns out that our room was FINALLY ready (it took 2 extra hours since the guests in it before we were stayed longer than expected). I was tired and cranky and needed a bit of a break - it had been hot in MK. Chris and I got ice cream for dinner (since our lunch had been so late in the day) and opted to skip the ADR we had made for 5:55 at the Plaza.

We arrived at our room on the 8th floor - right down the hallway from Sharon, Lesley, Cheryl, Wendy, Larry and Bob -



I stepped out onto the balconey to see our view -

View of MK from our room

We called Bell Services and our bags were delivered in about 10 minutes. I logged onto the internet and checked the status of my students that were completing their final exams, I also gave Chris his birthday presents (a new camera bag, and a telephoto lense adapter for his camera) and then we headed out MK for the Parade meet.

Next - Spectromagic and Wishes!

[dsteiny23]

I'm so glad you decided to do a TR. I am enjoying so much already. What a view from your room!!! Something to aspire to in the future.