A Year of Planning and Only 4 hours in Magic Kingdom! About This Page:

[ngaill]

When: Dec. 4th-7th, 2009
Where: Pop Century
Who: Me(38)That's me in the pic below DSis(33)
For a Wedding in Downtown Orlando

This will be a short TR b/c it was a short trip.



The title makes me so sad to type it! A year ago my Little Sis told me her good friend from college who lives in Orlando was getting married the first week in December. You did not have to twist my are to go as her date. I said lets stay on property and it would be cheaper. She was game and let me do all the planning. She knows her big sis is good at that. So I checked flights and hotels for 3 months and everytime I did that I would check Southwest Vacations. I was so surprised at the price for hotel and flight were great!! So I decided to book it for $283 per person for flight and 3 nights at Pop. We never bought tickets to the park before b/c we were not sure what day we would go. I all along wanted to hit the park when we landed at 10:30am and also go to the park Sunday but little sis was crying broke and did not want to commit to any park tickets(red flag # 1).
So once we booked I started buying new shoes and park bags. I could not believe I was going to Disney at Christmas time a 1st for me-my Dream and something to check off of my bucket list I have in my head. Travel Day to follow in next post.

[ngaill]

Thursday Travel Day:

I had a free night at a Hilton property and decided since our flight leaves at 7am it would be a good ideal to book a hotel near the airport and since the airport is a hour and half away. And knowing my sister is not a morning person-I wanted her in a good mood. So I leave work at 4pm go home get suitcase hug Mom and Dad goodbye-rush to Dsis 's house and wait for her to get off at 5:30pm-I took a power nap. She gets home not in a good mood(red flag #2) I soon find out she is not a good travler and decide to go with the flow-I am going to my happy place right-nothing is going to rain on my parade. We get half way to hotel and she goes you have to pull over-I have to go to the bathroom no problem did that. Then we decide to stop at MickeyD for dinner. We finally make it to the hotel around 8pm. Check in no problems and ask for a wake up call for 4am(ouch!).
We both unpack what we need and take turns taking showers and get in the bed.

Friday Day 1:
I slept on and off that night and my cell went off and next went the wake up call. I was not sure how much time it would take to park and ride the shuttle to the airport so we left the hotel at 4:30am and had plenty of time. We had to wait for the TSA to open at 5:15am(random time). We went and got water and magazines and people watched until 6:45am for us to board. DSis has never flown SW so I had to talk her through what ever seat you see open with a window(for me) and aisle seat (for her long legs).
I was on the plane still could not believe it!!! So we landed a hour and half later. Got lost looking for Disney Shuttle-but no lines and everyone was so nice. Me and DSis and one other family were the only ones on the bus!!!! I was grinning from ear to ear. Now it was rainy and cold and the whole time I was like it will stop and I have my poncho-it will stop- it will stop. So we get to Pop in no time-I have to say I love the Pop. I travel for work and have stayed in many hotels and this was nice. Love the lobby. I was saying little prayers that we would get a good location and we did in the 50's building by Tramp and second floor. The room was ready at 11am, too. Things were coming up roses!!! So we run to our room and threw our bags in the room got poncho and hat and head to Magic Kingsom. I'm still praying the rain will stop we are in sunny Fla it only rains alittle and stops. When we get off the bus from Pop we are soaked and the rain is coming harder and colder. We get to the gates and DSis goes we will not enjoy it this way and we are cold and wet let's go Sunday when it is sunny and we have the whole day. I had 3 more days to spend with her and did not want to start out fighting(red flag #3). I should have said you go back to the hotel but I was playing nice and said ok. We can go back and take a nap since we had been up since 4am. MK was closing that day at 7pm.
So we stopped at the food court at Pop and grabbed lunch. I had Chicken parm and salad and bought refillable mug. I cannot say enough good things about the Pop's food court-so good and so many options. We loved it as you will see in the TR. We ate then took a nap and then got up and went to the food court for dinner and looked around the shop. Went back to the room and channel surfed. When to bed around 11pm. Day 2 coming up.

[ngaill]

I hopefully will have some pic up soon-only took a few but will share once I download them.


Saturday Day 2

So I wakeup around 5:30am could not sleep and tossed and turned until 9am and turn on tv to wake DSis up. We eat Goldfish and energy bar for breakfast decide to get dress and head out to DTD and GF. It is still damp but not as cold. We take the bus to DTD and it starts to rain-poncho on and we are off to the stores. They were real busy so we quickly go through a couple my main goal was to go to World of Disney and Christmas shop for my nieces. That was a zoo I found some ponytail holders and a cute mickey scarf for me and wait in a long line to check out. I had Disney gift card and was able to put that whole purchase on that. It was lunchtime so I said let try Earl of Sandwhich b/c I had heard so many good things about it. So we went and the lines were so long then we tried Wolfgang puck still to long of a wait. So I said let's try Cafe at GF. We get on bus to GF walk through crowded lobby of GF-I take it all in fast b/c DSis is starving find the cafe and they said it is a short wait. We take our beeper and window shop found some princess hot chocolate for my nieces on sale. How about I did not know till I got home but they are different colors of chocolate-they girls are going to luv that!! So we head back and take a look at the menu and DSis says it is too pricey and she will not be able to eat again if we eat here. Can you all say Drama Queen-so I say Pop Food court - I am going with the flow people and it is killing me. So we take the monarail to MK and hope a bus to Pop. The whole time DSis is starting to hate buses and transportation at WDW. She can't be releated to me people and she just doesn't know how to enjoy life at WDW. This is where I have decided to plan a solo trip in the future or hopefully tag along with CLQ-I feel releated to you guys in a neat way. I luv FAB, food and meeting people like us. So if you are planning another Dec. CLQ please let me know so I can go with right minded folks.
Anywho this is where things go from worst to bad and I will start in another post. Stay tuned.

[lazanya]

Great start! Sorry about Day #2 and your Dsis.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Here's hoping your luck changes!

[disneydreamer33]

So sorry it is not going as planned for you.

[B.M.]

Oh no! What an aweful travel partner..... I'm sure your sis is a great person, but it can be hard to travel with some people, especially to WDW! Hope things get better....

[TMWIlson7196]

I'm not sure I want to hear more. Sounds like yous dsis just didn't want to go. I hope you still had a good time.

[Colexis Mom]

Sorry about the rain and your DSis!

[ngaill]

Warning!!!! Get Tissues out-you will need them Warning!!!!

So we made it after a long ride and full bus back to the Pop and by this time DSis has stated she hates the bus sysystme b/c of all the germs. I keep silent b/c I know the power of pixie and I believe there are no germs at WDW. We head straight to our favorite and only place we eat the entire time food court. We eat pizza and go back to the room to nap and get ready for the wedding(the reason we came right I get all prettified- I mean people I put on a dress and heels for this thing never know who you could meet at a wedding. So we walk thru the lobby to the front to get a taxi and you should see the looks we get all dressed up-it felt kind of weird but anywho. Finally get a taxi and the lady goes I have no clue where this place is. The wedding was at a art gallery on south orange-I know this b/c I had to say it several times and we finally made it $45.00 later. That was just plain crazy to me but what can you do. So we get to the wedding and they tell us they are running late the invites say 5:30pm and the front desk says 6:00pm.
So we look around at the art-interesting is all I can say. Finally we go into the room for the ceremony and it's beautiful real urban chic kind of place. You are prob wondering where are the pic. Well I thouhgt after the wedding we would takes pic of me in Dress and of the place.

Warning!!!! Get Tissues Now!!!!

We both get voicemails from my Mom. My Dad has passed out and they could not get a pulse she was calling us from the ambulance. My DSis runs out of the wedding and is freaking out. I for some reason remain calm by the Grace of God. I just had a feeling everything would be ok. So we hail a cab and I start calling southwest to find out the next flight out. We get to Pop($54 later strange to me the price). After talking to 4 people the best they could d was the next day at 9am for $200 one way. DSis says once we get that settled lets go to the food court-I could not eat but went anyway. By 8pm we got the call that Dad was fine. He was over Medicated-he is on 2 heart meds and it was too much. The let him go home and the whole time he kept saying don't come home please stay(See Dad is die hard Disney fan and when we were growing up always took us to WDW and Disneyland-he believes , too). I told DSis that and she said no-that she could not have fun.
I really feel like she was done traveling and wanted to get home to her home base. So she took a shower and I was on the phone with my aunt who loves Disney like me and I said I have to go for a walk-I cannot say in this hotel why DSis is miserable. I started to cry b/c I had come this far and planned this long and all I wanted to do is see MK and fireworks. Re-live my childhood memories with my Dad not have a care in the world. I just kept walking and crying on the phone(glad it was dark) for some reason I walked to where the bus stops were. Guess what bus came up MK I told my aunt I am getting on the bus and I will either watch from outside the gate or pay the $79 to get in. Me being the nice sister called DSis and said I was going and not to wait up for me. People hold on to your Dumbo Ears!!!!!! She goes I will go with you!!!!!!!!!!!!! I said you better run the bus is here now. I had to let that one go but another one came and the nicest bus driver was there and it was a empty bus. The whole ride she kept saying I should go back I have to go the bathrooom. I remained calm and said go back if you have to or use the bathroom at MK. My Big Brother called and was saying Dad is doing fine and I told him we were on the bus and he started to cry. He believes too!!! He said that is great and ride Peter Pan for him. I'm crying ,too People right now!!!!!
So we get off the bus she goes the bathroom I stand in line for tickets and the whole time I was talking to myself and saying just buy her a ticket and go in. By the time I get to the window she goes since we are here we should just go in-I wanted to slap her and hug her at the same time.

This is were I start to have fun and could not believe I was at MK. The park was staying open until 1am that day. So by the time we walk in the parade was ending and people were everywhere. Being the smart PP I said to myself peferct time to ride rides. I was skipping like a little kid people to POC-it was walk on. Everytime we rode something DSis was laughn having a great time. It was the best 4 hours I spent in along time!!!
So around 12:30pm she was done and cold. I said let beat the crowds and head back. We had to be up at 4am for the DME. We went back to the room back and we both slept in our clothes. 4am came it was cold got on the bus and headed to MCO.
We landed around 10:30am ran to Mass and then hit the road back to home. I had to call my Dad to keep me awake. I was hitting a wall. Once I drop DSis off-I went home and slept for 16 hours straight.
Looking back at all of this-I did have fun planning and staying at WDW and the little I saw of MK was worth it. But the moral of this story is I will now go to WDW solo or with people that believe!!!
Thanks for reading this short TR-I have never done one before. Hopefully in the future I will get better from the many trips I will take. See below one of the few pic of me at the Pop.
ngaill

[Colexis Mom]

Sorry about the scare with your Dad! Glad he was okay! Glad you had a great time at MK that night! Thanks for sharing your story with us!

[KMB733]

Sorry to hear about your Dad, but glad to hear that he was fine. At least you got to enjoy MK even if it was for a few hours.

[Cam22]

I am so sorry about you DSis and her reluctance to have any fun. Glad you Dad was okay after that big scare. Can't wait for you to go again and write another TR!

[saremca]

Eeek, I'm sorry your DSis wasn't into the trip at all. I'm glad your dad is okay!

[B.M.]

Glad your dad was ok!
Glad your sis went to the MK and that you had a great four hours!
Hope the next trip is better!