[b]NEXT: Start the trip!!!!!!!!!!!
Day 1, the Travel Day..
Well, my game plan was to hit the road really early so we had more time to spend at WDW. But then, I’m the male and I have no control [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif[/img] Never have, never will!!!!
I was up early and finished getting my stuff together. Jan got up and we got her stuff together. I finished packing the Pathfinder while Jan went next door to get a weeks worth the baby fixes. <font color="red">NOTE: our neighbor watches our house for us while we’re gone. They have a 3 year old daughter and a 1 year old son. We’re the “grandneighbors,” kinda related but not really [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] The kids spend a lot of time at our house and the little guy is a blast…</font>
Anyway, after a stop by Hardee’s to get breakfast, we were on the road by 9AM Central Time. The route for us is simple, from the house to I-10, east to I-75, south to I-4 and we’re there.
Normal driving time is 6.5 hours +/-.
The Pathfinder is Jan’s vehicle. When we take it, she drives. I sit in the passenger seat holding on for dear life [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] Oops, not really. I usually get on-line and read, post a live TR update, read or do something…
Traffic wasn’t too bad, until we got near Gainesville. It seems that weekend there was a football game between Florida and Florida State. Not being a sports kinda person, we didn’t know this. Fortunately, we were headed south, so we didn’t get affected much by this, but had we been headed northbound we probably could have made better time by walking [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif[/img]

One of our fine State Troopers visiting with a driver that
thought they needed to be in a hurry [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img]

Traffic’s not too bad, and the sky sure is pretty, isn’t it?
We finally made it to our home-away-from-home
Well, let me tell you, 6 hours and 20 minutes after we left Hardee’s, we were
checked in at Pop Century and headed for the room [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img]
Check-in was a breeze, today was only for one night. You see, when we added those 2 days to the front of our trip, that put us into the “regular” rate season, taking us out of the value season. And I wasn’t paying “regular” rates, discounted or rack, when I didn’t have to [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502no_prv.gif[/img] So I got a 1 night reservation at “regular rates” and 7 nights at “value rates” If my momma raised a dummy, it wasn’t me, sometimes [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif[/img]
Anywho, we got a cart, unloaded the Pathfinder, and loaded up the room. Took the cart back and stopped by Everything Pop to buy our mugs and check it out.
Back to the room for a minute, then headed to DTD. We still needed to pick up our MVMCP tickets and wanted to do a little window shopping. Hopped on a bus and we were off [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502yes_prv.gif[/img]
We got to DTD and did a little walking before deciding we were hungry. Wolfgang Puck Express in The Marketplace was the dinner spot tonight. Jan had the Chicken Caesar Salad, I had the 9” 4-cheese pizza, with drinks and Crčme Brulee for Jan it came to just under $25. We picked up the MVMCP tickets and browsed the stores. The only thing we did buy was a new food bowl and plastic mat for the cat. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img]
And, for those that read the Mini-Live report, I called TARA's cell phone to check in with them, <font color="green">AND SHE ANSWERED IT!!!!!</font> I marked my calendar, as soon as the paramedics finished with me [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif[/img]
Some pics while wandering…

Playing Christmas Carols at DTD Westside…

Pleasure Island Entrance…

Anyone else notice the birds sleeping in the trees at night???

One of the decorated windows…
The decorations at WDW seemed to be a little sparser than in past years, but more on that later.
We headed back to the room, watched a little TV and called it a night. We have a long day tomorrow, we’ll be at Universal Studios/Islands Of Adventure with 2 very good friends and their daughters [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/woot.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/thewave.gif[/img]
NEXT: Day 2, Universal Studios/Islands Of Adventure with 4 fun people…