SBETigg
09-26-2007, 12:16 PM
Previous: Day Nine (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=116134)
Tuesday, August 28, Day Ten
and
Wednesday, August 29- Last Day
Dates: August 19- 29.
Grand Floridian, MK View: Boca Chica 8507
Cast:
Sherri: aka SBETigg, 38, longtime WDW fan.
Sean: The DH, 42, desperate for a vacation.
The DS: 16, still willing to be seen with parents at WDW.
The DD: aka SunshinePiglet, 14, shares love of all things Disney.
We start the day early, eager to get to the MK to ride our favorite attractions. We’ll have one more trip to the MK on the morning of our departure day, so it isn’t quite bittersweet yet. On with the fun!
Crowds at the MK are low on a Tuesday morning, and we get in all of our favorite rides with many repeats. We start at Splash Mountain (no wait) and get soaked! But it’s early and we think we’ll dry off in the hot sun. We never dry off. It’s so humid that clothes stay damp on the skin all day, so we end up repeating Splash Mountain a few times knowing we won’t ride again tomorrow—who wants to be wet on the plane?
We take a brief mid-day break at the Grand Floridian to relax, cool down, and change to dry clothes before heading for Epcot. It’s our last visit to Epcot, so we hope to fit in some attractions before dinner. Unfortunately, our favorite attractions (Test Track and Soarin’) are ruled out. The lines are too long, at over eighty minutes each, and Fastpasses have run out for the day. We ride Living with the Land and hope the lines get shorter. But no. The wait times have actually increased. A walk by Test Track shows the Single Rider line to be under twenty minutes, and we decide to go for it.
It amazes me how many people use the single rider lines and, despite the warnings that you will not be seated with members of your party, think that they can get seats together with members of their party. We fully expect to be separated, and we are—except the DH and DS get lucky and end up seated in the same car, one in front of the other. I ride with a mom and her young DS, his first time on the ride. Riding with strangers, I realize some things just aren’t as much fun without family or friends to share.
After another ride on Maelstrom (too short but fun ride, and never much of a wait) we head over to our ADR at Le Cellier about twenty minutes early. We’re told to come back closer to our reservation time. Dinner at Le Cellier (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=116499) is good but not the outstanding dining experience I had hoped for. It has been a week of amazing dining, and there’s some heavy competition for best meal of the week. With California Grill (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=114779) and Narcoossee's (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=115714) rating one and two, Le Cellier comes in at around number five or six on the list, somewhere in the middle between Raglan Road (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=115311) and Rose & Crown. (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=115562)
Thanks to rushed service, our dinner barely took an hour and we all decide to head back and check out the wait times for Soarin and Test Track instead of waiting around for Illuminations (something we’ve seen a few times during the week from incredible viewing areas). But the times are long, and my stomach is slightly unsettled after the heavy meal. We all decide we’d rather head back to the room and enjoy the views from our balcony for the last time than hang around waiting in lines. We bid a fond farewell to Epcot. Until next time!
The next morning, the DH and I wake up early to enjoy the hot tub together. No one else is around and we have a lovely, bittersweet time soaking and contemplating our lovely surroundings, and how much we’ll miss them.
After the hot tub, we cool down in the quiet pool- still empty, we have it all to ourselves. I’m not teary. It has been a wonderful week and a half. In a weird way, it feels as if time has slowed for the trip and we could have been there for years. Usually, time flies when we’re having fun, but not for this vacation. It’s as if there’s a dizzying, magical quality to our time at WDW, as if we’ve slipped into an enchanted era instead of just enjoying some time away. I’m refreshed and ready to head back to the real world (and my dogs! (http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/20093/2743539370102098585S600x600Q85.jpg) Oh goodness, I do miss my dogs!), but oh how I’ll miss Disney World.
We wake the kids up, get everything ready to go (most of it packed last night) and call for bell services, and I’m fine up until I have to walk out of the room. I run to the balcony and look out one last time, then head for the door. It’s like leaving a house I’ve lived in for years. But I can’t be sad- we’re headed for the MK!
Once again, the MK has low crowds, and we get to ride our favorites (expect for Splash Mountain) and say goodbye in our own way. Our last meal is at Columbia Harbour House. The last ride is always Pirates of the Caribbean. We’re all low on energy after a long week in the heat, so we leave time to get back to the GF lobby for bottles of water in the relaxing, lovely environment before our ME bus (at four). I sit in one of the comfortable stuffed chairs and gaze at the ceiling (http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/16740/2393751960102098585S600x600Q85.jpg)- that gorgeous GF ceiling! (http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/17773/2546481560102098585S600x600Q85.jpg)- and then it hits me: we’re really leaving!
Suddenly, I’m overcome with choking, heavy sobs and it’s embarrassing! Goodness, I have to get a hold of myself. But just catching the gaze of my family (torn between sympathy, concern, and laughing at me) makes me more emotional. It’s not like I’m just returning home after vacation. It’s as if I’m leaving a whole lovely lifestyle behind. But I finally do get it together and we leave just in time to get our luggage and board the DME bus.
At the airport, chaos ensues. I have no time to be emotional because we find out upon checking in that our flight has changed, a delay. We won’t make our connecting flight. The airline tells us they are holding a flight for us. It will get us to an earlier connecting flight and get us home hours sooner, but we’ll have to rush over and we won’t get to sit together. No problem. Thank goodness the kids are old enough to sit separate from us without panicking.
We run for it, make the flight just in time, and enjoy the cramped middle seats on two crowded flights until we finally make it home—without one of our bags. The one with all the good souvenirs! But the airline delivers it to our front porch overnight, and all is well. Except who knows when we’ll make it back to Disney World.
Still, it’s good to be home (http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/18164/2800285790102098585S600x600Q85.jpg).
Tuesday, August 28, Day Ten
and
Wednesday, August 29- Last Day
Dates: August 19- 29.
Grand Floridian, MK View: Boca Chica 8507
Cast:
Sherri: aka SBETigg, 38, longtime WDW fan.
Sean: The DH, 42, desperate for a vacation.
The DS: 16, still willing to be seen with parents at WDW.
The DD: aka SunshinePiglet, 14, shares love of all things Disney.
We start the day early, eager to get to the MK to ride our favorite attractions. We’ll have one more trip to the MK on the morning of our departure day, so it isn’t quite bittersweet yet. On with the fun!
Crowds at the MK are low on a Tuesday morning, and we get in all of our favorite rides with many repeats. We start at Splash Mountain (no wait) and get soaked! But it’s early and we think we’ll dry off in the hot sun. We never dry off. It’s so humid that clothes stay damp on the skin all day, so we end up repeating Splash Mountain a few times knowing we won’t ride again tomorrow—who wants to be wet on the plane?
We take a brief mid-day break at the Grand Floridian to relax, cool down, and change to dry clothes before heading for Epcot. It’s our last visit to Epcot, so we hope to fit in some attractions before dinner. Unfortunately, our favorite attractions (Test Track and Soarin’) are ruled out. The lines are too long, at over eighty minutes each, and Fastpasses have run out for the day. We ride Living with the Land and hope the lines get shorter. But no. The wait times have actually increased. A walk by Test Track shows the Single Rider line to be under twenty minutes, and we decide to go for it.
It amazes me how many people use the single rider lines and, despite the warnings that you will not be seated with members of your party, think that they can get seats together with members of their party. We fully expect to be separated, and we are—except the DH and DS get lucky and end up seated in the same car, one in front of the other. I ride with a mom and her young DS, his first time on the ride. Riding with strangers, I realize some things just aren’t as much fun without family or friends to share.
After another ride on Maelstrom (too short but fun ride, and never much of a wait) we head over to our ADR at Le Cellier about twenty minutes early. We’re told to come back closer to our reservation time. Dinner at Le Cellier (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=116499) is good but not the outstanding dining experience I had hoped for. It has been a week of amazing dining, and there’s some heavy competition for best meal of the week. With California Grill (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=114779) and Narcoossee's (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=115714) rating one and two, Le Cellier comes in at around number five or six on the list, somewhere in the middle between Raglan Road (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=115311) and Rose & Crown. (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=115562)
Thanks to rushed service, our dinner barely took an hour and we all decide to head back and check out the wait times for Soarin and Test Track instead of waiting around for Illuminations (something we’ve seen a few times during the week from incredible viewing areas). But the times are long, and my stomach is slightly unsettled after the heavy meal. We all decide we’d rather head back to the room and enjoy the views from our balcony for the last time than hang around waiting in lines. We bid a fond farewell to Epcot. Until next time!
The next morning, the DH and I wake up early to enjoy the hot tub together. No one else is around and we have a lovely, bittersweet time soaking and contemplating our lovely surroundings, and how much we’ll miss them.
After the hot tub, we cool down in the quiet pool- still empty, we have it all to ourselves. I’m not teary. It has been a wonderful week and a half. In a weird way, it feels as if time has slowed for the trip and we could have been there for years. Usually, time flies when we’re having fun, but not for this vacation. It’s as if there’s a dizzying, magical quality to our time at WDW, as if we’ve slipped into an enchanted era instead of just enjoying some time away. I’m refreshed and ready to head back to the real world (and my dogs! (http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/20093/2743539370102098585S600x600Q85.jpg) Oh goodness, I do miss my dogs!), but oh how I’ll miss Disney World.
We wake the kids up, get everything ready to go (most of it packed last night) and call for bell services, and I’m fine up until I have to walk out of the room. I run to the balcony and look out one last time, then head for the door. It’s like leaving a house I’ve lived in for years. But I can’t be sad- we’re headed for the MK!
Once again, the MK has low crowds, and we get to ride our favorites (expect for Splash Mountain) and say goodbye in our own way. Our last meal is at Columbia Harbour House. The last ride is always Pirates of the Caribbean. We’re all low on energy after a long week in the heat, so we leave time to get back to the GF lobby for bottles of water in the relaxing, lovely environment before our ME bus (at four). I sit in one of the comfortable stuffed chairs and gaze at the ceiling (http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/16740/2393751960102098585S600x600Q85.jpg)- that gorgeous GF ceiling! (http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/17773/2546481560102098585S600x600Q85.jpg)- and then it hits me: we’re really leaving!
Suddenly, I’m overcome with choking, heavy sobs and it’s embarrassing! Goodness, I have to get a hold of myself. But just catching the gaze of my family (torn between sympathy, concern, and laughing at me) makes me more emotional. It’s not like I’m just returning home after vacation. It’s as if I’m leaving a whole lovely lifestyle behind. But I finally do get it together and we leave just in time to get our luggage and board the DME bus.
At the airport, chaos ensues. I have no time to be emotional because we find out upon checking in that our flight has changed, a delay. We won’t make our connecting flight. The airline tells us they are holding a flight for us. It will get us to an earlier connecting flight and get us home hours sooner, but we’ll have to rush over and we won’t get to sit together. No problem. Thank goodness the kids are old enough to sit separate from us without panicking.
We run for it, make the flight just in time, and enjoy the cramped middle seats on two crowded flights until we finally make it home—without one of our bags. The one with all the good souvenirs! But the airline delivers it to our front porch overnight, and all is well. Except who knows when we’ll make it back to Disney World.
Still, it’s good to be home (http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/18164/2800285790102098585S600x600Q85.jpg).