Day 10 & 11: SBETigg's WiM Grand Vacation (finally!)

[SBETigg]

Previous: Day Nine

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 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 and Narcoossee's rating one and two, Le Cellier comes in at around number five or six on the list, somewhere in the middle between Raglan Road and Rose & Crown.

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! 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- that gorgeous GF ceiling!- 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.

[kakn7294]

You are so in trouble if your DD sees that picture! You have great looking kids Sherri! I also noticed that your DD had on a Dream Lanyard - I don't remember reading about your winning a prize? Either you didn't mention it or I missed a day somewhere! I'm glad you enjoyed your stay at GF so much - someday I'd like to be able to stay there. Sounds like a harrowing day at the airport too - I'm glad it worked out for you. Thanks for sharing your reports!

[disneydrmr]

Ohhh! What cute doggies you have! I know I hate being away from my two! Anyway.. I have so enjoyed reading all about your trip! your way with words really brought everything to life! That last day is always emotional - isn't it?... Thank you for sharing your report and pictures! You have definitly made some wonderful memories!

[SBETigg]

We didn't have any run-ins with the Dream Team, but we did win a Dream lanyard and pins through the mail-in entry earlier in the year. We kept looking for the Dream Team, but we only saw them once from afar and they never ran into us.

Now that I'm home, I really want to go back! I want to start planning the next trip, but I really don't know if we'll get back as a family any time soon. College expenses are looming in the near future and schedules are crazy. We do have fantastic memories. Enjoy it with your kids while you can-- they grow so fast!

[DizNee143]

what a great day and a half you had left at disney!! glad the whole plane thing wasnt that big of a problem and everything was worked out..thanx for sharing your trip with us!!

[faline]

I do understand that tug between remaining in Disney World and also missing the "real" world! I've greatly enjoyed your reports! Thanks for all the great details and a most enjoyable style of writing!

[dolphinmickey9170]

Thanks so much for sharing such a great trip. Once I finish nursing school, I want to stay in that room. The few in phenominal! So glad you had a great trip. I hope you get to return soon.

[Mousefever]

Originally Posted by kakn7294

You are so in trouble if your DD sees that picture! You have great looking kids Sherri! I also noticed that your DD had on a Dream Lanyard - I don't remember reading about your winning a prize? Either you didn't mention it or I missed a day somewhere! I'm glad you enjoyed your stay at GF so much - someday I'd like to be able to stay there. Sounds like a harrowing day at the airport too - I'm glad it worked out for you. Thanks for sharing your reports!

What picture? Where? I see good looking dogs, but no kids!

[SBETigg]

Hmm, I wonder what happened with that?

[kakn7294]

So should I delete my posts to this thread to keep your secret?

[SBETigg]

Originally Posted by kakn7294

So should I delete my posts to this thread to keep your secret?

That's okay. I thought about adding a picture of the kids, and then changed my mind. The DD wouldn't have been too pleased with me.

[KylesMom]

Sherri, thank you for sharing your really special family time with us. You had ME sobbing at the end!

[mudpuppysmom]

Thanks for sharing your wonderful vacation with us!! I'm glad you had such a great time.
I get emotional too when I have to leave......if only we could just live at WDW as DS would like to.......

As for Splash Mtn......on our last day there in May, DS just insisted we go on it......I tell him we're going to get soaked and we have to go on the plane in a bit, but does the five year old care----NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, so I give in and we go on........I was THE ONLY person I swear in our log to get wet and when I say wet.....I looked like I jumped in the pool and swam around for a bit then decided to get out.....we went to the restroom and I took off my shirt and wrung it out and also my denim shorts..........we left the park at 4:30 pm and I was still damp.........I even tried to put my shirt under the hand dryer in a couple of the restrooms because I was just miserably moist!!

Finally, LeCellier we tried last year and none of us were overly impressed and we like meat and potatoes......as my dad would say "we didn't leave anything there". It's too cramped and you are in and out in a flash I think. I'd rather not do that when I'm on vacation -- when you are supposed to be relaxing!

[pdrlkr]

Thanks for the report!

[ChipnDaleGal]

Well, I don't know about your kids, but you sure have cute dogs!! I have such Corgi envy now. Thanks for sharing the last bits of your vacation. I know how sad it is to leave even when you know it is time to get back home. Thanks for all your great reports. I enjoyed them all.

[SBETigg]

Originally Posted by ChipnDaleGal

Well, I don't know about your kids, but you sure have cute dogs!! I have such Corgi envy now. Thanks for sharing the last bits of your vacation. I know how sad it is to leave even when you know it is time to get back home. Thanks for all your great reports. I enjoyed them all.

Thanks! If you're considering a corgi, I have to say that she has been a very welcome addition to the family. She's sweet, smart, very loving, and a tad more independent-natured than our pug (who is also sweet and loving, but a bit dopey and more needy).

[AbeeNormal]

What an amazing vacation...

I also think your two dogs are the cutest, but then again I don't think I've seen an ugly dog yet. I bet they were sooo happy to see you, what a great welcome home.

Your writing is amazing very fluid and easy to read, you have definitly found your nitch.

Thanks so much for sharing it's like being there with you.

Sounds like your kids had a great time, you gave them a great boost of self confidence and respect by letting them go off on their own. I can't wait to be able to do that with my boys 6 & 7.

I'm really glad your DS was feeling better as soon as he did.

I can't wait to share my trip when we get back in January and I really look forward to reading about your next trip as well.

I would like to PM you as well to get more info on where I can get your book if it's OK with you.

Thanks again,

Abee

[SBETigg]

I'll PM you with the book information, Abee. Thanks.

[Bethis26fan]

Thanks for sharing your trip, it sounded great.