DisneyWorld 2007 trip

Walt Disney World 2007 Trip

Tuesday October 16, 2007:
We left at 5am on our trip to DisneyWorld. The story doesn’t start there though…
Previous to the trip I had planned in detail what items we needed to pack, and how much space that would take. My goal was for us to use two suitcases (one large, one medium), and two carry-on backpacks. Over the weekend before I got all the laundry done, folded, and packed for the kids. On the day before we left I only had a few last minute things to wash, and Rich and I’s clothes to pack. I accomplished all of it and had us almost all packed before the kids went to bed. After we put them into bed Rich and I were gathering some last minute things and making sure we had items in the carryon bags that we would need for the respective kids we would have with us on the plane (Alex and Ashley with Rich, Angela and Alyssa with me).

At about 10:00pm I started wondering about my plan to take only two suitcases. I could fit everything in, but it was going to be a little tight. What would happen when we got there, and we had souvenires to bring home? We had already promised the kids they could buy one thing for their souvenier, and I didn’t know if we would be able to fit it all in coming home. So at 10:30 pm Rich and I decided we needed to have another suitcase. All of our other suitcases are small, really small- carryon size and it seemed like a waste of time to take one of them, so I hopped into the car and took the fastest trip to Walmart I think I’ve ever taken. I drove down, walked right over to the luggage, choose a suitcase, and bought it and came home. The longest I was still was while I was waiting in line to buy it. Lol! I think I hit every green light on the way there and back, and I got back by 11pm. Then I stayed up another ½ hour or so moving items from the two suitcases to balance stuff between the three suitcases. We got to bed somewhere around 11:45pm.

The Alarm went off at 4:30am the next morning. I actually was awake before that. I was so excited, and just overall did not sleep very deeply that night. We got up and got the kids up and were all ready to leave at 5:10am. Only 10 minutes behind our “schedule”. The drive to Tulsa went smoothly, despite the fog that was heavy for Oklahoma (for Rich it was no big deal-no where near what they get out in Northern California). We got to the airport and checked our luggage. We kept Angela’s carseat out for her to sit in on the plane, and got to our gate with our carryon’s and the carseat. We had an hour before our flight so we thought we would get to sit and relax for a little while.

The airline person then announced that our flight coming in probably would be on time, but the fog was getting bad enough that the little plane we were on would probably be grounded until the fog lifted. Luckily there was a larger plane that was leaving in 10 minutes for the same destination, from 2 gates over that had empty seats and all of us waiting for this flight could be accomodated on that flight.
So we quickly changed our tickets, they had some difficulties getting two sets of three seats together, but luckily were able to move a few people and work it out so we could be on the plane. We got on the plane and the kids were so excited! Alex and Ashley have been on planes before, but it’s been at least 5 years or so since they were on one, so it was almost like a first time for them again. Alyssa and Angela did great on the flight and I thought my fears of flying with Angela might be for naught.

After we landed and had about a 2 hour layover (since we came in an hour earlier than scheduled), we got on the second flight and my fears of Angela not cooperating on the flight came to light. She did not want to be in her carseat, she was kicking the seat in front of her repeatedly and screaming to be let out. Eventually I let her out (after takeoff) and tried to hold her and appease her and keep her happy in my lap. She would be fine for a few minutes and then unhappy again. It was like this for about an hour before she finally gave into her tiredness and fell asleep. I was able to ease her back into her car seat and buckle her up to take her nap and she slept until after we landed.

We flew into Tampa and then had a rental car that we drove over to Orlando. The kids are so spoiled with our car at home. We got into the rental car and it had two bench seats, that didn’t recline at all, and were not the most comfortable. By that time you could tell our kids had gotten up really early. Alyssa was upset because we were letting Alex and Ashley sit in the seats without boosters (we didn’t want to bring 4 carseat/boosters on the trip and legally they were old enough and could fit the seatbelt correctly without the boosters) and she threw a royal tantrum and didn’t want to get into her carseat. I wound up sitting in the back with her because she was reaching over and hitting and kicking Alex when he was sitting next to her. Alex got to sit up front with Rich. He was asleep within about 15 minutes of the hour drive. Alyssa luckily fell asleep too, and so did Angela. Ashley was upset because it wasn’t comfortable for her to fall asleep in the car where she was sitting.

We got into Orlando and found our hotel. We checked in and took all the luggage up to our room. It was a nice room. A suite, but at Embassy Suite’s all the rooms are suites… There was the front room with a couch that pulled out into a sofa bed, and then two double beds in the bedroom. After we freshened up a bit we headed out to McDonalds for dinner. This wasn’t just any McDonalds though. It is like a McDonalds/Chuck e cheeses/Sandwich shop/icecream parlor. It’s the largest McDonalds play area in the country- with a second story full of games and fun stuff. It has a play structure that is huge and the kids had fun playing on that and getting out all the pent up energy from sitting in the car and on the planes for so much of the day.
Then we went back to the hotel and tucked everyone into bed for the night. Ashley and Alyssa slept out on the sofa bed (a very uncomfortable bed I might add… not something anything with any weight on them could comfortably sleep on. Luckily Ashley and Alyssa didn’t seem to notice the springs popping out all over at all. Angela got the sofa cushions on the floor covered in a bedspread for her bed. Alex got his own bed.