...and we're back

[Elena (aka: Bubble Lady)]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]TUESDAY 3/11/08

YIPPPEEEE!!!! it's BW's day off AND he's feeling much much better...i was packed up and ready to go when he came for me and off we went to one of the parks (i think it may have been epcot, but i'm not sure now...it could have been the mk...it could have been both )...but there were plenty of :bubble:

we did leave early (around 2pm) since there was to be another pirate & princess party that night and they were going to be honoring the tickets from the party from thursday night...so back to the hotel for a quick change (i was ready in less than 30 min.)...elyse was still lying flat in bed..she wasn't going anywhere :( ...BW called and out to the front i went...i had asked BW if he would take me to a 24 hr. place after the "do" at the mk, but he thought maybe before would be better...so we did that errand and then he thought maybe a bite to eat BEFORE going to the party...ok...so we went to wendy's (i'd never eaten at one before ...i know there's one not far from home, but we've never gone there)...then it was off to the mk...

we did arrive a bit late...around 7pm...oh well...we met up with KidAtHeart and the Lovely Liz...we headed over to pirates of the caribbean...wow! the queue was really something to see...so much different than the one at dl...WAY DIFFERENT...i kept reminding myself of what i had been told earlier in the trip...that because it rains so much there most of the queues are inside...the ride was way different too...a little more than half as long...i was surprised...

then there was a special parade...pretty good...i got some ok pics (there was a mother and her son who decided they both needed to take pics, and, wouldn't you know, they'd both pop into view of my lens)...after the parade there was a special fireworks show...very nice...and i LOVE fireworks! i took video of that...

for awhile i was off by myself...so up onto a merry-go-round horse i went (in full faire garb)...and blowing :bubble: .... the same on the teacups only i didn't bother with spinning it...i also realized there were spots where you could stop for "treasure"...so i did that with my grandchildren in mind...i ran into bpgstudios who was lead for a couple of different treasure spots...but he had time to sit and talk with me a little while...he also bestowed some "treasure" on me in the form of a few necklaces...thanks again bpg! and he pointed out those who needed :bubble: ...the winnie the pooh ride was right across from where we were so i decided i'd go on that and not long after that i got a call from BW...they were looking for bpgstudios...i told him i was looking at him and they were in the wrong place...so i waited for them to get to where i was...then BW, liz and i went back to the winnie ride...it's also very different from the one at dl (i went on as many fantasyland rides as i could...i think i got them all with the exception of peter pan which was still closed) just so i could see if they were the same or different and how they differed)...and then it was time to go...

i had thought it would be faster and easier for all if i took the bus back to the hotel, but i had some stuff in BW's car from earlier in the evening that i needed to get and it was getting later and the buses were making their last runs...BW said he would take me back to the hotel (actually insisted on it)...a quick good night to all in the car and i was off for a quick cig, a call home (yep, every night) and then into the room... [/font]

[bpgstudios]

Someone (:wallaby :) needs to send me a copy of the photos taken at the end of the night of the 2nd P&P...

[Elena (aka: Bubble Lady)]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]WEDNESDAY 3/12/08

another day off for BW...he picked me up and we went to epcot...we went on spaceship earth (i hope that's the right name) and then onto test track and mission space (by this time a good number of cm's recognized me on both attractions...hmmm...i wonder why ...could it be the ears? ;) )...then he had to go to take KidAtHeart to the airport...while he was gone i had lunch (hmmmm...it was the first time i ventured over to where the pavillions were...mexican food sounded good)...and then over to maelstrom...an interesting ride...and on the way out of there i passed by the adult slushies ...hmmmm...i decided i'd have a strawberry one ;) ...that finished i went on nemo again and videoed going through the queue (again, much different than the one at dl since the one at dl is completely outside)...i videoed the ride too...some of it was just like the one at dl, but most of it was not...one of our cm friends back at dl said "oh, so that's what they did with that tank" :D: ...i also went on test track (several times) and mission space (also several times)...

not long after that BW called and said he was back in the park...i think we went on another couple of rides (can you guess which ones? ;) )...then he wanted to take me to pleasure island in dtd...he wanted to take me to see the show at the explorers club (i hope that's right)...it was cute...in the show room i recognized the songs that were being sung...it made me feel...old ...ah well...c'est la vie

i got back to the hotel in time to pick up the last of my purchases...make some others...get my hot chocolate (you'd think i'd put on a ton of weight, but i actually lost weight during this trip :D: ), a smokerette and a phone call home (yes, yes...i talked to mel! )...then it was time to go in...i got the rest of the :bubble: packed up for the next day's outing (i'd already set one aside for cmguy) and packed most of my stuff up since we'd be leaving late thursday night/early friday morning...i don't think the folks at the resort figure people are going to actually watch t.v. cuz there's not much on to watch...but the insides of my eyelids looked good for awhile, so i watched those ;) [/font]

[Elena (aka: Bubble Lady)]

[font="Palatino Linotype"][font="Palatino Linotype"]THURSDAY 3/13/08

here it was...the last day at wdw...i woke up early and called BW and left him a message so he would know i was up and he wouldn't be bothering me if he called...i packed up some more...leaving out only the clothes i intended to wear on the flight home and the clothes i would be wearing that day...elyse was still flat on her back...she'd packed up a couple of days before...she'd also called about our ride to the airport...we would have to be outside in front of the hotel by 2am for the bus to pick us up at 2:15am...hmmm...i think i'd said i'd slept the night before, but i didn't...i was awake so long trying to pack that i figured i might as well stay awake and see if the hotel could print out our boarding passes...but even with me being on the phone with the airlines (yep, two different airlines who were each blaming the other for the problem) for close to 4 hrs. didn't fix the problem and we would have to wait until we got to the airport to have our boarding passes taken care of...

BW called to say he was going to be going to work, but had to stop off to get the ok to go back to work after being out sick...he'd call me when he was going to be onstage...the call came and i was off (i just couldn't get elyse to get out of bed to go with me)...i got to the ak and went directly to the safari...i went in the back and asked to ride on BW's jeep (handing out bottles of :bubble: as i went)...not a problem i was told...and then i saw him drive by "BW! BW!" i caught his attention...he knew i was there...a cm lead me to where i would need to be to board his jeep...as i waited i handed :bubble: to every cm i saw...gave several bottles of :bubble: to a cm for cm's i couldn't see...20 minutes later and i was sitting directly behind BW...JUMBO! and we were off...cheering and trying to whip up some enthusiasm as we went...i hoped i was being a good guest...and all too soon the safari was over...more :bubble: for the cm's i saw as i was getting off the jeep and out of that area...a member of the dream team and i struck up a nice conversation... :bubble: for her...i was just about to leave the park when i got a call from BW..."i'm on break now, but would you mind waiting around and coming back on the safari after my break?" sure i will! "want me to try to whip up some enthusiasm?" "yep!" says BW ..."ok, i'll do my best"...and i decided i would have some fresh fruit...then i looked down and saw that my "first time" pin was gone :( ...oh well...just as i was finishing up with my fruit the cm dream team gal i had been chatting with came by...she asked what i would be doing and i told her...told her i'd lost my button..."that i can fix," she said and brought a new one out of her bag :D: ...then a call from a disappointed sounding BW "they have me doing something else that won't involve me driving for now and i'm not sure when i'll be in a jeep again"..."that's ok BW...at least i got to ride with you :D: "...and with that i was off...[/font][/font]

[Elena (aka: Bubble Lady)]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]back to epcot...back to test track and mission space...i didn't have a lot of time since i told elyse i would be back by 6pm...cmguy89 would be landing around that time and we were to meet him for dinner between 7:30-8pm...i wasn't sure when BW would be picking us up...i was pretty sure he wouldn't be off work until 6:30pm or so...

on one of the rides on test track a woman and her daughter (the daughter looked to be about 15-17) got in next to me...the lady leaned over her daughter and said to me "my daughter is disabled"..."so am i" i replied..."she's autistic" she said..."ok" i said and we were off...down the lumpy bumpy hill "aaaahhhhhh aaaaahhhhh aaaahhhhh" me and her daughter were both doing it :D: ...this lit up a light in the mom...squealing and laughing coming from the 3 of us...we had such a good time...her daughter was only 12, but a BIG girl...we pulled into the station..."stay seated...put your seatbelts back on" said the cm...i turned to the girl and her mom "put your seatbelts back on...we're going around again!" i said :bouncemic :bouncemic :bouncemic ...as we got to where they check to make sure your seatbelts are fastened tightly i looked in back and we were the ONLY ones in the car :D: :D: :D: ...we had a blast...we laughed, cheered, made noises and waved our arms around...and then the ride was over...we walked off together...mom and i talking...mom talking to daughter...they had to leave soon, but had time for one more ride...mission space! wahoo!! so on we went...just the 3 of us in a pod...it was great! after the ride mom and i talked a bit...i talked a little with the daughter...we took a couple of photos and i gave them our myspace page (mom said daughter would easily remember it...that was HER GIFT...how lovely is that?)... :bubble: for them... :bubble: for every cm i passed as i made my way towards the exit...i still had a few more little things i wanted to pick up...i wandered through a couple of stores and to the locker...turned in the key and back to the bus...back to the hotel...i made sure i hadn't forgotten anything i might have bought and asked to have sent to the hotel...got some apple juice (hah! see? i didn't always get hot chocolate ;) ) and went to the room...surprise! elyse was up...i told her about the mom and daughter i'd spent some time with...i valiantly tried to pack and repack...aaaarrrggghhhh...decided a cigarette would be better...we both went out for that...we walked along the lake a little way...going towards the generation gap bridge...then back towards our room...i repacked again (wishing i had done what i had planned and brought a half empty suitcase)...[/font]

[Elena (aka: Bubble Lady)]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]then BW called and said he would be by soon to pick us up...he had an idea for a place to eat...then we went to pick up cmguy89...i had no idea he was so young...he's really a nice guy...seems to have a good head on his shoulders...kisses and hugs all around and then we were off to dinner...ooopppssss...the place BW had in mind had just closed...it was pretty close to 9pm...hmmmm...BW had another idea for a place...and what a great idea it was! a buffet...a buffet that had pepsi! and while the rest of us were starving and ate our fill (well, i ate MY fill...i don't know about BW or cmguy89) elyse was happy just to have pepsi again...dinner was my treat...(i had wanted to be able to take several people who had made this trip possible out to dinner, but it never came to pass...i'd mentioned it to BW but schedules just didn't allow it)...we ate and talked...talked and ate...but then it was 11pm! and we had to go...i think cmguy89 had work the next day and i know BW did...

we got back to the hotel with a plan firmly in place...our suitcases were all packed and ready to go, but i just couldn't lift them (my right shoulder still isn't what it should be following surgery in late oct. and elyse certainly wasn't able to lift anything)...so the plan was to get a cart (which i had done earlier) and BW would put our suitcases on it...then when the time came i would push it to the front and hopefully the driver would put our stuff on the bus...BW did come and do that, but saying g'bye was difficult...we probably should have just said g'night at our hotel door, but we walked him out to his car...more g'byes...more kisses and HUUUUGGGGSSSSSS..."if you ever get out to souther ca make sure you let us know...we'd LOVE to show you dl! now, go home...liz is waiting for you" and he was off and we went back to our room...in and out of our room waiting for the time to go up front...calls to home...calls from friends...soon it was time to go...i fought with the cart with all the luggage on it...elyse was somewhere behind me...we met up at the bus stop and waited for the bus...we expected it to be the big blue bus like the one we arrived on, but it was a small van...there was one other couple on besides us...the driver had said something about picking up 6 other people...i don't know where he had planned on putting them... our luggage along with the other couple's took up all the space in the cargo area in the back...but we got to the airport in plenty of time...it seems that u.s. airways is now carrying passengers for united and hadn't even opened up their check-in area yet...in fact, they didn't open until close to 4am...and no one on that flight could print out their boarding passes before getting to the airport in fact, when i tried to print our boarding passes the machine came back saying that there was no one by that name in the system...the guy behind the desk had to print them out...but i think that was the case with everyone there...i did hear a lot of grumbling in line in front of us and behind us so i know we weren't alone...

how did we find wdw? it was different...very very different...not just the parks, but the guests as well...i don't think anyone was prepared for the weather that was had (who would have expected tornado warnings? :eek :) i never did see any HUGE crowds like i have at dl...but then these parks are much larger in area...it's true things didn't go exactly as planned, but we did the best we could...i don't know of any trip that goes exactly as planned...with the exception of that one day i went out to the parks every day...i took over 350 photos alone with several videos and video snippets...i bought souvenirs for my family and friends...and i met some very nice people in my wanderings around the parks...i got to meet my pinpal (i had no idea we'd been sending pins back and forth for 6 years) and we got to meet several people from sgt!

THANKS EVERYONE who sent us on this trip or who was able to help make it so special [/font]

[Goldyn]

You gave me some bubbles. I remember I said "Oh no I can not take them.." and you said "I asked three times" or something like that. I was just blowing some bubbles today! Hehe, thank you for the bubbles.

[Elena (aka: Bubble Lady)]

You gave me some bubbles. I remember I said "Oh no I can not take them.." and you said "I asked three times" or something like that. I was just blowing some bubbles today! Hehe, thank you for the bubbles.

[font="Palatino Linotype"]i'm so happy to hear that you've been blowing :bubble: that's what we went to wdw to do...to show how much cm's are appreciated...but i only asked 3 times? usually i ask 4 times :D: that way you've already turned me down 3 times :hysteria: [/font]

[CMGUY89]

I show off my Pin to everyone I meet. It really is one of my most prized possessions. Thank-you soooo much!!!

[DisneyMom]

THANK YOU for the trip report! I'm sorry that there were many problems, but
hoping things will go better for you both next time, and sounds like you created magic for lots of people! I am hoping to meet you both sometime at DL!