Episode III
When we last encountered our heroes, they were being drawn back to the Kingdom of Magic, like Scooby to a snak. (Whoops, wrong character library. sorry.)
Earlier this year, my wife and I were on the same page - ala, “Boy, that trip last year was fun, but so is money in the bank. And cheese, that’s pretty sweet too.”
(Wait, I’m fairly sure that last part was just me before lunch today.)
But, you know, our kids were almost 8 and just 11, and are at a perfect point in their lives to truly appreciate both the rides and the ambience of Disney. They are huge readers, and love a good story, and just walking around them magical places is a story waiting to happen, ain’t it? (He said, talking himself into it.)
Also, we missed my Mom and sister. and my Mom is 87 darn it. and she’s in Miami. The kids shouldn’t just see her every couple of years, right? RIGHT?
We were looking for adventure.
And trying to figure out whatever this was.
This Won’t Hurt A Bit
So, when the Free Dining came back online, my wife and I said “Well, it can’t hurt to book something can it?”
The second time she said it, I pulled my laptop out of my back pocket, fired up the Excel spreadsheets and started calculating the options. Value resort, 3 nights. Value, 4 nights. Moderate, 4 nights. Moderate, 5 nights. Deluxe resort, 17 nights, flying down in a private Learjet with hot and cold running dole whip and free foot massages.
My work commutes switched from listening to history and genealogy podcasts to full-on Disney cram sessions. WDW Today. BOG Podcast. WEDWay Radio. Others. ALL OF THEM. all the time. I was a machine. and I discovered a thing. a thing called Touring Plans.
We had stayed at Port Orleans Riverside last year and loved it, but free dining was not there this year. Which I think was for the best, since I would have said, “We loved that place! Let’s do it again!” and missed out on trying something new.
But, oooooh, Carrrrriiiiibbbbeeeaaan Beach. and they have hammocks. and I think working cannon. Chaching. Booked.
The only issue was that we hemmed and hawed enough to miss the Disney Visa pre-public booking window, and they did not have a room available all the way from Sunday to Friday at CBR. So, I began my first clickety-clicking process of keeping a reservations tab open in my browser while at work and refreshing the page eleventy-three times over the course of a few weeks to try get get that one missing day at the end.
And let me tell you - them Pirate Rooms kept a coming and going, but no luck with anything other room availability showing up. Stupid pirate rooms. Stupid energy.
Fast Forward
Dum - da - dummm! The demise of the cancellation window has arrived. For weeks, sometimes several times a day, my wife has asked me, “So, are YOU going to DISNEY?” She wanted to go. I wanted to go. We still wanted to save more money. But no one wanted to pull the trigger either way.
Midnight is fast approaching. The kids are in bed. We sit on the couch, the television a blinding screen of nothingness as our internal debaters approach internal fisticuffs. As usual, our son eventually wakes up in a zombie-like state and asks if the plaid partridges under his table have been fed, or some other dream-nonsense. I return to find my wife has fallen asleep.
Soliloquy
Oh, that this too, too, solid flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a Disney decision. But, wait! I mean Hark! What if I fell asleep as well. and midnight passed O’er our heads and ventured safely into booking lockin?
Then, back to reality, my wife drowsily awakes and we give each other silent yet pleading looks for 178 minutes.
Midnight has come.
We. are. going.
To. Disney. World. via Miami.
Break out the Frogg Toggs.
It has begun.
Next time: A Surprise Scavenger Hunt
