Chapter 13 -- A few things, con't

I have often said to people going on a trip to Walt Disney World, to research research and more research. Unless you have been there, you cant possibly realize how big the place is. To think you might be able to do it all in a couple of days is simply unrealistic! When you consider that all the theme parks, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom are all individual and separate from one another, you are looking at an incredible amount property. I have often looked it up on Google Earth, and still can't fully appreciate how vast the property is. When I talk to friends on a local level, I can probably give examples of the distance from one local land mark to another. But when talking to people from other places its not so easy.

Let me give you an example. Lets say you rent a car to go to the Magic Kingdom. OK, so you go through the gate that says Magic Kingdom, you pay your parking fee, and then head for the parking lot. As far as the eye can see, there is the parking lot. You are still too far away from the Magic Kingdom to see the castle. You get out of your car, along with the literally hundreds of other people getting out of their cars, especially if you arrive first thing. In the parking lots, the are points where you can board a tram, which will take you to either the monorail entrance or the ferry. You still have to cross the seven seas lagoon to get to the Magic Kingdom. The ferry is a very scenic route to take. You can see the Grand Floridian Yacht and Beach resort which is beautiful, as well as the Caribbean beach club resort. Yes, that is how big the lagoon is...... Half way through you can see the peaks of the castle. Once off the ferry, then you head for the actual entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Have I given you an idea of just how big it is. As friend asked if she could walk from park to park. NO Way. Disney will provide transportation, and if you do think there is enough hours in the day to do two parks in one day, you can get the park hopper option ticket. I think this is a good option, cause lets face it, there are some parks that won't appeal to some as much as others. Epcot, for example, I love the grounds and scenery, but World Showcase is the main attraction there for me. And with the extended hours some parks offer on different nights, one can easily see what they want in one place and take advantage of the extended hours in another.

The main thing to do when planning, is know what you want to do. Don't wait until you get to the entrance and say, "now what" because you'll waste too much time. There will be lines, that is a given. You can certainly take advantage of the Disney Fast Pass, which is kinda like making an appointment to get on a ride. You put in your ticket, and you are given another giving you a time to come back. I did not take advantage of this. On most rides I didn't need to. And on some, the time was actually expired. What do I mean. Well, when in Animal Kingdom, we arrived about noon. The park closed at 5pm. We headed for Expedition Everest, and went right for fast pass, but all the times had been given out already! It had already been booked up until 5! But, the wait wasn't long anyway.

So, I guess the main tip I want to share is plan. Read everything there is to read. Look at maps on the Disney site. If staying off the Disney property, take into account the distance. Not familiar with the area, get a GPS system, you can rent it along with your car. Make your Disney vacation completely stress free, just like mine!!

Chapter 12-- A few things..con't

Well, while planing my trip, I was sure to have a good camera with me. There is so much to see, and so much to photograph. But, when you are a family, doesn't someone always get left out of the picture because they need to take it. Well, that's the other wonderful thing I discovered on my recent trip. The Disney PhotoPass.

Our first full day at Hollywood studios, a Disney photographer approached us and asked if we'd like to get our picture taken. My sister and I looked at each other because the first thing we thought was "how much"? The photographer could tell by the look on our face that we had no clue about this service. He gave us a card, very much like a credit card and, and explained how the program worked. Each time we saw a photographer we would give the card, and our picture would be taken. They are all over the parks, so each photographer may have a different backdrop. For example, our first pictures were taken with the big blue Mickey hat at Hollywood studios. The next photographer was not far from Tower of Terror, so that was in the backdrop. While taking our first set of pictures, the photographer said, "now, point to my sneakers with a shocked/surprised look on your face" we went along with it.......

In the Magic Kingdom we had our pictures done at the beginning of Main St. so you could see the Castle in the back. A few minutes later we got up to the statue of Walt and Mickey, and had more done. My favorite was taken on the side of the castle, the lady who was taking our picture said, hold our your hands, and look at them surprised,,so we did......

Later that day at the Magic Kingdom the curiosity got the better of us. We went to the place at the top of main street, were you can buy the pictures and film for your personal camera, and we were able to view the pictures. Remember when we asked to point at his sneakers, and effect was added, and it looked like Stitch was breaking through the street. By the castle when she said hold out your hand and look surprised, well, Tink paid us a visit!! They were beautiful. The man working at the shop told us to take as many pictures as we could, there was no cost to have them done, and no obligation to purchase. We could buy one picture or all of them, it didn't matter. Disney would also add additional effects if we wanted. We were also able to purchase the entire CD if we wanted. That cost $120, and we were then the owner of the copy rights. The nice thing was, that the pictures includes everyone in your group. My sister and I decided we would buy the CD between us.

On our last day, we did purchase the CD, and along with that came three 5X7 photos, all with a caption added. The photos on the CD had the effects on them ie Tink and Stitch, so when we got home, we just sent an order to Wal-Mart. Nothing to it. But wait, there is more. For one month after your vacation, you can go online to the photopass website, and view the photo's. That's great if you change your mind and wish you had bought them. My sister and I did make an additional purchase.

On the site, there is a template for a book. You choose the pictures, the wording, and its printed for you. You pick the type of cover, mine was a soft vinyl, with a silver imprint of the castle and Tinkerbell, and I was also was able to title the book. It was about $70 and worth every single penny. It is the best keepsake I own. It is very professional and people who have seen it have been extremely impressed with the look. I am so proud of it, I have it displayed on a stand in my living room, and its a beautiful show piece.

Even if you just bought the CD, it is well worth it. We had a total of 110 photos taken. And buying the CD for $120 was just over a dollar a picture. No two pictures are the same, because they are all different photographers in different parts of the park. Think about a digital photo frame, how nice would that look. All those pictures are priceless to me!

Chapter 11-- A few things I learned...

The time between my first and second trip, I spend reading everything I could about Walt Disney World. Not only because I wanted to be prepared for my next vacation, but because i just wanted to know. Disney regularly offers free vacation planning DVD with no obligation. I have had a couple of these over the years, and no 2 are ever the same, plus they are becoming more and more entertaining. If memory serves, the first one I received was very "to the point", while the last one I received was very entertaining, and made me laugh more than once. But even with these DVD's, it still can't possibly cover everything there is to know.

During this blog, I am going to mention some of the extras I learned about. Now I am not an expert. I do not work for Disney, and I dont' pretend to know the in's and out's of everything. My suggestion is to research everything. However, when you don't know something exists, how can you research it. That's what I am hoping to help you with. Little things that might help you out if you knew about them. For example, the Dining Plan. I didn't take advantage of that, but next time I will. This is a feature that requires some research, because there are only some restaurants that work with the meal plan, and others that require advanced reservations. However, having a plan about you meals, certainly keeps you on a good budget, and schedule. There were days that we wanted to eat, and wasted alot of time looking for a place to eat. We often ended up just grabbing the first place we found. Which was usually a quick serve restaurants. They are great, dont' get me wrong. But my sister loves to try new things, and to accommodate that, we should have looked into reservations before we left. A Friend of mine did use the meal plan and made reservations in different parks, and was delighted with the fact that she and her family had no wait once they got to a restaurant were reservations were made, and usually these places were character dining. By doing this, they also got to experience a variety of menu's. I did try to make a reservation at Cinderella's Castle about a month and a half before I left, but it was already booked up, some even paying in advance!

Just a little bit of info on the meal plan. It covers a breakfast, lunch, a sit down meal and a snack. when you buy the meal plan, it is for much less than if you paid for each meal individually. I'm not going to tell you the price, because tomorrow it may be different, however, I can say that is it at a considerable savings to you. Some "sit down restaurant's" or a place you'll probably need a reservations, will require you to use 2 dinner meals. These are the more expensive restaurants, and are probably worth it. In these restaurants, Disney employes world class chef's. Certainly will be a wonderful dining experience. The kids will certainly enjoy too, and there will usually be some Disney character paying a visit.

So, the Disney Dining Plan is certainly something I suggest you look into. It might seem complicated when you first look at it, But remember that the Disney cast members are very helpful, and are happy to explain things to you. Those of you on a budget, or would rather have some extra cash for shopping will love it!

Chapter 10 -- Going home

So, we are all packed and ready to go. Last night when we got back to our room, Disney had our itinerary for today. The time we needed to be at the bus stop to board the Magical Express, a reminder of when i flight departed, and well as the departure gate. I must say, using the Magical Express left use completely worry free. They picked up our luggage when we first arrived, delivered it to our room, and then reminded us that we did have to go home.

In describing my Disney experience i would have to say, the phrase "worry free" comes to mind. Once I arrived in Orlando, there was just no stress in any form. And really, isn't that what a vacation is all about? I felt safe in Disney. There was alot of security, and bags were checked upon arrival to every park. There was a check- in at the start of the driveway for every car coming onto the Pop Century property. I have to say, I felt very comfortable and at home. All the Disney staff were exceptionally nice. Or should I say "cast members". Never once did I say, wow, he/she was rude. Never did they say "have a nice day" it was "have a magical day". They just were able to keep that smile on your face.

So, that was my Disney experience. But, I am going to continue to write a little bit about some tips I feel would be good to share with everyone. Like I told you in my first chapter, my first visit was rushed, and I ended up missing out on alot of things I would have liked to have seen. I have offered advise to friends who have gone, and I think they have found it helpful. So, continue to read on, and I hope some of my advise helps you out too.

Chapter 9-- Animal Kingdom.

Well, this will be our last full day at Disney World. It's hard to believe! The time went by so quickly. We start the day like any other, taking our time, getting breakfast. We head to the bus and I find myself looking around more, staring at things more, trying to just burn all the images into my memory. I think things like, this will be the last time I drive this highway, this will be the last time I see this or that. Kinda silly really...nawww, not to me.

We arrive at Animal Kingdom. Like I told you at first, we were there in January, and we didn't realize that the park hours were not as long as the other. OK,,not alot of time. We really kind of knew what we wanted to do the most there. Expedition Everest, and Kilimanjaro Safari.

We figure we would you the "fastpass" for Expedition Everest. But, we didn't need to! After a short wait, we were on the coaster. Now, Expedition Everest is set in Asia. The roller coaster is us, the guests, on the hunt for Yeti. The Yeti is on the loose in Mount Everest, and we are in search of it. While waiting to get on the ride, we go through a "camp" where other people have been while searching. The coaster is a real thrill ride. It's fast, exciting and a real scream.

After we got off that ride, we took in alot of sights, did a bit of shopping. The shopping there was really different. We went into a store had all Chinese merchandise. Very beautiful silk PJs and bags, and scarf's. I purchased a necklace, with a pewter charm, with the Chinese symbol for wealth, and one for my daughter with the symbol for success. There was alot we didnt' have time to see while in Animal Kingdom. The White water rapids ride, taking a look at dinosaurs, see the show, A Bugs Life, soo much to do, soo little time.

We did head for the Kilimanjaro Safari. There was a long line for that one, and we had a long wait. There were alot of animals to see on the safari, and it really had the feel of being in Africa..which is the whole point of it. There were lots of animals to see. Some I'd never even heard of before, some were expected of course. Just some of the animals we saw were, Giraffe, Zebra, Lion, Tiger, Alligators, Hedgehog, Elephant, and some that I don't even know the name of! Some strange looking, some very regal looking. Animals like that are on the roam ... not like a zoo. So, sometimes you just might get a glimpse as they went behind a tree. But, it was certainly a wonderful thing to see.

Once the ride was over, we make our way out of the park. But, we did stop to shop. And before we left, we stopped at the photo shop, and bought our "photopass" CD. It had all the pictures the Disney photographers took of us, along with the special effects added. For example, there was a photo of me fighting Captain Hook, another of me holding Tinkerbell. There were a total of 110 photos on the CD, and when we purchased it, they gave us 3 5x7 pictures, and allowed us to choose a caption for each. It was certainly very special. While we waited for the bus, we did think about going to another park, it was only about 6pm, and there was certainly time to go somewhere. However the practical side of us came out, and we figured our time would be better spent packing for the trip home tomorrow.

Chapter8-- Meeting the STARS

We all know there are lots of parks to Walt Disney World. Besides Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, there is Epcot , Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. But I just love Magic Kingdom so much, I needed another day. Today is the day we actually meet some of the characters. I know I've seen pretty much all of them so far in the parades and things like that, but I wanted my picture taken. So, off we trot to Mickey's Toontown Fair.

Now there is a place right out of the cartoons. We see Minnie's house and Mickey's house, but before we go in there, we go into what looks like a big barn. Inside we choose the line that will take us to the Princesses. But, which ones? Finally it's our turn. We go into a room that is indeed fit for a princess, waiting for us is Cinderella, Belle and Sleeping Beauty. Each of them were kinda enough to take a photo with each of us, and sign our autograph book. They even took the time to chat a bit, and ask where we were from. I was particularly taken with Belle, she is my favorite of the princess's and her beautiful golden gown was just breathtaking! It shimmered in the light. Cinderella gave us tips on how to pose like a princess, and Sleeping Beauty was in her pretty pink gown, and was very sweet. I didn't want to leave, but being royalty, they had other matters to attend to. So, we set off to meet the mouse himself.

Mickey was nice enough to allow us a tour of his house. He seemed to be in the middle of some minor renovations, and there was some painting still in the works in the kitchen. In his back yard, we saw Pluto's dog house, and Mickey's shed. He had a few projects on the go. He has a lovely garden, and even his pumpkins are growing his trademark ears! In the far back of his yard, there was another barn we went into, and after a small wait, we had a private visit with him. He is a very gracious host, he shook our hands. But I was so excited,,I took his hand and told him I'd waited a very long time to meet him, and I was very happy. I put my arm around the friendly mouse and had my picture taken. I was thrilled! Talk about feeling like a kid! I really felt like jumping up and down, but I tried really hard to keep my composure. And I did to some degree.

Ok, so that was definitely the highlight of my trip. But there was still more to see and do. We spent the rest of the day visiting attractions and rides we hadn't had time for the previous days, we finally made it on Thunder Mountain, that was a long wait, but worth it. We paid another trip to the Haunted Mansion, it was just so much fun the first time. We tried some tasty treats, stopped into a few shops along the way, and then headed back to the hotel. As I was leaving, I kept turning around to see the castle, one last time. It was dark, and the castle was glowing. It truly is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Tomorrow is our last full day. My sister has been very patient with me and indulging me. Tomorrow its her choice, and she chooses Animal Kingdom.

Chapter 7 -- The Magic Kingdom day 2

Well, day 2 and I'm rested and ready to go. It's a little chilly today, we actually had to wear a jacket. LOL, who cares, I'm in Disney World! The sun is shining, and I can't wait to get back to the beautiful Magic Kingdom. We took the bus, which isn't at all crowded and enjoy all the beautiful gardens on the ride there. Again I'm taking pictures and using my video camera, I want to capture everything.

Today, we are going to visit all the "lands" of the Magic Kingdom. We visit Pirates of the Caribbean, and take in the Jungle Cruise. I've got to say the Jungle Cruise was so enjoyable. Our tour guide was so funny, and kept us all laughing. What a thrill it must be to work in Disney. I think I'd go to work with a smile on my face everyday! On our way to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, we just happened to stumble on Woody and "Woody's Roundup". You know Woody, from "Toy Story"! Characters are walking around like that everywhere! There was quit a lineup for Thunder Mountain, so we decided to move along (very slowly) to Tomorrow land. We rode the go cars...had a laugh on those, and then headed for Space Mountain. We had a long wait for that ride, but, it was sooo worth it. It was a blast. When we got off the ride, my sister and I had to sit on the bench to "recoup" I was just laughing so hard, really enjoying everything.

As we left Tomorrow land, we noticed some activity in front of the Castle. All the characters were putting on a show. And what a show it was. The Prince and Princesses were dancing, Peter Pan was fighting Captain Hook, Mickey and Minnie and all their friends were battling the evil Fairy from Sleeping Beauty, and winning of course. The dancing , the music, the fireworks....what a show indeed. We didn't make it back to Thunder Mountain that day, we'll do that tomorrow. The day doesn't be long going by... We stake out a place to watch Spectro Magic. The very beautiful light parade. I could try to describe that, but words would never do it justice. The huge floats full of twinkling lights, Cinderella in her glass coach all lite up in lights, dancing fairies and butterflies...all to music just so beautiful.

Once the parade is over, we now just have to wait a short time for the Wishes fireworks display. My sister goes to the bakery on Main St. to get us a piece of cake and a hot chocolate. Yummm, that hits the spot. We stand in the middle of Main St. and all the lights on the buildings go down, and it begins. The most magical display of fireworks ever! Wishes is what Disney is all about, and we can hear quotes from famous Disney movies. Pinocchio saying "I wish I was a real boy!" Snow White wishing her prince would come. Fireworks exploding in the shape of happy faces and hearts and all while Jimminy Cricket is telling us that all we have to do is believe. It was really something special, and as the fireworks were going off, my sister and I looked at each other and giggled, as we both had goose bumps all over..haha. Of course we did, how could you not? We were witnessing something truly amazing and beautiful. OH, did I mention how Tinkerbell flies off the castle at the start?? How could I forget that, with all the crowd down below gasping in disbelief! The castle would glow different colors, to add to the beauty of everything. People think Disney is for kids, but after seeing all that, I also believe it is the most romantic place on earth too. Just imagine holding the hand of someone you love while watching those fireworks, and seeing Tinkerbell flying overhead. Truly a place we fairy tales come to life.

Chapter 6 --The Magic Kingdom.

Well, our second full day. It's a Thursday, and I am so looking forward to seeing the Magic Kingdom again, and really taking my time and seeing EVERYTHING. We start off the day again with breakfast in the "Pop" main building. The eating area is cafeteria style. Several different types of places to choose from. I have become very fond of their breakfast pizza. That along with some grapes and apple juice, and I'm ready for the day. After we finished, we headed for the bus stop labeled Magic Kingdom.

The Walt Disney World Resort is very big. It is really hard to describe how big. But, the only way I can really explain it is, if you were looking down on Orlando from , say, Google Earth, my resort hotel was quit south of the property, while the Magic Kingdom was north. It took 30 to 35 minutes to reach The Magic Kingdom, a long ride, but on the way, we were able to see such Disney landmarks as Spaceship Earth at Epcot, the Hollywood Tower of Terror, along with seeing some of the other beautiful resort hotels. Finally we reached that wonderful, colorful sign "The Magic Kingdom". The bus took us to the bus drop off, which is only steps from the entrance. That is one of the perks of being a Disney guest. If we were driving, we would have had to park our car in the enormous parking lot, hop on a tram to take us to either the monorail, or ferry to get across the Seven Seas Lagoon, and then you are to the gate.

Right away, I started taking pictures and taping on the video camera. Everything was just so beautiful. After we presented our ticket, we had pictures taken in front of "City Hall". It is there you can board the Walt Disney railroad. There is a walk through under the railroad that gets you into the town square. It was a buzz of activity. Characters signing autographs, people taking in the sites. The buildings looked like old Georgian or Victorian buildings, very beautiful. In the center was a beautiful garden, there stood the American Flag, and a brass statue of Roy Disney with Minnie Mouse. It was so lovely. We could hear singing, there was a street show going on at the top of Main St. USA. As I approached, I knew I was going to finally get to see the Castle, Cinderella's Castle. My sister had never seen it before, except for pictures of course. I was in the lead, and all I could say was "there it is!" Oh it was even more beautiful than pictures, than in my memory. We stood there and admired for a few minutes, the we spotted a photo pass photographer. Needless to say, we had a few pictures taken. On Main St. there are some fabulous stores. We strolled though pretty much all of them. We worked our way up to the front of the Castle. What's this? another photographer? This time, the statue called "Partners" was our background, along with the castle of course. After the pictures were taken, we headed for Fantasy Land. We decided to take a path just to the side of the castle. Oh look, a bench. I had to have a break. I still hadn't caught up on my sleep from the travel down. I stared at the castle for a bit, and then we went again. Took more pictures, saw Belle reading to a group of children, and finally found the Tea Cups!

My sister chickened out! Ok, so spinning makes her nauseous. I got on by myself, but it wasn't for the joy of the ride, but the nostalgia. She did take a picture of me in a cup! We walked through fantasy land, saw Dumbo, the old carousel, and tried to remove the sword from the stone. We also ran into Cinderella's step sisters and step mother! Lets check out the Haunted Mansion next. We left fantasy land, and headed for the haunted mansion. What a scream! How they can do that is amazing. It really looked like there were ghosts. Not scary ghosts of course. One even joined us in our seat! Too funny.

We then went on to wait for the 3 O'clock parade. While we were waiting, I looked at my sister and asked if it would be ok if we went back to the hotel when it was over. A look of fear almost came over her. She knew I had to be on my last ounce of energy to want to leave the Magic Kingdom so early. We watched the beautiful parade, and headed out. Don't get me wrong, we didn't make a sprint to the bus. It may have been 2 or 3 hours before we got back. There were a few stops to make on the way out. But the rest of the rides would have to wait until tomorrow.

Chapter 5--Our first full day.

It's the beginning of your first full day in Walt Disney World. As much as I couldn't wait to get to the Magic Kingdom, my sister was kinda looking forward to seeing the Disney Hollywood Studios (formally MGM). Before we left for there, we had our breakfast at the Pop Century main building, and then we went for a walk around the grounds. What a beautiful place. My sister made the comment that if this was considered a value resort, what must the deluxe resorts look like! We came across a dancing fountain with Goofy holding a surfboard, and a much, much larger than life Mickey Mouse. I had my picture taken in front of that one, as well as a two story 'Lady and the Tramp". We went to the bus stop and before we knew it, we were at Disney Hollywood Studios.

Right away you felt like you were on a giant movie set. Actors in the street performing as if it was their regular life. We stopped in many of the stores to have a look at all the wonderful merchandise only available at Disney. It was at Disney Studios that we bought our Mickey Mouse "year of a Million Dreams" ears. They had tiny lights on the ear part. It was here that we also found out about the Disney Photo pass service. A photographer stopped us and explained he would give us a card, and take our picture. Any time during our stay, when we saw a Disney photographer, we would swipe our card and have our picture taken. He also recommended to have lots and lots of pictures taken, cause we didn't have to buy any if we didn't want to...and the photographers we also nice enough to take our picture with our own personal camera. Now, that's Disney service!

But, what's this off in the distance, is it? Could it be? Yes, its Mickey and Pluto, they are posing for pictures and signing autographs. What a line up. But I took a picture of Mr Mouse anyway. Wow, my first glimpse of Mickey. OK, back to business. The rides! There were 2 rides i wanted to get on the most. The rockin roller coaster by aerosmith, and the Hollywood tower of terror. We headed for the Tower of Terror first. I had no idea what to expect. As soon as you walk in, the ride starts, I mean, just the staging is wonderful. You really feel like you are in an old haunted hotel. Finally we get on board. OMG, what a ride. We screamed and we laughed, and we laughed and we screamed!! When we got off, I could barely contain myself from the laughter, and of course what did we just have to buy, the picture they took of us during one of the falls. The look on our face was just priceless, and it still makes me giggle when I look at it.

We get outside, and I'm bouncing around almost like a kid. I was ready to hit the Rockin Roller Coaster. BUT, my sister chickened out. I didn't want to get on the by myself, so we went on to some other attractions. I wasn't to disappointed. After all, I've got a full theme park to keep me entertained. We got to see a parade featuring many Disney characters including Mary Poppins, Ariel the Little Mermaid, Snow White, the cast from Star Wars, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, just to name a few. We had a very full afternoon indeed.

Around 6PM we decided to go and find a seat to watch the night time show Illuminations. We had no idea what to expect, I had no idea what the show was about. When it started it was so beautiful. The idea of the show was we entered Mickey's dream, and saw all the beautiful things in his dream. But, the the evil villains tried to interfere, and a battle between good and evil began. Every character in Disney was involved in some why. And it was truly and impressive show. Fireworks, boats, princesses with their prince, dragons, you name it, it was there. I left thinking that only Disney could come up with this.

After the show we headed back to the bus stop. We got back to the hotel, and it still wasn't too late, we got a snack, checked out the store in the main building, and then strolled back to our building--taking in every site we could. Tomorrow the main show, The Magic Kingdom.

Chapter 4 --And we're off....

He we are, finally. I'm walking the red carpet at the Orlando airport, to board the Disney Magical Express. They load my sister and I on a huge bus, decorated the way only Disney can. With all the familiar characters on the bus. Once inside, I took a seat, and looked out the window at the beautiful Palm tress. You don't see them in Newfoundland! This is it, I'm really here! I have no idea how long the ride was from the airport to the hotel, as our bus ride was very entertaining. There were little televisions overhead, and all the characters from Disney were onscreen to give a little tour of the Disney World Resort. As I watched intently, I would glance over at my sister, who was seated across the isle from me. She would giggle at me, as I could only imagine the strange look of awe on my face. At one point the bus driver announced that we were approaching the resort, and when we looked at the window we could see the sign stretched from once side of the street to the other. Walt Disney World. Wow.

As we drove up to our resort hotel, I couldn't help but notice how perfect the grounds were. Not a blade of grass out of place. The sign to our resort came up in the distance "POP" even the sign was impressive. When we got off the bus, we went into the main lobby to check in. Wow, it was so nice. They had displays of pop culture from the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and90's all over. There wasn't much of a wait when we were called next in line. The young man was so nice and helpful. He explained everything to us, including how our luggage would be picked up for us at the airport, and delivered to the room by the end of the day. We new this ahead of time, and packed a weather friendly outfit for our first evening there. The resort is made up of a series of buildings, all decorated after a theme in pop history. Ours was the 50's themed area. There were hugh bowling pins that made up the stair case at the end of the "T" shaped building, and a wonderful pool, also shaped like a bowling pin. We made it to our room. The only problem we had facing us now was, what to do first.

Because of the delay at Toronto, we arrived later than planned, so we figured the best place to start was Downtown Disney. Buses were there to give us a ride, and Downtown Disney was just a few minutes away. On the bus, we realized we hadn't eaten for quit some time. So, upon arrive we went in search of a place to eat, which didn't have a hugh line up. Wasn't easy, but we ended up finding something very familiar. The golden arches of McDonald's! We ate outside, something we don't always get a chance to do back home. While eating, we notice a cute little chipmunk watching us. LOL, we figured any second now he would jump on us and ask us to share. But, he behaved himself.

Once we finished, all I could think about was shopping. We headed for "the world of Disney" store..To say it was big would be an understatement! But it was BIG. Being surrounded by so much Disney was incredible. I kept say "OMG,,Look, Look at this." Ever see that cartoon of the bear who, when he gets excited he goes around in circles with his tongue sticking out.? Well, I kinda felt like him. I took pictures of the beautiful displays, the gardens, and pretty much everything. From the lego monster in the water, to Aladdin and Jasmine on the flying carped overhead in the world of Disney store. As it was coming on dark, the exhaustion of the day started to take its tole. I had blisters, my sister had blisters, we were tired! We managed to make it to the bus, and when we got to our room, our luggage was there like promised.

Looking out the window, everything around me was Disney. Even though I hadn't made it to the parks yet, the feeling of Disney was all around me, from the TV channels, to the pictures on the walls, to the bedding. And with the Disney transportation system taking us where we wanted to go, we knew we could tour Disney in our time. And see everything.

Chapter 3--The time has come.

OK, it's a calm night. It's very cold, but that doesn't matter. Just keep the snow away! I'm home alone during the hours before my departure. I was too nervous and excited to sleep. I was leaving for the airport about 3am and I decided to use the few hours before to make sure I knew all the settings on my new camera, after all, I planned on taking an enormous amount of photo's. Finally my sister and brother in law came. We were heading to the airport, and I didn't appear there would be any delays from my home city of St. John's. But, that still didn't ease my mind about weather problems, as far as I was concerned until we took off from Toronto, anything could happen.

The wait at the St. John's airport was a long one. We sat down and had a coffee and donut, and talked about how hard it was for my sister to leave her little baby. Going through customs was a new experience for me. It had become much more intense since the last time I traveled abroad. But, no odds better safe than sorry. We boarded the plane finally, and off we went. It was still dark outside, but I could see the lights of the city, and as we flew over the island, I saw the lights of many smaller communities down below. My sister is use to flying and was able to grab a nap, I on the other hand didn't .. and ended up watching the little plane on the screen in front of me. After about 3 hours we were landing in Toronto, as we started our decent I noticed how difficult t was to see down below, to my horror it wasn't because of clouds,,but snow! It seemed to be coming down heavy, and I figured we would be stuck in Toronto.

Well, there wasn't really much time to think about that right now anyway. We didn't have much time to get our luggage, go though customs again, and board another plan. The line up for customs was massive, and moving very slowly, people were complaining that they would miss their flight, but no one seemed to care about that. Eventually, the opened a few more wickets, and the line began to move. When we reached the terminal, we didn't receive any word on a delay or cancellation, so I remained cautiously optimistic. We boarded the plane, and the delay was announced. Not a long delay, but because of the snow, all the planes had to be deiced! I don't mind saying that the whole idea was a bit scary. I mean, ice, on the wings, not a safe thing.

After close to an hour and a half delay, the plane got ready for take off. My sister asked are you excited yet. Well, guess it was too soon for the reality to hit me. Cause I said no. She seemed a bit disappointed by that. A few short hours later I could see the miles and miles of sandy beaches on the coast of Florida...that is when I was nearly jumping out of my chair. Then they announced we would be starting our decent. I stared out the window until my neck hurt. As we circled around Orlando, I tried so hard to get a glimpse of Disney, anything. But really I didn't know where to be looking. Finally we landed. The Orlando airport was massive. Seemed more like a shopping mall than an airport. Because we were staying at a Disney resort, their service started right there at the airport. We were given the directions to the Disney Magical Express Service. After we checked in there, there was a very nice gentleman, who shook our hand, told us to step onto the red carpet and make a wish. I said thank you, but I'm already here, that was my wish.

Chapter 2--The Countdown begins Part 2

Well, like I said fate has finally dealt me a good hand. But that has never happened before, so I just couldn't help but think that something would go wrong, and i wouldn't be able to get on my trip! My sister and I booked our trip in November 2007 to go for 7 days in January 2008. I found a great deal online that gave us airfare, park hopper tickets for the time of our stay and hotel at the Disney resort "POP Century" all for less that $1000.00. How could you pass that up!? Well, we didn't! We made arrangements for our kids with other family members and all was set. My birthday rolled around in December, but everyone kept telling me they thought I'd be more excited. Truth be told I was afraid to get my hopes up.

As I mentioned before, I live in Newfoundland. A small island on the east coast of Canada, and we are known for our harsh weather. Planning a trip during the winter is a hit and miss. We were going for seven days. Would our plan get out? If it did, would we get out of Toronto? Our one and only stop over. The weather in Toronto Ontario Canada isn't very predictable either. I had myself convinced that we would have the blizzard of the year the day before or the day of our flight, and If we got out of Newfoundland, we had Toronto weather to contend with too. I am not known for my good luck, as a matter of fact, more than one of my friends have said to me--if it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. People wondered when I would start getting excited, well, I figured I'd have to be on the plane over Florida before it really hit me, or before I felt safe enough to get excited.

So, as the countdown went one, a few glitches hit. First, the family member who was supposed to take my daughter wasn't able to do it after all... Yikes, didn't know what to do, except for my sister, who was coming with me, I didn't know who to ask. Circumstances surrounding my divorce left he father out of the question. For a while, it looked like she would have to come with. Of course, the deal we found was no longer available, spending money would then be an issue, and airfare had gotten very high. OK,,panic is setting in. But thank heavens my brother and sister in law was able to help, taking on my pre teen along with their three pre schoolers. They are brave souls, I'll give them that.

OK, one crisis out of the way. Weather is now my only concern. Winter started early that year, usually we don't have our first snow fall until well after new year. This time, November was the start date, and heavy dumping's at that. By the time January rolled around, we were all very sick of winter, and my sister and I were looking forward to seeing the sun, and warm temperatures. We were averaging a storm a week. And I was convinced weather was going to keep me from my magical Disney vacation. So much so, that we called the airlines to get their policy on weather related cancellations and insurances. Looked like we were going to simply be out the money. But worse, the disappointment.

Well, we came to one week to go - and i started packing. I took out all my summer cloths, and carefully chose what outfits I wanted to wear. I was going to take a ridiculous amount of pictures, and I didn't want to look like an out of place tourist. So I picked some of the nicest things I had. I was determined to look my best, even on the roller coasters! I really didn't have any idea of what the weather was really going to be like. Its Florida right! Sunny, warm ... Lets see, skorts..looks like a skirt, but the comfort of shorts. Pretty tanks, pretty colors, coordinating jewelry, yup, I think I'm all sent. The night before, I settle my little girl away with her grandparents for the first night, then on to her uncle and aunt. Then I go home to wait. My flight leaves at 6 am, and right now, is too calm. There is snow on the way.

Chapter 1--The countdown begins.

It had been such a long time since I had paid a visit the the "happiest place on earth" Walt Disney World Florida. Originally I had been there in May-June 1992. It was a whirlwind tour, staying off the resort and included other attractions other than Disney.

So much to see, so much to do. And I didn't do all I wished I had. Before I left, I voiced that I could not wait to see the classic rides, like the "Tea Cup ride" from Alice in Wonderland, and of course, Dumbo the flying elephant. By the time we had reached the Magic Kingdom, home of these classic rides, my mind was on overload, and i didn't even notice the rides, never mind get on them.

When I returned home to Newfoundland; a province on the east coast of Canada; I began to read the brochures I brought back with me. I was left somewhat disappointed when I realized I forgot to look for the rides, and realized how much I actually missed out on seeing! Since that visit my love of Disney grew, and grew and GREW! I couldn't wait to return. But, seems fate kept getting in my way. I would often visit their website, and see all the new attractions, and wondered what it would be like to ride them. I sometimes would even have dreams about visiting, but, like a nightmare, my dream would end just short of reaching my destination. To me, the symbol of Walt Disney World is the breathtaking Cinderella's Castle. I couldn't wait to see it again in person, and have my picture taken in front of it a dozen times. I wanted to just sit in front of it, and stare at it, until it was burned in my memory.

Fate, that simple little word. It seems to want to keep me away. My first visit came just a few months after I was married. The trip was with my new husband and his parents. It was the very first time I had traveled away from home, and I was very nervous about being in another country. But, as my love for Disney grew so did my fear of travel disappear. Finally we had a plan, spring of 1996. But, fate interfered again, in a good way. My only child was born late 1995. However, along with her birth came my husbands job loss, and my time off so, Disney had to wait. My in laws went as planned, and brought back nice things, and told me stories, but not the same.

So, we made plans again, however the tragic events of 9/11 delayed things again, and then in 2004 divorce came our way. My former in-laws wanted to take my daughter in 2005, I knew then that due to money issues, being a single mom and what have you, I could not take her myself, so I agreed to let her have that magical experience - without me. She did take lots of pictures, and got to meet all the characters, and I was happy she had the experience. But that made me even more determined to go there.

In late 2007 my 40th birthday was facing me. 40! Not my favorite number, and I wasn't' looking forward to it. One day, my sister and I were taking her new baby daughter to the mall to have her portraits taken, and next to the portrait studio was a travel agency. Of course what did they have displayed?? You guessed it, Disney World. I looked at my sister and said, "what I wouldn't give to get to go there now!" On our way home, my sister said to me, "Why don't you go online and do some research and see just what it would cost." I said sure. But both of us new that the cost would be too out of reach for me. I might want to go more than anything, but I am reasonable, and would never put myself in a financial pickle!!

So, I looked, and I priced and I found that fate was finally on my side. I found a deal that seemed 'too good to be true'. I called my sister and told her I found something, but I must be doing something wrong! She looked too. This deal was too good to pass up! But what about my daughter? What would she think of her mom going without her. lol. She didn't care, she shrugged her shoulders and said, "just bring me back something!" So, to celebrate my 40th birthday my sister and I were going to Disney World!