The Ridemax Made Me Take That Wheelchair December 2009 Trip Report updated 4/23

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

OK!!! This trip report is long over-due! We have been back a little more than a month now. I had intended to start much sooner, but life and a broken computer got in the way! So, without further ado...HERE WE GO!!! (Can you here Peter Pan saying that??!!)

I would like to say that this first installment will be somewhat boring with only one picture. It is a bit lengthy, but informative. I promise, it will get more exciting after this! For those of you that followed the PTR, welcome back! And, if I have not caught up on your report and posted yet, I am coming...I promise! For those of you that don't know us, HELLO!!! I will give you a brief summary.

I am Erin, mother of 3. I am a stay at home mom and enjoy doing things with and for my kids. I also love scrapbooking, reading, a nice cup of tea...and an occassional beer. Basically, I can enjoy myself in the quiet or at a hopping party!

My husband is Justin (J-Pa). He is a hard worker and very loyal. We have been together since high school and he is my true love! Justin is the best father I could ever ask for my kids to have. He enjoys the outdoors, relaxing and coaching the kids.

James is our oldest child at 13. Even though he is the oldest, he will always be my baby. We have our moments...as all parents do with a teenage child. But, all in all he's a great kid. He is an excellent athlete...wrestling and baseball. We are very proud of him. When he isn't practicing or playing, he's texting or playing x-box. (Typical 13 year old boy!)

Lexi is the middle child. She is 10. She is our pleaser. Lexi likes to give hugs and is always doing something for someone. And, she is our Irish Dancer. We love it...she loves it! When she isn't dancing, she's probably reading!

Last, but certainly not least...we have Logan...Poot...the mayor! He is 5 and the funniest, most outgoing and talkative kid ever! There is no one that doesn't like Logan- he won't allow it! (Even the teacher that seemed to not like him now loves him.) Pooty has started wrestling and is already quite good. As far as his personality, you will see throughout this TR just how infectious it really is!

So, that's us and overall, we are a fun bunch that loves to laugh, joke around and live life to it's fullest! We try not to let ourselves have a dull moment, get serious when needed and make wonderful memories all the time! And, that's that in a nutshell!!

Here's a family shot from this trip so all the newbies to our family can see us and we can have a little something other than words:



Before getting right into things, I will recap the specifics:

December 2-11, 2009

Split stay between POR and AKV (with an unexpected pit stop at the Contemporary!!)

Deluxe dining plan for the first half of the trip

Alright...with all that out of the way, I will get into the meat and potatoes of the trip! Well...I will do the best that I can since I took no notes and am working strictly from memory!!!

So, we left for Disney on December 2. The events of that day leading up to our departure were fairly routine. I ran some errands, packed our last minute items, helped Justin pack the car, finished cleaning...all the fun stuff to keep me busy and distracted from the clock. Soon enough, James got home from school at 3:00. We were out the door at about 3:15 (after saying good-bye to my sister-in-law and the animals). We went over to the elementary school and got the other two out about 15 minutes early and hit the road for the airport at about 3:45. Our flight was for 7:25. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to get to Philadelphia airport from our house. That gets us there at about 5:15 or 5:30...giving us two hours to check two bags, go through security and wait to board. Plenty of time!! Well....I asked several people that I know that live and / or work in that area about traffic at that time. They all told me that traffic would be bad leaving the city at that time, but not going in. So, we were gold! Plus, we had about an hour cushion just in case. So, about 1/2 hour into the trip, we hit the McDonald's drive-thru. 10 minute stop and back on the road. Still on target time-wise.

After eating, I collected everyone's garbage to get rid of it at the parking garage. We were getting so close to the airport I could hardly stand it! We had parking reservations at a lot a mile from the airport. They were charging $80 for the duration while the airport was $180. So, as we got closer, the traffic got heavier. We were about 15 miles out and came nearly to a dead stop. I tried not to panic knowing the extra time we had.

But!!!!!! As we crept along, I saw the minutes growing! Soon enough, it was 6:15 and we were still not there. Our flight was in just over one hour. We were ALL panicing! So, I called the airport...no more flights after that one...we had to be checked in by 6:55...and had 5 miles to go! Now I'm in super-panic mode! The nice gentleman at the airport gave us an alternate route and got us to the airport. So, we had to swallow the extra $100 to park at the airport plus the deposit I had already paid at the other place. But, cutting it this close gave us no other option. We didn't have time to transfer from another parking lot. Besides, spending an extra $100 was better than missing our flight, right?! So, we pull into the lot at 6:50...T minus 35 minutes until take off!!! We park, scramble out of the car, collect all of the bags and RUN!!!!! We got to the AirTran counter at 7:00. Luckily, I had checked us in on-line and already paid for the bags.

So, the process of checking our bags was quick and painless. Then, back upstairs to security. We went right through and RAN...all five of us...all 10 carry-ons...to the gate! When we got there, they were getting ready to board. We JUST made it! That was one of the scariest moments of my life! Everyone quickly went to the bathroom and then got on the plane. When we got to our seats (not easy with 3 kids and 10 bags), there was someone sitting in one of our seats. He said he had a ticket and I had ours. After going back and forth, it turned out he was on the wrong flight! He got through the gate person and everything!! Makes you wonder how secure things really are, huh?!

Anyway, bags away, in our seats, belts on...we took off at about 7:45. It was late, but we would be in Disney in a few hours!! About 1/2 hour into the flight, Justin started to feel ill. He doesn't get air sick normally, so we figured it was nerves from nearly missing the flight. This continued the entire flight. I kept the kids busy so he could rest. Our flight was also very choppy and I'm sure that did not help.

Finally we touched down in Orlando safe and sound! After taking off 20 minutes late, we still landed on time. We gathered our carry-ons and headed tp baggage claim. I took a couple of pictures along the way but will have to post them in the next installement because they are not on the new computer.

About 10:30 we had claimed our two bags and headed to ME. We checked into ME and waited about 10 minutes or so. By 11:00 we had loaded, our bus had finished filling and we were pulling out and heading to the world!! I was so happy to see that welcome video! At about 11:30, we pulled into POR. We got our bags and headed to check in. Surprisingly, for that time of night, check-in was busy.

It took about 30 minutes to get checked in. After that task was checked off, we went back to bell services to get a ride to our room. We were in building 36. Thank goodness we could get a ride as it was POURING!!!! Our nice driver gave us a bit of a tour and resort facts on the way to our room. Logan (in true fashion) sat up front with the driver (talking and asking questions the whole way).

After our ride, we all got in the room, the kids showered and headed to bed. Justin still did not feel well, so he went to bed and I unpacked until about 2:00 am. That, my friends, was our exciting arrival day!

Next up: Day 1...Magic Kingdom, new friends and will Justin feel better?

[Trentmom]

Yay !!! You started


Back to read now

[Trentmom]

OMG...how scary that must have been

So glad u made it just in time

I bet you had our pilot, since we both flew airtran.

He was dipping plane, turning way too fast. I really felt like I was in a stunt show

I hope Justin is feeling better by next morning and it was just nerves

[raider97]

Hi Erin! I'm in! Can't wait to read how your trip went!

Stephanie

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

Originally Posted by Trentmom

Yay !!! You started


Back to read now

Wow!!! You are quick!!! I posted that and you found it instantly!! LOL

Originally Posted by Trentmom

OMG...how scary that must have been

So glad u made it just in time

I bet you had our pilot, since we both flew airtran.

He was dipping plane, turning way too fast. I really felt like I was in a stunt show

I hope Justin is feeling better by next morning and it was just nerves

It was so scary...all the planning that I put into this trip I just wanted everything to be perfect and go according to plan...not so much!!

LOL maybe we did have the same pilot! I was actually thinking that when I read your TR!! At one point...James says (quite loud) "DUDE!!" LOL the people sitting around us found that sort-of funny!

Yeah...Justin's status will be in my next update! I am going to try to get it up tomorrow night. I am in a bit of a hurry because I am going to collaborate with someone else and their TR for the end of day 1. So, she is waiting on me.

Originally Posted by raider97

Hi Erin! I'm in! Can't wait to read how your trip went!

Stephanie

Hi!! Thanks for coming over!!! I am going to hopefully keep it going now!!

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Hurray, you started!

Wow, I would have had a heart attack cutting it that close. Your heart must have been racing.

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

Originally Posted by Lifelong_Dreamer

Hurray, you started!

Wow, I would have had a heart attack cutting it that close. Your heart must have been racing.

Uhhhh...yeah! I thought I was going to just sit down and cry my eyes out! I usually crack under that kind of pressure, but I amazed myself and stayed calm enough to handle the situation. It was almost like my body went into autopilot!! I think if I had lost it, we would not have been on that plane!

[ladybugmom]

Hi Erin!! I just found your TR and I'm excited to read it as we're planning a trip to WDW around Christmas!! We're looking at the week after Thanksgiving!! I can't WAIT!! Boy was the start of your vacation stressful!! I'm so glad that you made your flight!! I'm so sorry your hubby wasn't feeling well. Can't wait to read more!

[Panotchr]

Whew! I made it!
I have to go back to talk about your PTR, though.
I am a Kindergarten teacher. I just have to say something about Logan's experience. I am glad to hear that things seem to be better. We do not require kids to do what his teacher was asking him to do in October. Give me a break. We are still working on walking in lines, opening milk and of course we do academic things, but holy moly... being upset by the word "and". At any rate, it seems like she was a little defensive and knew she had not done right by him. He is adorable and I am sure he'll be fine.

Now, back to your TR!

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

Originally Posted by ladybugmom

Hi Erin!! I just found your TR and I'm excited to read it as we're planning a trip to WDW around Christmas!! We're looking at the week after Thanksgiving!! I can't WAIT!! Boy was the start of your vacation stressful!! I'm so glad that you made your flight!! I'm so sorry your hubby wasn't feeling well. Can't wait to read more!

Hi!!! Welcome! It is a nice time to go...just have your Christmas stuff done prior to your trip...I did not have a lot done and that made Christmas stressful. I love the Christmas season...everything...the smells...the sounds...the looks on people's faces...the all around spirit. Well, this year it became more of a chore because I had a week and a half span where I was not home to prepare right beforethe holiday. Sorry for the rant...just a bit of advice!! Also, we have been there actually over the holiday in the past. Later in the TR I will discuss the difference just FYI!!!

Yes...the start was a bit too stressful for my liking!! But, everything ended well! I am going to really try to get a good update up here tonight so that I can have some pix in this report!!! LOL

Originally Posted by Panotchr

Whew! I made it!
I have to go back to talk about your PTR, though.
I am a Kindergarten teacher. I just have to say something about Logan's experience. I am glad to hear that things seem to be better. We do not require kids to do what his teacher was asking him to do in October. Give me a break. We are still working on walking in lines, opening milk and of course we do academic things, but holy moly... being upset by the word "and". At any rate, it seems like she was a little defensive and knew she had not done right by him. He is adorable and I am sure he'll be fine.

Now, back to your TR!

WooHoo!! Thanks for coming over!

I have a few people on here that are teachers and they weighed in on the situation which was nice...just what I was looking for. Things are much better now. In fact the report cards came out a few weeks after that conference we had. The grading scale for Kindergarten for him is 1, 2 or 3, with 3 being the best grade you can get. He got 3 on all but two areas. The two things he didn't score 3 on were given 2's. So, I guess he made a huge turn around in that few weeks, huh??!! LOL I know he is fine...and now the teacher likes him, too! Thanks for encouragement!

[Panotchr]

Oh yeah.. I read every post. I agreed with them, but I didn't think I could weigh in just yet.

I am out today with two sick kiddos, so a great time to catch up on DIS
My husband is in PA today... of course the kids are sick and the "oil" light on the van is on. I just love it when that happens.

I'm glad Logan did so well. He is simply adorable. I showed his picture to my oldest daughter and told her about what had happened and she said, "too bad he isn't in your class, Mom." We have a Disney theme at our school this year, but I always have a Disney theme in my classroom.

[MEK]

Originally Posted by LOVEMY3KIDDOS

After eating, I collected everyone's garbage to get rid of it at the parking garage. We were getting so close to the airport I could hardly stand it! We had parking reservations at a lot a mile from the airport. They were charging $80 for the duration while the airport was $180. So, as we got closer, the traffic got heavier. We were about 15 miles out and came nearly to a dead stop. I tried not to panic knowing the extra time we had.

But!!!!!! As we crept along, I saw the minutes growing! Soon enough, it was 6:15 and we were still not there. Our flight was in just over one hour. We were ALL panicing! So, I called the airport...no more flights after that one...we had to be checked in by 6:55...and had 5 miles to go! Now I'm in super-panic mode! The nice gentleman at the airport gave us an alternate route and got us to the airport. So, we had to swallow the extra $100 to park at the airport plus the deposit I had already paid at the other place. But, cutting it this close gave us no other option. We didn't have time to transfer from another parking lot. Besides, spending an extra $100 was better than missing our flight, right?! So, we pull into the lot at 6:50...T minus 35 minutes until take off!!! We park, scramble out of the car, collect all of the bags and RUN!!!!! We got to the AirTran counter at 7:00. Luckily, I had checked us in on-line and already paid for the bags.

I was getting totally stressed reading this. Where you on the blue route (495) or the Schuylkill Exp? I know the Blue Route backs up quite a bit heading to 95. I am so glad you made it in time, with a few minutes to spare. Talk about stress. That stinks that you had to pay so much to park. Practically the cost of another flight, but definately better than missing the flight.

Anyho - glad you started your TR. And glad you didn't post too many pics since I am reading at work. Looking forward to more excitment!

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

Originally Posted by Panotchr

Oh yeah.. I read every post. I agreed with them, but I didn't think I could weigh in just yet.

I am out today with two sick kiddos, so a great time to catch up on DIS
My husband is in PA today... of course the kids are sick and the "oil" light on the van is on. I just love it when that happens.

I'm glad Logan did so well. He is simply adorable. I showed his picture to my oldest daughter and told her about what had happened and she said, "too bad he isn't in your class, Mom." We have a Disney theme at our school this year, but I always have a Disney theme in my classroom.

LOL that's the way it always is!!! When you need the hubs...not there!!!! Where in PA is he??

Thanks...he is a special little guy! Like I said, EVERYONE loves him. He just has something about him! Tell your daughter I said thanks for tihnking of him!!!

Originally Posted by MEK

I was getting totally stressed reading this. Where you on the blue route (495) or the Schuylkill Exp? I know the Blue Route backs up quite a bit heading to 95. I am so glad you made it in time, with a few minutes to spare. Talk about stress. That stinks that you had to pay so much to park. Practically the cost of another flight, but definately better than missing the flight.

Anyho - glad you started your TR. And glad you didn't post too many pics since I am reading at work. Looking forward to more excitment!

LOL I just read up on your TR I guess while you were over here!! Great minds think alike!!!

It was kind of funny...as I wrote that up and then typed it, I was getting stressed all over again!! LOL It was so scary! We were on the Schuykill. I went to college down there in center city and should really know this, but everyone said I'd be good. But, yeah...I was more willing to pay the extra hundred than for new flights, a hotel and whatever!!!

Nope...just the one pic. I am really going to try to get on here tonight and do another one with more pix. So, you will have to check that out at home!!!

[Panotchr]

He flew into Baltimore and drove to Lancaster. His company headquarters are there.

My oldest wants to be a teacher and she LOVES children. She is the neighborhood babysitter. On many a weekend she has 5 or 6 families OUTBIDDING each other to get her Pretty funny!

[Panotchr]

Here she is with my great-nephew on the beach last summer Thought you might like to see a face