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The Mac Family: Days 1&2: Georgia, Barry and Arriving in Disney
Cast
Gary (a.k.a dpamac)
Chris (his long-suffering wife)
Matilda (11 going on 40, name changed to protect the innocent)
Gertrude (She’d want to make sure you know that she’s 5 and a half. Not just 5. Name also changed to protect the innocent.)
Yeah, it took a while to get these posted. I’m still not even done writing them. The reports are taking longer than the actual trip . . . Stupid work. If someone could arrange for me not to do that , that would be great. It’s seriously cutting into my sitting around thinking about Disney time.
Warning. I’m verbose, so these will get long. Also, I took over 600 photos of the whole trip. I’m happy to share my Flickr page with anyone who wants to PM me because I can’t post the links here. I tend to get loose with my language off the boards. I’m not saying I drop any of the big ones, but my goofy comments wouldn’t pass the “would you want your five-year-old repeating it” rule we try to keep here. If you want to see them, drop me a line.
Anyway . . .
Days 1&2: Georgia, Barry and Arriving in Disney
We set off early Friday morning. As I watched my bike fading into the horizon and realizing I wouldn’t get to ride for 11 days, I nearly cried. Because, you see, I’ve become attached to that goofy piece of aluminum and carbon.
But, that’s the least of the story. We drove for roughly 8 hours before we hit Georgia. Once we crossed the border and hit I-75 it was traffic and construction for the rest of the day. Oddly, I’m not sure they were actually doing construction on the highway. As far as I could tell they were just moving traffic barriers around for fun.
Somehow, despite all of my planning, we ended up hitting Atlanta right at rush hour. What seemed like four days later we finally hit our hotel, roughly 20 miles south of the city. We had a nice dinner with some friends we met online years ago (a physicist/cyclist and his knitting wife . . . hmmm that sounds familiar). We had a great time talking about cycling, knitting and science.
We set off early again Saturday morning, completing the drive from Georgia to Orlando. We were expecting wildfires, instead we met Barry.
From roughly twenty miles out through Ocala we drove through the rain bands of Tropical Storm Barry. Bad for us, but Georgia and Florida certainly needed that rain. So, it was a mixed blessing.
Luckily, by the time we hit Florida’s Turnpike, Barry was making his way out of there and the sun was shining through. When we passed under the Disney gate the girls let out a squeal that nearly shattered the windows. For the rest of the drive they bounced off the walls in the back seat.
We were staying at Coronado Springs Resort. Taking the Western Way is a must if you drive. Not only did we fly down a nearly deserted road, but it let us out practically in the hotel parking lot. Awesome. The only problem was that our GPS unit was pretty sure we were driving through a cow pasture. At one point I think it finally said, “Fine, if you’re not going to listen to me you’re digging your own grave.”
We checked in, wandered the grounds and then hit the bus system to go to the Magic Kingdom, ride the monorail for a while and then have dinner with a certain TiggTigg5 at Whispering Canyon Cafe. To say the girls loved the monorail would be an understatement. Matilda has ridden it before, and has ridden Disneyland’s monorail, but even she was thrilled. Gert stood the whole way, filled with some sort of strange thrill-seeking based on her ability to stand while in motion.
After cruising around the resort loop, we hit the bus to the Wilderness Lodge (and, let me tell you, the kids really didn’t care it was the hotel we stayed at for our honeymoon). We found Ed (TiggTigg5) sitting in the lobby doing his best not to get in trouble. It was a struggle because his wife had to work, so he was on his own. You could see the devil and angel on each of his shoulders.
We ate. A lot. And had a great time. Gertrude took part in the horse race during dinner and made the mistake of asking for ketchup. Watching the girls give the ketchup to the next victim was pretty darn funny. Matilda’s eyes popped out when dessert arrived. Based on the twinkle in her eye when she saw that cake, I knew she became a staunch proponent of the Disney Dining Plan.
We wandered the lobby and gift shop a bit, then had to bid Ed a fond farewell because he had an early morning and was heading of to Disneyland a few days later.
To close out the evening we hit the EPCOT monorail and waited for copilot status. Had a great conversation with the pilot and not only did he give the kids a license, but he gave me one too. Now that’s a cast member.
Coming up: Disney/MGM Studios for my first geekfest of Star Wars Weekend.
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Glad you came through Barry just fine and the weather was already clearing by time you arrived at Disney World.
What a fun way to start off your trip!
Linda aka: Faline
INTERCOT Staff: Vacation Planning,Trip Reports and Disney Camping
[email protected]
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Thanks for the great report!
November 2010 Disneyland
December 2009 Disneyland
March 2008 Disneyland
December 2007 Disneyland
September 2007 All Star Music
August 2007 Disneyland
October 2006 Offsite
December 2003 POR
June 2001 All Star Music
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Sounds like you're off to a great start!
Heather
YC-7/99,00,8/07
BC-8/01
Poly-8/02,03,7/05
POR-12/03,9/11
WL-7/04
POFQ-12/04,8/06
Pop-10/05,5/07,12/08,8/09,1/11,3/13
CBR-11/07,09,10/11,5/12
ASMo-1/09
ASSp-1/10,8/12
Offsite-8/08,5/09
ASMu-8/10,11/10
CSR-8/10
AoA-12/12, 9/13
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A good start too funny about your bike. Your report is lot's of fun to read thanks for sharing it with us!
Natalie
Feb 2001 off site Jan 2002 All star movies Dec 2002 All star sports jan-04 Poly Nov 2004 pofq Nov 2005 Pors Mar 06 at PORS CBR Dec 2006 POR sept 21-30 2007 oct 2008 poly and akl, dec 2008 pop and VWL
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Sounds like a wonderful start! I'm glad the weather didn't give you too much trouble on the drive down...or the cows!
INTERCOT Staff-
Nightlife, Shops, Water Parks/DCL/runDisney
DVC owner- BLT, Alauni, SSR, Vero, OKW
Next:
Oct- WLV
Nov- Vero
Dec- BWV
Jan- SSR runICOT WEEKEND!
Feb- Poly
Mar- Disney Wonder
Apr- AKL Kidani
May- Vero
Sept- BLT
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It was certainly an interesting start. But both the girls had portable DVD players (thanks big brother!) so they really didn't notice the weather.
I did miss that bike . . .
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Great beginning, Gary. Been looking forward to your reports!
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Originally Posted by Emily
I know, right?! I've thought the same thing! I feel your pain, Gar! Every time I go, I just dread that last hour or more in Georgia on I-75... it's torture.
Great report, off to read more!
(I will resist the urge to chastise you for being in my fair city and not even saying hello. I will assume you were pressed for time and it was nothing personal. )
Nope that's totally my fault Em! For some reason I thought you were further south than Atlanta. Turns out we spent the night only 50 miles away from you in McDonnough (which seems to be under eternal construction too). We could have easily met for dinner or something. I'm just not too bright sometimes.
However, you'll get your fill of me in October.
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No harm, no foul. I can't wait for October, actually!! But that's a topic for another day.
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Yay! Gary reports!!
¨¨*:•
"Here You Leave Today and Enter the World of Yesterday, Tomorrow and Fantasy!"
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Sounds like a great start.
~Beth~
1st trip Nov. 24, 2006-ASmovies (4nights)
Nov. 25, 2007-ASMovies (6 nights)
Sept. 6, 2008-ASMovies (6 nights)
Nov. 28, 2009 ASMovies (7nights)
Nov 28, 2015 AOA (7 nights)
December 10, 2016 AKL/Pop (7nights)
Nov. 25, 2017 AsMusic (8 Nights) Next Trip March 4 AsSports (4 nights)
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Thanks for the trip report.
Upcoming:
October 2013
8 nights at Pop Century with Free Dining to celebrate DS turning 4 years old!!!!
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Thanks for the report!
ºoº David, Lisa, Aaron and Allison
98-PO
00-CB & ASMo
01-Swan
02-CS
03-POR
04-POP
05-PO / CR
07-PO / CR
08-ASMu
09-AKL
10-CR, CS & PP DL
11-NB DLP & SSR
12-BLT & BLT
13-GC DL & BLT
15-Aulani & BLT
16-ASMu & GC DL
17-BWI, THV, CSR, BLT
18-BLT, OKW, OKW, CBR, GF & BLT
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THis is a fun read already - I've got to hunt down the rest of them...
Rebecca
mom of Jenna (Cindewella) & Lucy (Sleepingbooty)
Last visit: May 2009, Pop Century
Next visit: September 2010, Caribbean Beach Resort
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Very entertaining Trip Report! I would love to know your girls' reaction when you gave them their aliases.
Never underestimate the power of High School Musical!
Pop Century - Dec/2004
Pop Century - Nov/2005
Coronado Springs - Dec/2005
Pop Century - Nov/2007
Dolphin - Nov-Dec/2007
Pop Century - Dec 2007
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Originally Posted by wilshade
Very entertaining Trip Report! I would love to know your girls' reaction when you gave them their aliases.
I've been writing about them for years, so they've had those names for a while. If I refer to them online it's usually with those names. Their aunts and uncles sometimes call them by those names.
They're okay with them. I think they realize they are old fashioned, but have accepted them. When we met our friends in Georgia and they aksed which was Gert and which was Matilda they each owned up to their names.
It so happens that Matilda is the name of my wife's grandmother and Gertrude is the name of my favorite aunt growing up. The personalities of each girl closely matches their namesake as well.
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You know I wander in to the Trip Reports forum and look what I find! A story to read!
This is sort of like Christmas morning ... I see from scanning up and down the page here that I have a good 7 or 8 more of these tales to read!
Thanks, Gar!
Ian ºOº
INTERCOT Senior Imagineer
Veteran of over 60 trips to Disney theme parks and proud to have stayed in every Disney resort in the continental United States! º0º
Next trip:
April 2018 - Saratoga Springs Treehouse
Help support INTERCOT's sponsors!!!
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Thanks for the report! I look forward to reading the rest of them!
John (aka HndrdPrcnt)
DL CM 1987 - 1994
CM WDW Trips 87,89,90,92
CBR 1994
Beach Club 1998
All Stars 2000
POP Sept 25-Oct 2 2006
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