WDW On Short Notice - Set-up and Prologue

[ltjrrich]

Primary Cast:
Me - 26 y/o dude, lost count of how many times I've been to WDW many years ago. 20 times would be a reasonable guess.
Mom - Indeterminate age. She too has been to WDW many times.
Dad - Slightly younger than dirt. He has been to WDW many times, but doesn't necessarily remember. (Dad: "Wow! The Boardwalk is nice! Do you have to be a member to stay here?" Mom: "...No. WE stayed here two trips ago! Don't you remember?" Dad: "Hmm?")

Extended Cast:
Aunt T
Uncle S
Cousin S
Cousin A

The Set-up: The extended family had already planned to do a Disney Cruise and then WDW for a week at the end of August. My grandparents were going with them on the cruise, but didn't want to do the parks. So, Aunt T called Mom in July and asked if we wanted to go to WDW. We said yes, hastily planned the trip, and on Saturday 8/20 we began our drive from Long Island to WDW.

Prologue: We left early in the morning on 8/22, I think at about 4 AM. I'm not 100% sure, because thanks to Dramamine, lack of sleep, and my natural ability to sleep pretty much anywhere at any time, I fell asleep in the car almost immediately. What follows is a highly detailed account of the first several hours of the trip as I saw it:

Zzzzzzzz...hmm? where are we? Ah! The Outerbridge Crossing! Entering New Jers-zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...Wha? Oh. Where are we n - ah! The Delaware Memorial Bridge! I slept through all of New Jersey. It would be a shame to miss the majesty of Dela-Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...Hmm? Elkton? We're in Maryland now. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz...Is that DC? Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...Oh! I think we stopped!

Apparently there was very bad traffic in Virginia, so we stopped for breakfast at a Bob Evans. I have no idea where in Virginia, other than it was a Bob Evans in a very large shopping center right off of I-95. We got back on the road, sat in traffic a bit, and then got back on our way - where I slept on and off all the way through the Carolinas.

My mom and I booked a hotel in Kingsland, GA for the trip down, so most of our traveling was done that first night. Dinner was at a Cracker Barrel outside of Savannah. I got the Chicken and Dumplins, with a side of: fried apples, mac and cheese, and fried okra. Dinner was courtesy of a Cracker Barrel gift card I bought at BJ's (a $50 gift card only cost $48! How could I lose?). Also, this Cracker Barrel has to be the most frightening Cracker Barrel ever, because it was BACKWARDS! You know how every time you enter a Cracker Barrel, you walk into the store and then the restaurant is on the left? Well, at this Cracker Barrel, the restaurant is on the right! It's actually disorienting, considering it's the opposite of every other Cracker Barrel I have ever seen anywhere else in the country.

That evening we arrived at the hotel, which was very nice. We got a suite, and I slept on the fold-out couch LIKE A BIG BOY!

We woke up early the next morning, got breakfast at the hotel, and then drove about 3 hours to...WDW. But that, dear reader, is a story best left for Part 1.

[cer]

OK, I am so looking forward to hearing about the rest of this trip.

I am already a fan of all the napping and the sleeping on the pull out LIKE A BIG BOY!

Thanks for the report!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Thanks for the report, looking forward to the rest....

[faline]

Well, at least you arrived well rested for your vacation!

[T-Belle]

Oh this report is going to be good!! Can't wait to get started!

[gauvin4]

I can fall asleep in a car at the drop of a hat!! I look forward to reading more about your trip.

[DisneyorBust]

I sure hope that you have the opportunity to get some rest before you get to WDW....don't want to arrive exhausted.

[January-2007]

Thanks for reporting!