Cast Of Characters:
Trip Dates: October 19-27, 2003
Travel: Drive
Resort: Animal Kingdom Lodge (Concierge Level)
Introduction:
OK, here goes another long and involved trip report.
This will be our third trip in the last three years. I'm secretly trying to get the wife into a routine so I don’t have to "talk" her into going to Disney every year. I think its working.
Once again, like last years trip, we are pampering ourselves with Animal Kingdom Lodge on the concierge level, along with the Fairytale Package with the Silver add-on. This should be fun!
We also invited my wife's sister and her husband. They haven't done a real vacation for ten year, and they keep hearing me going on and on and on about Disney, so they asked if they could join us this year. Now I'll finally get to ride the thrill rides with someone because the wife refuses to get on them. Tower of Terror here I come!
They have also decided to do just about everything we are doing like the tours and shows we do, so we'll be together for most of the vacation. They are arriving a day after us, and leaving a day before, so we’ll have a few days to ourselves.
We are also going to meet up with some friends of ours that live in Orlando for dinner on the last night, so I'm looking forward to seeing them as well.
So enough with the small talk, let's get to the report.
Day 1 – Sunday October 19
Planned Activities:
What Really Happened
Well, we got on the road at 5:15 AM, 15 minuets later than I wanted, but that's OK, I can make that time up. Stopped for a quick breakfast bite at McD and gas, and we were rolling.
Made it through Baltimore, DC and Richmond without incident. At so early in the morning on a Sunday, I was hoping the traffic would be non existent, and it was.
Everything was going great until southern Virginia. We stopped for gas, and when I tried to start the car…click, click, click. Nothing, dead, non-starting pile of #$%#$!!! Not now, not on our vacation, not on the way to Disney! Thankfully a couple stopped to help us. He was a mechanic, and he quickly deduced it was the battery. There was an AutoZone nearby, and I had the battery replaced and we were on our way again, only losing 1 hour over the whole ordeal.
We never did get the name of the couple that helped us, but I want to thank them once again. They really saved our vacation. Thanks.
So after a few construction stops along the way, we ended up at the Sawgrass outside of Jacksonville at around 8:30 PM. We checked in, had a wonderful dinner in the restaurant (it was very good), and turned in for the night.
For those needing a place to stay around Jacksonville, and a willing to spend around $130 for a nice place to stay, the Sawgrass is an excellent choice.
High Points
The couple that helped out of our auto nightmare.
Low Points
The car deciding to die.
(to be continued...)
- John (me, 35 years old) – frequent WDW visitor
- Dianne (my wife, 35 years old) – frequent WDW visitor
- Suzanne (my wife's sister) – first time in many years
- Chris (Suzanne's husband) – first time in many years
Trip Dates: October 19-27, 2003
Travel: Drive
Resort: Animal Kingdom Lodge (Concierge Level)
Introduction:
OK, here goes another long and involved trip report.
This will be our third trip in the last three years. I'm secretly trying to get the wife into a routine so I don’t have to "talk" her into going to Disney every year. I think its working.
Once again, like last years trip, we are pampering ourselves with Animal Kingdom Lodge on the concierge level, along with the Fairytale Package with the Silver add-on. This should be fun!
We also invited my wife's sister and her husband. They haven't done a real vacation for ten year, and they keep hearing me going on and on and on about Disney, so they asked if they could join us this year. Now I'll finally get to ride the thrill rides with someone because the wife refuses to get on them. Tower of Terror here I come!
They have also decided to do just about everything we are doing like the tours and shows we do, so we'll be together for most of the vacation. They are arriving a day after us, and leaving a day before, so we’ll have a few days to ourselves.
We are also going to meet up with some friends of ours that live in Orlando for dinner on the last night, so I'm looking forward to seeing them as well.
So enough with the small talk, let's get to the report.
Day 1 – Sunday October 19
Planned Activities:
- Travel to WDW
- Check-In at Marriot Sawgrass in Jacksonville
What Really Happened
Well, we got on the road at 5:15 AM, 15 minuets later than I wanted, but that's OK, I can make that time up. Stopped for a quick breakfast bite at McD and gas, and we were rolling.
Made it through Baltimore, DC and Richmond without incident. At so early in the morning on a Sunday, I was hoping the traffic would be non existent, and it was.
Everything was going great until southern Virginia. We stopped for gas, and when I tried to start the car…click, click, click. Nothing, dead, non-starting pile of #$%#$!!! Not now, not on our vacation, not on the way to Disney! Thankfully a couple stopped to help us. He was a mechanic, and he quickly deduced it was the battery. There was an AutoZone nearby, and I had the battery replaced and we were on our way again, only losing 1 hour over the whole ordeal.
We never did get the name of the couple that helped us, but I want to thank them once again. They really saved our vacation. Thanks.
So after a few construction stops along the way, we ended up at the Sawgrass outside of Jacksonville at around 8:30 PM. We checked in, had a wonderful dinner in the restaurant (it was very good), and turned in for the night.
For those needing a place to stay around Jacksonville, and a willing to spend around $130 for a nice place to stay, the Sawgrass is an excellent choice.
High Points
The couple that helped out of our auto nightmare.
Low Points
The car deciding to die.
(to be continued...)