We're Back from Trip #9 to Walt Disney World!

We’re back!  We made it home yesterday after a very early morning, a smooth flight, and a fast drive.  The boy was in bed by 6:30 pm and the husband and I soon followed.  We had been up since 2:00 am our time to get the bus to the airport for an early flight.  It felt great to be home and in our own beds!

Here’s a summary of our trip. . . by the numbers:

1329 pictures taken on our camera

38 videos recorded

552 photos on our Photopass account—this is a new record for us!

4  number of times we went to the resort pool

4 & 3  number of times we rode Toy Story Mania on two visits to Hollywood Studios

3, 3, 2, and 1  number of times we went to Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom respectively.

14 hours—longest day of park touring

1 new restaurant tried

1 new ride the boy tried

1 new pair of shoes for the husband while on the trip

100 number of arcade points the husband and the boy used at the resort

2 number of items we lost in the parks

1 number of items we found. . . so far!

3 number of frequent stayer, flier, or shopper reward programs we used on this trip

$99 what we paid for our Photopass CD

$169 what we would have paid if we waited to order the Photopass CD after coming home

$149 what we could pay for the Photopass CD if we bought it in the parks—no editing or adding borders to photos, though

4 number of birthday cupcakes the husband received

2 sets of matching shirts that came home unworn

23 & 24 number of times we have now been at Orlando International Airport

9 months—how long it is until our next Disney trip!

As always, the people watching was great and the stories plentiful.  The husband pointed out that I will have much to blog about.  So true!

A people story that stands out happened on our last night.  We took a Friendship boat from Hollywood Studios to the Beach Club as we were eating at Cape May Café.  When the boat made its first stop at the Swan and Dolphin Resorts, a lady did not board the boat, but turned back to wait in line, as the boat was too full and she would have to stand.  Ah hum, she was going to have to stand to wait for the next boat!  So, instead of standing for 7 minutes to get to the next boat stop, she stood for 10 minutes waiting for the next boat, which may or may not have had a seat.  Even the boy saw the error in the logic on this one.

Post trip is also when I reflect on park peeves.  There was only one this trip, but it was a big one—the people who stop in the middle of a walkway!  Get out of the way!  Move to the side of the path and look at your park map to make a decision about where you are going next and how to get there.  Move over to check your electronic device that you can’t see in the bright Florida sunshine to determine the attraction with the least amount of wait time.  I’m putting all guests who walk to the entrance to an attraction and then stop in this category, too.  Commit!  Commit to a line, a path, an attraction, something!  The kicker was the lady who was exiting the bathroom and stopped twice in front of me.  Let me restate this. . . exiting the bathroom—not entering.  And on her way out, I was behind her, and she stopped twice in her path. . . on the way out!

The husband’s park peeve was the guest at the resort who yelled at him for hoarding the soda machine when refilling mugs.  OK.  There are two machines.  And, while the husband was refilling 3 mugs, he could not have been using both machines.  Well, the husband got his revenge. . . he usually does.  A few days later, at Hollywood Studios, the husband went to the water fountain to refill a water bottle with cold water and that same guest was there. . . blocking the way to both water fountains—high and low.  The husband then said, “You’re blocking both water fountains.”  The man turned around and at first didn’t recognize him, but then came the glimmer of recognition.  The man slinked away.

Enough of the park peeves.  We had a grand time, no a magical time.  The stories will unfold on these pages over the next several weeks.  For now, I have Photopass photos to edit so I can get the CD I pre-ordered at a reduced rate!