Woke up around 5:45 and started getting ready. This was going to be a change as we actually weren't going to eat breakfast and hop on the bad bus (the Magical Express that takes you to the airport...you know, the one that has 50% of the bus bawling as the characters all sing "now it's time to say 'Goodbye'...yeah...that one!). We got everything finished up packing (okay, Sheri did 90% of it the night before), and I took everything over to the resort area check-in. I was the only one there at 6:35...couldn't imagine why. I got us all checked in and the bags unloaded to them. I went back to the room and noticed that there was a bus outside already (wow!).
We got the kids rousted, did a quick pseudo toothbrush thing, and headed out to the bus stops as we were heading to Kona for a 7:45 ressie. I figured we'd have missed the MK bus as it had been 10-15 minutes since I saw it. It was right around 7:00 when we got there, and the bus pulls up (I guess he was waiting to go on shift???)
We hop on the bus (only a handful of us there) and head over to MK. Aaron's just about to the point where we can hire him out as a guide for WDW...he knew exactly what we were doing and led us to the monorail entrance. We hopped on, and, before we knew it, we were through the Contemp, past the TTC, and in the land of Polynesia. We hop off (about 15 minutes early) and check in. Within a couple of minutes, we're led to our table.
Our server stops by, and, being the freaks of instinct, we already knew what we wanted. We order our meal at the same time we gave our drink order.
Big mistake.
He forgot the pressed pot coffee for around 12 minutes. Then he pressed it and didn't quite do it right as the grounds didn't exactly go down to the bottom of the pot like they usually do. If I remember correctly, one of the boys' drinks was wrong too. The food was mind-blowing as always (I get the Tonga toast and Sheri gets the pineapple-macadamia nut pancakes). Eric is considered the sausage king, and, unfortunately, he was served bacon. I switched out the pig parts before the eyes welled up and gave him my sausage.
Not the best service we've had there...we're going to chalk this one up as an anomaly as we've eaten there a number of times before with no problems at all.
When it came time for the bill, we were paying out of pocket. Sheri took the boys to hit the bathroom and look at the decorations inside the Poly. After about 10 minutes, she peers back in at me still waiting to get the check. I was nearing the point of banging my head on the table as our server seemed to have disappeared. Being a server in a former life, I can understand the need to step away for a few minutes; however, he cleared off the plates and then vanished. I think the manager noticed I was nearing the point of suicide and stopped by. I just mentioned I was waiting for the check.
2 minutes later, our server magically appears with the check. I pay cash and did something I rarely do...tipped under 15% (I'm usually 20-25% at restaurants -- part of that server-in-former-life thing). It was something like around 12-13%. If he were double-sat, I'd understand it (I hated being double-sat as it totally throws off the rhythm). We were his only table, however.
Last day, Mush...don't let it get to you.
We hop back on the monorail and Sheri, with her astute eye, notices that nobody asked for the front. She asked (after Aaron and I were in the car), and they could fit 2. I told her to take Eric, since he hadn't had a chance to do that yet. I didn't tell Aaron...just kept him in the middle of the car in the stroller looking outside.
Yeah, he thought it was cool.
Perhaps he actually is my son and not the UPS guy's kid.
We get to MK and meet back up with Sheri and Eric without Aaron suspecting a thing, until Sheri shows us the monorail co-pilot license they got. Way to go, wifey! We head through the turnstiles and notice that very few folks are here for the opening which was starting in just five minutes.
Good Morning...good Moooorning!!!
Sheri's okay with it, but I've always loved the opening of the park and secretly hope to be that family up there someday.
Anyways...5...4...3...2...1...POP! The streamers go flying out, and half of them land on us. The boys think it's the coolest thing, and I think they still have some of those streamers in their rooms, 2.5 years later!
We let the insanity go by us and slowly take in the atmosphere one last time for the vacation. The music...the colors...the CMs in big white hands waving...the joy.
We bear left at the hub to the walkway that goes to Fantasyland (by Tinkerbelle's Treasures), where we see the insanity geared up to run people over so they could be the ones to wake up Tink. The rope drops, and we slowly head towards Peter Pan. Eric wasn't too sure of this the first time, but we decided to try it again.
Let's just say we ended up riding it again.
After 2 rides over the Crocodile, we head over to Philharmagic and see that one.
It's a tradition...gotta get a pic there.
We watch Donald's mayhem one final time, though I think I was watching the boys' reactions as much as I watched the show. As we head out, I notice I had a voice mail. It was Mare. She and Renee had made it in and were heading to Tomorrowland. I called back and, for only like the second time this entire trip, two people actually talked instead of leaving a message. We made our way to Tomorrowland for one last ride of Buzz before heading back to the Pop to catch our bus. Mare said they'd be there in a few.
We got to the Lunching Pad and saw them near MILF. We didn't tell the boys that they'd be there, but it didn't matter. When the kids saw each other (let me clarify...when Aaron and Renee saw each other...Eric was more intrigued by the pixie dust he found on the ground), they ran and gave each other a hug.
Our group of 6 hopped into the queue line (or lack thereof) and was firing up the lasers within 30 seconds.
I love this pic:
We defeat Zurg one last time and start to make our way towards the exit. Before we exit, however, we pop into the Emporium one last time to see if we can find our old neighbor's mother. No luck, unfortunately.
We stop at Town Square and gab for a couple of minutes before we say our goodbyes.
Good Friends:
As is tradition, I look back before exiting and tell the Castle goodbye before heading under the train station.
We hop on the bus and, before we know it, we're telling the Tramp's Ass goodbye too for one final time:
It was a somewhat shorter trip, but it was a fantastic trip. We gauge the gaggle of people waiting for the bad bus and decide that nobody seemed to be in the mood to strike up a conversation, so our family of four talked about the best parts of the vacation. Sheri grabs one last shot of our sorrowful clan about to board the bad bus:
Of course, when I tell them to look sad, they give us their best smiles of the entire trip.
Oh well.
Bad bus comes, and we're watching 50% of the people starting to cry on that last refrain. It has gotten to me before, but not this time. Dunno, as it was our first Disney vacation for the entire family.
There's always one final tradition that we do in Orlando before we board the plane. After the security thing and the tram ride to the terminal, we always stop at the Burger King for a meal. Hell, we've got about and hour and 45 minutes before our flight leaves...why not?! We've done it every trip (and every trip I'm tempted to see if I can charge it to my WDW room key).
An uneventful set of flights later, and the Mush Family's 2007 trip is history.
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