Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM Ok, for those of you that have followed the saga of gettin' my family to DL, here's the latest...and the LAST plan. In our last episode, I had found a flight for my family for $99 each way. Well, friday, I found flights for $79 each way, so I called my dad to see if he had booked his flights yet, because he had said that considering what he had discovered about the train, he thought it best to fly. He says..."after talking to your sister, she said she didn't want to fly, but she WOULD if she HAD to. We all decided to take the train. We think it will be a fun family bonding trip." DH said that he'd much rather "bond" by hanging at the pool at the CCI, and not on an 11 hour bus ride to catch a train. I agree, but they've made their decision. Like I said to dad, "at least you know what your looking at as far as the trip goes." He's glad that he found about the details of the trip now instead of later. DH and I hope they have a wonderful trip down to DL. Like DH said to me this weekend, "I don't want to spend the first three days of my vacation listening to how awful their trip down was, and I don't want to spend the last three days listening to how much they DON'T want to take that trip back." If you all bow your heads in a moment of silence, and ask the Disney Gods above to bless the bus and the train, I would be forever grateful. Now that that is over...I TOTALLY SPACED saturday!!!!! It was my double-digit-dance-day, and I was so worked up about my family, that I neglected to remember a most solemn occasion. I am sittin' here at work, prepared to do my belated double-digit-dance, but I need some background music, so if you could all sing Zip A Dee Doo Dah for me, I can get on with it.
Originally Posted By mousegrl LOL! I hope plan E works out for your family. Disney Gods, Oh Disney Gods; please bless thy train and bus that will be taking MOLLYSMOM's family down to thy blessed place. Zip A Dee Doo Dah, Zip A Dee Ay, My Oh My What A Wonderful Day, Plenty of Sunshine Comin' Your Way Zip A Dee Do Dah.........
Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM mousegrl...I pay homage not only to your lovely prayer, but to your most beautiful singing voice...it was perfect accompaniment to my double-digit-dance....I sincerely thank you.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains Not to be a party pooper but if everyone else is willing to fly and only your sister has a problem with it - does she really have to go??? I really am not trying to be mean to her - but if flying would save your elderly (not say old) parents not having to sit on a bus for 11 hours before they even get to the train and then all that time on the train then isn't it rather selfish of her to not just suck it up and fly?!?! My friend is like you sister and would rather do anything other than fly - but she has sucked it up on more than one occasion and with a little confidence from her magic flying pills she manages - before the magic pills - Captain Morgan helped her along - What she has said it's not the flying that is so bad it is the thinking about it before that causes her the most stress after the take off she is okay (happy flying pills). Couldn't you all just book the flights for around the same time as the bus have her hubby get her a ticket and then when it's time to leave just go to the airport without telling her ahead of time, she wouldn't have time to get all stressed about it - hit the bar (unless hubby can call her dr for the happy pills) and put her on the plane...If she won't get on the plane then say good bye at the airport take her kids on the plane and let her hubby and her "bond" on the train...
Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM gottaluvvillains...this is EXACTLY what myself and DH have been saying...you ARE NOT being mean at all. My sister should not be forced to fly if she doesn't want to, but the other 8 people shouldn't be forced to endure this train trip. They actually believe that this will be fun...I hope to God that it is. NONE of these 9 people have EVER been to DL before. Four of these people are kids...they don't know they are going to DL, it's a surprise. How can you expect them to handle a 40 hour trip down there? The 4 1/2 plane ride is torture enough. By the time they get to DL, these kids will be tired, the adults will be tired, my mom's body will be thrashed, everyone will be cranky from lack of sleep...what a "fun" way to start your vacation. Then, knowing that you have to turn around and do it all again???? What bothers me, too, is that they will be at their hotel (CCI) sunday, but will NOT be going to the park until monday. Here, these kids have been dying in anticipation, and when they get up sunday morning, they are told they can't go to DL until Monday????? If I did what I want, I'd buy these 4 kids a plane ticket to fly down with us, and a day pass to go to the park as well.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains I say go for it - all around it would be more enjoyable for the kids - that sunday would be miserable for everyone being so close and not go in...not only that once their parents got their they would be somewhat settled down and that would be easier for the loons {} think the bus and the train would be fun. My girlfriend and her hubby took the train home from Seattle last summer they flew up and for a weekend for their anniv and thought the train would be a fun trip back - the train was at least 15 hrs late to Sac and they still had to get to the bay area (n.cal) so they rented a car and later found out the train ended up being over 24 hrs late to the bay area!!! I guess someone passed away on the train and it took 10 hours for the medics and coronor to get the man off the train - but they only found that out after the fact - no one on the train was informed of the death(heart attack) and those who were near the poor man were told not to upset the other passengers. My friend had called to complain about how late the train to try to get some kind of compensation for the car rental and the agent asked her if she was on the train with the man who passed!!! Tell them to FLY!!! It sounds as if with the price of the plane tickets you found ($79) being less than the train tickets they could afford the extra day or so in DL...They could just go to guest services and request trading the tickets for more days....
Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM gottaluvvillains...EXACTLY!!! If you get it, and I get it, why don't they get it? Wouldn't more time in DL be more fun that a bus or train for 40-some hours? We land at 2:30 sunday, and plan on heading for the park the second we check into our hotel. How are those 4 kids gonna feel, being able to see the rides from their hotel, and KNOW that we are in the park having a load of fun. They plan on getting that So Cal pass that gives you 3 days at Disney, one at Universal, and one at the zoo. They plan on spending sunday at the hotel mapping out their week, and perhaps at Downtown Disney, and being in DL monday, wednesday and friday. I told them that we will give them a call sunday when we land, and will pick a time to meet up Monday. I get from them, "so we won't see you sunday?" Ahhhhhh..."no"...we're going to the park, and will be there until closing. At that point, we will have waited 568 days, and we can't wait another second. DH's solution is to tell them that our flight got changed, and we won't be landing until 10:00 pm. He's rotton. Man, I feel bad for those kids.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains She still can upgrade those tickets for an addition day. I did the S.CA city pass a couple of years ago they also get a day at sea world. Universal my kids found dull (they liked some of the shows but there aren't very many rides) If they have the option I have heard the Wild Kingdom Park is better than the zoo - we liked the zoo for the animal exhibits but found the people part quite dirty. Sea world was fun they should try and book the lunch with shamu - you get reserved seating and lunch (the seats are not in the wet zone). The hard part will be when the cousins talk to each other and the other kids realize how much fun your kids have already started to have in DL. Don't forget Aladdin doesn't show everyday, don't miss it...
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 MOLLYSMOM, I promise to keep my fingers crossed that your extended family arrives at DLR in a magical mood At least your DH and yourself are "on the same page" and you'll have someone to roll your eyes and conspire with
Originally Posted By ibob #1 I too use day one as a travel day and enjoy the hotel/motel ... the kid really likes time at the pool. #2 ... Uh remember when the Train was so much Better of an idea (compared to Driving = RV/Van). #3 I have a feeling Amtrak is going to be OK for those who choose. And if it isn't wouldn't it be better that Monday is for Disneyland. #4 Now Relax & Breathe ...
Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM mornin' villains... I can pretty much guarantee you that they won't upgrade to a 4 day pass. The way they have this figured, they will spend monday, wednesday, and friday at DL, tuesday is at Universal, and thursday is at the zoo.....they don't plan on using the Sea World part of the city pass at all. We adored Sea World, and had lunch with Shamu like you suggested. We are actually planning our next vacation already. We're going back to Sea World because we loved it so much, and we'll take in the zoo and Wild Animal Park and all that other cool stuff. I suggested that they perhaps use their "free sunday" to check out Sea World bcause it is so fantastic, but they don't want to go to San Diego on 2 separate days. I guess my feelings are this...if you have the opportunity to do so...do it for gosh sakes. I know my family well enough, that they won't be going back on a vacation like this ever again. I am sure that they will regret not seeing Sea World. They have the ticket...use it.
Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM amazedncal2....if DH and I roll our eyes one more time, I think they'll totally pop out!!!!! ibob...ya, there was a time when the train was a GOOD thing. In today's world, it takes twice as long to go by train than to drive. Yes, I will breathe, thanks for the reminder. Actually, this has become a pretty big joke at home...DH and I try to understand the logic, but we can't, so we shake our heads and giggle a lot. I'm sure they will all have a wonderful time. I've stirred the pot as much as I can...DD, DH and myself are spending the next 96 days consentrating on having the bestest time ever.
Originally Posted By joeysmommy Wow! 11 hours on a bus with my family would drive me crazy. I would be so sick of them by the time we got to DL I would have to ditch them for at least 1 day by the time we got there. (not my DH and children of course)
Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM No kidding....but after the 11 hour bus ride is a 28 hour train ride. No way can you put up with your family that long in an enclosed space...no matter how much you love them, they're gonna get on your nerves!
Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM Thanks, mousegrl...I think I should stop by the church on the way home and light a bunch of candles and maybe throw in a "Hail Mary" or two. The folks are comming over sunday for mother's day...I hope the subject doesn't come up...there's no way I could keep a straight face.
Originally Posted By jmoore1966 Without exception, every person I know who has gone on an extended train trip (either because they are afraid to fly, or they thought it would be fun) has a half hour story about why their trip took "at least" 5-6 hours longer than they anticipated, sometimes 12-24 hours. Maybe the people I know are just unlucky, but it seems like the norm to me.
Originally Posted By kgourl MOLLYSMOM I'm curious where you found the $79 each way airfare at? They are coming from Washington, right? We are planning on driving down in August but with gas prices, we are also considering flying if we can get airfare cheap enough (there will be 6 or 7 of us). I've been searching on every cheap airfare site I can find and haven't found airfare for under $300 each (we would fly out of Seatac - 8/5 through 8/11)). Thanks, Kim
