DrDolphin
04-25-2004, 10:21 AM
As some of you know - my work has me on the list to go to Iraq for 4 months - my name has been on the list since January -- and while the money would be fab, I have been major stressed out about actually going. I am a planner - and the Army never plans anything more than an hour in advance (or so it seems from where I am sitting). Just to clarify - I am a civilian DOD employee - not active duty.
Two years ago - I swam, biked and ran the Danskin Women's triathlon at WDW in Sept 2002. My running buddy Cheryl thought that was cool and wanted to do the race too... well Danksin/Disney moved the race from Sept to May in 2003 - and May was out for us last year. With that in mind we put it on the calendar for 2004. When Iraq came up in January - we decided to hold off on making ressies for WDW - just in case I was deployed.... well - I got tired of waiting for no answers and went ahead and booked hotel and PSes and Cheryl booked her plane ticket to come to Orlando on Southwest, so if we have to cancel, she can use the credits for purchasing her tickets down for our cruise in September. We decided that since we had not trained at all - it would be a BAD (very bad) idea to attempt the race. Instead we decided to go and watch. Then a few weeks ago - Cheryl's soon to be sister-in-law announced that all the girls in her bridal party were spending a day at a spa in West Virginia -- on the same weekend as our WDW trip!!! So - change 472 - I emailed TMFL (TA) and had them try to get everything changed. Instead of POFQ - we are now CBR, instead of lunch at CRT, its now a very early dinner.... other than that looks like everything made the transition.
So - here are our plans and pre-trip report for 25 days from today. I still don't know if I am headed to Baghdad - but being a planner I have to have an alternative ready to go - JIC.
May Trip - May 20-23
May 20 – Thursday
Terri drive from JAX to MCO – leave JAX no later than 7:00pm (traffic)
Cheryl fly down SWA BWI – MCO arrive at 11:05pm
Hotel – Caribbean Beach
May 21 – Friday
US IOA (I should note here we have had our tickets for IOA for more than a year and been to WDW 3 times since we bought them -- everytime we save it for the end, we don't want to leave WDW -- so now we are doing it 1st).
Late Lunch at NASCAR Café
Islands of Adventure closes at 8pm – doubt we will stay the whole time
Downtown Disney – shopping? Go to the pool? Relax?
PS at California Grille for Dinner 8:20, Wishes at 8:45pm
May 22 – Saturday
EPCOT – Garden Show and Flower Exposition 9am-9pm
Do we want to take a break in the middle of the day and go walk around the boardwalk – what about lunch at the boardwalk?? Lunch – Big River Grille & Brew Works; ESPN Zone – only sit down lunch options on boardwalk; What about checking out Swan and Dolphin? Eat there? Beaches and Cream at Beach Club (Take out sandwiches and ice cream).
Les Chefs de France – 7pm dinner
Paul Revere & The Raiders - May 22
9pm-Illuminations
May 23 – Sunday
Magic Kingdom Day 8am – 4pm (Early Entry)
Check out of CBR, Drive to TTC and park car
CRT for dinner – 4:35pm
Depart WDW nlt 6pm
Cheryl flight to BWI Departs MCO at 8:00pm
Terri drive home to JAX.
Well - there you have it, I apologize for the length, but I needed somewhere to vent a bit of my frustration at the Army for its lack of communication - don't they realize they are messing with my WDW time??? If I am asked to go - I will go, I just hate living life in limbo - I am a planner and this messes with me to the Core.
Two years ago - I swam, biked and ran the Danskin Women's triathlon at WDW in Sept 2002. My running buddy Cheryl thought that was cool and wanted to do the race too... well Danksin/Disney moved the race from Sept to May in 2003 - and May was out for us last year. With that in mind we put it on the calendar for 2004. When Iraq came up in January - we decided to hold off on making ressies for WDW - just in case I was deployed.... well - I got tired of waiting for no answers and went ahead and booked hotel and PSes and Cheryl booked her plane ticket to come to Orlando on Southwest, so if we have to cancel, she can use the credits for purchasing her tickets down for our cruise in September. We decided that since we had not trained at all - it would be a BAD (very bad) idea to attempt the race. Instead we decided to go and watch. Then a few weeks ago - Cheryl's soon to be sister-in-law announced that all the girls in her bridal party were spending a day at a spa in West Virginia -- on the same weekend as our WDW trip!!! So - change 472 - I emailed TMFL (TA) and had them try to get everything changed. Instead of POFQ - we are now CBR, instead of lunch at CRT, its now a very early dinner.... other than that looks like everything made the transition.
So - here are our plans and pre-trip report for 25 days from today. I still don't know if I am headed to Baghdad - but being a planner I have to have an alternative ready to go - JIC.
May Trip - May 20-23
May 20 – Thursday
Terri drive from JAX to MCO – leave JAX no later than 7:00pm (traffic)
Cheryl fly down SWA BWI – MCO arrive at 11:05pm
Hotel – Caribbean Beach
May 21 – Friday
US IOA (I should note here we have had our tickets for IOA for more than a year and been to WDW 3 times since we bought them -- everytime we save it for the end, we don't want to leave WDW -- so now we are doing it 1st).
Late Lunch at NASCAR Café
Islands of Adventure closes at 8pm – doubt we will stay the whole time
Downtown Disney – shopping? Go to the pool? Relax?
PS at California Grille for Dinner 8:20, Wishes at 8:45pm
May 22 – Saturday
EPCOT – Garden Show and Flower Exposition 9am-9pm
Do we want to take a break in the middle of the day and go walk around the boardwalk – what about lunch at the boardwalk?? Lunch – Big River Grille & Brew Works; ESPN Zone – only sit down lunch options on boardwalk; What about checking out Swan and Dolphin? Eat there? Beaches and Cream at Beach Club (Take out sandwiches and ice cream).
Les Chefs de France – 7pm dinner
Paul Revere & The Raiders - May 22
9pm-Illuminations
May 23 – Sunday
Magic Kingdom Day 8am – 4pm (Early Entry)
Check out of CBR, Drive to TTC and park car
CRT for dinner – 4:35pm
Depart WDW nlt 6pm
Cheryl flight to BWI Departs MCO at 8:00pm
Terri drive home to JAX.
Well - there you have it, I apologize for the length, but I needed somewhere to vent a bit of my frustration at the Army for its lack of communication - don't they realize they are messing with my WDW time??? If I am asked to go - I will go, I just hate living life in limbo - I am a planner and this messes with me to the Core.