3 Kids hit Disney - The End :(

[Dizneyblonde]

Thursday 30th August

Well that’s it then. Time to go home.
I woke on my last morning at 8.50am.
I lay there for over n hour before I woke the kids just thinking about all that we’d done of the previous 17 nights. All the surprises that had gone to plan and all the beautiful memories we had made.

We had intended going swimming this morning but we were all a bit subdued.
We showered and dressed and headed to the food court at 11am for breakfast.
A traditional quick look in the shop before it was time to pack – properly.
I sent the kids out to take some photos of the resort while I packed and repacked the cases.











I was all done by 1pm so we collected a trolley and took the cases to luggage services.

It was my turn for a tour of the resort just in case there was a photo opportunity that the kids had missed!!!











It was so hot and we just wanted to head to the airport. We were ready to go home. Our holiday of a lifetime had been perfect but it was time to see family again and I knew the cats would be missing us.

I realised that Robyn and I had left our jumpers in our room but as we had checked out we couldn’t go back.
I reported it to reception but they said there was nothing they could do until they ended up in lost property so we filled out a form and left it at that.
Jack thought we should check our room just to see if the housekeeper was about and as luck would have it she was in our room.
We knocked on the door and she knew what we were there for. She handed over our jumpers and said thank you for the tips and mousekeeping envelopes we had left.

We used our last CS credit on lunch in the food court then it was time to collect our bags and head for the bus pick up at 3.45pm.

It was the Disney Magical Express and our driver Manuel was great fun. He wouldn’t let me help him with the bags and kept trying to steel the kids’ cuddly toys off them.
I cried as we pulled away from ASMo for the last time but I promised the kids then that we would be back.

Manuel played a Disney promotional video on the way to MCO and we all got emotional again.
We arrived at MCO by 4.30pm and saw people everywhere repacking their overweight cases.
I knew we’d be ok as we had a 32kg baggage allowance.
However when they were weighed 2 of the cases were 30kg and the Virgin rep said I was to be charged excess baggage. I explained to her than we had booked before the baggage allowance was changed but she said it wasn’t on my booking and unless I could prove it I would have to pay.
I was so angry by this point as we were all so tired and just wanted to get home. I knew I had the proof somewhere but it was in one of the cases. I thought ok if you want proof you can have it and spend ¾ hour holding up the queue while I unpacked and repacked every case on the floor in front of her.
The kids were in tears by now as they could see I was getting upset and frustrated and it was spoiling the end of their holiday. A security guard soon came over to me and said I’d have to repack and pay as I couldn’t hold things up any longer.
I begrudgingly paid the $70 and asked for a complaint form before the rep told me that the flight was delayed by ½ hour!!!

We spent the last of our $ in the Disney store and went through to departures.



Jack took some photos and we started boarding by 7.30pm
The flight was due to leave at 7.40pm but we eventually took off at 8.35pm



We had the family from hell in front of us who insisted on reclining every seat in the row and being loud all the way home. Every time they move or got up the pushed on the back of the seat and we were crushed behind. This was a nightmare for Robyn as she is so tall and she got herself really upset as she was already tired.

We all slept on and off for the rest of the flight and we relieved when the plane landed.

The queue for passport control was horrendous and took nearly an hour to clear but we were still early for our transfer to Heathrow.

Luckily we managed to get ourselves on the earlier bus so we could be there in plenty of time and at the front for our journey home to Plymouth.

There were already a lot of people there when we arrived so I primed the kids again to get on and save the seats while I sorted the cases.
We had such an obnoxious driver who asked me why I had so many cases for just 3 people and then refused to lift them up to the luggage compartment because they were a bit heavy. I had to lift each one up myself and watch him throw each case over the back of the coach.
I was fuming by now and told him how rude I thought it was but just wanted to get on and make sure the kids were ok.

The bus was already pretty full and no one moved so we could sit together but the kids had found a table with an elderly lady sat at it who huffed and puffed when they asked if they could sit there.

The journey passed pretty much without incident and we were so relieved to pull into the bus station.
Jack stood and watched the bags while Robyn and I collected the cases. The rude bus driver dragged the cases from the bus and just dropped them out of the hatch to the ground. One of them even landed on Robyn’s foot.
(I sent a letter of complaint as soon as I got home but National Express customer services didn’t care either and I had to fight for an apology)

We soon spotted my Dad who had come to pick us up and the cases were packed into his care.
The tales of magical meetings and free dining were soon being told and it wasn’t long before we could see the cats on the doorstep waiting for us.

Cases were soon opened and washing spread everywhere. The washing machine was spinning in no time and we went down to Mum and Dad’s for dinner, to tell them of our travels and to hand out presents.

On our return home we took one look at the unpacking and went to bed to drip of a fantastically magical 17 nights.

THE END

And now I am crying!!!!!

[Claire]

And now I am crying!!!!!

Me too! Wow. What a trip! Amazing read Teresa. Thanks for posting your report.

[Dizneyblonde]

Thanks Claire glad you enjoyed it!

[Jodie]

A lovely read (again!) Thankyou for writing it up



Jodie

[Keith]

Brilliant read!!!! thanks so much for sharing with us :smiley3:

[SleepinCatz]

pk...now i'll all teary and sniffling:sigh;....it was a great trippie

[cathydisneynut]

Brilliant report Theresa!

[Johnie]

it's all over.

Ok, now can we start a pre-trippie for next time??? :p

[Shellyamc]

Awwww wonderful :hug: Thanks for such an amazing report!!

It almost makes me sad to see how grown up your kids are!! I remember them being very small!! Time passes too fast..

[Wendy]

Thank you for sharing, I'm glad it was all you had hoped it to be and more