The Princess Weekend - the sequel (part three)
So where was I? Rambling, of course.
So I'm checking out of AKV. Forgot to tell you about another "WT H is going on moment" the night before.
For years I have been very dry in WDW resorts. My theory is that someone is paid HUGE MONEY to invent this massive dehumidifier that shoots through the buildings. Why do I think this? Am I related to that bus driver?
Well I'm sure sounding like it. Laughing.
Long story short - many homeowners in Florida have told me that there is no way that they can keep bugs out of their house. And some online here simply laugh when someone at WDW freaks out about a palmetto or some other creature. So that's the talk I've had in the past around Florida and bugs.
But I hardly ever - if ever - have seen a bug in a resort or resort room. And my theory is that they dehumidify the crap out their resorts. Animal Farm. Racial Slurs. Fairy Godmothers. My fertility. Giant SECRET Dehumidifiers. Laughing.
So one year Jean called down for one - thinking no way they had them. And they do. And they will send you one.
I meant to bring a small portable one we now have - but booking hours before flight and whipping things into my luggage - well it didn't make the throw.
So I got a youngin' at Mousekeeping. And about an hour later - someone is wheeling up a MASSIVE dehumidifier.
I smiled and said, " Oh sorry - that's a dehumidifier - I asked for a humidifier". She was totally confused.
So comedy of errors comes. A long story too boring to post here. And I give up.
And my phone rings.
It's a manager at AKL. I'm thinking "huh?"
GET THIS. ARE YOU READY?
She says, "Lisa, we do have them here. They have been requested already. So please know that you will have one - I'm sending someone out to Walmart for you".
WHAT IS GOING ON?
Please tell me WHAT IS GOING ON?
I told her over and over - thank you so much - I truly appreciate it - but I'm here for one night - I could simply use a pail or wastebasket and fill it with water. (Or nothing!) Please don't go to Walmart.
She'll hear nothing of it. Nothing, I'd tried and tried.
"Lisa, no." We're happy to get you one. I'm sending someone to Walmart. It just might be a bit."
I can't even tell you how I felt. First, a free room out of the blue. Then another night in a BW view room and linked for me. Then we're sending people out to Walmart for me!
Just a MAGICAL STAY at WDW resorts for me! Unbelievable.
So Princess!!! Whoopsies.
It took me a bit to find them on this day. Erika was kind enough to tell me when they were going to be at OKW. I had already made my way over there.
So I was able to meet up at the main pool.
OH SWIMMING - ESPECIALLY UNDERWATER - HOW I ADORE THEE!!!!
So we're pretty well at the half.
The explanation here shows how bloody determined I was that NOTHING - NO ONE - was going to keep me from my cheering. I was on a mission.
I knew I had to get myself out of the place by 4:30 am. Killer. And I'm not even running!!!
The girls were walking to the corrals from the front of OKW. Fantastic for them, eh? Totally. Short walk. The corrals sit near the road that goes by the side of OKW and up to POR and beyond. They could have gone on the bus; however, their smarts were much better. On the bus - it sends you to a spot where you have to walk a long, long way for the corrals. A LONG LONG WAY.
I knew, from my research, that that wouldn't be my place to go. And I knew that I had to be at the front of OKW for a bus before 5 am. Why? They tell you over and over on their brochures that if you don't get on a bus by 5 - well you'll be waiting until 7. And there was NO WAY I was going to do that. And miss a thing. And miss my peanut butter spot (I'll explain). And they also warn you over and over that ALL ROADS will close between 5 am and 7 am. So I was on it.
When my internal transportation didn't come right away, I used the bus stop phone. I wanted to walk but I knew I simply didn't have the time. We were near the back of OKW. The dispatcher was worried for me about the 5 am cut off. I wasn't. At all. But she was almost in a tizzy. But I was fine. And the bus came and I jumped on with glee.
I got to the front - where the Princess bus picks us all up - about 4:45 am. Perfect. No issues. There were racers there too. WHAT!?!?!? I wanted to tell them - NO, walk to the corrals. Walk to the corrals. But I wasn't confident that I knew actually where they were at that point. And I didn't want to say "walk to the corrals - but I'm not positive where they are!". Wink.
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OH WAIT! We interrupt this story for a funny. Some of the goddesses were laughing, "Look at the spectator leaving before the runners!". They were still in the suite when I left. Smiling.
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Here's where the problem started with that morning. There was a group of us there. Mostly spectators and some runners and they all had been waiting for awhile.
And this kid.
Well teenager or early twenties starts spreading STRESS. It's about 10 to 5 at this point. He gets everyone scared sh!tless. He goes on and on about how he's been here before for The Princess and I bet the bus isn't coming - they DO close the roads at 5 am - THEY DO and if you're on the road and if the clock passes 5 - you're totally screwed.
Me tinks this boy has watched Cinderella one too many times.
People start to panic. I'm not exaggerating.
REALLY. NO drama there. I can't even imagine the poor runners there with all his talk. He goes on about how "they'll close the roads at 5 and you won't move an inch".
I just sighed and laughed in my head. I thought "come on - like Disney is going to not let a Disney bus through" but he was spreading his nonsense by the minute and told everyone "JUST WALK". And starts to explain that the race start is right there - minutes away. Just go here and then see the path. He tells everyone WALK - I know from last year - don't wait for the bus. By the way I don't think he was going to the Half - maybe DME.
I knew that was the truth - the part that we're very close to the race - because of the girls. But I also knew it wasn't where I needed to be.
But it was now 5 to 5 and NO DISNEY PRINCESS bus in sight. And the group had been waiting way before I got there.
So many leave. I stay.
I stay.
And I guess it was because it was the middle of the night- and I didn't have a BRAIN!!!! - that I suddenly decide to catch up to the pack. Cause I'm the only one that didn't go.
Stupid move. It's hard to have the confidence of one in the middle of the night. Heck, it's hard in general.
I walk way too quickly because I am now almost leading with two others. Bad move. Bad, bad move.
As we're looking for this path - the larger group in the back simply DISAPPEARS.
Vanishes. LAUGHING.
I had no idea whether they spotted a bus. Or they found a better way out. BUT VANISHES.
It's dark.
We look for this path but can only find bush and drop offs.
At 5 AM!!!!
I'm scrounging through bush at OKW at 5 am!!!!
Oh I'm getting to THAT race.
So we give up on that and the three of us go out the driveway instead and head toward the corrals. Of course I see our Disney buses, probably more than one, passing us by. They never came and now they're here after 5 AM. Laughing. They don't see us.
And traffic is still moving and it's after the clock struck Cinderella boy!!!
But of course you're wondering if you're totally screwed at this point. TOTALLY.
We make our way over to the corrals - knowing it's totally the wrong spot but maybe some officials know where to go or some advice.
Failed!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They know nada - only that we can't walk from there - in their words "it would be like walking at least half the PRINCESS".
And they add when we say the buses never came - "Oh that happened last year, too!".
OH THANKS. Laughing.
So there's thousands and thousands of runners all lined up. THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS. And the Goddesses see me!
HOW THE HECK?
So funny. Of course I don't explain fully what the heck I'm doing over there - they have more important things like THEIR RACE!!! Laughing.
And I tell them I will be at my peanut butter spot (my added words now!) and will see them and have a good race. I think I might have said the buses never came but certainly not I'm been in bushes and gullies.
I was actually thinking "I don't know how the he11 I'm going to get out of this mess - BUT I WILL - Nothing is going to keep me away!!!" But I hid my concern, of course.
So three brains are slowly going against one another.
I know not to go back to OKW.
I actually thought about ignoring the *TOO FAR* comments and trying the walk.
But one of the three starts walking back to OKW. One doesn't know what to do but follows her friend. And I stay put and think.
I'm like "I'm getting to this race!!!!'
And just as I had that thought - as I'm trying to cross that very busy road AGAIN. I look back and see a cab.
He's dropping runners at the corrals. This late? Laughing. I was so focused on THIS LATE? that I almost missed my one opportunity.
I run across traffic and grab him. I'm not even sure how much cash I have on me - it's certainly not for cab rides when there are buses for the same route - but this is a bloody emergency - I know it's enough and I'm GETTING TO THIS RACE. I didn't book hours before takeoff - run to Jean's car at the last minute - throw crap into a suitcase - run to the BUF airport with little funds - have no sleep - take a chance on no rooms to sleep - to be STOPPED HERE! There is NO WAY IN HELL that I'm not getting to THIS RACE.
I'm sure he loved THAT energy.
He says "yes I can take you but I can't sit here on the road - you have to jump in now".
I see my two newly found comrades up the road toward OKW and I don't want to leave them stranded. But Lisa this cab could pull away on you any minute. But I can't leave them. I know they're strangers but I didn't think it was right. So I SCREAMED at the top of my lungs. In the middle of WDW. At 5:10 am. On a very busy road. The bus driver says "get over to the other side of van, please". Nice driver thinking I might get killed soon! Laughing.
So back to my screaming. Laughing.
I SCREAMED, "GET OVER HERE!" " I have cab!" "He's about to leave!" "We can share it".
They ran across traffic and were so thrilled that I thought of them and didn't just leave.
I was too. My heart was good but sharing the costs was going to be a big help as well.
So these two were the parents of two girls - separately I mean - that met online and began racing at Disney. They, I guess, had just met each other this weekend - the parents I mean ( mother and a father). Laughing, hey I just met you but look at us looking for paths - and running across traffic in the middle of the night at WDW.
Funny part of the ride - she says the girls left for the corrals at 3:20. What time did your friends leave?
Oh, about twenty minutes ago!
SO FUNNY. She didn't quite know what to say.
I was thinking "cause that's how they roll!!". Love to you Kelly.
So we are finally at Epcot. And I have my money all ready.
And the mother says "NO WAY. No way are you paying one bit. I will pay it. I can't even thank you enough for yelling at us".
WT H?
Yet another WT H? moment at Disney. I thanked her immensely. Thank GOD for seeing that cab. Thank God I'm at least at the Epcot monorail.
I AM ON MY WAY.
I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
I did it.
What a friggin' relief. And a total comedy of errors.
(I have to stop as it's SO beautiful outside and my fingers hurt!!!) (will finish this sucker tonight)