Deja Vu All Over Again! - Mardi Gras NYE Mostly Live - Let's run it back!

[TxTeach79]

There’s a Bass Pro Shops next door, but it’s not a pyramid, so is there really?

[TxTeach79]

 

 

[TxTeach79]

Your standard Fairfield! Probably - no, definitely - my most common road trip stop hotel. As a Marriott person I’ll do an aloft if it’s in the same ballpark, but the ol’ Field is always cheap, clean, and right off the highway. 
 

 

 

 

 

[TxTeach79]

Thanks to everyone who followed along through this mini-mess of a start! We’ve added some expense and almost four days of driving to it all, but hey - we’re on the way, and we’ll save on some Ubers, right? Gonna try and crash ASAP and get on the road early to get into Orlando as close as I can to B’s a little past noon arrival at MCO. Might be wishful thinking losing the hour, but we’ll try and keep it close. Okay. Let’s recharge and try this again tomorrow. Still on schedule. 
 

[kelkel2]

10 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

You know, after all that? Playing it safe, playing the odds, reading all the horror stories? My fight ended up being one that took off and made it to MCO without issue. Because of course it did. Not the first time I’ve gambled and lost, won’t be the last! Oh well. Made it! POSITIVE VIBES ONLY!

Man, but if you hadn’t driven it wouldn’t have taken off…. That’s my luck. You made the right call. 

[aztekpm]

LOL of course your flight was the only one. Though in my mind I would think that if I stayed with the flight option it would have been cancelled, so I would have jumped in the car too and actually may have planned that way from the start. I'm a road trip lover!  

 

Marriott girl here and same, though I do try to get suites as often as possible. I like having the couch to sit on to truly wind down after the drive.

Edited December 28, 2022 by aztekpm

[TxTeach79]

3 minutes ago, aztekpm said:

LOL of course your flight was the only one. Though in my mind I would think that if I stayed with the flight option it would have been cancelled, so I would have jumped in the car too and actually may have planned that way from the start. I'm a road trip lover!  

 

Marriott girl here and same, though I do try to get suites as often as possible. I like having the couch to sit on to truly wind down after the drive.

same! This was just a last minute blur, and I knew I’d only be here for a few hours of shuteye, so I kept it cheap. 

[TxTeach79]

4 minutes ago, kelkel2 said:

Man, but if you hadn’t driven it wouldn’t have taken off…. That’s my luck. You made the right call. 

I had the very same thought!

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

14 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

Your standard Fairfield! Probably - no, definitely - my most common road trip stop hotel. As a Marriott person I’ll do an aloft if it’s in the same ballpark, but the ol’ Field is always cheap, clean, and right off the highway. 
 

 

 

 

 

I am a Marriott guy as well lol well my Bonvoy card made me one lol. 

[TxTeach79]

Very minimal sleep despite a tired body and comfortable bed. I think the stress and uncertainty of the day and the next one had my mind in overdrive. Okay. Time to get it together and get a move on….

[TxTeach79]

It feels offensively early for this. 
 

[TxTeach79]

Til next time, Fairfield. (About ten days) 

 

[TxTeach79]

Whataburger in Alabama! Game changer. Seriously, have you HAD the breakfast burger??

 

 

ETA at MCO is around 12:30. I’ll have to stop for gas once. B’s flight gets in at 12:05, but she checked bags. So we’ll see!

[dmet0225]

8 hours ago, TxTeach79 said:

The Mobile tunnel. Classic road trip landmark. 
 

I learned a couple of years ago that there is an alternative tunnel a couple of blocks north of that “Mobile tunnel” that’s a whole lot faster in heavy traffic while traveling to Destin from DFW.

Edited December 28, 2022 by dmet0225

[jimbri]

Have a great cruise!

[TxTeach79]

Heading into the Florida sunrise. Walton county. Vibes are immaculate. 
 

[TxTeach79]

[lazydayz]

Looks like you are making good time. Continued safe travels 

[TxTeach79]

 

soon. Also, just passed a billboard that simply said “14 FOOT GATOR”….. it’s good to be back in Florida!

[TxTeach79]

What a day, y’all. Just you wait. 

[TxTeach79]

Picked up B at MCO. Only made her wait about twenty, and no charge for an Uber. Great! Made it over to WDW, mobile key ready, checked into Pop Century. They’ve really updated these rooms since I was here almost 15 years ago! 
 

 

 

 

 

 

[TxTeach79]

Really great view of Hourglass Lake and the Skyliner from the third floor here. 
 

[Jamman54]

Cool! Pop Century was our go to place when the kids were growing up. 

[crewsweeper]

Glad you made it!   Read Lee Child's "No Plan B" over Christmas weekend and was beginning to think that was describing your situation.  I'm sure it will be that way for many.  So maybe you'll have fewer fellow cruisers by weather default.

[TxTeach79]

Okay. So here goes.  
 

when we pulled up to the gate at Pop Century, security asked me to show my ID to enter. I gave him my DL, and for zero good reason whatsoever, I said to B “I would just hand him my passport, but I actually have it in my suitcase this time since I didn’t check anything on a plane”….. throwaway borderline nonsensical statement. And B turned white. as. a. sheet. 
 

She got back to Texas from being stuck in SoCal for two days after 1am last night. Had to unpack the Christmas luggage and pack the Disney/Cruise luggage, then get up by around 6am to catch the original long scheduled flight here to Orlando. A small unplanned chaotic window amidst a day of travel madness. I was worried she might have forgotten swimsuits or sunscreen. No. She had that. 
 

She doesn’t have her passport. 
 

&$#%¥!?+$!!!!

 

We ran to the check in/concierge desk at Pop, talked to a woman who assured us they can receive packages for us and gave us the address and how to do it, and B immediately called her good friend back in Dallas. Friend was on the way to a nail appointment, but graciously canceled and headed to the apartment building, which, luckily, has a nice doorman who is going to let her up to the apartment. B swears she knows exactly where the passport is, and her friend is going to get the absolute fastest most expensive possible before 8am super overnight insert your mail directly into a body cavity with tracking numbers certified option possible. 
 

and now, we wait. B is a mess, and we can’t even discuss anything disney related yet. Her friend just got to the building, so hopefully this works and it gets here tomorrow morning…. 🤞