Travel Day

I'm going to be breaking our Disney Vacation into days, since I don't think any of us would enjoy seeing 200 pictures in one post. Except maybe my mom, and even then I think she'd start to space after a while.


Saturday was our travel day, one in which I spent most of the day acting like a little kid wondering when it was time to go. Our flight wasn't until 5:30, so it was a long day of anticipation!

We flew out of the Rockford International Airport for one reason...it was cheap. C-H-E-A-P people. As in $55 to fly to Florida. FOR REAL. The fact that it was close to home was another bonus, plus we figured it would be a nice calm environment to help calm my non-flight-enjoying husband. We were right on all accounts. It took a whopping 15 minutes to get through check-in and security. For all three of us, with 2 carry-on's (a diaper bag and laptop bag), one checked bag, one stroller (to be gate checked) and one convertable car seat (the monsterous Britax). 15 minutes! It was amazing. Once inside the airport, we settled in at the kid's area, which had tables with crayons and coloring books, a movie playing, couches for the parents and a little bus thing that Eddie loved. .It was awesome. We all ate $1 hotdogs and were happy.

Then we got on the plane. And if any of you are friends with me on Facebook, you saw my status update when we got off the plane. It read...

"That sucked. True story."

Because OH MY EFFING GOD flying with a toddler who was not happy is on the activity board in hell. Eddie cried, screamed, threw things into the seats in front of us and screamed some more. Hubby, happily in his Xanax haze relaxed as I stressed and fought of tears. Flying was not better than driving. Flying sucked. I was so over vacation it was not even funny.

Thankfully, our plane was half full with mostly families. The people in front of us were amazing, had a baby that was 10 months old and understood the best they could. The flight attendents were some of the best I've ever had, the plane was super nice and had comfortable seats. Sure, they charged for drinks and snacks, but who doesn't now? Allegiant Air and it's staff exceeded all of my expectations.

We happily got off the plane while the rest of the people clapped. Just kidding.....but I'm pretty sure I heard a collective sigh of relief. As we made our way through the airport at 9:00 at night, we were ready to be done. We hussled over to the empty rental car area to get our car, laughed and joked with the rental car staff and finally had some good karma hit - we got a complimentary car upgrade from a Malibu to a 2010 Jeep Cherokee. Nice people for the win!! We asked nicely, they treated us nicely. Florida was beginning to win me over.

Since we didn't fly into Orlando's main airport, our hotel was about an hour away. Eddie finally slept and Hubs and I enjoyed some conversation without the screaming background noise. Check in at the hotel was easy, we found our room easily and that was about the only postitive thing about that experience. Oh! And the room was nicer than I expected for the $70 that I payed for it. We were at the the Runaway Beach Club, now owned by Mike Ditka. Don't ask me why. The staff all wore Ditka's Bears uniform, which was pretty kitchy and strange. Anyway.

We asked for a crib with our reservation. Hubby was told upon check in that it was being delivered to the room. Eddie was awake (at 10:30! AWESOME!!) and had a grand time running around a new place. We figured he could play while we waited to the crib. By 11:15, we had no crib. We called. They had no cribs.

NO EFFING CRIBS.

What were we going to do? I called my cousin who lives in Orlando, hoping she had one we could borrow. She was asleep, which was understandable since it was almost midnight. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I went to Walmart and bought a new one. TRUST ME on this - you do not want to know who is at the Orlando Walmart at midnight. It just isn't pretty. Long story not so short, I find a pack and play, I curse Florida and decide I want to go home.

Thankfully, we were only staying at Ditka's for a night. It was a last minute change of plans and the next day we would be in a better place. That was pretty much the only thing that kept me going....that and the fact that at least Eddie would now have a nice, new and clean pack and play to sleep in.