Day #11 – Off to Disney World

Sunday December 6, 2009 – Day #11
Saint Mary’s Island GA to Walt Disney World FL

We are getting much better and tearing down and packing up. Had we not taken a bathroom break, we would have actually left on time! But due to all the excitement of camping at Disney today, one really must take the potty break!

No incidents to report. Really! It’s a magical morning.

We get to the park and proceed to check in. We have a reservation, but apparently they don’t have a campsite. The park is full. We are upgraded to a better site at no extra charge. Amazing customer service. Dare I say it? Yes. Magical. Supercalifragilistic even.

Suzie and I have been planning this particular stop for about a year. This whole journey really began with visiting this campground in 2002. We had stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and had come to the campground for a dinner show. We arrived early and spent the afternoon riding around in a rented golf cart. The trailers in the park came in all shapes and sizes and were all gussied up for Christmas. Disney patrons take their celebrations VERY seriously. Looking at how much fun the campers were having, and how beautiful the campground was made us want to do it someday.

But the one thing that stuck in my mind the most about that day was not the lights. It was not the beautiful shiny rigs, and the happy campers. It was one Dad. One Dad who was trying to back his trailer up into his campsite and had missed. Missed the driveway and was stuck in a very deep ditch. One dad who now had several dads trying to help him and one woman trying to kill him. And now I was here with our trailer and no clue how to back it up.

Up to this point all the campsites we have stayed in have been pull through. Well, except at Tuck in the Woods, but I had help there…and there wasn’t a moat around the parking pad. I steeled myself (and Suzie steeled herself, I’m sure) and we proceeded. It wasn’t working out very well. Think about Driver’s Ed. and learning to drive a stick shift. I was making these little short, jerky movements that were not getting anywhere close to the parking pad. Back up. Pull Forward. Back up... Finally, I gave up and took the drive of shame around the campsite loop to line up for another go at it.

While I was preparing for this second attempt. Suzie got help. Bless her. The camper at the site across from us came over and explained the whole concept to me. Basically you pass the site. Swing a little wide so you can see the back of your trailer, and then slowly follow your trailer back into the site. I know, it sounds easy. Actually, it was fairly simple. But try it. It is still intimidating.

After parking, we high fived, enjoyed our magical moment, and took ourselves to the Magic Kingdom.