Magic Kingdom

Today was spent at Magic Kingdom. The kids were very excited to get out and have a little freedom after being cooped up on a bus for 24 hours. Everyone had the day to enjoy the park.

Right away we (meaning Mike, Em, and I - Austin was seen for a mere 5 minutes on this trip!) headed for Fantasyland, as that's the part of the park Em remembers from our last trip. She wanted to see Cinderella's castle and make a wish in the wishing well. We couldn't walk through the middle of the castle, since there was a show going on at the time, but we did weave our way up the side to throw some pennies into the wishing well.

We got a speed pass for the Peter Pan's Flight, then stood in line at It's a Small World. The line wasn't too bad - maybe 30 minutes. It was fun to see all the different countries and be able to say which ones we had visited. By the time that ride ends, you're just about out of your mind from the song!

Mike and I talked Em into going in the Haunted Mansion. She was nervous at first, but once we got past the part where the room grows and on the actual ride, she was fine. From there, we explored Tom Sawyer Island - something we hadn't ever done before. That was cool. Just a bunch of nooks and crannies to run around and hide in. Would be a great place to let a group of kids loose for a few hours...

Other places we made it to were the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster, (Em wouldn't ride it! Good thing - that baby flies!), Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (I won high score!), Monster's Inc., Laugh Floor, Minnie's Country House, Swiss Family Treehouse, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Em's least favorite, Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. Quite a few rides considering how many people were in the park. We could've gotten on more if we weren't so cold and tired! Mike and I attempted Space Mountain, but the Speed Pass line closed before we could get a ticket! The roller coasters were out of the question for Em, so that cuts down on a few rides.

After a 2:00 chaperone check-in, the band kids had to meet at 6:45 to get ready for the pre-SpectroMagic parade, which didn't start until 8:30. We staked our claim on Main Street USA and waited for Mike to get back from helping the band kids. We were doing our best to stay warm and keep the energy up after such a long and tiring day. Then it started snowing... Of course this is due to the Magic of Disney, which may be amusing when it's 70 degrees out, but not when you've traveled 23 hours on a bus to escape the snow and cold! The temperature had to be in the 40's, and it was so cold that we broke down and bought a blanket from the vendor walking up and down the street just to make it bearable!

The crowds were gathering and the main street was being cleared to get ready for the parade. How exciting when they started to announce the 3 bands performing, and how disappointing when they announced us as Gates Chill-ee, as in a hot tasty meal made with beans and beef!

The kids did a great job! They sounded and looked great, despite having stood for hours before marching. It was very hard to get pictures, but I did my best. At least I did get one of Austin and his sousaphone with the fancy new Spartan covers.

I can honestly say we sounded the best of the three bands. The last band, from Tulsa, OK hardly played: instead of playing a full song, they opted to play a 20 second refrain, then march to a drum beat for 1 minute before playing different snippet.

The Spectromagic parade started at 9 pm. By then me and Emma were so frozen, that we took cover in a restaurant while Mike helped backstage with the band kids, then met with his wards to watch the fireworks. The plan was for all the kids to be with their chaperone for the fireworks, and then head back to the buses immediately following. Em wasn't feeling well, so we never even looked out at the parade. We did find a good seat for the fireworks, and snuggled up as best as we could. We headed back toward the buses a little early, seeing the finale from the ferry boat on our way back to the main entrance.

It was 11 pm before we got back to the hotel, and boy, were we exhausted!

Florida at Last!

My butt blisters have blisters...

We've made it to Florida and should be making our last food stop before reaching our final destination.

After lunch the plan is to stop at the convention center for a quick rehearsal before checking into the hotel, but we're running a little behind schedule and were told to get our food to eat on the bus.

Em and I don't get to see Mike or Austin on these food stops since the buses split up to make it easier on everyone and I'm really missing the rest of my family....

At this point my McD's egg thingie is sitting in my gut like a rock and I don't feel much like eating Chic-fil-A. I'd much rather get to the hotel and meet the shower and say hi to my toothbrush.

The weather is overcast and cool. Being that this is pretty much the only day to be at the hotel pool, the chances of catching some rays today are about as good as they are in Rochester! Hopefully it will be warm enough tomorrow to wear short sleeves - at least that will up my chances of getting SOME color!

Stop # 2 - Selinsgrove Penn

The buses split up to different restaurants. We (Em and I) ended up at Wendy's, and the others split between McD's and the King. It's 6:22 and we're on the road. Again. Maybe we can go at least 3 hours before stopping again!

On The Road

Arrived at the HS around 11:40 to a whole bunch of chaos. The followers, (as me and Emma will be known as for the next 7 days), were allowed to get on their bus first - that being bus #5.

Of course there was a lot of jockeying for position, and even in the first 3 hours of the trip am glad we have the seats we have. 23 hours with relative strangers is one thing, but to possibly get stuck next to the loud family could be a nervous breakdown in the making.

We had our first pit stop 2.5 hours into the trip at a beautiful post and beam rest stop in Tioga Penn. The weather is misty and foggy, and what little view we could see at the overlook was pretty-but I like fog! Mike and I decided right then that we'd have to make a trip back sometime - the ranger stating that the view is "unbelievable".

Our next stop should be between 6 and 6:30 for dinner. Not sure what town that would be, but at this rate - can see why it will take 23 hours to get there!

Sending this via Mike's blackberry - loving technology! I'll try a picture from the dinner stop!

"I'm with the Band!"

The blog has taken a turn! Although I still intend on adding information and pictures from our previous and very lengthy and exciting European adventure, I'm prepping our massive audience to keep up with our travails in the next few weeks as we conquer... Disney World!

Austin and his tuba, well, sousaphone, technically, will be traveling with the Gates Chili Marching Band to Orlando Florida to march in the Citrus Bowl parade AND to perform in the SpectroMagic Parade, as well as sing in the choir for the Candlelight Processional.

What is a SpectroMagic Parade, you ask? Well, according to the Disney web page:

"The SpectroMagic Parade is a dazzling nighttime procession filled with brilliantly lit Disney Characters and floats at the Magic Kingdom Theme Park." with marching bands.... (I added that part!)

I say, "It's like Las Vegas...on wheels!" with marching bands... (I added that part too.)

I'm having deja vu, as this is the same trip I took in HS! We marched in the Centennial parade- it's all so foggy now. I'll have to dig out the old 1/2 vhs to see what Dad taped. Now if I only had VCR....

But anyway, we are all traveling together; a wonderful test of the traveling spirit to spend 23 hours on a bus that you aren't driving and can't stop if you want it to. The plus side of riding the bus instead of driving your car is that you get to walk up and down the aisle on your way to the bathroom, which after 12 hours with 38 other people can be a good or a bad thing to have on a bus that's not going to stop when you want it to.

Luckily, Emma and I are "followers" so we get to be on the bus that has all the Big People - parents and siblings of band members. Now I can say in all truthfulness, "I'm with the Band!" Mike however is chaperoning, and gets to ride 23 hours on a bus with the kids. Bless his heart!