arielmomma
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2009
Welcome fellow Disney fans to my 2017 Westbound Panama Canal Trip Report! This is my second trip report. I wrote my first after my family’s 2016 Eastbound Panama Canal cruise. My family was fortunate enough to be on the last Disney cruise ship through the old locks of the Panama Canal and the first passenger ship ever to pass through the new locks. We made history! (Hence the title.) Join me as I once again recount sailing from one coast of the United States to the other aboard the marvelous Disney Wonder, only this time, in the opposite direction.
Let me begin by introducing my family.
First, there is my husband, James. It is his career as an automotive engineer that supports our ever-growing Disney addiction. Next, there’s me, Joy. I am a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom who plans our incredible vacations. Our son, Jimmy, is 13. He is all about sports, video games, and convincing us to take our next vacation with the mouse. Mickey has a teenage agent and doesn’t even know it! Our daughter, Emily, is 10. She was born knowing in the depth of her soul that she was meant to be a Disney princess. She does her best daily to live up to her destiny by being kind to woodland creatures, singing everywhere she goes, and designing ball gowns she wants me to sew her.
Our vacation began on Friday, April 21, 2017. The plan was for James to only work a half day so that we could all go out to lunch and have a fun day out before heading to our hotel by the airport.
Needless to say, it didn’t work out that way.
A crisis happened at James’ work. There was no way he could escape halfway through the day. We were all bummed, but the kids and I made the most of it. We went out to lunch by ourselves. This was truly the beginning of our vacation because we rarely eat out otherwise. They picked the restaurant – Ponderosa. My kids love their sundae bar.
After eating our fill (and beyond), we returned home and waited for James to get out of work. We waited…and waited. Let’s just say he put in a looong day and then had to put in yet another hour after he got home. None of us were pleased, but what could we do about it? We wanted to be able to take more vacations.
Eventually, his work day did, in fact, end. The instant he shut down his computer, we loaded our bags into the van and escaped before anything else popped up that might prevent us from leaving. We live in rural Michigan. It took us just under an hour to arrive at the Holiday Inn Gateway Center in Flint.
igh.com/Flint
igh.com/Flint
We reserved a king-sized bed with a sleeper sofa. We also booked parking for the duration of our cruise. Normally, we prefer to stay in Hilton brand hotels rather than Holiday Inns. However, this particular hotel is the exception and it’s not because of their rooms, though they are clean and comfy. The Holiday Inn Gateway allows their guests to park a vehicle in their parking lot for up to a month for a total of only $25. Not $25 per day. That’s $25 for the entire 18 days that we travelled. The best part was that we booked on points, so we only had to pay the parking fee. It was a great deal!
Our view of the lobby from our room.
As soon as we got settled at the hotel, the kids and I got dressed in our swimwear, while James ran out to grab dinner and pick up my cousin who lived nearby. It had been hours since we’d eaten lunch so these pizzas were practically inhaled. (Imagine a kill scene in a Disney Nature Video.)
We spent the evening swimming and visiting. It was an ideal way to end the first day of vacation.
Around midnight, we decided it was best that we call it a night. We said goodbye to my cousin and nestled into bed. Tomorrow we fly to Orlando!
Up next....Florida here we come!
Let me begin by introducing my family.
First, there is my husband, James. It is his career as an automotive engineer that supports our ever-growing Disney addiction. Next, there’s me, Joy. I am a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom who plans our incredible vacations. Our son, Jimmy, is 13. He is all about sports, video games, and convincing us to take our next vacation with the mouse. Mickey has a teenage agent and doesn’t even know it! Our daughter, Emily, is 10. She was born knowing in the depth of her soul that she was meant to be a Disney princess. She does her best daily to live up to her destiny by being kind to woodland creatures, singing everywhere she goes, and designing ball gowns she wants me to sew her.
Our vacation began on Friday, April 21, 2017. The plan was for James to only work a half day so that we could all go out to lunch and have a fun day out before heading to our hotel by the airport.
Needless to say, it didn’t work out that way.
A crisis happened at James’ work. There was no way he could escape halfway through the day. We were all bummed, but the kids and I made the most of it. We went out to lunch by ourselves. This was truly the beginning of our vacation because we rarely eat out otherwise. They picked the restaurant – Ponderosa. My kids love their sundae bar.
After eating our fill (and beyond), we returned home and waited for James to get out of work. We waited…and waited. Let’s just say he put in a looong day and then had to put in yet another hour after he got home. None of us were pleased, but what could we do about it? We wanted to be able to take more vacations.
Eventually, his work day did, in fact, end. The instant he shut down his computer, we loaded our bags into the van and escaped before anything else popped up that might prevent us from leaving. We live in rural Michigan. It took us just under an hour to arrive at the Holiday Inn Gateway Center in Flint.
igh.com/Flint
igh.com/Flint
We reserved a king-sized bed with a sleeper sofa. We also booked parking for the duration of our cruise. Normally, we prefer to stay in Hilton brand hotels rather than Holiday Inns. However, this particular hotel is the exception and it’s not because of their rooms, though they are clean and comfy. The Holiday Inn Gateway allows their guests to park a vehicle in their parking lot for up to a month for a total of only $25. Not $25 per day. That’s $25 for the entire 18 days that we travelled. The best part was that we booked on points, so we only had to pay the parking fee. It was a great deal!
Our view of the lobby from our room.
As soon as we got settled at the hotel, the kids and I got dressed in our swimwear, while James ran out to grab dinner and pick up my cousin who lived nearby. It had been hours since we’d eaten lunch so these pizzas were practically inhaled. (Imagine a kill scene in a Disney Nature Video.)
We spent the evening swimming and visiting. It was an ideal way to end the first day of vacation.
Around midnight, we decided it was best that we call it a night. We said goodbye to my cousin and nestled into bed. Tomorrow we fly to Orlando!
Up next....Florida here we come!
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