Journal - August 23, 2001 - (The Wedding

Day 6: August 23, 2001
Breaking A Spell, Rehearsal, Where is my Mom?, Welcome Party, and the Adventurer's Club

Is it morning already? Didn't I just go to sleep? Please, please, let me sleep for a few more minutes... sadly, the alarm clock is on MY side, and it won't turn off by pleading alone. I turn off the alarm, and slowly "rise from my grave," as John likes to put it. And then immediately I feel a thrill of excitement... this morning is breakfast at the Crystal Palace, and a day spent in the parks with our friends and family. And it's our last day as an unmarried couple. YAY!

We get up and get ready, and then pack up the stuff we need to bring to the Rehearsal so we can give them to Carol. We also grab the gifts that are in our possession (the rest were shipped directly down, and are already sitting at Franck's), as we are going to give all of our wedding party their gifts tonight at the Welcome Party. I felt like I was missing something, but couldn't figure out what.

As this is our Rehearsal Day, we decide to wear our "John & Michelle's Disney Fairy Tale Wedding" T-Shirts that we had made for everyone. We're feeling all happy and giddy and sappy, and want to share it with the world.

AJ and Mike call us to say they are on their way - they are running a little late. Jake and Caitlin are too tired, and say they won't make it for breakfast - but they will meet us later. John doesn't mind, as it gives him a moment or two to soak in the sight off the balcony. This is his last morning here at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Tonight he will be sharing his friend, Mike's, room at the All-Star Music resort. No seeing me before it's time!

John decides to leave his stuff for now, and will come back and get it in the evening before the welcome party. We need to come down this way again, as Mike's reservation is actually in my name. (I made the reservation for 1 night for John back in February with that great $49 rate. When Mike said he was coming to the wedding, we arranged to extend the reservation by a night. That way we only paid half a night for the night John was staying there, and Mike got a good bargain, too).

We get a call from Mike and AJ again - they've arrived and are in the lobby. We grab all of our stuff - one good-sized box, a smaller box, and my Disney Fairy Tale Weddings tote bag - and we head out.

AJ is completely wowed by the resort, and cannot wait till Sunday when we come back for dinner together at Boma's. Mike is driving the car around, and we wait for him at the lobby entrance to come around again. He takes a long time - long enough that AJ begins to get angry, since we are running late - and finally appears again. We climb into the car, and we're off to the Magic Kingdom.

We are early enough in the morning that the parking lot at the Ticket and Transportation Center isn't too full. We made it to the lot without incident, though Mike almost mixed the turn. We walk over towards the monorail entrance, where I tell everyone to pull out their Resort IDs so we can get on. They look at me like I have two heads, but I assure them we need to show them. When we get there, the gates are closed, and we can see some people waiting to get in. There is a CM there explaining why they cannot board the ferry or monorail yet. We show him our Resort IDs, and then head on in. We can hear him behind us explaining to the people waiting why we got in - we're resort guests. Only resort guests can take advantage of early entrance.

Our luck is with us, and we manage to just catch the next monorail. We then sit down, relax, and enjoy our ride on to the Magic Kingdom. This is AJ's first time on the monorail, and she absolutely loves it.

"Welcome to the Magic Kingdom!" the monorail announcement says over the speakers, and we disembark. We rush towards the gates, and check in. Naturally, I have to send my pass through twice. Never seems to want to work for me on the first try.

We're about fifteen minutes late at this point, and we're hoping our PS reservations will still be honored. We wonder if everyone else made it, or if they are waiting for us.

We stop for a few minutes in the middle of Main Street to stare at our baby, Cinderella's Castle. AJ is in awe, and just keeps saying, "Wow" over and over. "It's bigger than I thought," she comments at last. "I didn't think it'd be so beautiful."

We rush over to the Crystal Palace, and there is no sign of any of our friends or John's family. Oh, well. Perhaps they are already seated? I walk up to the podium to check us in. "Oh, you're the Cook group," she says. "There were others here waiting for you earlier. They're already seated. I'm not sure I can get you seated next to them. It may be a little of a wait. Do you want me to try?" We tell her that we're hungry, and that we have the Family Magic Tour at 9:30am, so we don't have a lot of time. If she can sit us near the others, that would be great. If not, just seat us.

We sit down on the bench to wait, and through the window, I see Mish, Eric, Cynde, Chuck, and Tori all seated at one table. I point them to John, AJ, and Mike. We wave. A few minutes later, the hostess comes back out and seats us. We are a few tables away from everyone else - enough distance that we can't really table, but close enough to see one another and wave and gesture. Our waitress comes over and takes our drink orders, explaining how the characters interact with everyone. She then asks John and I if we just got married - she notices the t-shirts, and the fact that I have a Mickey crystal "Michelle" necklace on that John bought me. We tell her that we're getting married tomorrow, and that today is our rehearsal. She wishes us the best, and then goes to get our order.

At this point, we all jump up to get breakfast. All you can eat buffets. Gotta love them! I know John does - breakfast foods are his favorite, and he loves all-you-can-eat breakfast buffets. We all fill up our plates, and I make sure to get Pooh Waffles. I really get into the spirit of being a kid when I am at Disney!

We wave to Pooh as we pass him, and then we sit down and start stuffing ourselves with good breakfast food. Mmmm-mmmm! We chat and talk and laugh, and generally have a good time. All of a sudden, just as Tigger is about to reach our table, "Zip-a-dee-do-dah" starts playing over the speaker system, and all of the characters grab napkins (as does the wait staff!) and begin twirling them in the air, while grabbing up the children and dancing around the restaurant. We all start clapping and singing along. When the song is over, Tigger comes over to our table and gives us a great big tiggerific hello and hug. We take some pictures, laughing all the way. Piglet comes over next, waving, and is followed by Eeyore. At this point even Mike gets up for a picture, as Eeyore is his favorite character. We take a picture of Mike and AJ together with him for them.

"Zip-a-dee-do-dah" starts again, just as we are finishing breakfast. And in the wake of the parade, our waitress comes over to our table with a cupcake and candle, and wishes us a happy and joyous wedding. By this point, we are afraid of being late for our tour, and thanking the waitress, we take the cupcake with us and run.

Eric and Mish hadn't pre-bought tickets for the tour, and so need to do it at City Hall when we get there. Luckily, there are still spots available, but because they are doing it right then and there, I cannot get them my 15% DisneyClub discount on the tour. Oh, well! What can you do?

We check in for the tour, and we all get name tags with a shadow of Peter Pan on them. Most of us just wear them on our chests, but John puts his in his hat and Mike stuffs his in his pocket. We go inside City Hall to find Mish & Eric and to get out of the sweltering heat. Now, it had been hot the last few days John and I had been here, but it hadn't been the "death killer heat of Florida's summer sun" we've heard so much about. Yesterday evening, it had gotten really, really muggy. And today, the heat and humidity was just getting insane, to the point where even John and I were noticing it. I hope people kept drinking water!!

John and I break up the cupcake, and practice feeding each other to the "Awwwws" of people around us. It's good and chocolately, and immediately makes us want to drink water. LOL.

We eventually find ourselves back outside again, waiting for our tour guide. At this point, she is five minutes late, and we wonder where she is. There are three other families out there - we are the only ones without kids, and we got a few sidelong looks from some of the adults in the area. When we had booked our reservations for the tour, and the CM on the phone had asked us how many kids, I had said, "None, if you aren't counting us big kids." There had been a pause, and then she said, "Okay. Do you know what this tour is about? It's geared for families and children. They make you do silly things." I could only laugh and say, "I know."

Suddenly our tour guide comes rushing out of the building, and calls us all to her. "I'm sorry I'm late!" she tells us, "But I just finished talking to Mickey Mouse, and something terrible has happened. I need your help."

She then goes on to explain to us how Maleficent has decided that she has had enough of the Happiest Place on Earth, and feels that the Magic Kingdom should be the Villain's Kingdom. "She's cast an evil spell over the Magic Kingdom!" she continues, "And if it's not broken by noon, then all the fairytales will change and end Unhappily Ever After!" She tells us that because of this, our original tour has been cancelled. "But I need help breaking this spell. Will you help me?"

Of course we all shout, "Yes!" and I think we were even louder than the kids. She has a big, old book in her hands, which she then places in front of us. Mickey Mouse has given her the book, which will lead us to what we need to do to break the evil spell. It's in riddles, she says, so the Villains won't know and be able to stop us. The first riddle implies that we will need some magic dust. "We have to be quiet," she says. "We can't let Maleficent or the other Villains know what we are doing, or they might try to stop us! And we don't want anyone else to know and make them unhappy, do we? So we can't have Tinkerbell sprinkle us with dust and fly, because Maleficent will see us. So what can the riddle mean...? Wait!" and she pulls out a bag. "Mickey gave me this. He'd said we would need it. Let's see what's inside." She opens the bag, and it's filled with multi-colored metallic Mickey Confetti. "Mickey Dust!" she cries. "That's what we need." We then have to say our magic phrase Together Everyone Achieves Magic - and she showers the Mickey Dust on all of us.

Immediately, me, AJ, and Mish are on the ground, collecting Mickey Dust! I put a bunch in my pocket, because I wanted to save it. Sadly, later on I forgot it was in my pocket, and washed it all. :-( AJ sticks lots of the Mickeys to her face.

So now we're off, following the clues and trying to break Maleficent's evil spell. We traipse ALL OVER the Magic Kingdom, and along the way we have to do certain things - jump, hop, and skip, fly like Buzz Lightyear, play Follow the Leader with the kids in the group, pretend to drive cars, and all sorts of crazy things. Our favorite was when we had to sneak up to Sonny in Tomorrowland, and we were all crawling and hiding - adults and kids alike - through the area, into the restaurant, down the stairs, and up to the stage. We then jumped up and yelled, "Hi, Sonny!!" and ran outside. It was so much fun!! Our guide was very understanding, and gave us a few breaks throughout, as it was unbearably hot. She gave us a chance to rest and to get water. I won't go into all the details and spoil it for those who may wish to do it themselves.

At one point, one of the clues showed a picture of Maleficent, AJ cheered, and everyone turned to stop at her. Maleficent is her favorite Disney villain. We then started calling her a spy, and our CM chastised her for cheering for the bad guys. "Do you want all the stories to end Unhappily Ever After?" At this time, we also learned one other thing - the color on the purple Mickeys stains! AJ had a few on her (purple is her favorite color) and she now had little purple Mickeys on her head. And they didn't come off when she rubbed them. We all started laughing, and we told her it was further proof that she was a spy for Maleficent - the Mickey Heads were "burning" her. :-)

We continue all the tour, and we big kids are having as much, if not more, fun that the kids, laughing and living it up. We skipped, we flew, we hopped all over the place. When we knew the answers to riddles, we had to contain ourselves from shouting out the answers before the kids could think of it - we didn't want to ruin their fun, after all.

At one point as we are going on the tour, I see Robin Hood!! I had never seen him walking around before, and I so wish I could join the line to have my picture taken. Sadly, though, he wasn't there after the tour ended.

Finally, we get to the last location, where we know we are suppose to find the good spell to counter Maleficent's bad spell. And as we're looking around, who pops out of the woods but Peter Pan, carrying a large box! Yay! It turns out that Mickey gave him the good spell, and told him to come here to find his team. We tell him that we are team, and explain all that we have done. Peter Pan was hysterical, and the CM playing him really got into the role. We had so much fun with him!

We open the box to find two scrolls in it - one with a pink ribbon, and the other with a black. Our tour guide looks at us and says, "Which one is the good spell? We don't want to read the bad spell."

Peter immediately points to the one with the pink ribbon and says, "That one!" The tour guide asks him why he thinks that one, and he says, "Because it's pink. Pink is a girl color, and all girls are bad. So it has to be that one." We all laugh, and then everyone points to the black one and says that it's. She opens the scrolls up so we can see what they say to make sure, and then she puts the bad scroll in the box.

I won't go through the details of how we broke the spell - you'll have to figure it out for yourself if you do it someday!! But we figured out how to break it, and the box lit up in a burst of light and fire, and the bad spell was gone. Yay! We had saved the Magic Kingdom.

To thank us, Peter Pan stuck around to take pictures and sign autographs. We were in a secluded area, so no one really interfered, and the tour guide made sure people didn't interrupt us. After we were done, the tour guide said that Peter had to leave, and he interrupted her. "Wait!" he said, "They broke the spell! They deserve something more." He then offered to take us on a ride. He wanted to go to the Pirates of the Caribbean and fight Pirates (yay!) but the CM vetoed that, and said we had our choice of Snow White, Astro Orbiter, or one other. We chose Snow White. "Follow me!" Peter said, and then skipped off towards the ride.

I immediately started skipping behind him, and began singing, "Following the leader, the leader...!" Nobody else was singing! I gave them all a look, and kept on singing, skipping merrily along. I really felt like I was in Never Never Land. Peter heard me singing, and began singing it himself, and then the other kids did. I continued skipping along, having great fun.

We got to the Snow White ride, and they let us right on. All the kids went on with Peter, and then they let one regular group of people on, and then let us in. It was so much. Peter was waiting for all of us when we got off, and then made his big goodbye and let with our tour guide.

We were hot, sweaty, thirsty and tired, but we had had so much fun, none of us really cared. We were so glad we had done the tour, and knew everyone else would be sorry they missed it!

We then headed over to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, as it was 11am and Mish had arranged for Jake, Caitlin, and her stepsister, Sharon (the wife of Bryan, John's best man) to meet all of us there. (Oh, I forgot one thing! Bryan - the Best Man! - and Sharon never showed up for the Fantasmic Dinner either. Ooops! Turns out Bryan had forgotten and never looked at any of the itinerary stuff).

Shortly after we arrive at the Pirates of the Caribbean, we run into Jake and Caitlin, and big hugs are exchanged all around. We excitedly tell them all about our morning breaking the evil spell. After about twenty minutes, with no sign of Sharon, everyone begins talking about either going into the ride, or going elsewhere.

This is where John makes his goodbye to everyone for the day - it is time for him to leave and head over to the Wilderness Lodge for his tux fitting. I give him a huge hug, and we just enjoy the moment together. The excitement is getting high for both of us. Our time is finally nearing!!

John leaves, and we wait a little longer. Jake and Caitlin had gotten Fast Passes for the Jungle Cruise, and so Eric and Mish decide to go on it with them. Mike is in the restroom, so AJ and I remain behind. I tell them that I have to run an errand anyway. I wait with AJ till Mike gets back, and then we figure out what we are doing. I need to run to the Contemporary, but then need to meet up with them again so we can go to the Rehearsal. Finally we decide that I will meet them at the Haunted Mansion later, and they head into the Pirates of the Caribbean.

As I am heading towards Main Street, I run into Eric, Mish, Jake & Caitlin. Turns out the regular line was long, so Jake & Caitlin turned in their fast passes and all four of them got FPs for later. I tell them that AJ & Mike have just gone into the Pirates of the Caribbean, and they rush to meet them.

As I am walking down Main Street alone - a very weird feeling. I've never walked alone down it before - a powerful thirst overcomes me, and I dash into Casey's for a drink. Though it is lunch time - being noon now - there is no line, and I get the largest drink I can get my hands on. It surprises me how quickly I finish it off.

I continue on the way out and see the sign for the crystal shop, and all of a sudden it hits me what was missing this morning. My dad's gift!! We had gotten him something already, but I had wanted to get him something sappy, sweet, sentimental, and from the heart. And it hadn't arrived. I panic, knowing that tonight we are giving gifts, and wonder what I can do. I can still give it to him later after it arrives, but I wanted to do it while we were here in Disney. I jump into the Crystal shop as an idea forms. I find one of those curved frames - that holds a 5x7 on one side, and has an etching and personalized message on the other. I get one that has an etching of Cinderella's Castle and then have it engraved with "I Love You, Dad" on it. Perfect for holding a photo of me and my dad from my wedding!!

I then take off, hop the monorail over to the Contemporary, and run my errands. I get another large drink while I am there, and finish it before getting back to the Magic Kingdom. I then head on down to the Haunted Mansion, and wait at the well right outside the gates for AJ and Mike. About fifteen minutes later, they show up.

We only have enough time for one ride before we need to go to the Rehearsal. I ask them where they want to go, and they say Tomorrowland. They had just come from Space Mountain. When I ask which rides they haven't tried, they say Astro Orbiter, Time Keeper, and the ExtraTERRORestial Encounter. With an evil gleam in my eyes, I say, "Oh, let's do the Alien ride" and drag them to Tomorrowland. "Has anyone ever told you about this ride?" I ask them and they say no. I grin, "Good. It's better that way."

I won't spoil the ride for those who have never been on it before. The ExtraTERRORestial Encounter is one of those rides that is best experienced knowing nothing about it, and it truly spoils the fun if you know. Trust me. My sisters ruined my first experience with it. I still loved the ride, but the reaction just isn't the same if you know what's coming. AJ and Mike hadn't a clue. Boy, did I get them good. It was so much fun!!

After we got out of the ride, we headed back down Main Street to catch the monorail to the TTC, and from there to the Wedding Pavilion for our rehearsal. Rehearsal!! Wow, I cannot believe we're almost there! Someone pinch me... this must be a dream!

As John is not with me, so too is my luck gone - we just miss the express monorail to the TTC, and have to wait for the next. As a result, we get to the Wedding Pavilion about five minutes late. I grab all of our stuff from AJ's trunk, and carry it to Franck's, leaving it inside until after the Rehearsal. And if feels nice to step into the AC!

I step back into the sticky heat, and get a thrill of excitement when I notice the billboard next to the gate and bridge to the Wedding Rehearsal. "Cook/Mangio, Wedding Rehearsal, 2:00pm" it says in bold letters. I grin uncontrollably, and begin skipping up the bridge.

My name is shouted as I start across the bridge, and I look to the left to see John running towards me through the white sand of the beach between us and the Grand Floridian resort. All of "his guys" are strung out behind him, though most are remaining on the path. As I turn around, it is to see my brother and Kevin behind me. I give them a big hug, and they continue on to the Pavilion. John catches up to me, and we hug. Our rehearsal is here. Neither of us can believe it.

We continue on into the Wedding Pavilion, where I get to meet some people for the first time. The first is Carol, my wedding coordinator at Disney Fairy Tale Weddings. I feel like I've known her for years through all the emails and phone conversations we've had. She has been wonderful and amazing, always with a smile in her voice and never bothered by the fact that I've changed my mind on something again. She makes me think, in a way, of Mary Poppins. She has short black hair and is very petite and small - shorter than I, and I am only 5'1"! - but with a warm-hearted smile and big friendly hug.

Rev. Jack Day is also there waiting for us, dressed in black, and with the kindly, loving smile you expect from your grandfather. He envelops me in a big hug and tells me I am an angel, and that he is so glad to be with us here on this day. He is one of the sweetest men I have ever met, and my heart instantly takes to him. He has performed hundreds of Disney weddings, and yet his sincerity is always true, his love warm and genuine. He celebrated his 50th Anniversary this past July, and I hope I am as fortunate as he to have such a long life filled with love and warmth. Every Disneymooner I know who has been married by him adores him.

I then get to meet Patrick Lyons, our videographer, for the first time, too. I had communicated with all of these guys through phone and email, but this was our first face-to-face meeting. Patrick made me think of an Uncle, as if he were part of our family already. John and him instantly bonded, and I knew that if we lived in Orlando, the two of them would likely become good friends. Certainly I hope to stay in touch after the wedding is ended!

I then take a moment to look around and see who is there. All of the guys are now here - John, my Dad, his Dad, Bryan, Chip, Steve, and Chuck - and Mike and Kevin are here, as is Charlette, Cynde, Chuck, Tori, AJ, and Mike. I look around again. Where is my mom and my sisters?

Steve and Kevin have no idea where they are - they had left them hours ago, to go to the Tux Fitting. They tell me that they had gone back to the hotel hours ago to change, and that Ryan (my sister's boyfriend) was feeling sick. Running around in the Florida sun, with little sleep, no food, little to drink, and consuming alcohol will do that to you. I had tried to warn people to take it easy. Steve said that he had thought they had said something about Ryan going home and taking him to the airport.

I feel my bridal stress rising, and obviously John can see it, too, because he gives me a hug and gives a look at the person who begins to crack a joke about my mom's attendance. We are now approaching twenty past two, and I am feeling panicky. How can we have a rehearsal without them? Where are they? They knew they had to be here!

Carol calls me over, and Rev.Jack and Patrick join John and I, and we begin to discuss what to do. At that point, my cellphone rings, and I excuse myself from the conversation to answer it. It's my mom.

"Sorry we're late," she tells me. "Ryan was sick and needed to go home. We had to bring him to the airport. We're at the Boardwalk now, but can't find the Wedding Pavilion. Where exactly is it?"

I feel my heart sink to the pit of my stomach. "The Boardwalk?" I repeat. "Why are you at the Boardwalk? The rehearsal is at the Wedding Pavilion. It's not at the Boardwalk, it's near the Magic Kingdom, by the Grand Floridian." I feel the urge to scream. At the Boardwalk?! There is no way they will make it here on time! And why are they at the Boardwalk? Wasn't she listening last night? Didn't she look at the Itinerary we gave them?

I can feel all the eyes on me, and there is a sudden silence in the Wedding Pavilion as people hear what I am saying. I can practically hear the roll of the eyes from some of them. I listen to my mom as she explains that they hadn't been sure where the Wedding Pavilion was, and that Jackie had said that she believed it was at the Boardwalk. They hadn't had a chance to get the itinerary again after bringing Ryan to the airport, and the morning had been crazy. She tells me they will catch a bus, and head over here.

I turn pleading eyes towards John, not knowing what to do. We only have the Pavilion for an hour. There is a wedding here tonight, and we cannot stay. Carol has an evening meeting. Rev. Jack has a wedding to officiate. We don't have time to wait. I begin to go bridal, and feel the urge to find someplace to cry.

"Someone take that phone away from her," John says, coming to my rescue, and Kevin goes over and takes it from me. "I'll work it out with her," Kevin says. "I have a car. I'll pick them up." He then walks out of the pavilion, phone in hand. John then looks around and tells everyone that they are not to give me back the phone. It's my wedding. I shouldn't have to stress, he is telling everyone.

Carol then comes over and she looks a little uncomfortable as she says, "We can't wait. They won't be here for another 30 minutes at least. And there's a group coming in at 4pm, and we need to be out."

Rev.Jack gives me a big hug and reassures me that it will all be alright. "It's all very easy," he says, "and I'll queue them in at the wedding itself. We can go over everything now, my dear, and then you can walk them through afterwards. And I will help them out at the wedding. Don't you worry."

I nod in agreement and pull up a smile. After all, the show must go on, right? I just wish my mom was here, that's all.

Cynde looks at me and says, "I don't know how you take it so calmly. You shouldn't stress over your mom, Michelle, it's not worth it. If that had been my mom at my wedding... well, I would have told her to leave by now, or started screaming at her."

My dad walks up and gives me a hug, saying nothing. He doesn't need to - he rarely does. I love my dad.

We all set up to begin the rehearsal. John asks Charlette to stand up for my mom, just so we know and can see how everyone will be standing and how things are done. He shows us how and where people will stand, and we go through a mock-run of the entire Ceremony. He skips over the Rose Presentation for our parents like we had asked, so it would be a surprise to them. However, during the rehearsal John figures out how he is going to give a rose to his mom, even without her there, and he and Patrick work out all the details. Carol makes a note to add one more rose to the number we need at the altar. We go through how John and I will walk around the altar after lighting the candle a few times, to make sure it is done right. It takes a couple of times before John gets what Rev. Jack is saying - Rev. Jack finally comes up and shows him, taking his place as the groom. Rev. Jack is sweet and funny, as is Patrick, and between the two of them we were often left rolling on the floors in laughter. We had so much fun, and the time just flew by.

The rehearsal ends, and we pack up all our stuff. Rev. Jack gives us a hug and leaves. John goes off with Patrick, to give him our final payment, and I go back to the Wedding Pavilion with Carol, to go through all of our stuff. We go through the boxes and boxes of wedding stuff, separating everything into Ceremony, Pre-Reception, and Reception. I can't believe how much stuff we had: baskets, bubbles, place card frames, guest book, pen, cake knife & server, and on and on. The placecard frames still needed to have the name cards placed in them, and I put them aside to bring back to our room and do them that night. I would give them tomorrow to Carol prior to the wedding.

Right before we started divvying everything up, my mom and my sisters arrived. My mom gives me a big hug, and apologizes for being late. She tells me how sick Ryan was, and how he just wanted to go home, so they drove him to the airport. And then they couldn't remember where they were supposed to be. I tell her I understand, and give her a hug in return. I'm just glad she's here now. I tell her I need to take care of this first, and then I will explain how things are going to be done, as the rehearsal is over. Julie and Jackie come over and give me a huge hug, too.

We finish separating everything, and then Carol leaves to make her meeting. I bring my sisters and mom over to the Wedding Pavilion to show them around. We go into the Bride's Vestibule so they can see it, and also to get some water. We then go into the Pavilion itself and look at the Groom's Vestibule. I then walk them through the Ceremony, and explain how things are going to happen, where they are to stand, and things like that.

After we are done, we go back over to Franck's, and I take them inside. There is a replica of my cake there, and Julie wants to see it. Mike is sitting there with John waiting - we have to check him into the All-Star Music resort. John calls to get a cab for us, as time is growing short. It is nearing 4pm now, and our dinner is at 5pm.

My mom asks what our plans are for the evening, and tells me that she had been thinking of spending the night with me at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, to help me get ready in the morning. And that way we could spend the night together. I tell her that would be great, as John is staying with Mike tonight. When I go and tell John this, he tells me that he feels sorry for me. He is angry at my mom, and says that if it was him, he would tell her no. But he knows I would never do that. I am glad my mom wants to be a part of my night and morning, and I am glad to have her. Just because she has missed everything so far doesn't mean I should make the situation worse by harboring resentment. This is my wedding, and I intend to be happy and let nothing mar it.

The cab arrives, and all of us get in and head over to the All-Star Music resort. We put the huge box and one smaller box of gifts into the back of the cab. When we get out, my mom and sisters say goodbye and truck over to the Sports resort to change. We head into the lobby of the All-Star Music resort to check in.

The line is somewhat long - it figures, since we are short on time - and we wait for a while. Mike is very tired - he worked late the night before, and had a 6am flight this morning - and thirsty, and leaves at one point to find a drink. At this point, we begin to check-in, and I wave down John to go get Mike. He needs to put a credit card on file, and I wanted him to be there for the gift bag. The check-in goes smoothly, but the CM cannot find the gift bag. She spends about twenty minutes looking, but cannot find it. I am annoyed, but realize I don't have the time to have her keep looking. It is now 4:30pm. So much for stopping at the Animal Kingdom Lodge to get John's stuff. We will have to do it afterwards.

John and Mike go to Mike's room to drop off his luggage, and I wait in the lobby with the boxes. It is at this time that I realize that my mom's gift is missing from the pile. I had forgotten it in Franck's! In a panic, I ask one of the Guest Services CMs if they can contact Franck's at the wedding pavilion, or if they can call my coordinator. I know that Franck's closes at 5pm. They cannot get through to Franck's, but they do get through to Carol's number. Since she had the meeting, she is not there, but I get her assistance Candice, who works miracles for me. She contacts Franck's and makes sure that someone will be there till 5:30pm so I can get the gift. I thank her, hang up, and then begin impatiently waiting for John and Mike.

After about twenty minutes, they return. I am anxious to leave, not wishing to be late. When I ask what took them so long, John tells me that he saw Kevin and Steven sitting at the bar by the pool. "I told them that the Rehearsal dinner was in ten minutes, and they needed to get going. They said they were waiting for your mom and sisters. They had agreed to meet at the bar by the pool." I bite my tongue, but am really annoyed and hope that everyone will get going and be at the dinner.

While John is explaining this, Mike has gone out and gotten a cab. We grab the boxes and are soon on our way to the Polynesian Resort. It seems to take agonizingly slow to get there, though I know we actually make good time. Once the cab pulls in front of the lobby, I take off down the side path to head towards the Pavilion. John grabs the boxes and heads upstairs.

While the Wedding Pavilion is between the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian Resort, it is much closer to the GF than the Polynesian. Normally, I don't find the walk all that long or far. But right now, given that I know I am late, that it is hot and humid outside, and that I am running, I find the path unbearably long. Finally I arrive, red-faced and out-of-breath, and get my mom's gift from the storage area. The CM at the Pavilion tells me to wait in the AC, and then she gets the company car to drive me back over to the Polynesian. I gratefully sink into a chair in the blessedly cool main room of Francks and wait for her.

I run up the set of stairs and reach the lobby of O'Hana, where everyone is gathered waiting for dinner. Some are seated at the bar, and the rest are spread out in the comfy chairs in the area. John is over with my dad, talking, but comes over and gives me a hug when he sees me. He tells me that he has checked us in, but that they are waiting for everyone to arrive before seating us - the same situation as occurred at the Hollywood and Vine. It is now just after 5:30pm, and I look around to see that my mom, Jackie, Julie, Steven and Kevin are not here, and suddenly feel very stressed out that they are not. I also note that nobody asks me where they are. So this time I say it allowed, and shake my head at the fact that they are not here.

My dad comes over and gives me a huge hug, and Celeste takes some pictures of us. He then orders me a large strawberry daquiri to calm me down. He has bought John a Long Island Iced Tea - his second, in fact - and we toast the evening together. I go over to our boxes, and then pull out our Wedding Ears - Black Mickey Ears in a Top Hot, and White Minnie Ears with a bridal veil. The bridal ears won't stay on my head, and John goes over to the gift shop to buy me clip-on barrettes to hold them on. We get lots of "Oh, isn't that cute" from everyone around us.

At this point my mom and my sisters show up, out-of-breath. I want to ask why they are late, but don't bother and just give them a hug. My mom tells me then that they had been waiting and waiting for Steve and Kevin at the bar pool - the boys were suppose to drive them over - and that finally they had given up waiting, called a cab, and came over themselves. They had no idea where the boys were.

Except that John had seen them, so we knew they were there... wait! John had seen them at the MUSIC resort, not the Sports resort. It hadn't even occurred to me at the time that they were at the wrong resort - so many of our guests are staying at the Music that I had not thought of it. John ran off to call the bar at the All-Star Music resort, to see if he could track them down. Luckily, he was able to get through to the pool bar, and the guy at the bar saw Steve and Kevin, and told them to go to the Polynesian. They arrived about fifteen minutes later. It turns out that Steve and Kevin knew there was a bar at the All-Star Music resort - having stayed there before - but wasn't aware that each of the All-Stars had bar pools. So when they had told my mom and sisters to meet them at the pool bar, they had meant the Music resort. But since all of them were staying at the Sports resort, my mom and sisters had waited for them there.

Finally we are all gathered together, and the manager of O'Hana brings us in to be seated. Yay!

She brings us into a far room, though fairly close to the windows, to a very long roman-style table. There is a head seat at each end, and John feels we should each sit at an end and be "the lord and lady of our table." And this way we can each spend time with each end of the table. We sit down on each end, and people began piling in onto the table. Several of our friends sit near us, and my dad gets somewhat close. I want him to sit closer, but he doesn't want to make people move and assures me that he is fine where is and to stop worrying about him. When my mom and sisters walk in - the last ones - they find there are no seats near me. I can see that my mom looks upset, and now I feel upset and want to see if people will move. John can see I am stressed over it, but he tells me not to worry. He is angry at my mom and doesn't feel she deserves a seat of honor. My mom then comes over and tells me not to worry, and she goes back to where she is seated.

The waiter comes around and takes all of our drink orders, and I am amazed that he gets everything right without writing a thing down, as there are about thirty of us there. The family-style platters are soon brought over, with salad, rice, sauces, and fixings, and soon after the skewers of food - beef, pork, chicken, and shrimp - begin making their rounds. The food is scrumptious and everyone loves it. We all have a grand time, laughing and talking and eating. John plays a game of "operator" and has people pass messages on down towards me. When operator fails, he starts passing notes down to me. He is so sweet.

I get up and make my way down the table, taking time to talk and be with everyone. John does the same, though we both make sure to eat plenty. O'Hana is a great restaurant for kids, and we wish there were more children here. But Tori has all the fun, as throughout the evening the restaurant does various games and races for the kids - a hula hoop contest at one point, racing with brooms and coconuts at another, and all sorts of fun stuff. Tori has by far the largest and loudest cheering crowd, as all of us cheer her on during the games.

For dessert, they bring over fresh pineapple with caramel sauce for dipping. It's not a combination I immediately think of as appealing, but I try it anyway and find it absolutely delicious. I'm careful of picking out the pineapple, as I found out two years ago that I was allergic to the skin of pineapples.

Finally as dinner is drawing to a close, John and I pull out our boxes. Tori helps us by delivering our gifts to all of our wedding party. Though it is traditional to give gifts to your wedding party, apparently no one was expecting it, and they were completely surprised and delighted to receive the gifts from us.

We started with the guys. To his friend Chuck, John gave a stainless steel flask engraved with "Chuck, A True Believer." To his brother, John gave a gold money clip with an onyx setting, engraved with his initials. To my brother, John gave him a set of shot glasses, each engraved with his initials, and held in a leather case. Steve loved it; it was the perfect gift for my brother. And to his best man, he gave him a cheerywood Valet Box, engraved with "Bryan, Best Man, Best Friend." Bryan really loved this box - John was so happy about this. Bryan is one of those people who are impossible to buy for, and it really made John's day to see he surprised and delighted Bryan.

I gave out the gifts next to my girls. I got them all silver ribbon heart jewelry boxes, lined with velvet on the inside, with personalized messages outside. Jackie's said: "Jacqueline, My Sister, My Maid of Honor. Love, Michelle." Julie's said: "Juliette, My Sister, My Bridesmaid. Love, Michelle." And Cynde's said: "Cynde, My Sister-in-Law, My Bridesmaid. Love, Michelle." For Tori, we gave a small crystal heart jewelry box with her name engraved on a gold plate on top. For AJ, our soloist, I gave a large crystal heart jewelry box with then engraving, "Amy, Our Own Ariel." For my girls, I also gave them beautiful hand-made jewelry. Our friend Hillary is extremely talented, and made all of the jewelry for the girls. Each necklace was unique, but drew on the same colors, and was made from semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls, gold rose beads, and other beads and gems. They were gorgeous! They were designed to match their gowns, and everyone fell in love with them. They thought I had bought them at a store and paid a fortune for them! They were so beautiful!

Finally it came time to give the gifts to our parents. John gave his father a pocket tool kit with "Dad" engraved on it - which his dad love. Like father, like son, the two of them love gadgets and pocket tools. To my father, we gave a Golf Ball kit: it was a leather case with a gold tag that said "Dad," and inside were two golf balls and 14k gold tees. And then I presented my dad with my gift to him, the picture frame. His eyes began to tear, and we shared a long hug. I then gave him my final small gift: a Father's Handkerchief. It was a beautiful handkerchief embroidered with "Father" on it, and it came with a frameable card with a poem on it.

I then went over to my mom. We had gotten her a beautiful white woven blanket with embroidered flowers and a message which read "A mother is a special part, Of all that's precious in the heart." She began to cry, and we shared a hug. She held me for a moment and told me how proud she was of me. I then gave her a handmade necklace - another Hillary creation - of freshwater pearls, white glass beads, and gold beads. And finally I gave her a Mother's Handkerchief, edged in lace, with a poem card.

Our rehearsal dinner / welcome party thus ended on an emotional high, as everyone looked over their gifts and we all hugged and shared some tears. People began leaving, intending on changing before going to Pleasure Island, and we packed up everything to go. We said goodbye to those we wouldn't see till morning, and then got a taxi to go back to the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Because the dinner had gotten off to a late start, we were now running late for our evening plans. Our intent had originally been to meet at Planet Hollywood at 8pm for dinner with Dave, Hillary, Jaime, Michelle D, Kendra, and Caleb (we refer to them as "the Brown Crowd" because many of them went to school at Brown University, and because it's shorter than saying all six names - all of whom missed the dinner because their flight did not arrive till 5pm - but we hadn't started the welcome party till after 6pm. It was now 8pm, and we were only just leaving O'Hana's. I felt bad, and hoped they didn't wait for us, but there was no way to get in touch with them.

My mom came back with us, having brought her overnight bag with her to the welcome party. We arrive at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and John and I take a quick moment to show her around. She is in awe over the lodge, and falls instantly in love with the views of the animals. As we are walking down the hall to our room, she is constantly stopping at the windows to point out animals to us.

We get back to the room and as John starts grabbing his stuff, I take my mom to the balcony and show her the view. The animals are very active tonight and are roaming all over the savannah.

John gathers all the stuff he will need and packs it into one of our wedding tote bags. He then gives his resort mug to my mom, and we tell her where to get it filled and where the pool is. I pull out my black bathing suit for her to use if she wishes. She offers to put the placecard frames together while we are gone, and I take them out and hand them to her. I call over to the All-Star Music to see if any of the Brown Crowd are there by any chance. As I knew would be the case, they are not. I change my voicemail message, and John and I dash off. We have the PI ticket for Michelle D, and know she cannot get in without us.

We take a taxi over to Downtown Disney, and get off right near Pleasure Island. It is now after 9pm, and there is noone at the entrance. We hope they have all gone ahead, and so we swipe our passes through, get our wristbands, and head on in.

The Adventurer's Club is our favorite place in Pleasure Island. And, really, it's the only place in PI we've really been to. The premise is that it is an Adventurer's Club / Gentleman's Club (though woman are allowed!) from the 1920/1930s. The inside of the club is covered in memorabilia and artifacts from all over. The CM all play the roles of different members of the AC - such as Hathaway Brown, the dashing, daring pilot and lady's man - and interact with the crowd as those persons. There is a great deal of comedy at work, and most of it is improvised. There is also "the Colonel" (a wooden puppet/robot attached to the wall), the Genie in the cabinet of the treasure room, the masks on the wall of the mask room, and other hidden and random characters. This place is so much fun!!

We walk into the club to find many of our friends already gathered there: Jake, Caitlin, Chuck, Cathy, Bryan, Mike, Jane, Randy, Eric, Mish, Kendra and Caleb. We give Kendra and Caleb big hugs and ask them about their trip, apologizing for missing dinner. "We waited for a few minutes," Kendra tells me, "but then we figured you got caught up in stuff and had wedding things that needed doing, so we just got dinner on our own." She tells me that because Michelle D didn't have admission to Pleasure Island, she, Jaime, Hillary and Dave decided not to come in, and were instead shopping in Downtown Disney. John and I feel bad, and discuss going to look for them.

Jane tells us not to, that she and Randy wanted to look at the shops, and that they will look for them instead. We give Jane the ticket, and then give her big hugs - this was the first time we had seen her since they arrived - and then she and Randy take off. The rest of us go down the stairs into the room, and settle down into the Treasure Room and soak up the atmosphere. The French Maid and Hathaway Brown are walking around, and people are laughing all around us.

We all order drinks, and I get the Kungaloosh. It's the signature drink of the Adventurer's Club, and it is so good! Shortly after we all get drinks, the library opens for a new show, and I excitedly herd everyone into it so we can see the show. We all sit together in a cluster of three tables, and spend the next twenty minutes laughing uproariously at the show. When it is over, we go back into the main room, and continuing enjoying the atmosphere. The French Maid is now dusting, and the Colonel wakes up and begins trying to look under her skirt. A bout of joking goes on, and then the Colonel inducts everyone as honorary members of the AC - we all learn the Kungaloosh hand-signal and the AC song. Afterwards, Jake and Caitlin soon find themselves the butt of the Colonel's jokes - or at least Jake does, who gets razzed for not buying Caitlin expensive gifts, giving her flowers, writing her poems, or serenading her. We all laugh and laugh.

By this point, we realize that it is getting late. Jane just returned to tell us she couldn't find the rest of the Brown Crowd. As it is just after 11pm, we decide to call it a night. After all, we have an early morning - mine starts at 4am. Bryan, Chuck, Cathy, and Mike decide to call it a night with us, but the others decide to stay. A new library show is beginning, and they all go in to see it.

Bryan leaves us to go catch a cab back to the Wilderness Lodge, and the rest of us walk down to the bus stop. We watch the All-Stars bus leave as we are approaching the area, but thankfully we see that my bus - the Animal Kingdom Lodge bus - is sitting there. I run ahead to make sure I catch it, and John runs after me to give me a goodnight kiss before we separate for the night. It is a long passionate kiss, the last before our wedding morning.

After John hops off the bus to go back, the bus driver takes a look at our Wedding Ears and asks me if we just got married. "Not yet," I say. "Tomorrow morning! Tonight was our last night out party." The bus driver asks me where John is going, and I tell him the All-Stars. He then tells me to call John over - he will drop John off after he goes to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I am surprised at his and thank him, but explain that John is going back with three other people. The bus driver just tells me to call them all over, and so I do. We thank him and then all settle down on the bus.

John and I enjoy the ride in pleasant silence, with me nestled into the crook of his hand, enjoying the anticipation of the morning to come. We share another passionate kiss and embrace as I leave him at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

As I am walking back to my room, I see out on the Sunset Savannah the largest gathering of animals I had seen yet, all clustered around the watering hole. There are three giraffes, a half dozen zebra, a dozen or so wildebeest, many gazelle, ostriches and other birds... so many animals! I try to take a picture, but do not think it will come out.

I get back to my room, and my mom is sitting on the balcony, sipping wine and watching the animals. She has finished the placecard frames, and was just waiting for me to return. I then start packing up mine and John's stuff, so it will be ready to check out in the morning. John calls after he gets back to his room, and we share a few pleasant, loving words. The conversation is interrupted by "our" giraffe, who takes this moment to come up as close to the balcony as he can. While I would love to say that my soon-to-be husband had my full attention, the giraffe in truth stole it away. We eventually say our goodnights, and then I go onto the balcony to take some pictures and gaze at the animals.

Finally, I break away from animal gazing and go back to packing everything up. When I am done, I take a nice long shower. When I come out, my mom is already asleep. I finish what needs to be done, and crawl into bed. The alarm clock displays 1:12 AM at me in bright red numbers.

I am exhausted, and know I only have three hours to get some sleep - and it is that knowledge, coupled with the growing excitement for tomorrow, that prevents me from falling asleep for a long, long time.

Today was a wonderful day... tomorrow will be the coming true of a dream. I take that thought with me into sleep.

NEXT: Our Disney Fairy Tale Wedding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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