Hedonists on Holiday: The "Broil Your Butt Off" Birthday Tour! We're DONE! New 8/14 [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

jackskellingtonsgirl

07-03-2006, 11:53 PM

Cast:
Me - Disney commando, DIS board addict, and birthday girl (36, but I am aging gracefully ;) )
DH - 38, pretends he doesn't love Disney but he really does. Wishes he could have a relaxing vacation but realizes there isn't much chance of that.
DS - almost 10, has that aloof attitude about going to Disney but acts excited to make me happy. He is THRILLED to have the chance to go to Disney with his beloved uncles!
Uncle1 - 40ish, my dear friend for the past 12 years, loves Disney
Uncle2 - 40ish, Uncle1's partner and also my dear friend, also loves Disney

I have been planning this trip since last November. After looking at the pics from our October trip Uncle1 said we should plan a group trip to Disney. DH said the uncles didn't REALLY want to do a group trip, they were just saying that to be polite. Originally we thought we were going over Memorial Day, but DH couldn't get that week off. When I announced that we were going in August I FULLY expected the uncles to bail, but being the amazing friends they are, they agreed to come with us! The official "Broil Your Butt Off" birthday tour planning got underway, and it IS a group trip! :teeth:

We are exactly one month from departure. We arrive August 3 for 9 glorious nights of parks, dining, and surprises. I have bought enough stuff to fill a U-Haul. I have determined that the more time I have to plan, the more stuff I will purchase in preparation. Good thing we have plenty of luggage. Bad thing the airlines have weight restrictions on luggage.

This will be our first time in a deluxe resort (AKL). I am looking forward to that! This is also our first time to go to WDW in the blazing heat of summer. Not looking forward to that, but I think we can handle it. Uncle2 has declared that at no point during the entire trip is anyone allowed to say "It's hot." I am busy collecting synonyms for "hot". I am on the DIS every day to make sure I don't miss anything important. I am ready for heat, humidity, crushing crowds, creepy bed bugs, public urination, stomach viruses and anything else that comes our way! As the Designated Planner I have gone over our itinerary every single day for the past 7 months. ADRs were made at 180 days and have been changed relentlessly ever since! I made what I HOPE will be the last modification yesterday. We have all of our travel documents from AAA and as far as I can tell everything is in order.

DH delights in tormenting me, so he has threatened to hide my planning packet, said he won't pack until the night before we leave, and announced he is once again bringing The Camera. The Camera is my nemesis. It is ancient, it is heavy, it uses FILM for crying out loud! DH got it in high school and he is SURE that the perfect photo is just waiting to be unleashed by The Camera. He doesn't have a flash for it, and the photos that he took with it in October were worse than what I took with the disposable! But he INSISTS that this time will be different. Yeah, this time it will be 112 degrees instead of just 80-ish! I don't have to carry the blasted thing, but I DO have to stand there for DAYS while he tries to focus it, giving all the people in line behind us that embarrassed, apologetic little smile. :blush: We have a BRAND NEW digital camera. Has he bothered to take a single pic with it? Nope. Has he bothered to read the directions? Nope. Can I not just let him bring his 10 ton camera and shut up about it? Nope.

The next 31 days are going to DRAG, and it is my sincere hope that those days will drag by without a single remarkable event. A month without drama does not make for much of a pre-trip report, but I can live with that. ;)

Harmony272

07-04-2006, 12:08 AM

:rotfl2: Your title just made me lol.

KerriSue

07-04-2006, 03:19 AM

So far so good :goodvibes

Have a great trip, Im looking forward to reading the rest :sunny:

Kerri

jodistar

07-04-2006, 07:42 AM

Love the trip report so far! I say hide the camera, and make him bring the digital :goodvibes

Can't wait to hear more :thumbsup2

jackskellingtonsgirl

07-04-2006, 08:25 AM

I can't hide The Camera because I don't know where DH keeps it! :rotfl:

Apparently the digital camera is "mine". DH even bought me a memory card for Mother's Day! That wasn't a bad thing - I asked for the card. I wasn't aware that asking for a memory card automatically made me the sole owner/user of the digital. Uncle1 is my techno savvy guy, so I think I can probably get some great pics as long as I bring the instruction booklet so he can help me! ;)

fizz13

07-04-2006, 09:11 AM

OhMari

07-04-2006, 09:52 AM

Lol, great start with your pre-trip report. My suggestion with the digital camera. Sit on your husband and show him how to use it, or better yet, make a 'date nite'-'camera nite' and show him how to use it. Sometimes new technology is scary to us, but once we learn how to use something we then love it.

jackskellingtonsgirl

07-04-2006, 10:00 AM

I had a feeling it had to be an August trip from the title, as I am arriving on 2nd August and have thought of nothing else but heat coping strategies. great pre-trip and i concur with a fellow poster that the "camera" should be hidden ;) Have a great time,
Claire xx

Maybe we will see you there! If you see a guy with a big, bulky camera and a blond woman looking REALLY irate be sure to say hello! :rotfl2:

luvmyboys

07-04-2006, 02:26 PM

great beginning! can't wait for the sweaty, sweltering, blistering, heated rest!!!

Minniespal

07-04-2006, 02:54 PM

Excellent title ~ Can't wait to read all about it.

jackskellingtonsgirl

07-05-2006, 11:38 AM

while I wait for the next 29 days to pass.

Our first trip to WDW was in January, 2005. DS won an airline ticket and my friend told him he should use it to go to Disney. Sure! Why not? So we did. DH groused the whole time leading up to the trip because he could NOT fathom how it would be any different than Six Flags. By the time Wishes started the first night he said "I wonder when we can come back?"

We went back in October for our first attempt at hedonism. Material excess, gluttony, too-much-is-never-enough overindulgence. And we liked it. :smooth:

As we rode back to the ariport on Magical Express DH decided that WDW at holiday time would be of great interest to him, but this was mid-October. I couldn't pull off another trip 2 months later, so that one will be THIS December as a surprise for DS. Oh, but we're talking about August, aren't we?

While the August week was #6 on my list of preferred weeks when DH bid for vacation time, it IS better than having all of his vacation time fall when DS is in school. AND it is my BIRTHDAY! :banana: AND the uncles are coming with us! :banana:

Uncle2 has a saying "Anything worth doing is worth OVERdoing." He will make an excellent hedonist! And bless them, the uncles haven't balked at a single one of my e-mails asking if we can add just ONE MORE OOP thing to the itinerary. I love them! :love:

As I mentioned previously, DH pretends that he doesn't love Disney. He mumbles and complains and says it is too expensive. Yet he is the one who wants to go back at Christmas. He is the one who tells his co-workers to just get over the cost and book a trip. He is the one who was up at 5:50 AM in October to help me call for an IllumiNations cruise. He does love Disney. And he has NO earthly idea of how much it truly costs. Shh! :ssst: Hopefully the APs I am buying will take some of the sting out of the price.

So here we are. Ready to go. In 29 days. :rolleyes1

Lil' Grumpy

07-05-2006, 12:18 PM

:thumbsup2 ...this is a good report. [ i can't believe others are in the same
boat-luggage & all]. and if it's any consolation, i have a similar "10-ton"
camera...just waitin to break out! yep, my wife has the same attachment
[memory card] to our digital...it always get my atttention when others
are following the same "yellow brick road" to dizzland!

happy - :cake: -birthday trip! aaaahhhh! to be 36 again, :)
not only i'm getting older but "old-fashioned too"..can't wait until
platform shoes comeback in style..taps & all! couldn't helped noticing
your doobie bros' song :hippie: .yep, life more interesting when you
use more than one of your 5 senses? :artist: my world by chicago
made a similar suggestion.

jackskellingtonsgirl

07-05-2006, 02:57 PM

When is your trip? I want to make sure DH doesn't bump into you and see that you also have a mammoth camera! :rotfl2:

My signature quote changes, depending on what line I find particularly poignant. The Doobie Bros. line just seems to fit SO MANY situations I have left it alone.

jackskellingtonsgirl

07-11-2006, 03:26 PM

Did you see back in Post #1 where I said I hope the days leading up to the trip pass without a single remarkable event? It's probably better not to say things like that. If the past 4 days are any indication of what the 23 days before the trip will be, we are in trouble! :guilty:

DH's best friend was killed in a car accident early Friday morning. We spent Saturday, Sunday and Monday attending funeral-related events. DH is devastated, and DS9 has never been to a funeral before where everyone is SO, SO sad. It was a hard weekend for all of us. And in the category of "It's a Small World in a Bizarre Way" - I turned around at the funeral yesterday and the lady behind me is a manager at my Disney Store! Turns out she knew DH's friend, too.

Obviously nothing got done around the house while we were out, so next weekend will be a blur of domestic labor. I wasn't all that close to DH's friend, but I am still having a hard time keeping my focus. DS keeps spontaneously bursting into tears, but I think it is more fatigue and stress than anything else. He can't stand to see DH hurting. I am hoping Disney will help.

On to less intense topics...
I have a stye in my left eye that is driving me nuts. I wore high heels yesterday for the first time in probably a year. I think the circulation has finally returned to my toes, but MAN! does my back hurt! Note to self: no high heels at Disney. Note to all: wear the low heeled sling backs, even if it means people will be able to see the hole in the foot of your pantyhose. Additionally, you might want to keep some new pantyhose on hand so you will have some without a hole in the foot. Just in case.

I had one of those "Disney nightmares" the other night. This one involved going to our 7th floor room at AKL (yes, I know there are only 5 floors) and discovering we only have 2 TWIN beds. I took a shower before I went down to tell someone we needed a new room - not sure why. When I got downstairs the valet was working behind the front desk. As I was explaining the twin bed issue to her I remembered that I left ALL of our travelers checks and Disney Dollars at home, which was suddenly FAR more of an issue than the twin beds. Not sure how it ended. I think the shock of having no money woke me up!

23 days to go. No comment on what I hope will or will not occur in the span of those days.

jackskellingtonsgirl

07-22-2006, 09:34 PM

I have decided the curse of being an obsessive planner is that there are so many things that can go wrong. Let's face it. I am a completely rigid person. I am totally inflexible when it comes to plans, which is a problem when the plans have to change.

Oprah did a show once about personality types and adaptability. Then she went on to explain what sort of disaster each personality would do well in. I am the one who would do well in a plane crash because I would plow over everybody else to get myself out. A ship wreck would be the end of me because I wouldn't be able to adapt to being stranded. My friend, who is the sweetest person in the world, would do well in a ship wreck because nothing upsets her. A change in plans would suit her fine, she could adapt. She would be the one in the plane crash letting everyone else go in front of her. I don't remember what point Oprah was trying to make, but it was interesting.

DH & I met with the pet sitter today and went over all of the info she needs to take care of our cats. They are pretty basic cats and she is a professional, so I think we're good. I'll leave her the vet's number, the carrier for the cats, and our cell #'s in case the vet needs to charge us vast sums of money for something. That happened last time, only we took the cat to the vet ourselves right before we left for the airport.

My new worry is the Super Shuttle. I booked online and prepaid. Now I am wondering what happens if they don't show up? At what point do we drive ourselves to the airport and leave the car in the remote lot? I call to ask them these questions. The man tells me that while they TRY to get everyone picked up it is by no means foolproof and I need to have a contingency plan. Oh, good! I feel better already! He goes on to tell me if we want a refund for the shuttle (if it never shows up) we will have to contact customer service and it could take awhile. This is getting worse and worse. He does absolutely NOTHING to allay my fears, but at least if the shuttle is a no show I can say I KNEW it might happen. :rolleyes:

12 days seems like a relatively short amount of time to wait for something (compared to say, 8 months, which is how long we have been waiting) but on the other hand, it is a really LONG time for catastrophes to pop up. Multiple catastrophes are possible in a single day, so there is really no end to the amount of catastrophic events that could take place between now and August 3. Will we broil our butts off at WDW, or will we end up stuck at home where we can broil our butts without a single aspect of it being fun? Time will tell! :bitelip:

goofymom23

07-22-2006, 10:29 PM

This sounds like it could be a great report. Sorry about your DH's friend. Keep it coming.

jackskellingtonsgirl

07-29-2006, 10:12 PM

We are closing in on departure! Well, sort of. We're leaving Thursday but with our work schedules this weekend is crunch time.

I was up at 7 AM to start packing. Of course that also meant laundry. I throw a load in the washer and get my stuff packed. So far, so good. I move on to DS9. I have been counting to make sure he has enough shorts and shirts to bring with us, but I never actually sorted them into matching sets. It is a tense process, but I manage to make 18 coordinated outfits and put them in his suitcase. I tell him it looks like he will have to go naked on Wednesday because otherwise he won't have an outfit for the plane. He is unfazed. I find 2 more pairs of his shorts in the laundry so he won't actually be streaking before we go.

I pack 2.5 checked bags and 2 carry-ons. One carry on weighs more than the checked bags. It is crammed with stuff, none of it clothing. I put some stuff in a backpack for DH and start tossing things in my "travel purse". More of a tote, if you want to get technical. I hope the airline doesn't get technical.

DH comes home, we have lunch, we take a nap. I wake up and start another load of laundry. Only we are out of soap. WHERE did the soap go? Didn't I JUST buy that container? I add it to my Target list. I haven't been to Target yet because I haven't made it out of my pajamas. DS and I went to the bank earlier but it was the drive through so I wore my pajamas.

I tell DH he MUST count his outfits NOW so I will know if I need to buy anything else. He counts. He has plenty. We decide that he will go to Sam's while I go to Target. But I can't go yet because I have to check our school supply stash against the list so I will know what we still need to buy. DH takes DS to Sam's while I work on the supply issue.

DH calls me from Sam's because the prescription he is picking up for me is about 66% more expensive than it should be. Hmm. Tell him I can't do anything about it. He calls back a minute later and tells me insurance won't cover it. I tell him insurance has NEVER covered it. He comes home and I see why it was so expensive. It is the WRONG thing! This has happened once before. I call the pharmacy. They promise to sort it out with my Dr.'s office on Monday, then we can go pick up the new prescription and return the wrong one. Yay. More stuff to remember! :rolleyes:

I finally make it to Target where I spend $85 on school supplies and laundry detergent. And underwear for DH because he has now decided he doesn't have enough.

I am pleasantly surprised that DH has packed his things when I get home! I figured he would wait until Wednesday night. He has managed to completely fill 2 suitcases. Hmm. That means I can't put my travel pillow in his suitcase. DH is trying to convince DS to bring a bigger backpack, but I don't know why. He only uses the backpack for his stuff on the plane. Besides, DH has his own backpack plus a carry on, so I don't know why he cares how big DS's backpack is. :confused3

I think we're ready now. I have highlighted the things from the packing list that still need to be packed at the last minute. Obviously things like "boarding passes" and "travelers checks" are more important than "make up" and "swim goggles", but it is my goal to bring all of it.

I called the remote parking lot at the airport to ask if we need reservations. If the Shuttle doesn't show up the last thing I want to hear is that I need a reservation for remote parking. The man assures me he has plenty of spaces, I just need to show up. OK. Well, he sounds far more confident in his customer service capabilities than the guy at the shuttle! I am glad we have a contingency plan, especially since DH is worried about the shuttle, too.

This time Thursday we should be at MCO!! :banana:

Hannahsmom

07-31-2006, 07:30 AM

WOW! I am so excited for you! 3 more days. I can't wait to read the next installment, and I am dying to know if the Supershuttle actually makes it. popcorn::

jackskellingtonsgirl

08-01-2006, 03:03 PM

WOW! I am so excited for you! 3 more days. I can't wait to read the next installment, and I am dying to know if the Supershuttle actually makes it. popcorn::

Yeah, you and me both! :rotfl2:

Of course there wasn't enough stress involved for me already. Now we have TROPICAL STORM CHRIS! Cue torrential rains, places everyone, quiet on the set and ACTION!!

jackskellingtonsgirl

08-13-2006, 02:26 PM

We are done, both literally and figuratively. I am quite certain if you poke me with a fork my juices will run clear, not to mention the fact that the trip is over. Now let's see...

Wednesday, August 2
DS comes into the living room at 10:30 PM and announces he doesn't feel well. He doesn't look well, either. At 11:15 he proceeds to vomit all over the carpet in the hallway. Pasta with red sauce. Great. He also vomits all over the bathroom floor, the wall, the shower curtain, you get the picture. I send him to bed and start scrubbing. DH gives up trying to sleep and gets in the shower. He has to be at work at 3 AM.

Thursday, August 3
Fast forward to Thursday afternoon. Our flight is at 5:15 PM. It will cost over $1100 to fly out the next day, so we're hoping for the best. DS is looking a bit better and hasn't thrown up since 6 AM.

The airport shuttle is supposed to arrive between 2:45-3:00. They call at 2:25 to ask if we will fit in a Town Car that already has a driver and one passenger in it. Um, NO!!! We have 5 checked bags, 3 carry ons, and 3 backpacks. The only way we will fit in a Town Car is if the driver and the other lady GET OUT and give us the car! Driver says he will call dispatch and have them send a van. I start to sweat.

I call Super Shuttle at 2:48 and ask them what their plan is. They are sending a van in 20 minutes. At 3:15 the driver calls for more explicit directions. I attempt to give him directions while hyperventilating. He says he'll be here in 10 minutes. DH and I start bringing the bags downstairs. My cell phone rings with the flight update from American. DH finds those updates annoying so he HANGS UP! Forget the airport, I think I need to go to the ER. The shuttle arrives about 3:30. We load up and get on the road. Our driver likes to change lanes. Constantly. For no apparent reason. DH is scowling at me. I am scowling back. Luckily the airline calls back so I have our gate info.

We get to the airport, check our bags, go to the gate. Flight is on time and uneventful, which is how I prefer my flights.

We get to MCO, get on Magical Express, finally make it to AKL around 10:45 PM. We were the last stop after Pop and All Stars.

We check in and I am delighted to find we have been upgraded from Standard to Pool view. We had a beautiful room on the 5th floor (5466). No bunk beds, but 1) I am not sure our TA requested them and 2) I never mentioned them to DS so he has no clue it was possible to have them. The noise from the pool wasn't too bad with the balcony door closed.

We popped down to Mara for something to eat (we had to hurry because they closed at 11:30). The food was fine - not amazing, but pretty good. We got back up to the room and our luggage came at 12:15. I was a little surprised because I thought they held luggage after a certain time until the next morning. DH was already out cold and didn't even realize they brought the bags. DS and I went to sleep about 12:45 AM.

jackskellingtonsgirl

08-13-2006, 02:49 PM

DS says he feels fine, so we head to Epcot. We stop at Guest Relations to upgrade our tickets to APs and order a DDE card.

Epcot is not as crowded as I feared, and it is also not as hot and humid as it could be. Since my birthday is Saturday I decide to get a birthday button. The CM sings to me and I listen to birthday greetings on the phone from Goofy. DS is VERY anxious to get to the Japan pavilion, but since they don't open until 11 AM we ride Soarin' and eat breakfast at Sunshine Seasons. This was our first time to get Row 1 on Soarin' and it is MUCH better than the other rows. :)

We hit the shop in Japan as soon as it opens. DS is disappointed that they don't have any Godzilla merchandise. He considers a miniature robot for $15. I think $15 is a ridiculous price for a tiny metal robot so I tell him he can't buy it until we come back on Sunday because I want him to be SURE.

We have CS lunch in Norway - very tasty.

We decide to try the wimpy version of Mission Space since the wait is only 10 minutes. The wait for the serious version is 50 minutes, but we weren't going to do that anyway! None of us had ever been on M:S because we were too scared, but the wimpy version was fine. We head back to AKL just after 3 PM because my friend from Tampa is coming over to visit us. Good thing, because the sky turned black and we had a terrific thunderstorm as soon as we got back to the resort. I chatted with my friend while DS & DH checked out the arcade. DS wasn't as thrilled with the AKL arcade as he was with the one at Pop because you can't redeem your points for prizes. That actually suits me fine, because in October he was asking to leave the parks and go to the arcade.

We had dinner at 1900 Park Fare. Good food, great characters. Cinderella was not there. We saw Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming, and Suzie & Perla. The mice had a thing for DH and they kept coming up behind him. VERY funny! :rotfl: Unfortunately my camera batteries died after the first pic and the extra batteries were all in the room.

After dinner my friend headed home and we went back to AKL. I left a voice mail for Uncle1 about 10:30 PM. I find it odd that his phone is off, and I take it that they are still on the plane, even though they should have landed about 9 PM. Hmm. I remind them that we have breakfast ADRs at 8 AM, give them our room #, and hope for the best.

jackskellingtonsgirl

08-13-2006, 03:09 PM

We are up by 6 AM to get ready for MK. When I get out of the shower DH shows me that a birthday cake has arrived, compliments of the uncles! :teeth: We put the cake in the fridge and finish getting ready. Shortly thereafter Uncle1 phones. Their flight was delayed more than 2 hours by mechanical problems, and by the time they reached AKL it was very late. On the other hand, they have a 4th floor room overlooking Sunset Savannah so their luck isn't all bad! (They also booked Standard view!)

We are all wearing our custom T-shirts that I had made for the trip, and I am ready for a fabulous birthday! A CM at the turnstiles asks about our shirts, and when I tell her it is my birthday she gets a birthday pin for me. We have a great breakfast at Crystal Palace. The table had Mickey confetti on it, and after our meal they brought a cupcake and a card signed by the characters. It was very nice.

At some point during breakfast the uncles realize they have left some medication in the room that they need, so after breakfast they have to go back to AKL. The ride between AKL & MK is LONG. I do not recommend leaving something critical in your room. While they are gone DH, DS and I ride Buzz and the Tea Cups and have photos with the Tweedles and Alice. The uncles return about 10 AM and we ride Pooh, see Philharmagic, and ride Small World. The crowds are not that bad. I expected the worst because we have only been in January and October, but the lines weren't too bad. We rode Haunted Mansion and Pirates (loved the updates! :love: ) and had lunch at Columbia Harbor House. The food was OK, I probably won't eat there again. The fish was REALLY greasy and not as good as Long John Silver's IMO. DS and I shared because there wasn't anything he wanted on the kids menu, and he has a tiny appetite. I really want to see the parade because they are changing it on Aug. 10, so we get a spot near the castle. I tell DH to get a poncho out of the backpack so I can sit on it. He says "Your butt will NOT fit on a poncho." What was that? I snatch the poncho out of his hand and open it. DH says "OH! I didn't know you were going to OPEN it." Well, DUH! my butt won't fit on a youth poncho IN THE PACKAGE! That comment haunted DH for the rest of the trip because I brought it up often. He should really think before he speaks.

We went back to AKL for a break and to get ready for dinner at Kona Cafe. There is a plush "safari" Tigger and a signed photo from Snow White wishing me a happy birthday in our room! That was a nice surprise! It took quite awhile to get a bus from AKL back to MK, then it took quite awhile for the monorail to get to the Poly because they kept stopping in the middle of the track to wait for other trains to move. The CM at the monorail said the restaurants will hold your ADR for up to ONE HOUR after your designated time. Who told him that? Has anybody else heard that? Because that sounds grossly inaccurate to me. I am pretty sure if you are an hour late for an ADR you are considered a walk up. Anyway, we got to Kona about 6:15 for our 6:20 ADR.

Dinner was good, but not quite as good as I remembered from our October trip. This ties back in to my adage that how good the food is has a direct correlation to how hungry you are. They still allow substitutions of side items, which is good, but they do not allow an order of sauteed shrimp along witht he entree anymore. Not surprising, and not that I needed more food, just a change worth noting.

After dinner we went back to MK to see Spectro, but we decided not to stick around for Wishes since we could see it later in the week.

ntsammy5

08-13-2006, 03:16 PM

I can't hide The Camera because I don't know where DH keeps it! :rotfl:

Maybe he'll forget where it is. One can always hope.

:dance3: :dance3: :dance3:

jackskellingtonsgirl

08-13-2006, 03:43 PM

Maybe he'll forget where it is. One can always hope.

:dance3: :dance3: :dance3:

Interestingly, The Camera wasn't so much of a problem this time. DH got tired of carrying it several days into the trip. He took a few shots around AKL of the animals and such, but he didn't make me stand there while he fiddled with it. :thumbsup2

jackskellingtonsgirl

08-13-2006, 04:12 PM

I must take a moment here to admit that we have made an important discovery. We aren't cut out for group travel. :blush: Especially the kind of group travel where everyone STAYS in a group, all day, every day, for a week. I am a Park Commando down to the very smallest molecule, and I can not tolerate delay after delay.

Epcot had early entry, so that's where I planned to be. BUT the uncles would only go to Epcot at 8 AM if we promised to eat as soon as we got there. We can't waste the best hour of touring time sitting in a restaurant! :furious: So I explain that if we aren't going to be ready to TOUR at 8 AM then we aren't going to Epcot because that would be stupid. OK, fine. We decide to go to MGM for regular opening. We have breakfast at Mara and get to MGM about 9 AM.

We do GMR, Star Tours, Muppets, Backlot Tour, and see some characters. We grab lunch at Pizza Planet. Uncle1 has a curious habit of wanting to go to lunch at 11 AM no matter how huge his breakfast was. We typically STARTED eating breakfast at 8 AM, so there was NO WAY the rest of us could eat at 11 AM. And even more curious was the fact that he never thought to get a snack to stave off his hunger until a reasonable time for lunch. But we are all good friends and I was the Designated Planner so I told Uncle1 he was welcome to eat whenever he wanted but I wasn't going to make DS eat lunch 3 hours after breakfast started. Luckily we got on the Backlot Tour just after 11 AM and by the time we got off it was getting late enough to eat again.

We couldn't seem to get our timing down for Millionaire or LMA, so we did the Animation thing and saw some characters. We all attempted to draw Mickey in the studio. My drawing looked like a deranged bowling ball, but that is DS's favorite thing in the whole park so I was glad to do it.

Dinner was at 5:50 at Le Cellier (because we were supposed to be at EPCOT, NOT MGM!) so we went back to AKL for a quick break. I was worried about having enough time to get to Canada if we left AKL too late, but we actually got there in plenty of time. I picked up my temporary DDE card, we had some photos taken, and we went over to Le Cellier. Let me say that the front of Epcot at 5 PM is the hottest it got the whole trip. The sun is brutal up there by the Leave a Legacy walls.

Dinner was fine, we all enjoyed our food. After dinner we strolled around World Showcase. The uncles were VERY excited to see Bjorn Again (the ABBA cover band) so they went off to the concert while we took DS back to the Japan pavilion. The concert started at 8 PM, so by the time it ended Illuminations was getting ready to start. We stood by the railing between US and Japan and had a great view. The only other time we have seen Illuminations was from the Illuminations cruise, so it was neat to watch from land. I was worried about the crowds going out, but it was fine. It was crowded, but the crowds moved to the front at a decent pace and we got on a bus without too much of a wait.

jackskellingtonsgirl

08-13-2006, 04:37 PM

We have an ADR at Boma for 7:30 AM. We have been here for dinner before, but this is our first time for breakfast. The food is good, but by the time I help DS get settled everybody else is nearly finished so I don't get much food. Oh, well!

Off to Epcot since we didn't go yesterday. Uncle2 has vicious motion sickness, but I tell him I think he will be OK on Soarin'. If you aren't looking at the screen you are basically sitting in a chair with air blowing in your face. We get Fast Passes for Soarin', ride Living with the Land, and see Circle of Life. Uncle2 has some serious reservations about going on Soarin', but Uncle1 talks him into it. The CM has NO sense of humor about assigning rows. We tell her we have 5 people. She says "Row 2". There are still 5 spots in Row 1, so I say "Are you sure we can't have Row 1?" She barks "Row TWO." OK then, row 2 it is! Uncle2 LOVES Soarin' and doesn't feel a bit sick. He is glad he decided to ride.

We do the Imagination pavilion next. We morph DS into a shocking likeness of our cat, and we morph DH into a chimp. :teeth: We go see HISTA, but the images look kind of funny. There is a "ghost" behind each image as it pops out. At first I think maybe the lenses of my glasses are warped, but later on eveybody else says it looked funny to them, too. This is not my favorite attraction to begin with, so it falls a little flat.

Uncle2 wants to do Universe of Energy, which sounds good to us because we haven't ever seen it. Here we encounter CM #2 of the day who has NO sense of humor. The guy who is monitoring the pre-show area is rather snarky. Not to us specifically, just in general. I fall asleep during the show, but the parts I saw were good! I have horrible Disney insomnia. I don't sleep more than 4 or 5 hours each night at Disney, so I tend to doze off in the long attractions.

DS wants to go to Innoventions and make a robot. Uncle1 reluctantly agrees to go make a robot, even though he has been asking for lunch since 11 AM again. Really, REALLY, if you are in a group you don't HAVE to stay together the ENTIRE time. But anyway...

We go do the robots in Innoventions and everybody loves it. The one problem was that DS designed the robot, then wanted DH to run the course. DH wasn't paying attention when DS did the specifications, though, so DH didn't know the robot would melt in heat and couldn't break barriers with more than one ring. Then DS was mad that he didn't come in 1st place. Sigh. :rolleyes: We had never been in that building before, so it was something brand new.

After our robots were complete we had lunch at Electric Umbrella. It POURED rain while we were eating, but it had stopped when we came out. Test Track was closed because of lightning, so we didn't use our Fast Passes.

The uncles wanted to go back to AKL for a break, but I decided this was where I was going to dig my heels in and refuse to stay in a group. I told them we were going to MGM and we would meet them for dinner. All the time we were wasting going back to the hotel was starting to bother me, not to mention missing early entry. So they went back to the hotel, and DH, DS and I hopped a Friendship boat to MGM. DS fell asleep on the boat, so he had a little bit of rest. He really didn't feel sick at all during our trip, which was incredibly lucky! He didn't get nearly enough sleep, but most days he did get at least a short nap. Kind of funny to think of a 9 year old napping, but we were out pretty late and up pretty early.

At MGM we played Millionaire, then we went to see the parade. DS said he wasn't really interested because he had seen it before, but when we got to the parade he was upset because he couldn't see very well. I had him stand where he could look over a stroller, but he moved and another kid got his spot. So much for him not wanting to see the parade! :rolleyes: We did Sounds Dangerous, then we stopped to look for another pressed penny book for DS since his others are full. The uncles called to say they had arrived, and we all went over to 50's Prime Time for dinner.

My next petty annoyance is that whenever I went to check in for an ADR we would ALL end up standing at the podium. How many people does it take to check in for an ADR? I would tell DH and DS to scat, but that still left 3 of us standing at the podium. At 50's I wanted to request a fun server because the uncles had never been there before. So I had to request a fun server with them standing right beside me. It was fine, but I wanted them to be surprised. The uncles LOVED 50's. Our server was Tracy Sue and she WAS fun! :thumbsup2 I was disappointed that the shrimp pasta is no longer on the menu. That was what I had last time, and that was what I was planning to have again. They don't have ANY pasta selections now, so I had the pork loin. It was good, just not what I had in mind when I made the ADR. There wasn't anything on the appetizer menu that DH & I wanted, and we were too full for dessert. Instead of "wasting" credits we decided to pay cash and use our DDE card. Well, that upset Uncle1 because I was deviating from the plan. It had absolutely no impact on their use of credits, it didn't make anything cost more for them, and it was NOT a big deal. But he got very flustered. That made DH mad because he was getting tired of the drama. Not good. The deal with credits actually continued through until the credits were all gone. Uncle1 was worried about using snack credits, he was worried about which meals to use CS credits for and which to pay cash, he completely freaked out later in the week when he saw that they had 6 TS credits but we had 9. He was sure there was something wrong until I pointed out to him that I have THREE people in my room, which means I have MORE credits! We also were there for 9 nights and the uncles were only there for 8, so we had more people AND more nights on our ressie than they did.

We left 50's and headed for Fantasmic. Uncle1 wanted to ride ToT. The wait was posted 20 minutes, so that was fine. DH agreed to go with him (which shocked me). DS, Uncle2, and I went to get seats. I told DH we would be in the Sebastian section since that's where we have always been before. The CM's were directing everybody to go LEFT, which was a problem since we needed to go RIGHT. But I told them we planned to sit in Sebastian and that's where the rest of our party would look for us. They were very nice about allowing us to go to the Sebastian section.

They got through ToT in under 20 minutes and we all enjoyed Fantasmic. Again, not too much of a problem getting out of the park, BUT the park was still open with another Fantasmic show at 10:30, so that might have had something to do with it.

OhMari

08-13-2006, 04:48 PM

You guys sure did eat a lot. My fil is the same way, he eats at a precise time everyday and we all have to follow his schedule when we are with him.
Looking forward to reading the rest.

jackskellingtonsgirl

08-13-2006, 05:42 PM

If we were traveling with just DH, DS and I there is NO WAY we would have stopped that many times for food. At home DH & I have coffee in the morning, a snack late afternoon, and a big dinner. We rarely eat breakfast or lunch. Of course we give DS 3 meals every day, but he is NEVER hungry so we space his meals as far apart as possible. Eating every 3 hours doesn't work for any of us. The other thing that just drove DH mad was that after every meal Uncle1 would complain that he was too full, he ate too much, he was so uncomfortable, if he went on a ride he would throw up, whatever. Yet as soon as we left the restaurant he was wanting to go on EE, ToT, etc, and 3 hours later he was fussing to eat again!

We always tell DS that he should stop eating when he is full. There is a REASON that mechanism kicks in - when your body says it has had enough food, you stop eating! If you override that signal at every meal there will ultimately be unpleasant consequences! Just because there is food on the plate you haven't finished or food on the buffet you haven't tasted, when you are full you STOP. OK, off my soap box now. ;)

Backstage_Gal

08-13-2006, 05:48 PM

Great report so far, keep it up :thumbsup2

exwdwcm

08-13-2006, 06:21 PM

enjoying your report! doing the group thing is hard! thankfully it is just DH and I this trip! :thumbsup2

jackskellingtonsgirl

08-13-2006, 07:38 PM

This was by FAR the worst day of the trip. The humidity and lack of sleep combined with the unnecessary drama was pushing me over the edge.

We had an 8 AM ADR for Donald's, which was fine. The uncles had presented us with another set of custom shirts on Saturday, so we were wearing them in hopes of restoring our sagging morale. We got there in plenty of time, had our photo taken, got to our table. Our server came by to take our drink orders and explain the character rotation (this is our third time at Donald's, so no explanation was really needed). Then the chef comes to our table and wants to talk to us about our special dietary needs. Our WHAT? Finally DH figures out that it is because Uncle1 PREFERS soy milk. They have flagged us in the computer as having some sort of dairy thing. I explain to the chef that we are FINE, and he goes to the next table where they have REAL dietary issues.

We get our food, Goofy comes by, so far so good. The man brings the photo package, and it is actually very nice. He says the package is $30. Uncle1 does not want the whole package, but they won't split it up. He wants it on the Photo Pass, but they won't do that, either, unless we buy the package and then have it added to the pass later. We finally agree to split the cost of the package and share the pics. Crisis averted. Then Donald comes in and starts at the back of the room instead of the front, where we are sitting. Uncle1 throws an all out toddler tantrum, complete with fake cry, outstretched arms, and whining "Doooonnnalllld!" DS and I were MORTIFIED! Both of us snapped "Wait your turn!" I wasn't smiling when I said it, either, because it wasn't funny. I think Uncle1 thought it was funny, but I also think he really believed Donald skipped us and he wanted to call attention to it. The server brings Uncle1 his soy milk, but it is vanilla, not plain, so he gripes about that. Not to the server, just to us. Then he drinks the milk instead of politely asking her to switch it. (It was in a sealed plastic bottle - switching it would have been very simple.) Then he swipes a banana to put in his backpack for later. I pretend not to notice, but I know he will go to DIS hell for that.

After breakfast we went out to the rope at Dinoland. The CM said they would walk the rope to EE, but when they actually started walking they stopped to let the people from the front gate catch up! That sort of defeated my purpose of having an 8 AM ADR. When they dropped the rope it was a MOB. I was heading for Fast Pass, but Uncle1 went to stand-by. That left Uncle2, DS & DH trying to figure out which way to go. They finally caught up with me and got Fast Passes. Since Uncle2 won't ride he got a Fast Pass for Uncle1 to ride with us later. Uncle1 loved the ride (even though he went without any of us). From there we went over to Dinoland to ride Primeval Whirl. PW doesn't count in my book as a "big" coaster so I can ride it early in the day. The foam on the restraint bar REEKED! It was hideous! It smelled like old, nasty, sweaty athletic equipment. Not sure if it was from too many sweaty people, or being rained on, or what, but we didn't ride it again. YUCK!

From there we rode Dinosaur, which gets rougher every time we ride. Maybe it depends on where you sit. :confused3

The uncles decided to shop at Chester & Hester's, which makes DH nuts. He hates to putz around in the shops. I finally told the uncles I was going to Guest Relations to redeem our free ride photo coupons for EE before we rode with the Fast Passes. On the way to EE my cell phone rings. It is Uncle1 calling to see where we are because it is TAKING TOO LONG!!! Excuse me? :furious: I e-mailed him the link for the game so he could get a coupon, but he refused to download it to his computer. I made an effort to get a coupon to share yet when I walk all the way to the front of the park to redeem it (while he is shopping) he decides it TAKES TOO LONG?

We get to EE and the 4 of us ride while Uncle2 waits in the shop. I LOVE EE! I am not a huge coaster fan, but I really, really liked EE! It was terrific. We walked over to KS and rode since the wait was only 20 minutes. After that DH said he was going back to AKL. I figured it was good that he was admitting he wanted to go back instead of suffering silently. DS stayed with me. We had more Fast Passes for EE - 2 that a couple gave to us (very thoughtful!) and 3 that we got with our own passes. The ones the couple gave us were valid first, so I rode with DS. After that my head was hurting, so DS rode again with Uncle1 while Uncle2 and I waited. I decided we weren't going to go again, so I gave our last 2 Fast Passes to some people at the end of the stand-by line.

We have lunch at Tusker House (my choice). The food was excellent. I think it is my favorite CS!

We go to Camp Minnie Mickey to see some characters, then FOTLK. After that it was getting close to parade time, but DS was tired and wanted to leave. I didn't want to ask the uncles to take him back (even though they would have been happy to take him, since DH was there and they were going back anyway) but we all left. That made me mad. DS was being kind of a brat so I told him I was taking him to DH then I was going to go off BY MYSELF. I'll admit it wasn't very nice to speak to him that way, but it was a bad day.

DH wasn't in the room when we got back, and his phone WAS in the room. He came back a little while later with his Mara mug. I told him I was mad about the parade and that I was going to go have some time by myself. I filled my mug and walked around for a bit. DH took DS to the arcade and out to look at the animals. We were going to dinner at Boma, but DS had time to do a game with the CM's in the lobby and earn a bead. :)

Dinner at Boma was nice. I decided to use the DDE card to have a drink - Pretoria Punch. It was yummy. But it wasn't yummy enough to offset the trouble it caused later.

After dinner we went to Downtown Disney. It was a suicide mission. World Of Disney had more people per square foot than any other shop I have ever seen. The 10% discount was NOT worth risking life and limb, and the stuff we bought was stuff we could have found in the parks. DS was grouchy, I was getting mad at him, the line at Ghirardelli was impossible, so we gave up and went back to AKL.

jackskellingtonsgirl

08-13-2006, 08:28 PM

By this time DH is thoroughly irritated with trying to stay in a group. We eat breakfast at Mara, then go to MGM. Today we have Lunch with an Imagineer, and I am very excited. We go on GMR first. We always get the gangster. One of these days I want to get the cowboy!

From there we go to the area in front of the hat for characters. The uncles head for Pluto, DS heads for Chip, Dale, and Clarice. After we get through the line we can't find the uncles. We had talked about going to see Mermaid, but the next show wasn't for 35 minutes and we didn't see the uncles anywhere. We took DS back to the animation studio where we drew Goofy, then we took photos with Snow White and the Prince, the Wicked Queen, and Frozone.

We made our way over to Brown Derby about 11:10, even though lunch wasn't until 11:30. The uncles were already there. They had already checked us in and claimed our name tags for us.

Lunch was delightful! There were the 5 of us, 2 ladies from Kansas City, and a boy from Chicago. Our Imagineer was Jerold Kaplan. He does the "fire" effects for Illuminations and the stunt show, and he is currently working on the Nemo ride at Living Seas. He was very interesting! The food was good, even though it was a little fancy for DS's taste. They allowed him to order from the kids menu for his soup and entree, so he had plenty to eat. Each one of us got a souvenir plate personalized by Jerold at the end. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip!

After lunch the uncles decided to see the stunt show. I had a serious headache, so I didn't want to go sit in the heat. We took DS's picture with Mr. Smee, then Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh. We walked through "One Man's Dream" and saw the movie. When we came out my head was still hurting, and DS had a nosebleed. He got blood on his shirt, so at that point we gave up and went back to AKL for a rest and some Motrin. Dinner was at Coral Reef, and the uncles knew to just meet us there.

We got to Epcot early enough that we had time to look around the Living Seas before dinner. We never did do Turtle Talk this trip because the lines were so horrendous. We liked the manatees, and DS loved the rays!

Dinner at Coral Reef was good. They did ask us to order appetizer, entree, and dessert all at once, but the spacing of the courses was fine. We didn't have a table next to the tank but we could still see pretty well. I don't know why, but I was shocked at how crowded the restaurant was, and how LOUD it was.

After dinner we went to World Showcase so DS could go BACK to the Japan pavilion with the uncles. Uncle1 took DS in for some shopping while DH, Uncle 2 and I went to find a spot for Illuminations. Uncle1 bought DS one of the tin robots he was so interested in. DS was THRILLED! We enjoyed Illuminations, and again exited the park with no trouble. I was really intimidated by the stories of the masses at closing, so I have to say I was happy that the crowds weren't as bad as I envisioned.

jackskellingtonsgirl

08-13-2006, 09:05 PM

This was an interesting morning.

I told the uncles I was going to early entry. They could come or they could skip it, but I was going and nothing was going to stop me. Early entry at MK is my favorite.

While I am in the shower DH turns on CNN. Uh-oh! Terrorists. No liquids in our carry-ons. Not good. Well, we will deal with it. I fantasize about staying an extra day.

DS has a light breakfast of applesauce and Pop Tart, DH has a cinnamon roll, I have the other Pop Tart. The uncles call to say they are running late and will meet us at the park. I tell them to turn on CNN. We were at the bus stop by about 7:30. Where we waited. And waited. And waited. While we were waiting the crowd going to MK grew and grew. Despite being one of the first families at the bus stop, when the bus came all the people who had JUST walked up jumped up and surged forward in a big mob. I have decided that is the one bad thing about AKL - the bus stops have no queues, so if you are first for the bus you may very well end up standing when you get ON the bus. The bus driver is so obviously ex-military it is almost comical. He tells us in no uncertain terms that we will fill this bus from back to front. He stands beside the bus and watches. He raps on the windows and tells the people already on the bus to MOVE BACK. We make it onto the bus, but we are standing. We are packed in there like sausage in casing. The bus starts moving. DS falls into a lady's lap. Luckily she is not angry. There isn't a good spot for him to hang on, and he is too short to reach the overhead bar.

By the time we get to MK it is after 8 AM, but not by much. We ride Buzz, then we go over to Fantasyland. We are getting on Small World when the uncles call. They are on Main Street waiting for a pic with Chip & Dale. When we get off Small World we see them in the line for Peter Pan, so we all ride together. We ride Pooh, then the carousel (the uncles were in a shop), then Tea Cups, then we go to the go carts. (I know they have a name - it escapes me.) I ride with DS. He is a terrible driver! Then we ride Buzz again. The uncles decide to buy their ride photo, so we go on the ride again. When we get off they are gone. DS is mad because DH beat his score, so we ride again. We have an 11:20 ADR at Chef Mickey's so we decide to ride Pirates first. I leave Uncle1 a voice mail because we still can't find them. After Pirates I have a voice mail from Uncle1 saying they were going to CM's at 10:30 so we wouldn't be late. Okey dokey. We get to CMs about 11:05. The uncles are there and they have already checked us in and have the pager. I notice I have blisters from my Crocs. This is the first trip I have gotten blisters! They are on the inside of both feet, just above the arch toward the top. I know it won't help, but I stick Band-Aids on the blisters.

The food at CM's is good, and so is the character interaction. The banana pudding is lovely. As we are leaving DH says "You have something on your shorts." Hmm. I twist around so I can see my butt. Blueberries. Brilliant. I have no clue how that happened, because when I first went to sit down there were some drops of water in my chair. I wiped the chair with a napkin, so I know the chair was clean. So in 24 hours DH has gotten into grease on one of the buses, DS has bled on his shirt, and I have sat in blueberries. Next trip I will bring a stain stick.

We go back to MK. The line for Jungle Cruise is 30 minutes and the Fast Pass machines are closed. The line for BTMRR is long, so we get Fast Passes. The Haunted Mansion says 10 minutes, but the line is out to the Fast Pass machines (which are also closed) and the line is not moving. We give up and go back to AKL so I can put on some shorts with no blueberries. We have to be back at MK at 5:10 for AAA story time, so we want DS to have time to rest since we are planning to stay for Wishes.

The Story Time is held in the small theater in Exposition Hall. It is a very nice venue. Our character was Aladdin. The uncles had reservations to attend with us, but they decided to skip it. The theater holds maybe 40 or 50 people, and most of the seats were filled with the kids on the floor down in front. Aladdin read a story, then took photos and signed autographs. Of course Aladdin asked the kids if they saw the parade because it was the FIRST DAY of the NEW parade! YIKES! I completely forgot about that! DS was probably a little old for story time, but I think he enjoyed it. We didn't have his autograph book with us, so the AAA guy let us keep DS's voucher for Aladdin to sign. When I was sorting things out today I asked DS if he wanted to keep the autograph (fully expecting him to say no) but he put it away in his room. Maybe he isn't quite a mature as he thinks he is. ;) After the story we looked around Exposition Hall for awhile, then we rode Haunted Mansion and used our Fast Passes for BTMRR from earlier. We had a 6:40 ADR at Crystal Palace. My original plan was to have dinner at WCC, but then the park hours changed and that knocked Specro and Wishes up an hour. I figured if we were going to watch the parade we needed to be finished in time to get a good spot. We ended up not watching the parade - I can't remember what we did. CoP and more Buzz, I think. And I think Uncle1 and DS rode Space Mountain. We watched Wishes from the bridge between the Castle and Cosmic Ray's. The trees were too tall for us to see very well, but it was OK. I decided we would come back the next night for a GOOD view. I tried to go get ice cream before Wishes started, but that was futile. I made it about 15 feet and hit a solid wall of people. I ended up with a bottle of water instead.

jackskellingtonsgirl

08-13-2006, 10:19 PM

It's our last park day! We need to make the most of it! We grab some breakfast at Mara before we head to MK for the Mickey's Magical Milestones Tour. DH and I get the Mickey waffle, and when the CM asks if we want sausage, bacon, or fruit we figure the fruit is fresh fruit as a side. Wrong. It is strawberry topping. I accidentally get some on my finger and it stains my finger worse than a Sharpie marker. Hmm.

As we are finishing up the uncles come in. They will meet us at MK. When we get on the bus the uncles get on right behind us! I ask Uncle 2 if he chewed his food. He said it wasn't worth chewing! :rotfl: He is very funny, but he is quiet, too. We were watching something that had a black and white picture of Sleeping Beauty's castle from a long time ago. Uncle1 asked me if it still looked like that. I said I don't know because we have never been to DL. Uncle2 pipes up "I think it's in color now." He has a great sense of humor. He also thanked me multiple times for planning the trip and helping them see and do so much more this trip than they have done on previous trips.

We get to MK and check in for the tour. This was an AMAZING opportunity to get pics on Main Street, with the Roy & Minnie statue, etc. We got our name tags and headsets and got underway just after 9 AM. The tour was great, but it is definitley geared for older kids and adults. DS is almost 10 and he ADORES Mickey and the history of Walt. He loves trivia about Disney movies, shorts, cartoons, etc. so he was all about this tour. Every time the guide asked a question DS's hand shot up. Most of the time he knew the answer, and if he didn't know he took a guess. It was very informative and a much better fit for us than the Family Magic Tour. We did Family Magic last year and felt it was too young for DS. Mickey's Magical Milestones took us through Exposition Hall, over to the train station, on the train to Toontown, through Mickey's house (where we saw Mickey!), over to Philharmagic where we watched the show, and around to a courtyard by the castle where we concluded the tour with a visit from Goofy! It was really a lot of fun.

After the tour Uncle1 wanted to go have lunch, but we wanted to do some rides. We rode the Flying Carpets, ate lunch at Casey's (our first time there), and then went over to Tomorrowland. We rode the People Mover (I know it isn't called that now, but that is what I call it) and Uncle1 left a message saying he had Fast Passes for Space Mountain. Even with my phone turned up as loud as it would go I couldn't hear it inside the backpack. They were coming out of Cosmic Ray's as we were coming off the People Mover, so from there we went to Space Mountain. I was NOT going to miss the parade, but I also wanted to get the Photo Pass CD out of the way. Between 2 cards we had 171 photos, so I thought it was a pretty good deal. We split the cost with the uncles and we will share the CD. I will just borrow it from them and go print off my pics at Sam's. We went up to get the CD, and DH decided he was ready to go back ot the hotel. DS waffled back and forth, but in the end he decided to go with DH. Uncle1 wanted to shop, so Uncle2 came with me for an ice cream cone and to find a spot for the parade. The ice cream was delicious, but I had to put the cone upside down in a cup because it was melting so fast. We stood on Main Street and watched the Dapper Dans, then some CMs came by and played jump rope with the kids. I was sad that DS was missing it, but he isn't a big parade guy, and he needed a nap.

The new parade didn't do much for me, but hey! I got to see it! I LOVED the music from the old parade (so much that I bought the CD) so the new music just wasn't up to my expectations. The new princess float is beautiful. The rest of it was nice - not too different than the old one except the globes are off.

After the parade we went back to AKL to get ready for dinner at Jiko. DS and DH were both sound asleep, so I took my mug down to Mara and wandered around taking some photos. I came back to the room, changed clothes, and woke up DS and DH. We went down to Jiko at 5:30. Uncle2 said they had been waiting because Uncle1 insisted on coming down early. I told them Jiko didn't even OPEN until 5:30, but Uncle1 had several episodes of not hearing what I said. We were all out of credits, so Jiko was with the DDE card. I was still full from the ice cream, so I didn't have an appetizer. I had the pork entree, which was good. I also had a gigantic bottle of Evian, which I drank all by myself much to the waiter's amazement. It was wonderful. Nobody had room for dessert, but I ordered a Nutty African coffee. It tasted a bit too much like alcohol for me, so DH helped me drink it.

I managed to drip something on my shirt, so I wanted to run upstairs and change before we headed back out to MK. I needed like 10 minutes. Uncle1 asked if we were leaving in an hour. Um, NO. So then he suggested leaving in 30 minutes. That put us at 8 PM. I couldn't believe we spent 2 hours in Jiko. It didn't feel like it took that long! I knew Main Street would be a zoo at 8 PM, but I said OK. While I was putting on a clean shirt my phone started to ring. DH answered it, and he said "Here. Talk to her." Oh, dear. What now?

Uncle1 had just realized he needed to go to the pharmacy! He phoned the front desk and they gave him the number for the pharmacy. He called the pharmacy but they could not do a delivery for him, he needed to go in person and they were closing at midnight. He wanted to know if he should come to the park first, or go to the pharmacy first. I wondered why it mattered what I thought about the situation, because it was kind of a no brainer. GO TO THE PHARMACY! So off he goes in a taxi while the rest of us go to MK. And MK is an absolute zoo, just like I thought it would be. Getting down Main Street was the worst time we had with crowds the entire trip. A group of teenagers were pushing one of their friends in a rented wheelchair, but they STOPPED to chit chat. I tried to go around them, but a stroller was coming the other direction. The stroller bumped the wheelchair because she was trying not to run into me. She apologized to the wheelchair, and the wheelchair driver replied (while GLARING at me) "Not your fault!" No, stupid teenager, it is YOUR fault for STOPPING to chat in the middle of a gridlocked sidewalk at parade time. Whatever.

Uncle1 actually made it back in time to see Wishes with us, and we proceeded to enjoy some rides during EMH. Uncle1 and DS rode Space again, and while they were riding DH said he had a blister on his little toe. He tried to mess with it, but I think that made it worse. Against my better judgement we rode Stitch, and I still hate it. We rode Haunted Mansion and Pirates, but DH was kind of limping so we decided to call it a night. On the way out we passed the Dole Whips and decided to stop for one. Uncle2 really likes them, and we have never tried them before. DH and I each got a float. They were amazing, just like everyone says! DS took a few licks from mine, but his stomach was a little rumbly so he didn't want very much. We were able to get on a bus without any wait, which was a pretty good way to end our last day of parks for this trip.

Linzybrooke

08-13-2006, 11:49 PM

Alright my dear, we need some pictures to go with the madness!

jackskellingtonsgirl

08-14-2006, 03:00 PM

Alas, Lin, I am computer illiterate. Our computer at home would laugh itself off the desk if I asked it to download pics. It is ancient, like Grandmother Willow. I don't know how to download pics at work, either. I don't have the Photo Pass CD in my possession, so that's not an option. The digital camera pretty much befuddles DH and me, though I do think I can take the memory card to Sam's and get some workable media from it.

Saturday, August 12

Just a few last little events to report!

Saturday we were supposed to have breakfast at Boma at 7:30 AM. On the way out the door I grab the account review from the doorknob. We didn't charge anything to the room - NOTHING - and the room was paid in advance as part of our package so it should have been basically blank. Nope.

There is a $10 charge from Boma. Well, I did buy that drink at Boma but I paid $10 CASH for it! Now they charged it to my credit card, making that drink cost $20! Yes, it was good, but it wasn't $20 good! I can NOT figure out how that happened. The drink was $7 to begin with, minus the DDE discount. No matter how you twist it, there is no way it would have cost $10 even. I am not happy. I send DH & DS to breakfast and I go to the front desk. The girl says she has no way of knowing what really happened and she refuses to adjust the charge. She tells me to go get the manager at Boma to fix it. I go up to our room and dump out all of the receipts. No Boma. I have no clue where the receipt went. I go down to Boma and ask for a manager. I explain to her that I paid CASH for that drink, and even if I walked out without paying and they charged it to my room it still would NOT have cost $10. It was $5.60 after the DDE card, and they added 18% on top of that. It did not equal $10. She asks who the server was, but none of us can remember her name. We show the manager where we were sitting, and we tell her what time our ADR was for. She goes to research the transaction. By now everybody else is finished with breakfast, but I am too mad to eat. The gist of it is that I should have remained at the table that night until the waitress took the cash and brought back a receipt showing that I paid $10 cash. How many people continue to sit in a restaurant if they put cash in the folder and don't need change? I figured the $10 covered the drink and she could keep the extra as an additional tip on the meal. We paid cash for DH & DS's breakfast while we were waiting for the manager to come back. The waiter never brought back a receipt, so if he felt like it he could have pocketed the $30 and charged our room for the meal? Nobody ever gets a receipt from TS showing the amount of cash they paid!

The manager was able to find the transaction and she couldn't explain why it was charged that way. She refunded the $10 to our credit card, but it was a HUGE hassle. Now in December I am questioning if we should demand a cash receipt for every meal since we will be doing all DDE. Either that or we will just charge ALL of our meals to the room.

We went back up to the room to finish packing, then bell services helped us get the bags down to airline check in. It was completely flawless. No problems checking our bags at all, we got our boarding passes, they held our carry-ons for us to claim later, and that was that. We went back to the room for about an hour, then down to Mara to use our last 2 CS credits. Since I skipped breakfast I was getting hungry! I went upstairs to buy MVMCP tickets with our leftover Disney Dollars. We took some pictures around the resort, then we went to claim our carry-ons and get on Magical Express. The bus was right on time and we had no issues at all. We left AKL about 3 hours before our flight. We got to MCO, cleared security in a few minutes, and went to our gate. No problems whatsoever. I was quite pleased, since I wasn't sure what to expect.

Our flight was delayed by weather on the Dallas end so we were very late getting off the plane. The airport has those lovely construction walls in the terminal, so it was a little tricky to figure out where to go. There was a BIG sign that said "exit" so I started down the hall to the door. DH refused to come down the hall because he swore that was NOT the way to baggage claim. I turned around to walk back toward him and this BIG alarm sounded! WAH WAH WAH! Then there was some distorted automated voice yelling at us. I never even TOUCHED the exit door! Apparently there are motion sensors that prohibit you from turning around after you start down the hall. The TSA lady was just sort of laughing. We all 3 went through the door to make the alarm stop. Lo and behold, that WAS the way we needed to go. I won't listen to DH anymore at the airport.

We got a cart for the luggage and I called Super Shuttle. It took forever for our last bag to come out, but we finally got everything and went out to the sign on the curb. The shuttle came and we got on at 9:40 PM. (Our plane was supposed to land at 6:40 PM, but it must have been close to 9:00.) There is one man in the van with us. The driver circles around to another gate. A lady gets on. He circles around to another gate. Some passengers waiting there argue with him because he isn't going where they need to go. One more man gets on. We FINALLY exit the airport. That was partly my bad for booking "shared" ride.

We get home at 11 PM, after dropping off the lady and man who were picked up last. The poor man who was on the shuttle when we got on was still in there when we got off! We don't have the remote for the security gate. Nobody else is coming in, and for the first time EVER all of the gates are working properly so NONE of them are open. We unload all of the luggage at the front gate, and DH goes through the pedestrian gate to go get one of our cars AND a gate remote. We load the luggage into our car and drive it around to our apartment. UGH!!

Our cats were happy to see us! We were happy to see them! As much as I adore Disney and hate to come back, it was kind of nice to be home.

Now I can start getting excited about our December trip!! :yay:

jackskellingtonsgirl

08-14-2006, 03:19 PM

Overall the trip was not as bad as it sounds. The crowds were lower than I expected. The heat was not as bad as I expected. The humidity was much worse than I expected, but what can you do? Bring plenty of outfits if you are going in August because you will need them.

I was only bumped one time by a stroller, and it was after Spectro when Main Street was jam packed with people. It was not a huge bump, either. The people were putting their child in a rental stroller, and it swiveled around and bumped into me. Not a big deal. We actually saw very few ECV scooters.

I did see kids in Heelys, but I was watching for them. I saw them in all the parks and at the resort. Nobody ever said anything to them. On the flip side, they never bumped into us so it wasn't an issue.

None of our meals were bad, none of our servers were bad. Mousekeeping had our room done every day when we went back, even when DH went back at noon.

We saw some characters we hadn't seen before, and we found some pressed pennies we hadn't done before.

We only dragged those Brita bottles around for the first few days, and we only used them the first day.

Nobody got sunburned or bitten by bugs. We didn't go through nearly as much sunscreen as I thought we would. I came home with 2 brand new containers.

I only wore a baseball cap one day. It was such a pain to take it off for each ride I decided it wasn't worth it.

DH & I got blisters, but not until the end of the week. The Band Aid blister block pads were great for me since my blisters were on the top of my feet.

The buses to and from AKL were pretty good, with the exception of the bus to MK for early entry.

The cookies must be made with obscene amounts of butter. If you put one in your backpack make sure you wrap it well or everything will get all greasy.

Our liquids all survived the trip home in a checked bag. I put everything in Ziplocs inside the suitcase, but none of it leaked.

We never wore a single poncho. The only one we opened was the one I sat on to watch the parade. It only rained 3 or 4 times during our trip, and we were never out in it.

Wrinkle releaser spray is the best invention ever, right behind spray sunscreen. :thumbsup2