jsmla
12-19-2001, 11:49 AM
The gang:
Me: (41) Tour guide and shameless panderer
Sam: (16) Avenged, lighter of heart and pocket
Liz:: (14) Beneficiary
Mom (?) Orange smuggler
and
Liya (15) Tower of Terrorized
Meanwhile back at the Holiday Inn Family Suites:
Boy, this place is really filling up! People are steadily passing the room laden with with vacation stuff (but oddly enough a sorry lack of Ziploc bags). In spite of our "lunch" at Epcot Mom is determined on using up her supply. The microwave is humming (It's chicken chili today) and she's busily trying to foist fruit on us. Have we actually brought oranges into Florida? Is that even legal? Though my children are opposed to fresh fruits and vegetables on the grounds that they might actually injest something nutritious Sam obligingly eats a spotty banana. After lunch they get out the Nintendo which Sam has moved from the girls' room to the sitting area. We've brought our own games and extra controllers and the kids enjoy a few noisy rounds of, I believe, Smash Brothers. This allows them to fight virtually as well as in reality. Oddly enough this is the only time they all manage to enjoy each other's company. I take refuge in the bedroom.
3:30 pm: A little late we set off for MGM. Our goal this evening is to take in a few shows and visit the Annual Passholder viewing of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. Upon arrival we check the times and see that we're just right for the next showing of Beauty and the Beast. Even though I've seen this many many times I still love it. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie. When Liz was a toddler I dragged her to the theater at least once a week to watch. (The little hussy prefers The Little Mermaid). It also happens to be Mom and Liya's favorite as well. If you've seen this before you should go again. They've made a few changes and I think it improves the flow of the story. The girl who sang Belle had a beautiful voice, but Gaston was a little skimpy for my taste. Mom and I both cried at the end. (I always do. Am I the only middle-aged woman in America who still watches this video alone?) Liya thought it was "wonderful".
Next were on to Indiana Jones, a favorite of Sam's. Since we are early I send him off to get FastPasses for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? but the last show is already full. Did you know that WWtBaM is really big in Russia? It's Liya's family's favorite show. She saw the American version on TV back at home but it was celebrity week and I think she was a little underwhelmed. She also couldn't quite grasp why people would play if they wouldn't be keeping the money for themselves. (More on that later).
It's shaping up to be a lovely late afternoon and for the first time in a long while we see the entire Indy show. We always seem to hit it during a thunderstorm. After Indy we wander towards the back of the park. Since it's only 5:00 we decide to watch Muppetvision. This is the one 3-D show that doesn't work for me. I always just see a blur. Still, it was cute (Liya's big on cute and Waldo was really only talking to her! ) We had Liz roped in on this one for quite a few years before she figured it out.
Isn't this lovely? Over two hours and nary a harsh word. We got our bracelets and photo certificate at the gate so we are able to walk right into the New York area for the Spectacle of Lights. Liz, Liya and Sam head straight for the cookies and hot chocolate. My daughter could find chocolate if it were buried 20 feet under on the South Pole. Mom and I get in line for the photos. It's a little long, but moves swiftly. We got our picture in the other day. Sam looks relaxed and orange, I look relieved, Liz is posing for the cover of Seventeen, Mom does a passable imitation of a deer caught in the headlights and, if you look carefully, there is the smallest hint of a smile at the corners of Liya's mouth. A classic. I am sorry to be disloyal to my own daughter but what must be the cutest little girl on the planet Earth opens the lights with Mickey and they are magnificent. We all try the glasses but I prefer it with my own eyes and Mom keeps us updated on which displays look really neat with the glasses. My favorite is the champagne bottle at the end. It's such a neat effect. Liya snags a few extra pairs of glasses to take home to her friends. This makes her very happy.
Fantasmic is just letting out as we leave but we swim upstream to catch a ride on the Tower of Terror before we depart. The sign is showing 13. Yippee! no wait!. Liya is more than a little nervous about this one. She's hanging onto Liz's arm for dear life but we manage to convince her to ride. Big mistake, big, big BIG mistake. When the ride is over I try to jump up to exit. but something is blocking my way. Liya is frozen to the seat! Liz is doing her best to pry Liya's fingers from the safety bar. This girl is not just frightened. She is positively catatonic. We finally get her off the ride. She's shaking and can't even speak. She won't look at her photo. She seems to have gone deaf and mute. Liz is soothing, cajoling and sympathizing. Sam is enjoying all this very much. I make a cowardly dash to find Mom who has refused to ride. Upon return I find Liya still upset and Sam still smiling. Liz is getting extremely frustrated and I can't say I blame her. She has born the brunt of entertaining Liya for the past two weeks. Still, she is the only one who can handle her. What's a mother to do? With Lizzie there is one sure fire answer.......presents. I tell the jovial Sam that he will be purchasing a gift for his sister or Liya is all his. That boy has his wallet out faster than you can say dosvedanya. He gets her a Harry Potter book she's been wanting. It has begun. This girl can be bought, but she ain't gonna be cheap.
We finally get Liya in motion and return home. She is calm but I'm afraid she's ridden her last thrill ride. Mom offers up that panacea for all ills, food. We eat and head off to bed. Most of us watch a little TV. Liz, of course, reads.;)
Me: (41) Tour guide and shameless panderer
Sam: (16) Avenged, lighter of heart and pocket
Liz:: (14) Beneficiary
Mom (?) Orange smuggler
and
Liya (15) Tower of Terrorized
Meanwhile back at the Holiday Inn Family Suites:
Boy, this place is really filling up! People are steadily passing the room laden with with vacation stuff (but oddly enough a sorry lack of Ziploc bags). In spite of our "lunch" at Epcot Mom is determined on using up her supply. The microwave is humming (It's chicken chili today) and she's busily trying to foist fruit on us. Have we actually brought oranges into Florida? Is that even legal? Though my children are opposed to fresh fruits and vegetables on the grounds that they might actually injest something nutritious Sam obligingly eats a spotty banana. After lunch they get out the Nintendo which Sam has moved from the girls' room to the sitting area. We've brought our own games and extra controllers and the kids enjoy a few noisy rounds of, I believe, Smash Brothers. This allows them to fight virtually as well as in reality. Oddly enough this is the only time they all manage to enjoy each other's company. I take refuge in the bedroom.
3:30 pm: A little late we set off for MGM. Our goal this evening is to take in a few shows and visit the Annual Passholder viewing of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. Upon arrival we check the times and see that we're just right for the next showing of Beauty and the Beast. Even though I've seen this many many times I still love it. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie. When Liz was a toddler I dragged her to the theater at least once a week to watch. (The little hussy prefers The Little Mermaid). It also happens to be Mom and Liya's favorite as well. If you've seen this before you should go again. They've made a few changes and I think it improves the flow of the story. The girl who sang Belle had a beautiful voice, but Gaston was a little skimpy for my taste. Mom and I both cried at the end. (I always do. Am I the only middle-aged woman in America who still watches this video alone?) Liya thought it was "wonderful".
Next were on to Indiana Jones, a favorite of Sam's. Since we are early I send him off to get FastPasses for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? but the last show is already full. Did you know that WWtBaM is really big in Russia? It's Liya's family's favorite show. She saw the American version on TV back at home but it was celebrity week and I think she was a little underwhelmed. She also couldn't quite grasp why people would play if they wouldn't be keeping the money for themselves. (More on that later).
It's shaping up to be a lovely late afternoon and for the first time in a long while we see the entire Indy show. We always seem to hit it during a thunderstorm. After Indy we wander towards the back of the park. Since it's only 5:00 we decide to watch Muppetvision. This is the one 3-D show that doesn't work for me. I always just see a blur. Still, it was cute (Liya's big on cute and Waldo was really only talking to her! ) We had Liz roped in on this one for quite a few years before she figured it out.
Isn't this lovely? Over two hours and nary a harsh word. We got our bracelets and photo certificate at the gate so we are able to walk right into the New York area for the Spectacle of Lights. Liz, Liya and Sam head straight for the cookies and hot chocolate. My daughter could find chocolate if it were buried 20 feet under on the South Pole. Mom and I get in line for the photos. It's a little long, but moves swiftly. We got our picture in the other day. Sam looks relaxed and orange, I look relieved, Liz is posing for the cover of Seventeen, Mom does a passable imitation of a deer caught in the headlights and, if you look carefully, there is the smallest hint of a smile at the corners of Liya's mouth. A classic. I am sorry to be disloyal to my own daughter but what must be the cutest little girl on the planet Earth opens the lights with Mickey and they are magnificent. We all try the glasses but I prefer it with my own eyes and Mom keeps us updated on which displays look really neat with the glasses. My favorite is the champagne bottle at the end. It's such a neat effect. Liya snags a few extra pairs of glasses to take home to her friends. This makes her very happy.
Fantasmic is just letting out as we leave but we swim upstream to catch a ride on the Tower of Terror before we depart. The sign is showing 13. Yippee! no wait!. Liya is more than a little nervous about this one. She's hanging onto Liz's arm for dear life but we manage to convince her to ride. Big mistake, big, big BIG mistake. When the ride is over I try to jump up to exit. but something is blocking my way. Liya is frozen to the seat! Liz is doing her best to pry Liya's fingers from the safety bar. This girl is not just frightened. She is positively catatonic. We finally get her off the ride. She's shaking and can't even speak. She won't look at her photo. She seems to have gone deaf and mute. Liz is soothing, cajoling and sympathizing. Sam is enjoying all this very much. I make a cowardly dash to find Mom who has refused to ride. Upon return I find Liya still upset and Sam still smiling. Liz is getting extremely frustrated and I can't say I blame her. She has born the brunt of entertaining Liya for the past two weeks. Still, she is the only one who can handle her. What's a mother to do? With Lizzie there is one sure fire answer.......presents. I tell the jovial Sam that he will be purchasing a gift for his sister or Liya is all his. That boy has his wallet out faster than you can say dosvedanya. He gets her a Harry Potter book she's been wanting. It has begun. This girl can be bought, but she ain't gonna be cheap.
We finally get Liya in motion and return home. She is calm but I'm afraid she's ridden her last thrill ride. Mom offers up that panacea for all ills, food. We eat and head off to bed. Most of us watch a little TV. Liz, of course, reads.;)