Single Rider! .....my first trip report

[Angrypenguin]

Hi all! I’ve been a lurker on these boards for awhile, but never posted that often (too shy I suppose) but I thought I’d take a crack at writing a trip report from our fantastic vacation, running from August 29th through September 3rd. Hopefully you nice people on the DIS will read and enjoy it!:thumbsup2

Now, for a quick rundown of our beautiful cast; I was going to change the names, but figured since almost no one will actually know who we are anyways, and coming up with aliases will surely confuse my addled mind, I kept them the same.:confused3

Me: 25 year old ABC (American Born Chinese…yes, it’s a term that our parents have given us). I’m an engineer in the defense industry, originally from the Detroit area, now living in sunny Los Angeles.

Julie: My girlfriend of almost 5 (five!!) years:cloud9: . We did the long distance thing for a bit, but now we’re together in California.:woohoo:

Alison: One of my best friends since back in the day. Still holds down the fort back in Michigan.princess:

Matt: College buddy from Michigan, now working up in Seattle.:cool2:

Other Kevin: One of my other best friends, coming from Washington DC.pirate:

Now, a little background I suppose….

Last year Julie (DGF) had been working down in Orlando. I went to go visit her, and didn’t know too much about Disney World at the time, but we ended up going because it sounded like something interesting to do (Epcot and Animal Kingdom, for those keeping track.) Well, needless to say, I was blown away by the cleanliness of the parks, the attention to detail, and the overall atmosphere of the place. I began hunting around online on Disney information, because that’s what good nerds do, and I discovered the DISboards and came to a shocking realization. We. did. it. all. wrong. The monorail, ADRs, fastpasses, it was almost too much information for my large head to handle. Yes, I have a large head. I was born at over nine pounds, and I think 7 of it was just my noggin’. Needless to say, I immediately started devising an evil plan to go back.

In January of this year, I was determined to gather all my friends together and take a trip. Now, we’ve all been friends for quite awhile, but since we’re all spread around the country, we only get to see each other on holidays since we’re all originally from Michigan. I started brainstorming places to go, things to see…meanwhile, I couldn’t get rid of that nagging Disney itch. Then it hit me like a Bobby hits Whitney :idea: . Let’s go see the mouse!

I wrangled a commitment and a date from everyone, and booked the five of us a family suite at ASMu plus dining. I checked the disboards religiously, and at 180 days out, with my phone at the read, made our ADRs.

And then it happened. Free Disney Dining.:cool1:

Recalculating our finances, it only ended up being marginally more for us to upgrade to a Deluxe. Next thing I knew, we had two rooms at the elegant, adventurous, Animal Kingdom Lodge. I was happy. I was jubilant. I was anxious. You mean I have to wait 7 more months? Isn’t there some sort of counseling group to help with this sort of waiting? :banana:

Turns out our perfect vacation would get even more perfect in my eyes. About a month out, I received a call from a nice CM graciously informing me that we were being booted from AKL due to construction. I was offered any deluxe resort as compensation….although I suspiciously noted that the CM left the Grand Floridian off the list. Now I’m never one to agree to anything without attempting to swing a deal, so five minutes later I had gotten us two rooms at the prestigious Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. To think I was excited before, my excitement level reached DEFCON five. I actually had to change my pants.:woohoo:

Next installment….arrival day, and “are you all by yourself?”

Note: Pics will come once I'm back from my little business trip. Soon, I promise!

[Mickeefan]

I'm in . . . keep it coming!

[OhMari]

Wow, what a great upgrade. I slightly heard about people getting transferred out of the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Most are transferring to DVC's. Nice upgrade. Did you attend Michigan State, or the Tech in
Houton MI? My dd just graduated from Northern Michigan University, in which you probably have no idea where that is, if you are from down state.

[Angrypenguin]

Wow, what a great upgrade. I slightly heard about people getting transferred out of the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Most are transferring to DVC's. Nice upgrade. Did you attend Michigan State, or the Tech in
Houton MI? My dd just graduated from Northern Michigan University, in which you probably have no idea where that is, if you are from down state.

Woo hoo! Thanks Mickeefan and OhMari...I actually have readers! Actually three of us mentioned in this report (Me, Matt, and Other Kevin) all attended the University of Michigan. Go Blue! (although, probably not this year:sad2: )

[pezheadmeg]

count me in too!

I have my annual college buddy booze fest starting in nine days :banana:

[Angrypenguin]

count me in too!

I have my annual college buddy booze fest starting in nine days :banana:

Have fun on your college buddy trip! And thanks for joining on board...great name, by the way:cool2:

I'll have Day 1 up soon...I've been on business travel and working on my trip DVD and what not, but I promise it's coming!

By the way, if you're ever in an airport not long after your Disney trip, do you ever check the "departure" board and become tempted to "accidently" board the flight to Orlando? Happened to me a couple times this past week....

[BriarRosie]

Wow, I'm suitably impressed! From the All Star Suites to AKL to the Grand Floridian....I'd say you're the King of the Upgrade! I'm looking forward to reading your report, even though you went to UoM. :laughing:

[OhMari]

Hey,
You can't leave us hanging and waiting.

[wirki]

I may read this but you will have to stop talking about Michigan:lmao:




<------------

Can't wait to read more
Debbie

[KimAshton]

More more more.

[tinawv]

Count me in. :cool1:

[Angrypenguin]

hey everyone! I'm really sorry I haven't posted anything; ice been travelling a lot for work and using my free time to create photo albums and a DVD of our trip. I'll have something up tonight, now that I see I actually have an audience! I'll try to get some pics up too.

[Angrypenguin]

You ever have those mornings where you just “wake up”? Usually during the week, I stumble about, running into various pieces of furniture while I try to rouse myself from the temporary coma I put myself through. But on departure day, my eyes shot open and I leaped out of bed faster than Lindsay Lohan relapses into rehab. After 9 months, it was time to go! :cool1:

Julie and I left for LAX and had a wonderfully uneventful flight to Orlando. We hopped on the fraudulent mini-monorail, and followed the herd of people (or so we hoped) going towards the ME, which, it turns out, wasn't going to ME. So, being the human compass that I am, we spent the 15 minutes wandering in a stupor with me going “it’s this way, it’s this way.” Finally we found it, and checked in.

Julie at MCO:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/wolverinewizard/Epic%20Trip/DSC00427.jpg



My friend Matt had landed relatively the same time we had, so I called him, only to find out he was as hopelessly lost as I was. This is how the conversation went:

“Matt, go this way” (giving directions)

“Are you sure? I’m going that way, I don’t see anything”

“Keep going, you’re almost there.”

“I don’t see anything. Wait, those might be the busses. Where are you?”

“Matt, you’re here” *Flailing arms as he walks by me*

“How do you know?”

At this point Matt had walked by me; I’m not entirely sure as to how, since he walked right past me with his cell phone glued to his ear and me flailing my arms at him while I was literally six feet away. An Asian guy flailing his arms wildly might seem commonplace in Southern California, but in Central Florida I thought for sure it would garner attention.:eek:

We gave each other a quick “manly” hug (you know, that shake hands pull-toward-each-other-while-patting-the-back thing) and the three of us got on our bus with a bus driver with an extremely heavy accent. He was nice enough, and kept trying to give us a monologue of Florida, but his words were completely unintelligible. The only understandable phrase he uttered was “HOUSE OF DE MOUSE”, which he seemed to yell every other sentence. Naturally, such a phrase would prompt uninhibited fits of laughter. Yes, we’re twelve. :woohoo:

On the bus:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/wolverinewizard/Epic%20Trip/DSC00433.jpg

Soon enough we finally arrived at the Grand Floridian, and the first impression that you get when you walk into the lobby is everything you imagine it would be. The grandeur of it all simply gives you pause. Then I remember that I’m paying marginally more than I would have staying at All-Stars Music. I cackled with glee.

Some GF pics:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/wolverinewizard/Epic%20Trip/DSC00439.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/wolverinewizard/Epic%20Trip/DSC00441.jpg

We checked into our two rooms and headed down to the 24-hour food distribution center for our first encounter with Disney food. My first impressions with the Disney provision was not impressive, to say the least. Without going into too much detail, we’ll just say that I had a ZZUB-ian Teppinyaki experience. Ahem.

It was getting late by this point, so Julie headed off to bed to make sure she got enough sleep before hitting the parks. When she doesn’t get enough sleep, she gets a little, um, “feisty” , so I tucked her in and headed out back towards the Marina. My buddy Matt and I stayed up and waited for the rest of our party (Alison from Michigan and Other Kevin from D.C.) to arrive. They trickled in, and merriment was felt by all as we stayed up late into the night catching up and eagerly discussing our plans for the next few days.

While we took this trip together, we each had to make our way on our own to WDW, which brings us to the title of this report. As my friends made their way to the Magical Express, they were all assaulted with comments such as “All alone today? Traveling alone? All by yourself?” These comments, were, of course, retorted with “Yes, I’m a loser and have no friends.” Additionally, since we had an odd number in our group (five), more often than not one person would end up riding a ride by themselves. Which, of course, is nothing to be ashamed of, until the CMs herding people into the ride cars begin to yell “SINGLE RIDER! WE HAVE A SINGLE! IS THERE A CAR FOR A SINGLE?” Yes, one of us is riding by ourselves because we’re losers and have no friends. But let us keep a portion of our dignity, will you? :confused3

Next up: MGM and lot of pictures!

[wirki]

Great update.
I can never find ME either. I would be a great contestant on Amaing Race. ;)

Anyway....look forward to hearing about MGM

[Angrypenguin]

Great update.
I can never find ME either. I would be a great contestant on Amaing Race. ;)

Anyway....look forward to hearing about MGM

Thanks for reading! You know, I never really disliked Ohio State as much as other Michigan people...it probably has to do with the fact that my dad graduated from BOTH Ohio State and Michigan, so I grew up rooting for both. Don't ask me how he ended up going to both places:confused3, but it will probably make you happy that as big a Michigan fan that he is, he's an even bigger Buckeye. :sad2:

Hope everyone has a great weekend! My DVD and photobooks are finished, so I'll post a couple of pictures up soon so I can share how big of a dork I am.:wizard:

[Peg In The Pound]

Me: 25 year old ABC (American Born Chinese…yes, it’s a term that our parents have given us).
ABC is so much catchier than AJA (American of Japanese Ancestry)...
I think I'm jealous!
I know that I'm crazy jealous of your All Star to AKL to the Grand Floridian! Plus free dining?
Good on ya.

[wirki]

:surfweb: :rolleyes1 :coffee: popcorn::

Just waiting to hear more...:goodvibes

[wvgoofyfan]

I'm in for sure!

Best upgrade I ever got was from standard to waterview.....how sad that seems now in contrast to you and your lucky companions...

Waiting for more!

[Angrypenguin]

Hey all, thanks for being patient! I'll try to have another installment up something in the next couple of days; things are just a little more hectic than usual around here ;)

[Peg In The Pound]

Just bumpin'!


and waiting of course.

[wirki]

Where are you????:confused3

Looking forward to reading more

[Angrypenguin]

I'm here! Thanks everyone for being patient; I sometimes forget people actually want to read this thing:lmao:

Day 1: MGM!

So we woke up to a nice, muggy Florida morning and hopped a bus to MGM. No transportation issues; five minutes of waiting and we were on the bus, on our way. I personally was chomping at the bit; after nine months, we were finally about to get into a park!

Up to this point, both girls were having second thoughts of riding ToT. Granted, it can seem intimidating to those of lesser stature, but after all the hype I had read about on these forums and those unofficial guide books, I was determined to have all of us together to share this experience.

We entered the gates and stopped briefly while the ladies bathed themselves in sunscreen. I tapped my foot impatiently; we have rides to ride, people! Wandering over to the corner of ToT and RnR, we grabbed some fastpasses for RnR and made our way to ToT. While in line, I marveled at the attention to detail in the queue area and throughout the “hotel” area. Well, I marveled as well as I could, anyway; we were moving through faster than White Castle burgers. At this point, Julie was having second thoughts, and Alison started freaking out a bit, so I did what I had to do to get them to go. I started mocking them. With love, of course.:hug:

Sufficiently shamed, we were led to our creepy elevator by an equally creepy bell-man, and when the doors closed, I was actually concerned that both Alison and Julie were going to pass out from the anxiety and fear. Either that or strangle me for forcing them on such a ride clearly designed only for crazy people.

So we dropped, people screamed, and...... I found the ride slightly disappointing. Perhaps my expectations were too high, after hearing so much about it? I’m not sure; it was fun, but not as fun as say, reading about Britney Spears’s crazy antics and imploding. I love Celebrity gossip, it’s my guilty pleasure.

Stop judging me.

After sufficiently conquering the terrible tower, we made our way to what may be my favorite ride of this entire trip. The wait for RnR was short enough (approx. 15 minutes) that we decided to press our luck and get in line with the normal folk. We scooched forward into G-Force records (Ahhhh....air conditioning!) and got ready to hit the town with Steven Tyler and friends.:thumbsup2

On a side note, has anyone noticed that in that little pre-ride film that you watch, Steven Tyler makes “The Shocker” sign with his hand? :confused3

Boy, I loved this ride. When you get launched at the beginning, I started giggling like a Japanese schoolgirl. Everyone loved it so much, we decided to double dip. At this point, the 15 minute queue had turned into a 45 minute queue, so we whipped out those snazzy fastpasses we brilliantly decided to get earlier in the morning, and zipped our way through the line again. All the while waving at all the people standing out in the thick air and Florida sun. Suckers.

Up next: MGM continues, our first Disney Dining meal (hooray!) and lights, action, and sweat. Won't be too long, I'll try to have it up tomorrow!:wizard:

[Peg In The Pound]

Definitely worth the wait.

At this point, Julie was having second thoughts, and Alison started freaking out a bit, so I did what I had to do to get them to go. I started mocking them. With love, of course.

DED.

And if celeb gossip is your guilty pleasure, you and your friends should form a league on www.tabfl.com. It's like celeb fantasy football, only you are picking tabloid covers. Very fun!

[nutz2notz]

I'm really enjoying your report and look forward to reading more. :thumbsup2

[wirki]

yay!!!!!!
Great update. :cool1:

I like TOT and RnR......not love. Ride once or twice a trip and I am happy.

Can't wait to hear more

[c8k6k]

Great trip report. Looking forward to hearing more.

[Angrypenguin]

Thanks for the great encouragement guys!;) I had meant to have another installment up today, but unfortunately I spent most of the day playing a fake guitar:lmao:. I'll probably write another installment while at the office tomorrow...who really works at work anyways?pirate:

[Angrypenguin]

Hey everyone! Still writing...I'll have something up tomorrow, I promise :thumbsup2

[3kidzmom]

I too have been a lurker for quite a while and finally got to the nerve to register. I love your story so far--I've chuckled so much my kids want to know what I'm doing on the computer! Anxious to hear more!

[Angrypenguin]

Yikes, I now really understand why it takes so long for people to write a trip report, these are a lot of work! I appreciate the encouragement everyone; it actually does give me a nice kick in the butt to keep writing.

Anyways, continuing on...

By the time we got out of RnR the second time, the Florida sun was beating down on us fairly heavily, and it was still 10 a.m. One of the nice things about Disney World is there’s never a shortage of knick knack shops and stores to duck into to receive a nice fresh blast of air conditioning. :thumbsup2

Now, unfortunately, after ToT and RnR, I was really at a loss at what to do. We had just conquered the two rides that I was most looking forward to, so we spent the next hour or so just wandering around and taking in the sites. I love wandering; whenever I travel anywhere, probably my favorite thing to do is just to wander and take in the ambience of where we are. So went in shops, took pictures next to the various topiaries around the park, and visited “The Big Hat” and tried to resist temptation to blow all our souvenir money before lunch on the first day.

We came across Star Tours, seemingly hidden away and off to the side like some discarded celebrity has-been *cough* Scott Baio *cough*. Hey, no wait, might as well try it out, right? We skipped through the line and prepared ourselves to be taken to a galaxy far far away. So it was fairly disappointing to find out our pilot was a mentally challenged robot, and that apparently space flight shares a resemblance to watching grainy 20 year-old film. We jerked back and forth, giving me whiplash while I resisted the temptation to scream “EARTHQUAKE!” and hide behind my girlfriend. Because real men hide behind women. If I was in charge of Disney parks (which I'm obviously not, but how cool would that be? ;) )

Feeling a bit queasy and sea-(space?) sick, we moseyed on toward the Studio Catering Co. for our first meal paid for by Disney! I love food, and free food, well, is just lovely. Unfortunately all I remember about the food here was that it was free, which I suppose is enough to make it a decent meal in my book.pirate:

We figured that there was no better way to digest bland food than to sit with several thousand other strangers under a metal awning when the temperature is in the mid 90s with 100% humidity and fire billowing towards you. Lights, Motors, Action! seemed to be a logical place. I enjoyed the show, but it didn’t seem to live quite up to the hype; the stunt driving was excellent, yes, but I live in Los Angeles. If I wanted to see some action-movie driving, I would just need to head down to the grocery store; not only do I get the idiotic driving, but I get the excitement of police chases and four letter expletives to boot.:rolleyes1

At this point we were roasting, so we made our way back into the Muppet area and saw some Muppet Vision 3-D, which was gloriously air-conditioned. The Muppets were cute as always, and the cool environment was definitely what we needed.

*Side Rant* Does anyone else think someone should design some 3-D glasses for people with, um, glasses? If I take off my real glasses and put on 3-D glasses, all I see are defocused entities flying at my face. It takes the “cool” factor away when I can’t distinguish what is coming at me; all I get is blobs of light zipping in all directions like I just popped a handful of ‘shrooms. Not that I’ve done that.:wizard:

Secondly, when I do put 3-D glasses over my glasses, I feel even more like a dork. Since nerdiness is usually attributed linearly to the amount of eye correction a person normally requires, my nerd factor just doubled. Not to mention that I have trouble keeping both pairs of glasses attached to my face due to my obnoxiously large head. *End Side Rant*

Up next: I have a crush on Belle, and it’s a good thing I slipped some Pepto in my pocket.

[IkeandMike]

Hey just found your report, love it so far!!

[wirki]

Sounds like you had a good time:lmao: I mean who wouldn't want to spend their day hot and seasick!! ;)
Can't wait to hear how the pepto fit in!!

Keep it up you are doing great:thumbsup2

[dmwang9]

Hey, I just found your TR and love it! Sounds like you had a good time, and I'm looking forward to your next installment.

[heaven2dc]

I'm hooked!! Great report so far! :thumbsup2

[Angrypenguin]

Thanks for the kind words everyone! I posted the installment when I was half asleep, so I noticed a few grammatical errors, hope you won't hold it against me.:confused3

heaven2dc, dmwang9, 3kidzmom, and ikeandmike, welcome to my TR! I'm glad you could join us.

And wirki....two more weeks and you and are are going to throw down! Your national championship and my rose bowl hopes are on the line ;)

[MEK]

Very enjoyable read! Keep it coming. Nice job! :thumbsup2

[KYCruiseCrazy]

keep up the reporting. :thumbsup2

[wvgoofyfan]

Glad to see an update! Keep up the good work and tether yourself to the puter and get another one posted real soon!

[nutz2notz]

Another great update! :thumbsup2

I agree with the deal with the 3D glasses...two of my four kids wear glasses and it drives them crazy. You would think something could be done, and oh, having to be even nerdier than they already are. :rotfl2:

Look forward to your next installment.

[3kidzmom]

You know...we spent 2 days there this past June, and I thought I handled ToT and RnR well...but why is it that the ONE ride (Star Tours) that doesn't really 'take' you anwhere is the one that made me most nauseauous (<-Sorry is that a word?).:confused3

[Angrypenguin]

Hey everyone! Hope you're having a great Monday. I'm a little punchy as I'm trying to quit smoking (bad habit, I know), so wish me luck that I don't yell at too many people.:scared1:

[IkeandMike]

Good luck!!!! I plan on quiting this month too. Horrible habit, and yet, so hard to quit. Are you quiting cold turkey or using an aid? I am going to use the patch and I figured since it's getting colder out now, and we smoke outside it should help with the cravings.

[wirki]

Hey everyone! Hope you're having a great Monday. I'm a little punchy as I'm trying to quit smoking (bad habit, I know), so wish me luck that I don't yell at too many people.:scared1:

I quit when I found out I was having my DD. She is 18 months now and I have had maybe 10 cigs since she was born. I hate that I want them. But it does get easier. There are always time were you think....I could go for one now. Just make the choice not to light up. Make sure you do not have them handy. Good Luck.:grouphug:

Oh and GO BUCKS:rotfl:

[Angrypenguin]

Good luck!!!! I plan on quiting this month too. Horrible habit, and yet, so hard to quit. Are you quiting cold turkey or using an aid? I am going to use the patch and I figured since it's getting colder out now, and we smoke outside it should help with the cravings.

I quit when I found out I was having my DD. She is 18 months now and I have had maybe 10 cigs since she was born. I hate that I want them. But it does get easier. There are always time were you think....I could go for one now. Just make the choice not to light up. Make sure you do not have them handy. Good Luck.:grouphug:

Oh and GO BUCKS:rotfl:

Thanks for the encouragement guys! I went 24 hours without one, and then when I got to work I cheated.:guilty: It's a lot harder here since DGF isn't around to encourage (e.g. yell) at me for having one. Oh well, I'm going to keep trying...IkeandMike, let me know how the patch works out and if it really takes away your cravings. Maybe that's the way to go!

Oh yeah...and Go Blue!:laughing:

[Angrypenguin]

Hey, I just found your TR and love it! Sounds like you had a good time, and I'm looking forward to your next installment.

Thanks dmwang9! Welcome aboard.

I'm hooked!! Great report so far! :thumbsup2

I appreciate you stopping in to observe my neurotic narration heaven2dc:thumbsup2

Very enjoyable read! Keep it coming. Nice job! :thumbsup2

I appreciate the kind works MEK!

keep up the reporting. :thumbsup2

Thanks! I hope you stick around for more KYCruiseCrazy.

Glad to see an update! Keep up the good work and tether yourself to the puter and get another one posted real soon!

I'll try! I'm tethered to a computer most of the time anyways since I'm an uber geek. Although lately I've been tethered to my XboX playing Guitar Hero...:rockband:

Another great update! :thumbsup2

I agree with the deal with the 3D glasses...two of my four kids wear glasses and it drives them crazy. You would think something could be done, and oh, having to be even nerdier than they already are. :rotfl2:

Look forward to your next installment.

Hey haven't you heard? Nerd is the new chic!

You know...we spent 2 days there this past June, and I thought I handled ToT and RnR well...but why is it that the ONE ride (Star Tours) that doesn't really 'take' you anwhere is the one that made me most nauseauous (<-Sorry is that a word?).:confused3

I agree; I think I'm still feeling the after-affects of Star Tours. Could be the cheesecake from last night though....:eek:

[Peg In The Pound]

Good luck everyone with quitting!

It took me a few times (years) to kick it,
but I FINALLY gave it up almost four years ago.
I did a combination of the patch, kava, nyquil and jigsaw puzzles.

I know it's hard,
but it can be done!
:thumbsup2

Oh yeah...
and I do like your TR.

[wvgoofyfan]

I quit using the patch and Wellbutrin About 4 years ago. Sadly, my father passed away, my husband was in a truck accident, and I lost my job (company went out of business) within about 2 1/2 weeks period, so I turned back to my old friend. Ha, some friend, Nicotine sucks.

My quit date this year is November 20th. I will use the patch again, as it is wonderful...Also Gum, (Tip, everyone buy stock in the gum companies--as I sure chew a lot of gum)

PS-Quit Tip, Get up every morning and say to yourself. I will not smoke today! I can quit smoking for one day. Then, when you get thru the day without smoking, treat yourself to a small amount of your favorite chocolate. Chocolate has the same effect on the receptors in the brain as nicotine.

Just keep yourself to a small amount of chocolate...lol, i gained 50 lbs the 1st time I quit, lol.

Good luck, remember just one day at a time!

[Angrypenguin]

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone. Unfortunately quitting is a little tougher than I had anticipated, but I’ll get there!

Anyways, Day 1 continued…

After Lights, Motors, Action!, people began gathering along the street in anticipation of the parade. We stuck around for a bit to wave at Mikey and Sulley as they passed, but ran for cooler pastures as the Florida sun began berating us into submission. :cool2:

We ambled into the Magic of Disney Animation, which was a (slightly) entertaining way to kill a few minutes. It’s too bad that no more animation is done there; it would’ve been fun to see the animators at work.

The ladies wanted to see the Beauty and the Beast show, so that was our next stop. We had hit all that I had wanted to hit, so I figured it wouldn’t be too bad to suffer through 20 minutes or so of Beauty and the Beast. The show began, and I watched, transfixed by the Beauty of Belle. I have no idea who does the casting calls for this show, but if you’re out there, bravo to you, sir. Unfortunately my imaginary future with her, the 2.3 kids and a house in the hills, was unceremoniously shattered when she fell in love with that steroid-juiced badger and picked "it" over me. :headache:

C’est la vie.

In seriousness, it was a fun performance, and not only because every time the beast “roared” we burst into fits of giggles. It was the type of roar you make when you find out your car insurance premiums are going up, not when you’re trying to frighten someone into submission. But the dancing, the singing, the overall jovial nature was infectious, and I found myself bouncing along to the various numbers.

With the show over, we hopped a bus to the Wilderness Lodge, because we had reservations to make! I had been looking forward to checking out WL and Whispering Canyon since I had booked it, and I was hoping to be blown away. We walked into the lobby, and I’m sure I would have been blown away if it hadn’t been for the massive construction signs and half the floor missing. Instead of being blown away, it was more of a gentle nudge. I checked in to Whispering Canyon and we explored a bit, looking at the various totems and artifacts up in the lobby.

The buzzer buzzed, and we were seated as our waitress went over our dining options. Three of us got the family-style barbeque, someone got something else, and I have no idea what we got for dessert. This is important, as for all other dinners on this trip, I remember exactly what everyone ordered simply because everything was so delicious. I’m not suggesting that Whispering Canyon isn’t good, because it is, it’s just not anything special. That didn’t stop me from going a little crazy with the food (it was free, and a buffet to boot), and I soon felt the constrains of my belt pinching against me. Slightly afraid that a few pounds of food would subsequently burst from my stomach, I popped a couple Pepto (which I had been carrying around in my pocket because I knew I’d take advantage of Disney Dining) and the pain temporarily subsided. All I had to do was fight off the urge to crash into a food coma.

Hobbling out to the bus stop, we waited for a bus to get back to the hotel. I was informed that the Downtown Disney bus made its next stop at the GF, so we sat around and tried to amuse ourselves as we sat. Meanwhile during that time, mankind made its first landing on Mars, my parents retired, Disney designed and constructed a fifth theme park, and I was declared legally dead due to my long absence. We FINALLY made it back, and we crashed after a long day. Not a bad way to start the trip, but I was giddy like a school girl, because tomorrow we would hit the one park to rule them all, EPCOT. :banana:

[wvgoofyfan]

Nice Update! Keep trying on the quitting thing, it gets easier!

[Angrypenguin]

I quit when I found out I was having my DD. She is 18 months now and I have had maybe 10 cigs since she was born. I hate that I want them. But it does get easier. There are always time were you think....I could go for one now. Just make the choice not to light up. Make sure you do not have them handy. Good Luck.:grouphug:

Oh and GO BUCKS:rotfl:

Ouch, we both had a rough weekend last weekend! But that's alright, because we're headed toward the big game and a ticket to Pasadena! GO BLUE!:banana:

[wirki]

Ouch, we both had a rough weekend last weekend! But that's alright, because we're headed toward the big game and a ticket to Pasadena! GO BLUE!:banana:

Come on say it with me

OH IO

Can't wait for an update...and I need some pics!!:goodvibes

[wirki]

Ouch, we both had a rough weekend last weekend! But that's alright, because we're headed toward the big game and a ticket to Pasadena! GO BLUE!:banana:

Come on say it with me

OH IO

Can't wait for an update...and I need some pics!!:goodvibes

[Angrypenguin]

O H ...... *thunk.

Sorry, I had a seizure while attempting that. It's probably genetic.

Hope to have an update up this week! I just got in from a red-eye from LA to Detroit this morning, so I'm still out of whack:scared: but I'll get some pics up too, I promise.

Hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving week! Anyone planning on venturing out on Black Friday?:scared1:

[wirki]

O H ...... *thunk.

Sorry, I had a seizure while attempting that. It's probably genetic.

Hope to have an update up this week! I just got in from a red-eye from LA to Detroit this morning, so I'm still out of whack:scared: but I'll get some pics up too, I promise.

Hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving week! Anyone planning on venturing out on Black Friday?:scared1:


I am going out on Black Friday....but not to shop. We are heading down to Disney:banana:


8 Wonderful days at Wilderness Lodge. Can't wait so I need an update before I leave.:rolleyes1

Oh and I understand the problem with saying OHIO. My DH could not even wear jeans on Saturday. ;)

[Angrypenguin]

You're going down to Disney? I'm so jealous! Take me with you:goodvibes

Actually, I might be going down to Melbourne, FL during the first week of December for a conference. Think I should play hooky and go visit the mouse? ;)

[Angrypenguin]

Hope everyone's having a great Thanksgiving weekend! I should have an update and pics up tomorrow:thumbsup2

[Peg In The Pound]

I worked today, so no shopping for me.
:headache:
Looking forward to your update.

[Disney owl]

great reports & photos

[wirki]

I am back and did not miss anything??? What have you been doing:rolleyes1

The World was wonderful. 80 degrees everyday.

How's the update coming??

[Angrypenguin]

So I maaaay have forgotten about this thread. That’s okay though, since it appears that everyone else has too. :lmao: I’m back home for the holidays now, and slightly bored since I don’t have all my toys with me, so I figured I would grace you all with my presence and continue to reminisce about my WDW adventure...

I woke up giddy with anticipation, for today we would go to Epcot! Now, last year, my girlfriend and I visited Epcot, but we really didn’t know what we were doing, and just wandered around pointing at random items and random people. Kind of like Jessica Simpson. So, during that visit, we completely missed “Soarin’”, which, I discover, is often cited as the best ride at WDW. Therefore, I was determined to bee-line it to Soarin’, and I was firm in my conviction. Unlike Bobby Petrino.

We meandered our way to the monorail station at the Grand Floridian, and had our first monorail experience of the trip. It was drama-free, and we soon found ourselves taking a picture with the massive silver burr:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/wolverinewizard/Epic%20Trip/DSC00529.jpg

Since we got there after opening, I was afraid that the line would build up quickly at Soarin’. We hustled over, and was relieved to find only a 15 minute wait.

Soarin’ was great, but not that great. We got the front center, and it’s a really fun idea (I really enjoyed the orange smells) but I can probably pinpoint the one facet that took away some of the pleasure: the picture on the screen. Don’t get me wrong, the filming and locales and the effect of hang gliding was fantastic. But I’m the will only watch high-definition television and HD-DVDs and Blu-Ray discs; standard definition and low-resolution images annoy me almost as much as Jim Tressel.

It was still morning, but the Florida sun was beating down on our precariously pale skin. What better way to cool off than swimming in a giant clam and looking for Nemo? We headed there next and overcame our claustrophobia and crammed into a clam.

Sometime during that ride, I believe Jamie Spears became pregnant. That thought itself has made the ride, in retrospect, incredibly more interesting. I calculated back three months, and I figured it was right around the same time. So it must be true. Speaking of which, when people first heard the news, what was your knee-jerk reaction to it? I let out a nice hearty guffaw; I was very amused.

I must be a horrible person.

Anyways, that’s all she wrote for tonight....stay tuned tomorrow as I document for public consumption: my valiant attempts not to vomit, how we were swindled by big oil propaganda and the best dinner we've ever had.

P.S. I would officially like to welcome Rich Rodriguez to Ann Arbor :banana: :woohoo: :banana: :woohoo: :banana: :woohoo:

[wirki]

Ok....I am not sure I want to continue reading since you brought Uncle Jimmy into the mix. How could you hate a man that is taking his team to the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AGAIN???????
:lmao:

ok carry on