Biscuit's Grand Adventure | An epic tale three decades in the making! [Archive] - Page 4 - The DIS Discussion Forums

GreatBiscuit

07-15-2009, 08:29 PM

Thus far, it had been a day of firsts: first time on Magical Express, first time staying on property, first time doing the Dining Plan, first time using Disney Transportation, first time riding the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and my first time bringing a child to The World. Yet as exciting as it had all been, there were still several firsts left to go.

As we headed back down Main Street, I couldn’t help but think how amazing it was that we were here. Just a few months earlier with layoffs looming, it looked like we may have to cancel the trip. I thanked God for the blessing of being able to be here, now, leading the clan to Chef Mickeys.

We headed out the gates and I successfully managed to locate the resort monorail. As it happened, a train was waiting when we hit the platform so we squished ourselves in and set out for the Contemporary Resort. Upon arrival, we encountered Tahli’s arch nemesis: the down escalator! We managed to talk her through it and made it to the ground floor without too much drama.

I knew from the photos I’d seen on the Dis that the restaurant was at the “window” end of the resort, so we had no trouble finding the place.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00879.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

I got us checked in and with pager in hand, we were escorted to the photo area. After being quickly arranged into an appropriate lineup, we slapped a grin on our grills and then headed to the waiting area.

I snapped a few photos while we sat, and the kids kept their eyes peeled for characters.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00873.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00875.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

At one point, Tahli wanted to use the digital camera to take some pictures. Here’s the only one that turned out.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00885.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

I was SUPER excited about this meal. Of all our dining reservations, this was probably the one that I was most looking forward to. I had read about countless meals here and could not WAIT to wrap my lips around some Parmesan Mashed Potatoes. We wound up sitting for about 20 minutes before our pager finally lit up.

Our hostess determined that all Biscuit’s were present and accounted for, then asked us if we had ever been to Chef Mickeys. Acting as group spokesman, I advised her that we had not and she gave us the lowdown on the place before escorting us to our table. When you first walk in, there are three main dining areas: one on the left, one straight ahead, and one to the right. We wound up going to the right and scored a table right next to the door the characters used whenever they went backstage.

View from my seat:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/ChefMickeys.jpg
(Composited from 9 photos, Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode, flash disabled, +1.0 Exposure.)

I did not want the kids to miss the characters, so I elected to go grab plates for the girls and left my drink order with the clan. Nana followed me to the buffet and took care of getting a plate for Preston. I loaded up the girls’ plates with Mac & Cheese, Pizza, nuggets and such from the kid’s buffet and returned to the table. No characters had been by yet. Score! The kids led us in “God is Great” and Tracy got the girls settled, while I returned to the grown-up buffet and loaded up a plate for myself. By the time I returned to the table, the drinks had arrived and Tracy went up to fill her plate.

I’d like to show you a photo of that first plate of food, but I can’t. I didn’t take one. That’s right, I skipped out on my DIS-Boards duty. It couldn’t be helped. Once the Prime Rib and Parm-Taters were on my plate, I entered a dining trance and could not snap out of it until all items before me were consumed. As I recall, I had prime rib, Parm-Taters, green beans, and some sort of pasta dish. The latter two were simply there to help balance the plate out. The main attraction was the meat & taters. I grabbed my fork, and loaded up a heaping bite. With a nod to the family and twinkle in my eye, I took my first bite.

If we had an emoticon of an angel floating on a golden cloud, I’d stick it right here.

The food was DA BOMB Baby! Oh my stars a shining!

The prime rib, the Parm-Taters, the veggies and pasta were all FANTASTIC. Even the iced tea was good, which is saying something for a Texan. You’d be surprised by how many restaurants can ruin a good glass of tea.

Before long, it was time for the first round of Napkin Waving! (You can sort of see my inaugural plate in that one!)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1097.jpg
( Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

We were fortunate though in that the characters had just been through our area when we sat down, so we had a good 20 minutes to enjoy our food before they hit our table. This of course gave me a chance to refill my plate and take a photo to redeem myself in the eyes of the DIS. (Although the flash did wash it out a bit.)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00898.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

This time, I stuck with the baics: Prime Rib & Parm-Taters, (both with Au-Jus) and Tamarind Glazed Salmon with Pesto and Wasabi Mango Coulis. HOLY STINKING COW that Salmon was good!

Before long, the characters began their sweep through our area, starting with this fellow:

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1093.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1094.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

I love how Preston just kept right on eating. He's a kid after my own heart!

After spending a few moments with the Big Cheese, the girls were in need of the facilities. (Remember that whole ill timed bladder thing right?) I volunteered to take them, namely to see what all the fuss was about concerning the Chef Mickey’s bathrooms. (Hi Zzub!)

During our departure, Minnie came around and the girls missed seeing her. I didn’t realize this would be an issue until later when Hailee informed us that Minnie was her favorite. Really? When did this happen? The girl had never mentioned Minnie to me once in her life and now she’s gone straight to the coveted “Favorite”? I assured her it was no problem, the characters would be back around before we left. (Famous last words)

No sooner had the girls and I returned to the table when we were joined by the Goof.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00895.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM FOR AN IMPORTANT (OR NOT) ANNOUNCEMENT. The following 3 paragraphs may spoil some magic for those who still believe in the characters. (You know who are.) Now I don’t claim to be a Disney Character Cast Member expert or have inside information into the vast inner workings of the Disney machine. But I’m pretty certain there were two, maybe three CM’s playing Goofy throughout our meal.

If you recall, there was a metal door in the panoramic photo that was next to our table. This was the portal into which the characters would go about every 15 min or so. Within a minute or two, said character would pop back out. My personal theory (and again I may be off here) is that CM’s were switching off suit duty. I noticed that there were slight differences in the Goof’s mannerisms as he would go in and out the door.

The first Goof was extremely animated and was always, well, Goofing. He’d STOMP really hard through the tiled area, hide his eyes and act scared when he saw a frightened child, and ham up some crazy poses at the tables. The other Goof was still a lot of fun, but was more subdued. It’s not that he was bad, just not quite as, well Goofy. We wound up with the slightly less silly version. (I think I’m the only one who noticed though.)

MAGIC-RUINING ANNOUNCEMNENT IS NOW OVER – WE NOW RESUME OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM ALREADY IN PROGRESS.

...which is why you should never sneak a live duck onto the monorail! OH MAN…I love that story.

Whew, where was I?

Oh right! We were in the middle of character greeting! These two fellows stopped by one right after the other.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00908.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00909.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

Minnie was no where in sight so we sauntered off to the dessert table to partake of sugary goodness. After we spent quite some time reveling in sweets (and updating my live TR,) our server brought our bill to us. I had worried it would be a pain as we had two separate Disney Dining Plan groups and my Aunt Jana was paying for her meal with cash. Turns out I needn’t have worried as our server got it all correct the first time. I handed her only ONE Key to the World card (see I told you I’m trainable) and now considered myself a bona fide dining plan pro. (My card says Key to the World on it, but I’ve always seen it referred to as Key to the Kingdom. Why is that I wonder? I’m digressing again aren’t I?) We advised our server what we were waiting for and she was fairly sure Minnie would be by very soon.

After about 10 min or so, the music began again and it was time for Napkin Waving 2.0.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00912.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

I think Tahli was digging this place as much as her dad. SCORE! Mickey again came by and we took another round of photos. We figured Minnie would be along VERY soon.

Then Donald stopped by and we figured Minnie would be along VERY soon. All this time, Hailee had an anxious look on her face. She kept asking me if Minnie was still there, and were we going to get to see her and would I promise we wouldn’t leave. Any thoughts of lost park time were quickly melted away and I assured we would not go anywhere until she got to meet Minnie.

Finally, a few minutes later I saw someone sneaking up behind Hailee.

What’s this?

Could it be?

It IS!
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00935-2.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00934.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

Was it worth waiting an extra 30 minutes to see Minnie?

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00935-1.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00934b.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

You tell me.

Coming up on Episode 54 – Terror in the skies!

Click Here for the Next Episdoe! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32758409&postcount=773)

Backstage_Gal

07-15-2009, 08:54 PM

KittyKat08

07-16-2009, 12:58 AM

I was just dying with the whole Minnie thing, waiting to see if she was going to make it back to you guys. It was sooooo worth the wait, the look on the girls faces are priceless. :thumbsup2

GreatBiscuit

07-16-2009, 01:37 AM

YAY, so happy you had a great meal/time at CM's :goodvibes , but dang, you are making me hungry. Better go get some dinner.

About you theory, not sayin ...... :rolleyes1

Looking forward to the next round and comments from Nana and Papa.I made myself hungry! As to secret Disney workings...I hear you! :thumbsup2 :rotfl2:

I was just dying with the whole Minnie thing, waiting to see if she was going to make it back to you guys. It was sooooo worth the wait, the look on the girls faces are priceless. :thumbsup2I was DEF worth the wait. I didn't realize just how big she was grinning until I reviewed the pictures later.

PrincessV

07-16-2009, 09:04 AM

Tamarind Glazed Salmon with Pesto and Wasabi Mango Coulis. HOLY STINKING COW that Salmon was good!
May I say how very happy I am to hear you say that?! I loved, adored, that salmon when we hit CMs many moons ago. And we're heading back in a couple weeks - I'm having dreams about that stupid salmon! :rotfl: So glad to hear it hasn't lost its spark. :thumbsup2

Finally, a few minutes later I saw someone sneaking up behind Hailee.

What’s this?

Could it be?

It IS!
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00935-2.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)
YAY!!! :goodvibes

chicagoshannon

07-16-2009, 09:16 AM

I'd definitely say it was worth it!

Might have to try to get into Chep Mickey's now. hmm Maybe in Feb when we go with my Parents again.

TillyMarigold

07-16-2009, 10:39 AM

I handed her only ONE Key to the World card (see I told you I’m trainable) and now considered myself a bona fide dining plan pro. (My card says Key to the World on it, but I’ve always seen it referred to as Key to the Kingdom. Why is that I wonder? I’m digressing again aren’t I?)

The key is your Key to the World. There is a tour at the Magic Kingdom that is called Keys to the Kingdom. They're easy to mix up. :)

MrsSpratt

07-16-2009, 11:17 AM

GB -

Seeing the look on your precious little cinammon roll's face made me tear up. At work.

Sounds to me like you had your priorities absolutely straight - what is "precious park time" when you were creating an even more precious memory right then. Would it have been as special without the build up of anticipation? Probably not.

And, as always, your photos are quite something. I love the panoramic shots - not having been to the World since I was three, I get a MUCH better sense of scale from your photos - well done.

I really appreciate the thought and work you are putting into reporting - thank you!

GreatBiscuit

07-16-2009, 02:11 PM

May I say how very happy I am to hear you say that?! I loved, adored, that salmon when we hit CMs many moons ago. And we're heading back in a couple weeks - I'm having dreams about that stupid salmon! :rotfl: So glad to hear it hasn't lost its spark. :thumbsup2 Hey, if you gotta dream about something, Disney Dining is the way to go!

I'd definitely say it was worth it! Me too!

Might have to try to get into Chep Mickey's now. hmm Maybe in Feb when we go with my Parents again.I’d highly recommend it. This was one of our favorite meals.

The key is your Key to the World. There is a tour at the Magic Kingdom that is called Keys to the Kingdom. They're easy to mix up. :)Thanks and :welcome: I knew if I threw it out there, somebody would know the answer. Having heard about het Keys to the Kingdom tour multiple times, I should have connected the dots. Thanks!

GB -Seeing the look on your precious little cinammon roll's face made me tear up. At work. That makes two of us.

Sounds to me like you had your priorities absolutely straight - what is "precious park time" when you were creating an even more precious memory right then. Would it have been as special without the build up of anticipation? Probably not. I wholeheartedly agree.

And, as always, your photos are quite something. I love the panoramic shots - not having been to the World since I was three, I get a MUCH better sense of scale from your photos - well done.

I really appreciate the thought and work you are putting into reporting - thank you!Thanks! I am having a ton of fun reliving the vacation.

Kimberly815

07-16-2009, 04:12 PM

Okay. . . so I have been to Chef Mickey's, but only for breakfast. Those potatoes alone make me want to plan a trip back to Disney World! How have I lived my life this long without them?

Wonderful pictures of the girls with the characters! Their smiles are priceless!

Nana & Papa Biscuit

07-16-2009, 04:16 PM

whogirl'smom

07-16-2009, 05:48 PM

Looks like Chef Mickey's was a hit! That was nice to hear, as it doesn't always get a lot of great reviews. The kids' faces are just lit up with the characters!

Ok, you have to tell me how you blurred the edges of the character pics--that's a great idea! I always hate all the strangers in the background and usually crop them to death in the scrapbook, but this is even better. I have a Canon S2-IS, do you think there's a similar application in the software compared to your Sony?

GreatBiscuit

07-16-2009, 06:02 PM

Biscuit neglected to tell you that Nana had gone out seeking the whereabouts of Minnie. From my seat I could see her and she was spending a LOT of time in the room we saw "straight ahead" as we came in. I was not about to let my little Cinnamon bun be disappointed. I went over to Minnie and very nicely suggested that she might want to visit with others who had been waiting a lifetime to see her. Surprise, surprise - she showed up at our table about 5 minutes later. Maybe I had nothing to do with it, but I like to think I played a part in that priceless look on Hailee Bug's face !:flower3:Proof positive that I inherited my character harassment gene! :lmao: At least Alice wasn't there! But I have to say, the results were nifty! :thumbsup2

Looks like Chef Mickey's was a hit! That was nice to hear, as it doesn't always get a lot of great reviews. The kids' faces are just lit up with the characters! We loved it. It seemed like most of the reviews were that it wasn't as good as it used to be. Having never been there before, I had no frame of reference to compare it with so maybe that's the difference.

Ok, you have to tell me how you blurred the edges of the character pics--that's a great idea! I always hate all the strangers in the background and usually crop them to death in the scrapbook, but this is even better. I have a Canon S2-IS, do you think there's a similar application in the software compared to your Sony?
Glad you liked it. I actually did that with Corel Paint Shop Pro X2. (I downloaded the free 30 day trial.) They have a tool called depth of field that lets you blur the background. It's a bit of a pain to use though and took me a few tries to get right. The program is nice, but a bit more advanced than what I need. There are several tools I havent' tried or haven't figured out yet. I will probably not keep it after the 30 days. On others shots where I was using the Nikon N60, the depth of field was accomplished in-camera due to the focal length and apperture settings on the telezoom lens.

Sleepingbooty

07-16-2009, 08:57 PM

MKBekka

07-17-2009, 06:09 AM

WOW! That food looks mouth wateringly good! I really LOVE potatoes, especially mashed potatoes. :cloud9: You've got some awsome pictures of your girls with Minnie!

DisneyMomLiz

07-17-2009, 10:29 AM

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00898.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

This time, I stuck with the baics: Prime Rib & Parm-Taters, (both with Au-Jus) and Tamarind Glazed Salmon with Pesto and Wasabi Mango Coulis. HOLY STINKING COW that Salmon was good!

Mmmm...yummy Salmon...definitely looking forward to CM now!! Thanks for the great review :cool1:

Was it worth waiting an extra 30 minutes to see Minnie?

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00934b.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

You tell me.

Most definitely worth the wait...precious picture!! :cutie: The characters are so great with the kids. My DS told piglet last year at CP, "sit down, piglet" and Piglet did as requested and sat down and "chatted" with my son...so cute.

Biscuit neglected to tell you that Nana had gone out seeking the whereabouts of Minnie. From my seat I could see her and she was spending a LOT of time in the room we saw "straight ahead" as we came in. I was not about to let my little Cinnamon bun be disappointed. I went over to Minnie and very nicely suggested that she might want to visit with others who had been waiting a lifetime to see her. Surprise, surprise - she showed up at our table about 5 minutes later. Maybe I had nothing to do with it, but I like to think I played a part in that priceless look on Hailee Bug's face !:flower3:

Great job, Nana Biscuit :cheer2:

GreatBiscuit

07-17-2009, 04:14 PM

Oh! You already answered my questions - I was just about to ask you how you accomplished that short depth of field with a digi on auto mode. I've been thinking about trying psp, but I've heard it has a really steep learning curve. Your pics look awesome!It's definitely not a newbie friendly piece of software. I was hoping it would be a little more similar to the Video FX software I use, but alas, it is not. Not a bad program, I just don't have the time to learn something new right now.

WOW! That food looks mouth wateringly good! I really LOVE potatoes, especially mashed potatoes. :cloud9: You've got some awsome pictures of your girls with Minnie!Them there Taters were good eats! Minnie was def the highlight of the meal.

Mmmm...yummy Salmon...definitely looking forward to CM now!! Thanks for the great review :cool1:NP!

Most definitely worth the wait...precious picture!! :cutie: The characters are so great with the kids. My DS told piglet last year at CP, "sit down, piglet" and Piglet did as requested and sat down and "chatted" with my son...so cute.How cute! Piglet was the girls FAV at Crystal Palace as well.

GreatBiscuit

07-17-2009, 09:58 PM

Previously on Biscuit’s Grand Adventure, napkins were waved, meat was consumed, and a lady mouse totally made my daughter’s day. Before I forget, I located my stash of receipts and can now say with certainty that our server at Chef Mickey’s was the constantly smiling Charlotte. Also, the CM who inducted me into the Mickey Mouse Dining Club at Everything Pop was Tanya. Excellent job ladies!

After Minnie said her goodbyes, Nana took the girls for a final potty run while I shot a few more photos. (You can see Nana leading the ladies to the powder room in the middle of the panoramic photo in the last episode.) Once everyone was done with business, we all bid Chef Mickey’s a fond and satisfied farewell, then waddled out to locate the monorail.

In an attempt to avoid the dreaded escalator, we took the wrong elevator and wound up on a room floor instead. Which was kind of cool, but not what I had in mind. We quickly returned to the lobby and managed to find our way up to the monorail platform. There was quite a crowd already and the platform operator was repeatedly bellowing out “All trains are standing room only!” Well isn’t that special? We had about a 10 minute wait to board a train an when we did, it was DEFINITELY standing room only. They’d have needed a shoehorn, a bucket of grease and an angry goat to get one more person in that car.

Fortunately, we lost a whole chunk of folks at the TTC, so I don’t know if maybe the Magic Kingdom Express Monorail platform was sending people over to the Resort Monorail platform or what. We were soon moving again and after a couple of brief stops at the remaining resorts, we finally arrived back at the Magic Kingdom. My goal was to head to Fantasyland and hit up the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean. (For some reason, the girls were really anxious to ride the Jungle Cruise.) However, this plan of action was not meant to be.

As we came through the tunnel, we were met by a sea of rear ends. Spectro was in full swing. I knew it would be pointless now to try to get anywhere, so we wound up heading to the left towards Town Hall. We watched the remains of the parade from atop the steps.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1109.jpg
( Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode with a nifty fingerprint on the lens for a soft focus effect!)

Once the show had ended, I rounded up the troops and gave the order to move out. Our first stop was back at the Chapeau where we were thrilled to find the Mickey Ears ready for pickup. We then began the arduous task of swimming upstream towards the castle. Nana advised us that we needed to be inside an attraction at ten as Preston absoultely freaks out when it comes to fireworks. What? No Fireworks? You’re joking right? No? Seriously? We aren’t playing around here? Hmm…okay…let me ponder this a moment…no worries…I got a plan. To Tomorrowland we go!

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00936.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

Then the girls needed to make use of the facilities one more time, so I got everyone’s tickets in order to round us up some Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin Fast Passes. (BLSRSFP’s or as I like to say it, Blisserfips) The girls were gone a while, and in their absence I surveyed the situation, and decided that once they were back, we’d head over to Stich’s Great Escape which had no wait. That’s right. I took a kid who has a massive fear of fireworks, and as an alternative, ensured he’d be harnessed into a seat and subjected to ungodly noises, flashes, odors and darkness. Even though it was clearly marked on my list as a Parent’s Strongly Cautioned ride. Yep. That’s what I did alright. :sad2:

Things started out relatively calm. We entered the first holding area and halfway paid attention to the little video thingy they had going. Wishes started while we were waiting in line and I congratulated myself on avoiding a meltdown. We next moved to the second holding area and were trained to handle Level 1 alien offenders. The announcement of the dreaded level three escapee was made, and we next entered the chamber of hades. We were on the top row, and I went in first. Tahli and Hailee were next, followed by Tracy, Aunt Jana, Papa, Preston, and Nana.

The terror began almost immediately. It was bad. VERY VERY BAD. To anyone who sat in front of us, I apologize. To my sister, if Preston is having unexplained nightmares involving laser guns and chilidogs, you now know why. We didn’t realize that there was a way out until near the end when another child and mom were escorted out by a Cast Member. By that time it was too late. I think the poor kid nearly split himself in half. From that point forward, he entered virtually every attraction with fear and trepidation.

As to the attraction itself, I can now say that I’ve been on it, but I am not sure that I want to. It was definitely the most pointless activity of the entire trip. Even those of us who weren’t terrified were still not overly thrilled by the thing. In the words of Tahli, “That was dumb.” Well said baby girl, well said.

Hoping to redeem myself with the Biscuit clan, I assured everyone that Buzz Lightyear would be a VAST improvement. I also prayed silently that it would not scare the bejeebers out of Preston. Fortunately he likes Toy Story and with the Fast Passes, we didn’t have a long enough wait for him to build up any fear factor. While in line, we snapped a few pics of the kids in their new headgear. (It would be the last time they all three had them on.)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1111.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

As it turns out, Buzz was a roaring success.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1113.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode with a nifty fingerprint on the lens for a soft focus effect!)

I have to say that for a newbie, I think I did pretty well. I was with Hailee so of course I won in my car. I may or may not have beaten the rest of the Biscuit clan.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00943.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

After we left Buzz, we headed over to one of my favorite classic rides. The Carousel of Progress. The kids couldn’t quite figure this one out at first. They were expecting wooden horses I think. And of course seeing theater seats made Preston nervous again. We assured them all that they would enjoy the show and they actually got quite a kick out of it. Hailee was especially enamored with the side stages. She kept pointing them out and saying “Look Daddy! The room changes!” Ahh…the simple things.

After our journey through the decades, I realized we only had a few minutes before the start of Spectro 2.0. If were going to make it to the Jungle Cruise, we needed to boogie on out of Tomorrowland post haste! I gave the order to saddle up and ride, and off we went through the heart of The Hub. I noticed though that Tracy was limping and having a hard time keeping up, so I did my best to keep it slow. It did help that the kids were walking as well, as they served as natural speed regulators.

We managed to get through the parade lines and cut left into Adventureland. Our first stop was Pirates of the Caribbean. I was not sure how the kids would take this one, but figured I’d give it a shot and see. After all, we’d already scared the living biscuits out of Preston. How much worse could it get?

The girls actually liked the queue caves. (Which is STILL fun to say BTW) . There was not much of a line at all so they really didn’t have time to get overly nervous. Within 7 or 8 min we were boarded and ready to sail. I enjoyed the attraction immensely. The girls didn’t quite get it and kept wanting to know why the pirates were being mean. Preston (in his pirate hat) kept his hands over his ears for most of it. We’ll try it again when the girls are older (Lord willing and the creek don’t rise) and hopefully they will grow into it.

After bidding farewell to Captain Jack, we found ourselves conveniently dumped into a gift shop, where I again waited outside the facilities for the ladies. By the end of the week, I didn’t even ask anymore. Whenever we passed a restroom, I just stopped and waited.

Once we were all reunited, it was time to hit up the Jungle Cruise. As I mentioned earlier, the girls were REALLY looking forward to this ride. I’m not sure why as I never talked it up to them, but for whatever reason, it was highly anticipated. There was maybe a 5-6 minute wait and we soon boarded our boat for a cruise on the wild side. Our captain had more of a dry, deadpan delivery than the corny wisecracking type. He reminded me a lot of Ben Stein.

We eventually made it safely through the heart of the jungle and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It was actually a lot of fun at night and seemed to give it more a realistic feel. (Of course I hadn’t been on it in like 19 years, so it’s hard to draw a comparison.)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1114.jpg
( Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode with a nifty fingerprint on the lens for a soft focus effect!)

When the ride was over, I was feeling pretty good. We had managed to have a magical dinner, get some cool hats (which the kids were no longer wearing), and hit up several of the kids “must do attractions”. All in all, I’d say it was a pretty successful first day. But wait! The day is not yet departed! Oh no my friends! There is still plenty of magic in store!

Coming up on Episode 55, an Accidental EMH

Click Here for the Next Episode (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32806907&postcount=791)

Beka

07-17-2009, 10:25 PM

2 of my 3 favorite MK rides! :thumbsup2 Your girls are super cute!

eandesmom

07-17-2009, 11:47 PM

Once the show had ended, I rounded up the troops and gave the order to move out. Our first stop was back at the Chapeau where we were thrilled to find the Mickey Ears ready for pickup. We

SO cute!

Nana advised us that we needed to be inside an attraction at ten as Preston absoultely freaks out when it comes to fireworks. What? No Fireworks? You’re joking right? No? Seriously? We aren’t playing around here? Hmm…okay…let me ponder this a moment…no worries…I got a plan. To Tomorrowland we go!

Then the girls needed to make use of the facilities one more time, so I got everyone’s tickets in order to round us up some Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin Fast Passes. (BLSRSFP’s or as I like to say it, Blisserfips) The girls were gone a while, and in their absence I surveyed the situation, and decided that once they were back, we’d head over to Stich’s Great Escape which had no wait. That’s right. I took a kid who has a massive fear of fireworks, and as an alternative, ensured he’d be harnessed into a seat and subjected to ungodly noises, flashes, odors and darkness. Even though it was clearly marked on my list as a Parent’s Strongly Cautioned ride. Yep. That’s what I did alright. :sad2:

The terror began almost immediately. It was bad. VERY VERY BAD. To anyone who sat in front of us, I apologize.

Poor Preston! My nephew who is tough as nails and loved Stitch, freaked out at that attraction. We refused to take the kids on it this time.

I noticed though that Tracy was limping and having a hard time keeping up, so I did my best to keep it slow. It did help that the kids were walking as well, as they served as natural speed regulators.

uh oh!

When the ride was over, I was feeling pretty good. We had managed to have a magical dinner, get some cool hats (which Hailee was no longer wearing), and hit up several of the kids “must do attractions”. All in all, I’d say it was pretty successful first day. But wait! The day is not yet departed! Oh no my friends! There is still plenty of magic in store!

Coming up on Episode 55, an Accidental EMH

an accidental EMH? I can't wait!

Backstage_Gal

07-17-2009, 11:51 PM

woohoo on a good evening! Stitch is going to give Disney a bad name :sad1:

whogirl'smom

07-18-2009, 01:14 PM

Maybe Disney will read enough on here how awful Stitch is, and replace him in the near future. Poor Stitch, I love the show, but have listened to much wisdom on other's TRs and never ridden the ride!

brookelizabeth

07-18-2009, 11:43 PM

I was an updated behind - so I just read about your MAGICAL evening at CM! I'm so glad it was a great meal for you all! The smiles on your girls' faces were precious. We had AMAZING character interaction there - it was an awful night for us, but the characters alone turned that night around. :thumbsup2 (Not sure if you read that TR, or not?)

And wow! Tons of rides at MK! Smart on hitting the rides between Spectro and Wishes. Poor Preston not liking fireworks and being scared during Stitch though. :guilty:

I haven't ridden JC at night-I've read many times it's a whole new experience!

burly

07-19-2009, 11:57 AM

jordanyosh

07-19-2009, 10:50 PM

I'm getting caught up....

Stitch's Great Escape....How about we want to escape the ride....I agree with you 100 percent....now I gotta go back and read the rest.

All7OfUs

07-20-2009, 02:24 AM

Hey GB,

Great update! The pic of all the kids with their ears on was adorable!

Too bad Stitch freaked Preston out so bad. Snow White did that to my daughter many years ago, and had a problem with everything else the whole trip.

And no FIREWORKS??!! Blasphemy!

Hmmm, an "accidental" EMH. I can't wait to see how THAT happened!

SunnieRN

07-20-2009, 03:10 AM

Nana Biscuit, you rock:goodvibes!! I don't blame Hailee for picking Minnie as her favorite!! She's a cutie pie!! Biscuit, more great pictures!!:thumbsup2

I can't believe how well the kids are doing on their first night!! Naps are such a great thing!

Curious about the emh!! How tall is Hailee bye the way? My grandson tells me every day that he KNOWS he has grown enough to go on Splash and EE....awww not quite buddy, you have about 3 or 4 inches to go!:mad: (His reaction)!

GreatBiscuit

07-20-2009, 03:34 PM

2 of my 3 favorite MK rides! :thumbsup2 Your girls are super cute!2 out of 3 aint bad! And thinks! (I’m biased you know.)

an accidental EMH? I can't wait!Update coming soon!

woohoo on a good evening! Stitch is going to give Disney a bad name :sad1:I’m telling you. I got off that ride going “What were they thinking?”

Maybe Disney will read enough on here how awful Stitch is, and replace him in the near future. Poor Stitch, I love the show, but have listened to much wisdom on other's TRs and never ridden the ride!Good call. I usually still try out poorly reviewed places just to get my own opinion on them. (Dining wise, it served me well this trip.) But in this case, I gotta say, I whish I had just taken everyone’s word on it.

I was an updated behind - so I just read about your MAGICAL evening at CM! I'm so glad it was a great meal for you all! The smiles on your girls' faces were precious. We had AMAZING character interaction there - it was an awful night for us, but the characters alone turned that night around. :thumbsup2 (Not sure if you read that TR, or not?) I don’t think I read that one, but now you got me all curious and stuff so I guess I’ll have to do some digging.

And wow! Tons of rides at MK! Smart on hitting the rides between Spectro and Wishes. Poor Preston not liking fireworks and being scared during Stitch though. :guilty: Yeah, we don’t really talk about Stitch anymore.

I haven't ridden JC at night-I've read many times it's a whole new experience!It was really cool. We all definitely enjoyed it.

GreatBiscuit

07-20-2009, 03:35 PM

Hi GB, been away for a bit. Just caught up.
First time I experienced the World, I was 24. First character interatction was at O'Hana. When i hugged Minnie I cried. Didn't know she was my fav either. Your pics brought a tear. Your TR a giggle and sigh.
Can't wait for more. :thumbsup2Hey Burly! Welcome back! Gotta love a good Minnie interaction!

I'm getting caught up....

Stitch's Great Escape....How about we want to escape the ride....I agree with you 100 percent....now I gotta go back and read the rest. That’s definitely a good description.

Hey GB,

Great update! The pic of all the kids with their ears on was adorable!

Too bad Stitch freaked Preston out so bad. Snow White did that to my daughter many years ago, and had a problem with everything else the whole trip. Yikes! We had a Snow White adventure later in the trip. But that’s getting ahead of myself.

And no FIREWORKS??!! Blasphemy! Tell me about it!

Hmmm, an "accidental" EMH. I can't wait to see how THAT happened!One thing you should know by now is that if there is an accident to be had, I’m gonna find it.

Nana Biscuit, you rock:goodvibes!! I don't blame Hailee for picking Minnie as her favorite!! She's a cutie pie!! Biscuit, more great pictures!!:thumbsup2Thanks!

I can't believe how well the kids are doing on their first night!! Naps are such a great thing! I was SO happy First Lady Biscuit insisted on naps. I made the evening go by with much less drama.

Curious about the emh!! How tall is Hailee bye the way? My grandson tells me every day that he KNOWS he has grown enough to go on Splash and EE....awww not quite buddy, you have about 3 or 4 inches to go!:mad: (His reaction)!Hailee is 40 inches exactly when she wears her brown sandals and I put her ponytail on top. (I experimented before the trip so I could make sure she could ride Soarin!)

MrsSpratt

07-20-2009, 03:58 PM

Hailee is 40 inches exactly when she wears her brown sandals and I put her ponytail on top. (I experimented before the trip so I could make sure she could ride Soarin!)[/QUOTE]

GB, your parenting skills are unparallelled. My Father (God Bless Yoda Bueller's little heart...) would no more have BEEN ABLE to do my hair than fly to the Moon! I am truly impressed!

GreatBiscuit

07-20-2009, 04:26 PM

GB, your parenting skills are unparallelled. My Father (God Bless Yoda Bueller's little heart...) would no more have BEEN ABLE to do my hair than fly to the Moon! I am truly impressed!
:lmao: First Lady Biscuit was VERY patient in teaching me. I always got Tahli ready for school so Tracy didn't have to get up as early. I can't do anything fancy, but I can slap in a regular or inverted pony tail with the best of em! (Now, anything involving a part down the middle, well that just befuddles me.) Tahli actually had about 6 inches cut off her hair right before our trip becuase she likes to wear her hair down. I'm still not quite used to it. Makes my baby look older. Don't know how to feel about that.

jcc0621

07-20-2009, 08:06 PM

That’s right. I took a kid who has a massive fear of fireworks, and as an alternative, ensured he’d be harnessed into a seat and subjected to ungodly noises, flashes, odors and darkness. Even though it was clearly marked on my list as a Parent’s Strongly Cautioned ride. Yep. That’s what I did alright. :sad2:

Uh oh...

The terror began almost immediately.

Poor kid:hug:

In the words of Tahli, “That was dumb.” Well said baby girl, well said.

THat is one smart listtle girl you have there GB ::yes::

As it turns out, Buzz was a roaring success.

:thumbsup2

By the end of the week, I didn’t even ask anymore. Whenever we passed a restroom, I just stopped and waited.

You can be trained...I'm impressed;)

Coming up on Episode 55, an Accidental EMH

popcorn::popcorn::

Went away for the weekend and came back to a great update. Can't wait to here more!

GreatBiscuit

07-20-2009, 10:01 PM

THat is one smart listtle girl you have there GB ::yes:: Sometimes too smart. :sad2:

You can be trained...I'm impressed;)Pavlov would have been proud. I saw a restroom, I found a bench.

Having PhotoBucket issues - still plan to update tonight, but it may be a bit.

PrincessV

07-21-2009, 09:41 AM

They’d have needed a shoehorn, a bucket of grease and an angry goat to get one more person in that car.
Am I the only one picturing this in my mind... complete with 5-legged goat from the mosaic?! :rotfl2:

That’s right. I took a kid who has a massive fear of fireworks, and as an alternative, ensured he’d be harnessed into a seat and subjected to ungodly noises, flashes, odors and darkness. Even though it was clearly marked on my list as a Parent’s Strongly Cautioned ride. Yep. That’s what I did alright.
:scared: I see no happy ending in sight for this one...
The terror began almost immediately. It was bad. VERY VERY BAD.
Yep, that's what I figured. :sad1:
In the words of Tahli, “That was dumb.” Well said baby girl, well said.
:rotfl: She's got it, spot-on!

Hailee was especially enamored with the side stages. She kept pointing them out and saying “Look Daddy! The room changes!” Ahh…the simple things.
:goodvibes I may or may not also still point out the changing side rooms - to whomever is sitting next to me. :teeth:
The day is not yet departed! Oh no my friends! There is still plenty of magic in store!

For real?! I can't believe you haven't all passed out at this point - WTG! :cheer2:

GreatBiscuit

07-21-2009, 01:23 PM

Am I the only one picturing this in my mind... complete with 5-legged goat from the mosaic?! :rotfl2:How did I miss the 5 legged goat? That demands a return visit right there.

I see no happy ending in sight for this one...

Yep, that's what I figured. It did not end well. :sad2:

:goodvibes I may or may not also still point out the changing side rooms - to whomever is sitting next to me. :teeth:Gotta love some COP.

For real?! I can't believe you haven't all passed out at this point - WTG! :cheer2:I was a bit surprised myself!

GreatBiscuit

07-21-2009, 01:29 PM

When we left the Jungle Cruise it was past midnight. I knew it was Extra Magic Hour that evening in the Magic Kingdom, but we had not planned on staying. The girls saw Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride though and wanted to hit it up. I was still thinking you had to have a wristband for EMH, but was happy to discover that all we needed were our room keys. I dug them out and we immediately boarded our carpet. Tracy and I had the girls in one carpet and Nana & Janna were behind us. Preston did not want to ride so he and Papa stayed behind.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1120.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

The ride started up and the girls were having a great time. I then looked back and noticed that Nana and Janna were still all the way down at the bottom, while all the other carpets were up in the air. I also noticed that they were just sitting there. After a bit, I hollered down to them “Use the Stick!” They then started laughing and were soon sailing high. Mom later advised they thought theirs was broken because it didn’t go anywhere. Wow…a teacher and a lawyer. I’m pretty sure there’s a joke in there somewhere…but I value my life so I’m not gonna make it.

ANYWAY, once we were done sailing in a circle, the girls wanted to continue the trend with a ride on the carousel. No prob Bob, we’ll head that way. Cause now I got crazy mad EMH skills. Of course once we rounded the corner to Fantasyland, the kids saw It’s a Small World again and they all wanted to go back on it. No worries. I can dig it.

As we were going through the queue, I had to pause and take a shot of the lights.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00861.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00862.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

(Specifically a row of ellipsoidals)

:mic: These suckers haven’t been used in a LONG time. Is there a reason that they can’t at least be dusted? I mean seriously. You couldn’t turn them on now if you wanted to. It’d be a fire hazard. This is just sad. If nothing else, haul ‘em over the Haunted Mansion. At least there, they’d fit in. No point in leaving them where they are, it’s just an eyesore. Surely it wouldn’t be that difficult to stick a ladder up and fetch them down. I do it all the time at church. Sheesh. I am now dismounting my soapbox. Thank you for listening.

We walked right through to a boat and were soon cruising the happy waters of the little world for the second time that day.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00865.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

After our cruise, we headed to Cinderella’s Golden Carousel and walked right on for another ride. Hailee wanted a pink horse and Tahli wanted purple. I stood and took photos which didn’t really turn out.

Even with naps, I knew we were starting to push the envelope a bit, so we decided to go get something to snack on, and then head back to the Pop Century. We meandered through the castle and I paused for a couple of pics.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00950.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00946.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00952.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

I led us to Main Street USA and into the virtually empty Casey’s. I ordered us up some sodas to wash our blues away and Nana grabbed the young un’s some corn dog bites.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00954.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

We sat and watched the castle a bit and reflected on our first day so far. The kids regaled us with their tales of magic and they all three agreed that It’s A Small World was thus far their favorite. (I was campaigning for Buzz myself.)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1123.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

As we sat and chatted, Hailee grew more and more grumpy and it was obvious that she had run out of gas. After the snacks were consumed and our thirst properly quenched, we gathered up our gear, bussed our table and headed back to the front gate. I picked Hailee up and after she laid her head on my shoulder, she quickly fell asleep. I vividly remember walking down Main Street that night carrying my daughter, with the music playing softly in the background and simply smiling from ear to ear. I grinned all they way to the bus stop. This had been a fantastic start to our trip. I couldn’t WAIT to see what all the rest of the week had in store.

Nana & Aunt Janna took the ferry back to the Magic Kingdom Parking lot, while the rest of us grabbed ourselves some bus. We were in a standing room only bus and I somehow managed to balance Hailee, my backpack and myself as we lurched back to the resort. Preston was holding onto a pole and within 5 min, was leaning his head into it, sound asleep on his feet. (Poor kid!) By the time we reached our resort, I pretty well had no feeling left in my arm. It was so crowded, I really couldn’t adjust Hailee around in there. When we finally managed to disembark, I rearranged her so I could make it back to the room. Tracy offered to carry the backpack, but she was still limping, plus the backpack actually helped maintain my balance while carrying Hailee.

Tahli (our little night owl) was of course asking to go swimming as soon as she caught sight of the Hippy Dippy. We got back to the room and I was happy to see all our luggage lined up in a nifty little row. I got the girls settled in bed, but it wasn’t time for me to crash just yet.

I powered up the laptop and dumped all the photos from the day off of my digital camera. After about 20 min, Nana and Janna arrived so I dumped the photos from her Kodak Easy Share as well. I repeated this every night, dumping the photos into a separate folder for each day, and backing them up on a flash drive JUST IN CASE.

After Tracy and I had each gotten cleaned up from a day of sweat and sunscreen, we did a little bit of the unpacking to help make the following morning a bit easier. Finally, it was time to crash. I went to bed happy and full of anticipation for the week that was to come.

Coming up on Episode 56 – Nice shirts! So who’s Biscuit?

Click Here for the Next Epiosde! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32848453&postcount=812)

Sleepingbooty

07-21-2009, 03:56 PM

Backstage_Gal

07-21-2009, 08:37 PM

YAY for a c.ontinued great day. I'm so happy for you.

whogirl'smom

07-21-2009, 09:12 PM

That's great that the kids stayed up as late as they did! I really enjoyed the one MK EMH we did at night. No lines, almost no one in Adventureland, it was weird in a good way!

Here's hoping Tracy's foot improves.

GreatBiscuit

07-21-2009, 09:27 PM

Oooh, I was so excited to come home this afternoon and see you'd left us an update! Just what I needed to perk up my day - my youngest just started Kindergarten Thursday and it's such a bummer being here by myself. Great Biscuit and his magical Disney TR to the rescue!:worship:Wow, I can't believe school started so early! Hailee start kindergarten in 3 weeks.

YAY for a c.ontinued great day. I'm so happy for you.Thanks! It was an awesome start!

That's great that the kids stayed up as late as they did! I really enjoyed the one MK EMH we did at night. No lines, almost no one in Adventureland, it was weird in a good way!

Here's hoping Tracy's foot improves.I gotta say we LOVED evening EMH. It was our favorite time of the day. We are all night owls so that helps. Have fun at DL!

bedillamouse

07-21-2009, 10:08 PM

joleen76

07-21-2009, 10:47 PM

Whew....I'm all caught up again!

Great updates! Your pictures are awesome! The girls look so excited. I love it!

jordanyosh

07-22-2009, 01:46 AM

What a perfect ending to the day. A little EMH late night mojo and carrying ur DD down Main St......doesn't get much better than that.

I'll look for the lights at Small World in Feb.....just to see if they've gotten to them yet.

I dig your camera angles with the castle...:thumbsup2

eandesmom

07-22-2009, 01:57 AM

The ride started up and the girls were having a great time. I then looked back and noticed that Nana and Jana were still all the way down at the bottom, while all the other carpets were up in the air. I also noticed that they were just sitting there. After a bit, I hollered down to them “Use the Stick!” They then started laughing and were soon sailing high. Mom later advised they thought theirs was broken because it didn’t go anywhere. Wow…a teacher and a lawyer. I’m pretty sure there’s a joke in there somewhere…but I value my life so I’m not gonna make it.

that is priceless. truly. :rotfl2:

We meandered through the castle and I paused for a couple of pics.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00950.jpg
[SIZE="1"](Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00946.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00952.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

I led us to Main Street USA and into the virtually empty Casey’s. I ordered us up some sodas to wash our blues away and Nana grabbed the young un’s some corn dog bites.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00954.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

I vividly remember walking down Main Street that night carrying my daughter, with the music playing softly in the background and simply smiling from ear to ear. I grinned all they way to the bus stop. This had been a fantastic start to our trip. I couldn’t WAIT to see what all the rest of the week had in store.

And I can't wait to read about it. What a lovely lovely update, fabulous pictures and a magical, accidental EMH.

Sending positive vibes though for the first lady's foot. It worries me.

brookelizabeth

07-22-2009, 06:53 AM

I don’t think I read that one, but now you got me all curious and stuff so I guess I’ll have to do some digging.

It was our November trip, the "Up Down and All Around!" Beware. Not all parts are pleasant. :rolleyes1

CM was our first night. Nightmare turned into wonderful memory! Only Disney can do that! :rolleyes:

Makes my baby look older. Don't know how to feel about that.

I understand this lament. Every time we cut Henry's hair he grows up. Sigh.

I led us to Main Street USA and into the virtually empty Casey’s. I ordered us up some sodas to wash our blues away and Nana grabbed the young un’s some corn dog bites.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00954.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

I have to admit. This is my favorite part of your update. ;)

42 days and you are mine.

What a great evening!! You guys really got a lot done that day-your girls are troopers on staying up so late. I laughed when Thali asked to go swimming! :rotfl2: Aw, kids are so fun!

I find it a bit irritating no one gave their seat to you on the bus though. You were holding a child and a bag! :sad2: I know how it is to carry the dead weight of a child--ugh--and mine isn't even 2 yet!! :rolleyes:

Kimberly815

07-22-2009, 12:00 PM

Oh, what a wonderful first night! Accidental EMH worked out perfectly!

All7OfUs

07-22-2009, 01:26 PM

Garsh, GB! What a fantastic ending to a fantastic kind of day!

I think my favorite part though, was watching the girls have some corn-doggity- yum goin'! I think that was "Snack of Choice #7 or 8" for me (see PTR). I love them!! I just love Casey's in general! Especially that little seating area down by the water.

Too funny about the carpet to nowhere! LOL!

Our favorite time together was LATE at night in the parks. EMH's rock! I love walking on everything, and the parks just "feel" different at night, don't they?

PrincessV

07-22-2009, 01:53 PM

How did I miss the 5 legged goat? That demands a return visit right there.
::yes:: Want some Fuzzy Enabling?! :rotfl:

As we were going through the queue, I had to pause and take a shot of the lights.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00861.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00862.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)
Eeeeewwww. :crazy2: NOT Walt's standards at all. :sad2:

I vividly remember walking down Main Street that night carrying my daughter, with the music playing softly in the background and simply smiling from ear to ear. I grinned all they way to the bus stop. This had been a fantastic start to our trip.
:goodvibes

I powered up the laptop and dumped all the photos from the day off of my digital camera. After about 20 min, Nana and Jana arrived so I dumped the photos from her Kodak Easy Share as well. I repeated this every night, dumping the photos into a separate folder for each day, and backing them up on a flash drive JUST IN CASE.
Thank you for the reminder GB. :thumbsup2 I've become far too complacent and wasn't going to bother with the laptop. But I would be devastated if anything happened to one of my memory cards and I hadn't bothered to back up.

GreatBiscuit

07-22-2009, 02:39 PM

Okay GB I am taking notes...so no Stitch at all... and Buzz is good. We didn't do either of those rides last time and I'm looking forward to trying Buzz on our trip. I CAN'T believe your girls did so well staying up so late! That's amazing! Even with naps my girls would have melted...the youngest would become Stitch like and the oldest is the world's best drama queen...they do not handle tired well at all. I love the lawyer/teacher almost joke...it could be a good one but if I was in your shoes I wouldn't complete the thought either. Sorry you guys had to miss Wishes but it sounds like you had a blast regardless. Looking foward to more!I was surprised at how well the girls were doing. Going into it, I had heard others complain about being rushed at Chef Mickey’s. I was thinking we would be back in the park in 90 minutes, maybe do one or two rides, then head back to the motel. It actually took over 3 hours to get to CM’s and back so the whole plan was shot. We decided to just go until they ran out of steam.

Whew....I'm all caught up again!

Great updates! Your pictures are awesome! The girls look so excited. I love it!Hey! Welcome back! The girls were beaming all week long!

What a perfect ending to the day. A little EMH late night mojo and carrying ur DD down Main St......doesn't get much better than that. ::yes::

I'll look for the lights at Small World in Feb.....just to see if they've gotten to them yet. Cool! I’ll look for an update!

that is priceless. truly. :rotfl2: When First Lady Biscuit was reading the episode last night, she busted out laughing as that moment was approaching and said “I know where this going!”

And I can't wait to read about it. What a lovely lovely update, fabulous pictures and a magical, accidental EMH.

Sending positive vibes though for the first lady's foot. It worries me.Thanks! I was really worried about her as well. I wasn’t sure how the week would pan out with her in that much pain.

GreatBiscuit

07-22-2009, 02:41 PM

It was our November trip, the "Up Down and All Around!" Beware. Not all parts are pleasant. :rolleyes1I know what I’ll be reading this afternoon. >>UPDATE - When I started reading, it sounded very familiar. I dug around and realized I had read it before and posted as well back in January. Just never put two and two together when I started reading the 2nd one.

I understand this lament. Every time we cut Henry's hair he grows up. Sigh. I can’t believe how quickly time goes by!

I have to admit. This is my favorite part of your update. ;) Thought you might like that!

What a great evening!! You guys really got a lot done that day-your girls are troopers on staying up so late. I laughed when Thali asked to go swimming! :rotfl2: Aw, kids are so fun! We are all night owls, but that girl can out last everybody!

I find it a bit irritating no one gave their seat to you on the bus though. You were holding a child and a bag! :sad2: I know how it is to carry the dead weight of a child--ugh--and mine isn't even 2 yet!! :rolleyes: It’s all good. This was the only time I had to stand with one of the girls. Usually we were on buses where everyone had a seat. On the rare occasions that it looked like it was going to be standing room only, I always stood up so a lady or child could have my seat, and stuck Hailee on Tracy’s lap.

Oh, what a wonderful first night! Accidental EMH worked out perfectly!It was totally nifty!

Garsh, GB! What a fantastic ending to a fantastic kind of day! That it was!

I think my favorite part though, was watching the girls have some corn-doggity- yum goin'! I think that was "Snack of Choice #7 or 8" for me (see PTR). I love them!! I just love Casey's in general! Especially that little seating area down by the water. That’s where we wound up at, watching the castle for a good 30 min.

Too funny about the carpet to nowhere! LOL! We crack up every time we tell that story.

Our favorite time together was LATE at night in the parks. EMH's rock! I love walking on everything, and the parks just "feel" different at night, don't they?Definitely. We all prefer to stay up late and sleep in so I worked out perfectly for us. It was cooler, less crowded, much more enjoyable.

::yes:: Want some Fuzzy Enabling?! :rotfl: I think the only thing the requires any further enabling is my checking account!

Thank you for the reminder GB. :thumbsup2 I've become far too complacent and wasn't going to bother with the laptop. But I would be devastated if anything happened to one of my memory cards and I hadn't bothered to back up.No prob! I have photos on double backups. Other things I can replace.

MrsSpratt

07-22-2009, 04:37 PM

Too pooped to go back and quote - just wanted you to know I'm still here and still loving it!

Mrs. Spratt

GreatBiscuit

07-22-2009, 09:21 PM

Too pooped to go back and quote - just wanted you to know I'm still here and still loving it!

Mrs. SprattThanks! Glad to see you survived the hail storm! We never did get any rain. Just humidty. :sad2:

Nana & Papa Biscuit

07-22-2009, 11:48 PM

It's not that we didn't know the carpet went up and down. We were just enjoying chatting and watching the girls - that sounds good doesn't it?
:rolleyes1

brookelizabeth

07-23-2009, 12:34 AM

It's not that we didn't know the carpet went up and down. We were just enjoying chatting and watching the girls - that sounds good doesn't it?
:rolleyes1

Surrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre....!

:rotfl:

All7OfUs

07-23-2009, 12:49 AM

Ooops! I just went up higher and found it. Sorry, dupey reply!

GreatBiscuit

07-23-2009, 10:19 PM

It's not that we didn't know the carpet went up and down. We were just enjoying chatting and watching the girls - that sounds good doesn't it?
:rolleyes1Ooooooooooooooh. I got you! :thumbsup2

Surrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre....!

:rotfl::rolleyes1

Ooops! I just went up higher and found it. Sorry, dupey reply!It's all good!

GreatBiscuit

07-23-2009, 10:25 PM

Previously on Biscuit's Grand Adventure, Corn Dog nuggets were consumed, dusty lights were bellowed about and a carpet failed to fly.

Morning at the Pop as told by GB

The next morning, I woke up 9:16 (why I wrote that down, I couldn’t tell you.) Even though it was after 3 AM when I finally crashed the night before, I couldn’t fall back to sleep. (Too excited I guess). I decided to let the girls sleep in so I left the lights off, but fired up the laptop and began working on converting some of the photos from the previous day into an email friendly format. While I was at it, I started organizing the photos into folders by time of day/event. Once that was done, I sent an update to Lynnlee (Preston’s Mom) and to my father in law with a description of our first day and four batches of photos. I wound up doing this pretty much every morning of our trip.

The night before, Nana had advised me that they would probably get up early and go the parks. I sent them on to Epcot and advised we would meet up with them all later. (I may be in Disney, but I’m not crazy!) I also verified that this was to be matching shirt day. Before we left, Nana and I collaborated on making an iron on logo for our trip. (It’s the same one in my signature, except that it just said “Biscuit’s Grand Adventure”…I added the Trip Report after we got back.)

Tracy woke up about around 10:30 and got herself ready, while I ironed all our T-shirts. Once we were dressed and ready to go, we finished unpacking all of the suitcases and reorganizing our colossal stack of stuff. I also got to experience another Disney first. You know her, you love, and it was time for Biscuit to finally say hello to Stacy. I flipped on the TV and soon located her smiling face. After 20 minutes, it was time to say goodbye to Stacy. The girls slept through it all, even with the light and the TV on. We let them sleep as long as we dared and finally pulled them out of bed at 12:15. Once they were both dressed, groomed & sun screened, we headed out the door.

Our initial plan was to hit up Epcot in the morning, return to the resort for a break, then head to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the evening. Of course with our unscheduled Extra Magic Hour, this pretty well killed that plan. Instead, we decided to grab some lunch at Epcot, meander around a bit, then head to DHS.

We set out for Epcot and wound up with a fairly lengthy bus wait. When a bus did arrive, we had to wait for the unloading of an ECV and subsequent loading of two ECV’s so it was a good 45 minutes from the time we hit the bus stop until we were actually pulling away. (One of the longest waits of the trip.) I called my mom and directed them Sunshine Seasons to meet us. When we arrived at Epcot, I was a bit surprised to discover the distance between the bus stop itself and the front gate. HOLY COW was it a ways from the Pop stop!

There was a bit of a bag check bottleneck, but I finally made it through and we were soon walking through the turnstiles. It was HOT that day. By the time we schlepped our way over to The Land, I was in definite need of some air conditioning.

Morning at Epcot as told by Nana

As Biscuit has previously stated, we are all pretty much night owls. What he did not tell you is that the Biscuit clan are the only ones who like to "sleep in". The rest of us do just fine with 5 - 6 hours of sleep a night. (GB’s Editorial Insert: That 5-6 hours doesn’t count the 2-3 hours of sleeping on the couch while “watching” TV before they go to bed. But I digress…) After our EMH the first night, Janna and I drove her car back to the Pop. As we were heading to our room about 2 am we noticed two women in the pool. It looked like a great idea although the pool was officially "closed". We decided to give it a shot, after all the worst that could happen would be to get kicked out. But no one else ever came by and we spent a very relaxing and refreshing 45 minutes in the pool. During that time we discussed the next day and decided that we did not want to "sleep in" and miss time at the World. We decided to head out to Epcot and meet the Biscuit's when they made their way into civilization sometime after 1:00 pm.

We left our room about 8:30 and headed into the Pop food court for breakfast. Preston got the cutest Mickey pancakes and I got some awesome potatoes. We then headed out to the buses. There was very little wait and we were soon on our way to Epcot. The bus dropped us off and I thought we were right at the gates - WRONG. There is a very long walk from the bus drop off to the actual entrance, but we were ready for an adventure so we went ahead with joy.

Once inside, Papa and Janna decided they would stand in line for Soaring (why we didn't think of fast pass I will never know) Preston and I headed to The Living Seas with Nemo. We had a very short wait and were soon in an underwater adventure. After that we went on Journey Into Imagination.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1130.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713)

Preston was not too crazy about that but we did some fun things in the museum area when we came out. He made a picture of himself on an owls body and we emailed it to his mom. Sadly she never received it and Preston the Owl is floating somewhere in cyberspace.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1133.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713)

About that time Papa called and said they had been in line an hour and it had not moved so they were giving up. We met and headed to Mexico. There was a boat ride inside so we decided that given the 100 degree temps outside, that was a good option. We walked right to the front and thought that was a great stroke of luck. However, about that time a girl came out and told us it was "down" but should be repaired in 15 minutes. That seemed OK and it was cool inside. About 5 minutes later the mariachi band began to entertain us. About 10 minutes later, Preston decided he HAD to go to the bathroom NOW. So we made a run. Wouldn't you know it, the moment we were out of sight they opened the ride. Papa and Janna went in and waited at the front. When we returned, we were escorted to the front of the line. Talk about service! The ride was enjoyable and did I mention that it was COOL!

Papa, Aunt Janna & Preston
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1140.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713)

When we got off the ride, Biscuit was calling and we determined a meeting place for the rest of the day’s adventures.

Aunt Janna & Preston:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1141.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713)

I will stop here and let him begin.

Lunchtime as told by GB

When we arrived at the Land, I called Nana and she talked me over to her table. They had already gotten their food, so we left the girls with them and hit up Sunshine Season. I knew this to be a popular spot with DIS Boarders, so I was anxious to try the chow. We wandered back and forth a bit, comparing all of the different options. Eventually, Tracy and I decided to both go with Asian offerings. We got Hailee one of the Smucker’s pre-fab PBJ sandwich kits and we got Tahli Mac N Cheese. (Shocker I know.)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00958.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

For dessert, Tracy got the Chocolate Mouse Cake, and I got Key Lime pie.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00959.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

(Had to crop the pie shot as I may or may not have consumed a portion of it before taking this photo.)

Tahli ate quickly and Hailee was going through one of her anti-eating moments. Within 5 minutes of sitting down, they wanted to go on a ride. All of Nana and Papa’s crew were done eating by this time, so they took the 3 young ‘uns on Living With the Land while Tracy and I ate.

The food was okay. Not horrible, not fantastic. Just okay. The dessert was definitely the best part of the meal.

I suppose it would behoove me to go ahead and explain the title of this Episode. When I called mom to tell her we were coming for lunch I asked her if anyone had noticed the shirts. She told me she had gotten several comments, and they were pretty much all the same. “Nice shirts…who’s Biscuit?” After we met up with them, we got the same response several times throughout the remains of the day. I had hoped to maybe to run into some DIS’ers that day, but alas it was not to be.

Hailee modeling the shirt for me:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00965.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

Lunchtime as told by Nana

By the time the Biscuit crew got to the table we were pretty much done. We had Lo Mein which was really good. But the best part was dessert. It was a "to die for" strawberry shortcake. It would be worth a trip back just for another piece!

Following our lunch, Papa, Janna and I took the kiddos on Living with the Land while The Biscuits finished their lunch. I really thought that that the kids would be bored but it was time killer for some anxious children. But not to worry, the kids absolutely loved it. Leave it to Disney to take a subject like agriculture and make it an adventure!

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1143.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1146.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713)

The adults enjoyed it too!

Episode conclusion as told by GB

We finished eating soon after the kids left and cleaned up our little corner of The Land. Tracy and I sat and talked for a while and I took several photos of the pavilion.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17430007.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300mm, Aperture Priority f5.6, 1/100, ISO400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/TheLand.jpg
(Composited from 21 photos - Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

(Can I just say that as awkward as it is take photos of food, shooting pics for a panoramic is even more odd feeling. You are shooting everything from the floor to ceiling, one section at time in a full half circle. I definitely got a few odd looks during the week…mostly from First Lady Biscuit.)

The group eventually joined back up and Tahli filled me in on what a great attraction Living with the Land was. The girl’s favorite subject is Science, so this attraction and Epcot in general ranked high on her list. It was time to make use of the facilities once more, so after some aimless wandering, we finally discovered that the restrooms were in a hallway just off the queue area for Soarin. I also discovered that Soarin has the saddest excuse for a gift shop I’ve ever seen. It wasn’t even a shop really, more of a counter with a shelving area. It was sad really. But I digress.

We headed back to the upper level and said a temporary goodbye to The Land. While I’d loved to have stayed a while, we had dinner ADR’s at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the kids were anxious to ride something else. I was excited and happy and couldn’t wait to see what incredible things the rest of the trip would hold. As it would turn out, a series of unfortunate events would soon threaten the balance Biscuitdom.

Coming up on Episode 57 - A Disturbance in the Force

Click Here for the Next Episode! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32953746&postcount=842)

Finale note: No, Nana & I did not coordinate our comments on the bus stop...which should tell you how impressive the distance really is.

jordanyosh

07-23-2009, 11:39 PM

Next time try the sandwiches at Sunshine Seasons..mmmm...although I don't mind the Americanized Asian food. It's not awesome, but not bad. Their dessert counter though.:thumbsup2

Who cares what people thought while you were taking those panoramic shots. They are AMAZING. Looking at the one from the Land..It seriously makes me feel like I'm back there.....and what a great feeling that is.

Living with the Land...one of my favorite attractions!

Sleeping in at WDW....what a novel concept....I may have to try that on my next trip. People are shocked when I say I've not made more than 2-3 rope drops in the 13 times I've been to WDW...The time change certainly doesn't help.

Those bus stops are far, but they all are pretty far at Epcot.

brookelizabeth

07-24-2009, 12:09 AM

Oh no....Don't tell me Star Tours was down or something drastic like that?!?!??! :scared:

I am very glad you took the oodles of pics for the panoramics! They are AWESOME!

I hope to try Sunshine Seasons on a near future trip. Perhaps September. I'm gonna get that strawberry shortcake Nana mentioned. And possibly the pork chop that seems to be a DIS favorite....

MKBekka

07-24-2009, 07:12 AM

Looks like you had a fun time at EPCOT! I have never done the World Show Case part. :sad1: Last time we were there that part of the park was reserved for a different day, and I got sick.

Dessert is always they best part of the meal, right?

jcc0621

07-24-2009, 08:32 AM

You iron:worship::worship::worship:

coffeehousemom

07-24-2009, 10:22 AM

Biscuit awesome update, & cute t shirts. I too will agree that the walk to the POP bus stop at Epcot is the farthest on the planet. Next time I am seriously tempted to monorail over to MK & then catch a bus there LOL. Isn't it strange that the rides we think the kids will like the least they seem to enjoy? My 2 also loved the land ride & I honestly thought they'd think it was a dud. Can't wait till Mon update!:yay:

coffeehousemom

07-24-2009, 10:25 AM

You iron:worship::worship::worship:

he irons & he's an awesome Disney Dad!! Biscuit do you give awesomeness lessons to other hubbies? LOL:lmao:

Kimberly815

07-24-2009, 11:13 AM

As it would turn out, a series of unfortunate events would soon threaten the balance Biscuitdom.

Things had been going too well- I should have known that something would happen soon enough!

MrsSpratt

07-24-2009, 11:21 AM

he irons & he's an awesome Disney Dad!! Biscuit do you give awesomeness lessons to other hubbies? LOL:lmao:

AND HE DOES HAIR! Just goes to show, everythings better in Texas...;)

Nana - I love it that you are joining in - you look lovely in the pictures! (You certainly look WAY too young to be a Nana.:rolleyes:)

I love your TR - thank you for taking the time to write it!

Mrs. Spratt

GreatBiscuit

07-24-2009, 02:18 PM

Next time try the sandwiches at Sunshine Seasons..mmmm...although I don't mind the Americanized Asian food. It's not awesome, but not bad. Their dessert counter though.:thumbsup2
I hope to try Sunshine Seasons on a near future trip. Perhaps September. I'm gonna get that strawberry shortcake Nana mentioned. And possibly the pork chop that seems to be a DIS favorite....
I’ll have to try both of those items next time! We came back here later in the trip and I discovered something quite tasty.

Who cares what people thought while you were taking those panoramic shots. They are AMAZING. Looking at the one from the Land..It seriously makes me feel like I'm back there.....and what a great feeling that is.
I am very glad you took the oodles of pics for the panoramics! They are AWESOME!
Thanks! Glad you liked them. It was funny because people always seemed to think I was taking pictures of them!

Living with the Land...one of my favorite attractions! I love it as well. It makes me want to start a hydroponics farm!

Sleeping in at WDW....what a novel concept....I may have to try that on my next trip. People are shocked when I say I've not made more than 2-3 rope drops in the 13 times I've been to WDW...The time change certainly doesn't help. Don’t sweat it! I’m not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination so doing evening EMH and sleeping in works for me. I guess it’s all about finding what works for you and going with it.

Those bus stops are far, but they all are pretty far at Epcot.:thumbsup2

Oh no....Don't tell me Star Tours was down or something drastic like that?!?!??! :scared: Perish the thought!

Looks like you had a fun time at EPCOT! I have never done the World Show Case part. :sad1: Last time we were there that part of the park was reserved for a different day, and I got sick. That stinketh! Just something new to look forward to for next time!

Dessert is always they best part of the meal, right?I’m not normally a huge dessert eater, but I gotta say that Disney Desserts are their own special food group.

Biscuit awesome update, & cute t shirts. I too will agree that the walk to the POP bus stop at Epcot is the farthest on the planet. Next time I am seriously tempted to monorail over to MK & then catch a bus there LOL. Isn't it strange that the rides we think the kids will like the least they seem to enjoy? My 2 also loved the land ride & I honestly thought they'd think it was a dud. Can't wait till Mon update!:yay: Glad you liked the T-Shirts. Nana was about to pull her hair out cutting around the lettering!

You iron:worship::worship::worship:
he irons & he's an awesome Disney Dad!! Biscuit do you give awesomeness lessons to other hubbies? LOL:lmao:
AND HE DOES HAIR! Just goes to show, everythings better in Texas...;)
Y’all crack me up! Believe me I have a whole list of faults which we won’t even go into. Basically the deal is that with my schedule, I never see Tracy on weekdays. Since she teaches young children, and has our girls at home in the evening, she’s with kids from the time she wakes up until the time she goes to bed. I’ve tried to do everything I can to make things easier on her and take some things off of her plate. Ironing, making lunches and getting Tahli ready for school isn’t much, but it helps. I also do all the cooking, but I’d do that no matter what. I LOVE being in the kitchen and Tracy does not. Of course I have been known to leave a trail of destruction in my path when getting meals ready. Tracy handles the bulk of the laundry (which I hate doing) and is constantly helping the girls straighten up their rooms. She also does evening "bath & bedtime" which is a chore in and of itself. On weekends, we do the "heavy" cleaning together. It’s all about finding a balance that works and for us, this works.

Things had been going too well- I should have known that something would happen soon enough! It would not be a proper Biscuit outing otherwise.

Nana - I love it that you are joining in - you look lovely in the pictures! (You certainly look WAY too young to be a Nana.:rolleyes:)

I love your TR - thank you for taking the time to write it!

Mrs. SprattThanks Mrs. Spratt! You made Nana’s day!

jordanyosh

07-24-2009, 02:24 PM

I just have to say that you are one of the most thorough in your replies to people. I'm sure they appreciate it. I know I do.:thumbsup2

Sleepingbooty

07-24-2009, 03:20 PM

Great update, again!

I have to ask. I'm so loving your panorama shots that I've experimented with my camera a bit. I noticed that you are shooting from side to side AND up and down. How do you stitch them together? The program that came with my printer is what I use for basic photo editing, and it has and option to stitch together a panorama, but you can only place photos side by side, not on top of each other. I love how you've created not exactly panoramas, but just huge views by doing that. Did you use some kind of special software? Also, have you tried to print any of them, or use them in a digital photobook?

Sorry for all the questions!:blush:

GreatBiscuit

07-24-2009, 05:17 PM

I just have to say that you are one of the most thorough in your replies to people. I'm sure they appreciate it. I know I do.:thumbsup2Thanks Jordan! Right back at you! A big part of the fun of your TR’s are the inter-post banter that goes on. And you always respond to everyone which is a nifty thing.

Great update, again!

I have to ask. I'm so loving your panorama shots that I've experimented with my camera a bit. I noticed that you are shooting from side to side AND up and down. How do you stitch them together? The program that came with my printer is what I use for basic photo editing, and it has and option to stitch together a panorama, but you can only place photos side by side, not on top of each other. I love how you've created not exactly panoramas, but just huge views by doing that. Did you use some kind of special software? Also, have you tried to print any of them, or use them in a digital photobook?

Sorry for all the questions!:blush:Hey SB. I haven’t tried printing any yet. In order to keep from freaking the printer out, I would paste the photo into Power Point, then size it to fit on one slide, then print the slide. As far as stitching, I use a free program called Windows Live Photo Gallery. (Click the title to go to the download site.) (http://download.live.com/photogallery) It’s pretty easy to use. Once you load it and pull up the folder on the explorer pane to the left, you highlight all the photos you want included, then right click one of them and select “Create Panoramic Photo”.

Once it is done, it’ll look pretty weird. You have to crop all the edges until you are just left with the center of the photo. You will lose some detail, but you can help with this by being sure to cover as much of the subject as possible when shooting. (Lots of Floor & Ceiling / Ground & Sky…ESPECIALLY when looking to the sides.)

You can see how significant edge detail gets lost in these photos I took of a baseball stadium back in college.

Initial Panoramic:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/bb-orig.jpg
(Yashica FX3, Yashica 50MM Lens)

Cropped Photo:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/bb1.jpg
(Yashica FX3, Yashica 50MM Lens)

I learned from past mistakes, so I had very little loss of detail on the panoramic of The Land pavilion because I literally shot from the floor to the ceiling on the side angles. It just takes a little practice.

One drawback to Windows Live Photo Gallery is that this program cannot always crop the panoramic photos after they are stitched as they are too large for the canvas. In that case, I use MS Office Photo Manager to finish the job. Good luck and have fun!

angelmav

07-24-2009, 09:24 PM

GreatBiscuit

07-24-2009, 10:05 PM

After 55 pages I can definitively say that Bisquit, you really are a pinch off the old loaf!

(I can't believe I waited three days to get through 16 pages just to use that lame joke!)

Yours is the first TR I have read since the big Z was so inharmoniously given the boot and I am loving it! Since were only 7 weeks (7 WEEKS!!!) away from our own half baked, get em while there hot adventure I was drawn back to the TR board and like a moth to a flame found yours! Excellent writing my buttermilky friend! You have a beautiful family and have given us such an entertaining read that I cant wait for more!

Viva la Bisquit!Howdy and :welcome: I miss talking with Z and reading his totally AWESOME TR's. He's definitely good peeps. 7 Weeks to go! WOOHOO! :cool1: I hope you have a great time! I can't wait to hear all about it when you return. (You know you are now obligated to write a TR correct? It's in the fine print on page 17 I believe.) I'm glad you finally got to use your loaf line. It made me grin. And that my friend is mighty nifty!
I'll have more soon! OH BTW - I see you are in Colorado Springs. I spent a year there in 1994-1995. I LOVED it. If I had to leave Texas, that would be my first choice to relocate in. Which is saying something.

Nana & Papa Biscuit

07-25-2009, 12:56 AM

AND HE DOES HAIR! Just goes to show, everythings better in Texas...;)

Nana - I love it that you are joining in - you look lovely in the pictures! (You certainly look WAY too young to be a Nana.:rolleyes:)

I love your TR - thank you for taking the time to write it!

Mrs. Spratt

How sweet is that? Girl you are welcome in our part of Texas anytime! And I have a really good optometrist I can introduce you to :lovestruc

SunnieRN

07-25-2009, 05:35 AM

Hailee is 40 inches exactly when she wears her brown sandals and I put her ponytail on top. (I experimented before the trip so I could make sure she could ride Soarin!)

Too cool! I think when we go this September there is going to be more then a few tears shed unfortunately. My grandson is going to be 4 in August, but his Mom is only 4'11" and Dad is only 5'8", so Connor is not even near 40" yet. He cried last time when he was too short for EE, SM, BTM and HTH. I am afraid to see his reactions this time. It breaks my heart because he keeps telling me, "I'm a big boy now Grandma, I growed tall enough for all the rides". Poor little buddy.:headache:

It's not that we didn't know the carpet went up and down. We were just enjoying chatting and watching the girls - that sounds good doesn't it?
:rolleyes1

:lmao:

Sounds like you and first lady biscuit have a great arrangement worked out on household duties!!:woohoo: But can I just throw out there that I don't iron my t-shirts. I'm impressed!!

Loved your "Land" panoramic!! Good stuff!! It's too bad you didn't run into any dis'ers with your shirts on, but how fun to all be matching in such cute shirts!!

Looking forward to more biscuit adventures!!!

Mrs. Spratt, I agree, things are great in Texas! (Except for the humidity;))

All7OfUs

07-25-2009, 06:12 AM

HI GB, Great update!

Previously on Biscuit's Grand Adventure, Corn Dog nuggets were consumed, dusty lights were bellowed about and a carpet failed to fly.

A man after my own heart- Ahhhh, corn dog nugget heaven!

Morning at the Pop by GB

The next morning, I woke up 9:16 (why I wrote that down, I couldn’t tell you.) Even though it was after 3 AM when I finally crashed the night before, I couldn’t fall back to sleep. (Too excited I guess). I decided to let the girls sleep in so I left the lights off, but fired up the laptop and began working on converting some of the photos from the previous day into an email friendly format. While I was at it, I started organizing the photos into folders by time of day/event. Once that was done, I sent an update to Lynnlee (Preston’s Mom) and to my father in law with a description of our first day and four batches of photos. I wound up doing this pretty much every morning of our trip.

Good reminder to take care of those photos along the way! I hope maroo brings her laptop!! Yeah, sleep pretty much goes out the window at the World, doesn't it?

The night before, Nana had advised me that they would probably get up early and go the parks. I sent them on to Epcot and advised we would meet up with them all later. (I may be in Disney, but I’m not crazy!) I also verified that this was to be matching shirt day. Before we left, Nana and I collaborated on making an iron on logo for our trip. (It’s the same one in my signature, except that it just said “Biscuit’s Grand Adventure”…I added the Trip Report after we got back.)

LOVE your shirts! I would have been one of the ones asking , "Who's GB?"

Tracy woke up about around 10:30 and got herself ready, while I ironed all our T-shirts. Once we were dressed and ready to go, we finished unpacking all of the suitcases and reorganizing our colossal stack of stuff. I also got to experience another Disney first. You know her, you love, and it was time for Biscuit to finally say hello to Stacy. After 20 minutes, it was time to say goodbye to Stacy. The girls slept through it all, even with the light and the TV on. We let them sleep as long as we dared and finally pulled them out of bed at 12:15. Once they were both dressed, groomed & sun screened, we headed out the door.

It would have killed me to miss half a day, but with kiddos it does make it hard! You just can't burn the candle at both ends, can you?

Our initial plan was to hit up Epcot in the morning, return to the resort for a break, then head to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the evening. Of course with our unscheduled Extra Magic Hour, this pretty well killed that plan. Instead, we decided to grab some lunch at Epcot, meander around a bit, then head to DHS.

You did have GP, Master Plan II, right??

We set out for Epcot and wound up with a fairly lengthy bus wait. When a bus did arrive, we had to wait for the unloading of an ECV and subsequent loading of two ECV’s so it was a good 45 minutes from the time we hit the bus stop until we were actually pulling away. (One of the longest waits of the trip.) I called my mom and directed them Sunshine Seasons to meet us. When we arrived at Epcot, I was a bit surprised to discover the distance between the bus stop itself and the front gate. HOLY COW was it a ways from the Pop stop!

Maybe a bus to another park, then one from there, would have been faster?? Yikes, how frustrating!

There was a bit of a bag check bottleneck, but I finally
made it through and we were soon walking through the turnstiles. It was HOT that day. By the time we schlepped our way over to The Land, I was in definite need of some air conditioning.

Pretty hit and miss there, from what I hear. You either sail through or wait forever! Glad relief is coming soon!

Morning at Epcot by Nana

As Biscuit has previously stated, we are all pretty much night owls. What he did not tell you is that the Biscuit clan are the only ones who like to "sleep in". The rest of us do just fine with 5 - 6 hours of sleep a night. (GB’s Editorial Insert: That 5-6 hours doesn’t count the 2-3 hours of sleeping on the couch while “watching” TV before they go to bed. But I digress…) After our EMH the first night, Janna and I drove her car back to the Pop. As we were heading to our room about 2 am we noticed two women in the pool. It looked like a great idea although the pool was officially "closed". We decided to give it a shot, after all the worst that could happen would be to get kicked out. But no one else ever came by and we spent a very relaxing and refreshing 45 minutes in the pool. During that time we discussed the next day and decided that we did not want to "sleep in" and miss time at the World. We decided to head out to Epcot and meet the Biscuit's when they made their way into civilization sometime after 1:00 pm.

HA! That's what I tell my folks too! They think getting up EARLY is next to godliness, but I tell them, that if they perhaps got up at a reasonable hour like 8 AM, maybe they wouldn't be napping at 10:00 for 3 hours. :confused3

We left our room about 8:30 and headed into the Pop food court for breakfast. Preston got the cutest Mickey pancakes and I got some awesome potatoes. We then headed out to the buses. There was very little wait and we were soon on our way to Epcot. The bus dropped us off and I thought we were right at the gates - WRONG. There is a very long walk from the bus drop off to the actual entrance, but we were ready for an adventure so we went ahead with joy.

WOW! It must be a long way for you to have both mentioned it indp. of each other!

Once inside, Papa and Janna decided they would stand in line for Soaring (why we didn't think of fast pass I will never know) Preston and I headed to The Living Seas with Nemo. We had a very short wait and were soon in an underwater adventure. After that we went on Journey Into Imagination.

I can't imagine why he wouldn't like it! I adore that ride- except for the skunk smell part :) But even that's not too bad.

Preston was not too crazy about that but we did some fun things in the museum area when we came out. He made a picture of himself on an owls body and we emailed it to his mom. Sadly she never received it and Preston the Owl is floating somewhere in cyberspace.

OH, too bad. I'll bet it was really cute!!

About that time Papa called and said they had been in line an hour and it had not moved so they were giving up. We met and headed to Mexico. There was a boat ride inside so we decided that given the 100 degree temps outside, that was a good option. We walked right to the front and thought that was a great stroke of luck. However, about that time a girl came out and told us it was "down" but should be repaired in 15 minutes. That seemed OK and it was cool inside. About 5 minutes later the mariachi band began to entertain us. About 10 minutes later, Preston decided he HAD to go to the bathroom NOW. So we made a run. Wouldn't you know it, the moment we were out of sight they opened the ride. Papa and Janna went in and waited at the front. When we returned, we were escorted to the front of the line. Talk about service! The ride was enjoyable and did I mention that it was COOL!

That's Disney pixie dust for ya :) I like that little ride too, but not as much as Maelstrom!

Lunchtime by GB

When we arrived at the Land, I called Nana and she talked me over to her table. They had already gotten their food so we left the girls with them an hit up Sunshine Season. I knew this to be a popular spot with DIS Boarders, so I was anxious to try the chow. We wandered back and forth a bit, comparing all of the different options. Eventually, Tracy and I decided to both go with Asian offerings. We got Hailee one of the Smucker’s pre-fab PBJ sandwich kits and we got Tahli Mac N Cheese. (Shocker I know.)

For dessert, Tracy got the Chocolate Mouse Cake, and I got Key Lime pie.

Key Lime is so refreshing on a hot day. Try it frozen some time :J)

(Had to crop the pie shot as I may or may not have consumed a portion of it before taking this photo.)

NAW! Not GB!

Tahli ate quickly and Hailee was going through one of her anti-eating moments. Within 5 minutes of sitting down, they wanted to go on a ride. All of Nana and Papa’s crew were done eating by this time, so they took the 3 young ‘uns on Living With the Land while Tracy and I ate.

My favorite attraction in all of Future World, next to Soarin'!!!! I"m so glad the kids enjoyed it!!!

The food was okay. Not horrible, not fantastic. Just okay. The dessert was definitely the best part of the meal.

Not a big dessert eater here either, so Sushine Seasons probably won't be on my short list of must- trys. The food has to be the bigger draw for me.

Hailee modeling the shirt for me:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC00965.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

Undeniably adorable!!!

Lunchtime by Nana

By the time the Biscuit crew got to the table we were pretty much done. We had Lo Mein which was really good. But the best part was dessert. It was a "to die for" strawberry shortcake. It would be worth a trip back just for another piece!

[COLOR="red"]I'll bet it's the same recipe as at Hoop de Doo!! So incredibly great!

The adults enjoyed it too!

It's amazing for everyone! How can that tomato plant not impress someone??!!! Did you know it's in the Guiness Book??

Conclusion by GB

(Can I just say that as awkward as it is take photos of food, shooting pics for a panoramic is even more odd feeling. You are shooting everything from the floor to ceiling, one section at time in a full half circle. I definitely got a few odd looks during the week…mostly from First Lady Biscuit.)

Don't worry about it! You'll never see them again. And I'm sure Tracy will thank you now that you have some beautiful memories and shots to go with them

We headed back to the upper level and said a temporary goodbye to The Land. While I’d loved to have stayed a while, we had dinner ADR’s at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the kids were anxious to ride something else. I was excited and happy and couldn’t wait to see what incredible things the rest of the trip would hold. As it would turn out, a series of unfortunate events would soon threaten the balance Biscuitdom.

Can't wait to hear this one!!!! YOu didn't lose your wallet again? YOu didn't mess up on hours, did you??
Coming up on Episode 57 - A Disturbance in the Force

GreatBiscuit

07-25-2009, 05:49 PM

How sweet is that? Girl you are welcome in our part of Texas anytime! And I have a really good optometrist I can introduce you to :lovestrucTold you she made Nana's day!

Too cool! I think when we go this September there is going to be more then a few tears shed unfortunately. My grandson is going to be 4 in August, but his Mom is only 4'11" and Dad is only 5'8", so Connor is not even near 40" yet. He cried last time when he was too short for EE, SM, BTM and HTH. I am afraid to see his reactions this time. It breaks my heart because he keeps telling me, "I'm a big boy now Grandma, I growed tall enough for all the rides". Poor little buddy.:headache:Poor guy! I worried about the 40" thing all winter.

Sounds like you and first lady biscuit have a great arrangement worked out on household duties!!:woohoo: But can I just throw out there that I don't iron my t-shirts. I'm impressed!!Normally I wouldn't bother, but after a ride in the suitcases, they were in bad shape!

HI GB, Great update!Thanks! For some reason, that's the only part that it let me quote. So, I'll comment. I'd def get Maroo to bring the laptop. It helped us immensely. Plus I have an aircard so I didn't have to pay for WiFi. WOOHOO! Missing a half day wasn't terrible, knowing the tradeoff. (Cranky meltdowns). The bus was definitely a pain in the Biscuit. Preston was scared of the train in the sound room. He recovered, but was a bit weary after that. I'll be updating on Monday.

All7OfUs

07-27-2009, 02:32 AM

GreatBiscuit

07-27-2009, 01:56 PM

Did I miss something?? Please don't be offended, but does Preston have any sensory issues or something?? Just wondering since he seems kinda sensitive to a lot of the rides and attractions??

Sorry if this is too nosy, but it might help me understand his reluctance to some things.Not that I know of. He does okay with loud in certain situation. (Concerts, and certain rides.) He just don't like loud paired with unexpected / dark.

Sleepingbooty

07-28-2009, 06:31 PM

Biscuit, thanks for the panorama info. I'm going to try that free ms program.

Ummmm, on another note..... Where's our Monday update???!!!

eandesmom

07-28-2009, 06:51 PM

LOVE love love the t-shirts!

I have to say, I agree about Sunshine Seasons. It's just ok. But nice and cool on a hot day so that's something!

All7OfUs

07-29-2009, 01:04 AM

Not that I know of. He does okay with loud in certain situation. (Concerts, and certain rides.) He just don't like loud paired with unexpected / dark.

gotcha, thanks!

brookelizabeth

07-29-2009, 07:56 AM

popcorn::

AshClan

07-29-2009, 01:02 PM

Phew! Took me a week and 1/2, but I'm finally caught up. I read about a page per day (maybe less), as I've been SWAMPED in work after returning from vacation. Anyhoo, great updates, GB!

Let's see....what did I want to comment on? Never done Stitch. Never intend to do it. Love Buzz and Living with the Land. I, like many others, are in awe of the kids' ability to stay up so late that first night. Good job on the napping!! I HOPE you got to see Wishes eventually. For me, it's not a trip to WDW if I don't get to see Wishes at least once (preferably multiple times). And what about Illuminations? It's not all fireworks, but certainly sounds like Preston would avoid that one too. Oh, and I am a fellow Chef Mickey fan! So glad you had such magic (and good food of course) there!

Love to see a husband who helps around the house:thumbsup2 Mine does all the laundry. Always has. Lots of other stuff too. Good thing, as a lot of it just wouldn't get done otherwise....:rolleyes:

Can't remember anything else. Except that I am looking forward to your next update!!:thumbsup2

GreatBiscuit

07-29-2009, 05:52 PM

Biscuit, thanks for the panorama info. I'm going to try that free ms program.

Ummmm, on another note..... Where's our Monday update???!!!No prob. As to the other note....well...I'm working on it.

LOVE love love the t-shirts!

I have to say, I agree about Sunshine Seasons. It's just ok. But nice and cool on a hot day so that's something!Thanks! We enjoyed our second sampling from SS much better. But that's getting ahead of myself.

gotcha, thanks!NP

popcorn::I know...updates coming soon, Promise!

Phew! Took me a week and 1/2, but I'm finally caught up. I read about a page per day (maybe less), as I've been SWAMPED in work after returning from vacation. Anyhoo, great updates, GB!Hey AC! Welcome back! I hope you had a great time!

Let's see....what did I want to comment on? Never done Stitch. Never intend to do it. Love Buzz and Living with the Land. I, like many others, are in awe of the kids' ability to stay up so late that first night. Good job on the napping!! I HOPE you got to see Wishes eventually. For me, it's not a trip to WDW if I don't get to see Wishes at least once (preferably multiple times). And what about Illuminations? It's not all fireworks, but certainly sounds like Preston would avoid that one too. Oh, and I am a fellow Chef Mickey fan! So glad you had such magic (and good food of course) there!

Love to see a husband who helps around the house:thumbsup2 Mine does all the laundry. Always has. Lots of other stuff too. Good thing, as a lot of it just wouldn't get done otherwise....:rolleyes:

Can't remember anything else. Except that I am looking forward to your next update!!:thumbsup2Well, we did manage to squeze in some arial combustables. Stay tuned for details. Teamwork in marriage...it's a wonderful thing! More updates soon!

GreatBiscuit

07-29-2009, 10:02 PM

Hey all - more insanity has ensued - I had hoped to update today, but it's not going to happen. I'll try again tomorroow. Nothing major going on, just life.

shebaxric

07-30-2009, 10:56 AM

Hi there Biscuit!

I found your TR from Brookelizabeth's, and I told myself I just had to find out what this "Buscuit's Great Adventure" was all about. I am now caught up with the particulars of the cast and the PTR details (not all of them, just the recent ones).

You take some really great pictures!:thumbsup2 Especially the one of Tahli looking out the plane window, that one is my favorite!! I recently got a Nikon D-60 and am learning something new everyday. I've got 4 classes to take before I go to WDW in November, so hopefully I'll be able to get some really great shots.

I'm looking forward to the next step in the Great Adventure!

GreatBiscuit

07-30-2009, 09:50 PM

Hi there Biscuit!Howdy and :welcome:

I found your TR from Brookelizabeth's, and I told myself I just had to find out what this "Buscuit's Great Adventure" was all about. I am now caught up with the particulars of the cast and the PTR details (not all of them, just the recent ones). Glad to have you aboard!

You take some really great pictures!:thumbsup2 Especially the one of Tahli looking out the plane window, that one is my favorite!! I recently got a Nikon D-60 and am learning something new everyday. I've got 4 classes to take before I go to WDW in November, so hopefully I'll be able to get some really great shots. Nice camera! I can't wait to see how your pics turn out!

GreatBiscuit

07-30-2009, 09:53 PM

Previously on Biscuit’s Grand Adventure, busses were delayed, desserts were consumed and the clan was reunited. Saying our goodbyes to The Land pavilion, the Biscuit Bunch headed back out into the heat of the day. We made our way towards World Showcase and immediately discovered that the June sun was blazing in full fury. We took it slow and paused a time or two for photos.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17430004.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 300MM, Shutter Priority, f11, 1/1000, ISO 400)

Tracy’s foot was better today, but still was not at full capacity. Tahli and Papa walked ahead a ways and the rest of us brought up the rear.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990037.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 300MM, Shutter Priority, F-stop unrecorded 1/1000, ISO 400)

After we rounded the corner to Canada, I joined the front line to lead the pack.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1148.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1149.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

We paused a moment in front of Off Kilter’s stage for a quick t-shirt shot. (Thanks to Park Guest of Unknown Identity # 1 for helping us out.) Unfortunately it did not turn out at all so I won’t waste the bandwidth posting it. Sidebar – I love Off Kilter. I have a couple of their CD’s and enjoy listening to them. I was looking forward to hearing the band live. Then the sun went supernova and I realized that the seats were uncovered. Sorry guys, don’t love you enough to leave a layer of skin melted into the bench. Maybe next time.

We wandered on a bit and decided to take a mulligan on the photo, stopping in the UK pavilion for a redo. (Thanks to Park Guest of Unknown Identity # 2 for helping us out.) This one turned out nicely. It was posted once, but in case you missed it, here you go.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1151.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713 Digital Point and Shoot in Auto Mode)

I took a few more photos as we made our way around the lagoon.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990033.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 300MM, Shutter Priority, F-stop unrecorded 1/1000, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990030.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 300MM, Shutter Priority, F-stop unrecorded 1/1000, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990036.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 300MM, Shutter Priority, F-stop unrecorded 1/1000, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990035.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 300MM, Shutter Priority, F-stop unrecorded 1/1000, ISO 400)

It was wall to wall people that day so it was slow going. Not sure what the deal was, but Epcot was PACKED.

We then made our way out of the International Gateway to take the boat launch to DHS. Don’t roll your eyes at me. Yes I know it’s slow. But the boats have AC and I wanted to further engrain the joys of staying on property deeply into the minds of my parents. (Namely by pointing out the joys of the Boardwalk and the Y&B Club resorts.)

We arrived at the dock and there happened to be a boat pulling in. Yeah! There was a changing of the crew and we were surprised when the boat pulled away empty from the dock. It crossed the canal to where another Friendship was moored, and the crew swapped boats. Hmmm….well…okay no big deal right? Well, not exactly. Boats are like cars in that when they sit a long time in the sun, they get REALLY HOT inside. This one was no exception. But we weren’t sure how long it would be until the next launch so we decided to grin and bear it.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990028.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 70MM, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

Well, most of us anyway.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1152.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

We managed to make it through, but I think I sweated off a good twenty pounds by the time we arrived.

We made our way through the gates and I got my first live glimpse of the Sorcerer Hat. Having seen about a gazillion photos of it online, I wasn’t all that phased by it. We made our way down the street and paused for a couple of Photo Pass pics.

Sidebar – for some reason our pictures just did not turn out well on PP. Several of the images were very washed out and the ones from MGM were underexposed. I was really disappointed when I saw them all online, especially after seeing so many awesome shots posted here. None were worth keeping and I am SOOOO glad I forgot to pre-order the CD before we left. But I digress.

One thing we noticed right away was that The Studios were far less crowded than Epcot. Not sure why, as it was not an Extra Magic Hours day at Epcot, but hey, I wasn’t gonna raise a fuss over it. We browsed a couple of shops and slowly made our way down Hollywood Blvd. We still had a bit of time before we needed to check in for our dinner reservations at Mama Melrose. Aunt Jana had never been on The Great Movie Ride so we decided to give it a whirl.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990025.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

You really have to stop rolling your eyes at me. Yes I know I vowed to avoid this attraction. But, it was close and fit the time frame. Sometimes you’ve got to make sacrifices people.

The queue was literally deserted and we walked straight onto a waiting tram. We were one of the last ones on and had a seat near the back. The girls really liked this attraction but I wasn’t sure how they would handle the darker scenes. Our first real test came when our Tram was hijacked. Hailee was not happy that we left our driver. She kept wanting to know happened to her and if she would be okay. They handled the Alien and horror sections fairly well and were cheering when our driver conquered the evil gangster. Here’s a question. When did they stop using the fire effect in the hijack scene? I could see where they still had the “burn marks” on the building. Sheesh, you leave a place for little over a decade and they start changing things. Crazy.

The girls LOVED the Wizard of OZ room and wanted to go on the ride again.

One thing I did not take into proper calculation on this ride was the movie montage at the end. I realized that we needed to hustle our hineys if we planned to make our dining ressies. As soon as we returned to the loading dock, I rushed the crew out and to the right. We cut down the alley in front of ABC Commissary, and hung another right. I was not sure of the exact location of the place so we wound up wandering a bit before we found it.

I got us checked in and all was well in the world. Nana and Jana went next door to check out the Christmas shop while Tracy took the girls to make use of the facilities. I then overheard the hostess tell another party that they could not be seated because members of their group had not yet arrived. Woops! Better call mom and have her head back this way. I’ll just grab my phone, not in this pocket…not in that one either. Not in the backpack. Hmmmm….where did I have it last? Let’s see, I had it in my hand when Hailee got upset over the driver being marooned, so I set it down on the bench next to me and put her on my lap, then….DOH! I forgot to pick up when we ran off the ride!

Great Galloping Biscuits Batman!

I used Tracy’s phone to call my mom and told her to get back post haste so we could at least be seated. I wasn’t OVERLY worried about the phone. Worst case scenario, I have to report it lost and order a replacement from employee care. Luckily I have the insurance on it and I have an unlimited everything plan so I didn’t have to worry about somebody racking up usage. I was prepared to wait until after we ate to go back to the Great Movie Ride, but the cast member at the podium told me it was okay to go ahead and grab it. Eager to expedite the mission, I shot out the door and flew towards the GMR as quickly as my stubby little legs would take me.

There was a Cast Member rearranging strollers outside so I asked her if the attraction had its own Lost and Found or if items would go straight to the front of the park. She vanished into the building for a few minutes and soon emerged with my Berry. WOOHOO! I called the crew and they were being seated so I gave them my drink order. I went a lot slower heading back (mainly because us fat guys only have one good burst of steam per day) and shot a few photos along the way.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990017.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990014.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

Given its unpopularity, how would Mama Melrose rate? Would I follow the majority opinion of the place, or would my decision to take a chance (based off of a single DIS Boards TR) pay off? Tune in next time to find out.

Coming up on Episode 58 – Mama Mia!

Click here for the next Episode! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32953819&postcount=843)

GreatBiscuit

07-30-2009, 09:56 PM

Previously on Biscuit’s Grand Adventure, group photos were taken, floating ovens were traveled in and a mobile phone was not mobile enough.

When last we left off, which was oh, like thirty seconds ago, Yours Truly was schlepping though the innards of DHS snapping photos on my way back to:

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990012.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 70MM, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990011.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 70MM, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

When I returned to Mama Melrose, I discovered a different Cast Member at the podium. I asked her if she knew where our party was seated and she frowned and told me that all members of the party are supposed to be present for check in. I gave her the cliff notes version of the prior fifteen minutes and advised her that her predecessor had given me clearance for pre-seating departure. She seemed a bit confused, but luckily the CM who actually walks guests back to their tables arrived and recognized my shirt. She smiled and said “You must be Biscuit!” This confused the poor podium girl even more. I responded in the affirmative and my new favorite CM led me back to the table.

Our crew was about as far away as you can get from the waiting area. If you picture a diagram of the place as a square, you enter the restaurant from the lower left corner and we were seated in the upper right corner. I don’t know why I felt compelled to share all that, but there you go. The first thing I noticed about the place was that it was dark in there. REALLY dark. It took a few moments for my eyes to fully adjust. We soon located the sea of orange that comprised my table and I was happy to discover a nice tall glass of iced tea waiting on me. Ahhhhhhhhhh now that’s how I spell relief right there.

I perused the menu and no sooner had I sat down than the bread arrived. I found it to be mighty tasty and still piping hot. Tahli buttered herself a roll and held up and yelled “This biscuit is NOT having a great adventure!” (Which nearly caused me to choke on my own bite of “biscuit”.)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01004.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

Already I was starting to like this place. After perusing the menu, I decided to go with:
Charred Sirloin Steak - gorgonzola butter on roasted red pepper polenta, grilled asparagus and red wine reduction $20.99

While First Lady Biscuit elected to try:

Penne Ala Vodka - with pancetta and sweet onion, finished with tomato basil sauce, cream, vodka and pecorino romano $16.99

(Thanks to AllEars.net for the menus.)

Nana and Jana also got the steak Papa got the Spaghetti Fra Diavolo without the Fra Diavolo. (AKA just the pasta and sauce as he is allergic to shellfish.)

The kids all three went with the Penne Pasta With White Cheese Sauce and Vegetarian Minestrone Soup.

I wasn’t sure quite what to expect as the reviews were mixed. However, something about it perked my interest when I was reading Philladisney’s TR (http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28632188&postcount=498). I decided to go ahead and give a try and if nothing else, at least I’d know where to avoid in the future.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1161.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

The kid’s soup was the first to arrive. The girls slurped it right down, but only ate “the juice”.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01002.jpg
( Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

When the rest of the food arrived about 10 minutes later, I was immediately impressed with the presentation. Yet I wasn’t there just for looks. I was after flavor and let me tell you friend I TOTALLY found some! Everything we ordered was great! I loved the red wine/ balsamic vinegar reduction sauce! The steak was very tender and juicy and cooked to perfection. (I ordered Med-Rare). The polenta was very good as well. I sampled Tracy’s Penne Ala Vodka and Hailee’s Penne Pasta & White Cheese Cheese Sauce and both were quite good.

Some food porn for you:

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01008.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01010.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

After stuffing our gullets and commenting multiple times about how delicious the food was, we were faced with the decision of desserts. The girls got sundaes, I went with the Coconut Gelato , and Nana and Jana got Tiramisu, First Lady Biscuit got Warm Chocolate Truffle Cake and I’m not really sure what Papa went with. The only dessert picture that really turned out was the tiramisu. The rest all washed out with the flash and more resemble glowing blobs than anything edible

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1168.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

The Gelato was quite tasty and Mom & Aunt Jana pronounced the Tiramisu as and I quote “To Die For”. Which I believe is how they referred to the Strawberry shortcake from lunch as well. So there you go. Two desserts in one afternoon that were both worth sacrificing one’s well being to acquire.

The verdict: we all enjoyed the food very much and were happy and content with the meal. This was one of the two dining options I fretted over the most and I am so glad that I decided to go ahead and keep it. Would we eat here again? Definitely. Will we on our next trip, probably not, only because I want to try 50’s Prime Time and either Hollywood and Vine or dare I say it, the Brown Derby. The Sci-Fi I could take or leave. I’d love to peek in and see it, but I have a hard time coming to grips with sacrificing a table credit for a burger. Even if it’s a really good burger. Well, that about wraps it up for this episode. Next time, we’ll discover which attraction was a surprise hit and which instilled terror. The answer just might surprise you. Plus, we inherit some of Jordan’s truly awesome Park Mojo!

Coming up On Episode 59 – Tales of Terror and Triumph

Click here for the next episode (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33029913&postcount=876)

MrsSpratt

07-30-2009, 10:02 PM

YAY!

Biscuit -

Great update! Sorry things are wonky - I think we all know how it is.

How long have you been doing photography? Your shots are great - sorry that Nice random people 1 & 2 didn't work out, but I HATE it that the photopass pics were a pass - you don't hear that often.

Sorry to be so impatient -

Mrs. Spratt

ps - Did y'all get hit by the storm today?

Nana & Papa Biscuit

07-31-2009, 12:33 AM

jordanyosh

07-31-2009, 03:15 AM

Then the sun went supernova and I realized that the seats were uncovered. Sorry guys, don’t love you enough to leave a layer of skin melted into the bench. Maybe next time.

:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

and:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

I took a few more photos as we made our way around the lagoon.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990033.jpg
[SIZE="1"](Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 300MM, Shutter Priority, F-stop unrecorded 1/1000, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990030.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 300MM, Shutter Priority, F-stop unrecorded 1/1000, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990036.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 300MM, Shutter Priority, F-stop unrecorded 1/1000, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990035.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 300MM, Shutter Priority, F-stop unrecorded 1/1000, ISO 400)

These are beautiful pix!!! Just breathtaking..I'm listening to Shane and Shane right now and it totally adds to your pix!

Glad no one lifted your Crackberry:thumbsup2

I may need to think about Mama Melrose's again....hmmmmmmmm

SunnieRN

07-31-2009, 05:01 AM

I am beginning to see a pattern here. I am finding desserts "to die for". Could that be the problem with my school girl figure? It is more like a school bus figure lately but I would eat all those desserts again in a heartbeat! :cake::)

Lol, that is something I love about wdw. The desserts. But between being in a sauna and walking I am sure your school girl figure survived intact!!:thumbsup2

Biscuit, great job choosing Mama Melrose!! I'm glad it worked out so well for your family!! Woo hoo for double updates!!!!! Your pictures continue to be over the top GREAT!! Love Tahlis biscuit comment!!!:rotfl:

Mrs Spratt, I loved our stormy morning and would love to get some more rain today, but it doesn't seem likely. How are things in your neck of the woods?

brookelizabeth

07-31-2009, 07:04 AM

Great update! The World Showcase pictures are really beautiful.

Glad you enjoyed Mama Melrose! We were supposed to try that back in November, but that was not such a good day for us that trip-we barely ate at all! I'll have to be sure to work it into the plans again on a future trip.

LOVE Thali's comment about "This biscuit is NOT having a great adventure!" :lmao:

These are beautiful pix!!! Just breathtaking..I'm listening to Shane and Shane right now and it totally adds to your pix!

We like Shane & Shane here too, one of their songs was in our wedding. :goodvibes I can totally imagine how their music adds to those pics! :thumbsup2

All7OfUs

07-31-2009, 07:15 AM

Super updates this time around. I totally agree! Go with what you think is gonna work for YOUR family!! Never go with the reviews here (although they can help) food and theming tastes are just to subjective. Case in point, our HDDR experience. If we went with food opines alone, we'd have never tried it. Turned out to be one of our favorite meals.

Off Kilter was too "loud" for our tastes. Worth it once just to say we'd seen em, but next time, we'll look for something else.

Sorry you baked your bisquits on the boat. I was thinking of trying that out, but I'm fairly warned- thanks!

shebaxric

07-31-2009, 09:00 AM

That Tahli is a chip right off the 'ol Biscuit!!:lmao:

I'm glad you like Mama Melrose, my family and I ate there a couple of years ago and it was just okay, not fantastic but not horrible either. Nice save on the Berry, too!:thumbsup2 I've read TR's before where people were not so lucky with valuable items (see Peter Panic Attack's TR). Your Epcot pictures are really lovely, but you can definitely tell how hot it was by just looking at the humidity in the air....:scared: Maybe I should try that boat ride and melt off the 20 pounds!!:goodvibes

Kimberly815

07-31-2009, 11:02 AM

Glad to hear that your phone made it back to you safely! And that the girls enjoyed the Great Movie Ride!

She smiled and said “You must be Biscuit!”

At least there was one person who didn't ask "Who's Biscuit?" :goodvibes

jcc0621

07-31-2009, 11:20 AM

Sorry for the long delay in posting. I’ve been pulling some extra Sidebar – I love Off Kilter. I have a couple of their CD’s and enjoy listening to them. I was looking forward to hearing the band live. Then the sun went supernova and I realized that the seats were uncovered. Sorry guys, don’t love you enough to leave a layer of skin melted into the bench. Maybe next time.

:lmao:

We then made our way out of the International Gateway to take the boat launch to DHS. Don’t roll your eyes at me. Yes I know it’s slow. But the boats have AC and I wanted to further engrain the joys of staying on property deeply into the minds of my parents. (Namely by pointing out the joys of the Boardwalk and the Y&B Club resorts.)

Smart man ::yes:: Brain wash them slowly;)

None were worth keeping and I am SOOOO glad I forgot to pre-order the CD before we left. But I digress.

FOr future reference. I pre-ordered the Photpass the year before last. When we got home we didn't have enough pictures to justify the costs (Only a total of like 12), I just called and cancelled and they credited me money back!

I had it in my hand when Hailee got upset over the driver being marooned, so I set it down on the bench next to me and put her on my lap, then….DOH! I forgot to pick up when we ran off the ride!

Oh no!

, but the cast member at the podium told me it was okay to go ahead and grab it.

Oh Good!

There was a Cast Member rearranging strollers outside so I asked her if the attraction had its own Lost and Found or if items would go straight to the front of the park. She vanished into the building for a few minutes and soon emerged with my Berry. WOOHOO!

:banana:

I perused the menu and no sooner had I sat down than the bread arrived. I found it to be mighty tasty and still piping hot. Tahli buttered herself a roll and held up and yelled “This biscuit is NOT having a great adventure!” (Which nearly caused me to choke on my own bite of “biscuit”.)

:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

Coming up On Episode 59 – Tales of Terror and Triumph

popcorn::

AshClan

07-31-2009, 02:06 PM

Well, I was all set to quote Tahli's biscuit line, too, but jcc beat me to it. That is hysterical! Quite a young wit you have there!!

Thanks so much for the double update. Made my salad lunch much more enjoyable than it would've been!

OMG the kids look soooooo hot on that boat. But on a day like that there is no question that the boat was the way to go. That's WAY too long a walk from Epcot.

Love the photo of Papa and Tahli. And the one of the 3 of you too! All of them, really.

I ADORE Off Kilter. Last April, we saw them three times. But yes, those seats get SUPER hot. You have to get there early to snag the shaded seats.

Glad you enjoyed Mama Melrose. We had a great meal the first time, and a lousy one the second (more due to service than food). There aren't a ton of good choices at DHS, though. I love Brown Derby, but for lunch, so I can get the Cobb Salad ;) I agree that SciFi is worth a look, but not worth wasting a dining credit. H&V, we've always liked. But I know most don't. It is loud, but the variety is a good thing for my picky bunch!

Thanks again for the extended update and for all the great pictures. Hope work calms down for you soon!! (As long as you promise to hope the same for me.....;))

GreatBiscuit

07-31-2009, 03:21 PM

YAY!

Biscuit -

Great update! Sorry things are wonky - I think we all know how it is. It’s slowing down now thankfully. Just lots of things going on outside of work as well.

How long have you been doing photography? Your shots are great - sorry that Nice random people 1 & 2 didn't work out, but I HATE it that the photopass pics were a pass - you don't hear that often. Thanks! I started taking photos in college, but have pretty well been on hiatus for a while. Most of the pictures I’ve taken the past 7 years have been point and shoot shots of the girls.

ps - Did y'all get hit by the storm today?That we did. I was happy for the rain, but not thrilled with the timing as we had to drive through it for 30 min for an early morning doctor’s appt.

Could that be the problem with my school girl figure? Oh great…I guess that makes me a London double decker.

These are beautiful pix!!! Just breathtaking..I'm listening to Shane and Shane right now and it totally adds to your pix! Our last worship leader introduced me to Shane & Shane.

Glad no one lifted your Crackberry:thumbsup2 Me too!

I may need to think about Mama Melrose's again....hmmmmmmmmIt worked out well for us anyway. I can’t speak to everyone’s taste but I LOVED that steak. The penne pasta was good but wasn’t fantastic. The item PhillaDisney ordered in her TR looked pretty nifty as well.

GreatBiscuit

07-31-2009, 03:22 PM

Biscuit, great job choosing Mama Melrose!! I'm glad it worked out so well for your family!! Woo hoo for double updates!!!!! Your pictures continue to be over the top GREAT!! Love Tahlis biscuit comment!!!:rotfl:

LOVE Thali's comment about "This biscuit is NOT having a great adventure!" :lmao:

Well, I was all set to quote Tahli's biscuit line, too, but jcc beat me to it. That is hysterical! Quite a young wit you have there!!

That Tahli is a chip right off the 'ol Biscuit!!:lmao:

I was glad I made the reservation. It really was a great meal for us. Tahli’s comments keep me laughing constantly. Around our house, we call them Tahli-isms. One of my favorite was when we were eating at Texas Roadhouse. She pointed out a mounted Ram on the wall and asked me “Is that real?” I assured her that it was and explained that is was stuffed. She then asked me why it was on the wall. I told her it was for decoration. After thinking it over a minute, she dead-panned “Who thought a dead goat would make a good decoration?”

GreatBiscuit

07-31-2009, 03:23 PM

Great update! The World Showcase pictures are really beautiful. Thanks BE!

Glad you enjoyed Mama Melrose! We were supposed to try that back in November, but that was not such a good day for us that trip-we barely ate at all! I'll have to be sure to work it into the plans again on a future trip. I worked out well for us, but we LOVE Italian food.

Super updates this time around. I totally agree! Go with what you think is gonna work for YOUR family!! Never go with the reviews here (although they can help) food and theming tastes are just to subjective. Case in point, our HDDR experience. If we went with food opines alone, we'd have never tried it. Turned out to be one of our favorite meals. Good point. When it comes to food, I’ve learned that you can’t always take folks’ word for it.

Sorry you baked your bisquits on the boat. I was thinking of trying that out, but I'm fairly warned- thanks!We’ve done several friendship rides and this was the only time I’ve had an issue with it being that hot. I think the AC just wasn’t able to catch up after the boat had been sitting so long in the sun.

I've read TR's before where people were not so lucky with valuable items (see Peter Panic Attack's TR). You’ve piqued my curiosity now. I may have to wander over and check out his TR.

Your Epcot pictures are really lovely, but you can definitely tell how hot it was by just looking at the humidity in the air....:scared: Maybe I should try that boat ride and melt off the 20 pounds!!:goodvibes It was INSANELY hot. With it being over-crowded it just was not a fun day to be in Epcot.

Glad to hear that your phone made it back to you safely! And that the girls enjoyed the Great Movie Ride! Me too!

At least there was one person who didn't ask "Who's Biscuit?" :goodvibesShe actually asked my dad when she was seating everyone the first time so she knew already!

Smart man ::yes:: Brain wash them slowly;) Now you see my master plan!

FOr future reference. I pre-ordered the Photpass the year before last. When we got home we didn't have enough pictures to justify the costs (Only a total of like 12), I just called and cancelled and they credited me money back! That’s DEFINITELY good to know!

Thanks so much for the double update. Made my salad lunch much more enjoyable than it would've been! Happy to be of service. Speaking of which, it’s time for break!

OMG the kids look soooooo hot on that boat. But on a day like that there is no question that the boat was the way to go. That's WAY too long a walk from Epcot. They kept the misters going and did pretty well all things considered.

I ADORE Off Kilter. Last April, we saw them three times. But yes, those seats get SUPER hot. You have to get there early to snag the shaded seats. I was kind of sad. For some reason I thought the whole thing was covered.

Glad you enjoyed Mama Melrose. We had a great meal the first time, and a lousy one the second (more due to service than food). There aren't a ton of good choices at DHS, though. I love Brown Derby, but for lunch, so I can get the Cobb Salad ;) I agree that SciFi is worth a look, but not worth wasting a dining credit. H&V, we've always liked. But I know most don't. It is loud, but the variety is a good thing for my picky bunch! We’re def going to branch out at DHS next time and try to do a couple of meals there.

Thanks again for the extended update and for all the great pictures. Hope work calms down for you soon!! (As long as you promise to hope the same for me.....;)) Throwing work calming PD your way now. pixiedust:

shebaxric

07-31-2009, 04:48 PM

Thanks BE!
You’ve piqued my curiosity now. I may have to wander over and check out his TR.

You absolutely must! See link below.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2137961

GreatBiscuit

07-31-2009, 09:18 PM

You absolutely must! See link below.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2137961

I'll def be checking it out.

Sleepingbooty

08-01-2009, 02:07 PM

brookelizabeth

08-01-2009, 07:04 PM

I was glad I made the reservation. It really was a great meal for us. Tahli’s comments keep me laughing constantly. Around our house, we call them Tahli-isms. One of my favorite was when we were eating at Texas Roadhouse. She pointed out a mounted Ram on the wall and asked me “Is that real?” I assured her that it was and explained that is was stuffed. She then asked me why it was on the wall. I told her it was for decoration. After thinking it over a minute, she dead-panned “Who thought a dead goat would make a good decoration?”

:lmao: That is awesome!! What a great sense of humor. :goodvibes

Geistmeister

08-01-2009, 08:07 PM

Hey GB -- just wanted to check in and let you know how much I'm enjoying your epic trip report! I'm finally caught up.

Keep it coming! :thumbsup2

MKBekka

08-03-2009, 11:14 AM

DHS is my second favorite park 'cause of the GMR. I admit that I'm a movie nut. Good grief, of all the places to lose a phone! Sometimes I'm glad I don't have a mobile phone. Over crowded plus hot equals (in our family) melting kids by 4 in the afternoon.

Poohgirl521

08-03-2009, 02:15 PM

I must say I am thoroughly enjoyng your TR. My cousin told me that your TR was a MUST read and she advised that I had to read the entire thing! Needless to say she was right.

As a side note I have visited Mickey's house twice in my lifetime (and hopefully again next year but my son is only 5 weeks old so I have to try to talk the hubby into that one), the first time I visited was the year of the hideous PINK castle. At first I thought it was pretty cool.... every girls dream a big pink cake, however after my most recent trip last year, I must agree with you that the castle in its original form is absolutely breathetaking!

Again thanks for the adventure, I can't wait to read more!:thumbsup2

Connie96

08-03-2009, 06:02 PM

Hey Biscuit. Just wanted to let you know that I'm still here and loving the report. I'd comment more often but, like now, I have nothing remotely entertaining or substantive to share. So, I'm here to say hello and continue reading quietly while trying not to lapse into lurkdom. :)

Looking forward to tonight's update. Weather and life permitting, of course. popcorn::

GreatBiscuit

08-03-2009, 10:12 PM

Thanx for the double updates, Biscuit! Nice pics as always - I especially like the one of Tracy and the girls in front of (I'm guessing, since the background's out of focus) the upside down fountain by Imagination at Epcot. You should frame that one!No problem! :thumbsup2

:lmao: That is awesome!! What a great sense of humor. :goodvibesThey both keep us laughing

Hey GB -- just wanted to check in and let you know how much I'm enjoying your epic trip report! I'm finally caught up.

Keep it coming! :thumbsup2Thanks! and :welcome: Glad to have you aboard!

DHS is my second favorite park 'cause of the GMR. I admit that I'm a movie nut. Good grief, of all the places to lose a phone! Sometimes I'm glad I don't have a mobile phone. Over crowded plus hot equals (in our family) melting kids by 4 in the afternoon.I manage to lose things often.

I must say I am thoroughly enjoyng your TR. My cousin told me that your TR was a MUST read and she advised that I had to read the entire thing! Needless to say she was right.

As a side note I have visited Mickey's house twice in my lifetime (and hopefully again next year but my son is only 5 weeks old so I have to try to talk the hubby into that one), the first time I visited was the year of the hideous PINK castle. At first I thought it was pretty cool.... every girls dream a big pink cake, however after my most recent trip last year, I must agree with you that the castle in its original form is absolutely breathetaking!

Again thanks for the adventure, I can't wait to read more!:thumbsup2Thanks and :welcome: ! Glad you found your way over and tell you cousin I said thanks! That castle was something else. I def love the current castle better!

Hey Biscuit. Just wanted to let you know that I'm still here and loving the report. I'd comment more often but, like now, I have nothing remotely entertaining or substantive to share. So, I'm here to say hello and continue reading quietly while trying not to lapse into lurkdom. :)

Looking forward to tonight's update. Weather and life permitting, of course. popcorn::Hey Connie! Glad you're still here!

__________________________________________

Looking likes tonight's update is going to be delayed. It's been an intersting time in the Biscuit clan. Yesterday I filled in for our pastor who is vacationing. Then Tahli left for her first ever church camp this monring so we were up late working on getting her packed. Papa had to have outpatient surgery early this morning and there were some complications so he is now an in-patient. :sick: All is well for now, but prayers are certainly appreciated. I'm also helping someone plan a trip to WDW and had to gather Disney Dining info for them so they can make ressies. Soooooo long story short, between shuttling between the hospital, church, and work, and pulling together a dining list, I've not had time to complete much else. The episode is mostly written, but the photos have yet to be resized and uploaded. We're still waiting to see if they will re-try the surgery tomorrow so depending on how that goes, it may be a couple of days until I get back to posting. Until then God Bless!

Nana & Papa Biscuit

08-03-2009, 10:43 PM

brookelizabeth

08-03-2009, 11:00 PM

I'm praying for Papa. :goodvibes And for Biscuit that you don't collapse in exhaustion!

That is adorable out Thali and the party for Jesus! It will be quite the party when he does show up!! :banana:

SunnieRN

08-03-2009, 11:28 PM

GreatBiscuit

08-04-2009, 04:06 PM

Papa is doing well and we are just waiting for a Dr. to let us know what the next step is. We do appreciate your prayers.
An added Tahli-ism which is my all time favorite. When she was about 2 1/2 her nursery class at church was having a birthday party for Jesus at Christmas. I picked her up after church and asked how the party for Jesus went. Her reply - "Not so good Nana, He didn't even show up!" Man, you throw a party for a guy and he doesn't even show up - what can I say? :rotfl2:You do like to share that story!

I'm praying for Papa. :goodvibes And for Biscuit that you don't collapse in exhaustion!Thanks! I appreciate it!

That is adorable out Thali and the party for Jesus! It will be quite the party when he does show up!! :banana::thumbsup2

Prayers for Papa Biscuit!!:goodvibes Hope all goes well. I think it must have been a full moon at the hospital the past few nights, even if it wasn't one over the rest of Texas!!:headache:Thanks! It's been an odd week already.

Still no real word on when they will reschedule the surgery, but they did let him go home today.

DisneyMomLiz

08-04-2009, 04:35 PM

Papa Biscuit is in my thoughts and prayers :hug:

Tahli's comment about the biscuit was priceless. What a cutie!! :goodvibes

GreatBiscuit

08-04-2009, 09:34 PM

Papa Biscuit is in my thoughts and prayers :hug: Thanks!

Tahli's comment about the biscuit was priceless. What a cutie!! :goodvibesShe cracks me up all the time!

All7OfUs

08-05-2009, 01:37 AM

So glad to hear Papa Bisquit is doing better now, and could at least go home. Everyone here understands how life can get between posting and hanging out here. I think you'll find most of us patient :)

popcorn:: but we do like to throw a lot of popcorn around...

SunnieRN

08-05-2009, 05:01 AM

Still no real word on when they will reschedule the surgery, but they did let him go home today.

Woo hoo!!! Good news for sure!!:cool1::banana::woohoo::yay:

whogirl'smom

08-05-2009, 09:55 AM

Just wanted to let you know I'm still here--we just got back from 11 days in California and 2 days at Disneyland! I'm finally caught up now and hope that Papa gets to feeling better soon! :hug: Great pictures of WS and the family!

GreatBiscuit

08-05-2009, 11:34 AM

Woo hoo!!! Good news for sure!!:cool1::banana::woohoo::yay:For Sure! :thumbsup2

So glad to hear Papa Bisquit is doing better now, and could at least go home. Everyone here understands how life can get between posting and hanging out here. I think you'll find most of us patient :)

popcorn:: but we do like to throw a lot of popcorn around...:lmao: Thanks! He's happy to be out of those pressure cuffs they stuck on his legs.

Just wanted to let you know I'm still here--we just got back from 11 days in California and 2 days at Disneyland! I'm finally caught up now and hope that Papa gets to feeling better soon! :hug: Great pictures of WS and the family!Welcome home! :welcome: hope you had a fantastic trip! Thanks for well wishes and photo kudos.

GreatBiscuit

08-05-2009, 11:45 AM

Previously on Biscuit’s Grand Adventure, steak was consumed, phones were recovered, and one biscuit had a poor evening. After we left the restaurant we headed out and did a bit of exploring on the “Streets of America”.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01014.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01017.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01019.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01018.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

First up, the requisite visit to the umbrella post.

Nana snapped some photos.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1174.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1175.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1176.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

I snapped some photos.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990002.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990004.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

Nana saw the San Francisco street scene and wanted to get a picture of the kids.

Nana Snapped a photo

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1172.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

I snapped a photo.
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990009.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

All God’s children snapped a photo.
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01023.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

I had planned to take two shots, one of the kids in focus and one of Nana in focus. Unfortunately the little boogers didn’t wait long enough for me to squeeze off a second round.

We wandered around a bit, taking pics as we went.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/03990006.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01021.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

Due to photo count, this will continued in the next post.

Click here to go there. (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33030078&postcount=877)

GreatBiscuit

08-05-2009, 11:54 AM

We passed by Toy Story Midway Mania and giggled at the 80 minute wait time. 80 min? Surely you jest! Not this crew my friend! Oh-no! We have an encounter with a mermaid to be a getting to. I was introduced to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid on our honeymoon. When it began to look like this particular trip was going to become a reality, much of my “Disney Dreaming” revolved around this show. I couldn’t wait for the girls to experience it. I knew they would both love it, especially Hailee who is a big Ariel fan.

We entered the lobby and Nana quickly exited to take the girls on a potty run. By the time they returned, it was nearing time for the show to begin.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01025.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

We entered the theater and I wound up with Hailee sitting next to me. This time I was prepared for the dark and passed out glow sticks to the kids JUST IN CASE they got scared. As soon as the show started Hailee began to squeal. She was laughing hysterically at the blacklight puppets and giving ooohs and aaahs throughout the entire thing. After the show ended, both girls reported that they loved the show. Woohoo!

After we completed our undersea adventure, Papa and I set out on a highly specialized and dangerous mission. Locating the strollers. (Oh btw – this was one of only 3 out the 8 days that we wound up with a double stroller. The rest of the time the girls walked. I think I forgot to add that little tidbit in earlier.) Having cleverly deployed a lime green Mickey head in a strategic location, I thwarted Disney’s clever attempt to camouflage our hand powered rugrat transport vehicle. While others circled the stroller parking in wide eyed bewilderment, we Biscuit men returned as triumphant warriors with tales and songs of glorious battle.

I ran through the list of kid-nifty attractions that did not require an 80 minute wait and elected Muppet Vision 3-D as the lucky recipient of our next attraction patronage. Thanks to our dining reservations and my phone incident, I had already passed the place twice so I had no problems leading us back. Upon arrival, we parked the strollers and ushered the clan inside. Once we reached the holding area, I was surprised to find it empty. COMPLETELY empty. For a good 5 min, we were the only people in there. Eventually a few more folks showed up, but by the time the doors opened about ten minutes later, there were MAYBE twenty people altogether.

I got a bit nervous during the wait however as something about the preshow was freaking Preston out. I’m not sure if the Muppets looked a bit too similar to the dreaded Stitch or what, but he was NOT happy about being in there. The doors finally opened and the CM said, and I quote, “Just ignore the announcement and sit where you want.” COOOOOOOOOL.

Nana sat with Preston during the show and he wound up taking off the glasses and not watching the movie. I sat next to Tahli and although she had a few giggles, once it was over, all three kids said they didn’t like it. It didn’t blow me away, but I thought it was cute and got a few good laughs; but for whatever reason, they were not impressed. We exited the theater at 8:58 and paused for a quick photo.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1177.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

It was then that I had a strange and wonderful idea. Maybe, JUST MAYBE there was a chance we could make it onto Star Tours.

I shouted out marching orders, loaded up kids and sallied forth in a full on gallop. (Much to the dismay of Tracy who was still dealing with her foot.) We arrived in front just as the CM at the entrance shouted out “Last Call for Star Tours!” HURRY UP CHILDREN AND RUN LIKE THE WIND! We managed to get everyone inside and the CM and a manager closed the doors behind us. YES! JORDAN’S PARK MOJO HAS RUBBED OFF BABY!

We made our way hurriedly through the now empty queue and finally up to the boarding area.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01031.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01034.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

There were about 6 or 7 folks there waiting to board. We joined up with them and told the kids they would love it. Of course, this was acting purely on faith alone. The girls have never really sat through Star Wars and I wasn’t sure how much they would relate to. I was also uncertain how Preston would feel about this ride given his reaction to the Muppets.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01036.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

Soon it was time for us to board and I wound up sitting by Hailee. As soon as we “took off” the kids were all squealing. As we were bouncing through the ice caves, Hailee pulled my arm and yelled “THIS IS THE BEST RIDE EVER DADDY!” Had I not been strapped into a full motion simulator, I would have done the Happy Biscuit dance. My baby loves my ride! There ain’t nothing better my friend.

When we got off, all three kids wanted to ride it again. We explained that the park was closed, but promised to go on it again when we returned for Fantasmic. The park was deserted as we made our way back to the exit. After a few minutes, we boarded an empty bus.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01044.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01042.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

Soon we were headed back to our resort. Upon arrival, we hurried up to the room and changed into our swim suits. We headed down to the Hippy Dippy and I stopped in Everything Pop for a quick mug filling. The pool wasn’t overly crowded and the kids were soon having a grand time splashing and playing. After a while, Hailee wanted to check out the kiddie pool so she and I headed over that way. It was completely deserted so we both sat down next to a bubbler and she was soon running all over the place. I actually enjoyed the kiddie pool more then the big pool that night as the water was about ten degrees colder. (Even at 10 PM, it was HOT out there.) We swam a couple of hours and I made multiple runs for mug refills.

We returned to the room and rid ourselves of the chlorine and other contaminates. The girls were soon asleep and I fired up the laptop to copy the photos off the two digital cameras. I emailed Lynnlee and my father in law and chatted with Tracy a bit. We were both surprised by the attractions the kids loved. I thought they'd love the Muppets and be indifferent or scared of Star Tours. I guess there really is no predicting how kids are going to react to things. Finally around three I was ready to crash. It had been a great day and soon I was drifting off to blissful Disney Sleep. Yet that bliss would soon be shattered by a rude and panic filled awakening.

Coming up on Episode 60 – Digestive Instability.

Click here for the next episode! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33068627&postcount=889)

All7OfUs

08-06-2009, 12:47 AM

chicagoshannon

08-06-2009, 08:04 AM

Glad the kids enjoyed Star Tours. I can't to hear how many times you rode it on your next MGM day. :)

eandesmom

08-06-2009, 12:20 PM

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17430004.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 300MM, Shutter Priority, f11, 1/1000, ISO 400)

We paused a moment in front of Off Kilter’s stage for a quick t-shirt shot. (Thanks to Park Guest of Unknown Identity # 1 for helping us out.) Unfortunately it did not turn out at all so I won’t waste the bandwidth posting it. Sidebar – I love Off Kilter. I have a couple of their CD’s and enjoy listening to them. I was looking forward to hearing the band live. Then the sun went supernova and I realized that the seats were uncovered. Sorry guys, don’t love you enough to leave a layer of skin melted into the bench. Maybe next time.

We wandered on a bit and decided to take a mulligan on the photo, stopping in the UK pavilion for a redo. (Thanks to Park Guest of Unknown Identity # 2 for helping us out.) This one turned out nicely. It was posted once, but in case you missed it, here you go.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1151.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713 Digital Point and Shoot in Auto Mode)

Great pics! I :love: Off Kilter as well but would have skipped sun chairs as well. Too much whining from a certain 8 year old would have drowned the band out.

There was a changing of the crew and we were surprised when the boat pulled away empty from the dock. It crossed the canal to where another Friendship was moored, and the crew swapped boats. Hmmm….well…okay no big deal right? Well, not exactly. Boats are like cars in that when they sit a long time in the sun, they get REALLY HOT inside. This one was no exception. But we weren’t sure how long it would be until the next launch so we decided to grin and bear it.

We managed to make it through, but I think I sweated off a good twenty pounds by the time we arrived.

UGH! Ok, doesn't make me ever want to take the boat that's for sure!

[SIZE="3"]
I got us checked in and all was well in the world. Nana and Jana went next door to check out the Christmas shop while Tracy took the girls to make use of the facilities. I then overheard the hostess tell another party that they could not be seated because members of their group had not yet arrived. Woops! Better call mom and have her head back this way. I’ll just grab my phone, not in this pocket…not in that one either. Not in the backpack. Hmmmm….where did I have it last? Let’s see, I had it in my hand when Hailee got upset over the driver being marooned, so I set it down on the bench next to me and put her on my lap, then….DOH! I forgot to pick up when we ran off the ride!

Great Galloping Biscuits Batman!

[/B]

you are SO lucky they let them check in! The party not all present factor caused some stress in my familial unit!

Tahli buttered herself a roll and held up and yelled “This biscuit is NOT having a great adventure!” (Which nearly caused me to choke on my own bite of “biscuit”.)

The verdict: we all enjoyed the food very much and were happy and content with the meal. This was one of the two dining options I fretted over the most and I am so glad that I decided to go ahead and keep it. Would we eat here again? Definitely.

My DH really wants to eat here and the reviews have kept us away. Your review could well change that! Tahli....:rotfl2: that was great!

GREAT umbrella photos, I love them!

Whew! I'm all caught up. Great updates!

GreatBiscuit

08-06-2009, 08:37 PM

Hey Bisquit! I have no idea why I am compelled to use a q instead of a c, but I just am. So today you get a q, cuz it's more fun to keep typing nonsense than to go back and change the q to a c, even after I scrolled down to check the spelling.

My compelling thoughts now lead me to mention that:

1) My, then, 5 year actually fell asleep in the Muppets. It was that compelling, which by now you have figured out, is the word of the day.
afterwards wished we had had GB wisdom and done the other.
2) My now, 7 year old, also loved Star Tours and was compelled to giggle the entire ride. However, we saw Beauty and Beast instead of Mermaid, and

3) I love that picture of the monk taking the photo!! What a once in a lifetime shot. What can I say? Wait, I know, compelling!

4) I cannot wait to get a photo of the umbrella! It does "rain" right?? Does the rain show up in a picture?I feel compelled to thank you for such a compelling post!

Glad the kids enjoyed Star Tours. I can't to hear how many times you rode it on your next MGM day. :)I was thrilled ! It would not be our last visit!

Great pics! I :love: Off Kilter as well but would have skipped sun chairs as well. Too much whining from a certain 8 year old would have drowned the band out. It was just TOO hot.

UGH! Ok, doesn't make me ever want to take the boat that's for sure! The boats would redeem theselves later that week.

My DH really wants to eat here and the reviews have kept us away. Your review could well change that! Tahli....:rotfl2: that was great! We really enjoyed it. I have to say the steak was the best thing I tried out of all the meals that we had on the table there.

AshClan

08-07-2009, 10:18 AM

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01042.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

Wow, what a great picture of the girls! They look like TWINS!!

I am amazed at that late hours y'all were keeping. Mine are teens, and we're in bed every night by 11 at WDW. Exhaustion from all the walking never fails to do us in!!

Yes, you never know what the big hits will be with the kids. We seem to do Muppets every year, but it is kind of lame. Plus this generation of kids are not quite so familiar with the Muppets, are they? Give me Philharmagic any day.....Star Tours was a HUGE hit with mine in the early years, too. We would all like to see a little update now, but from ages 3 to 11(ish), that was the be-all and end-all!

MrsSpratt

08-07-2009, 01:04 PM

Biscuit -

Big prayers for Papa Biscuit!

My gosh, you have one good lookin' family! The girls DO look like twins...

Nothing clever to say, except I'm lovin' it!

Best,
Mrs. Spratt

PS - Peter Panic Attack's TR is HIGH-larious!

whogirl'smom

08-07-2009, 02:25 PM

Those baby biscuits must have limitless energy! No way do we ever have energy to swim and stay up after the parks close. I agree with the others; Muppets is getting kind of lame and it's a shame that they don't show those re-runs so the little kids can get to know Kermit and Miss Piggy!

I hope the digestive instability is not what I think it is....(insert forboding music here).

GreatBiscuit

08-07-2009, 03:34 PM

Wow, what a great picture of the girls! They look like TWINS!!

My gosh, you have one good lookin' family! The girls DO look like twins...

Thanks! What's funny is that when my siter in law Tammy (Tracy's identical twin) was here this summer, people thought her youngest and Hailee were sisters. They look ALOT alike.

I am amazed at that late hours y'all were keeping. Mine are teens, and we're in bed every night by 11 at WDW. Exhaustion from all the walking never fails to do us in!!

Those baby biscuits must have limitless energy! No way do we ever have energy to swim and stay up after the parks close.

I think it's all in knowing you kids. We're all night owls and we all hate mornings. The only time we had problem with fussiness the entire trip involved an early wake up time. But that's getting ahead of myself.

Yes, you never know what the big hits will be with the kids. We seem to do Muppets every year, but it is kind of lame. Plus this generation of kids are not quite so familiar with the Muppets, are they? Give me Philharmagic any day.....

I agree with the others; Muppets is getting kind of lame and it's a shame that they don't show those re-runs so the little kids can get to know Kermit and Miss Piggy!

It must be a generational thing. I loved the Muppets growing up! (The Swedish Chef ROCKS!) But, the girls could care less

Star Tours was a HUGE hit with mine in the early years, too. We would all like to see a little update now, but from ages 3 to 11(ish), that was the be-all and end-all! I think Star Tours would definitely benefit from an upgrade. It was still fun, but the luster is wearing off a bit.

Big prayers for Papa Biscuit!

Best,
Mrs. Spratt

PS - Peter Panic Attack's TR is HIGH-larious!Thanks! I’ve started reading Peter Panic Attack’s TR, but have not gotten through all of it yet. I’ll post on it once I’m caught up.

I hope the digestive instability is not what I think it is....(insert forboding music here). It was a sad moment in the land of Biscuitdom.

GreatBiscuit

08-07-2009, 04:46 PM

My first batch of Panoramic Prints came in and I have finished remodling my desk area. 52 ish photos from our Disney trip...some you have seen, some you have not. I gotta say, Wal-Mart did a fantastic job printing the Panoramics. I'll probably order at least a couple of more.

***
Had to make room in photobucket - killed these pics

Kimberly815

08-07-2009, 05:37 PM

I love the cubicle makeover! What a great way to remember the trip!

GreatBiscuit

08-07-2009, 06:15 PM

I love the cubicle makeover! What a great way to remember the trip!

Thanks! It sure beats the dull grey walls that come standard!

GreatBiscuit

08-07-2009, 09:45 PM

Previously on Biscuit's Grand Adventure: Mermaids were discovered, Muppets were despised and a little baby Biscuit loved herself some Star Tours. As I mentioned earlier, I crashed sometime around 2:30-3AM.

At some point in the night my conscious brain, received an urgent page from my subconscious brain and was ordered to report to the bridge immediately. Stumbling in and half awake, it was dazed and confused as to the nature of the emergency. Alarm bells were ringing, ensigns were frantically pressing buttons and Scotty the bowel muscle (see "Episode 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 - The Others") was on the viewscreen. He advised that we had about 7.4 microns to make it to the potty before a set of Disney bedding was added to our Keys to the World cards.

I shot out of bed and hurled myself into the restroom like a Duke boy going through the window of the General Lee. I’m not sure how long I was in there. I can’t even guarantee that I was awake for the entire performance. All I know is that there were multiple explosions heard in that tiny room that night, and not all of them were the from the toilet flushing. After the tremors of the final aftershock had rumbled their way into oblivion, I managed to stand up, then nearly fell down when I discovered my leg was asleep. Dragging my numb appendage behind me, I washed up outside, and sprayed the air with the first can I grabbed hold of. (It turned out to be a can of Arrid Extra Dry. I had brought it to spay on my feet before I put on my socks based on the recommendations of a Diser who swore it would prevent blisters. This was not entirely accurate, but it did improve the air quality when I took my shoes off.)

From the rumbles, gurgles and moans emanating from my midsection, it was clear that I was not going back to bed. I had no idea what time it was so I found my phone and discovered it was now 6:35. That's AM. In the morning. Just a bit over 3.5 - 4ish hours since I went to sleep. I had showered and left out my clothes the night before so I got dressed, grabbed my cameras and my mug, and set out to “walk it off” and hopefully settle my stomach with some Sprite.

For reasons I can’t fully explain, I decided to take a couple of photos of the lake first. The first thing that surprised me was that there were several people out running. I didn’t know people ran in real life. I thought that was just stunt people on TV. I figure there only three reasons a fellow ought to run. One I had already done that morning, getting to an attraction had already been done the night before, and as there were no snakes in sight, I figured I was good on the third.

I meandered about the bridge a bit and did more soaking in than I did photo taking. For some reason I though it would be a good idea to take a few more shots of the half-finished Legendary Years, but as they look exactly like the one I already posted, I won’t bother adding any here.

I made my way to edge of the bridge and snapped one last photo before heading to Everything Pop.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01061b.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

I cut through the Hippy Dippy pool area and it was really odd seeing it so quiet and empty. I had to stop and take a few shots just to document it.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/PopSixites.jpg
(Composited from 8 photos. Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

Everything Pop was bustling that morning. After I filled my mug, I sat for a few minutes and did some people watching. The Sprite helped settle my stomach a bit and the smell of breakfast actually had me feeling hungry. Figuring if I was going to jump in the water, it may as well be head first, I went in search of some Biscuit’s and Gravy. It was then that I made a sad and troubling discovery. They don’t sell Biscuit’s and Gravy anywhere at the Pop! I was outraged! Incensed! How can this be? Who opened a restaurant in the South that DOESN’T have Biscuits and Gravy? (Yes I know I keep capitalizing Biscuit’s and Gravy…that’s because in Texas, Biscuits and Gravy is a sacred dish.)

It now fell upon me to come up with Plan B. Since I was only, I don’t know, maybe 2 minutes into Plan A, I had to stop and ponder it a bit. Finally I elected to go with the red potato hash brown thingys and some bacon. It was actually good. In fact it was REALLY good. Those were some mighty fine ‘taters. Not worthy of being capitalized like Biscuit’s and Gravy mind you, but tasty nonetheless.

I sat quite a while and just did some people watching. Everyone seemed to be in such a good mood. It was morning at Disney after all. I did a quick update on my live TR and took a couple of photos.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01088.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

I briefly pondered going to the parks, but wasn’t sure I wanted to tempt fate quite that much. Plus I had no idea what the rest of the crew would be doing this morning. I finally decided to finish up my resort tour and take some more photos. I topped off my mug, grabbed my gear and headed out the door. My plan was simple. Head left first, take in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, then work my way back. So for the next 90 minutes, I toured the resort grounds and shot these:

Continued in Next Post.

Click here to go there! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33068646&postcount=890)

GreatBiscuit

08-07-2009, 09:46 PM

I left both of my cameras in Full Auto mode all morning as it was WAY too early to trust my own judgment.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17440019.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17440021.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17440015.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17440001.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17440014.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17610024.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17610023.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17610022.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17440004.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01112.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17440013.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

Continued in Next Post.

Click here to go there! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33068708&postcount=891)

GreatBiscuit

08-07-2009, 09:50 PM

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17610019.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17610017.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17610013.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/PopSixites2.jpg
(Composited from 11 photos. Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01100.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01102.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17610009.jpg

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17610008.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17610020.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17610010.jpg Flower 2
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, 300 MM – Macro Focus, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17610011.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, 300 MM – Macro Focus, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17610005.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, 300 MM – Macro Focus, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17610006.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, 300 MM – Macro Focus, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

By the time I was done taking photos, it was around 9:45. Even that early in the morning, it was really hot. I returned to Everything POP for a final refill and spent a few minutes cooling off. I passed my dad on the way out and discovered that they were up, but were still getting ready. I headed back up to the room and started the process of getting the girls up and dressed. Would my digestive instabilities return? If so at least we were going to Animal Kingdom where I could blame it on the gorilla.

Coming up On Episode 61 - Tahli’s Favorite WDW Attraction

Click Here for the Next Episode! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33139322&postcount=917)

Backstage_Gal

08-08-2009, 12:07 AM

Yikes, I was a couple of days behind, but great updates, Oh great one.

Loved, loved the pics!!

Breakfast at Pop: Adult breakfast platter! I got it for brunch sometimes when I worked there. YUM!

Hmm, charging people for ruining sheets at Disney, great idea. That could save a few million here and there! :idea:

SunnieRN

08-08-2009, 12:51 AM

Ooooooooooooh, awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, which is my reaction to your photos and your cubicle!!! Loved the ducks, too funny!!

How great that the kids all liked Star Tours!! What a wonderful day you ended up having!! Loved your shot of Nana taking a picture! I can honestly say that I can not recall ever having seen a monk in Disneyland or Wdw. I did see the tattoo guy last Sept. at WDW though. The one with all the Disney tattoos. Very cool!

That's so funny about Papa Biscuits comment when he got out of the hospital. Tell him if he ever has them on again to put some music on the tv to drown out the noise and close his eyes and pretend he is getting a leg massage.;)

chicagoshannon

08-08-2009, 09:17 AM

I LOVE your picture of the bridge. I would totally hang that in my family room!

I need to go search out some new lenses for my camera. Maybe I'll get a Sigma 70-300 ;)

whogirl'smom

08-08-2009, 09:32 AM

I was so wrong in my guess about the digestive problems. I thought one of the kids threw up. :scared: Never thought about you being the victim. The bridge picture is magnificent, as are all of them. I have yet to try the panoramic stitch setting on my camera or the macro, either. You have such a good photographer's eye! I keep asking dh (who started as an art major and minored in photography) why he can't help me set up better pictures and he replied, "that's why I changed majors!" :rotfl2:

burly

08-08-2009, 12:01 PM

Life has a way of getting in the way of my dis-ing. Just caught up.
lots of this:rotfl2:
a little of this:sick:
an episode or should i say attack of.....:scared1:
But all in all i give you this.:thumbsup2

Poohgirl521

08-08-2009, 04:54 PM

Omigod.... You had me laughing so hard I was almost in tears. :rotfl2: I hope you felt better as the day went on. Your pics of the resort are BEAUTIFUL!! Can't wait for the next installment! popcorn::

TupperMom7

08-08-2009, 05:17 PM

So after spending considerable time in the bathroom, eating fried potatoes and bacon appealed to you? Yuck! Must be a guy thing. :lmao: Let's see if I can conquer whatever is trying to attack my stomach by feeding it all this greasy food. :rolleyes1
Loved your photos - do you have a fancy camera or just a regular digital camera?

angelmav

08-09-2009, 12:12 PM

You were a mighty cheesy bisquit on this morning!

Thats what I do, turn food products into bodily function humour.

Great photos. Sure the camera was on auto, I have images of you with a beret and a huge flashbulb setup :rolleyes1.

Lovin the adventure!

PrincessV

08-09-2009, 04:50 PM

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/17430004.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300 at 300MM, Shutter Priority, f11, 1/1000, ISO 400)
This is gorgeous!
I love Off Kilter. I have a couple of their CD’s and enjoy listening to them. I was looking forward to hearing the band live. Then the sun went supernova and I realized that the seats were uncovered. Sorry guys, don’t love you enough to leave a layer of skin melted into the bench.
Yeah, that's pretty much our situation every Food & Wine Fest... "Hey, these guys are cool - let's stop and listen!" Followed by "Hey, it's hot as blazes, let's go find more beer instead!" :rotfl:

As we were bouncing through the ice caves, Hailee pulled my arm and yelled “THIS IS THE BEST RIDE EVER DADDY!”
:cool1:

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01061b.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)
WOW GB, this is stunning! :thumbsup2:thumbsup2:thumbsup2

I left both of my cameras in Full Auto mode all morning as it was WAY too early to trust my own judgment.
Hard to believe these were all in Auto mode - the lighting is fantastic, as is the composition! Really, nice work!

All7OfUs

08-10-2009, 12:21 AM

As usual, another stunning update. NO wait!! Maybe I should use "alarming" as my adverb! :confused3 Okay, maybe both...

Pictures are amazing - potty humor- very MTK-esque! I love it! but I do wonder if consuming Disney food was the best antidote?? :confused3 Must have been, unless you have more surprises "tucked away".

Love your cubie! I could go to work, no problem, with that kind of "happy place"! When you get an irate client chewing your hide, you can take a deep breath and remember that you, among other things, you work to make things like that trip happen.

GreatBiscuit

08-10-2009, 04:13 PM

Nothing to see here...

GreatBiscuit

08-10-2009, 04:14 PM

Yikes, I was a couple of days behind, but great updates, Oh great one.

Loved, loved the pics!! Hey BSG! Thanks!

Breakfast at Pop: Adult breakfast platter! I got it for brunch sometimes when I worked there. YUM! I’m not normally a breakfast eater, but those potatoes were mighty fine.

Hmm, charging people for ruining sheets at Disney, great idea. That could save a few million here and there! :idea:Can I get a commission?

Ooooooooooooh, awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, which is my reaction to your photos and your cubicle!!! Loved the ducks, too funny!! Thanks! I had a ton of fun taking them.

How great that the kids all liked Star Tours!! What a wonderful day you ended up having!! Loved your shot of Nana taking a picture! I can honestly say that I can not recall ever having seen a monk in Disneyland or Wdw. I did see the tattoo guy last Sept. at WDW though. The one with all the Disney tattoos. Very cool! I was ecstatic that the kids all loved Star Tours! I haven’t seen the tattoo dude, but I have heard a story or two.

I LOVE your picture of the bridge. I would totally hang that in my family room!

The bridge picture is magnificent, as are all of them.

WOW GB, this is stunning!

Thanks everyone! This was one of my fav’s as well. I took it as a color photo with the intention of converting it to B&W later. I used the demo version of Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo II to convert it over. I wound up not keeping the program, but it DID do a good job on the conversion.

I need to go search out some new lenses for my camera. Maybe I'll get a Sigma 70-300 ;)I like that lens due to it’s broad range.

I was so wrong in my guess about the digestive problems. I thought one of the kids threw up. :scared: Never thought about you being the victim. Scary thought I know!

I have yet to try the panoramic stitch setting on my camera or the macro, either. You have such a good photographer's eye! I keep asking dh (who started as an art major and minored in photography) why he can't help me set up better pictures and he replied, "that's why I changed majors!" :rotfl2:Your Dh’s comment cracked me up! For the panoramic photos, I just shoot them in normal auto mode, then use Windows Live Photo to stitch them together later.

Life has a way of getting in the way of my dis-ing. Just caught up.
lots of this:rotfl2:
a little of this:sick:
an episode or should i say attack of.....:scared1:
But all in all i give you this.:thumbsup2 Hey Burly! Glad to have you still aboard! Thanks for reading along!

Omigod.... You had me laughing so hard I was almost in tears. :rotfl2: I hope you felt better as the day went on. Your pics of the resort are BEAUTIFUL!! Can't wait for the next installment! popcorn::My digestion definitely stabilized and it was all uphill from there!

So after spending considerable time in the bathroom, eating fried potatoes and bacon appealed to you? Yuck! Must be a guy thing. :lmao: Let's see if I can conquer whatever is trying to attack my stomach by feeding it all this greasy food. :rolleyes1:welcome: First Lady Biscuit had the exact same reaction when I returned the room and explained the activities of the morning. The way I see it is this. We men know that sometimes the best defense is a good offense. When your digestion tries to get the better of you, a fellow has to stop, draw a line in the sand, and shout to the hills “CROSS THAT LINE IF YOU DARE!” Of course if there is fever or cramping involved we skip this step, tell our wives we think we’re dying and ask them for soup and a blankie.

Loved your photos - do you have a fancy camera or just a regular digital camera?Thanks. The answer is yes and no. The digital camera I was using was just a standard Sony Cybershot Point and Shoot. I was also using a Nikon N60 which is a 35mm SLR camera. I kind of saw this trip as my final fling with film. The next camera I plan to get will be a Nikon Digital SLR. (That way I can still use my 70-300mm lens.)

You were a mighty cheesy bisquit on this morning!
I’m a mighty cheesy biscuit on any morning!

Thats what I do, turn food products into bodily function humour. WOOHOO! Kudos to potty humor!

Great photos. Sure the camera was on auto, I have images of you with a beret and a huge flashbulb setup :rolleyes1. That had me rolling!

Yeah, that's pretty much our situation every Food & Wine Fest... "Hey, these guys are cool - let's stop and listen!" Followed by "Hey, it's hot as blazes, let's go find more beer instead!" :rotfl: Hey PV! And welcome back! Loved your twitter tweets! Can’t wait to read the full fledged TR!

Hard to believe these were all in Auto mode - the lighting is fantastic, as is the composition! Really, nice work!Thanks. The time of day helped considerably. Morning light is always best.

As usual, another stunning update. NO wait!! Maybe I should use "alarming" as my adverb! :confused3 Okay, maybe both... I’d stick with alarming.

Pictures are amazing - potty humor- very MTK-esque! I love it! but I do wonder if consuming Disney food was the best antidote?? :confused3 Must have been, unless you have more surprises "tucked away". There isn’t a problem in a life that can’t be improved by bacon. Unless it’s tainted. Then you’re out of luck.

Love your cubie! I could go to work, no problem, with that kind of "happy place"! When you get an irate client chewing your hide, you can take a deep breath and remember that you, among other things, you work to make things like that trip happen.I LOVE IT! Especially the big Panoramic prints!

BabyPiglet

08-10-2009, 06:15 PM

Great trip report. You are a really good writer. Keep those updates comin'!

brookelizabeth

08-11-2009, 05:26 PM

I'm so glad the Little Biscuits liked Star Tours! That must have made you one Proud Poppa. :goodvibes:

I'm sorry to read about your...uh...incident. I've been there.

And in every bathroom at the AK.

Sigh.

The DDP will do that to you - remember, hence the very powerful flushers ::yes::

Your Pop photography is GORGEOUS!!! Lovin' it.

I like the cube too. Our cubes are completely gray as well. Mine is half covered with notes and junk I need to know, the other half is Henry.

GreatBiscuit

08-11-2009, 05:56 PM

Great trip report. You are a really good writer. Keep those updates comin'!Thanks and :welcome: ! Glad to have you aboard!

I'm so glad the Little Biscuits liked Star Tours! That must have made you one Proud Poppa. :goodvibes:

I'm sorry to read about your...uh...incident. I've been there.

And in every bathroom at the AK.

Sigh.

The DDP will do that to you - remember, hence the very powerful flushers ::yes::

Your Pop photography is GORGEOUS!!! Lovin' it.

I like the cube too. Our cubes are completely gray as well. Mine is half covered with notes and junk I need to know, the other half is Henry.Hey BE! I was quite a proud Star Tours dad! That darn DDP def has some side effects. BUT, I'd gladly deal with them again for another round of dining! Glad you liked the photos! More coming soon.

GreatBiscuit

08-11-2009, 06:04 PM

Greetings all! Tahli had her tonsils out this morning and has come through just fine. We were all surprised by just how well she's done. She chatted up the nurses going in, and asked if she could put herself to sleep. They let her hold the mask and she was a regular little OR nurse. She woke up a bit disoriented, but no nausea. She immediately began with ice chips and they gave her a popsicle. (She loved that.) We're home now and she's doing great. I probably will not have time to do a full on episode today, but I plan to have one up tomorrow. We did get a date on Papa's surgery. He goes back in this Monday. They ought to give us our own suite or something. Anyway, have a great day and I'll check in again tomorrow.

whogirl'smom

08-11-2009, 09:47 PM

What a brave little trooper! Tell Tahli she's in our thoughts and prayers. :hug: One of dd's friends had her tonsils out last year and it has made a world of difference in how much healthier she's been.

Psst...just wanted to tell you I started a trip report and there's a nod to you in there for inspiration for one of my pictures. :goodvibes Not that it turned out as well, but I tried!

GreatBiscuit

08-12-2009, 12:27 AM

What a brave little trooper! Tell Tahli she's in our thoughts and prayers. :hug: One of dd's friends had her tonsils out last year and it has made a world of difference in how much healthier she's been.She's been doing great!

Psst...just wanted to tell you I started a trip report and there's a nod to you in there for inspiration for one of my pictures. :goodvibes Not that it turned out as well, but I tried!AWESOME! :hug: I'm going to be checking it out!

All7OfUs

08-12-2009, 01:52 AM

burly

08-12-2009, 02:38 AM

popcorn::

SunnieRN

08-12-2009, 06:54 AM

AshClan

08-12-2009, 08:13 AM

That's great news about Tahli handling her surgery so well! Prayers for her continued recovery and for the same level of success for Papa Biscuit.

Oh, and just to add my 2 cents. Put me on the list of women horrified at your choice of food after such a horrible *ahem* stomach incident :eek: Wouldn't have been my choice, for sure. But glad it worked out for ya.;)

Looking forward to more, but doing my best to be patient.....:rolleyes:

KittyKat08

08-12-2009, 03:01 PM

Boy did I have alot of catching up to do. Anyway your photos so far are absolutely wonderful I just love them. Your cubicle at work is totally cool! :thumbsup2

I'm so glad that your kids liked Star Tours, it's an old ride but still one of the best as far as I'm concerned.

Soooooo sorry about your tummy issues, not the best way to wake up. I have been there and done that. I am hoping that your day at Animal Kingdom goes off without a hitch and your not visiting every bathroom they have there. :rolleyes:

Glad to hear that Tahlia's operation went well and that she is healing nicely and I will continue to keep papa biscuit in my thoughts for his upcoming surgery.

Can't wait for the next update and more of your great photos. Keep up the good work. :goodvibes

Sleepingbooty

08-12-2009, 03:30 PM

I got a little behind, but now I'm up to date. Awesome updates! I'm so glad your panoramic prints came out so well! Walmart, huh? I'll remember that for when I get around to printing some.

GreatBiscuit

08-12-2009, 09:59 PM

I remember when my oldest had his out in 1998. It was awful! He was pretty sick for days, and really couldn't eat for about a week. Poor thing.

Hope Tahli continues to do so well! Consider it a HUGE blessing!

Glad she's doing so well and prayers for Tahli aand Papa Biscuit!! Looking forward to the update!

That's great news about Tahli handling her surgery so well! Prayers for her continued recovery and for the same level of success for Papa Biscuit.

Glad to hear that Tahlia's operation went well and that she is healing nicely and I will continue to keep papa biscuit in my thoughts for his upcoming surgery.

Thanks everyone! Tahli is doing great. She’s a little more sore today, but is still handling it very well.

popcorn:::3dglasses

Oh, and just to add my 2 cents. Put me on the list of women horrified at your choice of food after such a horrible *ahem* stomach incident :eek: Wouldn't have been my choice, for sure. But glad it worked out for ya.;) I added you to the list.

Boy did I have alot of catching up to do. Anyway your photos so far are absolutely wonderful I just love them. Your cubicle at work is totally cool! :thumbsup2Thanks!

I'm so glad that your kids liked Star Tours, it's an old ride but still one of the best as far as I'm concerned. Gotta love that ride. A little rehab wouldn’t hurt it, (maybe) but hey, I’m just glad it’s still there.

Soooooo sorry about your tummy issues, not the best way to wake up. I have been there and done that. I am hoping that your day at Animal Kingdom goes off without a hitch and your not visiting every bathroom they have there. :rolleyes: Fortunately this was the one time engagement.

I got a little behind, but now I'm up to date. Awesome updates! I'm so glad your panoramic prints came out so well! Walmart, huh? I'll remember that for when I get around to printing some.Just don’t try to have them printed in the store. Otherwise they’ll look at you like you just announced a Code 6 in Cosmetics. (Whatever that means.) Go to the website, and click the option for a poster collage, change the orientation to Landscape and add your panoramic shots. It takes about 2 weeks for them to come. I did 2 per poster on a black background then cut them out when they came. I would up going with the 16”x20” posters.

GreatBiscuit

08-12-2009, 10:11 PM

We’re on day two of Tahli’s recovery from her tonsillectomy. So far it’s been harder on Tracy and I than it has on her. When she opened her eyes in recovery, she didn’t cry, just looked at Tracy and said “I’m in pain,” with a little tear on her cheek. If that doesn’t break your heart, nothing will. She did great the rest of the day though, never did really cry or fuss. She’d let us know if she was hurting which wasn’t all that often, and usually something cold to drink would do the trick. Last night went well. I woke her up twice to take her pain meds and it seemed to work. She slept in and hasn’t complained too much today. She is fairly tired, and is not as eager to eat & drink as she was yesterday afternoon, but all in all, she is doing fantastic. We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Thanks to all for the prayers. We know God is watching over her and praise Him for her excellent progress.

Previously on Biscuit’s Grand Adventure, I had a rude awakening, downed a fried food chaser and took a photographic journey around the Pop Century. After arranging a meeting time with my dad, I returned to the room and shared my tales of woe and triumph. I helped Tracy get the girls ready, and we arrived at the bus stop around 11:30. (With the late night the two days before, and our scheduled evening EMH at Magic Kingdom, we felt it best to let them sleep in.) Today was Animal Kingdom Day and I was pretty excited about that. It was also hot as a big dog outside. By the time we hit the bus stops, we were already needing us some AC.

The kids were all in a happy mood though and we were soon settled in and enjoying the bus ride.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1180.jpg

Our first stop was at Disney’s Blizzard Beach. We never went inside this park, but it looked cool from the parking lot. Only one family disembarked and no one else got on. In fact, it was a bit odd in that the bus stops were all deserted. (I think this was the only time the entire trip I saw that.) Soon we were back on the road and headed to Animal Kingdom.

I was excited as I had never been inside this park before. (Another WDW first for the trip.) The bus finally pulled up we set out towards the main entrance,

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01133.jpg

Did I mention yet that it was hot that day? Let me tell you, we were feeling it big time by the time we hit the turnstiles. We went ahead and went with strollers again because we were planning on doing Evening Extra Magic Hour and with it being so hot outside, I wasn’t sure how long the kids would last without them.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01134.jpg

I had studied the maps of the place and had a reasonable idea as to the general layout of the park. It actually wound up being a fairly easy park to navigate. I checked out the schedule of everything happening that day, and we decided to grab FastPasses for Kali River Rapids, then head over to the one o’clock showing of Finding Nemo the musical.

We headed to Kali and had another potty break in the outside dining area for Yak & Yeti, right across from the FastPass booths. I’m not sure if they were having an off day, or if there was an attempt in inject third world restroom ambiance, but this place was STANKY. (Which is about 3 rungs above odiferous.) If ever a restroom qualified as a jordanyosh quintuple flush, this was it. There was trash on the floor, a wait to get in, it was hot inside, and as mentioned before it was STANKY. I don’t know what happened in there, but I’m fairly certain medical attention was required afterwards. (And no, it wasn’t the bacon and “taters coming back to bite me in the biscuit. The place was like that when I got there. Seriously. Quite shaking your head...)

EDITORIAL UPDATE -8/13! Having done further research into the general state of this particular facility, I see that it rated a double flush on Jordan's last visit. You can check out the review (and photo) here. (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=24024137&postcount=2040) So I guess it just depends on when you hit it up.

After bidding a hasty goodbye to the Yak & Yeti Stalls of Doom, we grabbed our FP’s and headed to Finding Nemo. As luck would have it, we only stood in line for about 5 min before it started moving. At first I was a bit nervous that this meant we were too far back in line to get into the show. Fortunately we made it into the theater and were soon seated in the center section near the top. We had a bit of a wait before the show started, but we were all so happy to be in air conditioning that we didn’t care. It was just CRAZY hot outside.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01137.jpg

We sat awhile and marveled at just how efficient Disney was at loading this theater to its full capacity. The lines of people just kept streaming in behind us and it was a good 20 minutes after we sat down before they shut the doors.

I took advantage of the moment to update my live TR and tried a few photos.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01136.jpg

I also broke out the video camera as it had been grossly neglected during the first couple of days of the trip. The show soon started and we were all mesmerized. The whole concept of puppets/actors being co-characters was amazing to see. Tahli was especially impressed with the show and would later tell us that it was here favorite thing of the entire trip.

Near the end of the show, I felt a tug on my shirt. I looked down into the worried eyes of Hailee who advised me of the need for a potty run NOW. I started grabbing gear and packing up as I knew we wouldn’t make it back before the show ended. Within 30 seconds I had everything packed up and ready to fly. It just so happened as I stood up, the show ended so we were able to go rushing out the door. Two questions now remained. Where were the potties and would me make it time? Tune in next time for the continuing saga of hot and hungry Biscuits.

Coming on Episode 62 –Rapids and Ribs

Click here for the next episode! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33292424&postcount=945)

All7OfUs

08-13-2009, 01:42 AM

We, too, were mesmerized by the Nemo show! It was absolutely gorgeous, amazing, and stunning!

Good call with doing some stroller action! With that kind of heat, it's tough for the young'uns to hold out. Speaking of "holding" it, so hope you made it, and that the "rapids" you are referring to are not the "rapids of LittlePotty" but the Kali!

SunnieRN

08-13-2009, 04:15 AM

The Nemo show was fantastic and I know what you mean about the lines!! It feels like it goes on forever and you will never get to the end, lrt alone into the show! But then you do and it is so worth it!! Looking forward to more!!

The girls look so cute!!

Normangirls

08-13-2009, 09:52 AM

Just reported:

The EPA Hazardous Site Sanitation Crew will be working on the Yak and Yeti Stalls of Doom soon. They are still finishing up their clean up in EPCOT just outside of Canada.

GreatBiscuit

08-13-2009, 02:47 PM

We, too, were mesmerized by the Nemo show! It was absolutely gorgeous, amazing, and stunning! Totally awesome show for sure! :thumbsup2

Good call with doing some stroller action! With that kind of heat, it's tough for the young'uns to hold out. Speaking of "holding" it, so hope you made it, and that the "rapids" you are referring to are not the "rapids of LittlePotty" but the Kali!The stroller was definitely the way to go.

The Nemo show was fantastic and I know what you mean about the lines!! It feels like it goes on forever and you will never get to the end, lrt alone into the show! But then you do and it is so worth it!! Looking forward to more!!

The girls look so cute!!Thanks! This being my first visit to AK, I was not sure how to gage the line length, but it worked out just fine.

Just reported:

The EPA Hazardous Site Sanitation Crew will be working on the Yak and Yeti Stalls of Doom soon. They are still finishing up their clean up in EPCOT just outside of Canada.The infamous #4! That is still the greatest WDW potty story of all time!

MrsSpratt

08-13-2009, 03:51 PM

Hi, GB!

Tahlia is in my prayers - and you might have seen one of my dear friends in the Nemo show!

Ok - I guess the entire Biscuit Caln is im my prayers - Papa, Tahlia, and of course, GREAT BISCUIT!

Mrs. Spratt

ps - I'm really impressed you went digging for Jordan's rating, but apparently that restroom's ratings depend on the time of day, phase of the moon, etc...

eandesmom

08-13-2009, 06:40 PM

At some point in the night my conscious brain, received an urgent page from my subconscious brain and was ordered to report to the bridge immediately. Stumbling in and half awake, it was dazed and confused as to the nature of the emergency. Alarm bells were ringing, ensigns were frantically pressing buttons and Scotty the bowel muscle (See episode 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) was on the viewscreen. He advised that we had about 7.4 microns to make it to the potty before a set of Disney bedding was added to our Keys to the World cards.

Aack! how awful

The first thing that surprised me was that there were several people out running. I didn’t know people ran in real life. I thought that was just stunt people on TV. I figure there only three reasons a fellow ought to run. One I had already done that morning, getting to an attraction had already been done the night before, and as there were no snakes in sight, I figured I was good on the third.

As I was leaving the bridge area, I came across this little guy.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01070.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

Just goes to show that not all mice at Disney are happy mice.

Everything Pop was bustling that morning. After I filled my mug, I sat for a few minutes and did some people watching. The Sprite helped settle my stomach a bit and the smell of breakfast actually had me feeling hungry. Figuring if I was gonna jump in the water, it may as well be head first, I went in search of some Biscuit’s and Gravy. It was then that I made a sad and troubling discovery. They don’t sell Biscuit’s and Gravy anywhere at the Pop! I was outraged! Incensed! How can this be? Who opened a restaurant in the South that DOESN’T have Biscuits and Gravy? (Yes I know I keep capitalizing Biscuit’s and Gravy…that’s because in Texas, Biscuits and Gravy is a sacred dish.)
[/URL][/B]

you crack me up. And are a brave soul in my book if you are going to try Biscuits in Gravy at an unknwn venue (there's a lot of scary B&G out there in my opinion but when it's good...it's very very good). See, they aren't selling it b/c those runners won't eat it. JK!
We’re on day two of Tahli’s recovery from her tonsillectomy. So far it’s been harder on Tracy and I than it has on her. When she opened her eyes in recovery, she didn’t cry, just looked at Tracy and said “I’m in pain,” with a little tear on her cheek. If that doesn’t break your heart, nothing will. She did great the rest of the day though, never did really cry or fuss. She’d let us know if she was hurting which wasn’t all that often, and usually something cold to drink would do the trick. Last night went well. I woke her up twice to take her pain meds and it seemed to work. She slept in and hasn’t complained too much today. She is fairly tired, and is not as eager to eat & drink as she was yesterday afternoon, but all in all, she is doing fantastic. We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Thanks to all for the prayers. We know God is watching over her and praise Him for her excellent progress.

I'm glad to hear she is doing ok! It isn't fun recovery at first. But she will remember all those popsicles!

We headed to Kali and had another potty break in the outside dining area for Yak & Yeti, right across from the FastPass booths. I’m not sure if they were having an off day, or if there was an attempt in inject third world restroom ambiance, but this place was STANKY. (Which is about 3 rungs above odiferous.) If ever a restroom qualified as a jordanyosh quintuple flush, this was it. There was trash on the floor, a wait to get in, it was hot inside, and as mentioned before it was STANKY. I don’t know what happened in there, but I’m fairly certain medical attention was required afterwards. (And no, it wasn’t the bacon and “taters coming back to bite me in the biscuit. The place was like that when I got there. Seriously. Quite shaking your head...)

After bidding a hasty goodbye to the Yak & Yeti Stalls of Doom, we grabbed our FP’s and headed to Finding Nemo. As luck would have it, we only stood in line for about 5 min before it started moving. At first I was a bit nervous that this meant we were too far back in line to get into the show. Fortunately we made it into the theater and were soon seated in the center section near the top. We had a bit of a wait before the show started, but we were all so happy to be in air conditioning that we didn’t care. It was just CRAZY hot outside.

The whole concept of puppets/actors being co-characters was amazing to see. Tahli was especially impressed with the show and would later tell us that it was here favorite thing of the entire trip.

Near the end of the show, I felt a tug on my shirt. I looked down into the worried eyes of Hailee who advised me of the need for a potty run NOW. I started grabbing gear and packing up as I knew we wouldn’t make it back before the show ended. Within 30 seconds I had everything packed up and ready to fly. It just so happened as I stood up, the show ended so we were able to go rushing out the door. Two questions now remained. Where were the potties and would me make it time? Tune in next time for the continuing saga of hot and hungry Biscuits.

Coming on Episode 62 –Rapids and Ribs

Remind me never to use the restroom there, pretty sure we hit a different one, multiple times. I must see this show on our next trip! I hope Hailee makes it out ok!

MKBekka

08-13-2009, 11:41 PM

Awesome!! The Nemo show! I loved the Nemo show, it must have been one of my favorite things of the whole trip!

My Dad detests mice, even Disney mice. He makes us set a trap in the winter when they invade our house. Our record is 7 in one day. :scared1:

brookelizabeth

08-13-2009, 11:43 PM

I am glad to hear Thali is doing well after her surgery!!

Nemo is such a beautiful show! Aren't those puppets amazing??? Ahhhh...I hope we squeeze it in again this coming trip...and H doesn't cry the entire time. :rolleyes1

So, were ya likin' AK?

GreatBiscuit

08-14-2009, 09:54 PM

Hi, GB! Howdy!

Tahlia is in my prayers - and you might have seen one of my dear friends in the Nemo show! Cool! Was it a cast member?

Ok - I guess the entire Biscuit Caln is im my prayers - Papa, Tahlia, and of course, GREAT BISCUIT! Thanks!

ps - I'm really impressed you went digging for Jordan's rating, but apparently that restroom's ratings depend on the time of day, phase of the moon, etc...Around here, we aim to please!

you crack me up. And are a brave soul in my book if you are going to try Biscuits in Gravy at an unknwn venue (there's a lot of scary B&G out there in my opinion but when it's good...it's very very good). See, they aren't selling it b/c those runners won't eat it. JK! A good point. I’ve some Biscuits and Gravy that was a downright abomination.

I'm glad to hear she is doing ok! It isn't fun recovery at first. But she will remember all those popsicles! The popsicles are freely flowing at the Biscuit ranch.

Remind me never to use the restroom there, pretty sure we hit a different one, multiple times. I must see this show on our next trip! I hope Hailee makes it out ok!You’d love Nemo! (Of course I have way to PROVE that statement, but I’m sticking by it none the less.)

Awesome!! The Nemo show! I loved the Nemo show, it must have been one of my favorite things of the whole trip! Nemo fans representing!

My Dad detests mice, even Disney mice. He makes us set a trap in the winter when they invade our house. Our record is 7 in one day. :scared1:That’s a lot of mice. I’m not a fan of the live ones myself.

I am glad to hear Thali is doing well after her surgery!! Thanks BE!

Nemo is such a beautiful show! Aren't those puppets amazing??? Ahhhh...I hope we squeeze it in again this coming trip...and H doesn't cry the entire time. :rolleyes1

So, were ya likin' AK?Loving AK. I hope you guys get to do a successful Nemo Show!

Hey all! Things will settle down around here soon. (Lord willing and the creek don't rise.) I hope to be back to normal update status next week.

Adios!

bedillamouse

08-14-2009, 11:46 PM

I've been gone for a while....life stuff keeps getting in the way of disboarding!

sorry to hear about all of the hospital visits! I'll keep your family in our prayers! I love the pics in the cubical! I did that tooo but not with the awesome pics you have!

the bathroom explosions cracked me up! That is the worst feeling being woken up that way but it is better than any alarm clock I've ever found! there is NO snooze button on that one!!

TupperMom7

08-15-2009, 09:56 PM

I had my tonsils out when I was 9. They told me I could have as much ice cream as I wanted after the operation. I couldn't even manage to eat a bite of popsicle. So I understand how Tahli felt. :sick:
The upside to having my tonsils out was a bag of toys from my Mom when I got home (nothing expensive) and a card signed by everyone in my class. I was thrilled!:lovestruc
I hope Tahli is feeling better soon.

burly

08-16-2009, 12:36 PM

Yay an update. :thumbsup2

jordanyosh

08-18-2009, 03:41 AM

I think those were the same restrooms that I felt like I was IN India as the people in the restroom with me were Indian. I "enjoyed" these restrooms as it was quite hot that day and the A/C was going full blast in the restrooms that day. Restrooms attached in one way or another to a restaurant are hit and miss. I feel like they get less attention from CMs.

All7OfUs

08-19-2009, 12:28 AM

How's Tahli doing??

You haven't updated in a spell, hopefully that means you are all doing okay.

jordanyosh

08-19-2009, 12:40 AM

I working my way backwards in your TR. I just read of your unfortunate encounter between your stomach and the toilet. Reminds me of the Red Onion Debacle 2008 Edition.

You take some great pix my friend. I love Pop early morning or late night. I saw it more the latter than the former.....:rolleyes1

GreatBiscuit

08-19-2009, 04:30 PM

I've been gone for a while....life stuff keeps getting in the way of disboarding!Believe me, I know ALL ABOUT that!

sorry to hear about all of the hospital visits! I'll keep your family in our prayers! I love the pics in the cubical! I did that tooo but not with the awesome pics you have!Thanks! All our patients are home and doing well!

That is the worst feeling being woken up that way but it is better than any alarm clock I've ever found! there is NO snooze button on that one!!:lmao: You make a valid point. When it comes to "just five more minutes", one's bowelss do not negotiate.

I had my tonsils out when I was 9. They told me I could have as much ice cream as I wanted after the operation. I couldn't even manage to eat a bite of popsicle. So I understand how Tahli felt. :sick:
The upside to having my tonsils out was a bag of toys from my Mom when I got home (nothing expensive) and a card signed by everyone in my class. I was thrilled!:lovestruc
I hope Tahli is feeling better soon.Thanks! She is doing pretty well now. Loving all the attention of course.

Yay an update. :thumbsup2:banana:

I think those were the same restrooms that I felt like I was IN India as the people in the restroom with me were Indian. I "enjoyed" these restrooms as it was quite hot that day and the A/C was going full blast in the restrooms that day. Restrooms attached in one way or another to a restaurant are hit and miss. I feel like they get less attention from CMs.Probably so. We stopped at Cosmic Ray's twice on this trip and the bathrooms were great one night and not so great the next. I guess it depends on when the last cleaning was.

How's Tahli doing??

You haven't updated in a spell, hopefully that means you are all doing okay. She's doing well, thanks! We are all good, but busy as all get out.

I working my way backwards in your TR. I just read of your unfortunate encounter between your stomach and the toilet. Reminds me of the Red Onion Debacle 2008 Edition.I'm telling you, that's a bad deal right there man!

You take some great pix my friend. I love Pop early morning or late night. I saw it more the latter than the former.....:rolleyes1Thanks Jordan! Aside from this singular excursion, I mostly saw it at night as well!

Well, Papa's second surgical encounter went much better. He went home yesterday and is sore, but doing well. Tahli had a bout over the weekend with ear pain, but as she was already on antibotics and pain meds, there was not much more we could do for her. Today was her first morning without Codine so we'll see how it goes.

Tracy has been having a JOYFUL week getting ready for the school year. As I mentioned before they replaced all the flooring in her school over the summer, so she had to set up her classroom from scrtach. We've done 4 runs from the storage shed and have pretty much everything up there now. BUT an over-eager administrator threw a monkey wrench in the works. For reasons unknown, they decided yesterday that removing the teacher's desks from all the classrooms would enhance the learning evironment. How, I'm not really sure...appreantly we underlings don't need to question such things. :teacher: SO...now we have to go buy her a work table and rubbermaids to store all her supplies in. :mad: On the plus side, it's tax deductible, on the downside, the IRS only allows teachers to deduct $250 for classroom supplies per year and we already blow past that every single year. :sad2:

Add to that the special project at work, meet the teacher night, Tahli's recovery, Papa surgery, and last minute school shopping for the girls and it has been a CRAZY weekend/week. But, I'm still blessed. Tahli did exceptionally well at her recovery; with Ana fizzling and Bill turning, I haven't had to put in the extra 20-30 hours per week we normally put in during a hurricane AND no one is in danger of losing their homes or lives; Papa didn't have any more complications; and a job with no desk is better than being unemployed with one.

I saw several of your comments as they would bling me on my phone, and appreciate how great everyone is at checking in on us! I have an episode mostly ready, but the photos aren't ready yet. Normally I'd get them ready at lunch/dinner/whatever you call a 3:430-4:30 meal break, but I have to go up to the hosptial to deliver a gift for some friends just had a baby. :banana: :woohoo: SOOOOOO It will be late tonight before I get a chance to get home and get it posted.

Until then, laugh, smile, gurgle and grin!

jordanyosh

08-19-2009, 05:04 PM

All7OfUs

08-20-2009, 02:01 AM

Glad to hear you're doing well, in general. You had me worried that Papa didn't do so well there.

thanks for letting us all know. :hug:

GreatBiscuit

08-20-2009, 01:17 PM

Thanks for the life update GB. I hope things start to mellow out a bit for you. I do understand about being busy though:rolleyes1

It sounds like everything is going okay though and that's good.:thumbsup2

popcorn::Take your timeNo Prob! I had hoped to get an update in last night, but alas it was not to be! :sad2:

Glad to hear you're doing well, in general. You had me worried that Papa didn't do so well there.

thanks for letting us all know. :hug: Sorry to worry you! Everyone is recovering well. I'm a bit behind in my DISisng...time to go do some :laundy:

jordanyosh

08-20-2009, 01:21 PM

No Prob! I had hoped to get an update in last night, but alas it was not to be! :sad2:

I understand that as well....no worries brother.

burly

08-21-2009, 09:44 AM

Your updates are worth the wait. popcorn::

whogirl'smom

08-21-2009, 01:15 PM

Glad everything is going okay, just busy. I agree that teachers need a desk!!! Did they take the principal's desk, too? :lmao:

AshClan

08-22-2009, 10:23 AM

Happy to see the life update, GB, and it's great to hear that Papa B did well and that Tahli continues to recover! No teacher desks??? That seems bizarre to me. Bless the Lady Biscuit for going with the flow. Can't imagine having all the BTS craziness for your kids AND for yourself/your classroom all at once! Once again, I stand in awe of all our teachers. I know I could never do their job. And I am SO thankful to those who do do it! (And do it well!)

SunnieRN

08-22-2009, 03:05 PM

Not sure I understand how a teacher can teach without having a desk? Where do you have pens, pencils and all the other things you need at a moments notice? Do they expect the teachers to stand up all day?? Hmmmm, I guess I am just too old school as I can't quite understand this concept.

Glad to hear Papa Biscuit and Tahli are both doing well!!:thumbsup2

shebaxric

08-24-2009, 01:34 PM

Howdy Biscut!
I've returned and am all caught up on your TR. I'm so sorry to hear about digestive issues at WDW, that is never good. I'm glad that it didn't last too long, though (or did it???). Also, I didn't catch the post where you mentioned Tahli had a tonsilectomy???:scared1: Poor baby, I hope that she is now fully recovered! I cannot wait to visit Tahli's favorite attraction when we go in November, we've never seen this one!

BTW, did you get a chance to go and read Peter Panic Attack's TR? I just wanted to see if you had enjoyed any of it.:)

DisneyMomLiz

08-24-2009, 01:55 PM

Glad to hear all is well with the family. :goodvibes Continued blessings for all!

As PP mentioned...your updates are worth the wait popcorn::

:thumbsup2

GreatBiscuit

08-24-2009, 06:01 PM

I understand that as well....no worries brother.:thumbsup2

Your updates are worth the wait. popcorn::Hey Burly! Thanks! Coming up soon!

Glad everything is going okay, just busy. I agree that teachers need a desk!!! Did they take the principal's desk, too? :lmao:Hey WGM! Hope all is going well. Your’s is a TR I’m in need of catching up on. I’ll be over soon!

Happy to see the life update, GB, and it's great to hear that Papa B did well and that Tahli continues to recover! Hey AC! Thanks for the well wishes!

No teacher desks??? That seems bizarre to me. Bless the Lady Biscuit for going with the flow. Can't imagine having all the BTS craziness for your kids AND for yourself/your classroom all at once! Once again, I stand in awe of all our teachers. I know I could never do their job. And I am SO thankful to those who do do it! (And do it well!) :sad2: It’s a nutty world we live in my friend.

Not sure I understand how a teacher can teach without having a desk? Where do you have pens, pencils and all the other things you need at a moments notice? Do they expect the teachers to stand up all day?? Hmmmm, I guess I am just too old school as I can't quite understand this concept. You got me. We’ve stocked up on stackable Rubbermaid drawers so hopefully that will work for her.

Glad to hear Papa Biscuit and Tahli are both doing well!!:thumbsup2Thanks!

Howdy Biscut!
I've returned and am all caught up on your TR. I'm so sorry to hear about digestive issues at WDW, that is never good. I'm glad that it didn't last too long, though (or did it???). Also, I didn't catch the post where you mentioned Tahli had a tonsilectomy???:scared1: Poor baby, I hope that she is now fully recovered! I cannot wait to visit Tahli's favorite attraction when we go in November, we've never seen this one! Hey! Welcome back!

BTW, did you get a chance to go and read Peter Panic Attack's TR? I just wanted to see if you had enjoyed any of it.:)I’ve started but not finished. Wound up falling behind on several TR’s the past couple of weeks. But I hope to be back up to date soon.

Glad to hear all is well with the family. :goodvibes Continued blessings for all! Thanks!

As PP mentioned...your updates are worth the wait popcorn::

:thumbsup2Thanks! Speaking of..I'm off to post!

GreatBiscuit

08-24-2009, 06:12 PM

Previously on Biscuit’s Grand Adventure, stalls of doom were discovered, fast passes were procured and Tahli discovered her favorite attraction. Having successfully located Nemo, we headed back to the stroller parking area. We were in need of a restroom and I was reasonably sure we would locate one in Dinoland USA.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/37860021.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/37860020.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

We wound up in Hester and Chester’s Dinorama and I hurried us past the carnival booths and towards the buildings in the back. Sure enough, there was a restroom just behind Primeval Whirl.

I’m not really sure what to think about this area of the park. When you read up on Walt’s concept of Disneyland, it was created to be a place that was unlike typical amusement parks. He wanted to get away from the whole carnival barker atmosphere. It was a bit weird to walk through and see all of the midway games and such that I’ve come to expect at the county fair and other amusement parks. Don’t get me wrong, Dinoland USA is certainly well themed and I’m sure a fun place to hang out. It just seems to be a bit at odds with what makes the Disney parks so unique to begin with.

Anyway, back to our narrative. We managed to get to the facilities before disaster fell and soon regrouped to plan our next move. The kids all wanted to ride Triceratop Spin, so Jana and Nana took them on it while Tracy, Papa and I set out to score a table and some chow.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1185.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

I remembered passing Flame Tree BBQ on the way to Nemo and figured it was as good a spot as any for lunch. I gave Nana a general idea of how to get there and wished the girls a happy ride. A quick hop, skip and jump later, we were in line and checking out our options.

(It was also here that a giant wooden lizard tried to eat Papa’s hat!)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01141.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

After a quick perusal of the menu, I settled on the ribs, while First Lady Biscuit elected to try the chicken. We also ordered up a basket of onion rings and of course the requisite kids meals for the girls. It took a few minutes for the food to come out, and then a few more to get all the napkins, condiments and such piled onto the tray. We then began the bizarre task of finding a table in this establishment. We meandered through the pathways next to the restaurant and eventually located a pavilion with empty tables next to the river.

There were water foul in abundance and after shooing away a couple of overeager ducks, we set up shop at two tables. Nana called and said they were on the way so I went back up to meet them and show them where we were sitting. .

I have to say the food was pretty good.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/DSC01140.jpg
(Sony Cybershot DSC-S700, Auto Mode)

The only drawback was no AC. The covered pavilion and the ceiling fans helped some, but I don’t know that I would come back during the summer months. It was still mighty warm under there.

Soon everyone was settled in and munching down. It went something like this. “Hurry up and eat” “Don’t feed the ducks” “Wipe your face” “Don’t put that in your mouth” “You’ve got some on your nose” “Stop playing with your food” “Leave your shoes on”. (Finally I told Tracy to leave me alone eat her chicken.)

The girls were still nibbling on their lunches when I finished so I fished out my camera and recruited the pavilion railing as a temporary tripod.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/37860016.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/37860012.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/37860013.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/37860015.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/37860018.jpg
(Nikon N60, Sigma 70-300, Auto Mode, ISO 400)

I don’t think anyone really finished their entire meal. It’s not that the food was bad, it was just so hot, even in the shade, that you really didn’t feel like eating that much. There was one thing though that promised to cool us down. Kali River Rapids.

The time for Fastpass redemption was upon us my friends and with a quick nod of farewell to the ducks, we headed back to Asia. Papa was not feeling all that great and decided to pass on bouncing down the rapids with us. I pulled the disposable waterproof camera out of the backpack and left the rest with him. He sat in the Yak & Yeti seating area whilst everyone else headed down the queue trail.

I knew this ride would be a hit after our training run the summer before. Both girls had loved the rapids ride at Six Flags so I was fairly confident they would enjoy this one. We boarded our raft and I stowed my shoes & socks in the middle water proof compartment doomahotchey. Once everyone was settled, it was time to shove off. (Or whatever it is you do in a raft.)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/R1-22A.jpg
(Kodak Disposable Waterproof)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/R1-17A.jpg
(Kodak Disposable Waterproof)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/R1-23A.jpg
(Kodak Disposable Waterproof)

Hailee and I wound up going backwards on the big drop. We got a little wet.

Before:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/R1-21A.jpg
(Kodak Disposable Waterproof)

After:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/R1-19A.jpg
(Kodak Disposable Waterproof)

After the ride completed, we headed back towards Yak and Yeti and along the way, discovered a fountain. The other two kids were upset that Hailee was wetter than they were, so we quickly remedied said dilemma.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/R1-15A.jpg
(Kodak Disposable Waterproof)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/R1-16A.jpg
(Kodak Disposable Waterproof)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1186.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

Now that we all had equally soggy biscuits, it was time to head back to the resort. If you’ve been following along in your guide, you may want to jot this down as the one and ONLY day we actually stuck to the plan and did a mid-day swim break at the resort.

There were still other things at AK that we wanted to see, but it was just too hot out to enjoy ourselves. Plus, once your biscuit is soggy, well it’s just a different ballgame my friend. On our way back to the front of the park, the kids discovered a CM blowing bubbles and they stopped to play while Papa and I returned the strollers.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/100_1187.jpg
(Kodak Easy Share C713, Auto Mode)

Strollers successfully returned, everyone headed out to the bus stop where we had a reasonably short wait for a Pop Century bus. When it arrived, it was nice and cold inside. I have to say, when you’re walking around soaking wet and STILL feeling miserably hot, entering a freezing cold bus is about the greatest feeling known to man.

After returning to the Pop Century, we headed up to the room to get changed for our swim. I grabbed our mugs and brought them down for a refill while Tracy was getting the girls ready. I soon returned and took the girls to the Bowling Pin Pool, and left Tracy in the room to relax a bit and call her parents. Hailee was VERY excited to be heading to the Bowling Pin pool. She loves to bowl on Wii Sports and had been looking forward to this pool for a long time.

We only had about thirty minutes to swim before we needed to head back and start getting ready for our dinner reservation. I knew this would be an issue going in, but decided to go ahead and roll with it anyway. Papa and Preston came along as well, while Jana got packed up to go. She was going to be leaving shortly to return home.

The kids all had a ton of fun splashing around the pool. Everyone had a great time, but I must say, the water was HOT. It felt more like taking a bath than taking a swim. I’m not sure if this is the norm or not, but we wound up in all three pools before we left and this one was definitely warmer than the rest. We did several rounds of “motor boat” and the girls did some “surfing,” (standing on Daddy’s back while he swims underwater.)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/R1-11A.jpg
(Kodak Disposable Waterproof)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/R1-8A.jpg
(Kodak Disposable Waterproof)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/R1-7A.jpg
(Kodak Disposable Waterproof)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/R1-6A.jpg
(Kodak Disposable Waterproof)

Finally that dreaded moment approached when I had to tell them it was time to go. This of course resulted in a scramble of last minute jumps and splashes.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/greatbiscuit/WDW%202009/R1-5A.jpg
(Kodak Disposable Waterproof)

Eventually I managed to drag them from the pool and we collected our mugs and headed back to the homestead. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and life was generally nifty.

Coming on Episode 63 – 'Ohana means eating like a pig.

Click here for the Next Episode! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33407825&postcount=971)

TillyMarigold

08-24-2009, 06:44 PM

Backstage_Gal

08-24-2009, 09:31 PM

Sounds like the bisquit clan had a great time. Thanks for the update and pics. The girls look so cute in the pool.

SunnieRN

08-24-2009, 09:50 PM

Woo hoo, an update!!! That was so cute how the other kids had to get wet in the fountain, to be just like you and Hailee!:goodvibes

I knew you would give us some great EE pictures!! Fantastic!!

The girls looked so happy to be cooling off in the pool, great pictures!

jordanyosh

08-24-2009, 10:46 PM

with Tusker House being converted from a counter service to a buffet restaurant, now AK has only Pizzafari as a counter service restaurant with indoor A/C seating. I hope when they finally expand the park that they add another indoor CS restaurant.

I :love: mid day breaks and especially pool time. Looks like the kids had a blast at the hot tub, er, I mean the bowling pin pool.

All7OfUs

08-25-2009, 12:12 AM

Some general thoughts...

1) I never noticed (there's still a heap of things I haven't ever noticed in WDW!) that on those steps in Asia there is actually laundry drying there, just like you'd really find in real Asia!! Very cool.

2) You guys all had a very wet day there towards the end. Kali, fountains then a great, albeit too hot, pool. Nice!

3) I hate freezing cold busses anytime! Just me.

4) Even having known the backstory of Dino last time round, I still thought the whole area was cheesy and tacky. We left rather quickly! Asking for MORE $$ after you've already paid a hefty ticket price irks me more than freezing cold busses.

5) We LOVED Flame Tree! A most excellent fare, if I say so myself!! We opted for the BBQ sandwiches, and loved them!! But those ducks, they irked me more than paying for carnival games!

Beka

08-25-2009, 07:39 AM

AK in August (as you will soon read once I get the pics back & start my TR) is MISERABLE. I think it should be renamed to "Sauna".

That being said, I'm glad there was an update waiting for me this morning, as I start semester 4 of 5 of nursing school today. I needed a Mickey fix along with my coffee! :surfweb:

GreatBiscuit

08-25-2009, 03:55 PM

Dinoland USA always weirded me out until I heard the backstory, so I hope it helps you too:

Once upon a time, there was a paleontologist who had a fishing cabin in the middle of nowhere, pretty much the only other thing for miles around was a gas station (Chester & Hester's). Coincidentally, he found dino bones at his cabin (the Boneyard), so he founded the Dino Institute, a Very Serious Research Institution (home of "Dinosaur"). He and his paleontologist colleagues recruited grad students to come live there, and the grad students love to play practical jokes, such as writing "saurus" on the end of random words (like "Restaurantosaurus"). All the chairs on buildings, drawings on walls, etc., are the grad students (they're also the ones that change the program on Dinosaur). But remember Chester and Hester? Since people were starting to flock to the area, they decided to cash in and create a roadside tourist attraction--Dino-Rama. So the Serious Stuff belongs to the scientists (Dinosaur, including the Dino Institute Shop), the jokes belong to the student assistants (Restaurantosaurus is the grad student lounge), and the cartoon-y stuff (Chester & Hester's, Primeval Whirl, TriceraTop Spin, and Fossil Fun Games) is the locals who don't know what to make of all the fuss over their little rural community. Interesting.

Does that help? Marginally. At least they were creative in justifying a departure from the original vision.

I've never heard any justification for why Finding Nemo is there.Yeah, you got me on that one.

Sounds like the bisquit clan had a great time. Thanks for the update and pics. The girls look so cute in the pool.Thanks BSG! We had a ton of fun!

Woo hoo, an update!!! That was so cute how the other kids had to get wet in the fountain, to be just like you and Hailee!:goodvibesYeah, equality was paramount in everything. If one kid got a drink, they ALL wanted a drink. If one posed for a picture, they ALL wanted to pose for a picture. And so on and so forth…

I knew you would give us some great EE pictures!! Fantastic!! Thanks…they turned a bit odd on the photo CD. In the prints I got, the sky was pale blue and the colors were not quite so odd, but for some reason, the sky was white on the CD prints. I don’ t know enough about digital photos / photo software to make them look on the screen like they do on the prints. (If that makes any sense.)

The girls looked so happy to be cooling off in the pool, great pictures!They LOVE swimming so it was a no brainer.

with Tusker House being converted from a counter service to a buffet restaurant, now AK has only Pizzafari as a counter service restaurant with indoor A/C seating. I hope when they finally expand the park that they add another indoor CS restaurant. Yikes! I hadn’t heard that. I certainly hope they add another. Those tables were murder on a summer afternoon!

I :love: mid day breaks and especially pool time. Looks like the kids had a blast at the hot tub, er, I mean the bowling pin pool.

Some general thoughts...

1) I never noticed (there's still a heap of things I haven't ever noticed in WDW!) that on those steps in Asia there is actually laundry drying there, just like you'd really find in real Asia!! Very cool. I was amazed by the detail throughout AK.

2) You guys all had a very wet day there towards the end. Kali, fountains then a great, albeit too hot, pool. Nice! It was needed believe me!

3) I hate freezing cold busses anytime! Just me. Tahli agrees with your. That girl HATES being cold; point in case, she brings a blanket in the car going to school. In Texas. In AUGUST.

4) Even having known the backstory of Dino last time round, I still thought the whole area was cheesy and tacky. We left rather quickly! Asking for MORE $$ after you've already paid a hefty ticket price irks me more than freezing cold busses. Yeah, I wasn’t feeling it here. I just seemed out of place and struck me as somehow, less Disney than the rest of the parks.

5) We LOVED Flame Tree! A most excellent fare, if I say so myself!! We opted for the BBQ sandwiches, and loved them!! But those ducks, they irked me more than paying for carnival games!The food was definitely good. (At least the ribs and the onion rings were. I skipped the beans on pain of death from First Lady Biscuit.) The heat was the decidedly negative influence.

AK in August (as you will soon read once I get the pics back & start my TR) is MISERABLE. I think it should be renamed to "Sauna".A TR? WOOHOO! Can’t wait to read along! I can only imagine the place in Aug…June was miserable enough.

That being said, I'm glad there was an update waiting for me this morning, as I start semester 4 of 5 of nursing school today. I needed a Mickey fix along with my coffee! :surfweb:Happy to oblige. Have fun in school! As long as you remember that the foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone, you’ll be just fine.

MrsSpratt

08-25-2009, 06:19 PM

GB -

Another Great update! Glad to hear the Biscuit Clan is doing well...

Just one small favour to ask: Please Change your title when you add a new post! I've been worried b/c I didn't see anyhting new, but I knew things were a bit bumpy at Casa Del Biscuit, so I didn't want to check compulsively for new updates...anywho, your loyal readers want to know when there is new stuff!

Rant over. Hope I haven't upset you.

Best,

Mrs. Spratt

ps - He plays the shark!

GreatBiscuit

08-25-2009, 07:16 PM

GreatBiscuit

08-25-2009, 07:21 PM

ps - He plays the shark! OH! I get it! I was staring at this going "He who?" and wondering if a shark was some sort of new fangled instrument. Then I remebered you mentioned a friend in the Nemo cast. :lmao: I gotcha. I'm good now. See, I told you...Gas and fatigue. ::yes::

brookelizabeth

08-25-2009, 11:39 PM

Great update! Thank you for the reminder about Flame Tree not being air conditioned. I had it in my mind to eat here (NEXT WEEK!) for lunch, but perhaps if it's sorching hot, we'll hit up Pizzafari for the AC.

Love the pics of the kids in the fountain, and then all soakin' wet! I remember doing that-just getting drenched and loving it as a kid! So much fun.

Your "Next up" title made me laugh out loud! I understand...::yes::!

burly

08-26-2009, 12:05 AM

yay an update. see worth it. told ya so......
:dance3::upsidedow

chicagoshannon

08-26-2009, 08:19 AM

Animal Kingdom is always SO HOT! We didn't make it past mid day there either.

Can't wait to hear about Ohana!

AshClan

08-26-2009, 09:33 AM

Hi GB! Glad you guys had fun at AK. Loved the pictures of EE! I, too, miss the Tusker House air-conditioned counter service and hope to see more options there soon. Flame Tree is pretty good, food-wise, but the heat, and more for me, the DUCKS, can get rather annoying.

Yeah for taking the mid-day pool break! That's NEVER a bad idea ;)

whogirl'smom

08-26-2009, 11:15 AM

Oh, the dreaded backwards ride down the falls on Kali. :sad2: That was my first and last time on it--I should have taken shampoo and a pouf!!

Great shots from Flametree; we haven't eaten there so I didn't know it was so pretty back there! I just never want BBQ when it's 100 degrees out. The kids looked like they had a blast in the pool, surely it wasn't being heated in August! :eek:

Can't wait to hear about 'Ohana!

shebaxric

08-26-2009, 12:23 PM

Lovin the EE pictures!:thumbsup2 The kids look like they are having so much fun diving into the fountain! That is priceless! I too, am a lover of Flamtree, but I've never had the bird barrage that most people do.:confused3 I guess I'm just lucky, or we sit somewhere that isn't enveloped by birds. Your next installment's title had me rolling!:lmao: I really want to eat there when I go, so I'll have to read this next installment very carefully!popcorn::

GreatBiscuit

08-26-2009, 06:12 PM

Great update! Thank you for the reminder about Flame Tree not being air conditioned. I had it in my mind to eat here (NEXT WEEK!) for lunch, but perhaps if it's sorching hot, we'll hit up Pizzafari for the AC.You could pull a Hanna Montanna and do a whole best of both worlds thing. Namely grab you Flame Tree and schelp it over to a Pizzafari table. They aren't too far apart and I doubt you'd be evicted by the AK Secret Service.

Love the pics of the kids in the fountain, and then all soakin' wet! I remember doing that-just getting drenched and loving it as a kid! So much fun. They were laughing and squeeling the whole time! It wsa so much fun to watch.

yay an update. see worth it. told ya so......
:dance3::upsidedowHey Burly! Thanks! :hug:

Animal Kingdom is always SO HOT! We didn't make it past mid day there either. I didn't quite get how much hotter it would be until we were actually there. I'd heard it was the hottest park, but it's hard to quantify that mentally.
]

Hi GB! Glad you guys had fun at AK. Loved the pictures of EE! I, too, miss the Tusker House air-conditioned counter service and hope to see more options there soon. Flame Tree is pretty good, food-wise, but the heat, and more for me, the DUCKS, can get rather annoyingI hear you on the ducks. I don't mind em staring at you, but when they keep walking under the table, that's a bit much.

Yeah for taking the mid-day pool break! That's NEVER a bad idea ;)Amen sister!

Oh, the dreaded backwards ride down the falls on Kali. :sad2: That was my first and last time on it--I should have taken shampoo and a pouf!!I did not full appreciate the sheer volume of water that would land on my head when going down the hill. INSANE! But it felt WONDERFUL.

Great shots from Flametree; we haven't eaten there so I didn't know it was so pretty back there! I just never want BBQ when it's 100 degrees out. It was cool to see and I'm glad we ate there, but I won't go back in summertime.

The kids looked like they had a blast in the pool, surely it wasn't being heated in August! :eek:I think it was just from the heat of the day / less water volume compared to the other pools. (Mind you of course that I have absolutely no idea if this pool actually holds less water, but it sounds good. )

Lovin the EE pictures!:thumbsup2 The kids look like they are having so much fun diving into the fountain! That is priceless!Thanks! They had a blast!

I too, am a lover of Flamtree, but I've never had the bird barrage that most people do.:confused3 I guess I'm just lucky, or we sit somewhere that isn't enveloped by birds. Could be location. We were next to the river and there seemed to be more of them than in the other pavilions we passed.

Your "Next up" title made me laugh out loud! I understand...::yes::!

Can't wait to hear about Ohana![/QUOTE

[QUOTE=whogirl'smom;33316633]Can't wait to hear about 'Ohana!

Your next installment's title had me rolling!:lmao: I really want to eat there when I go, so I'll have to read this next installment very carefully!popcorn::

Thanks y'all! It was definitely a night to remember. (In a good way...not the Walter Lord way.)

eandesmom

08-26-2009, 09:30 PM

I’m not really sure what to think about this area of the park. When you read up on Walt’s concept of Disneyland, it was created to be a place that was unlike typical amusement parks. He wanted to get away from the whole carnival barker atmosphere. It was a bit weird to walk through and see all of the midway games and such that I’ve come to expect at the county fair and other amusement parks. Don’t get me wrong, Dinoland USA is certainly well themed and I’m sure a fun place to hang out. It just seems to be a bit at odds with what makes the Disney parks so unique to begin with.

I would tend to agree although since Dinosaur is adjacent to it and I love that ride, I'll make the exception for that. We've not spent much time in Dinoland for this very reason I have to say.

I have to say the food was pretty good.

The only drawback was no AC. The covered pavilion and the ceiling fans helped some, but I don’t know that I would come back during the summer months. It was still mighty warm under there. Soon everyone was settled in and munching down. It went something like this. “Hurry up and eat” “Don’t feed the ducks” “Wipe your face” “Don’t put that in your mouth” “You’ve got some on your nose” “Stop playing with your food” “Leave your shoes on”. (Finally I told Tracy to leave me alone eat her chicken.)

I don’t think anyone really finished their entire meal. It’s not that the food was bad, it was just so hot, even in the shade, that you really didn’t feel like eating that much.

That's what every meal at my house sounds like.

I would like to eat there someday but can see, on a hot day, how you might not eat much.

Great pics! My kids loved that fountain, bummer about the pool being so warm, ugh!

Great update as always.

PrincessV

08-27-2009, 11:52 AM

Sure enough, there was a restroom just behind Primeval Whirl.
Rather appropriately placed, too, right behind Primeval Hurl. ;)

Plus, once your biscuit is soggy, well it’s just a different ballgame my friend.
:rotfl2: Ain't that the truth?!

:grouphug: For all the life drama lately. Hope all the Biscuits are on the mend!

GreatBiscuit

08-27-2009, 10:10 PM

Great pics! My kids loved that fountain, bummer about the pool being so warm, ugh!Thanks - they had a great time! The pool was a letdown, but the rest of the evening would more than make up for it.

:grouphug: For all the life drama lately. Hope all the Biscuits are on the mend! Thanks PV! I've been loving your TR. Which reminds me...I need to go check for an update!

L8R :surfweb:

brookelizabeth

08-28-2009, 11:54 PM

You could pull a Hanna Montanna and do a whole best of both worlds thing. Namely grab you Flame Tree and schelp it over to a Pizzafari table. They aren't too far apart and I doubt you'd be evicted by the AK Secret Service.

Thank you for explaining what the "pull a Hannah Montana" meant - I would have had no clue! :lmao:

But, yes, that could be a very good plan.

Is a blonde wig required? ;)

Sleepingbooty

08-29-2009, 02:58 PM

Great update, Biscuit! I love the food at Flame Tree, but I know what you mean about eating outside in the heat. Is Pizzafari really that close? I've never been there so I can't picture where it is, but I would totally take my bbq and find an air conditioned table if I could - good idea!

Rebecuberduber

08-30-2009, 01:46 AM

Whew, I made it! I just stumbled upon your TR the other day, and found myself reading all the way through it. Very entertaining!! I keep laughing out loud, and then my DH asks what's so funny, and I have to back up and read the post to him. He really should just read it himself, except that I'm not sharing the computer. I'm lovin' it! Cute kids, too, btw.
I love, love, loved Flame Tree when we went last trip, but it was nighttime EMH and we were the only ones there. Well, besides one other family. Maybe two. It was so beautiful to explore all the little pathways and seating areas at night when it was cool and quiet. Not to mention the food was great! I can understand about it being not so loveable in the midday heat with the midday crowds, though. Try it at night, sometime. You'll thank me later. ;)

Beka

08-30-2009, 07:30 AM

We were in line & all set to try some Flame Tree, but it started to rain, and no food is worth getting drenched for, then sitting on a wet chair. I can get real BBQ at home if I have to. The chicken looks soooo good, so we'll definitely have to go there next trip.

(BTW, the TR is started!)

GreatBiscuit

08-31-2009, 02:29 PM

Thank you for explaining what the "pull a Hannah Montana" meant - I would have had no clue! :lmao:

But, yes, that could be a very good plan.

Is a blonde wig required? ;)Not required, but it does help!

Great update, Biscuit! I love the food at Flame Tree, but I know what you mean about eating outside in the heat. Is Pizzafari really that close? I've never been there so I can't picture where it is, but I would totally take my bbq and find an air conditioned table if I could - good idea!Flame Tree Food Sneakers Unite!

Whew, I made it! I just stumbled upon your TR the other day, and found myself reading all the way through it. Very entertaining!! I keep laughing out loud, and then my DH asks what's so funny, and I have to back up and read the post to him. He really should just read it himself, except that I'm not sharing the computer. I'm lovin' it! Cute kids, too, btw.
I love, love, loved Flame Tree when we went last trip, but it was nighttime EMH and we were the only ones there. Well, besides one other family. Maybe two. It was so beautiful to explore all the little pathways and seating areas at night when it was cool and quiet. Not to mention the food was great! I can understand about it being not so loveable in the midday heat with the midday crowds, though. Try it at night, sometime. You'll thank me later. ;):welcome: Glad to have you aboard! Thanks for the kudos! I think I could handle Flame Tree at EMH. I liked the ribs, it was just so stinking hot, I needed AC to enjoy them fully. We def plan on AK evening EMH the next time we are there.

We were in line & all set to try some Flame Tree, but it started to rain, and no food is worth getting drenched for, then sitting on a wet chair. I can get real BBQ at home if I have to. The chicken looks soooo good, so we'll definitely have to go there next trip.

(BTW, the TR is started!)I hear on the raing. Def not worth a soggy biscuit. Just checked out your TR. Great start! Can't wait to read some more!

GreatBiscuit

09-01-2009, 09:58 PM

Previously on Biscuit’s Grand Adventure: Ribs were consumed, Biscuit’s were made soggy, and bowling pins were swum in. It is a ton of fun to hash out my memories of this trip and share with everyone what a great time we had.

The entire trip was such a joy and blessing. Yet in every trip, there comes a moment when you know it is time to start letting it go. And so, with a heavy heart, I have an announcement. I have sold my copy of Birnbaum’s guide on Amazon. I know, I know. It was a difficult moment and one approached with solemnity and proper ceremony. Yet as crushing a blow as it may have been, the act was made easier by one fact. The guidebook itself had a bit of a fall from grace. No I didn’t drop it the commode. Sheesh people!

As you recall, that particular text was the foundational planning document for trip number four. Since that time, it has always held a certain fondness in my memory; like lighting bugs on a hot summer night or Star Wars action figures I naively sold at garage sales for a quarter and are now worth hundreds of dollars each. (Not that I’m bitter about that.) As I prepared for this summer’s excursion, I knew it would not be complete without the latest installment of this classic manuscript.

So it was in mid December that I found myself in the checkout line at Barnes and Noble, sacred text in hand, knowing that it would be used to plan this most epic of travels. Over the next several days, I spent many happy hours pouring over it until that fateful night when I was perusing the Epcot section. It was then that I made a most horrible and shocking discovery. Simply recalling it brings a bit of pain and sorrow to my heart, yet for the matter of historical accuracy, it must be included. The book listed Ellen’s Universe of Energy as a “Birnbaum’s Best” but failed to give a similar nod to Spaceship Earth. Shocking I know. It took a moment for it to sink in for me too. I couldn’t believe it. I wanted it to be a mistake, but no. It was right there in black and white. Well actually, it may have been blue, but anyway, you get the idea.

In that moment, I realized that this guide was not as infallible as I might have imagined. In fact as I read through more pages and reviews, I began to see why the unofficial guides are the preferred method of offline research. Would I purchase it again? I don’t know. Maybe. But not without adding in a Passporter. Yet as much as it let me down, after our trip I still kept it on the shelf. Then last week, I decided it was time. I went ahead and listed it on Amazon.

This past Saturday, as I was helping Tracy work on her classroom, my Berry buzzed and I saw that it had sold. (Quicker than I thought actually.) I carefully packaged it up yesterday, gave it a fond farewell and left the post office singing It’s A Small World. (Well, not really, but I did look at the time on my Mickey watch so that counts for something.) And so my little guidebook, enjoy your new life on the East coast. Maybe the family who purchased you will see eye to eye on the whole Ellen thing because I for one SURE aint drinking that Kool-aid.

As long as we’re on the subject of trip planning, perhaps now would be a good time to quit rambling and actually start this episode. When I initially began to compile a list of restaurants for our trip, there was one which remained on the list from the very beginning: ‘Ohana. There’s just something about the thought of skewered flame grilled meat that puts a spring in my step and a song in my heart. I was thrilled when I was able to make the dining reservation and could not wait to give it a try.

Oh, as if there weren’t enough editorial digressions in this TR, allow me to add one more if I may. I have finally figured out how to spell ‘Ohana. Yeah I know, it was only available in about a dozen websites I used in planning this trip, not mention my dearly departed guidebook. I have gone back and fixed all of the spelling variations that have found their way into this report. Okay…I’m good now. Back to the TR.

When I last left off, I had just managed to get the girls out of the Bowling Pin pool and back to the room. After saying our goodbyes to Aunt Janna, it was time for us to get ready for dinner. I mentioned in the Season 7 preview that we scored some leftover party swag and brought it along for the trip. We wound up with leis for all three kids, and matching floral hair clippie thingamadoos for the girls. Tracy found some matching flowered dresses and the ensemble was complete.

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We had about an hour and ten minutes to get to the restaurant when we left our room and headed towards the bus stop.

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My initial plan was to take the Magic Kingdom bus and then transfer to the resort monorail. It was a good plan with solid research that indicated it was the most expedient route. When we arrived in front of the Pop, we encountered a MASSIVE line for a still not arrived MK bus, while an Epcot bus was just pulling into a virtually empty queue. Time for Plan B. (The B is for Biscuit doncha know). Figuring that there was more than one way to butter a bun, I called an audible, set the tailback in motion and lead the team onto the Epcot bus.

There were plenty of open seats and it was nice and cool inside. Ahhhhhhhh…nifty stuff there. The ride from the Pop to the ‘Cot is a fairly shot one. (Note to self – don’t refer to Epcot as “the ‘Cot”…no sense in becoming a complete Geek.) Upon Epcot arrival, we disembarked from our vehicle of spontaneous mass transit and hiked across the vast expanse of pavement between the Pop Century bus stop and the Epcot Entrance Plaza.

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(Notice I’m doing my Dis Duties, representing with a Lime Green Mickey head on the backpack.)

I thought perhaps there was a Polynesian Resort bus stop, but never did see a sign for one, so instead I held to my original modified plan (which was Plan B by the way in case you forgot…B…for Biscuit) and steered us to the monorail platform. We had to wait a few minutes before a monorail arrived and there seemed to be a decent sized crowd gathering.

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When the train pulled in, we jogged left while the bulk of the crowd seemed to jog right. While most cars appeared to be standing room only, we in the back had plenty of seating. Stretching out in comfort, we were soon whisking our way towards the Ticket and Transportation Center. Hailee kept going back and forth between laps and eventually settled into the bench next to me.

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I watched out the window and took in all of the sights of the World as we were rolling along. I thought about how lucky we were to be here, together, heading to what promised to be fantastic dinner. When the train arrived at the TTC platform, we made our way down the ramp, and located the resort monorail. (In case you ever have to make a similar transfer, the TTC platform makes a nifty Oreo with the Resort & Epcot lines being the end cookies and the Magic Kingdom Express monorail being the creamy filling. From the bottom of the ramps, Resort left, Express center, Epcot Right. Of course I was in a hurry and didn’t take a photo so I may have that whole setup completely wrong.) ANYWHO….we lucked out on timing again and walked right onto a train. From there it was simply a hop, skip and a jump to the Polynesian.

I wasn’t quite sure where the restaurant was located and had never actually been inside this resort before. I seemed to remember from the TR’s I had perused that the restaurants were on the 2nd floor and thus headed into the lobby like I actually knew what I was doing.

(Editorial digression number 351. In technical support, we have a saying. It’s not nearly as important to know what you are talking about as it is to SOUND like you know what you are talking about. You can always look stuff up on the fly, but if you don’t sound confident, no one is going to want to listen to you once you find the answer. This trip, whenever I hadn’t a clue, I faked it and in nearly all cases it worked out with no issues. Of course having All Ears and DisBoards bookmarked on my Blackberry didn’t hurt either. In the end, we always got where we were going and everyone thought I was a WDW guru.)

So there I was. A hungry Texan in search of skewered meat and open flames. As I mentioned before, I had planned out how to get to the resort, but never really got past that point. Luckily it was ridiculously easy, even for a guy who still buys Birnbaums. The monorail platform brings you into the resort lobby on the 2nd level. If you go left, you’ll see Kona first, then ‘Ohana in the back left corner. Couldn’t be easier.

I got us all nice and checked in with mister podium checker in-er dude, and humbly took charge of one of the most coveted items on the DIS…an ‘Ohana dinner pager. Tears have been shed over acquiring this sacred medallion. Dialing wars and bandwidth races have settled the fate of many a park guest who battled for a chance to stand where we now stood. For them I held the pager aloft in a scene reminiscent from the Lion King that all might see the wonder that such a prize bestows. Of course everyone up there already had one so they pretty much stared and pondered why the fat guy was holding up a pager, and what kind of redneck would be so infatuated with said device.

We were still a good 20 minutes early and sat down in one of the many seating areas there in the lobby. I was dying to check the place out so I actually went through multiple stages of sitting, standing, wandering and exploring. (My teachers in school LOVED me.)

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Live Updating

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Rubbing Sunglasses on toes…why? We don’t know.

Though Janna had departed, we were still a party of 7 so we had to wait on a larger table to open up. In this case, it took about 25 minutes. Which given the fact that we arrived a bit too early isn’t really all that bad. With our passport to paradise blinking and buzzing, I led our crew back up to the podium where we were greeted by our server. I know I’ve been remiss in posting kudos to cast members here. I do still have the receipts, but they are not currently accessible from my locale. I’ll see about looking up all our servers and posting a massive thank you at the end of the TR.

After we got the whole spiel about the place, we were seated at an “eight top” next to the open flame cooking pit. I think my heart actually skipped a few beats at that point. We got ourselves settled in and offered up our drink orders. Hailee and I went with iced tea ‘cause that’s the way we roll. I can’t remember what everyone else got, but I am FAIRLY certain based on ordering habits that Tracy went with a Diet Coke, Nana had a water with lemon, Papa had tea, and Tahli had Coke. Preston probably had either Diet Coke, water or tea with Sweet’N’Low as he usually goes the sugar free route. I’m not really sure why I felt compelled to divulge an entire paragraph on what we may or may not have had to drink, but there you go.

No sooner had our server departed, then she returned with some hot bread. Mmmmmm……bread.

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Our drinks arrived a few minutes later courtesy of our trainee for the evening who was helping our server out and learning the ‘Ohana ropes. (Again, I don’t remember his name and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t on our receipt, but he delivered the drinks like a seasoned champ…and by champ I mean champion, and not the British potato dish. Although I’ve never actually witnessed a bowl of potatoes delivering a tray of drinks so they may employ a similar technique.)

While we were munching on bread and going over the day, the MC/singer dude began making his rounds through the restaurant. When he walked past our table, he stopped a moment, pointed at my mom and told Tracy (who was facing him) “Turn around, she’s taking a picture”

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Next to arrive at the table was the gigantor Bowl O’ Salad.

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Now when it comes to salads, I’m normally a home-made ranch dressing ONLY kind of a guy. But I gotta tell you, whatever they put in that honey-lime dressing (I’m gonna stretch and guess honey and lime,) was fantastic!

About the time our salad hit the table, the coconut race was announced. WOOHOOO. The kids all ran up and grabbed their brooms and coconuts and prepared for the grand prix. For those who haven’t been to ‘Ohana, the premise is fairly simple. The kids get a coconut and whack it with a miniature broom around the aisle of the restaurant.

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At least it sounds simple. Hailee (who gets easily flustered when she is not an instant champion at any new task) was not feeling the love and after a few unsuccessful attempts, turned the broom upside down and used the handle to score some fairly violent whacks on the poor defenseless coconut. Her croquet style technique worked though and she managed to complete the course, but returned to the table madder than a wet hen that Tahli had finished ahead of her. You know come to think of it, I don’t believe I’ve ever encountered a wet hen, so I really don’t have a first hand knowledge as to the level of irritability that a poultry thus scorned might posses. It would explain why they don’t sell chicken shampoo at the pet store though.

Anyway, after the coconut race we finished up our salad and calmed Hailee down a bit. After a while, our server in training brought out the appetizer platter. According to the official menu, it contains. Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings, Pork Dumplings with Sweet and Sour Sauce, Lo mein Noodles, tossed in a Teriyaki sauce with fresh vegetables, & Stir-fried Vegetables. I didn’t snap a photo until after we had loaded up our plates. The fact that there was this much food left on the serving platter will give you an idea of just how high this thing was piled when they brought it out.

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I tried a little bit of everything, but in limited quantity. After all, there’s skewered meat to be considered here. It was all very good, but I think I liked the dumplings the best. They also brought out the dipping sauces for meat: Peanut, Spicy Mustard, and Sweet n Sour.

I took this as a good sign that the meat would be arriving soon. Yet it was not to be. One thing about ‘Ohana I did not realize going in is that it served in five courses with a good 15-20 min pause in between each one. (Bread, Salad, Appetizers, Meat, Dessert.) I don’t if it is actually SUPPOSED to be that way, but that’s how it was for us. After picking at the apps for a bit, it was time for the kids to head up and do the Limbo. This was a much bigger hit with the girls than the Coconut race had been. I snapped a few photos of the girls and while I was up, took a few longing shots of the meat pit.

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SOON my friends….VERY SOON!

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The limbo lasted a good 8-10 min and the girls were all smiles throughout. Score! They joined back up with me and were all laughs and smiles this time. WHEW…drama averted. For now.

When we got back to our table, what should I find on my plate but…….MEAT! I thought it would never get here! But OH MY LANTIS was it ever worth the wait!

Before our trip, I perused the online menu and saw the types of meat offered were Mesquite Grilled Turkey, Asian BBQ Pork Loin, Marinated Sirloin Steak,Spicy Grilled Peel n Eat Shrimp. I figured going in that I would focus all my efforts on the steak with a dalliance into the shrimp. When I returned from limbo photo duties, there was pork and turkey on the plate. I was bit bummed until I took a bite. HOLY COW! It turned out that those were my two favorite meats of the night! Oh and my favorite dipping sauce? The Peanut Sauce. With which I proudly sullied my Dallas Cowboys T-Shirt. Sorry fellows, hate to be a slob when I’m representing, but this is some Dangoodeatin!

When our server did come by with the shrimp, he asked Nana how many she wanted. To which she replied “How many do you have?” I don’t think he was quite expecting that. Then he realized she was serious. I threw down my fair share of shellfish as well. (9 I think.) I lost count on the other meats. All I know is that when the dust finally settled, I declared that there was no possible way I could eat another bite.

Then IT arrived. Oh you know what IT I’m talking about. Hot, gooey, sweet fluffy goodness that you just want to wrap around your tongue like a winter coat and never take off. I’m referring of course to the infamous ‘Ohana bread pudding.

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I must confess here that before this night, I had never even tried bread pudding. I’d had bread, and I’d had pudding and the two just seemed incompatible in the same dish. But friend I gotta say, when I pulled out a fork “just to try it”, and put that first bite in my mouth, I swear I saw Wishes playing in a hologram above the table. Unfortunately, Tracy had to take one of the girls to the facility and by the time she returned, the hot pudding had melted the ice cream completely so she did not get the full effect, but she still declared it to be mighty fine. My “Just Try It” bite turned into about 10 and I wondered if I would be able to even stand up when the meal was done.

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We all gave ‘Ohana a big thumbs up and it has been added to the list of must do’s for our eventual return. About that time the check arrived and after settling up, it was time to bid our new happy place a fond farewell. I didn’t know how I was going to recover from this meal, but figured if anything could cure an overfull belly, it would be Magic Kingdom EMH.

Coming up on Episode 64 – Hailee Discovers a Favorite Attraction.

Click here for next episode! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33449844&postcount=988)

chicagoshannon

09-02-2009, 10:44 AM

Kimberly815

09-02-2009, 10:59 AM

I have wanted to try Ohana, but we haven't quite made it there yet. However, after a report like that how could we miss it!?!? It is going on the top of my 'To Eat' list for next time!

Glad everyone enjoyed the meal! :thumbsup2

DisneyMomLiz

09-02-2009, 11:40 AM

Holy Pajamas, GB...that report made me so hungry and the description of the Bread Pudding...oh I want some. :thumbsup2

I am so willing to break my Atkins diet for that one!! I guess it's a good thing (for my dieting, anyway) that we don't have a reservation for dinner at 'Ohana on this trip then, only the Lilo & Stitch breakfast. Dinner at 'Ohana's is definitely on my MUST EAT list now, thanks!! :goodvibes

Great update as always!

Rebecuberduber

09-02-2009, 01:22 PM

Yum! We have not gotten to try 'Ohana, yet. I don't know if we'll get to it this next trip, either. One of these days, though, we will. I can feel it. I do love the Polynesian resort. It was resort we stayed at on our first trip to Disney World. I think I was 7. I still remember the Peter Pan Club, there. That was the highlight of the trip, for me, at the time. Getting to be in Never Land for a night without parents: awesome times. Great chapter! Looking forward to EMH in MK!

GreatBiscuit

09-02-2009, 08:37 PM

Ok. We were going to cancel our 'Ohana meal because we bought MNSSHP tickets, but now we are going!

Were there any small kids (like 2 year olds) participating in the games? IF so was an adult with them? I guess what I'm getting at is, are adults allowed to help the kids with the games?They do indeed. In fact they had as many parents running around as they had kids.

I have wanted to try Ohana, but we haven't quite made it there yet. However, after a report like that how could we miss it!?!? It is going on the top of my 'To Eat' list for next time!

Glad everyone enjoyed the meal! :thumbsup2I loved it for sure. Of course remember, all meals are subjective. I also liked Mama Melrose which many in these parts can't stand.

Holy Pajamas, GB...that report made me so hungry and the description of the Bread Pudding...oh I want some. :thumbsup2

I am so willing to break my Atkins diet for that one!! I guess it's a good thing (for my dieting, anyway) that we don't have a reservation for dinner at 'Ohana on this trip then, only the Lilo & Stitch breakfast. Dinner at 'Ohana's is definitely on my MUST EAT list now, thanks!! :goodvibes

Great update as always!When it comes to diets, that stuff is definitely a deal buster. SOOOOOOOOO very good.

Yum! We have not gotten to try 'Ohana, yet. I don't know if we'll get to it this next trip, either. One of these days, though, we will. I can feel it. I do love the Polynesian resort. It was resort we stayed at on our first trip to Disney World. I think I was 7. I still remember the Peter Pan Club, there. That was the highlight of the trip, for me, at the time. Getting to be in Never Land for a night without parents: awesome times. Great chapter! Looking forward to EMH in MK!It was definitely a cool looking place. It just had a nice vibe to it. Hopefully we'll stay there one day...some time far, far away.

Backstage_Gal

09-03-2009, 12:30 AM

That was a great update,very descriptive, and the kids looked adorable!

Sorry I'm late responding and short, but work has been a killer lately.

Looking forward to the next installment

jordanyosh

09-03-2009, 01:14 AM

How was the meat at Ohana? I hear it can often be dry, especially the turkey. All that foods sounds right up my alley...I wonder why I've never made it over there?

I think the last Birnbaum's I bought was 2005. I bought the Unofficial Guide that year as well. I discovered WDW websites at that time and moved from buying books to going mainly online. If I'm at a Barnes and Noble's anytime near a WDW trip, I make sure to sit and browse through all the latest editions.....Ellen's Energy Adventure, A Birnbaum's Best? Really? I actually like the ride because it still has some of the original concepts from the original show. For me it's nostalgic.....

SunnieRN

09-03-2009, 01:35 AM

Oh my gosh, the girls looked adorable!!!:goodvibes

We arrive on the 21st, so I don't have too many more chances to get an Ohana reservation, but I'm going to keep on trying!!!

Looking forward to more!!

All7OfUs

09-03-2009, 02:02 AM

Boy Howdy! Now that's what I call a perfect day- eating like a pig AND acting like a kid at 'Ohana heaven!! Then walking it all off at MK EMH!! YAHOO!

I had to laugh a little at the coconut drama. I have a little girl just like that- competitive to the max! Hmmm... I wonder where she gets that?! :confused3

Totally agree with your presented premise of "sounding like you know it all". Could it possibly be that the TC3 have absolutely no clue about the military, but actually come across as though they do? :rolleyes1 I wonder...

PrincessV

09-03-2009, 10:31 AM

It was then that I made a most horrible and shocking discovery. Simply recalling it brings a bit of pain and sorrow to my heart, yet for the matter of historical accuracy, it must be included. The book listed Ellen’s Universe of Energy as a “Birnbaum’s Best” but failed to give a similar nod to Spaceship Earth.
:scared1::sad2:

(Editorial digression number 351. In technical support, we have a saying. It’s not nearly as important to know what you are talking about as it is to SOUND like you know what you are talking about. You can always look stuff up on the fly, but if you don’t sound confident, no one is going to want to listen to you once you find the answer. )
:lmao: The more I hear about your line of work, the more I realize how much it has in common with my work in marketing - this is EXACTLY what I do, every working day of my life! :thumbsup2

Hailee (who gets easily flustered when she is not an instant champion at any new task)
Oh boy, do I understand all about that. :hug:

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:love::love::love:

How was the meat at Ohana? I hear it can often be dry, especially the turkey.
Hey Jordan - Just had to chime in because I've experienced both dry and overcooked, and moist and perfect there. I really think it's the luck of the draw as to whether you get a fresh skewer or one that's been hanging around the pit a while.

GreatBiscuit

09-03-2009, 01:57 PM

That was a great update,very descriptive, and the kids looked adorable!

Sorry I'm late responding and short, but work has been a killer lately.

Looking forward to the next installmentHey BSG! Thanks! I know how it can be when life gets crazy! Take it easy and be sure to have a magical day yourself as you are wishing it upon others.

How was the meat at Ohana? I hear it can often be dry, especially the turkey. All that foods sounds right up my alley...I wonder why I've never made it over there? Well, Princess V spoke it well when she said:

:Hey Jordan - Just had to chime in because I've experienced both dry and overcooked, and moist and perfect there. I really think it's the luck of the draw as to whether you get a fresh skewer or one that's been hanging around the pit a while.

The thing about turkey and pork is that the journey from juicy perfection to dried leather is incredibly short. Good grillmeisters will tell you that when you to take the meat off a bit before your preferred level of doneness as it continues cooking internally. In the case of ‘Ohana, as the meat is finished on the flame area of the grill, it is moved to a side warming area and kept until the servers pick it up. IF the servers get there quickly and take it to the table, it stays nice and juicy inside. (Which was the case the night we were there.) If however, it sits a while and continues cooking from the residual heat / heat from the warmer, it is going toughen and dry out within just a few short minutes. If it’s dry, I’d let the server know and request a fresh skewer.

I think the last Birnbaum's I bought was 2005. I bought the Unofficial Guide that year as well. I discovered WDW websites at that time and moved from buying books to going mainly online. If I'm at a Barnes and Noble's anytime near a WDW trip, I make sure to sit and browse through all the latest editions.....Ellen's Energy Adventure, A Birnbaum's Best? Really? I actually like the ride because it still has some of the original concepts from the original show. For me it's nostalgic.....I’m all in favor of anything nostalgic. That’s why I love the Carousel of Progress so much. It reminds me of past trips, all the way back to the first. I think with Ellen’s escapades, I have only ridden the thing once when I was teen so there is pretty much zero nostalgia factor for me.

Oh my gosh, the girls looked adorable!!!:goodvibes

We arrive on the 21st, so I don't have too many more chances to get an Ohana reservation, but I'm going to keep on trying!!!

Looking forward to more!!Thanks! Keep trying. You never know when there will be a cancellation.

Boy Howdy! Now that's what I call a perfect day- eating like a pig AND acting like a kid at 'Ohana heaven!! Then walking it all off at MK EMH!! YAHOO! Aint that the truth Ruth! (Not that your name is Ruth..it’s just a saying around these parts….not there’s anything wrong with the name if you ARE named Ruth…I’m just saying.

I had to laugh a little at the coconut drama. I have a little girl just like that- competitive to the max! Hmmm... I wonder where she gets that?! :confused3Yeah….I’m kind of viewing organized sports with a mix of dread and excitement.

Totally agree with your presented premise of "sounding like you know it all". Could it possibly be that the TC3 have absolutely no clue about the military, but actually come across as though they do? :rolleyes1 I wonder...It’s all in the presentation.

The more I hear about your line of work, the more I realize how much it has in common with my work in marketing - this is EXACTLY what I do, every working day of my life! :thumbsup2Awesome! That’s the way to work it right there!

Well thanks for posting everyone. I hope to update tomorrow with EMH!

Adios!

Sleepingbooty

09-03-2009, 08:15 PM

jordanyosh

09-04-2009, 03:13 AM

Thanks for the info about properly grilling meat!:thumbsup2

No love for Ellen's Energy Adventure?;) I love COP as it takes me all the way back to my early Disneyland days as a child.

MKBekka

09-04-2009, 07:08 AM

OH MAN!! I have been lurking to much. GB, I can hardly read your food reports. They make my faint with hunger even though I just ate. :goodvibes Meat is good, no matter how it's cooked, no matter what's on it. I will be dreaming about food tonight.

praisehisname

09-04-2009, 12:57 PM

Mmmmm....'Ohana.... We've had breakfast there and absolutely loved it, but the dinner sounds so good!!!

Looking forward to the next update!

Denise

GreatBiscuit

09-04-2009, 08:01 PM

Great update! I LOVELOVELOVE Ohana! We went there for our first dinner on our first trip to WDW. We had driven in to our resort and gotten there about an hour later than I predicted because I forgot to account for the time change (doh!), then check in at ASM to a long time, and then like idjits we attempted to DRIVE to the Poly when we had perfectly good Disney transportation at our disposal. Well, we got completely turned around and found ourselves heading OUT of Disneyworld. By the time we got to Ohana, we were an hour and a half late for our ADR, starving, and exhausted. They sat us right away and treated us wonderfully, and well, you know how the food is now so I don't have to go into that. It became an instant favorite, and ever since then we've made it our first night tradition. We try not to repeat the other, more frustrating parts of that first night, though!:goodvibesGotta love a good Disney magic story! Especially one that involves food!

Thanks for the info about properly grilling meat!:thumbsup2

No love for Ellen's Energy Adventure?;) I love COP as it takes me all the way back to my early Disneyland days as a child.I’ve never actually been on the Ellenized verison. I'll tell you what though. The next time I am at Epcot, I'll take a spin on it in your honor. (I may need a flat Jordan to properly commemorate the moment.)

OH MAN!! I have been lurking to much. GB, I can hardly read your food reports. They make my faint with hunger even though I just ate. :goodvibes Meat is good, no matter how it's cooked, no matter what's on it. I will be dreaming about food tonight.It’s hard writing about it. I get really hungry…then depressed cause there’s nothing to match it in these parts. (Namely the world of the corporate snack machine.)

Mmmmm....'Ohana.... We've had breakfast there and absolutely loved it, but the dinner sounds so good!!!

Looking forward to the next update!

DeniseIt was definitely good!

GreatBiscuit

09-04-2009, 09:38 PM

I love Pandora. Of all the free internet applications that have come down the pipe, this one ranks right up there among the best. Now that it is available on Blackberry, well that my friends is just icing on the cake. I have a varied taste in music and it’s great to be able to switch genres with a simple click of the trackball. The past few days, my go-to station has been John Williams radio. You may not know the name, but I can pretty well guarantee you know his music.

Williams is a film composer and is arguable one of, if not THE best composer in the relatively short history of the medium. Yeah I know. I work in tech support, love Disney World, listen to film scores, and post descriptions of my family vacation for total strangers. I’m a Geek. But hey, somebody’s got to take the job so it may as well be me.

Now that I’ve already introduced the subject, I may as well expand upon it by giving a shout out to some of my favorites. First up, the previously mentioned John Williams, I love his use of counter melody, strong brass lines, and overall epic scores. He also happened to write the music for many of my favorite films. (Star Wars, Jaws, E.T. Superman, Saving Private Ryan, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, The Patriot, Hook and a whole slew of others). Haven’t seen any of them? Well he also composed the Olympic theme song you hear at every Summer/Winter games as well as the theme song for NBC Nightly News.

Next up: James Horner. (The Rocketeer, Titanic, Apollo 13, Braveheart, Cocoon, Star Trek II to name a few.) One of my favorite all time film scores is the main title to The Rocketeer. Just LOVE it. I would say equally favored to Horner is a composer whose work most you have likely heard, Hans Zimmer. (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Pearl Harbor, the two most recent Batman incarnations, oh, and this one film you may know which won him the Academy award for best original score – The Lion King.)

A few other notables in the GB Hall of Film Score Fame, Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Jerry Goldsmith (all things Star Trek), Danny Elfman (Batman, Spider Man trilogy, Edward Scissorhands…which is a great score BTW), Craig Safan (composer of another of my all time favorite film scores, the main title from The Last Starfighter), and last but not least, two Disney greats Alan Menken (Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Hunchback, Hercules, Enchanted) and Randy Newman (Toy Story, James & the Giant Peach, A Bug’s Life, Pleasantville, Monster’s Inc, Cars, The Princess & the Frog.)

Why this seemingly random ambulation down a path of musical obscurity? I’m not sure. It seemed relevant at the time. Oh, pictures. That’s where I was going with this. While looking over photos from the trip, I’ve been listening to film scores the past coupel of days and I have to say that it’s a great way to relive memories. The next time you are feeling nostalgic, pull out the photos of your kids meeting their favorite characters while the main title from Forest Gump is playing. Or look at a photo of yourself hurrying to a dining reservation while listening to The Last Starfighter.

So there you go. A little glimpse into the odd mind of yours truly.

Moving right along.

When last we left our heroes they were basking in the glory of triumphant culinary carnage. Which is a polite way of saying we’d stuffed our gullets like a herd of half starved bovine. After the necessary breaks on the way out, I decided to take us to the Magic Kingdom by way of boat rather than by monorail. The reason being? The meal had taken longer than I anticipated and it was nearing dusk. This meant one thing. The Electric Water Pageant was about to begin.

I had no idea how to get to the boat dock, but I figured as the lagoon was on the backside of the resort, that would be a logical place to start. Down the steps of the lobby we went and headed out the back door. We followed the trail a bit, made our way past the main pool and soon the dock came into sight.

There was a boat docked that was just beginning to load. This was my first time on one of the “little boats” at the World and I have to say it was nice. About half way through our crossing, the Electric Water Pageant started. Our captain told us we were in luck as a boat at the MK was having a problem so we needed to wait a few minutes for the dock to clear before heading in. He turned us sideways so we could see better and we sat a good five or ten minutes watching from the center of the Seven Seas Lagoon! It was mighty nifty I gotta tell you.

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The boat in the dock finally got its act together and we were able to proceed directly to the Magic Kingdom. When we arrived I knew we were in trouble. I could hear the unmistakable score for SpectroMagic playing. (Composed by John Debney by the way, who also wrote the scores for Evan Almighty, The Princess Diaries, The Passion of the Christ, Hannah Montana the Movie, and many others.)

Luckily bag check was fairly deserted and there was no line at the turnstile so we got in fairly quickly. When we first entered the tunnel, our primary target was the stroller rental counter. If you recall, we had our stubs from Animal Kingdom and were eager to exchange them for a new set of wheels. May I take a moment now and offer up a word of wisdom? On your list of things to do before you die, if you have written “Drive a double stroller through Town Square during SpectroMagic on an EMH night during the summer season,” go ahead and scratch it out now, as said experience royally sucketh.

After a harrowing trip of pardons and prayers, we finally made it to Town Hall where the crowds were much thinner. We soon found ourselves in the exact same spot we had been two nights before, watching pretty much the exact same portion of the show. The girls wanted to know when we could watch the whole thing and I assured them it would be soon. Incredibly they needed another break so as SepctroMagic was ending, the ladies all headed to the facilities to the right of Town Hall while I grabbed some bench and did some live TR updating.

When our group was once again whole, we began the arduous task of steering two strollers down Main Street during the Spectro/Wishes interlude. We again headed right and cut through Tomorrowland. We had hit up most of the attractions in the front area our first night, so we made our way to the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. The girls were looking forward to this one and could not wait to drive the cars. The queue was posted as a 20 min wait time and it was pretty much dead on. I think we waited 21 min from the time we hit the line to the time we were pulling out onto the track. I am also happy to report that this time we managed to avoid any unfortunate encounters with a turnstile. (Much to Nana’s relief I’m sure.)

I rode with Tahli, Tracy took Hailee and Nana took Preston. I don’t know what Papa did. I’m pretty sure he rode it though so I guess he got a big boy car all to himself. I let Tahli “drive” and I learned something. I’m going to need a second job to pay for the insurance when she’s a teenager. The kids all had a great time and enjoyed the ride immensely.

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When we exited, the unlimited refills at ‘Ohana had apparently not yet run their due course and another pit stop was called for. The venue I selected for this sacred duty was Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café. Once I finally figured out where the ramp was to wheel up into the place, we spent a few moments in air conditioned bliss. While the girls were otherwise occupied, I did a bit of exploring and decided to come back and have a snack here later on that night.

As we were heading back out, I heard a boom and realized Wishes was starting. I decided that we would catch as much of it as we could from where we were standing. Preston was not thrilled and started out with Papa holding his ears, and may have wound up going back inside. I’m not really sure. Here’s the thing about the pavement in front of Cosmic Rays’s. Not a great spot to watch Wishes. But, we stuck it out and the girls still enjoyed it.

When it was over, it took me a few minutes to locate Nana and Papa again, and we then all set out to tackle the infamous teacups. As I have mentioned before, I was thrilled Nana had volunteered to chaperone this ride as I do not do so well spinning. Roller coasters, good. Dropping, good. Speed, good. Spinning in circles, BAD. Bear this fact in mind, as deliberate negligence of this known law of Biscuit would come into play a few days later.

Preston was not interested in riding and elected to sit on Papa’s lap on a nearby bench for the duration of this particular excursion. I positioned myself along the railing, camcorder in hand while Nana and the ladies went through the queue. Nana would later report that there was some potential drama developing as the girls decided they wanted a pink cup. Not just decided they wanted a pink cup mind you, but decided they would ONLY ride in a pink cup. This of course presented a bit of a quagmire if it wound up that said receptacle was unavailable. As the line progressed, they happened to wind up at the front of the line for their round of the ride. This meant one thing. They would have their pick of cups. WOOHOO! Crisis averted.

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Once our dizzy divas returned, Hailee wanted to ride Dumbo. She had actually wanted to ride this the first day, but due to line conditions we were unable to accommodate. When we arrived in the queue, the posted standby time was 20 minutes. In my live update, I theorized that this was a case of false advertising. Indeed it was. We actually waited about 40 minutes to board our aerial pachyderm. While we waited, drama threatened to once again ensue. Hailee wanted a Dumbo with a pink hat and Tahli wanted one with a purple hat. I explained to them that this sort of thing is not guaranteed and that we would just have to take what we got.

We slowly snaked our way through the queue and eventually found ourselves in the left hand holding area. As the group before us was boarding, it looked like we would be split up with Hailee and I being the last to board in our group. However, it turned out that one of the groups planning to ride together had to be split up into two elephants, and instead of being last to board, we wound up waiting a cycle and being first! I had to smile as Hailee said “See Daddy, I TOLD you I would get a pink one.” I gave her a hug and a squeeze and said a quick prayer of thanks that my girls’ dreams were continuously coming true.

Our turn was soon up and after letting Hailee board first, as instructed, I took the little plastic card the CM gave me while in line and placed it on Dumbo’s right ear. As they came around to insure we were properly secured, the CMs collected said cards. Since we wound up in the ride vehicle near the control booth, the CM started with us. After a few minutes the same CM came back and asked for my card. I advised her she had already taken it. This caused some confusion and stares of disbelief. She then asked me twice more if I was sure. I assured her that I was sure and suggested she count the ones in her hand. I don’t know if she took me up on it, but she disappeared and did not return so I guess it was all kosher.

When our flight began, I turned on my camcorder, and held it in front of us with the screen flipped around so I could see it and videoed Hailee’s reactions during most of the flight. She squealed, laughed, waved, shouted, and grinned the entire time. Play that clip to the theme song from The Rocketeer or the main title from Casper and it’ll bring a tear to your eye.

When we returned to earth the girls were eager to ride Peter Pan. By this time EMH was in full swing and we needed our tickets out. The wait time was posted as 20 min and it was fairly accurate. I think we waited 22. Later in the night it would be a walk on. Not that we would walk onto it. Not all of us anyway. But had we been inclined to do so, a walk on could have technically been executed.

In all the planning and preparations, one thing I forgot to tell Nana about was that you aren’t supposed to take flash photos inside the dark rides. I figured they’d announce it, but for some reason on Peter Pan they never did. SOOOOOOO we wound up with a few photos from this ride. (Don’t tell bald surly character handler man…I’d be a repeat offender. Although technically it wasn’t me that was the actual Alice Hugger. In fact it wasn’t me this time either. So really I’m just a victim of unfortunate circumstance.) Anyway, since the deed is done, I figure we may as well make use of the results.

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We soared over London and as you can tell we really enjoyed it. Next up, the girls wanted another ride on It’s A Small World. No problem ladies. I can handle it. Thus we descended the ramp for our third ride of the trip. No photos this time around. This was again a hit with all three kids.

After we left It’s A Small World, we were ready for a break. Even though it was nearing 1 AM, it was still hot outside and something cold to drink was just what the doctor ordered. On our way back to Cosmic Ray’s we passed the Carousel and the kids wanted to ride it again. Onto the carousel we went (no wait time) and enjoyed another round.

As we headed back over to Cosmic Ray’s, we grown up types had a mini pow-wow and decided that we would do an inventory after we got a drink and then decide if we needed to call it a night. I ordered us up some cold ones and we sat a few minutes and cooled back down. The kids were all doing FANTASTIC. They were soon ready to head out and wanted to ride more rides so who were we to argue?

We exited the side door and took the path to the side of the castle back to Fantasyland.

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The girls wanted to give Snow White’s Scary Adventure a try and when we arrived it was a literal walk on so they had no time to work up a fright. They actually did pretty well, but Hailee kept saying “I don’t like the witch”. When we were done, Tracy and I took the girls to see Mickey’s Philharmagic. (The score of which was composed by the afore mentioned Alan Menken BTW.) When Preston discovered it was a 3-D flick, visions of Muppets danced in his head and he announced he was NOT going in there. Nana and Papa stayed behind and took him on the carousel and Dumbo while we were in the theater.

The last time we were here, this place housed the Lion King puppet dooly-o so I was anxious to check it out. The girls were having a good time before the show even started.

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When we went in, there were maybe 3 people waiting in the lobby. By the time the show started there were around 30-40...for a theater meant to seat 486. NICE. The CM working the attraction told us to just sit wherever we liked. We liked the center of the row about 2/3 of the way back.

What did we think of the show? We all LOVED it. Especially Hailee. She laughed the entire time. Not just giggling either, the child was having full on, gut busting, waves of laughter. At one point I worried she’d laugh herself into an asthma attack. This wound up being her favorite Magic Kingdom attraction. She had a favorite in every park. If you ask her what her favorite attraction of the trip was she bounces between them, but more often than not, she usually picks Philharmagic. Which, by the way, she refers to as not as Mickey’s Philharmagic, but as “Donald’s Butt”. If you’ve seen it, think final effect. It certainly makes for interesting conversation when discussing our trip with people. “What was your favorite thing Hailee?” “Seeing Donald’s Butt!” That’s my girl! :sad2:

When we met back up with Nana and Papa, they were getting ready to take Preston back on Peter Pan. Hailee elected to go with them while Tahli volunteered to ride The Haunted Mansion with Tracy and I. We didn’t force it and I did give her an out, but she wanted to try it. Yeah…that didn’t go so well. In my memory it wasn’t that scary. In reality it is apparently a near death experience for a 7 year old. Poor girl was spooked for a while after that. Even the funny ghosts in the car at the end were a bit much for her.

We met back up with the clan and all the kids wanted to ride Big Thunder Mountain. I wasn’t sure if Hailee would pass the height requirement or not, but she did. (And not JUST because of the flower on her head!) I rode with Hailee, Tracy rode with Tahli and Nana went with Preston. Papa decided to sit this one out. There was NO ONE in line and we went all the way through the queue without seeing a soul. When we made it down to the loading dock, there were maybe 10 people waiting on the next train. We joined them and within moments we were loaded up and heading out.

Of the three kids, Hailee actually liked it the best. One thing I noticed was that the ride seemed really hot; hotter than the rest of the park in fact. This struck me as being a bit odd. I’m guessing all the plaster and steel used to construct the “mountain” must absorb a fairly hefty sum of heat during the daytime and radiate it back out at night. As soon as the ride was over, Hailee wanted to go again. But it had just been way too hot and the other kids were not interested. We wandered back towards Fantasyland and it was a bit surreal. We were the only people around. It was very odd to see this area of the park so empty. The girls wanted to see Donald’s Butt again.

Preston had drifted off in the stroller so everyone went this time. Papa held Preston who woke up part way through and decided this one was okay. Hailee again laughed the entire time. When we exited the theater, the characters were all riding the carousel. I was sad we had missed it and made a note to myself to make sure the kids were at the carousel at the end of EMH the next time we go.

By now it was 3 AM and the park was closing. We strolled our way slowly down a mostly empty Main Street and then the audio for the Kiss Godnight started and we turned back to the castle to watch. It was neat effect and a great way to end the day. The kids were still all awake at this point and after we returned the strollers, they walked with us to the bus stop. Luckily the bulk of the crowd had already made it back to the resort so by the time we got there, we managed to get a bus with plenty of open seats. As soon as we sat down, the kids were gone. They were all three asleep before the bus even pulled away from the stop.

I was pretty amazed that they lasted so long and managed to behave so well. The girls are both night owls though, as are Tracy and I. During the summer time, it’s usually between 1 and 2 before we all go to bed. We decided that our plan of touring will always include evening EMH and probably never include morning EMH as none of us are morning lovers. It’s just how we’re wired.

We returned to the resort and carried our sleeping treasures back to the rooms and got them all in bed. I had actually reached that stage where you get passed being tired and are inexplicably awake. I grabbed Nana’s camera and dumped all the photos when we got to the room and then did a quick live update. When I finally made it to bed, it was almost 4:30. At that point I had been up since six-ish the morning before. Would this ruin my enjoyment of the following day? Not as such. That particular honor would fall to a slight mix up I would make when it came to our dining reservation.

Coming up on Episode 65 – Paradise Lost

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