Trentmom
<font color=red>A Christmas"y" tag for a Christmas
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2007
Well, I did not think all was right with the world (or the World) as I was shooed out of Splash having forfeited my fastpasses and told that I did NOT get to ride. I wanted that situation remedied. When I explained to the cast member shooing us out, he said talk to the CM below. So I talked to the CM below. He told me to go get another set of fastpasses.
Ummmmm. NO. I know how this system works. If I get another set now for HERE, then I can't get any for anything ELSE. And I HAD fastpasses, but you TOOK them from me. So he sent me to a third person. Who said they couldn't do anything about it. So I asked who COULD do something about it because I needed to speak with THAT person. At which point he decided that maybe he could do something about it after all. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some rider switch passes, which we all know pretty much act the same as fastpasses. I smiled cheerily, told him that he'd been a big help and to have a magical day. And THEN I skedaddled outta there.
Mission accomplished. Except. The ride was still down and no guarantee that it would come back up. But B consoled NoFear with a ride on BTMRR. While the rest of us went to Pecos Bill's. They would catch up, and get some food. We grubbed. We didn't booze (this is the Magic Kingdom after all), we started hearing screams from Splash again. I was beginning to think it was a conspiracy.
We left Grammy at Pecos Bills to finish up, and B, NeatKid, NoFear and myself decided to see if the third time was the charm for Splash.
Now, let me tell you what happened on our previous aborted attempt to ride Splash. We left the Shrimp with Grammy. The Shrimp, generally, is FINE with being with Grammy. But, apparently, having just awakened from his nap, he took exception to me walking away. And he screamed. Loudly. Longly. Forlornly. I, of course, was blissfully ignorant and waiting in line. We also told Grammy that we would meet her at the playground near the Splash exit. I pointed in the right general direction, but she couldn't find it. So. She tried to distract the Shrimp through other means. She offered him an ice cream. He screamed. She offered him a drink. He screamed. He screamed so loudly that a Disney CM offered him stickers. He screamed louder. So SHE offered him a popsicle. He stopped screaming. And happily sucked on a popsicle. Or so I was told later. There is no moral of this story. But I think my Mom should get a medal for putting up with that kind of behavior. What I find even more impressive about this tale is that she didn't tell me until the vacation was over and we were all home. She thought she had. She probably told B instead. All I knew at the time was that I was in search of a way to retrieve my fastpass status and the Shrimp was happy to see me when I got back. (Also, I believe that Grammy and the Shrimp met up with the Whirlwind Trippers during this time. But, you'd have to ask Rhonda if that was after the screaming stopped!)
So I had NO IDEA the trepidation and fear that was looming for Grammy as I told her that we were leaving the Shrimp with her AGAIN and headed to Splash for what we hoped would be a successful turn in a log.
Turns out, it WAS!!!! We all loved it. Especially NoFear. I had no repeats of the torture that was last year's ride.
Let me give you what I decided, based on our trip to the briar patch last year, should be in the rule book for Magic Kingdom behavior:
"Parents should not take crying children on Splash Mountain (where you WILL get splashed) and force their logmates to listen to said terrified child cry for the entire trip and then promise said terrified child candy as a bribe so that they won't squeal to their terrified sibling when it is over so that they (the irresponsible parents) can ride a second time and inflict emotional damage on BOTH of their children."
I confess, when I heard the parents trying to bribe the poor girl not to squeal to the sister I almost turned around and handed her ten bucks to fess up to the poor sibling. I didn't. But I made a vow to not make a screaming child ride something like that.
And I point out that the Shrimp was NEVER crying at the outset of a ride. (I do not make such assurances about what was happening by the end.) But I also never made him repeat a ride he didn't want to go on.
Anywho ~ we rode Splash. We all loved it. Then B, NoFear and NeatKid headed off for another ride on BTMRR and I went to find Grammy and Shrimp. Who were actually at the playground this time, since I gave her explicit instructions on how to find it. (Mind, she had already been to the restroom at Splash and had walked past the playground twice . . .) The Shrimp was happily playing. There were no screams this time through. Thank goodness.
We let him play for a bit longer, then we decided to go look through some of the shops. The Shrimp found about five-teen things he wanted, and Grammy bought him an insulated cup. He was cool with that.
Once we met back up with our three compatriots, I committed a terrible sin. I told NoFear that we should go ride Space Mountain. Why is this a sin, you ask? Well, because I forgot that it has a higher height requirement. Ooops.
BUT, this was the ONE RIDE that I HAD to ride with my mother. (See story about Grammy in the pre-trip section and you will understand why.) I needed to ride with Grammy. I needed to hear her cackle and laugh and scream. How would I accomplish this, you ask, since I have not, at this point, mentioned obtaining fastpasses or going anywhere near TOMORROWLAND at this point?
So, patient readers, there was an event that occurred yesterday (in terms of the trip) that I have failed to mention. Because, you know, I had sort of misplaced my notes. (FYI, they were misplaced RIGHT BESIDE MY BED. I don't know if I should really call them misplaced or just admit that I'm an idiot. I think I will continue to call them misplaced.)
You see, when NeatKid arrived the evening before, and we decided to go on Soarin' before heading to dinner, we met some really nice folks in line. They were headed home RIGHT after the ride, but had been enjoying a lovely vacation. So lovely that they decided to look into DVC. As it turns out (I did not know this and hope I am not revealing a super-secret DVC perk), when they went on the DVC tour they were given some very special passes. Essentially, it was a fastpass obtainer ticket, that let the holder get INSTANT fastpasses. Meaning, use it at any fastpass machine in any park and get fastpasses good immediately. No wait necessary. I do not know how many these nice folks were originally given, but they decided to pass them on to us since they weren't going to be able to use them.
They were my new best friends. Right until they left 10 minutes later.
I thought of them fondly several times over the next few days. Especially at that moment when I wanted to ride Space, with little to no wait. We headed over there, with NoFear happily skipping along. I got the fastpasses with those handy dandy special cards, and we left both kids with B. It was going to be me, NeatKid, and Grammy. B is not fond of Space. He was also not fond of NoFear screaming bloody murder because she did NOT get to ride.
I suggested that B take them on the PeopleMover (or whatever it is called). He said he would. Turns out he couldn't figure out how to get there without me to show him. (Yeah, silver lining, he figured out how much he needs for me to plan our vacations.)
So, Grammy screamed through the whole thing, as I knew she would. We hugged before we started, she noticed how the ride vehicles were different. We talked about riding this when I was a kid. NeatKid asked questions about that trip, her mom, about our childhood. It was one of those magical times when everything just falls together to create lifetime memories, and reflect on lifetime memories.
And, just as much as I wanted my Mom along to share the magic with her grandkids, I knew that I needed her along for me, too. And THIS is why I wanted her with me. And I knew, too, that this was one of the reasons that she agreed to come.
I love you, Mom!
So, your notes were next to your bed......
Sounds like something I would do....
I am glad you got yourself new passes, as that was so unfair and not right!!
You go girl!!
Glad the popsicle calmed shrimo down and grandma found the playground for him eventually...
So, I am hearing all the rides that No fear is going on and that is awesome..
But, what did shimpo ride?
Dis-moi si tu comprends ce que jai écrit (bien que je habite ici, mon français est horrible). 
She already ws in her 70's back then. I think that is the last time I rode it as well.
