PTR for the planning obsessed....Updated 11/5 We're home now.

[MRYPPNS]

I haven't read a Disney book since I did a 7th grade book report on a bio of Walt. I may have to get a library card.

 

[Lady Lallie]

I haven't read a Disney book since I did a 7th grade book report on a bio of Walt. I may have to get a library card.

May I also suggest, "Walt Disney: An American Orginal" by Bob Thomas. Very good and made me love Walt even more. This biography was sanctioned by Walt's family and the author had full access to archives and records. Another from LL.

 

[Charleston Princess]

One time...it was in the '80's, I want to say 1986 but that could be a total guess. A female cast member got knocked by one of the ride vehicles, all she could do was hold on. There is a picture of her in the book dangling. Luckily, another cast member was there and stopped it, so she didn't get very far. In the picture you can see men in navy uniforms who happened to be there trying to climb on the roof to resuce her, eventually she dropped, hit the building and landed on the ground. She was not hurt. Then about ten years later or so, the same thing happened. This time it was male cast member who started it accidentally, was pulled out, hanging to the vehicle, sadly there was no one to stop the ride and he let go and did not survive the fall.
There are some insane stories in that book about injuries at WDW, that I had never heard of before, which is amazing to me since a lot of them are very recent.
Seriously, it's a great book. I was skeptical because I hate hearing negative things about WDW but thought the book was pretty fairly balanced, it goes into detail about construction, why Epcot isn't how Walt envisioned, etc. Very good. I read it fairly quickly too.

I will have to order that when I get back!

May I also suggest, "Walt Disney: An American Orginal" by Bob Thomas. Very good and made me love Walt even more. This biography was sanctioned by Walt's family and the author had full access to archives and records. Another from LL.

I keep meaning to get this one, but haven't yet. Was it a pretty easy read? I am not usually a non-fiction type of person.

 

[Lady Lallie]

I will have to order that when I get back!

I keep meaning to get this one, but haven't yet. Was it a pretty easy read? I am not usually a non-fiction type of person.

I'm not either but I couldn't put it down. Probably because it's Disney related.

 

[Charleston Princess]

I'm not either but I couldn't put it down. Probably because it's Disney related.

Cool! Now I have books to look forward to when I return!

 

[MRYPPNS]

How geeky would it be if I got a Disney book to read while there? I'll need a good read for our water park day.

 

[Lady Lallie]

How geeky would it be if I got a Disney book to read while there? I'll need a good read for our water park day.

I don't think it's geeky at all!

 

[ILuvWishes!]

Hi! I found your TR several days ago and just got caught up. It has been fun to read it.

I have been to River Country in July, 1997. Lets just say that it is not being missed. The water in River Country is from the Seven Seas Lagoon and it had a sandy bottom. Very gross!! YUCK!! It had a few small water slides and a sandy beach and thats really all.

My DH and I will be going in November for our 10 1/2 year anniversay without kids and I can't wait to draw a Disney Character. That looks so fun!

Thanks....

 

[Charleston Princess]

How geeky would it be if I got a Disney book to read while there? I'll need a good read for our water park day.

Not geeky at all -- I always theme my books around where I am going. Okay, that sounds geeky!

 

[chicagoshannon]

your PTR is great! It's giving me a jumping off point to plan our trip for Feb 2010! ( we're going right before DD's 3rd birthday so she's still free) My daughter is just a little bit older then Liam.

Anyway you're making me want to find all of our old Disney pictures. We used to go every other year and camp at FW in a TENT. LOL I loved it. I've been to River Country a few times. I really miss it. I remember being afraid of Alligators coming into the Ol' Swimming hole ( I think that's what it was called) Their tube slide were the best! I hope you make it to the sing a long at FW. We used to go when they showed outdoor movies and Chip and Dale were there. Ah fond memories!

 

[MRYPPNS]

I don't think it's geeky at all!

Not geeky at all -- I always theme my books around where I am going. Okay, that sounds geeky!

Gonna have to get that library card!

Hi! I found your TR several days ago and just got caught up. It has been fun to read it.

I have been to River Country in July, 1997. Lets just say that it is not being missed. The water in River Country is from the Seven Seas Lagoon and it had a sandy bottom. Very gross!! YUCK!! It had a few small water slides and a sandy beach and thats really all.

My DH and I will be going in November for our 10 1/2 year anniversay without kids and I can't wait to draw a Disney Character. That looks so fun!

Thanks....

Welcome! I didn't realize that River Country has been open as late as 1997! It was probably cool when it first opened in the 80's but how could it compete with TL and BB!?!

your PTR is great! It's giving me a jumping off point to plan our trip for Feb 2010! ( we're going right before DD's 3rd birthday so she's still free) My daughter is just a little bit older then Liam.

Anyway you're making me want to find all of our old Disney pictures. We used to go every other year and camp at FW in a TENT. LOL I loved it. I've been to River Country a few times. I really miss it. I remember being afraid of Alligators coming into the Ol' Swimming hole ( I think that's what it was called) Their tube slide were the best! I hope you make it to the sing a long at FW. We used to go when they showed outdoor movies and Chip and Dale were there. Ah fond memories!

Hello there! Good for you for being able to hold off for so long...2010! You'll have to tell us your trip plans as you make them. I never thought of alligators at River Country....ugh!

 

[MRYPPNS]

Sometime in between touring MK and EP we went to Busch Gardens, SeaWorld and The Kennedy Space Center.

Big surprise that I don’t remember much and don’t have any pictures worth posting. At the Space Center I do remember that I was very impressed with the sheer size of the transport platform that they use to move the Shuttle to the launch site. HUGE!
Recently I either saw it in a trip report or maybe the Space Center’s website….but that place has really grown as an attraction. There seems to be much more to do today then 1984…but that seems to be true at all the central Florida attractions.
I also remember buying “space food” in the gift shop. Freeze dried ice cream…chocolate, vanilla, strawberry. I think I can still taste it. Blech!

Busch Gardens…all I remember from this park was my dad pitchin’ a fit because neither my mother nor I would go on any of the rollercoaster with him. Busch Gardens had rollercoasters that go upside down….back in the day I didn’t do upside down. (I got over that fear on one ride at Six Flags…me and my girlfriends ran onto a ride without knowing what it did….it went upside down… a lot….and it wasn’t so bad)

SeaWorld….I know that I loved it. I love me some Shamu! I went again in 2002….they updated a lot and I still loved it. We went in 2007 and loved it again….except for the Shamu show. They changed it to a show they call Believe. I believe I hated it. It was more about the trainers then Shamu. In 1984 Shamu did the show with dolphins…today Shamu does the show with huge jumbo-trons that tell a story about some fictional trainer. Yuck. Now don’t get me wrong, I love SeaWorld…I have my Shamu coffee cup next to me right now…but that show has to go.
If you are planning a SeaWorld trip and need tips, let me know, we saw all but one show in 2007 and I think we saw everything else twice. Plus I have extra maps.

Up Next: Epcot with more pictures!

Oh and I have a Thread of the Week for you today.....quick pace TR with plenty of pictures Team Renfroe http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1841491 They're the family that you want to stand in line next to.

 

[chicagoshannon]

we were at Sea World this past Feb. I not only didn't like the Shamu show but they didn't have the ski show anymore plus they dolphin show was super weird. They had people acting like flying birds or something. But they did bring back the divers that dive for pearls for you.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Too bad about the Shamu show .

I've been to SeaWorld twice -- once to the one in Ohio when my parents lived there after I moved out, and once to the one in Florida in 2004. It was the last day of commando-style touring by my in-laws, and all I remember is that I was exhausted and never ever wanted to see another theme park again.

 

[MRYPPNS]

we were at Sea World this past Feb. I not only didn't like the Shamu show but they didn't have the ski show anymore plus they dolphin show was super weird. They had people acting like flying birds or something. But they did bring back the divers that dive for pearls for you.

I think the ski show has been gone for a while.

(2007)The dolphin show was alittle Cirque du Soleil...I did like it thou. The Believe show is cheesy...the whole necklace thing..ugh. We missed the pearl divers (did see the tank thou while we were waiting for the rope drop. Did you see the theater show that was like Cirque? I was really impressed with it.

Too bad about the Shamu show .

I've been to SeaWorld twice -- once to the one in Ohio when my parents lived there after I moved out, and once to the one in Florida in 2004. It was the last day of commando-style touring by my in-laws, and all I remember is that I was exhausted and never ever wanted to see another theme park again.

They just have to get rid of the cheesy storyline and what it more about the whales. Sea World is a ton of walking if you are trying to see all the shows. In 2007 we must have walked the whole park 4 times.

 

[Lady Lallie]

I did a backstage tour at Seaworld. It was really neat. $15 a person and it was an hour long and we got to pet a penguin!
They have a couple different options for the tours but I thought it was really cool you could a backstage peek.

 

[MRYPPNS]

I did a backstage tour at Seaworld. It was really neat. $15 a person and it was an hour long and we got to pet a penguin!
They have a couple different options for the tours but I thought it was really cool you could a backstage peek.

I had no idea they did tours! hhhmpf! Well I guess we have to go back

 

[Charleston Princess]

Petting a penguin would be soooo cool!

 

[Lady Lallie]

I had no idea they did tours! hhhmpf! Well I guess we have to go back

I found out about them by accident on their website. Granted, I went in 2005 but I think they are still offering them. They had one with manatees that I really wanted to do but they put the manatees with birds and I did NOT want to go to the bird aviary(spelling).

Petting a penguin would be soooo cool!

They were so soft. It's like teeny little feathers. You could only use two fingers but it was a fun experience for $15. We got to go behind the scenes with the polar bears too and see animals that had just been brought to Sea World.

 

[Charleston Princess]

They were so soft. It's like teeny little feathers. You could only use two fingers but it was a fun experience for $15. We got to go behind the scenes with the polar bears too and see animals that had just been brought to Sea World.

Awwww! I would totally pay $15 to be able to pet a penguin.