They Should Really Put a Bar in Here - Closing Thoughts - 4/1

[afwdwfan]

Love you TR....

Thanks!

Your DD's picture at dinner is absolutely adorable. That wait and inability to check in sounds very frustrating. I can see maybe 40 minutes being a little early, but 30? Come on! Despite that, it sounds like you had a great meal except for the camera fiasco. I used to be a slave to those stupid batteries until I got a DSLR with a battery that lasts two days. Now I am never caught with a dead battery because I charge it at night every 48 hours. Best. Camera. Ever.

I love that picture of her, but the smile is so big that it almost doesn't even look like her! We're definitely going to have to look into a new camera now. Ours isn't a DSLR, but it is a Canon and it takes really good pictures for just a point and shoot type. I think we've had it maybe 2 years and it was a $500 camera.

Now - on to the crazy teenager that was banging at the door? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? REALLY? I'm glad your dad took care of that right on the spot.

Fortunately, that was the worst thing we had happen at the resort, but we did have enough annoyances to make me believe all the Pop Warner stories. I wish I would have pushed harder to change our reservations when they announced CSR would be a Pop resort.

Who needs sleep, anyway? It's overrated.

There's no time to lay around on vacation!!!!

OOPS - I see you just posted our first day. Hate when I get behind. Grrr! Looks like the start to a fab day and it looks absolutely gorgeous outside. You started with two of my fav rides and yeah for seeing the opening show!

It was a beautiful day. In fact I don't think we could have asked for a nicer week! I love the opening show. We saved it for our last day last year and that bit us, so we definitey made it a priority this time!

That picture of DD at Chef Mickey's is just absolutely precious. I'm glad DS wasn't scared of the characters this year. At least with all your camera troubles you were able to get a few good pictures of the characters. I totally agree with your rant, it doesn't seem like it should make much difference if you check in more than 15 minutes before your ADR. Like you said, if anything it should make it easier on them!

We definitey did much better with the characters this year. Both kids loved them. It kind of reminded me of what you mentioned before about Paxton liking the characters when he was smaller. The characters seemed to really love the fact that DD was interested in playing with them!

I have to say, your first night had me a little ! That is just absolutely crazy!!! And poor DD, it is so hard doing things in the dark. Not a great way to spend your first night, so I really hope the following nights were a lot better for you!

It was a little scary at first. Before I looked out the peephole, I thought somebody was trying to break into my parents' room! Then I realized it was just some idiot.

The bottle thing was just a product of my being tired, and wanting to get her taken care of and back in bed.

I totally had to chuckle a little that your wife got lost looking for Dumbo, just like we did our first morning!! They really threw a lot of people off with that Dumbo relocation. But at least you found it, and the kiddos enjoyed their first ride of the trip. I'm glad DS liked Barnstormer...wish we could say the same about Paxton.

Well, when you're used to something being in the same spot for so many years...

I was really excited that he liked Barnstormer... If my kid doesn't want to ride a roller coaster, then we've got a problem.

As for Push the Trash Can, I don't know if before I just didn't know how they did it that I never noticed the guy, or if they are really more obvious now or what. But we saw him a couple of times and it seemed like the guy operating it was right in the middle of the crowd! Seems like they used to at least TRY to be obscured from the guests.

It might have stood out a little more because there just wasn't much of a crowd. There probably weren't 15 people standing around there, so it isn't like he had a thick crowd to just blend into. The picture where you can see him was actually the first one I took. I think he was at least aware enough that he tried to get out of my line of site when he saw me taking pictures.

 

[afwdwfan]

Impressive, since you're working on about 4 hours of sleep in the last 48.

I can sleep when I'm dead.

Cool. I love that show.

Who doesn't?

The details are awesome. They mean so much!

The details are why they don't call it Six Flags over Cinderella Castle.

Andy returns to see his kids melting down. "Sorry, kids, Dumbo is gone forever!"

I have to admit, my family is all Disney vets, but I'm obviously a little bit farther off the deep end than anyone else. There were a few times when I felt like I was herding some first timers around. They really didn't understand why I didn't want to stop at the Teacups after Barnstormer instead of going to Peter Pan.

Great. Now everyone's going to call this ride the Double D, and you'll drag this conversation down into the gutter. Way to go.

Hey, you were the one that took it there.

Really? I've never seen kids do that before.

It seemed like some odd behavior.

Nice. Did you run around telling all the kids there's no Santa Claus, too?

No, but I did tell Sis2. I shattered her reality a few times that week.

Looks like a beautiful area. Gotta give props to Disney Imagineers.

DS?? Given your lack of sleep, I'm expecting the meltdown to come from a different source.

No, it'll take at least another day before I snap...

Everybody comes to Rix
(just be aware that the authorities are looking for those letters of transit you stole so hide them well).

Since this isn't Mark's TR....

+0

Glad to hear it. Strollers and busses dont generally mix well.

Man Law upheld&

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do!

Im cited to just hear that he was cited.
Thats why we all head down there in the first place&
To be cited.

Well said.

Imagineering at its best.
Its all about the details.

And nobody does it better.

Missed that little detail though&

Just a minor one.

DD on the DD& thats D to the fourth.
Add Daddy (or even better Dummy Daddy) and the math gets really complex.

That math was complex when you started. You were using letters and none of them were even X.

Win!
Whos your Dummy-Daddy now!



Double win
(we need to move on to another letter here)

You and Mark seem to be stuck on this DD thing...

Dust&

Dust??

A little bit of Pixy Dust.

Does pixie dust smell like hydraulic fluid???

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain&

If only he had one to hide behind!

Very gallant of you to offer a good time to everyone else while you spent time with your little girl.

Unless is was merely a ploy to keep from having to admit that everyone else would have whipped you for high score on the SRS

No, I actually just knew that others would be spending a lot of time with her waitng throughout the week, so I might as well step up and take my turn. I figured there would be more opportunities to defeat Zurg later.

Whoa&thats quite the wait for QS dinning.
But really, its more then that from what Ive read. I read where more then a few reviewers have said that this contains some of the best themeing in the new Fantasy Land area. Im actually interested to here if yall got to try it and what you thought.

I guess you'll just have to wait and find out (if you really don't know the answer yet).

A must do for us.
The bad jokes are better then the original script ever was.

It always feels like I'm reading one of Barry's TRs though.

Has this reverted back to the original show?

Iago has left the building.

So Drag Racing and Monster Truck Rallies arent in his immediate future then?
Thats really not that uncommon. I suspect Hell grow out of it in the near.

Actually, I think he'd love it. As long as we bring the ear muffs.

Stay tuned for our next exciting episode:

Mick Mouse Melt Down or Scream Machine

Note to self: Change the tentative title for the next chapter.

Reading along-- coz we are going in Dec 2013 and I want to get a feel of what its like..

I hope I can share something useful!!!

we have 16 people. 2 of which are babies not even born yet = they will be 6 months and 7 months old when we get there.
This trip has been a lifelong dream of mine--

Sounds like quite the epic trip!!!

I've been twice pushing a stroller now, but never with 2 that young. DD was 7 months though, so that might give you somewhat of an idea of what to expect from the little ones on your trip. To me, it really seemed like a good age to take her, as long as there is someone who won't mind missing a ride or you are willing to take turns riding. If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to try to help!

 

[jecskc]

My DH loves to drive at night. When we do so, it makes for a much quicker trip to get there. Sometimes it shaves off almost and hour and a half. But I do admit that first day can be very exhausting since we all get minimal sleep. But just not having to listen to DH moan about all of the stupid people on the road is worth it. The way home is always a different story. Major Grumpy comes out and we all have to endure.

Looking forward to reading more !!

 

[afwdwfan]

My DH loves to drive at night. When we do so, it makes for a much quicker trip to get there. Sometimes it shaves off almost and hour and a half. But I do admit that first day can be very exhausting since we all get minimal sleep. But just not having to listen to DH moan about all of the stupid people on the road is worth it. The way home is always a different story. Major Grumpy comes out and we all have to endure.

Looking forward to reading more !!

It just works really well for us. DW and the kids (so far) are good car sleepers, so I'm the only one that gets tired! It really doesn't affect me much though because I have that jolt of adrenaline from being at Disney World. The trip home is another story though. We take our time. In the end though, driving through the night is basically the equivalent of one more day of vacation without taking another day off work.

 

[toughmudder]

Andy, enjoying the TR so far.... I esp liked hearing about your DS on Barnstormer...

I had a similar experience with my DD at that age... and she's now almost 12 and officially my "coaster buddy"... she'll do anything she's tall enough for, and has surpassed DW in being able to do multiple rides with her dad.

In fact, she's hoping to be tall enough to ride all the big rides at USF for our trip in February... she's a half inch short for Hulk and Dragon Challenge (yes, she's very short for her age...) and we're hoping for a little growth spurt (or some tall shoes )

 

[moose615]

Awesome TR so far, your DS and DD are so adorable, looking forward to CM in march, not so much the food now lol, sucks about the drunk teens banging on the door also

 

[afwdwfan]

Andy, enjoying the TR so far.... I esp liked hearing about your DS on Barnstormer...

I had a similar experience with my DD at that age... and she's now almost 12 and officially my "coaster buddy"... she'll do anything she's tall enough for, and has surpassed DW in being able to do multiple rides with her dad.

In fact, she's hoping to be tall enough to ride all the big rides at USF for our trip in February... she's a half inch short for Hulk and Dragon Challenge (yes, she's very short for her age...) and we're hoping for a little growth spurt (or some tall shoes )

Thanks! I'm really glad he enjoyed it, but I had a feeling he would. He loves moving around a lot and going fast, so I figured he'd be hooked once he experienced it.

Good luck with your DS. I hope she is tall enough by then. I love the Hulk!

Awesome TR so far, your DS and DD are so adorable, looking forward to CM in march, not so much the food now lol, sucks about the drunk teens banging on the door also

Eh, the food isn't really bad... Just not really anything special. You just have to remember that you did it for the characters, not the food, when the bill comes.

 

[afwdwfan]

I'll probably be around some between now and then, but I figured I should pop in to say Merry Christmas before we get too involved with going 20 different directions this weekend!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and take advantage of the time to spend with your families. Especially in the wake of some of the bad news we've seen lately.

We picked a little something up on vacation to help secure our home this Christmas. We're not worried about the Grinch or Dr Doofenschmirtz this year!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

 

[moose615]

Eh, the food isn't really bad... Just not really anything special. You just have to remember that you did it for the characters, not the food, when the bill comes.

Before even getting the bill I'm pretty sure I know we are doing it for the characters, when my mom booked it she thought the characters made the food, given that would be cool to see but then I asked her if she would really want to eat food made by characters and then informed her, they do not make the food

 

[KatMark]

I finally got back for your update.


I also took this one. Not very good detail in the picture, but I like how they make the walkways look kind of like hardened mud with tracks from the circus coming to town. Complete with animal tracks and discarded peanuts!

I love all the little detail.

I was sure by the time I got there that were already in line to ride. I looked all around the Dumbo stroller parking and didn’t see our stroller. I then went and looked around the stroller parking area by Barnstormer and didn’t see it there either. I walked back over to the Teacups and looked in the direction of Pooh and saw them all heading towards me. DW said she forgot they moved Dumbo and couldn’t find it. They ended up having to ask a CM. Oops, should have thought to remind them.

We parked the stroller and headed into try out the new Double Dumbo. DD’s first ever ride was with Dad.

A very sweet picture of daddy and his little girl.

We decided to ride a second time while the line was short, so DW got a chance to ride with DD as well.

Our first ride was on the Dumbo closest to Barnstormer. While we were in line, I was pointing out the rollercoaster to DS and talking it up. He didn’t look too sure about it, but after the second ride on Dumbo we took him over to it. I told him it was Goofy’s air plane and pointed out some of the sight gags as we walked through the queue. We walked right on to a half empty coaster and he ended up getting in without having any kind of a last second freak out. I think he ejoyed it once it was said and done...

Cute picture!!!!

Hey, it is a Disney first!!! I’ve never seen this guy before!!!

We watched for a bit, before DW, my sisters and I decided to leave Mom and DS there to watch while we rode SM. As we were walking, Sis2 was talking about how cool and impressive that was. She said she knows that it isn’t real, but couldn’t figure out how they did it. I looked at her and asked her if she was being serious. She was, so I asked her if she noticed the guy following it around talking to his hand…

I know it probably wasn’t very nice, but from the angle we were standing it was so obvious that I don’t know how she missed it. I just had to show her the picture that I took and ruined the magic.

We got back from SM and found DD sound asleep. Our Mermaid FP’s weren’t quite ready yet, so I asked everyone if they wanted to ride Buzz while we were close. They all went and I walked DD around Tomorrowland. After Buzz, we headed back past the new castle walls and into the new Fantasyland for the first time. I didn’t get any pictures at this time, but don’t worry, there will be some later. They really did an excellent job on the theming. We noted that the wait for Enchanted Tales with Belle was 60 min. We made our way to the very back to ride Under the Sea. Mom and Dad volunteered to wait with DD while the rest of us rode, then they’d go. We obviously didn’t get to experience the standby line and crab game I’ve heard about, but the FP line has some beautiful scenery as well. You just don’t get to stop and admire it.

DS took in the sights and more than once said it was scary. Then as we were walking out, I asked if he wanted to ride again. He said he did so off he went with Mom and Dad.

When they got done it was just after 11:00 am. It had been a very productive morning and we thought we’d check on the wait to get into Be Our Guest. When we walked past at 10:30, the line was already snaked around the corner, so we thought we’d ask how long the wait would be once the restaurant was actually opened. They told us 45 – 60 min.

Eh, maybe later, but not on the first day. Instead, we’d head to our trusty, traditional first meal at the MK destination, Pecos Bills. Not much to say here. We had a great meal, as usual, here and took a nice little break to sit and relax while we fed DD and took turns taking kids to change diapers. We decided that we’d go ride Jungle Cruise, but on the way, I grabbed everyone’s keys to get Thunder Mountain FP’s since we were close. The Jungle Cruise wait was posted as 15 min, but it was maybe 10. Our skipper was Lisa and she was absolutely the best skipper I’ve ever had. She didn’t do any new material, but her delivery was spot on. She really knew how to play the role and sell it. I can’t applaud her enough!

At the end of our cruise, we still had time before the FP’s for BTMRR would be good, so we decided that DS and DD might enjoy the Tiki Room. It turns out they did, but DS had his hands over his ears most of the time. That kid hates loud things…

After the Birds finished their performance, we stepped outside and DS was then on a mission. The week before our trip, I got him to watch Aladdin with me for the first time. Of all things in the movie, the one thing he was scared of was Genie… Really???? Anyway, whenever Genie was on the screen, Carpet was typically around too, so we started talking about Carpet and we talked about riding a carpet at Disney World. He obviously remembered and it didn’t take him long to spot them. The ladies took DS to ride Aladdin’s Dumbo Carpets while Dad stayed with DD and the stroller and I ran to get FP’s for Splash Mountain.

It had been a busy start to the day, but we had been having a blast and getting a lot of attractions done. We were going to have to head back for a nap sometime. The original plan was to leave at around 1pm, but it was now 1 and we had 2 FP’s in hand. We knew we were walking on thin ice, but just how long would we be able to last before a meltdown and a much needed nap for DS???

I can't believe you gave away the secret about Push.

Great update!

Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Since this isn't Mark's TR....

+0

WooHoo!!!
I won zero points.

That’s a major victory around here…

You and Mark seem to be stuck on this DD thing...

Actually, those double-Ds kind’a go along with that “X” thing, but like Mark said…
It’s best not to go there.

Does pixie dust smell like hydraulic fluid???

“Oh, I hope not…”

It always feels like I'm reading one of Barry's TRs though.

And yet, we continually get on the boat anyway.

Note to self: Change the tentative title for the next chapter.

Queue ominous music…

I'll probably be around some between now and then, but I figured I should pop in to say Merry Christmas before we get too involved with going 20 different directions this weekend!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and take advantage of the time to spend with your families. Especially in the wake of some of the bad news we've seen lately.

We picked a little something up on vacation to help secure our home this Christmas. We're not worried about the Grinch or Dr Doofenschmirtz this year!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

And a Merry Christmas to you sir.
(Yah… I’m a might late here on the wishes for comfort and joy, but it couldn’t be helped.)

 

[eandesmom]

It turned out I got to the door just in time to see the good part.

At that insant, I saw my dad give him exactly what he wanted. Dad cracked the door open. He left the top latch on the door so it couldn’t open all the way and was trying to let the guy know he was in the wrong place. As he did that, the guy kicked at the door and tried to push his way in. Dad slammed the door right in his face. The realization hit him that he was at the wrong room and he took off stumbling away from the door and then ran away. I’m pretty sure he woke up with a headache and bruised foot in the morning though. Serves him right!

Oh that is the best story! one you will all never forget. Go dad!

I didn’t turn on the lights when I was doing everything, so I didn’t realize that when I fixed the bottle, the nipple wasn’t in the right way and didn’t seal. As I was feeding her, more of the bottle was leaking out on her than going into her mouth. She and the pack n play were both completely soaked in formula.

Remember annoyed, impatient, grumpy guy from yesterday that really needed to catch up on sleep? He came back.

DW woke up and helped with the clean-up. I grabbed a couple of bath towels to lay down in the pack n play and fixed a new bottle. Before long she managed to drift back to sleep, and thankfully so did I.

Ok, maybe not a full night of sleep, but we can at least get a few more hours before we head out for our first park day!!!

UGH. That sounds brutal all around.

Good Morning!

Sunday, Dec 2 – A more reasonable time of morning

My alarm went off at 6:30 am. It felt like I had just gotten back into bed after our midnight excitement, but knowing what the day had in store, I wasn’t the least bit tempted to hit the snooze. I woke up and got myself ready to go and then woke DW up. I headed off to Café Rix to fill our mugs and get a couple of blueberry muffins for breakfast. We brought some cereal and milk with us and DS had that for breakfast every day.

We all got ready to go and we were out the door by 8:00 am. We met up with the rest of our group and decided to take the bus since we were heading to the MK. We had planned to drive to the parks most of the week, but just thought that we’d try the bus out with the stroller going to MK, just to see if it was worth it to save a little bit of wasted time at the TTC.

Our planning worked out, and no construction barges got in our way this time. We saw the opening ceremony. We were off to the side, and had to look around a tree, so it wasn’t a great view, but we saw it none the less. DS was a little impatient waiting for it to start, but once he saw the train roll in and identified Pluto he started to get excited. Almost as excited as I was.

Way to rebound after a really rough night.

We watched for a bit, before DW, my sisters and I decided to leave Mom and DS there to watch while we rode SM. As we were walking, Sis2 was talking about how cool and impressive that was. She said she knows that it isn’t real, but couldn’t figure out how they did it. I looked at her and asked her if she was being serious. She was, so I asked her if she noticed the guy following it around talking to his hand…

I know it probably wasn’t very nice, but from the angle we were standing it was so obvious that I don’t know how she missed it. I just had to show her the picture that I took and ruined the magic.

Oh man, totally uncool!

It had been a busy start to the day, but we had been having a blast and getting a lot of attractions done. We were going to have to head back for a nap sometime. The original plan was to leave at around 1pm, but it was now 1 and we had 2 FP’s in hand. We knew we were walking on thin ice, but just how long would we be able to last before a meltdown and a much needed nap for DS???

Dun dun dun! oh oh, the dreaded no nap meltdown may be on the horizon.

You did get a lot done, very busy morning!

 

[amandaw]

Trying to catch up since I've been MIA over the last 2 weeks.

Glad y'all made it to Disney safely. But UGH for the room not being ready at check in time. I would have been aggravated, too!

And then the whole check in annoyance at Chef Mickeys! I'm with you - I don't understand why they couldn't just put you in as checked in before your time. But, it does sound like y'all had a nice time with the characters.

As for the middle of the night madness! I love that your dad slammed the door in that guy's face. But, I felt so bad for you and DD with the leaking formula.

Your day at MK is off to a great start!

 

[shan23877]

Trying to get caught up-- So glad to hear that the first park day was much improved over the first night. You guys were getting a ton of rides in! I can't wait to see new FL, and am so glad that you're including the wait times of the new B&tB attractions. I know DD will insist on eating at BoG and doing Storytime. Is there a FP option for Storytime?

Can't wait to hear more!

 

[Shannon84]

Finally back on the Disboards and catching up on your TR!!

 

[afwdwfan]

Before even getting the bill I'm pretty sure I know we are doing it for the characters, when my mom booked it she thought the characters made the food, given that would be cool to see but then I asked her if she would really want to eat food made by characters and then informed her, they do not make the food

You know, being able to see Goofy working in the kitchen would definitely be worth the price of admission!

I'm with you though, I'm not sure I'd want to eat the end result.

I finally got back for your update.

And I finally got back to do replies.

I love all the little detail.

And Disney never seems to disappoint in that area.

A very sweet picture of daddy and his little girl.

Thanks!

I can't believe you gave away the secret about Push.

Hey, she's 26. It's about time she learned.

Great update!

Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family.

Thanks. And since Christmas is over now, Happy New Year!!!

 

[afwdwfan]

WooHoo!!!
I won zero points.

That’s a major victory around here…

Don't expect me to be so generous in the future.

Actually, those double-Ds kind’a go along with that “X” thing, but like Mark said…
It’s best not to go there.

You guys are trying to drag my TR down...

“Oh, I hope not…”

Well, I could think of worse smells.

And yet, we continually get on the boat anyway.

Just like we continue to read Barry's TR's. I might as well keep picking on him since he hasn't updated his TR in a while and doesn't seem to be around to defend himself.

And a Merry Christmas to you sir.
(Yah… I’m a might late here on the wishes for comfort and joy, but it couldn’t be helped.)

I understand!

Oh that is the best story! one you will all never forget. Go dad!

Well, it is a funny story, but it wasn't that great when it happened. I'm actually glad dad hit him with a door, because I was on the fence between talking to him to convince him he had the wrong room or just opening the door and tackling him. I'm sure the second option wouldn't have ended with Disney magic for either of us.

UGH. That sounds brutal all around.

Let's just say that I'm glad DS slept through it. He likes to repeat everything he hears and he didn't need to be learning some of the language I was using.

Way to rebound after a really rough night.

Hey, a morning at MK can make anything better!

Oh man, totally uncool!

Yeah, yeah. She is always on the receiving end of blonde jokes. Sometimes you just have to point out the obvious just to see how long it takes her to figure it all out.

Dun dun dun! oh oh, the dreaded no nap meltdown may be on the horizon.

You did get a lot done, very busy morning!

That meltdown is always right on the horizon. You just never know what will set it off.

 

[afwdwfan]

Trying to catch up since I've been MIA over the last 2 weeks.

Welcome back!

Glad y'all made it to Disney safely. But UGH for the room not being ready at check in time. I would have been aggravated, too!

Yeah, I just wasn't feeling the pixie dust at that point in time.

And then the whole check in annoyance at Chef Mickeys! I'm with you - I don't understand why they couldn't just put you in as checked in before your time. But, it does sound like y'all had a nice time with the characters.

It was a nice meal and worth the wait, but yeah, I just don't get why they wouldn't just check us in. We were just going to be hanging around in the concourse area either way.

As for the middle of the night madness! I love that your dad slammed the door in that guy's face. But, I felt so bad for you and DD with the leaking formula.

I really felt like he got what he deserved. The fomula incident was all my fault though, and I was just tired and not very happy at that point.

Your day at MK is off to a great start!

And it was exactly what we needed!

Trying to get caught up-- So glad to hear that the first park day was much improved over the first night. You guys were getting a ton of rides in! I can't wait to see new FL, and am so glad that you're including the wait times of the new B&tB attractions. I know DD will insist on eating at BoG and doing Storytime. Is there a FP option for Storytime?

I don't believe there is FP for Storytime. If there was, we'd have definitely used it! The wait there was always ridiculous. With Dumbo, Little Mermaid and Peter Pan all having FP, I would definitely make Storytime an early morning priority, because the wait seemed to hover around an hour all the time! We never made it there, just because DS wouldn't wait in a line that long and be in any kind of mood to hear a story by the time we got there. Unfortunately, this would have been our only chance to hit it first thing.

Finally back on the Disboards and catching up on your TR!!

Welcome back, I'm glad to see you around!

Will you have a TR from a trip you took 3 or 4 months ago???

 

[afwdwfan]

Is it Closed for Fast Pass People Too???

Sunday, Dec 2 – 1:30 pm

It was finally time to use our Thunder Mountain FP’s, so we decided to head over to Frontierland. We got there to find several CM’s in front of BTMRR informing everyone that the ride wasn’t working, but they’d honor all Fast Passes until 7pm. We still had the Splash Mountain FP’s that would be good in about 20 minutes, but DW and I debated whether or not to just leave the park instead. We found a shady spot along the walkway close to the dock to Tom Sawyer Island and let DS play while we waited. We kept watching people walk up to the CM’s and it really made me feel sorry for the CM’s posted to tell people the ride was closed. They had to keep saying the same things over and over and over and they had to deal with a lot of stupid questions. One lady walked up to them and asked them if the ride was closed for Fast Pass people too… REALLY?!?!?!

Anyway, our Splash Mountain FP’s were finally good, so DW, my sisters and I headed off to ride. Mom didn’t feel like getting wet and dad just didn’t want to ride anything with drops so they stayed with the kids. It was a warm afternoon and they had all the water features going. We had a fun ride and got fairly wet. When we returned, we found a couple of nice surprises. The kids were both passed out in the stroller, and BTMRR was running! We decided to go ahead and use our FP’s and then we’d head back to the resort.

By the time we wandered back toward the entrance, it was almost 3:00. We decided since the kids were asleep we’d grab some ice cream at the Plaza and watch the parade.

As the final float passed, we headed for the gates. That’s when the realization hit us… How are we going to get on the bus with a stroller and 2 sleeping kids???? The math just didn’t quite add up. We didn’t wait long at all before a bus pulled up. DW picked DD up and held her in her left arm. When we got to the door, I picked DS up and put him against her shoulder in her right arm and folded the stroller. We were near the front of the line so DW got a seat and I just headed to the back door of the bus so that I could stand there and get out of the way with the stroller as people got on the bus. Not long after we got on, DD woke up and found a new friend. DW was sitting next to a group of cheerleaders and one of them was talking to and entertaining DD. She always loves attention. DS, somehow, remained asleep all the way back to the room!

DW laid down for a nap, and after DS woke up, he and I headed to Café Rix to fill the mugs. I wouldn’t expect the place to be so crowded at around 4pm, but it was nuts!!! I had a hard time getting through with the stroller, and as I was waiting in what looked to be a well-defined line for one of the soft drink dispensers, kids kept coming up and cutting in front of everybody. It didn’t take me long to just take matters into my own hands. I found an opening and I filled my mugs. I was done being polite. As it turned out, being polite at CSR that week was going to be nothing but a sign of weakness. Right, Kathy?

This was a short update so I’ll just make it a really long one, and go ahead and continue to our evening. We left just before 5pm to go to Hollywood Studios, and this time we drove. They had EMH that evening with a second showing of Fantasmic!

We headed into the park toward the Streets of America. DS said he was hungry, so we made a quick detour to Backlot Express to grab some chicken nuggets for him. We headed back to grab a spot in the middle of the intersection so that we’d be able to see the lights in all directions when the switch was flipped. Let me tell you, as blown away as I was by the Osborne Lights the first time I saw them, they were just as good the second time!


Here’s a link to a video I took… hope it works.

DD wasn’t impressed though.

After we spent some time enjoying the lights, we headed back up to Backlot Express so that everyone else could grab some food. I was kind of excited to see that they have Buffalo chicken nuggets on the menu, so I decided to try them. When I ordered them, the CM warned me twice that they were spicy and asked if it was ok. It makes me wonder how many people order them, not knowing what they are and then complain??? Anyway, I thought the flavor was good, and they weren’t overly hot, maybe a medium sauce. I love Buffalo wings, so it was nice to be able to get something like that at a QS place, but they were just ok. They were a nice change from the typical Disney food, but they apparently make them well in advance and just let them soak in the sauce because they tasted fine, but were pretty soggy. I didn’t take pictures, and I don’t typically do detailed food reviews, but I thought I’d throw my 2 cents out there just because it is an unusual QS item.

Sis2 apparently decided her meal was a little too messy and borrowed something from DD.

After we finished our meal, we loaded the stroller back up and headed over to catch the second showing of Fantasmic! I love when they have 2 shows. We walked up about 20 minutes before it started and still managed to get a spot close to the middle of the theater!

We all enjoyed the show as always. DS enjoyed it with his earmuffs on, but hey, it works.

DD didn’t like the earmuffs.

But she did seem to have a good time anyway.

It was EMH time, so we decided to take advantage of something DS would enjoy while he was still awake. We headed over to Disney Jr. for the Dance Party. When we got there, a couple of the Little Einsteins kids were out, as was Pluto. We sent DS over to Pluto, but he wasn’t so crazy about getting too close to him while he was dancing. I guess if I was DS’s size, I’d be a little concerned about getting too close to a big awkward looking dog while he’s dancing too. DS ended up going off into a corner and just danced by himself for a while.

Then DD joined him on the dance floor.

I really wish this one had turned out better.

Soon, we saw Jake come out, and DS had worked up a little more courage and went over to see his favorite pirate.

After that, a couple of mice entered the room and DS had to go see them.

He danced for a while longer, but we had been there for a long time and decided it was time to move on. I took DD and went to get the stroller while DW corralled DS and everyone headed outside. Unfortunately, I missed the highlight of the night… as did the cameras. DS was dancing and tripped (translation: flopped onto the floor because that’s just what he does). He just stayed on the floor and rolled around for a little bit. All of a sudden, there’s Mickey rolling around on the floor right next to him!!! Of course it happens when we’re on our way out, so nobody had a camera handy. Oh well, DS still remembers it!

My goal for the night was to ride Star Tours, and nobody else made any requests, so we decided to head over there taking the long way around. I thought we’d see how long the wait for Toy Story was, but it was still around an hour… no real surprise. We slowed down and enjoyed the Osborne Lights a bit longer as we passed by and noticed that they actually had a Nativity Scene on the back side. Not to get into the religion debate here, but it was nice to see that included in the display.

We got to Star Tours and Dad took the kids while everyone else went to ride. As always I enjoyed the ride and asked if anyone wanted to ride again since it was a walk on. Mom, DW and both of my sisters all shot down that idea. Now I have always had an issue with motion sickness on the type of simulator rides that move while you’re watching a screen. In my opinion, the new Star Tours is the best I’ve ever been on, and doesn’t leave me feeling the least bit uneasy. Apparently, they all disagreed with my assessment of it, because that would be the only time any of them would step foot on the ride.

It was getting close to time for the park to close and BiL was probably about ready to land at MCO, so we decided to call it a night and head back to CSR. We had a relatively peaceful night and everyone slept well. We heard quite a bit of noise coming from the Dig Site as we approached our room, but once inside it didn’t bother us too much.

I’m going to go back to something that happened as we were walking out of DHS to end this update though. It may not be as funny in print form in a TR as it was when it happened, but I thought it was hilarious and I wasn’t about to let the subject be dropped. As I’ve pointed out before, my whole family has been to Universal Studios and Disney World several times. Sis2, is actually very smart, and she’s an interview away being accepted back to school to study Veterinary Medicine. She doesn’t always pay attention to her surroundings though (remember Push), and she asked me a question that I could only answer by laughing.














Is the E.T. ride in Hollywood Studios or is it in EPCOT?

 

[KatMark]

Is it Closed for Fast Pass People Too???

Sunday, Dec 2 – 1:30 pm

It was finally time to use our Thunder Mountain FP’s, so we decided to head over to Frontierland. We got there to find several CM’s in front of BTMRR informing everyone that the ride wasn’t working, but they’d honor all Fast Passes until 7pm. We still had the Splash Mountain FP’s that would be good in about 20 minutes, but DW and I debated whether or not to just leave the park instead. We found a shady spot along the walkway close to the dock to Tom Sawyer Island and let DS play while we waited. We kept watching people walk up to the CM’s and it really made me feel sorry for the CM’s posted to tell people the ride was closed. They had to keep saying the same things over and over and over and they had to deal with a lot of stupid questions. One lady walked up to them and asked them if the ride was closed for Fast Pass people too… REALLY?!?!?!

It seriously amazes me how clueless people are! When we were at Disney in 2011, Big Thunder was totally down for renovation. A family of a dad and two sons walked over there wanting to ride it. They saw the big things in front of it showing it was closed off; they asked the CM if it would open later in the evening? Seriously? And then they complained that Disney didn't advertise that it was closed? Hmm....do you know how to research on the internet? It was all over the place.

Anyway, our Splash Mountain FP’s were finally good, so DW, my sisters and I headed off to ride. Mom didn’t feel like getting wet and dad just didn’t want to ride anything with drops so they stayed with the kids. It was a warm afternoon and they had all the water features going. We had a fun ride and got fairly wet. When we returned, we found a couple of nice surprises. The kids were both passed out in the stroller, and BTMRR was running! We decided to go ahead and use our FP’s and then we’d head back to the resort.

Awesome...you go to do both right then and there.

By the time we wandered back toward the entrance, it was almost 3:00. We decided since the kids were asleep we’d grab some ice cream at the Plaza and watch the parade.

Too bad the kids didn't see the parade, though.

As the final float passed, we headed for the gates. That’s when the realization hit us… How are we going to get on the bus with a stroller and 2 sleeping kids???? The math just didn’t quite add up. We didn’t wait long at all before a bus pulled up. DW picked DD up and held her in her left arm. When we got to the door, I picked DS up and put him against her shoulder in her right arm and folded the stroller. We were near the front of the line so DW got a seat and I just headed to the back door of the bus so that I could stand there and get out of the way with the stroller as people got on the bus. Not long after we got on, DD woke up and found a new friend. DW was sitting next to a group of cheerleaders and one of them was talking to and entertaining DD. She always loves attention. DS, somehow, remained asleep all the way back to the room!

Well, glad to see the cheerleaders would good for something.

DW laid down for a nap, and after DS woke up, he and I headed to Café Rix to fill the mugs. I wouldn’t expect the place to be so crowded at around 4pm, but it was nuts!!! I had a hard time getting through with the stroller, and as I was waiting in what looked to be a well-defined line for one of the soft drink dispensers, kids kept coming up and cutting in front of everybody. It didn’t take me long to just take matters into my own hands. I found an opening and I filled my mugs. I was done being polite. As it turned out, being polite at CSR that week was going to be nothing but a sign of weakness. Right, Kathy?

Glad you took matters into your own hands; Mark did the same at the hot tub!

This was a short update so I’ll just make it a really long one, and go ahead and continue to our evening. We left just before 5pm to go to Hollywood Studios, and this time we drove. They had EMH that evening with a second showing of Fantasmic!

We headed into the park toward the Streets of America. DS said he was hungry, so we made a quick detour to Backlot Express to grab some chicken nuggets for him. We headed back to grab a spot in the middle of the intersection so that we’d be able to see the lights in all directions when the switch was flipped. Let me tell you, as blown away as I was by the Osborne Lights the first time I saw them, they were just as good the second time!

It was our first time seeing them and I really hope we can go back and see them again next year.

Here’s a link to a video I took… hope it works.

Great video job!

DD wasn’t impressed though.

Too much to handle all at once? The pictures are great!


Sis2 apparently decided her meal was a little too messy and borrowed something from DD.

This is too funny!

After we finished our meal, we loaded the stroller back up and headed over to catch the second showing of Fantasmic! I love when they have 2 shows. We walked up about 20 minutes before it started and still managed to get a spot close to the middle of the theater!

We all enjoyed the show as always. DS enjoyed it with his earmuffs on, but hey, it works.

DD didn’t like the earmuffs.

But she did seem to have a good time anyway.

Oh my...I love this picture...she is such a

It was EMH time, so we decided to take advantage of something DS would enjoy while he was still awake. We headed over to Disney Jr. for the Dance Party. When we got there, a couple of the Little Einsteins kids were out, as was Pluto. We sent DS over to Pluto, but he wasn’t so crazy about getting too close to him while he was dancing. I guess if I was DS’s size, I’d be a little concerned about getting too close to a big awkward looking dog while he’s dancing too. DS ended up going off into a corner and just danced by himself for a while.

Then DD joined him on the dance floor.

I really wish this one had turned out better.

Soon, we saw Jake come out, and DS had worked up a little more courage and went over to see his favorite pirate.

After that, a couple of mice entered the room and DS had to go see them.

Sweet pictures.

He danced for a while longer, but we had been there for a long time and decided it was time to move on. I took DD and went to get the stroller while DW corralled DS and everyone headed outside. Unfortunately, I missed the highlight of the night… as did the cameras. DS was dancing and tripped (translation: flopped onto the floor because that’s just what he does). He just stayed on the floor and rolled around for a little bit. All of a sudden, there’s Mickey rolling around on the floor right next to him!!! Of course it happens when we’re on our way out, so nobody had a camera handy. Oh well, DS still remembers it!

It never fails when that really special moment comes that we are not prepared with a camera.