blestmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2004
Dont worry October isnt hot or crowded"- Mother & son 2-week trip *UPDATED 1-13-13
- Thread starter blestmom
- Start date
blestmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2004
Yay! Welcome.
We got wristbands for Illuminations, but that night Andrew was tired so we didn't end up staying. The day we did stay and watch the fireworks, we didn't get to the Lounge. Go figure!
Ooh...thanks for the tip! I'm going to look for that when I do my shopping for Thanksgiving dinner.
Yes...yes it was.
If I can swing it, I'd like to go back to my January/February time frame. I really do prefer less heat. Although, I'd rather go with the heat than not at all!
MEK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 8, 2005
Well, you must not be new to the art of photography because you pictures are beyond good. Your eye is excellent, but the quality of the picture itself is really great!
blestmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2004
Day 6: Green vs. Orange
Today was a Hollywood Studios Day. We wanted to make sure to ride Toy Story Mania, so thats where we headed first.
I almost had a dont-cause-a-scene, Mom moment (I did have one later in the trip ) when we were waiting in line for a Fastpass. There were several lines, about 6 or 7 people deep. We were almost up the front of our line when the machine in our line started not working. We waited a while, but it still wasnt working. In the meantime, the other lines were moving along at a good pace. So I decided to get out of that line, and get in the back of one of the other lines. I guess I didnt communicate that Andrew clearly enough because instead of stepping out of the line, he stepped backwards and right on to the foot of the person behind him (and she was wearing flip flops.) Im sure it didnt feel too good, and she really protested loudly. Ouch! and then proceeded to make a really big deal about how badly it hurt. Really, it was my fault and an accident. I apologized to her, but she was pretty darn grumpy about the whole thing. As it was, after we got out of that line and in the back of another, the original Fastpass machine was working again, and the lady had her Fastpass before we did and then we both got in the stand-by line, except she was ahead of us. I was feeling pretty stupid and sheepish at this point, and really just wanted to crawl under a rock, but I sucked it up and just smiled at her as best I could. I think she was happy she was ahead of us in line, and seeing as we caused her so much injury (
) it just seemed right.
Andrew ended up beating my score but not by much. I am significantly more skilled at this ride than Buzz.
After this, Andrew and I headed over to Starring Rolls. We love this place. I had another chocolate croissant. I really do like these!
We then rode Star Tours, the Great Movie Ride, and then visited One Mans Dream. Andrew and I both really love this. We see it every trip. We both love the history behind the parks. Think of how many things were dreamed up in Walts office.
We visited some shops on the main street, and then...because we were hot...we decided to head over to Epcot for a little while. We had never taken the boat from Hollywood Studios to Epcot, so we decided to do that. On the way, I kept stopping to take photos.
We were outside the gate area, and I stopped to take more pictures. I kept shooting away, while Andrew was saying, Mom come ON! I told him to hang on, I just wanted to get a few photos. Finally I understood his urgency. The boat was there, and the driver was waiting for me. When I finally figured this out, I ran over to the boat, but I was SO embarrassed as I boarded the boat with everyone waiting for me. Oops. Sorry, people. My bad.
The boat ride took a LONG time, but we were in no hurry. It was fun to see the Boardwalk area, etc. We entered Epcot through the International Gateway area.
Please dont hate me for this, but if Im being completely honest, I have to admit I dont like the Food and Wine Festival much.
There. Ive said it. I know a lot of people love it. I do think the food from different counties is really neat. But I just dont like the crowds it brings. One thing Ive always loved about the World Showcase is the ability to meander at a relaxed pace through each pavilion, taking in the sights and sounds of each one. To me, the Food and Wine Festival just makes the whole place more congested and fast-paced even on a quieter weekday.
Andrew was really looking forward to trying Mission Space: Orange this trip. On our last trip, my younger daughter did NOT want to do the Orange version, so we all decided to go on the Green side. Since it was just the two of us, and Id been on the Orange side before, he was excited to try it. And
he LOVED it! Really loved it. Im so glad he got a chance to try it. We then rode Spaceship Earth, and visited the Chase lounge again (read: free pumpkin chocolate I cannot get enough of it I am addicted to it and free soda for Andrew.)
In the Ghirardelli area, they had these sculptures constructed of all chocolate. They were amazing.
My daughter thinks that the Fairy Godmother resembles E.T. here.
It had been a great day but it wasnt over yet! We had a dinner reservation at Trails End over at Fort Wilderness. If money were no object ( ), I would stay there in the cabins. Our first two family trips were in the cabins, and I think it is so beautiful over there. So now we stay at Pop Century, and visit the campground.
We took the monorail from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom, then got off to catch a boat over to Fort Wilderness. It was time for the sun to set, and wow was it beautiful!
Also, I thought this was cool I got a photo of a silhouette of Andrew and me in a little girls Mickey balloon.
Once we got to Fort Wilderness, we had a little time to explore around a bit.
We really love visiting the horse barn. The Disney horses really are such gorgeous animals!
Another cool thing we saw were all these deer. They were just roaming free around there.
We really, really enjoyed the buffet at Trails End. We though the food was really good, there was hardly anyone there, and the price was right. I would definitely do that again.
And it was so relaxing and quiet. What a great break from the busy parks. I also had a good conversation with our waiter. We talked for almost half an hour about Alaska. Another thing I thought was really neat was that when we came in, the manager there said hi and asked us our name, and told us to have a nice dinner. Near the end of our meal, he came back and asked us if everything was good and he remembered my name! I thought that was really nice.
And the night still wasnt over! We went back to the boat dock, to catch a boat back to the Magic Kingdom. While we were waiting, we got to watch Wishes. That was cool they pipe in the music over there. When we got to the Magic Kingdom, we were just in time for the Main Street Electrical Light Parade. I do love parades!
Afterwards, we rode a few rides, and saw the new Fantasyland at night (beautiful!)
Andrew was patient while I took some nighttime photos.
After getting back to the hotel, I called the family back home...
...then we crashed! Wow This was a long, but fantastic, day!
Today was a Hollywood Studios Day. We wanted to make sure to ride Toy Story Mania, so thats where we headed first.
I almost had a dont-cause-a-scene, Mom moment (I did have one later in the trip ) when we were waiting in line for a Fastpass. There were several lines, about 6 or 7 people deep. We were almost up the front of our line when the machine in our line started not working. We waited a while, but it still wasnt working. In the meantime, the other lines were moving along at a good pace. So I decided to get out of that line, and get in the back of one of the other lines. I guess I didnt communicate that Andrew clearly enough because instead of stepping out of the line, he stepped backwards and right on to the foot of the person behind him (and she was wearing flip flops.) Im sure it didnt feel too good, and she really protested loudly. Ouch! and then proceeded to make a really big deal about how badly it hurt. Really, it was my fault and an accident. I apologized to her, but she was pretty darn grumpy about the whole thing. As it was, after we got out of that line and in the back of another, the original Fastpass machine was working again, and the lady had her Fastpass before we did and then we both got in the stand-by line, except she was ahead of us. I was feeling pretty stupid and sheepish at this point, and really just wanted to crawl under a rock, but I sucked it up and just smiled at her as best I could. I think she was happy she was ahead of us in line, and seeing as we caused her so much injury (
) it just seemed right.Andrew ended up beating my score but not by much. I am significantly more skilled at this ride than Buzz.
After this, Andrew and I headed over to Starring Rolls. We love this place. I had another chocolate croissant. I really do like these!
We then rode Star Tours, the Great Movie Ride, and then visited One Mans Dream. Andrew and I both really love this. We see it every trip. We both love the history behind the parks. Think of how many things were dreamed up in Walts office.
We visited some shops on the main street, and then...because we were hot...we decided to head over to Epcot for a little while. We had never taken the boat from Hollywood Studios to Epcot, so we decided to do that. On the way, I kept stopping to take photos.
We were outside the gate area, and I stopped to take more pictures. I kept shooting away, while Andrew was saying, Mom come ON! I told him to hang on, I just wanted to get a few photos. Finally I understood his urgency. The boat was there, and the driver was waiting for me. When I finally figured this out, I ran over to the boat, but I was SO embarrassed as I boarded the boat with everyone waiting for me. Oops. Sorry, people. My bad.
The boat ride took a LONG time, but we were in no hurry. It was fun to see the Boardwalk area, etc. We entered Epcot through the International Gateway area.
Please dont hate me for this, but if Im being completely honest, I have to admit I dont like the Food and Wine Festival much.
There. Ive said it. I know a lot of people love it. I do think the food from different counties is really neat. But I just dont like the crowds it brings. One thing Ive always loved about the World Showcase is the ability to meander at a relaxed pace through each pavilion, taking in the sights and sounds of each one. To me, the Food and Wine Festival just makes the whole place more congested and fast-paced even on a quieter weekday.
Andrew was really looking forward to trying Mission Space: Orange this trip. On our last trip, my younger daughter did NOT want to do the Orange version, so we all decided to go on the Green side. Since it was just the two of us, and Id been on the Orange side before, he was excited to try it. And
he LOVED it! Really loved it. Im so glad he got a chance to try it. We then rode Spaceship Earth, and visited the Chase lounge again (read: free pumpkin chocolate I cannot get enough of it I am addicted to it and free soda for Andrew.)
In the Ghirardelli area, they had these sculptures constructed of all chocolate. They were amazing.
My daughter thinks that the Fairy Godmother resembles E.T. here.
It had been a great day but it wasnt over yet! We had a dinner reservation at Trails End over at Fort Wilderness. If money were no object (
), I would stay there in the cabins. Our first two family trips were in the cabins, and I think it is so beautiful over there. So now we stay at Pop Century, and visit the campground. We took the monorail from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom, then got off to catch a boat over to Fort Wilderness. It was time for the sun to set, and wow was it beautiful!
Also, I thought this was cool I got a photo of a silhouette of Andrew and me in a little girls Mickey balloon.
Once we got to Fort Wilderness, we had a little time to explore around a bit.
We really love visiting the horse barn. The Disney horses really are such gorgeous animals!
Another cool thing we saw were all these deer. They were just roaming free around there.
We really, really enjoyed the buffet at Trails End. We though the food was really good, there was hardly anyone there, and the price was right. I would definitely do that again.
And it was so relaxing and quiet. What a great break from the busy parks. I also had a good conversation with our waiter. We talked for almost half an hour about Alaska. Another thing I thought was really neat was that when we came in, the manager there said hi and asked us our name, and told us to have a nice dinner. Near the end of our meal, he came back and asked us if everything was good and he remembered my name! I thought that was really nice.
And the night still wasnt over! We went back to the boat dock, to catch a boat back to the Magic Kingdom. While we were waiting, we got to watch Wishes. That was cool they pipe in the music over there. When we got to the Magic Kingdom, we were just in time for the Main Street Electrical Light Parade. I do love parades!
Afterwards, we rode a few rides, and saw the new Fantasyland at night (beautiful!)
Andrew was patient while I took some nighttime photos.
After getting back to the hotel, I called the family back home...
...then we crashed! Wow This was a long, but fantastic, day!
blestmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2004
Day 7: Stop the music...please!
Animal Kingdom I love this place!
Andrew and I started off the day with a cup of coffee from our beloved Royal Anandapur Tea Company. SO good! (Not the stuff in the machines pictured here...but real, espresso brewed coffee)
We then rode Expedition Everest a couple of times. Then we headed over to the Safari. We caught DiVine on the way. I find it fascinating, but Andrew finds her creepy, so I didnt stay long.
We then went on my favorite attraction Kilimanjaro Safari (yet again. Yes, Andrew is very patient with me.)
After riding the Safari, we walked the nearby animal trail. I could really spend a lot of time here. Don't rush on by...it's a really great place!
One thing we saw that was really cool were the bachelor gorillas. We were just watching them when all of a sudden they started chasing each other, and we couldn't really tell if they were playing or fighting. Maybe a little of both. I'm not that knowledgeable about gorillas!
After this, when we came out of the trail area, we heard some music. It was pretty good...I like that kind of music. But the closer we got to the central area there by Tusker House, the louder it was. And I mean...really, REALLY loud. And not the kind of quiet, background music and sounds you hear all over Disney (which is one thing I love about it) but loud music, like you'd hear blasting from a radio or a live concert. And that's what it was...a live band.
Now, don't get me wrong...I really do like music, and I like this kind of music. But...not here. And not this loud. It was so loud I couldn't even talk to Andrew next to me. And, since it was smack dab in the middle of the walk way, it was very, very congested. So loud, congested...and oh yeah, it was HOT! So, I am not a fan of this venue. Maybe over to a side area, not in the middle of everything. And maybe not quite so loud?
Andrew and I headed over to Pizzafari. It's so funny...this is a meal he was so looking forward to. I just think it's funny how we adults can hem and haw over certain ADR's, and here's Andrew thinking Pizzafari is just the best.
I do have to say, it was good pizza. And a good salad. I guess Andrew has pretty good taste.
One thing I wish I had done more of was stopping for things like this. This guy was amazing...but he was by the loud music, and I really had a hard time hearing him. These little things are to me what make Disney so great. I wish I could have spent more time and heard him better.
Andrew and I decided to ride Expedition Everest again. So we headed on over. But when we got just past where the bird show is, we heard....music. Loud music. Except not African music this time, but music from India. And it was loud. And sounded very much like from a loud radio. Which is what it was. They had someone up there playing recorded music, and these ladies dancing.
Goodness gracious it was loud! Much louder than the music we'd heard over by the Safari. And this location was simply awful, in my opinion. Right in the area in front of the Yak and Yeti counter service, in the hub there where to the left is Kali River Rapids, and straight ahead is the way to Everest. So there was no way to get to any of those places without having to go around them. And they were getting people to dance with them, so there was a crowd of people surrounding them, and you had to pretty much go single file through the crowd. It was a mess. Again, I like the music, but not that loud, and certainly not right there in the middle of a walkway.
After riding Everest, we walked on the other animal trail.
We then caught Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade. Remember...Andrew is not a fan of parades. So I told him just once this trip.
We rode Everest a few more times, and then headed out. Animal Kingdom closed pretty early today.
We headed back to Pop Century for a bit, and went to Downtown Disney for dinner. I had been looking so forward to trying the Holiday Sandwich at Earl of Sandwich. I had never had it before, and I heard such good things about it. So I got it and...
...I loved it! It really was as good as I had read about.
We also got ice cream at Ghirardelli.
The only problem here was...there was no where to sit inside or outside of Ghirardelli, so the only place there was room was across the walkway, and right next to a stage, where they had....you guess it...a loud DJ guy there playing very LOUD music.
Andrew had just about had it with loudness today, so we finished our ice cream and headed back to the room.
I miss the quiet background noise that I'm used to at Disney, especially Animal Kingdom, and I hope these new things aren't permanent additions.
Animal Kingdom I love this place!
Andrew and I started off the day with a cup of coffee from our beloved Royal Anandapur Tea Company. SO good! (Not the stuff in the machines pictured here...but real, espresso brewed coffee)
We then rode Expedition Everest a couple of times. Then we headed over to the Safari. We caught DiVine on the way. I find it fascinating, but Andrew finds her creepy, so I didnt stay long.
We then went on my favorite attraction Kilimanjaro Safari (yet again. Yes, Andrew is very patient with me.)
After riding the Safari, we walked the nearby animal trail. I could really spend a lot of time here. Don't rush on by...it's a really great place!
One thing we saw that was really cool were the bachelor gorillas. We were just watching them when all of a sudden they started chasing each other, and we couldn't really tell if they were playing or fighting. Maybe a little of both. I'm not that knowledgeable about gorillas!
After this, when we came out of the trail area, we heard some music. It was pretty good...I like that kind of music. But the closer we got to the central area there by Tusker House, the louder it was. And I mean...really, REALLY loud. And not the kind of quiet, background music and sounds you hear all over Disney (which is one thing I love about it) but loud music, like you'd hear blasting from a radio or a live concert. And that's what it was...a live band.
Now, don't get me wrong...I really do like music, and I like this kind of music. But...not here. And not this loud. It was so loud I couldn't even talk to Andrew next to me. And, since it was smack dab in the middle of the walk way, it was very, very congested. So loud, congested...and oh yeah, it was HOT! So, I am not a fan of this venue. Maybe over to a side area, not in the middle of everything. And maybe not quite so loud?
Andrew and I headed over to Pizzafari. It's so funny...this is a meal he was so looking forward to. I just think it's funny how we adults can hem and haw over certain ADR's, and here's Andrew thinking Pizzafari is just the best.
I do have to say, it was good pizza. And a good salad. I guess Andrew has pretty good taste.
One thing I wish I had done more of was stopping for things like this. This guy was amazing...but he was by the loud music, and I really had a hard time hearing him. These little things are to me what make Disney so great. I wish I could have spent more time and heard him better.
Andrew and I decided to ride Expedition Everest again. So we headed on over. But when we got just past where the bird show is, we heard....music. Loud music. Except not African music this time, but music from India. And it was loud. And sounded very much like from a loud radio. Which is what it was. They had someone up there playing recorded music, and these ladies dancing.
Goodness gracious it was loud! Much louder than the music we'd heard over by the Safari. And this location was simply awful, in my opinion. Right in the area in front of the Yak and Yeti counter service, in the hub there where to the left is Kali River Rapids, and straight ahead is the way to Everest. So there was no way to get to any of those places without having to go around them. And they were getting people to dance with them, so there was a crowd of people surrounding them, and you had to pretty much go single file through the crowd. It was a mess. Again, I like the music, but not that loud, and certainly not right there in the middle of a walkway.
After riding Everest, we walked on the other animal trail.
We then caught Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade. Remember...Andrew is not a fan of parades. So I told him just once this trip.
We rode Everest a few more times, and then headed out. Animal Kingdom closed pretty early today.
We headed back to Pop Century for a bit, and went to Downtown Disney for dinner. I had been looking so forward to trying the Holiday Sandwich at Earl of Sandwich. I had never had it before, and I heard such good things about it. So I got it and...
...I loved it! It really was as good as I had read about.
We also got ice cream at Ghirardelli.
The only problem here was...there was no where to sit inside or outside of Ghirardelli, so the only place there was room was across the walkway, and right next to a stage, where they had....you guess it...a loud DJ guy there playing very LOUD music.
Andrew had just about had it with loudness today, so we finished our ice cream and headed back to the room.
I miss the quiet background noise that I'm used to at Disney, especially Animal Kingdom, and I hope these new things aren't permanent additions.
MEK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 8, 2005
You are the only person I know that can make Pizzafari pizza look that delicious. Your pictures are fantastic. Definitely not a novice. Plus, you actually got character in the faces of the animals and you got four giraffes eating together and the tiger - OMG - he's gorgeous.
I have to admit. I hardly want to read. I just want to look at your pics which are beyond good. You need to post on the photography board.
And the lighting in the night time pics - its great. And the depth of field - its great. Should I go on?
Anyway - I am so glad you and your son are having such a wonderful trip. It sounds awesome.
I have to admit. I hardly want to read. I just want to look at your pics which are beyond good. You need to post on the photography board.
And the lighting in the night time pics - its great. And the depth of field - its great. Should I go on?
Anyway - I am so glad you and your son are having such a wonderful trip. It sounds awesome.
blestmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2004
I actually really like the counter service options at Disney. Sit-down meals are nice and fun, but some of our favorite foods have been from counter service places.
Oh my, you are too kind.
Thank you very much. I really do feel like a novice because I'm trying to learn about photography. I like the creative part of it, but I get confused with all the settings and numbers and such. So...thank you very much for the encouragement. Thanks! It was a fantastic trip. I'm so excited to plan another one.
FancyNancy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2012
Awww what a cute Meerkat pic! That holiday sandwich looks yummy!
blestmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2004
Aren't those meerkats just the cutest things? I could watch them for quite some time.
And the holiday sandwich was delicious. I thought it sounded weird, but it tasted great!
blestmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2004
Day 8: Poor Andrew
Andrew and I got to Hollywood Studios not right at opening, but pretty close. We got to see some Streetmosphere.
We did get to ride Toy Story Mania twice. We found that if we got there at opening, and rode right away, the fastpass line wasn't really being used yet (since it just opened) and they were sending many parties of 2 up the fastpass line, so we got on quite quickly.
I admit I have a weakness for pastry, so Andrew and I stopped at Starring Rolls (yet again) I got my favorite chocolate croissant and Andrew got a danish.
I was excited today to try my hand at some Indiana Jones photography. This was one of the things I was really looking forward to shooting with my new camera.
To back up a bit back home in Alaska, I love to hike and take photos. I think I hike just to take photos. Its more like since Im taking photos, I may as well hike, rather than since Im hiking, I may as well take photos. KWIM? Anyone who primarily wants to hike is frustrated going with me, because I like to stop all the time and take cool photos. The only one left at home who will go hiking with me is Andrew, and I could tell early on that if I kept stopping to take photos while he just sat there and waited, I wouldnt have a hiking buddy for long. So I bought him a camera! Nothing too fancy, just a nice point-and-shoot. But he has really taken to photography and has a pretty good eye. So he was really looking forward to shooting the Indiana Jones show as well.
We got there early so we could get seats up close. Andrew and I were both fiddling with our cameras, making sure everything was ready to go before the show started. Everything seemed fine. Just a couple of minutes before the show started, Andrews low battery icon came on. He was pretty bummed. I told him he could run out to a store and get some batteries (it takes AAs) but by this time the theater was pretty full, and he didnt want to. The camera really didnt give any heads up before the icon came on. I felt so bad. Here I am snapping away, and poor Andrew wasnt able to take any photos. I told him we could come back for another show.
I love Indy. I mean the show...I love the show.
I think I took about a bazillion pictures.
This isn't that great of a picture, but doesn't it look like Indy's got some good dance moves? I don't know why but it struck Andrew and I as very funny! Maybe we were tired or something...
(I thought this was so funny what a contrast!)
After the show, Andrew was excited to go to the Sci Fi Diner for lunch. When we made our plans way back in April, the two restaurants Andrew really wanted to go to were the Sci Fi Diner and Via Napoli.
We were seated within about 5 minutes. Since it was just the two of us, we piggybacked with another family for about half the meal, and then after they left, no one was seated in front of us for the remainder of our meal. Andrew really liked the funny movie clips. And he loved the burger. Overall a really fun time!
We also visited One Mans Dream again...
Then we went to the Animation Academy. We got to draw Chip. Next to Mickey, Chip and Dale are my favorite Disney characters. So I was happy with that choice!
We also went on Star Tours, and watched the Muppets.
And then guess what it was? Yes, you got it HOT! So we decided to take an afternoon break.
We went back to the hotel, Andrew swam a little, I did some laundry, and we both relaxed. After that, we were ready to head back out, this time to Epcot.
It was already evening when we got there, so we didnt have a whole bunch of time, but it was a very pleasant evening. We rode Soarin, Mission Space, Figment, Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land and the rides in the World Showcase.
One thing I was bummed about was that I was so looking forward to my favorite snack at the French bakery (the lemon tart) since I had goofed up with the Napoleon last time. And they were out! So I had to settle for the strawberry tart. Which was good, but not my lemon tart.
Andrew was once again patient with me as I took photos around the World Showcase at night.
I used trash cans, or railings, etc. in place of a tripod. I think I embarrassed Andrew. Ah well we parents are good at that, are we not?
Andrew and I got to Hollywood Studios not right at opening, but pretty close. We got to see some Streetmosphere.
We did get to ride Toy Story Mania twice. We found that if we got there at opening, and rode right away, the fastpass line wasn't really being used yet (since it just opened) and they were sending many parties of 2 up the fastpass line, so we got on quite quickly.
I admit I have a weakness for pastry, so Andrew and I stopped at Starring Rolls (yet again) I got my favorite chocolate croissant and Andrew got a danish.
I was excited today to try my hand at some Indiana Jones photography. This was one of the things I was really looking forward to shooting with my new camera.
To back up a bit back home in Alaska, I love to hike and take photos. I think I hike just to take photos. Its more like since Im taking photos, I may as well hike, rather than since Im hiking, I may as well take photos. KWIM? Anyone who primarily wants to hike is frustrated going with me, because I like to stop all the time and take cool photos. The only one left at home who will go hiking with me is Andrew, and I could tell early on that if I kept stopping to take photos while he just sat there and waited, I wouldnt have a hiking buddy for long. So I bought him a camera! Nothing too fancy, just a nice point-and-shoot. But he has really taken to photography and has a pretty good eye. So he was really looking forward to shooting the Indiana Jones show as well.
We got there early so we could get seats up close. Andrew and I were both fiddling with our cameras, making sure everything was ready to go before the show started. Everything seemed fine. Just a couple of minutes before the show started, Andrews low battery icon came on. He was pretty bummed. I told him he could run out to a store and get some batteries (it takes AAs) but by this time the theater was pretty full, and he didnt want to. The camera really didnt give any heads up before the icon came on. I felt so bad. Here I am snapping away, and poor Andrew wasnt able to take any photos. I told him we could come back for another show.
I love Indy. I mean the show...I love the show.
I think I took about a bazillion pictures.
This isn't that great of a picture, but doesn't it look like Indy's got some good dance moves? I don't know why but it struck Andrew and I as very funny! Maybe we were tired or something...
(I thought this was so funny what a contrast!)
After the show, Andrew was excited to go to the Sci Fi Diner for lunch. When we made our plans way back in April, the two restaurants Andrew really wanted to go to were the Sci Fi Diner and Via Napoli.
We were seated within about 5 minutes. Since it was just the two of us, we piggybacked with another family for about half the meal, and then after they left, no one was seated in front of us for the remainder of our meal. Andrew really liked the funny movie clips. And he loved the burger. Overall a really fun time!
We also visited One Mans Dream again...
Then we went to the Animation Academy. We got to draw Chip. Next to Mickey, Chip and Dale are my favorite Disney characters. So I was happy with that choice!
We also went on Star Tours, and watched the Muppets.
And then guess what it was? Yes, you got it HOT! So we decided to take an afternoon break.
We went back to the hotel, Andrew swam a little, I did some laundry, and we both relaxed. After that, we were ready to head back out, this time to Epcot.
It was already evening when we got there, so we didnt have a whole bunch of time, but it was a very pleasant evening. We rode Soarin, Mission Space, Figment, Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land and the rides in the World Showcase.
One thing I was bummed about was that I was so looking forward to my favorite snack at the French bakery (the lemon tart) since I had goofed up with the Napoleon last time. And they were out! So I had to settle for the strawberry tart. Which was good, but not my lemon tart.
Andrew was once again patient with me as I took photos around the World Showcase at night.
I used trash cans, or railings, etc. in place of a tripod. I think I embarrassed Andrew. Ah well we parents are good at that, are we not?
GreatBiscuit
Golden but never flaky
- Joined
- Aug 20, 1999
Just found your TR today and am truly enjoying it.
Your photos are fantastic and I enjoy your writing as well.
Looking forward to more!
Your photos are fantastic and I enjoy your writing as well.
Looking forward to more!
blestmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2004
MEK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 8, 2005
Nice job with Chip! I got to draw Agent P. I keep saying AGent P is NOT a camera.
Nice Indy J pictures. I got a new camera about 3 years ago and that is one of the places I have yet to take my camera.
What a perfect day. Bummer about Andrews batteries biting the dust. I hate when that happens.
Nice Indy J pictures. I got a new camera about 3 years ago and that is one of the places I have yet to take my camera.
What a perfect day. Bummer about Andrews batteries biting the dust. I hate when that happens.
blestmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2004
Thank you!
I just got a Canon Rebel t3i...like, 2 weeks before we left! Still learning on it...
I edit them using PicMonkey (free) and them store them on SmugMug.
blestmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2004
Day 9: Then why did you order it?
Since we stayed out later last night, we didnt hurry out the door this morning. Also, since it was a weekday and supposedly a less busy day at Epcots Food and Wine Festival, we decided to go try out some new cuisine!
I was able to talk Andrew into bypassing the attractions in Future World, and head on over to the World Showcase. I gave him the choice of going to the right (Canada) or to the left (Mexico) and he chose left. He and I have very different food tastes (in other words, he loves meat and seafood). He is also more adventurous with food than I am. The first booth he wanted to try something from was Australia. He had never eaten lamb before, so he really wanted to try a lamb chop. The verdict?
He loved it. Really loved it. I thought it looked gross. I thought it looked all fatty, but he said that is why it tasted so good! I would be terrible on one of those food judging shows because I am not in the least adventurous with food. So Im glad Andrew is more willing to try new things.
I did, however, think that the Sweden booth offering of meatballs in a lingonberry sauce looked good. Well, not actually the meatballs, but I love berries and the lingonberry sounded so good. I did like it, even though the photo doesnt make it look too appetizing.
I was quite frustrated with the strudel from Germany. Not the strudel it was very good. But I was frustrated with Andrew! I had told him that I was more than willing to buy him different foods so he could try some new things, but please dont order something if he didnt really want it. I told him that I really wanted to try the strudel, but he could get some other kind of dessert elsewhere if he didnt really want one. But he assured me he did, so I ordered one for each of us. As were eating it, he finishes in about 30 seconds. I look down at his plate, and he has eaten all the pastry and caramel and left all the apples and golden raisins, which is about 2/3 of the dish!
I gave him the Mom look you know the exact one Im talking about. I didnt say a word. He said, What?? I didnt want all those apples. I very quietly and calmly said, Then why did you order the apple strudel? He just looked at me and grinned, and I couldnt get mad. I know Im a push-over. Hes my youngest of 5, and Im going through children growing up and moving away syndrome, and he knows that I just wont stay mad at something so trivial. So I ate not only my strudel, but 2/3 of his, and now I am too full for any other desserts.
We also stopped for the ravioli in Italy. This is a pretty hefty sample size, and after this, we were both too full to eat any more.
(I was going for 'artistic framing' with this shot... )
And it was hot. So I was able to talk Andrew into visiting the American Adventure, where we could relax and cool off.
On our previous trips, we make a point of seeing the Voices of Liberty, because I really like them, and my younger daughter is a singer. But Andrew really dislikes musicals, or musical theater, or concerts, etc. Even more than parades. He was absolutely traumatized by Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and whenever my daughter or I want to tease Andrew, we just start with Look at this stuff, isnt it neat?... and Andrews yelling, Stop it! Cut it out!
When we got to the rotunda, they were about halfway through their song set. I told Andrew if he would stay for just one song, we could go look around that little museum area off to the side. So thats exactly what we did. Then we just sat on the cold marble floor in an area away from the singers, and drank some ice cold soda. Not sure if we were supposed to have sodas in there, but it was so cool in there and it was so hot outside and this was really quite relaxing.
Here is one instance where I did miss my little bridge camera a bit. While this new camera is nicer, the shutter does make a noise when you click it. And there is no way to disable it. My old camera had a museum setting where all lights and all sounds are turned off virtually silent. It was nice for taking photos in a dark auditorium and not bothering anyone. With this camera, I can turn off all lights, but the shutter still makes a sound, so I only took one photo and that was it. I have a lot to learn about indoor dark photography at Disney.
We also stopped by the China pavilion. I myself find these guys a little creepy
After doing all this in the World Showcase, it was late afternoon, and we headed on over to the FutureWorld side. We rode Spaceship Earth, and Universe of Energy. I really like Ellen in this attraction. Ive seen the movie more times than I can count, but Ellen still makes me laugh. We also spent quite a bit of time in Innoventions. Andrew really likes it there, and the rest of the family really doesnt, so this was his opportunity to spend as much time as he wanted there. We did Sum of All Thrills (and of course he made ours with the maximum amount of inversions and speed!) and also toured the House of the Future thing, which was pretty interesting.
We then headed over to the Fountain View for some ice cream. Since weve come in January/February in the past, this has usually been closed. I wasnt really in the mood for a big sundae (which is what Andrew ordered)...
...So I just glanced up and ordered something called a Mocha Float.
Oh. My. Word. It was so good. I dont know if it tasted so good because it was new, or it was so hot, but I loved this so much. I hear the Fountain View is going to become a Starbucks location, so I did some looking around and see that an Iced Mocha Float is available at Sleepy Hollow in the Magic Kingdom. I hope its the same thing, because I would love to get this again.
Wed had enough running around that we decided to head back to Pop Century and do something else Andrew had really been looking forward to ordering a take-out pizza from the food court. Again, he liked this as much as a fancy sit-down dinner and it was a lot cheaper!
We ordered that, and watched some fun t.v. show, then walked around Pop taking some more photos.
We did see this little stray cat running around Pop. I see them every trip.
I really love Pop Century. Even if I had the money for a more expensive hotel, I think Id still stay here. It feels like our home resort now. It may not have a private balcony, but this was the view from right outside our door.
Our hotel neighbors had taken their chairs out onto the walkway (the little area between the two doors, so as not to block the walkway) and sat out there for awhile relaxing. Tomorrow we are getting up early for our one and only breakfast ADR.
Since we stayed out later last night, we didnt hurry out the door this morning. Also, since it was a weekday and supposedly a less busy day at Epcots Food and Wine Festival, we decided to go try out some new cuisine!
I was able to talk Andrew into bypassing the attractions in Future World, and head on over to the World Showcase. I gave him the choice of going to the right (Canada) or to the left (Mexico) and he chose left. He and I have very different food tastes (in other words, he loves meat and seafood). He is also more adventurous with food than I am. The first booth he wanted to try something from was Australia. He had never eaten lamb before, so he really wanted to try a lamb chop. The verdict?
He loved it. Really loved it. I thought it looked gross. I thought it looked all fatty, but he said that is why it tasted so good! I would be terrible on one of those food judging shows because I am not in the least adventurous with food. So Im glad Andrew is more willing to try new things.
I did, however, think that the Sweden booth offering of meatballs in a lingonberry sauce looked good. Well, not actually the meatballs, but I love berries and the lingonberry sounded so good. I did like it, even though the photo doesnt make it look too appetizing.
I was quite frustrated with the strudel from Germany. Not the strudel it was very good. But I was frustrated with Andrew! I had told him that I was more than willing to buy him different foods so he could try some new things, but please dont order something if he didnt really want it. I told him that I really wanted to try the strudel, but he could get some other kind of dessert elsewhere if he didnt really want one. But he assured me he did, so I ordered one for each of us. As were eating it, he finishes in about 30 seconds. I look down at his plate, and he has eaten all the pastry and caramel and left all the apples and golden raisins, which is about 2/3 of the dish!
I gave him the Mom look you know the exact one Im talking about. I didnt say a word. He said, What?? I didnt want all those apples. I very quietly and calmly said, Then why did you order the apple strudel? He just looked at me and grinned, and I couldnt get mad. I know Im a push-over. Hes my youngest of 5, and Im going through children growing up and moving away syndrome, and he knows that I just wont stay mad at something so trivial. So I ate not only my strudel, but 2/3 of his, and now I am too full for any other desserts.
We also stopped for the ravioli in Italy. This is a pretty hefty sample size, and after this, we were both too full to eat any more.
(I was going for 'artistic framing' with this shot... )
And it was hot. So I was able to talk Andrew into visiting the American Adventure, where we could relax and cool off.
On our previous trips, we make a point of seeing the Voices of Liberty, because I really like them, and my younger daughter is a singer. But Andrew really dislikes musicals, or musical theater, or concerts, etc. Even more than parades. He was absolutely traumatized by Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and whenever my daughter or I want to tease Andrew, we just start with Look at this stuff, isnt it neat?... and Andrews yelling, Stop it! Cut it out!
When we got to the rotunda, they were about halfway through their song set. I told Andrew if he would stay for just one song, we could go look around that little museum area off to the side. So thats exactly what we did. Then we just sat on the cold marble floor in an area away from the singers, and drank some ice cold soda. Not sure if we were supposed to have sodas in there, but it was so cool in there and it was so hot outside and this was really quite relaxing.
Here is one instance where I did miss my little bridge camera a bit. While this new camera is nicer, the shutter does make a noise when you click it. And there is no way to disable it. My old camera had a museum setting where all lights and all sounds are turned off virtually silent. It was nice for taking photos in a dark auditorium and not bothering anyone. With this camera, I can turn off all lights, but the shutter still makes a sound, so I only took one photo and that was it. I have a lot to learn about indoor dark photography at Disney.
We also stopped by the China pavilion. I myself find these guys a little creepy
After doing all this in the World Showcase, it was late afternoon, and we headed on over to the FutureWorld side. We rode Spaceship Earth, and Universe of Energy. I really like Ellen in this attraction. Ive seen the movie more times than I can count, but Ellen still makes me laugh. We also spent quite a bit of time in Innoventions. Andrew really likes it there, and the rest of the family really doesnt, so this was his opportunity to spend as much time as he wanted there. We did Sum of All Thrills (and of course he made ours with the maximum amount of inversions and speed!) and also toured the House of the Future thing, which was pretty interesting.
We then headed over to the Fountain View for some ice cream. Since weve come in January/February in the past, this has usually been closed. I wasnt really in the mood for a big sundae (which is what Andrew ordered)...
...So I just glanced up and ordered something called a Mocha Float.
Oh. My. Word. It was so good. I dont know if it tasted so good because it was new, or it was so hot, but I loved this so much. I hear the Fountain View is going to become a Starbucks location, so I did some looking around and see that an Iced Mocha Float is available at Sleepy Hollow in the Magic Kingdom. I hope its the same thing, because I would love to get this again.
Wed had enough running around that we decided to head back to Pop Century and do something else Andrew had really been looking forward to ordering a take-out pizza from the food court. Again, he liked this as much as a fancy sit-down dinner and it was a lot cheaper!
We ordered that, and watched some fun t.v. show, then walked around Pop taking some more photos.
We did see this little stray cat running around Pop. I see them every trip.
I really love Pop Century. Even if I had the money for a more expensive hotel, I think Id still stay here. It feels like our home resort now. It may not have a private balcony, but this was the view from right outside our door.
Our hotel neighbors had taken their chairs out onto the walkway (the little area between the two doors, so as not to block the walkway) and sat out there for awhile relaxing. Tomorrow we are getting up early for our one and only breakfast ADR.
blestmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2004
Day 10: Yep, today I lost it. And caused a scene.
Having kids involved in sports, dance and theater, you and your child get to see a lot of other parents. All kinds of parents. Inevitably, there are always those few who just have to express their displeasure about something rather loudly. And end up embarrassing their kid because they caused a scene. Im usually pretty quiet. Its a rare occasion that I actually am guilty of causing a scene. But...and Im embarrassed to admit it...I did today (albeit a little one.) More on that later
We started the day early because we had a breakfast reservation for Kona Café. I had to cancel the one on our last trip because my sleepy teenagers just couldnt get out of bed early after an unexpected 3 am closing at Magic Kingdom the night before. So this time we were bound and determined to make our reservation.
We went to the Magic Kingdom for a little while until it was time for our Kona reservation. We watched the opening, and watched the Main Street Dancers. I really do love the opening and first hour at the Magic Kingdom on Main Street. Such a great atmosphere! Since we were pretty much killing time until heading over the Polynesian, Andrew was patient while I practiced with my new camera a bit. I really hadnt noticed these little statues before, that surround the hub. Thats pretty bad for a crazy Disney fan like me.
We also rode the Jungle Cruise, as the wait time was much lower in the morning.
Then we hopped aboard the monorail to head over to Kona Café. I was able to get this shot through the monorail window and the Contemporary window. I think its cool how you can get Big Thunder, the castle, and Astro Orbiter all in one photo.
We were seated right as we arrived. I already knew what I wanted the Tonga Toast! I had never tried it before. But first I ordered a mocha because Id heard how good the Kona coffee is here. Which it was. I didnt get the pressed pot, though, which I think is what theyre really known for. If my coffee doesnt have chocolate in it, I really dont want it.
Andrew, teenage boy that he is, ordered the steak and eggs. He said it was great.
And I got the Tonga Toast, which I really loved. One thing, though. I had read on the DIS how wonderful the strawberry sauce was on it but I didnt like it. I did, however, think it was delicious just with regular maple syrup. Extremely filling, though.
After our great breakfast, we headed back to the Magic Kingdom. More photo opportunities:
Main Street:
And another visit to the new FantasyLand. I told Andrew I wouldnt make him suffer through the Little Mermaid ride again, but I really wanted a few photos (and another LeFous Brew!):
After this, we were pretty hot and tired. So we decided to leave the Magic Kingdom and take a break somewhere else not in a park.
We headed over to the Wilderness Lodge, because I had heard that there was a train room that had one of the little train cars that Walt had in his backyard. After we got to the Wilderness Lodge, we looked for the room, but we couldnt find it. I finally asked a cast member there, who directed me out of the main lodge, and down a walkway to their DVC building, and the room was in there. Im glad I didnt have any real big expectations, because it was really just a room, with a small display with two of the little cars. Thats about it. But the room was lovely, and if it were up here in Alaska where it is cold, with the fireplace going .I could practically just move it. The Northwestern Lodge look is my favorite hence my affection for Fort Wilderness, Frontierland, and the Canada pavilion.
However, Andrew was beyond bored, so we went to Downtown Disney to see if there was a movie to watch. Certainly, with all those screens, there had to be one. Right?
Wrong. We could not find one move that looked at all good. So we did the next best thing eat! We headed to Cookes of Dublin. Now, over in Animal Kingdom, after we had ordered, we saw someone order the onion rings, and the amount served was enormous! I mean, there were a heaping ton of onion rings on the tray. So when Andrew saw onion rings on the menu, thats what we ordered. It was just a snack, so we shared them. And this is what we got:
Count = 5 onion rings. Thats it. They were good, but plentiful they were not. Like a good mom, I let Andrew have 3, and I ate 2. We also ordered a fried dough bar, which was amazing.
Seeing as we struck out on the movie idea, we headed back to the Magic Kingdom. We did quite a bit of stuff in Tomorrowland:
The Haunted House:
Big Thunder:
The River Boat:
And we saw the just re-opened and refurbished Country Bear Jamboree.
Seeing as the miniscule onion ring order did not leave us feeling particularly stuffed, we ate dinner at Pecos Bill, which may not be fancy, but does serve up a good burger.
Okay, now for confession time. Let me set the scene:
Ive already shared that Andrew is NOT a fan of parades. He had already watched quite a few with me, and we had already seen the Main Street Electrical Light parade, so I told him we didnt have to watch it again. We had just finished dinner at Pecos Bill. The parade was going on, and Andrew wanted to get to Tomorrowland, so we could ride Space Mountain (one of his favorites) and we couldnt get there through Frontierland. We set our game plan to go down to the hub, and skirt the back of the crowd on the sidewalk over to the path to Tomorrowland. Every parade that Ive seen at Disney, the cast members are really good at keeping a walkway clear behind the crowd watching the parade.
We werent the only ones doing this. So we got in a line of people also walking behind those watching the parade trying to get to the bridge. We got almost to the bridge to Tomorrowland, when everyone in the walking line abruptly stopped. We all just stood there for a minute or two, and then the person at the front of the line told everyone to turn around there was just solid congestion and no way to get through. We tried to turn around to just get out of the congested mess, but now all those people previously walking behind us just stopped, and we were stuck in this nose-to-nose congestion .with nowhere to go. I was starting to feel clausterphobic, and Andrew was not happy he had to stay in this bumper-to-bumper crowd to watch the parade. I was able to spy a little alcove off to the side, and Andrew and I were able to get over there and at least get out of the massive crowd and breathe. We just sat down on the pavement and waited for the parade to end.
So when the parade ends, I know it is going to be just crazy busy. We wait for awhile, but now the alcove we were in got very crowded (lots of people had parked their strollers there). So we really had no choice but to venture into the sea of people and try to get over to Tomorrowland. I told Andrew, Andrew, just go straight through, and Ill be right behind you. And I held onto his camera bag strap. It was that crazy crowded busy. People going two different ways .just wall-to-wall. I am not used to, nor handle, that kind of crowd I get clausterphobic. In retrospect, I should have arranged a meeting spot to meet up with Andrew...it was too hard to try and stay together.
Were about halfway up the bridge (which is taking forever, because youre not really walking too crowded for that so more like shuffling) when this lady pushed forward really hard, hard enough to knock my hand off of Andrews camera bag strap, and other people got between us. But Andrew didn't notice, so he keeps going, and Im afraid I am going to lose him in the crowd. Now granted, he is 14, and he wouldnt have been lost, but still, I had wanted to try and stay together as much as possible. This ladys husband was behind her, but when I lost hold of Andrew, I then surged forward to try and catch up with him as best I could, which then cut off the lady's husband. See this mess?
At this time, the lady turns around, and instead of her husband, sees me. So she shouts to her husband (now behind me) Why didnt you keep up? To which he replies, Well, I tried to, but THIS LADY (me) cut me off!! And it was not said in a very friendly tone. It was pretty much yelled.
Now, I should have just let it go. I know. I should have just let it slide. I admit that. But I was so freaked out feeling from the wall-to-wall crowd, and getting away from Andrew, that I turned around and said, Well actually, SHE (the other lady) cut me off from my son. Its just crazy crowded. I didnt yell, really I didnt. But I was probably more curt than I should have been. At this point, I had pretty much caught back up with Andrew, and I could see the unspoken thought on his face Mom, please dont cause a scene. Hopefully it wasn't too big of a scene. But I wish I hadnt said anything. I was hoping the rest of the night I wouldnt see those two in line for an attraction or something. And we didnt.
I guess in the big scope of things, if thats the most I lost it on the trip, maybe it wasnt so bad.
Having kids involved in sports, dance and theater, you and your child get to see a lot of other parents. All kinds of parents. Inevitably, there are always those few who just have to express their displeasure about something rather loudly. And end up embarrassing their kid because they caused a scene. Im usually pretty quiet. Its a rare occasion that I actually am guilty of causing a scene. But...and Im embarrassed to admit it...I did today (albeit a little one.) More on that later
We started the day early because we had a breakfast reservation for Kona Café. I had to cancel the one on our last trip because my sleepy teenagers just couldnt get out of bed early after an unexpected 3 am closing at Magic Kingdom the night before. So this time we were bound and determined to make our reservation.
We went to the Magic Kingdom for a little while until it was time for our Kona reservation. We watched the opening, and watched the Main Street Dancers. I really do love the opening and first hour at the Magic Kingdom on Main Street. Such a great atmosphere! Since we were pretty much killing time until heading over the Polynesian, Andrew was patient while I practiced with my new camera a bit. I really hadnt noticed these little statues before, that surround the hub. Thats pretty bad for a crazy Disney fan like me.
We also rode the Jungle Cruise, as the wait time was much lower in the morning.
Then we hopped aboard the monorail to head over to Kona Café. I was able to get this shot through the monorail window and the Contemporary window. I think its cool how you can get Big Thunder, the castle, and Astro Orbiter all in one photo.
We were seated right as we arrived. I already knew what I wanted the Tonga Toast! I had never tried it before. But first I ordered a mocha because Id heard how good the Kona coffee is here. Which it was. I didnt get the pressed pot, though, which I think is what theyre really known for. If my coffee doesnt have chocolate in it, I really dont want it.
Andrew, teenage boy that he is, ordered the steak and eggs. He said it was great.
And I got the Tonga Toast, which I really loved. One thing, though. I had read on the DIS how wonderful the strawberry sauce was on it but I didnt like it. I did, however, think it was delicious just with regular maple syrup. Extremely filling, though.
After our great breakfast, we headed back to the Magic Kingdom. More photo opportunities:
Main Street:
And another visit to the new FantasyLand. I told Andrew I wouldnt make him suffer through the Little Mermaid ride again, but I really wanted a few photos (and another LeFous Brew!):
After this, we were pretty hot and tired. So we decided to leave the Magic Kingdom and take a break somewhere else not in a park.
We headed over to the Wilderness Lodge, because I had heard that there was a train room that had one of the little train cars that Walt had in his backyard. After we got to the Wilderness Lodge, we looked for the room, but we couldnt find it. I finally asked a cast member there, who directed me out of the main lodge, and down a walkway to their DVC building, and the room was in there. Im glad I didnt have any real big expectations, because it was really just a room, with a small display with two of the little cars. Thats about it. But the room was lovely, and if it were up here in Alaska where it is cold, with the fireplace going .I could practically just move it. The Northwestern Lodge look is my favorite hence my affection for Fort Wilderness, Frontierland, and the Canada pavilion.
However, Andrew was beyond bored, so we went to Downtown Disney to see if there was a movie to watch. Certainly, with all those screens, there had to be one. Right?
Wrong. We could not find one move that looked at all good. So we did the next best thing eat! We headed to Cookes of Dublin. Now, over in Animal Kingdom, after we had ordered, we saw someone order the onion rings, and the amount served was enormous! I mean, there were a heaping ton of onion rings on the tray. So when Andrew saw onion rings on the menu, thats what we ordered. It was just a snack, so we shared them. And this is what we got:
Count = 5 onion rings. Thats it. They were good, but plentiful they were not. Like a good mom, I let Andrew have 3, and I ate 2. We also ordered a fried dough bar, which was amazing.
Seeing as we struck out on the movie idea, we headed back to the Magic Kingdom. We did quite a bit of stuff in Tomorrowland:
The Haunted House:
Big Thunder:
The River Boat:
And we saw the just re-opened and refurbished Country Bear Jamboree.
Seeing as the miniscule onion ring order did not leave us feeling particularly stuffed, we ate dinner at Pecos Bill, which may not be fancy, but does serve up a good burger.
Okay, now for confession time. Let me set the scene:
Ive already shared that Andrew is NOT a fan of parades. He had already watched quite a few with me, and we had already seen the Main Street Electrical Light parade, so I told him we didnt have to watch it again. We had just finished dinner at Pecos Bill. The parade was going on, and Andrew wanted to get to Tomorrowland, so we could ride Space Mountain (one of his favorites) and we couldnt get there through Frontierland. We set our game plan to go down to the hub, and skirt the back of the crowd on the sidewalk over to the path to Tomorrowland. Every parade that Ive seen at Disney, the cast members are really good at keeping a walkway clear behind the crowd watching the parade.
We werent the only ones doing this. So we got in a line of people also walking behind those watching the parade trying to get to the bridge. We got almost to the bridge to Tomorrowland, when everyone in the walking line abruptly stopped. We all just stood there for a minute or two, and then the person at the front of the line told everyone to turn around there was just solid congestion and no way to get through. We tried to turn around to just get out of the congested mess, but now all those people previously walking behind us just stopped, and we were stuck in this nose-to-nose congestion .with nowhere to go. I was starting to feel clausterphobic, and Andrew was not happy he had to stay in this bumper-to-bumper crowd to watch the parade. I was able to spy a little alcove off to the side, and Andrew and I were able to get over there and at least get out of the massive crowd and breathe. We just sat down on the pavement and waited for the parade to end.
So when the parade ends, I know it is going to be just crazy busy. We wait for awhile, but now the alcove we were in got very crowded (lots of people had parked their strollers there). So we really had no choice but to venture into the sea of people and try to get over to Tomorrowland. I told Andrew, Andrew, just go straight through, and Ill be right behind you. And I held onto his camera bag strap. It was that crazy crowded busy. People going two different ways .just wall-to-wall. I am not used to, nor handle, that kind of crowd I get clausterphobic. In retrospect, I should have arranged a meeting spot to meet up with Andrew...it was too hard to try and stay together.
Were about halfway up the bridge (which is taking forever, because youre not really walking too crowded for that so more like shuffling) when this lady pushed forward really hard, hard enough to knock my hand off of Andrews camera bag strap, and other people got between us. But Andrew didn't notice, so he keeps going, and Im afraid I am going to lose him in the crowd. Now granted, he is 14, and he wouldnt have been lost, but still, I had wanted to try and stay together as much as possible. This ladys husband was behind her, but when I lost hold of Andrew, I then surged forward to try and catch up with him as best I could, which then cut off the lady's husband. See this mess?
At this time, the lady turns around, and instead of her husband, sees me. So she shouts to her husband (now behind me) Why didnt you keep up? To which he replies, Well, I tried to, but THIS LADY (me) cut me off!! And it was not said in a very friendly tone. It was pretty much yelled.
Now, I should have just let it go. I know. I should have just let it slide. I admit that. But I was so freaked out feeling from the wall-to-wall crowd, and getting away from Andrew, that I turned around and said, Well actually, SHE (the other lady) cut me off from my son. Its just crazy crowded. I didnt yell, really I didnt. But I was probably more curt than I should have been. At this point, I had pretty much caught back up with Andrew, and I could see the unspoken thought on his face Mom, please dont cause a scene. Hopefully it wasn't too big of a scene. But I wish I hadnt said anything. I was hoping the rest of the night I wouldnt see those two in line for an attraction or something. And we didnt.
I guess in the big scope of things, if thats the most I lost it on the trip, maybe it wasnt so bad.
scottny
<font color=blue>You better have crackers<br><font
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2007
Gorgeous photo of the riverboat.
Lefous brew was so good, cannot wait to get it again.
Nice pics of the HM.
I never got to Sleepy Refreshments and it was on my list. That waffle looked so good.
The woman with the foot sounds a little dramatic. I am fat and stepped on someones foot and they blew it off.
Starring Rolls is so good.
I dont care for the F&W festival much either.
Brave doing the orange side, I could never do that.
The chocolate sculptures were gorgeous.
The dinner at Trails End sounds good. Never been but may put it on the menu one night next time.
Great parade pics.
I love the Meerkat photo.
Great gorilla pics.
We had Ghiradelli and sat on the little walls outside of Basin. Worked out pretty well.
Your Indy pics are incredible.
Gorgeous night pics in Epcot.
Beautiful pics of POP at night. We stayed in the same building behind you before the elevator.
MMM, tonga toast.
Oh the Country Bear Jamboree. No I was with wanted to go inside. :O(
Oh that was nothing, I would have screamed at both the wife and husband. Rude is not good.
All caught up. Loving the report.
Lefous brew was so good, cannot wait to get it again.
Nice pics of the HM.
I never got to Sleepy Refreshments and it was on my list. That waffle looked so good.
The woman with the foot sounds a little dramatic. I am fat and stepped on someones foot and they blew it off.
Starring Rolls is so good.
I dont care for the F&W festival much either.
Brave doing the orange side, I could never do that.
The chocolate sculptures were gorgeous.
The dinner at Trails End sounds good. Never been but may put it on the menu one night next time.
Great parade pics.
I love the Meerkat photo.
Great gorilla pics.
We had Ghiradelli and sat on the little walls outside of Basin. Worked out pretty well.
Your Indy pics are incredible.
Gorgeous night pics in Epcot.
Beautiful pics of POP at night. We stayed in the same building behind you before the elevator.
MMM, tonga toast.
Oh the Country Bear Jamboree. No I was with wanted to go inside. :O(
Oh that was nothing, I would have screamed at both the wife and husband. Rude is not good.
All caught up. Loving the report.
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Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
