Adventurers in Septemberer -- Food & Wine, MNSSHP, and Adventurer's Club!

[girlbomb]

Well, I don't have a single photo to illustrate this post , but I'm going to put it up anyway. I will have to leave the gorgeous pictures to those of you who are artistic and dedicated enough to take them; in the meantime, here's a bunch of words about...

Day Three, Part Two: The Dessert and Even More Dessert Festival

It’s been a happy and HOT morning here at Epcot – some Soarin’, some festival of food, two Kim Possible Adventures, Spaceship Earth with Circusgirl – and we’re about to cash in the morning’s two Fast Passes for Soarin’. Just walking into the Land pavilion and smelling that rich smell (and feeling that cool air conditioning) makes me happy and excited. Too bad Living With the Land is closed for renovations.

We take two back-to-back rides on Soarin’, and I’m even more elated when we leave the Land pavilion than I was when we entered. There’s just so much to do and see – I feel like I could spend a month here and never get bored – and we’re trying not to rush, but there’s always that urgent pull to get to the next thing on the agenda. Right now, that thing is MORE FOOD.

So it’s back to World Showcase, where we stop in France for escargot (me) and crème brulee (Bill). The escargot are garlicky and buttery and tasty; I don’t know why Bill declines to taste one – maybe because they’re slimy creatures that crawl through the dirt? Okay, but when they’ve been washed and cooked and buttered, they’re really good!

This is the “dessert” portion of the tour for Bill; I’m still into lunch. So we make our way counter-clockwise through the countries, stopping at the following booths:

New Orleans: bread pudding for Bill – so good that he’ll return for this when we hit Epcot again on Sunday
Vienna: Sacher torte for Bill – rich and dense
Munich: Strudel for Bill – yummy but nothing special
Melbourne: a bland serving of barramundi for me, a dry and unexceptional piece of lamington (a kind of coconut bread) for Bill
New Delhi: rava masala dosa (lentil crepe) for me, gulab jamon (some kind of dessert-y thing) for Bill

The rava masala dosa is delicious, but it’s also served very hot, and the day is already very hot, so much so that when I sit down on a bench to eat, my butt almost fries from the heat of the seat. Eating the hot crepe, sitting on a hot bench in the hot sun, I really feel like I am going to spontaneously combust. Yummy, but should have gone for the cool, creamy gulab jamon instead.

By Shanghai, I’m ready for some caramel ginger ice cream, as is Bill. Mine is freezer burned, so it isn’t as good as it could have been, but at least it’s cool, and pleasantly spicy. Then Bill gets a crema Catalana in Barcelona, while I try my best not to dive into the tub of ice and water in front of the stand.

It’s definitely time to head indoors again, so we go into the dark, cool Mexico pavilion, where the atmosphere instantly relaxes me. There’s no line for the Three Caballeros, so we hop on a boat and cruise down el rio del tiempo – I mean, the river – noting the cheesiness of the video footage, all of which looks like it was filmed in the ‘70s. I remember coming here in 1989, when I was 19, and riding the old version and thinking it was boring; now I wish I could ride the old, boring version again!

We poke around inside Mexico for a few minutes, ducking into the new tequila bar, which is doing brisk business at 3:30 in the afternoon – not an empty seat to be had, not that we’re looking to sit and do shots (if we did, the day would be over for me). Then it’s back to Test Track for another single rider ride.

I miss riding this ride next to Bill. I don’t know how to fix the situation, since we are super spoiled by the quickness of the single rider line, and there’s no way we’re spending a Fast Pass that could be used for Soarin’ on Test Track. But one of these days, I want to ride with my shmoopy again. It would be extra nice if we were riding together this time, because in the middle of the ride, just before taking the twisty road up the hill, the car comes to a complete stop, and we sit there for a good three or four minutes, wondering what’s going on. There’s no helpful announcement, like you get in the Haunted Mansion; just eerie silence and stalled cars everywhere. I crane around, trying to see if I can spot Bill in a car behind me, but no luck. Fortunately, we’re up and moving again soon. All I can think is how weird it would be to be stalled while you’re out there on the track, tipped at a precarious angle – eesh! But I bet they're careful not to let the ride stop with cars on the outside track.

After the ride, it’s time to start thinking about heading over to the Magic Kingdom. But first, we MUST stop in MouseGear – my favorite shop in all the parks. And I have to check out the kids’ stuff, as well as the adult stuff, not just because I have friends with kids who might require Disney souvenirs, but because I, at the advanced age of 40, myself might want a kid’s item or two. Last December, I got a Little Mermaid sweatshirt in a girl’s size XL, and I wear that thing all the time, because it brings me pure joy. If there’s something similar I can snag for myself this year, I am not missing it.

But there’s nothing in the girls’ department for me today. There is a very cool retro Epcot t-shirt in the adults section, and though I already own one very cool retro Epcot t-shirt, which I happen to be wearing today, I wear and wash it so often that it already has a small hole in the back of the neck. This one could make a handy backup! I put it on my “to snag” list for Sunday, when we’ll return to Epcot, and we make our way over to the monorail.

It must be me and Bill that’s making all the rides stop today, because we board the monorail, switch at the TTC, glide through the Contemporary (hi, Contemporary! Can’t wait to stay in you in December!), and then the monorail stops before it hits the MK. It’s a nice view, though, and it’s nice to be sitting down and air conditioned, so we don’t get too impatient.

Finally, we glide into the MK station, and hop off to join the stream of visitors pouring towards the gate. The Halloween decorations look great, as do the cast members in the special party outfits. Speaking of special party outfits, we don’t have costumes, but I do have my Tigger ears in my fanny pack. Time to don the ears – it’s party time!

(Thanks for reading. More soon! )

 

[Circusgirl]

Woohoo, feedback!

Circusgirl, I'm so thrilled that we're so close to our epic return! But I'm so bummed that the new version of your last December's TR is locked! Want more!

I am pleased to report that the report should be up and running again soon. Hopefully I'll get through (most of) last December before this December arrives!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Mmmmmm sounds like an afternoon of yumminess! I miss the old Mexico ride too. The three caballeros just aren't doing it for me. And isn't the business in the tequila bar amazing. Now I was admittedly a patron a few times for a margarita (medicinal due to the heat, of course) but was amazed by the number of people ordering the flight of shots.

Yeah, we're almost at the party. You looked so cute in your Tigger ears!

 

[Lady Lallie]

You totally need to ride Test Track with Bill in December. Just think you've had a bonus trip this year so you can take the time in line.

I'm glad I was eating my breakfast while reading this lastest installment because all that food sounds so yummy!

Please tell me you have a picture of you in your Tigger ears!

 

[praisehisname]

I've really got to stop reading all these reports from F&W; it's making me hungry! F&W is definitely on my list of things to do someday...

Denise

 

[manntra]

Bring on the Tigger ears!!

I am definitely going back for another F&W and MNSSHP........so much to do and it was just starting to turn colder here in the NE so it extended the summer a bit.

I hear ya on the single rider line....and sometimes you can be with an awkward car of people Last time there was a boy next to me who sat with his eyes closed and his ears plugged the whole time It is usually such a quick queue though so it is hard to give up!!

Tracy

 

[Circusgirl]

I loved the clockwise food, counter-clockwise dessert strategy!

I was so glad that we ran into each other despite the best efforts of bad cell phone service to keep us apart! It was extremely fun to visit both the past and the future with you, not to mention the pursuit of fabulous food.

Soarin' is the best. I agree that the thrill and enjoyment never wear off. There was a You Tube video (or was it a podcast?) that featured a guy who built a mini-Soarin' in his garage. I'd love to get home from work at night and take a flight or two to unwind from my day!

MouseGear rocks. Enough said.

 

[girlbomb]

Mmmmmm sounds like an afternoon of yumminess! I miss the old Mexico ride too. The three caballeros just aren't doing it for me. And isn't the business in the tequila bar amazing. Now I was admittedly a patron a few times for a margarita (medicinal due to the heat, of course) but was amazed by the number of people ordering the flight of shots.

Oh, we definitely look forward to patronizing the tequila bar for a medicinal margarita sometime! If it hadn't been so crowded that day, who knows what would have happened?

You totally need to ride Test Track with Bill in December. Just think you've had a bonus trip this year so you can take the time in line.

I'm glad I was eating my breakfast while reading this lastest installment because all that food sounds so yummy!

Please tell me you have a picture of you in your Tigger ears!

Lady Lallie, even with our bonus trip, the December schedule is filling up fast! But I agree; we have to see the whole pre-show again, and we have to ride together. Let someone else be the third wheel!

(Also, Tigger ears a-comin' up!)

I've really got to stop reading all these reports from F&W; it's making me hungry! F&W is definitely on my list of things to do someday...

Denise

Praisehisname, it was on our list of things to do someday, too! And it overlaps so nicely with the Halloween party...I hope you'll get the opportunity to go at that time of year sometime. The parks were relatively uncrowded and the wait times nice and low; I definitely recommend late September.

Bring on the Tigger ears!!

I am definitely going back for another F&W and MNSSHP........so much to do and it was just starting to turn colder here in the NE so it extended the summer a bit.

I hear ya on the single rider line....and sometimes you can be with an awkward car of people Last time there was a boy next to me who sat with his eyes closed and his ears plugged the whole time It is usually such a quick queue though so it is hard to give up!!

Tracy

Tracy, your poor little seatmate! I hope he enjoyed the ride (when it was all over).

I loved the clockwise food, counter-clockwise dessert strategy!

I was so glad that we ran into each other despite the best efforts of bad cell phone service to keep us apart! It was extremely fun to visit both the past and the future with you, not to mention the pursuit of fabulous food.

Soarin' is the best. I agree that the thrill and enjoyment never wear off. There was a You Tube video (or was it a podcast?) that featured a guy who built a mini-Soarin' in his garage. I'd love to get home from work at night and take a flight or two to unwind from my day!

MouseGear rocks. Enough said.

Circusgirl, you mean Minicot! Those guys are my heroes! (Well, you're my hero, for getting us to Disney in September. But they're not far behind!)

 

[girlbomb]

And now, it's Day Three, Part Three: Mickey’s Not So Scary, In Fact, Pretty Delightful, Halloween Party

(Once again, this is going to be pretty light on the pictures and heavy on the words...)

After a full, filling, and fulfilling day at Epcot, I’m practically skipping as we approach the Magic Kingdom. Hooray! Hooray! We’re back at the MK! I’m glad we came here on our first day, instead of staying at the AK – I love all the parks, but there’s something so special about being here at the MK; the level of magic is unmatchable elsewhere. Maybe it’s that castle, or the way the attractions are packed in so close together, leaving little room for anything but magic. Or maybe it’s the way all the wonderful smells congregate and overlap – candy, popcorn, and baked goodness on Main Street, pineapple as you move towards Adventureland, the cinnamon apple of the Christmas shop in Liberty Square – a constant feast for the senses.

Main Street is extra festive right now, around 5pm, as party time approaches. We’re used to being at Disney when the Christmas decorations are up and the holiday music is playing; the regular old “Celebrate Today” décor hasn’t been as stirring. But the Halloween decorations are a delight, and not only do the cast members look great in their party costumes, some of the guests’ costumes are amazing:

Especially when you consider the heat! These are some folks who are committed to the act, right here.

We wander towards Frontierland, hoping to catch a ride on one of the mountains before our DIS-y dinner plans. Fortunately, though there are plenty of people here today, the standby line for Splash is only about 10 minutes, and we breeze right through the barn-like structure (which sometimes smells a little bit like a barn, but in a pleasant way) and halfway up the stairs before we hit the line. We enjoy the long, leisurely ride, happy to hear the familiar songs as we pass through each scene, then there’s the big drop! But we’re in the third seat, and are mostly left dry.

Unfortunately, there’s a little bit of a logjam as we’re waiting to disembark, and I start getting anxious that we’ve cut it too close to our 5:40 dinner ressies. I imagine Heather, Christine, Chuck, and Lynn all standing there outside the restaurant waiting for us, eager to be seated and eat, and if there’s one thing I hate (well, there are plenty of things I hate, but I don’t have room to list them all here, so let’s pretend there’s just one), it’s being late, and causing people to have to wait for me. So rude! I would much rather wait for some other person’s late butt than to be the one who’s not on time. So I am anxiously pawing at my phone, which is not getting any service here in the last phase of the ride, and preparing to hightail it to Liberty Tree Tavern as fast as possible as soon as we’re released from our boat.

Finally, at 5:36, we clamber out of the log, and I move as quickly and purposefully as I can without trampling or being rude, calling Heather as I power walk through the crowd, Bill right on my heels. Luckily, Heather is relaxed and easygoing, and currently alone – Chuck and Lynn changed their plans, and Christine hasn’t joined her yet. “See you when you get here,” she assures me, and we pull up to the restaurant seconds later, to be joined by the lovely and smiling Christine in mere moments. It’s 5:40 on the dot, we’re all here – it’s dinner time!

Heather has already checked us in, and is in possession of a pager, so we only have a few minutes to wait for our table. We take the opportunity to catch up on everyone’s day, and to take a few snaps:

I love the “oops, sorry!” look on Heather’s face as her snake chomps my Tigger ear!

Funny, because her costume is one of the things that won my heart when I was reading her trip report last year. I even called Bill over to my computer and made him look at the pics of her at last fall’s MNSSHP – “Check out this awesome lady’s amazing snake charmer costume! Isn’t it great?” – and then, not two days later, got a private message from the snake charmer herself, saying that she was reading and enjoying my own TR. Fated to be friends, and to be enjoying a dinner together here at Disney just a few short months later!

We’re seated in short order, and taken to a table surrounded by other festive guests, many of whom are in costume. The little princesses at the table next to ours are enchanted by the snake – “Is it real?” one of them asks, and Heather gives her a reassuring smile and shake of the head no as the girl happily pets its snakey head.

Our server is prompt and efficient, if not overly chummy – the place is packed, as all of the restaurants have been this week. And the food, which is served family style, is plentiful and filling – turkey, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, green beans, and salad. True comfort food, and it’s truly comforting, especially when paired with the cheerful company – it’s so much fun to get Christine and Heather’s perspectives on Disney, and to hear how they’ve been spending their days. Like a live trip report! Dessert is warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream, and we decimate a big family-style bowl of it before heading out into the humid evening.

First stop: Haunted Mansion. Looking extra groovy, with the Halloween lights on it, and the cast members in their super spooky makeup. And no wait at all, even tonight, when it’s one of the star attractions! There are already people lined up to take a picture with the ghost hearse, and a few folks listening to the bewigged storyteller on the lawn; now I’m wishing we’d stopped to give her a listen.

After a not-so-scary ride, the four of us wander towards Fantasyland, where the line for pictures with Cinderella’s coach is truly frightening. But the line for Peter Pan is shorter than we’ve ever seen it – practically nil. Bill and I haven’t been on this ride since our first trip in 2005, so we all gladly take advantage of the super short line, and take an enchanting flight over London (as well as other, more imaginary places). I remember loving this ride as a kid, and feeling like it took me very high above the ground; I think I was disappointed, when we rode again in 2005, that it wasn’t more…I don’t know…magical. But tonight it feels very magical to me – a beautiful and soothing ride – probably because the magic is coming from inside me.

After the ride, Heather and Christine are thinking about finding a good spot for the first parade. Bill and I, because we are ride gluttons, are still thinking about rides, so we split up and hope to bump into each other later, maybe on the treat trail to Toontown, or at the start of Main Street for the second parade. Right now, though, Bill and I are off to Big Thunder Mountain – always a hoot at night – where we walk right on to the last car, making it the extra-wildest ride in the wil-der-ness.

This walking right onto rides stuff is great! Next, we walk right on to Splash, which dampens us without soaking us, hooray. And then we’re trying to get back to Fantasyland, but the parade crowds are thick – it must be starting any second. Though we’d planned to watch the second parade, and to stake out good spots where we could sit well in advance, I am caught up in the excitement, and convince Bill to stand with me and watch the Headless Horseman take his ride. He thunders by at a good clip – eek! Impressively spooky! And, okay, since we’re standing here anyway, we might as well watch the whole parade.

Wow, what a super parade! I am going to stop describing us as “not parade people,” since now we have been hooked by Spectro, the Christmas parade, and the Halloween parade. Maybe in 2005 we were scoffers – who wants to sit and watch a parade when there’s rides to be ridden? – but now, in 2009, we appreciate the pageantry, the music, the costumes, and the choreography too much to let them pass without watching. I love seeing the characters in costume, especially Pooh and the gang, with whom we have at least one Crystal Palace meal every trip. And I am a little too vocal when Jack Sparrow rides by on his float – I think I even use the words, “YOO HOO!” while flailing my arm spastically in the air.

Post-parade, I feel a little guilty for having asked Bill to stand for the parade, and for using up precious no-line ride time, when we could have waited and sat for the second parade. But he is in good spirits, as am I, as we head through the Frontierland passageway to Adventureland. There’s a candy station at the snack stand by the Tiki Room, and nobody’s on line for it, so we stop and get our first handful of goodies; then it’s off to ride Pirates.

“Let’s take the left side of the queue,” I suggest, because we always take the right side. Oddly enough, the left side is backed up quite a ways, while the right seems clear. So we reverse course and head back to take the right side. We are seated in a boat in front of the Chatty Family, who take the ride as an opportunity to discuss the entire Pirates oeuvre: Mom liked the first movie, Grandpa thought it was too long; everybody liked the second, but the third not so much; meanwhile the kids are asking if “Jonny Depp is real.” They are told that Jonny Depp is a real person who plays the not-real character of Jack Sparrow in movies. But I’m not sure if that clears things up for the kids, who spend the few minutes we are stalled in front of the last scene asking again, “Is he real? Is he real?”

“Were they real?” Bill asks, as we peg-leg it out of there. “Also, did they have to talk about nothing the entire time?” Well, that’s the benefit of riding these rides so many times; sometimes you feel like you missed everything because of the other riders, but you’ve seen them before, and hopefully you’ll get the chance to see them again.

We stop again as we pass the Jungle Cruise and cadge some more candy from the orange-and-purple clad CMs. The lines over here are short, but as we walk back through the passageway to Frontierland, we see loooooong lines for candy by the riverboat and the Haunted Mansion. It seems like at least forty or fifty percent of the partygoers are in some kind of costume – most of them are cute and basic, but some are really inventive and involved. I wish we had more pictures of the guests in costume, but we’re on a mission that involves a little peace on earth and goodwill towards animatronics – it’s time for Small World!

I love this ride. I especially love the animals – the Scottish sheep, the Aussie kangaroo with the baby in its pouch – and their sweet smiles. I can’t wait until my little “niece” (our friends’ daughter, almost two years old now) is old enough to come with us to Disney. She’s going to flip out over Small World!

(Note: I know that two-year-olds are technically “old enough” to come, but I think this particular two-year-old will get more out of Disney World when she is a year or two older. My plan is to let her get past the tantrum stage – though, to her credit, she has VERY few tantrums – and then propose a group trip. She and her mommy came over to our apartment the other day, and when Baby Girl saw our plastic Disney drinking cups, she pointed and said, “Mickey!” I laughed and told her mommy, “Auntie Janice is training her well…” )

After Small World, we can see that people are getting ready for the fireworks, and I get a little bit anxious that we have not staked out a spot for these, which are rumored to be the most spectacular of all the fireworks shows. We hustle around the castle to the Tomorrowland bridge – all full up with people. But there’s space for two on the curved walkway from the bridge to the hub, so we plant our feet and wait for the show.

Okay. I can see why people are excited about the Halloween fireworks. The colors are amazing, the music is lively, and there sure are a lot of explosions. The peripheral fireworks at the end are show-stoppers. And yet…

I am officially corny. And I like to feel something during the fireworks. When I watch Wishes, I am overcome with emotion (see last year’s TR for details). When I watch Holiday Wishes at the Christmas party, I am similarly touched. But the story line that goes with these fireworks doesn’t do it for me. I mean, I enjoy it; it’s fun. I agree that sometimes it’s good to be bad. But the narration and the music are not moving me. So while I would heartily recommend Hallowishes to others as a fun show, I don’t know that I’d take time to watch the full spectacle again, when there’s so much else to do at the party.

The fireworks end, and it’s like the crowd explodes, with people bursting out from the hub in every direction. We head to the TTA – now that it’s dark, we can see the lights as we glide around Stitch and Monsters Inc., but the part of the ride that’s inside Space Mountain is extra dark and silent and spooky. I understand that they’ve changed the spiel on this ride since September – AUGH! WHY? I wish I’d known it was going to change; we’d have recorded the whole ride for posterity.

There’s a dance party right here by the TTA, so when we get off the ride, we hop over to check it out. I am torn between wanting to dance and jump around, and feeling incredibly self-conscious, especially as I know that Bill is lurking with the camera. Also, not many adults seem to be dancing. So I get in a few good jumps to some Black Eyed Peas, which makes me feel great. Then when the Ricky Martin strikes up, we move along, off to the treat trail by Toontown.

Of course, they don’t let you enter from the Tomorrowland side, so we go all the way around to the Toontown side and walk through the trail, collecting candy every fifteen feet or so. We didn’t spend much time in Toontown on our December 08 trip, nor do we spend much time there on this trip, and now I regret it – it may already be under construction when we return this December! Just a reminder, as were the changes to the TTA spiel: Gather ye happy Disney memories while ye may…

We’ve got bulging bags of candy, as well as aching feet and tired legs and brains that are starting to fritz from overstimulation and lack of rest. As much as I hate to do this AGAIN (“this” being “planning to stay late at a party, but not being able to maintain the energy to do so”), I have to tell Bill that I’m ready to head towards the exit. With a trip through the Emporium so I can see if I want the party t-shirt. Which I kind of do, but I want the Epcot t-shirt we saw this morning more. So, yeah, it’s exit time.

Again, we decide to give the bus a shot, so we take our place in the correct line, and wait about five minutes before the bus arrives. When it does, the driver takes a while to lower the ramp for a woman with a double stroller. Like, a long while. She’s behind almost everyone else in line, and I can hear from the quiet grousing around us that popular sentiment is against her. The kids are awake; the mom could have folded the stroller and boarded like everyone else, but instead we sit there for eight minutes by Bill’s watch while the driver goes through the rigamarole of accommodating the stroller. And mom gets a seat, while others who arrived at the stop before her may have to stand. Then again, I’d rather the kids be left in their stroller than listen to them have a loud meltdown for the length of the ride. And I can’t imagine what it must take to push two kids through the parks for any length of time – which is why I don’t plan to try it. Anyway, more on-the-scene reporting from the front lines of the ongoing battle between the Disney Is For Kids, So Suck It Up and Deal With the Delays That Kids Cause faction, and the Disney Is For ME, So Get Out Of My Way camp, a battle in which I am trying to stay Switzerland.

In any event, we’re on the bus, and it’s crowded with tired kids of all ages, including tired old 40-year-old me. Most people have gathered their sleeping kids onto their laps so that more people can sit down, but there are still plenty of stand-ees. We reach AK, and the bus stops first at Kidani Village, to let off all three people who are staying there. Then we stop at Jambo house, and the other fifty of us can disembark.

We wash up for the night, eating candy the whole while, which does defeat the purpose of tooth brushing, but is irresistible anyway. Then it’s off to bed, to dream of another great big beautiful tomorrow spent in Disney World!

 

[praisehisname]

Sounds like a yummy dinner at LTT!

There’s a dance party right here by the TTA, so when we get off the ride, we hop over to check it out. I am torn between wanting to dance and jump around, and feeling incredibly self-conscious, especially as I know that Bill is lurking with the camera.

Stupid, I know, but this is one of the minor things that is holding me back from doing the MVMCP. I love to dance and be silly with my kids, but they won't be there and I will be very inhibited...

We didn’t spend much time in Toontown on our December 08 trip, nor do we spend much time there on this trip, and now I regret it – it may already be under construction when we return this December!

I hope not...I want to get a few more pics!!!

And I can’t imagine what it must take to push two kids through the parks for any length of time – which is why I don’t plan to try it.

 

[manntra]

I am forever trying to stay Switzerland at some point during my stay!
We saw some great costumes too....an entire Incredibles family! They were cute....When I (attempt to) go snowboarding I have underarmour (like long underwear) black pants and I have either a red or a black underarmour shirt and I always call it my Incredible outfit. It is actually incredibly unflattering! Another good one was Shaggy, Velma and the Scooby gang.


As Samantha Brown once said...every day should end with a parade!

Tracy

 

[norybell]

Okay. I can see why people are excited about the Halloween fireworks. The colors are amazing, the music is lively, and there sure are a lot of explosions. The peripheral fireworks at the end are show-stoppers. And yet…

I am officially corny. And I like to feel something during the fireworks. When I watch Wishes, I am overcome with emotion (see last year’s TR for details). When I watch Holiday Wishes at the Christmas party, I am similarly touched. But the story line that goes with these fireworks doesn’t do it for me. I mean, I enjoy it; it’s fun. I agree that sometimes it’s good to be bad. But the narration and the music are not moving me. So while I would heartily recommend Hallowishes to others as a fun show, I don’t know that I’d take time to watch the full spectacle again, when there’s so much else to do at the party.

I totally agree with you about Hallowishes. It was an amazing show. But I never felt chills (except for that moment at the very end, when they shoot off the fireworks all around you). Give me Illuminations any day!

 

[girlbomb]

Stupid, I know, but this is one of the minor things that is holding me back from doing the MVMCP. I love to dance and be silly with my kids, but they won't be there and I will be very inhibited...

Praisehisname, if you can get your husband to jump in with you, rather than lurking with a camera as mine does, it might help you get over your inhibitions! But I think more adults need to groove at the dance parties; at the Cosmic Ray's dance party during last year's MVMCP, there's were lots of us "big kids" on the floor, and it was great!

I am forever trying to stay Switzerland at some point during my stay!
We saw some great costumes too....an entire Incredibles family! They were cute....When I (attempt to) go snowboarding I have underarmour (like long underwear) black pants and I have either a red or a black underarmour shirt and I always call it my Incredible outfit. It is actually incredibly unflattering! Another good one was Shaggy, Velma and the Scooby gang.


As Samantha Brown once said...every day should end with a parade!

Tracy

Tracy, I can not IMAGINE wearing a full costume in that heat, especially one with fake muscle padding! But I so admire the people who do it...

I totally agree with you about Hallowishes. It was an amazing show. But I never felt chills (except for that moment at the very end, when they shoot off the fireworks all around you). Give me Illuminations any day!

Norybell, you and I have way too much in common! And from reading your TR, I realize we live in the same neighborhood! If it weren't for the pictures, I'd be wondering if we are actually...the same person! Think about it -- have you ever seen us in a room together?

And now, here's another picture-free but word-heavy installment of this tardy TR.

Day Four: Water Park Angst and More

Well, folks, it had to happen sometime. The Wall had to be hit. The day-before-departure blues had to be felt. Crankiness had to ensue. It’s all part of the deal I make with the devil – the devil being that part of me that will not slow down, even for a minute, because we’re at DisneyDisneyDisney and I have to enjoy it nownownow.

Everything’s fine when we wake up on this Saturday morning, September 26th – everything’s glorious, actually, aside from the exhaustion. It’s 6:30 a.m., and we’d think about sleeping in, but we have breakfast ADRs for 7:35 at Boma, and we will never have as good a chance to eat breakfast at Boma as we have right now, when we’re here at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I wish we’d been able to make a later breakfast ressie, as we don’t have to be anywhere until 10 a.m. rope drop at Typhoon Lagoon, but 7:35 was all they had – it was early, or nothing. So we yawn and stretch and wash and dress, and pack our bag for a day of Water Park Fun And More.

I am dragging my butt a little bit, full from last night’s candy binge, and mopey because the plan isn’t perfect. If the plan were perfect, we’d have slept another 45 minutes, and we’d be eating at 8:15. But the plan is imperfect. Months of planning, and it’s still imperfect! I mean, I should have called Disney Dining a few times over the past two weeks to see if an 8:15 ADR had opened up, and I didn’t. So I am brooding a little.

Bill is aware that I am, for some unknown reason, acting like I’m wearing a big soggy diaper. He is both sympathetic and encouraging – everything’s great, he says. We’re gong to have fun today. I KNOW, I mope. I’m just tired. Bill is a wonderful travel companion, as well as a wonderful stay at home companion, because he is generally unfazed by things like imperfect plans and early mornings and horrible mood swings on my part. I wish I could be less of a grumpus, because he deserves a companion as chipper and flexible as he is, but recognizing that only makes me more grumpy.

Still, breakfast at Boma gets a big thumbs up. I can’t eat as much as I’d like to (oink), which is a bummer, but everything that’s available to be eaten is delicious. There’s enough traditional breakfast food to satisfy picky eaters, and enough special Boma-style food to satisfy me and Bill. The spicy potatoes? The cheese-and-chive scrambled eggs? Yum. I only wish I could pack in another plate or two.

So we have a little time to kill after breakfast, and again, I am moody that we got up earlier than we absolutely had to because we couldn’t get an ADR at exactly the right time, and blah blah nitpick blah. We meander around the peaceful resort, steam rising off the empty pool, morning dew hanging in the humid air, and gleaming on the leaves of the exotic trees and plants. The flamingoes balance on their spindly legs, tipping forward to eat the krill from their pond; the enormous buzzards sit on thick logs, hunched and eerily tranquil; the Thompson’s gazelles graze and then lift their heads, and then go back to grazing, still looking at us from the corners of their eyes, like, you can’t get anything over on us. We’re not just any old gazelles, you know; we’re *Thompson’s* gazelles.

After about 45 minutes of ambling (when we should have been sleeping! The plan, the plan!), we catch a cab over to Typhoon Lagoon, and we reach the lot by 9 a.m. There are only two other people at the turnstiles when we arrive – they have a cooler with them, and the kind of reddish, sunbaked skin that lets you know these are not water park amateurs, here. They know what’s what. Bill and I apply some sunblock, as the area around the turnstiles in completely unshaded, with no place to sit, and I pull out my phone and start answering some email.

I am so grumpy right now, I should be sent to go mining with the rest of the dwarves. My email makes me grumpy, the sun and heat make me grumpy, the fact that we’re here so early and we don’t need to be makes me grumpy. We’ve never been to Typhoon Lagoon, we don’t have park maps, and I don’t feel like I planned the day well enough – I don’t even know which way to go when the stupid turnstiles open – grumpy. You’re probably getting the picture, as is poor Bill, who finally, gently, asks, “Are you in a bad mood, Shmoopy?”

YES. I AM IN A BAD MOOD. And I don’t want to admit it, and I don’t want to acknowledge the fact that I’m grumping up Bill’s morning, and all of that is compounding the grumpiness into INFINITE GRUMPITUDE. “I am,” I say, testily, “and I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry. I’ll get over it. I will.”

But first I will have to get over the anxiety, as more people join us at the turnstiles, that I don’t know what we’re supposed to do next, and I screwed everything up, and we’re here a million hours early but we’re still going to get trampled on the way to the best slides because I failed at planning. As it inches towards 9:30, our previously deserted waiting area is starting to fill up with other guests, all of whom I’m eyeing suspiciously as competition. And I am ashamed to be writing all of this, but it’s the truth, it’s factual, everything is not satisfactual, and I know that many of you have been exactly where I am this morning as I brood and gloom and fret, and the lines stack up around us.

By 9:45, I am ready to blow a gasket, They should be opening the turnstiles any second, and I am determined to get right through the gate and over to the locker rental (wherever that may be); to rip off my outerwear and throw on my suit and water shoes as fast as humanly possible, and to be there in front of the g.d. rope before anyone else. But the teenagers behind the turnstiles don’t seem like they’re ready to move. Most of the turnstiles are still covered, and now it’s 9:49, and oh my god are they ever going to let us in? When? I have separated myself from Bill by a few feet because I am aware that I am giving off the world’s worst vibes, and I want him to be as protected as possible from the nightmare that is me right now.

Finally, at 9:52, the turnstiles open, and I go blowing through them at top speed, over to the gift shop where lockers are rented, then into the dressing rooms as fast as I can, with curt directions to Bill that he should speed it up and change into his suit pronto. Why I didn’t wear my suit under my clothes this morning I will never know. But at least I am making up for earlier errors right now by being the most super-efficient clothes-changer ever.

Bill takes a little longer than me, during which time I grab a park map and have seventeen anxiety attacks and pray and pray for him to emerge quickly. When he does, we pack our locker, and take our place in the crowd by the rope – NOT first in line, but not too far back either. Okay.

I have yet another heart attack when I see that the map I’ve been given is for Blizzard Beach, and am about to go storming back to the girl shop where I got it to say YOU GAVE ME THE WRONG STUPID MAP. And then I notice that the Typhoon Lagoon map is printed on the other side. A definite sign that I need to check myself, before I seriously wreck myself.

We want to go to Crush N’ Gusher first. Unfortunately, the map does not seem to show a clear path to CN’G. Augh! The rope drops, and we go rushing off to the right, rushing and rushing until we stop at a standing map and see that we have overshot the slide we’re looking for, and have to go back, but where and how? Double augh!

We ask a maintenance woman where we might find the ride, and she points us in the right direction. Soon, we’re at the slide, where there are maybe four whole people in front of us, for a total wait of under a minute. So maybe I can relax now, and start enjoying the day? We’re here plenty early, we’re not getting boxed out of anything fun – is it possible for me to kill the drama and just enjoy myself? Well, it would be, if the ride attendant were not being slow and negligent in hooking people up with tubes for the ride. She has the worst attitude on her face, she’s not making any eye contact or saying anything to anyone, and she’s huffing and rolling her eyes like she has the worst job in the world. Whoopee!

But again, we only wait for maybe a minute to get our tube, and then we hike up the stairs to the platform where we have a choice of three awesome water slides to slide down. We’re on line for the one on the left, so we get positioned in the two-person tube, and…

WOOOOOOO!



Immediately, I am back to having a great time. Because this slide is awesome – twisty and surprising and fast and fun. We hit the exit pool with a big splash and wade over to the steps, where we determine that we must do that again right away. So we get back on the (very short) line, wait for another tube from Crankyface McGee, and are up the stairs as fast as our legs can carry us for a ride down the center slide this time.

Amazing, how quickly the tension of the morning melts away, when doused with a little bit of Water Park Fun. This is what I was waiting and hoping and planning for, all those months – this exact feeling of careening down a slide, sun overhead, laughing as we hit an unexpected dip in the chute. When I thought that this feeling was going to be somehow delayed or denied, I was miserable. Now that I have it, I feel great.

We take one more trip up the stairs, and then down the right-hand slide. Then it’s off to see the rest of the park. There’s no way for me to take trip notes today, as I’m running around in just a swimsuit and water socks, but I am pretty sure the morning goes like this:

Our first stop after the Crush N’ Gusher is Humunga Cowabunga, the really steep slide that looks like it will quickly draw big lines. I’m not a big fan of heights, and refused to do the super steep slide at Blizzard Beach last year, but this one’s enclosed, so I think I can do it. I step into position, let go of the bar, and a yodel of “OH MY GOD!” is ripped from me, unwitting, as I hurtle downwards through space. The yell is so primal and unexpected; I’m just glad that I didn’t yell something more profane. I am proud of myself for doing such a high slide, and exhilarated with giggles, but the resulting wedgie is uncomfortable, to say the least. Bill laughs at me when he emerges, for emitting such a genuinely terrified and ear-splitting scream.

Next up is either Keelhaul Falls or Mayday Falls – they’re both tube slides down quick, twisty routes, and we do both of them in succession, enjoying the sensation as the tube banks against the sides of the turns. Then we do the Gangplank Falls, the family raft slide. At the family raft slide at Blizzard Beach, they paired us with another duo; here, two people are enough to make a family, so we get an enormous raft of our own to shlep up the stairs. Gangplank Falls is relatively gentle and serene, and at the end, a Photopass photographer is on hand to take one of the least flattering photos ever, not included here.

Actually, there are Photopass photographers all over the park – many of the slides end with a P-pass photog handing you a tiny card on a rubber wrist strap, easy to keep and collect as they day goes on. There are even photographers in the lazy river, standing waist-deep in the water with their vests on, cameras wrapped in plastic. But again, I don’t really need any more super ugly pictures of myself in bright sunlight, with my hair a mess, squinting water out of my eyes, in an unflattering bathing suit (which I wear because it’s so good at staying on my body, unlike my very cute bikini).

I think the Storm Slides were next, all three of them, all virtually indistinguishable from each other, all enjoyable. It’s a different experience than other theme parks rides, as many of the slides are solo affairs; even if you’re with friends or loved ones, you “ride” (or slide) alone, enjoying a little private moment as you careen downhill through warm water into a trench at the end.

Another thing about the water parks – they really make you work for your fun! We are up and down stairs all day until our thighs and butts are burning with the efforts. But the fun of sliding downhill is worth it. Hooray, gravity!

After we’ve done all the slides, we head towards the snorkeling adventure. As a snorkeling snob, I think we’re going to find this too tame and short, but as park completists, we must do it. And it’s actually pretty neat! The water is cold, but that doesn’t stop us from taking as long as we can to swim from one end of the tank to the other. And the sharks are pretty cool looking. When we see sharks in open water while snorkeling, we usually make tracks in the opposite direction, but here I feel safe enough to really look at them, the graceful, muscular creatures that they are.

We’ve done everything else in the park except the wave pool and the kiddie slides, and somehow I don’t think we’re welcome at the kiddie slides. So we head towards Castaway Creek, the lazy river that encircles the park. It takes us a while to find tubes – this lazy river is packed! – but we do eventually get tubes and position ourselves atop them for maximum laziness.

Because the river is so full, we get plenty of chances to hear other people’s conversations, many of which are held in delightful British accents. Other conversations are not so delightful – a mother berating her son, telling him what a jerk he is and how he’s ruining everybody’s good time and how she doesn’t even want to hear from him for the next half hour. Fun! We do our best to float away from the Unhappy Family, then get caught in a logjam behind a group of Portuguese speakers who have all joined hands so their tubes are connected, leaving nobody else any room to float around them. They seem to be enjoying the jam they’ve caused, as they’re laughing away. This requires a little backstroking here, but we manage to get away from them, too.

Finally, it’s lazy river floating time! Oh wait – now we’re at the part where people squirt you with cold water guns from the shore. And now the sun has gone behind a cloud, and it’s a little cooler than I’d like it to be, so I stuff myself further down into the tube, into the warmth of the river, while we wait for the sun to reappear. Except it’s not coming out, and we’re past the point where we started, getting ready for a whole ‘nother go-round. And I’m hungry.

So despite the relatively cool air – where were the clouds yesterday at Epcot, when we were dying in the sun? – we hop out of the creek and go find a snack stand, Typhoon Tillie’s. Fried fish and fries for me, chicken strips and fries for Bill, and just as we take a seat, the sun comes out again. Within minutes, it’s so hot I can’t imagine that I was ever cold.

After lunch, it’s time to hit the slides again, in no particular order. We do another three trips on the Crush N’ Gusher, which is definitely my favorite ride in the park (and I think the left side is my favorite side). We do Humunga Cowabunga again; then, a few minutes later, we are trying to get to the Storm Slides, and we wind up at Humunga Cowabunga again, so we take a third plunge down the steep slope, into the land of wedgies. Every line is short – we never wait more than a few minutes for a ride, except for Gangplank Falls, which has a twenty minute wait. Most of the morning’s tension is gone – it’s a perfect day, weather-wise, to be here at Typhoon Lagoon, lines are really short, and we’re bopping around from ride to ride with ease.

After another tour of all the slides, and a second trip around the lazy river, we stop by the bathrooms overlooking the wave pool to watch the wave action. Right now, it doesn’t look like there are any big body-surfing waves; the water is choppy, but no six-footers in sight. Some other guests join us in waiting for a big wave; a few of us go to sit on the nearby bench, but the bench is so hot from baking in the sun that it’s painful to sit on, so we abandon that idea. A cast member comes by and tells us that it will be a few minutes before the big waves kick in again – apparently, there are two cycles to the wave pool: choppy waters, like we’re seeing now, and then consecutive waves, which will start soon. I want to get back into the water, so I leave Bill at the overlook and walk down to the pool.

When the waves kick in, the crowd gets excited. Many people are positioned right at the deepest part, where the safety rope prohibits you from going any further. Those people miss out on the best wave action; it passes right under them. If you really want to body surf, you should stay further forward, around the 3 foot mark – that’s where the wave hits, and carries you the furthest and with the most velocity, usually into someone else’s shoulder or shin. Ouch.

I surf a few waves, until I’m clocked in the leg so hard that I see stars. Bill has climbed down and joined me in the pool, so I jump all over him like an excited puppy. We splash around for a while, and then decide it’s about time to call it an afternoon. If we leave now, around 3ish, we can get in a short nap before we head to the Magic Kingdom for a late night of fun.

So we remove ourselves from the refreshing pool, and trudge back to the dressing rooms and lockers. We towel off, re-dress, return our locker key, and head towards the parking lot. No taxis available – we will have to call one, if we want one, and in the meantime, we might as well wait for the bus. Which pulls up to the AKL stop mere seconds after we sit down there on the bench, and takes us with no extra stops right to Jambo House. Perfect!

Back to the room, blabbering about what a fun morning it was (if you politely gloss over the hour I spent being a moody grumpus), and down for a nap. But will we be able to nap, with Disney World right outside the window? Or will the nap work too well, and will we ever make it over to the MK?

(More soon [I hope] -- thanks for hanging in with me! )

 

[addictedtothemouse]

Yay!!! Another TR by Girlbomb!

 

[norybell]

Norybell, you and I have way too much in common! And from reading your TR, I realize we live in the same neighborhood! If it weren't for the pictures, I'd be wondering if we are actually...the same person! Think about it -- have you ever seen us in a room together?

OMG, you're right! I'VE NEVER SEEN US IN A ROOM TOGETHER! What does this mean??? Do I not exist? Does that mean I don't have to go to work tomorrow?

No...wait...I don't do water parks. Whew. Guess that proves our separate existences.

Great update! I love your description of a totally unnecessary Disney-stress moment. I know I've been there! I'm bound and determined to actually have one relaxing -- perhaps even park-free! -- night next time I go, so I don't have to be quite so tired by Day 3 (we'll see if I can actually do something so crazy).

 

[Circusgirl]

I somehow got unsubscribed and was pouting a little bit about not having any of Janice's report to relish, when I took a glance at the trip report board and saw I'd been left way behind! The reward of missing a chapter is having two to read at once, which I just did, lickity-split!

Party night was way fun, and I loved hearing about all the things you did after we parted ways. Glad you got some jumps in at the dance party (after all, you were wearing your bouncing Tigger ears!) I always want to get up and get down at the dances, but when I'm solo I'm just too inhibited to get there. Are you going to do a MVMCP in December? I agree about Hallowishes - a good show, but not emotional.

Ah, Disney angst. There is some moment in every trip where the quest for perfection gets a little out of hand, exhaustion smacking into enthusiasm. Super sweet that Bill was so lovely around your cranky-fest. Glad the first ride at Typhoon Lagoon got your happiness rolling! So now that you've done both water parks, do you have a favorite?

Thanks for the great ride!

 

[praisehisname]

Sounds like you had an absolutely amazing time at TL (except for the grumpiness)!!! DH took the kids last trip and they all loved it, too!

 

[manntra]

Haha!! I was lmao about your time being spent on line for TL--myself having never been there I would have been eyeing everyone up as well...fabricating all these different scenarios in my mind about who was going to go where

Then the people on the lazy river that you had to backstroke from Very funny reading today! Not that I am laughing at your stress and anxiety, just that I would have been acting/reacting exactly the same!

It's factual, everything is not satisfactual!

Tracy

 

[Lady Lallie]

I hate it when I get behind on TRs!

I'm caught up now!

MNSSHP sounds like it was such a great time. I'm hoping to make it there next fall, I really loved the party atmosphere.

 

[nts4wdw]

I'm so glad I found your report! We had a good time hanging out with you guys in the mask room at Adventurer's Club!! Here is our picture of you and Hathaway Brown. I love it! It was great to meet you!