Canadian Buffoon's Disney With a Teen Vacation - 08/13 - The Wrap

[pkondz]

Yes, you have been letting my score slide. I have noticed.

I cannot be held accountable for momentary lapses in correct answers.

That was a well-timed comment. Of course it is!

I thought so.
Not surprised.

OH no.... heeeeere, we go.

No. Not really. Alison posted:

Heck! I want a TR about your next trip to the grocery store!

So I was just having fun with that.

 

[Steppesister]

I cannot be held accountable for momentary lapses in correct answers.

Well, that stinks. I need someone to blame.

So I was just having fun with that.

I know you were; I was going to tell her to not egg you on. Although, I may have to agree, a fictional account of a Ponzi trip to Safeway (or whatever you have up there) might be entertaining enough. Embellished stories on TRs is perfectly acceptable. Right?



Right??!

 

[pkondz]

Well, that stinks. I need someone to blame.

Oh, feel free to blame me.
I'm usually at fault.

I know you were; I was going to tell her to not egg you on. Although, I may have to agree, a fictional account of a Ponzi trip to Safeway (or whatever you have up there) might be entertaining enough. Embellished stories on TRs is perfectly acceptable. Right?



Right??!

We do have Safeways up here.
Been around ever since I can remember.
But.
In western Canada, most of them have been bought up
by another grocery chain.
I think they got complacent and people started going elsewhere
for either lower prices or better delis or bakeries or whatever.
Just a few left in the city now.

Oh. And embellishing? Me?
You weren't around when I wrote about
how I stopped a mugger in one TR.
Totally made up, of course.

 

[Steppesister]

Oh. And embellishing? Me?
You weren't around when I wrote about
how I stopped a mugger in one TR.
Totally made up, of course.

I have never embellished anything. Ever.

Well, ok, maybe a little here and there.

(and everywhere.)

 

[pkondz]

I have never embellished anything. Ever.

Well, ok, maybe a little here and there.

Yeah. Me too. Yup.

 

[pkondz]

Update mostly written.
Hope to have it up tomorrow night.

 

[franandaj]

No. Not really. Alison posted:

So I was just having fun with that.

But I'm still waiting to hear what happened at the grocery store!

 

[Saturn23]

Don't celebrate too early.
You haven't read it yet.

"I cheered for this steaming pile of crap?!?!?"

Are you planning on completely changing your writing style to boring?

Update! 11/12 Expedition angst!

Awww, my own personal eating report!

But PB&J? Heck no! You gotta have milk!

But more importantly, does the j stand for jam or jelly? If it's jam, eat the sandwich, if it's jelly, feed it to the dog.

I could retrace my steps, but that would show
weakness to the dog.

Oh you can never do that, she'll never let you live that down.

"Woof! Yap! Bark! Bark!*"
(* Don't be a wuss. Put the sammie down.
I won't touch it. Trrrrrrust me.)

You speak excellent dog! I'm impressed.

1. Does the dog eat my sandwich?

see above

2. How much of MASH do I miss?

None, you make it back before the end of the commercial.

3. Do I spill my milk and if so, do I cry?

Yes, spilt milk always needs to be cried over.

Yep. Riveting stuff.

Loved it! Can't wait for the next update. Actually just go ahead and write the grocery store one. You know you want to.

And when you do... I apologize from the bottom of my heart.
And I'm totally kidding about it!!

It was funny, not offended at all!!!

See above snippet re: the sandwich.

No, still funny!!!

Okay. Next time you go, I'll hold your hand...
And take you out on the Edge Walk.

But I couldn't even stand of the glass on the INSIDE!!!
The really sad thing is that I would probably have been able to do that edge walk years ago. I went skydiving twice!
I have no idea why or how I lost all my courage.

But it goes upside down?
You mean like suspended upside down for more than a second?
i.e. you don't mind a coaster loop?

Oh I didn't know it went upside down. I thought it was like Goliath at Magic Mountain. I don't mind the loops but I don't need them.

Oh! It's not lost.
You can still access it through my siggie.

Don't make me turn on signatures. THOSE are annoying!!!

It does! Every time I tie my shoes, I bend over.

You need a pair of Vans. Those slip right on with no bending.

Okay. Now I really wish we'd gone together.
I was able to drag my family into only one
or two glass stores.

But there are hundreds of glass stores!!!! You only got to go in two??? TWO???? That's barely a number. Yes you need to go back and take your time in all of the stores so you can see everything.

We really do think alike.
(Well, not about lemons, but about glass at least.)

I don't actually hate lemon flavored things. They're just not better than hazelnut gelato.

And I like the sound of your necklace.
Pic, please?

It's at my parents' house, I'll see if I can get a picture next time I go home.

I almost bought a black glass vase.
It was over $1,000 but I didn't care.

That must have been gorgeous! Did you take a picture of it?

I was going to see what Murano had to offer before deciding...

And then I got hurt so that was that.

Well that just means that next time you get to buy two of them. One for the last trip you missed out on and one for the current one. Done.

You'll notice how I'm staying completely out of this.
You've noticed, right?

I did notice and I'm really shocked about it.

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to not comment on that?
Do you?

Oh I do know how difficult it must be! Go ahead though, comment.

Sure! We can make it a thr... uh...
We can tour the parks together!

(Close one.)

I get to choose the first ride! We like to take pictures with characters though...

Yes.
And I'm sorry. I couldn't resist.

YAY!!! That's ok. I've always wanted to be laughed at by Nelson.

 

[pkondz]

But I'm still waiting to hear what happened at the grocery store!

 

[pkondz]

Are you planning on completely changing your writing style to boring?

I thought I'd already done that.

Awww, my own personal eating report!

Just for you.

But more importantly, does the j stand for jam or jelly? If it's jam, eat the sandwich, if it's jelly, feed it to the dog.

Jam! Of course!
Probably strawberry... possibly raspberry.

Oh you can never do that, she'll never let you live that down.

Too late.
Like all the other females (including the two female guinea pigs),
she holds me in contempt.

You speak excellent dog! I'm impressed.

Nah. She's just easy to read.
Her brain is the size of a pea,
so she can't hide her emotions.

see above

None, you make it back before the end of the commercial.

Yes, spilt milk always needs to be cried over.

Noted?

Loved it! Can't wait for the next update. Actually just go ahead and write the grocery store one. You know you want to.

It was funny, not offended at all!!!

Phew!

(So now I have to try harder.)

But I couldn't even stand of the glass on the INSIDE!!!
The really sad thing is that I would probably have been able to do that edge walk years ago. I went skydiving twice!
I have no idea why or how I lost all my courage.

I went skydiving once.
My lines tangled and I had to fight to get them untangled.
Pretty sucky for a first jump.
So... pretty freaking scary.
Not just the lines... the whole thing.
Even climbing out of the plane and letting go.
"But why? The plane's not broken! I wanna stay!"

Well, up until the chute finally opened.
Then it was awesome.

So I thought. "I'm not going to let this beat me!"

I jumped again.

Line tangled again.

Okay. Been there. Done that.

Don't make me turn on signatures. THOSE are annoying!!!

Here it is.
Canadian Buffoon European Vacation

You need a pair of Vans. Those slip right on with no bending.

Can't. I'm too set in my old fuddy-duddy ways.
Eh? What's that you say, little girl? Speak up!

But there are hundreds of glass stores!!!! You only got to go in two??? TWO???? That's barely a number. Yes you need to go back and take your time in all of the stores so you can see everything.

Yes... and no.
A lot of those stores sell crap for the tourists.
(Saw lots of that in the windows as we passed.)

But you're right. Barely scratched the surface.

It's at my parents' house, I'll see if I can get a picture next time I go home.

Yesssss...

That must have been gorgeous! Did you take a picture of it?

No! Why would I? I'm going to go back the very next day, right?

Whoops.

Well that just means that next time you get to buy two of them. One for the last trip you missed out on and one for the current one. Done.

I like the way you think.

I did notice and I'm really shocked about it.

I do know how difficult it must be! Go ahead though, comment.

The moment has passed.

I get to choose the first ride! We like to take pictures with characters though...

You're kidding right?
You really think that would dissuade me???

"All right pkondz. You're going to be touring
with two drop dead gorgeous young women.
But they like to take pictures with characters."

Yeah. Like I'm gonna say no.

YAY!!! That's ok. I've always wanted to be laughed at by Nelson.

Glad I could help you out.

 

[pkondz]

Not Singin' in the Rain

My goodness.
So many people said I was gracious.
Completely unsolicited too!
Thank you to all.


In the last update, I confessed to not being overly
impressed with the pizza at Via Napoli.
I then commented that for good pizza you might want to try Chicago
(try Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza) or even Winnipeg.

A few of you asked, "Why Winnipeg."

Well I'll tell you.


Winnipeg isn't known for its pizza.
But maybe it should be.
Just like many cities, we have our share of large chains,
micro chains and Mom n' Pop Pizzerias.

But a few stand out for various reasons.

We will often order from a smallish chain called Santa Lucia.
It has 7 locations in Winnipeg and is regularly voted best in the city.
But every city has a "best in the city", so who cares.
Besides, if you have one amazing place that few have heard of
and it's up against an okay place a lot of people know...
Well, the best pizza is not going to win that contest.

Still... Santa Lucia does make a really good 'za.


We have crappy pizza too, just like every city.

But if you're feeling hungry, you might want to try Vern's.
(7 locations in Central Canada. One in Winnipeg.)
They take a pizza and pile it higher than any other that I've seen.
Here's a pic I found on Google.
(And no. It's not for the meek. Or if you have a heart condition.)

And yes. I've seen it piled higher...

"But wait." You say. "We could get Vern's pizza
from outside Winnipeg. You said it yourself!"

True. But.
We also have a little one-of-a-kind-pizzeria called Diana's Cucina.

Diana Cline opened up a little pizzeria a few years back.
Since then, she's competed (and won!)
in several International Pizza competitions.
A couple of years ago, Reader's Digest (Canada)
featured a "Best Of" series.
They listed the best in Canada in several categories.
(Best view. Best park. Best sandwich... etc.)
Diana's was tagged for best pizza in Canada.

How can you not love a pizza when the crust has beer
as one of its ingredients.
(And I'm not a beer drinker, but that crust is by far
the best I've ever tasted.)

Here she is, in the photo below, competing in Vegas a few years back.

So there you have it.
Hungry? C'mon up!

"I caught a fish this big!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

After boarding the bus at Epcot, we sat back and relaxed.
Well as much as you can relax
when you're heading to a Disney theme park!

We soon arrived at our destination, disembarked,
scanned fingers (Yep! Still no problems!)
and were headed in this direction:

"Wait! Wait! You said the park you were going to was obvious!
You took the bus and not the boat or monorail!
So AK was the obvious choice."

Well... yes.
But...

You all misunderstood what the obvious part was.
Here's the question from the last chapter:

1. Obvious one. Which park are we heading out to next?

The question was obvious... not the answer!
We're at the bus stop going somewhere,
so the obvious question to ask is "Where are we going?"


See? It's obvious now isn't it?


Now some of you concluded that if we were going to MK
we would have taken the monorail.
And some of you further concluded that if we were going to DHS
we would've taken the boat, instead of making our way
all the way back to the bus stop.

But I have a very good reason why we didn't do so.
And it's extremely obvious (there's that word again)
and very, very simple.
So simple and so obvious in fact, that when I explain it,
you'll figuratively or even literally smack your forehead
with the palm of your hand.
And perhaps you'll even utter the once chic but now less so "D'oh!"

Once I explain why we took the bus instead of the boat,
you'll never look at the boat in the same way ever again.
You'll gaze upon it and think to yourself
"Remember when pkondz didn't take this?"


I'm rather full of myself, am I not?


Remember that only two days earlier we had done just that.
(Taken the boat from Epcot to DHS.)
You may recall that it was my first time doing so.
You may even know that it was something that I had
on my Disney To Do list for years.
You may remember that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Why did it take so long for me to do it?

Well, usually we tended to do one park in a day.
Otherwise the trend seemed to be AK/DHS or MK/Epcot.
So that was the first time I'd gone directly from Epcot to DHS.


Which brings us to this day and the glaringly obvious reason
why we took the bus to DHS instead of the much more convenient
(considering we were in World Showcase) boat.

Have you figured it out yet?
Oh, come now.
Surely (Don't call me Shirley) you've deduced the answer?
No? Shall I tell you?

You'll feel silly for not thinking of it yourself.

All right, I'll tell you.

The reason we took a boat from one end of World Showcase
and then walked across the bridge
and then the length of Future World
and then all the way out to the bus stops
instead of strolling over and taking a leisurely boat trip to DHS is....


Ready?



I forgot.

See? Obvious.


Now that we're here... via the long way...
Then again, considering our VIP bus package
there really is no long way, is there?

As I was saying, now that we're here,
what should we do?

Well, there's two reasons why we came back to DHS.
Indeed, it was at Kay's insistence.
Two of her top four favourite rides were here.
RNRC and TOT, of course.

Which one first?

This?

Or this?

I don't know why we picked the way we picked.
Or I should say, I don't know why Kay picked the way she picked.
I just said, "What's first?"
and we wound up here:

I don't remember what the wait was,
but I do remember that it was fairly long.
I took one last stab at getting her to try the single rider line...

And she said yes!
I almost stopped walking I was so surprised.

We went into the single rider entrance
and were being invited on a limo ride by Steven Tyler in no time.

And then it happened.
I'm still a little annoyed by it.

Earlier in the trip, while we were in line for something,
a woman with a little girl moved through the line towards the front.
I mentioned to Kay that she might... might have some trouble.
"Why?" She asked.
I told her that line cutting was something that some people did at Disney.
And some people didn't take too kindly to it.

"But wasn't she just trying to get up to her family?"
I told her that was probably the case.
More than likely the little girl had to go to the bathroom or something.
But then I told her how some people would send up a youngster
and then cut through to join them, one by one,
until the whole family was at the front.

So here we were, standing just inside the loading area,
when I felt a light tap on my shoulder
accompanied by an "Excuse me."

My natural reaction... heck, my instincts took over
and without even looking, I immediately stepped to the side.
Not one, not two, but three young teens zipped by us.

It happened so quickly, they were by us (and others) in a flash.
Wait... Oh, for the love of Pete!
This is the single rider line!
There's no "joining" people.
There shouldn't be any people to join!

I must admit. I was a little ticked.

Kay asked "Why did you let those people cut in front of us?
You were the one who told me you wouldn't let people do that."
I didn't really have an answer except to say that I got taken by surprise.

I'm still annoyed.

Oh, well.
The ride was still awesome.
We wound up in the same limo, albeit far apart.
I had told her to meet me in the dump shop,
but we met up again as we exited the car.

Hmmmm.... sure seems to be a lot of people in the dump shop.
It's a cool little shop, sure.
Still. Seems busier than usual.

We walked out and...
Everything was soaking wet!
While we were inside RNRC, it had rained out.
And judging by the wet conditions,
it must've poured!

That's why the shop was so crowded.
People were escaping from the downpour!


Well, it wasn't raining now, so we set out for TOT.


No single rider line there.
I shuddered at the thought of the massive line
we were about to encounter.


There was no one there.


The rain had sent everyone running for cover,
and they hadn't made it back here yet!

We walked right into the library and were soon
plummeting up and down in our malfunctioning elevator.
(They really need to look into fixing that.)

We had so much fun that we decided to do it again.
There still was next to no line.
We had about a five minute wait this time,
since there were a few people ahead of us.
But still... five minutes!

When we were done riding a second time,
we decided we'd had enough.
Kay wanted to ride RNRC one last time.
And not the single rider line.

As we left TOT, we passed by the now huge
line of people that stretched all the way past
the entrance gate and down the hill.
I figured the wait was probably around an hour
to an hour and a half.

Ain't got no time for that.

We got back to RNRC and the wait time
was posted at 30 minutes.

30 minutes? No sweat!
Who needs single rider?

We walked in and part way up the first ramp.
We stopped there at the end of the queue.
A few seconds or so later, I glanced behind us
and the line now stretched out past the FP entrance.

More excellent timing by us, if I do say so myself.
While we waited, we chatted about nothing in particular.
Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
Accompanied by an "Excuse me."

I looked behind me... and up.
A tall young man (maybe 20?) was standing directly behind me.
He hadn't been there a moment ago.
"Excuse me." He said. "My family is waiting for me up ahead."

I didn't even think about it.
I didn't even hesitate.

The words were no sooner out of his mouth
when I replied: "Don't worry. They'll wait for you."
And with that, I turned my back on him,
effectively blocking his way.

Kay didn't say anything.
I didn't say anything.

After a bit, I risked a quick peak over my shoulder.

He was gone.

"Where did he go?" I asked Kay.
"He turned around and went back the other way."

Phew!

Stood my ground and didn't get beat up!
Win win!

Plus, I impressed Kay.
So, win win win!

We rode RNRC one last time and then it was time...
to head to our last park of the evening.


We got to the bus stop at 5:40pm where the MK bus
had just finished unloading its passengers.
Of course.

There were a lot of people in front of us however
and Kay wondered if we'd get on.
I took a look at the crowd and assured her
that we'd get on.
We'd probably have to stand, but we'd get on.

And we did get on. (Of course.)
But we did have to stand.


I whipped out my... settle down ladies.
Sheesh.

I whipped out my VIP bus package contract,
but unfortunately, it just guarantees a bus
will always be there within a minute or so.
It does not guarantee a seat.
Maybe that's extra.


As we were driven to the MK,
it was getting progressively darker out.
And not because the sun was going down.
(Sunset time was 7:52pm.)
No, the clouds were settling in again.
It was looking like... yep.
It was just starting to sprinkle a little bit
as we approached the park.

By the time we were about two thirds of the way there,
I could tell that Kay's feet were really starting to bother her.
She started to ask me in a more and more anxious tone
how much longer until we got there.

Eventually, we did arrive.
"Dad? Can we sit down somewhere?"
"Sure." I replied. "Did you want to go through security first?"
"No." She said. "I really need to sit down now."
"How about right there?" I asked.

And I pointed over to the covered boat dock
where several benches sat empty.

While we weren't getting wet at all,
I wanted to be under cover if we were just going to sit for a bit.
Even with a really light rain, I didn't want to sit out in the open.

She nodded and trudged like a trooper over to the benches.
And you know what?
It was a really nice spot!
Oh, sure, it would get a little busy when people would come
to catch the next ferry.
But usually it was completely empty.

"Can I take my shoes off?" Kay asked.
"Sure. We have plenty of time." I said. "Do you want me to rub your feet?"
She nodded. So I did.
We sat there for an hour.
Just relaxing and looking out over the lake
and watching the ferry come and go with its load of passengers.
Happy passengers arriving.
Exhausted passengers departing.


There was one family who arrived
who'd obviously hit the theme park wall.

The mom and dad were sniping at each other.
Finally the Dad got up and stormed off.
The mom sat there for a bit, with her head bowed,
obviously very sad.
I felt so bad for her.
She gathered up her belongings and pushed the stroller ahead of her.
I glanced over a minute later and they were standing,
a little ways off, holding each other.
They came back and, while still beat looking, seemed happier.


Oh. Did I happen to mention the weather?
About 30 seconds after we sat down under cover,
the heavens opened up and a deluge poured out of the sky.


People with ponchos were running like crazy trying to find a dry spot.
Yet no one came over to where we were.
We were a little dry island in a sea of wet, panicky people.
They were either sprinting for the busses,
or sprinting for the MK entrance.

I imagine the tunnels under the railroad tracks were jammed full.


We just sat quietly, me rubbing Kay's feet, in our little oasis.

Eventually, her feet stopped hurting and she said she was ready to go.
We had been sitting there for about an hour.
It was probably the most peaceful part of the whole trip!

Of course, as we got ready to go, the rain slackened.
And while Kay put her shoes back on, it stopped completely.


Really, the VIP weather package is a must.


Now before I continue, I want to nip something in the bud.
The bonus question in the last chapter was:

5. We've been lucky with the weather... so far.
So, do you feel we stay lucky?

It did rain... twice!
But we were lucky with the weather.
It didn't affect us at all.
Indeed, if anything, it helped!
(Remember the zero wait at TOT?
Probably helped empty out MK a bit, too.)
So you get points if you said we were lucky,
but none if you just said it rained.
Judge's decisions are final.


In short order we were through security
and at the tapstiles.
For the last time this trip, we scanned our fingers.
And once again, Kay didn't have any problems.

We made a bee line to our one and only ride
that we had planned on doing.
And believe it or not, even though it's my fave,
it was Kay who picked it.

Well... she might have been coerced a little.
"Dad. How about Space Mountain?"
Nope.
"Okay, how about Splash?"
Nope.
She kept calling out rides and I kept vetoing.

I really wasn't all that worried that eventually she'd pick the right one.
After all, it's not like she was going anywhere.

"Tea cups?"
No.
"Buzz?"
No.
"Peter Pan?"
No.
"Jungle Cruise?"
No.
"Haunted Mansion?"
There ya go!
So I let her out.

Oh, don't worry, she's used to it.

(Actually, HM really was her first choice for a ride.)


But first...
There was one treat that I'd never tried.
And whenever I mentioned that,
people were usually shocked.

I had never had a...

Churro.

Go ahead! Tell me you can't believe it either!
I'll even give you bonus points for it.

I knew there was a cart not far
from where we wanted to go.
So we made a slight detour and...

Oh, stop being an idiot and eat the darned thing!

I really didn't know quite what to expect.
Did I like it?
Oh, yes!
What's not to like? Sugar! Hello!

But I'll be brutally honest.
Is it as good as a beaver tail?

No. A bit too dry.
Good... but not perfect.

We ate it all, though!


Now.... where were we?
Right! Our last ride!

Ahhhh.... One last ride on HM.
Life is good.

It would be better if we could stay for another week,
but beggars can't be Disney guests forever.
Or something like that.

We rode HM.
And it was merely awesometastic.
As always.
We paused for a bit outside the ride
to look over the pet cemetery.
But we didn't tarry long, since...

We had one last ADR to get to.

We marched back up Main St. and walked into...

Tony's!

Now I know Tony's doesn't get a lot of love,
but I had a reason for coming here.
And Kay had actually requested it.

So Tony's it was.


We didn't wait very long before we were seated.
I hadn't specified a table, but I was keeping my fingers crossed.
MSEP would be starting soon and I hoped for a table with a view.

We didn't get the best table for viewing,
but we certainly didn't get the worst, either.

Our view:

The waitress came and took our orders
and I asked (on the oh-so-shy Kay's behalf)
for Lady and the Tramp's paw prints on a napkin.
She said she'd see what she could do.

A few minutes later, our food arrived as well as...
Well, it wasn't a napkin, it was a birthday card.
"I know it's not your birthday." She explained.
"But it's your birthday someday, so we thought this would do."

Odd... but Kay seemed happy, so I was happy too.
The waitress then slipped the card into an envelope
and placed it on the table.


Kay and I began to eat... right about the time MSEP started.
Perfect timing.

What wasn't so perfect though, was that a family sat at the table
directly opposite ours on the verandah, blocking our view.
Plus people were standing just outside blocking our view as well.
We could see the top half of the floats as they went by,
but Kay was disappointed that she couldn't see more.
I wish I'd known, I would've changed our ADR for a bit earlier.
I didn't really think she'd be that into the parade,
but she was.
Oh, well.
We had a nice meal anyway.

Speaking of which, Kay had the Chicken Parmigiana

while I had to have the Spaghetti with meatballs.

Hmmm... I'm sure the meatballs are in there somewhere.

I like to have the same thing that Lady & The Tramp had.
It just makes me happy.
Plus... I like spaghetti and meatballs!
Is it the best I've had? Well... no.
But it's hard to beat the ambiance.


We finished our main courses and ordered dessert.
Kay had the chocolate cake,
while I chose the less heavy Chef's Selection
which was a raspberry sorbet, I believe.

We finished up our desserts, settled up the bill
and headed outside to catch the tail end of the parade.
I think we managed to catch the last three or four floats.


After the parade, I looked around for a vantage spot.
Celebrate the Magic would soon start.
I thought about the railroad station,
but others had thought the same thing
and had already staked out their spots.
So instead we found a railing to lean against,
just to the right and behind the flag pole.

We relaxed and waited for the show to start.
Now I had seen Celebrate the Magic in February
and I was curious to see what Kay's reaction to it would be.
If you're not familiar with it, it's a show that's projected onto the castle.
And it's really, really well done.

She loved it.
She was standing there, rapt the whole time.
Well, unfortunately that's not quite accurate.
Every once in a while,
a tall man would come and stand in front of us.
We'd move a bit... okay we can see.
He'd move.
We'd move some more.
He'd move again.
"Dad. We had a great spot, now I can't even see most of the castle."

She was right. We moved back to our starting spot.
He moved.
I'd had enough.
I tapped him on the shoulder.
When he turned I gestured towards Kay.
He looked a little nonplussed, but moved aside.

She enjoyed the rest of the show undisturbed.


After Celebrate... well, there's Wishes of course.
I'm not a big fan of Wishes.
It's no big thing. A few firecrackers. A cricket. Some tunes...


Yeah... right.

Wishes is the best thing in all of Disney.
My God. What a way to end a vacation!
It's sooooo good!
They really know how to pull at those heart strings!

Except.

We'd watch and... a Dad would grab his kid
and hoist him or her on his shoulders.

Right in front of us.

Oh, no.
Not this again!
I'd tap the offending poppa on the shoulder,
he'd look back and move to the side.
Ostensibly blocking someone else's view.
Ah, to be that clueless.
It must be very restful, not having to think of others.

We'd watch a few more seconds of Wishes and...
Hey! There's an empty spot! I'll hoist my kid on my shoulders and go there!

Yep.
One dad would move out of the way
and another would step into the vacated position.

Tap. Tap. Tap.
Look. Apologetic grimace. Move to the side.

This happened about four times.

Oh, well.
Nothing was going to keep me from wallowing in Wishes!
I loved every second of it.
(Minus the brief interruptions.)


The last few fireworks crackled overhead
and we knew our vacation was over.


<pause. let that sink in. sob quietly. continue.>

With heavy hearts (and aching feet) we left the park
for the last time.
It was 10:20pm.

We trudged wearily towards the bus stop.
"Dad!" Kay suddenly blurts out. "We forgot my paw prints!"

Oh... shoot!


Do this.
Scroll back up to the picture of the table at Tony's with the desserts.
Do you see the envelope with the birthday card?
Give up?
You can just see a bit of it in the top left corner of the picture.
Notice how it blends right into the tablecloth?
Yeah.

If it had been a napkin, we never would've missed it.
But... Crap.

She wasn't happy about it.
And I don't know why we didn't go back.
Maybe the thought of going through security.
Going through the tapstiles.
Explaining again what we wanted to the staff at Tony's.
It all just seemed like a lot.
I didn't even know if we could get in.
I suppose we could.
The park was open for another half hour.
Was the restaurant still open?
Probably.
I think Kay didn't want to walk anymore, too.

We didn't go back.
I wish we had.
She's still a little sad about it.


If anyone's going to the World in the next little bit,
would it be too much to ask one of you to pick
up a napkin from Tony's with Lady & The Tramp's
paw prints on it?
I'd be more than happy to pay for the postage.


So it was a slightly sadder sad than final night sadness.

We arrived at the bus stop at 10:24pm.
The bus was not there.

This was just the icing on the cruelty cake!
We had to wait forever for the bus to come.

It finally arrived at 10:27pm.
Three minutes! Unbelievable!
Disney was definitely losing its luster.

There were several people ahead of us
and I worried that all the seats would be taken.
Luckily, when we boarded, there was one open seat left,
so Kay got to sit.


After a quiet bus ride back to the resort,
we climbed the stairs one last time...
Ha. No.
She climbed the stairs one last time.
We got to our room and I returned to the food court
to refill our mugs.
Then I climbed the stairs one last time.

I do know that to make things a little easier,
I packed most of my things before crashing.
Kay... did not.
To each their own.
I'd rather stay up a few minutes and pack
and sleep a little later in the morning.
Kay would rather leave it, sleep in,
and ask me in the morning to pack for her.

Time for bed.
That alarm is going to be going off in just a few minutes.




Contest!

Disney Transportation Wait Time to date
(14 busses, 5 boats, 2 monorails): 38 minutes
Average wait time just over 1 3/4 minutes.
Only one more bus to go.
Last time I waited 22 minutes.
How long will it be this time?
Longer? Shorter?


TheLittleKatie - 26 (out)
Steppesister - 33 (out)
Squishley - 38 (-25 pts)
Saturn23 - 39 (-25 pts)
Gracefulskinny - 40 (-15 pts)
jandlinz - 41 (-25 pts)
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - 42 (-25 pts)
Captain_Oblivious - 42.3 (-25 pts)
vrajewski10513 - 43 (-15 pts)
irene_dsc - 44 (-20 pts)
DizzneyDi - 48 (-10 pts)
DISNEYMOON10121991 - 49 (-10 pts)
orangecats2 - 52 (-10 pts)
cinderkelly - 60 (-10 pts)
afwdwfan - 63.5 (-10 pts)
Mac Brew - 69 (-10 pts)
MAGICFOR2 - 72
Mrs T 2009 - 75 (-10 pts)
Captain_Oblivious - 84.375 (-10 pts)
DonnaBeeGood - 94 (-10 pts)
franandaj - 97 (-10pts)
ForeverDance - 105
SnowWhiteOz - 123
Thumper_Man - 170
chookie94 - 172
SimplyGoofy - 180 (-10 pts)
Terra Nova guy - 204
ougrad86 - 210
Tracy161 - 224
DisneyAndrew - 232
TGM - 240
Kiren - 256
Mr. lncredible - 270
Kiotzu - 273
Backstage_Gal - 310
queenbetsey - 315
TruLovesKiss - 323
BibbitybobityLu - 358
Curiouser&curiouser! - 363
Susan R - 600

No more changes to times allowed!
May the best guess win!


Bonus question and answer:
Just tell me if I'm gracious!
I'm giving you these things! 4 free bonus points to the following:

Steppesister, orangecats2, DonnaBeeGood,
TheLittleKatie, SnowWhiteOz, afwdwfan,
cinderkelly, irene_dsc, vrajewski10513,
Saturn23, Gracefulskinny, GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes,
Captain_Oblivious, Mrs T 2009, jandlinz,
franandaj, DISNEYMOON10121991,
DizzneyDi



Bonus questions, point values and answers from last round.

1. Which park are we heading out to next?
Answer: DHS. (4 points)

2. Number of parks done this last day, 2, 3 or 4?
Answer: 3 (6 points)

3. I experience yet another first time snack. What is it?
Answer: Churro (8 points)

4. What time do we leave the parks for the night?
Answer: 10:20pm (Nailing it - 10 points)
(10:15-10:30 - 8 points, 10:00-10:14 - 5 points,
10:31-10:45 - 4 points, within 1 hour - 2 points )

5. Do we stay lucky with the weather?
Answer: Yes! Of course! (2 points)

6. Do we have a dinner ADR?
Answer: Yes! Tony's! (2 points)


You're guesses and points won:
Terra Nova guy - MK, 2, Churro, 9:00, no, yes - 10 points
TheLittleKatie - MK, 2, Churro, 10:15, no, yes - 18 points
SnowWhiteOz - DHS, 3, Carrot cake cookie, 10:20, yes, no - 22 points
afwdwfan - MK, 2, Churro, 10:00, yes, no - 15 points
cinderkelly - AK, 3, Churro, 9:30, no, yes - 18 points
ursalita - MK, 2, Citrus Swirl, 9:00, no, no - 0 points (Sorry!)
Curiouser&curiouser! - MK, 2, Dole Whip, 11:00, yes, yes - 6 points
irene_dsc - MK, 2, rice krispie, 10:30, yes, no - 10 points
vrajewski10513 - DHS, 3, Churro, 10:15, yes, no - 28 points
DonnaBeeGood - MK, 2, Dole Whip, 11:30, yes, no - 2 points
Saturn23 - AK, 3, Churro, 10:30, no, yes - 24 points
Gracefulskinny - MK, 3, Pretzel, 11:00, no, no - 8 points
Thumper_Man - DHS, 3, Pretzel, 11:00, yes, no - 14 points
Thumper_Man's Wife - AK, 4, Mickey Bar, 11:00, yes, yes - 6 points
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - AK, 3, Pretzel, 10:00, yes/no*, yes - 14 points
(*yes to lucky/yes to rain 1 pt.)
Captain_Oblivious - MK, 2, Churro, 11:00, yes, yes - 14 points
Squishley - AK, 3, Churro, 11:05, yes, yes - 20 points
Mrs T 2009 - AK, 3, Rum Dole Whip, 10:00, yes, no - 13 points
jandlinz - AK, 3, Churro, 10:30, yes, yes - 26 points
franandaj - AK, 3, Churro, 11:00, no, yes - 18 points
queenbetsey - DHS, 3, Carrot cake cookie, 11:00, no, yes - 14 points
MAGICFOR2 - DHS, 3, Corn nuggets, 11:00, yes, no - 14 points
DISNEYMOON10121991 - AK, 3, Churro, 10:45, no, yes - 20 points
orangecats2 - AK, 3, Churro, 7:00, no, yes. - 16 points
Mac Brew - AK, 3, Turkey leg, 10:55, yes, yes - 12 points
Steppesister - DHS, 3, Pretzel, 11:15, yes, no - 14 points
DizzneyDi - DHS, 3, Churros, 11:30, yes, yes - 22 points



Flattery points (aka suck-up points)
orangecats2 - Knows who's best. 4 points.
SnowWhiteOz - Always thinks of me. - 4 points.
TheLittleKatie - Loves me. 4 points. Knows I'm great. 4 points.
SnowWhiteOz - Thinks I'm wonderful. 4 points.
Heluvsme - Thinks I'm fantastic. 4 points.
afwdwfan - Doesn't let me get away with crap. 4 points.
KathyM2 - Loves me. 4 points.
irene_dsc - Knows I'm great. 4 points.
Saturn23 - Thinks I'm not just pkondz, but the Fonz. 4 points.
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - Thinks I'm a blackmailer. 4 points.
Squishley - Knows I'm worth it. 4 points. And awesome. 4 points.
Mrs T 2009 - Is thoroughly into me. 4 points.
jandlinz - Dear and darling? 4 points.
franandaj - Thinks my wit has departed. 4 points.
queenbetsey - I'm her favourite. 4 points.
MAGICFOR2 - Knows I'm awesome. 4 points.
DISNEYMOON10121991 - Gives me kisses. 4 points.
Steppesister - I'm her Prince Charming. 4 points.



Miscellaneous bonus points
Steppesister - 2 points for the Puke 'O Meter. 2 points for passing.
orangecats2 - 4 points for my assistant.
DonnaBeeGood - 2 points for panicking. 2 points 'cause she likes to wear suspenseders.
Terra Nova guy - 2 points like sand through an hour-glass. 2 points for understand-ing.
SnowWhiteOz - 2 points for unholy good chocolate. 4 points for sharing. 4 points for birthing.
TheLittleKatie - 2 points 'cause she's a maniac, maniac on the floor.
2 points for knowing where my dad lives.
SnowWhiteOz - 2 points for spleens. 2 points for knowing when it's enough.
2 points for 12 steps.
bbjunkie - 6 points for support. 4 points for sharing. 4 points to encourage her to write.
afwdwfan - 2 points for premiums. 2 points for tasting pizzas.
4 points for taking on an entire State.
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - 10 points for lending a helping foot.
cinderkelly - 2 points for running away.2 points for being inconceivable.
ursalita - 2 points for definitions. 4 points for proofs. 2 points for problems.
Curiouser&curiouser! - 2 points to help with her score.
KathyM2 - 2 points for knowing funny kids.
irene_dsc - 2 points for being a pizza snob. Like me. 2 points for geeking out.
vrajewski10513 - 2 points for forever Disney. 3 points for Jersey week.
Saturn23 - 2 points for the a,b,c's. 2 points for Italian pizza.
2 points for turning the car around. 2 birthday points.
Gracefulskinny - 2 points for seeing double. 2 points for seeing double.
2 points for telling me to shut it.
Thumper_Man - 2 points for the job hunt. 6 points for calling me heartless.
6 points for ol' times sake.
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - 8 points for comics. 4 points for mooing. 4 points for perfect pics.
6 points for summing up.
Captain_Oblivious - 3 points for being entertained. 2 points for FPs to the right places.
2 points to fill the void.
Squishley - 4 points to buy some comfortable shoes!
2 points to have another slice of pizza (microwaved.)
Mrs T 2009 - 2 points for not sleeping. 2 points for having two guts.
jandlinz - 2 points for giving me her all. 2 points for stylin.
2 points for knowing where my dad is. 2 birthday points
franandaj - 2 points for grilled sashimi. 2 points for knowing the code.
2 points 'cause she gets around. 2 points for asking for points.
MHSweb79 - 6 points for summing up.
queenbetsey - 2 points for the effort. 2 points for royalty. 8 points for guessing Tony's.
4 points for cookies.
MAGICFOR2 - 4 points for the rough week.
DISNEYMOON10121991 - 4 points for reading my TR in lingerie.
3 points 'cause I'm her Nebo. 3 points for Luigi.
Mac Brew - 4 points for draft dodging. 6 points for forecasting the weather.
DizzneyDi - 2 points for Nebo's shady bits. 4 points for private late nights.


Points standings:

jandlinz – 201 points
Saturn23 – 200 points
DISNEYMOON10121991 – 194 points
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes – 189 points
SnowWhiteOz – 186 points
DizzneyDi – 171 points
franandaj - 171 points
TheLittleKatie - 169 points
Steppesister – 159 points
queenbetsey – 147 points
orangecats2 – 144 points
cinderkelly – 142 points
Captain_Oblivious – 135 points
irene_dsc - 123 points
afwdwfan – 118 points
DonnaBeeGood – 118 points
Gracefulskinny – 118 points
Mrs T 2009 – 116 points
ForeverDance – 112 points
MAGICFOR2 – 109 points
TruLovesKiss – 93 points
vrajewski10513 - 90 points
Terra Nova guy - 89 points
Curiouser&curiouser! - 88 points
Mac Brew – 84 points
Mr. lncredible – 53 points
Thumper_Man - 51 points
ursalita - 48 points
SimplyGoofy - 45 points
Squishley - 44 points
chookie94 – 40 points
BibbitybobityLu – 33 points
Kiotzu - 30 points
DisneyAndrew – 28 points
Susan R – 23 points
TGM - 22 points
misssullyinc - 18 points
Mrs Thumper_Man - 18 points
bbjunkie - 14 points
Dentam - 14 points
ougrad86 – 13 points
Backstage_Gal – 11 points
KathyM2 - 10 points
MHSweb79 - 8 points
pookersmom - 7 points
Kiren – 5 points
Heluvsme - 4 points
Dreamer & Wisher - 3 points
Tracy161 - 2 points

Please double check your scores and let me know if you've been missed.

Still some points available!


Bonus questions, round 11!
(Final round! Make 'em count!)

1. What time do we get up?

2. Do we sleep on the plane?
Me? Kay? Both? Neither?

3. Do we have issues at customs?

4. Which takes longer in Toronto (our connection.)
Security? Or customs?

5. Which came first. Our bags or Ruby to pick us up?

Good luck!



Coming up!
Leaving home for... home.

Chapter 13 - Home again, Home again​

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

So I wasn’t as stupid as I thought. Good to know.

You all misunderstood what the obvious part was.

Here's the question from the last chapter:



The question was obvious... not the answer!

We're at the bus stop going somewhere,

so the obvious question to ask is "Where are we going?"



See? It's obvious now isn't it?

I see what you did there you trickster you.

I forgot.


See? Obvious.

Hahaha.

I don't remember what the wait was,

but I do remember that it was fairly long.

I took one last stab at getting her to try the single rider line...


And she said yes!

I almost stopped walking I was so surprised.

Single rider line is the best.

We went into the single rider entrance

and were being invited on a limo ride by Steven Tyler in no time.


And then it happened.

I'm still a little annoyed by it.


Earlier in the trip, while we were in line for something,

a woman with a little girl moved through the line towards the front.

I mentioned to Kay that she might... might have some trouble.

"Why?" She asked.

I told her that line cutting was something that some people did at Disney.

And some people didn't take too kindly to it.


"But wasn't she just trying to get up to her family?"

I told her that was probably the case.

More than likely the little girl had to go to the bathroom or something.

But then I told her how some people would send up a youngster

and then cut through to join them, one by one,

until the whole family was at the front.


So here we were, standing just inside the loading area,

when I felt a light tap on my shoulder

accompanied by an "Excuse me."


My natural reaction... heck, my instincts took over

and without even looking, I immediately stepped to the side.

Not one, not two, but three young teens zipped by us.


It happened so quickly, they were by us (and others) in a flash.

Wait... Oh, for the love of Pete!

This is the single rider line!

There's no "joining" people.

There shouldn't be any people to join!


I must admit. I was a little ticked.

We walked right into the library and were soon

plummeting up and down in our malfunctioning elevator.

(They really need to look into fixing that.)

More excellent timing by us, if I do say so myself.

While we waited, we chatted about nothing in particular.

Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

Accompanied by an "Excuse me."


I looked behind me... and up.

A tall young man (maybe 20?) was standing directly behind me.

He hadn't been there a moment ago.

"Excuse me." He said. "My family is waiting for me up ahead."


I didn't even think about it.

I didn't even hesitate.


The words were no sooner out of his mouth

when I replied: "Don't worry. They'll wait for you."

And with that, I turned my back on him,

effectively blocking his way.


Kay didn't say anything.

I didn't say anything.


After a bit, I risked a quick peak over my shoulder.


He was gone.


"Where did he go?" I asked Kay.

"He turned around and went back the other way."


Phew!


Stood my ground and didn't get beat up!

Win win!


Plus, I impressed Kay.

So, win win win!

I whipped out my... settle down ladies.

Sheesh.

We sat there for an hour.

Just relaxing and looking out over the lake

and watching the ferry come and go with its load of passengers.

Happy passengers arriving.

Exhausted passengers departing.


Eventually, her feet stopped hurting and she said she was ready to go.

We had been sitting there for about an hour.

It was probably the most peaceful part of the whole trip!

Aww....

But first...

There was one treat that I'd never tried.

And whenever I mentioned that,

people were usually shocked.


I had never had a...


Churro.


Go ahead! Tell me you can't believe it either!

I'll even give you bonus points for it.

I truly cannot believe it.

But I'll be brutally honest.

Is it as good as a beaver tail?

No. A bit too dry.

Good... but not perfect.

I don’t know what this is but I must have it. Can you ship one to Australia????

Now.... where were we?

Right! Our last ride!


Ahhhh.... One last ride on HM.

Life is good.

I cannot believe you did not do one last ride on BTMR.

Tony's!

That does not look appetizing.

We'd watch a few more seconds of Wishes and...

Hey! There's an empty spot! I'll hoist my kid on my shoulders and go there!

Yep.

One dad would move out of the way

and another would step into the vacated position.


Tap. Tap. Tap.

Look. Apologetic grimace. Move to the side.


This happened about four times.

<pause. let that sink in. sob quietly. continue.>

Why quietly?

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

[With heavy hearts (and aching feet) we left the park

for the last time.

It was 10:20pm.

Hold the phone!

If anyone's going to the World in the next little bit,

would it be too much to ask one of you to pick

up a napkin from Tony's with Lady & The Tramp's

paw prints on it?

I'd be more than happy to pay for the postage.

I’m not there til October but happy to do it for you.

Only one more bus to go.

Last time I waited 22 minutes.

How long will it be this time?

Longer? Shorter?

Well I’m so far off on the overall guess I’m going to say it was shorter and it was 18 minutes.

jandlinz – 197 points

Saturn23 – 197 points

DISNEYMOON10121991 – 194 points

GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes – 189 points

SnowWhiteOz – 186 points

I’m not going to win but can I get a special prize for the best score from the Southern Hemipshere?

1. What time do we get up?


2. Do we sleep on the plane?

Me? Kay? Both? Neither?


3. Do we have issues at customs?


4. Which takes longer in Toronto (our connection.)

Security? Or customs?


4. Which came first. Our bags or Ruby to pick us up?

1. Well your DME is at 2:45 so I’m going to say 2 seeing as Kay hadn’t packed yet.

2. I think one of you sleeps on the plane, and that would be Kay. For some reason you stay awake (maybe you can’t sleep on planes like me!)

3. Nope.

4. Security because you forget to take of your belt or empty your pockets or some other form of classic Pkondzian shenanigans.

5. (although listed as 4 as well by you) – Ruby walks up to you guys just as your bags are coming round so it is a tie.

 

[pkondz]

So I wasn’t as stupid as I thought. Good to know.

For whatever reason, the picture you quoted isn't showing up
so I don't know what you're referring to here!

I see what you did there you trickster you.

Hahaha.

Toldja it was obvious.

Single rider line is the best.

When you're single.
Not so much when you've got a little girl holding onto you tightly.

Yep. Was not impressed.
Still ain't.

Why, thank you kindly.

Yes. I totally get how Prof. Snape (RIP) would be upset if I didn't have a wand to whip out.



What?

I truly cannot believe it.

I swear it's true!

I don’t know what this is but I must have it. Can you ship one to Australia????

Yes.
But it would be either stale or moldy by the time it got to you.

Probably both.

I cannot believe you did not do one last ride on BTMR.

I know. I know!!
I'd like to say that we went and checked on the line
and it was too long.
But since I'm not positive we did that, I didn't bring it up.

That does not look appetizing.

Again, can't tell if you're looking at my or Kay's dish.
But they were actually not bad at all.

Why quietly?

Because I'm at work and I didn't want an intervention.

Hold the phone!

Why yes. As a matter of fact you were the only one to pick the exact time.

I’m not there til October but happy to do it for you.

Thanks.
But I wouldn't want to put you to that much trouble.
Since you don't live in the US, going to a post office,
buying an envelope, etc/whatever would be out of your way.
You'll be on vacation still!

Well I’m so far off on the overall guess I’m going to say it was shorter and it was 18 minutes.

Okey dokey.

I’m not going to win but can I get a special prize for the best score from the Southern Hemipshere?

Yes! One stale and moldy beaver tail!!!
(Ok... maybe not. What would you like?)

1. Well your DME is at 2:45 so I’m going to say 2 seeing as Kay hadn’t packed yet.

2. I think one of you sleeps on the plane, and that would be Kay. For some reason you stay awake (maybe you can’t sleep on planes like me!)

3. Nope.

4. Security because you forget to take of your belt or empty your pockets or some other form of classic Pkondzian shenanigans.

5. (although listed as 4 as well by you) – Ruby walks up to you guys just as your bags are coming round so it is a tie.

Noted. (And I fixed the numbering. Thanks!)

 

[Gracefulskinny]

First off you revealed quite a bit about yourself in this little vignette and secondly you also revealed that you could write a TR about just about anything and we would totally read it. Heck! I want a TR about your next trip to the grocery store!

I thought the same thing!

But if you're feeling hungry, you might want to try Vern's.
(7 locations in Central Canada. One in Winnipeg.)
They take a pizza and pile it higher than any other that I've seen.
Here's a pic I found on Google.
(And no. It's not for the meek. Or if you have a heart condition.)

Oh wow!

The question was obvious... not the answer!

I thought that might be what you meant!

See? It's obvious now isn't it?

Well sure but then a lot of stuff is obvious now that I am no longer on the crazy cough meds!

Which brings us to this day and the glaringly obvious reason
why we took the bus to DHS instead of the much more convenient
(considering we were in World Showcase) boat.

You forgot didn't you?

Have you figured it out yet?
Oh, come now.
Surely (Don't call me Shirley) you've deduced the answer?

Your delaying... you totally forgot. It's alright its the type of thing I would do.

I forgot.

KNEW IT!

And then it happened.

uh oh...

My natural reaction... heck, my instincts took over
and without even looking, I immediately stepped to the side.

Don't you hate when that happens! I've done this same thing except it was only one person and then the rest of the party of 10 pushed and shoved DH and I until they were all in front of us! And they stepped on my foot as a parting gift!

Not one, not two, but three young teens zipped by us.

It happened so quickly, they were by us (and others) in a flash.
Wait... Oh, for the love of Pete!
This is the single rider line!
There's no "joining" people.
There shouldn't be any people to join!

Rude rude rude.

Well, it wasn't raining now, so we set out for TOT.

THats the spirit!

No single rider line there.
I shuddered at the thought of the massive line
we were about to encounter.


There was no one there.

We walked in and part way up the first ramp.
We stopped there at the end of the queue.
A few seconds or so later, I glanced behind us
and the line now stretched out past the FP entrance.

Don't you love when that happens?

More excellent timing by us, if I do say so myself.

The words were no sooner out of his mouth
when I replied: "Don't worry. They'll wait for you."
And with that, I turned my back on him,
effectively blocking his way.

Plus, I impressed Kay.
So, win win win!

And you know what?
It was a really nice spot!
Oh, sure, it would get a little busy when people would come
to catch the next ferry.
But usually it was completely empty.

I just love finding those kind of quite spots. That one sounds particularly lovely!

People with ponchos were running like crazy trying to find a dry spot.
Yet no one came over to where we were.
We were a little dry island in a sea of wet, panicky people.

We had been sitting there for about an hour.
It was probably the most peaceful part of the whole trip!

What a special Daddy Daughter moment!

Of course, as we got ready to go, the rain slackened.
And while Kay put her shoes back on, it stopped completely.

Well... she might have been coerced a little.
"Dad. How about Space Mountain?"
Nope.
"Okay, how about Splash?"
Nope.
She kept calling out rides and I kept vetoing.

I had never had a...

Churro.

Go ahead! Tell me you can't believe it either!
I'll even give you bonus points for it.

"I can't believe it!" actually I can... I've never had a disney churro either. Also its somewhat mexican inspired so seeing as you are further away from mexico there probably less chance of that making its way that far north.

A few minutes later, our food arrived as well as...
Well, it wasn't a napkin, it was a birthday card.
"I know it's not your birthday." She explained.
"But it's your birthday someday, so we thought this would do."

Kay and I began to eat... right about the time MSEP started.
Perfect timing.

What wasn't so perfect though, was that a family sat at the table
directly opposite ours on the verandah, blocking our view.
Plus people were standing just outside blocking our view as well.

BOO! what a bummer!

Every once in a while,
a tall man would come and stand in front of us.
We'd move a bit... okay we can see.
He'd move.
We'd move some more.
He'd move again.
"Dad. We had a great spot, now I can't even see most of the castle."

She was right. We moved back to our starting spot.
He moved.
I'd had enough.

I tapped him on the shoulder.
When he turned I gestured towards Kay.
He looked a little nonplussed, but moved aside.

She enjoyed the rest of the show undisturbed.

They really know how to pull at those heart strings!

Tap. Tap. Tap.
Look. Apologetic grimace. Move to the side.

This happened about four times.

The last few fireworks crackled overhead
and we knew our vacation was over.

You can just see a bit of it in the top left corner of the picture.
Notice how it blends right into the tablecloth?

I think Kay didn't want to walk anymore, too.

That can be a big motivator.

If anyone's going to the World in the next little bit,
would it be too much to ask one of you to pick
up a napkin from Tony's with Lady & The Tramp's
paw prints on it?

I can't make promises but I will see what I can do!

So it was a slightly sadder sad than final night sadness.

Luckily, when we boarded, there was one open seat left,
so Kay got to sit.

What a good daddy!

Gracefulskinny - 2 points for seeing double. 2 points for seeing double.
2 points for telling me to shut it.

Gracefulskinny – 118 points

1. What time do we get up?

1:45. Because anything earlier than that would be torture!

2. Do we sleep on the plane?
Me? Kay? Both? Neither?

Both because you went to bed late and got up beyond cray early and are going to crash.

3. Do we have issues at customs?

The lack of note from DW bites you again!

4. Which takes longer in Toronto (our connection.)
Security? Or customs?

Customs

5. Which came first. Our bags or Ruby to pick us up?

Ruby

Leaving home for... home.

 

[pkondz]

I thought the same thing!

Et tu, Brute?

Oh wow!

Yep. Kay and I had one... not quite as big, mind you.
We ordered a medium for the two of us and couldn't finish it.

I thought that might be what you meant!

Smart cookie.

Well sure but then a lot of stuff is obvious now that I am no longer on the crazy cough meds!

On the other hand.... so you're feeling all better?

You forgot didn't you?

Nahhhhh.....

Your delaying... you totally forgot. It's alright its the type of thing I would do.

Who, me?

KNEW IT!

Okay, okay. Ya caught me!

Don't you hate when that happens! I've done this same thing except it was only one person and then the rest of the party of 10 pushed and shoved DH and I until they were all in front of us! And they stepped on my foot as a parting gift!

oh, nice... not!
What the He... heck is wrong with some people?
I hope Karma got them big time.

Rude rude rude.

Yep, yep ,yep.

Don't you love when that happens?

Oh, my. Yes. Absolutely yes.

I just love finding those kind of quite spots. That one sounds particularly lovely!

It was right out in the open... and yet it felt secluded.
It was really relaxing.

What a special Daddy Daughter moment!

You got that right!

"I can't believe it!" actually I can... I've never had a disney churro either. Also its somewhat mexican inspired so seeing as you are further away from mexico there probably less chance of that making its way that far north.

Okay, that might explain it then.

BOO! what a bummer!

It's my fault.
There was a section on the VIP bus contract where you could've paid a little extra for other services.
I failed to get the "No blocking" package.

<sigh> Yeah... pretty much.

That can be a big motivator.

It certainly had an impact on our trip.

I can't make promises but I will see what I can do!

Okay, I'll keep you in mind.
Thanks!

What a good daddy!

Oh, anyone would've done that.

You like that, do you?

1:45. Because anything earlier than that would be torture!

Both because you went to bed late and got up beyond cray early and are going to crash.

The lack of note from DW bites you again!

Customs

Ruby

Noted.

 

[Saturn23]

I don't have time to comment now but I just wanted to say....



Who takes a bus from Epcot to the Studios???

 

[BibbitybobityLu]

"I caught a fish this big!"

I think she is atually talking about a salami

Indeed, it was at Kay's insistence.
Two of her top four favourite rides were here.
RNRC and TOT, of course.

She has her head screwed on right

So here we were, standing just inside the loading area,
when I felt a light tap on my shoulder
accompanied by an "Excuse me."

My natural reaction... heck, my instincts took over
and without even looking, I immediately stepped to the side.
Not one, not two, but three young teens zipped by us.

It's not your fault, you're Canadian!

(I love Colin Mochrie, we have a thing )

You were the one who told me you wouldn't let people do that."
I didn't really have an answer except to say that I got taken by surprise

Happens to the best of us (also...that's what she said...)

While we waited, we chatted about nothing in particular.
Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
Accompanied by an "Excuse me."

I looked behind me... and up.
A tall young man (maybe 20?) was standing directly behind me.
He hadn't been there a moment ago.
"Excuse me." He said. "My family is waiting for me up ahead."

I didn't even think about it.
I didn't even hesitate.

The words were no sooner out of his mouth
when I replied: "Don't worry. They'll wait for you."
And with that, I turned my back on him,
effectively blocking his way.

Kay didn't say anything.
I didn't say anything.

After a bit, I risked a quick peak over my shoulder.

He was gone.

"Where did he go?" I asked Kay.
"He turned around and went back the other way."

Phew!

Stood my ground and didn't get beat up!
Win win!

Plus, I impressed Kay.
So, win win win!

What would you have done if he was still there? I like to think it would have gone down a bit like this:

I whipped out my... settle down ladies.
Sheesh.

What is your settle down ladies? And why did you whip it out?

I whipped out my VIP bus package contract,
but unfortunately, it just guarantees a bus
will always be there within a minute or so.
It does not guarantee a seat.
Maybe that's extra.

That's the VVIP package

People with ponchos were running like crazy trying to find a dry spot.
Yet no one came over to where we were.
We were a little dry island in a sea of wet, panicky people.

Clearly a lot of those people are related to the Wicked Witch of the West!

We made a bee line to our one and only ride
that we had planned on doing.
And believe it or not, even though it's my fave,
it was Kay who picked it.

It's A Small World!

Go ahead! Tell me you can't believe it either!
I'll even give you bonus points for it.

I can't believe it either

But I'll be brutally honest.
Is it as good as a beaver tail?

No. A bit too dry.
Good... but not perfect.

Well everyone knows nothing beats a moist beaver.

I'm sorry.

Hmmm... I'm sure the meatballs are in there somewhere.

We'd watch a few more seconds of Wishes and...
Hey! There's an empty spot! I'll hoist my kid on my shoulders and go there!

Yep.
One dad would move out of the way
and another would step into the vacated position.

Tap. Tap. Tap.
Look. Apologetic grimace. Move to the side.

This happened about four times.

Urg. People. Seriously.

The last few fireworks crackled overhead
and we knew our vacation was over.

We trudged wearily towards the bus stop.
"Dad!" Kay suddenly blurts out. "We forgot my paw prints!"

Oh... shoot!

Oh no poor Kay!

If anyone's going to the World in the next little bit,
would it be too much to ask one of you to pick
up a napkin from Tony's with Lady & The Tramp's
paw prints on it?

If you can wait till September I could do that for you

1. What time do we get up?

Early

2. Do we sleep on the plane?
Me? Kay? Both? Neither?

Kay did, you didn't

3. Do we have issues at customs?

No

4. Which takes longer in Toronto (our connection.)
Security? Or customs?

Security

5. Which came first. Our bags or Ruby to pick us up?

Ruby

 

[pkondz]

I don't have time to comment now but I just wanted to say....

Uh, oh. What'd I do now???

 

[pkondz]

I think she is atually talking about a salami

If you see one that long... take it home with you.

She has her head screwed on right

Unlike her Father.

It's not your fault, you're Canadian!

Sorry.

(I love Colin Mochrie, we have a thing )

Should I be jealous?
Nevermind. Already am.

Happens to the best of us (also...that's what she said...)

I know. Sorry.

Oh yes. Absolutely.
Thanks, I'll have another.

What would you have done if he was still there? I like to think it would have gone down a bit like this:

I still wouldn't have let him pass...
but then it would've been awkward until we got on the ride.

And it would really suck if eventually we saw a huge family with little kids
"Bill! Where were you! We've been waiting for half an hour! The kids were crying!"

What is your settle down ladies? And why did you whip it out?

Why did I whip it out?
Seriously?
You ask me that? You?

Why, I whip it out because I'm thinking of you, of course.

That's the VVIP package

Dang. Saw that. Didn't think I'd need it.

Clearly a lot of those people are related to the Wicked Witch of the West!

Well, that explains all the smoke.

It's A Small World!

I can't believe it either

I know, right?!?!?

I was wondering what you'd do with that.
and...

Well everyone knows nothing beats a moist beaver.

I'm sorry.

... you didn't disappoint!

Yes. Yes she did.
I'm so ashamed.

Urg. People. Seriously.

I know.
Is there no one on the planet with any sense anymore???

Unfortunately... that pretty much sums it up.
Accurately.

Oh no poor Kay!

She still asks me about it.
"Is there some way we could get it?"

So this is me trying to get it.

If you can wait till September I could do that for you

Thanks Lou.
I appreciate that.
But like I mentioned to SnowWhiteOz, I don't want to put out people when they're on vacation.
Time is money!
I don't mean picking it up at Tony's, which in itself would be very nice of you.
I mean finding an envelope and going to a post office.
Pain in the butt.

Early



Kay did, you didn't

No

Security

Ruby

Noted.