Canadian Buffoon's Hi Low Vacation - South Central Musings

[pkondz]

Happy belated birthday! I'm a day late, and since I didn't get you anything, also a dollar short. So it all works out!

Thanks Laura!

 

[pkondz]

Sitting by the door catching up on the DIS.
30 more minutes before
we turn the lights off at 9pm.
It's been raining here all night,
so numbers are down a little.
So far (and I only anticipate
another handful of kids, if any)
we gave out candy to 115 kids.

How was it in your neighborhood?

 

[franandaj]

So I keep forgetting you are two hours ahead of us? We have 15 more minutes until I turn off the lights. We bought way too much candy this year. Last year I was digging into stashed supplies to make ends meet, this year we have a ton left over. I didn't count how many kids but all I know is that we had tons of folks come here hoping to score big. I'm not trying to be racist or doing any sort of profiling, but our neighborhood is not one full of kids and it's sort of easy to tell who isn't from the neighborhood. Lots of folks seem to come to our neighborhood thinking the payout will be better.

This year the Neighborhood app had a trick or treat map and I think that actually discouraged folks from coming around as not many people signed up on the app.

We'll be bringing a lot of candy to band tomorrow night!

 

[Steppesister]

Sitting by the door catching up on the DIS.
30 more minutes before
we turn the lights off at 9pm.
It's been raining here all night,
so numbers are down a little.
So far (and I only anticipate
another handful of kids, if any)
we gave out candy to 115 kids.

How was it in your neighborhood?

Official Count: 0!!!!!

Nope, not even one. Pays to be rural. We just buy candy and eat it all.

 

[pkondz]

So I keep forgetting you are two hours ahead of us?

We have 15 more minutes until I turn off the lights.

I'll usually leave the lights on til 10pm
just to catch any stragglers.
This year, with the rain,
9pm was enough.

We bought way too much candy this year.

I don't think we ever have.
More than we need,
but never "way too much".

Last year I was digging into stashed supplies to make ends meet, this year we have a ton left over.

I've done that.
I remember one year
when the kids were really little,
we ran out and so I took
some of theirs
(They had tons.)

Ruby wasn't happy that I was
giving away chips, though!

I didn't count how many kids but all I know is that we had tons of folks come here hoping to score big. I'm not trying to be racist or doing any sort of profiling, but our neighborhood is not one full of kids and it's sort of easy to tell who isn't from the neighborhood. Lots of folks seem to come to our neighborhood thinking the payout will be better.

Interesting.
I don't know if they were from the hood
or not, and I didn't care.
I'm just happy when the kids show up.
I want to be "that house" that kids
make sure they don't miss.
(We give out full size chocolate bars.)

This year the Neighborhood app had a trick or treat map and I think that actually discouraged folks from coming around as not many people signed up on the app.

That's just... weird to me.
I guess I'm old fashioned.
Just go door to door
(where the lights are on.)

We'll be bringing a lot of candy to band tomorrow night!

And I'm sure they'll be delighted!

 

[pkondz]

Official Count: 0!!!!!

I hope you won't take offense,
but that's just sad!
I'm thrilled we get so many kids.
It totally makes my Halloween.

Nope, not even one. Pays to be rural. We just buy candy and eat it all.

Fringe benefit!

 

[orangecats2]

That's it!
Next time you're coming!

Yes!!! And when is that?

Note to self.
Build time into schedule
for protracted meals.

Got it.

At least if you're eating with me. Or you can leave and I'll sit and relax.

I was actually thinking of posting
that I wasn't going to put up
the next update until you asked.

haha, I almost didn't say it but I thought it wouldn't seem like a post from me if I didn't!

How was it in your neighborhood?

Zero because we don't give out candy. The last time I did it several years ago I think there was six people. However, my neighbor goes all out with the decorations. They played really LOUD music for an hour and 45 minutes. It's a good thing I like them.

(We give out full size chocolate bars.)

I'm coming to your house!!!

 

[franandaj]

I'll usually leave the lights on til 10pm
just to catch any stragglers.
This year, with the rain,
9pm was enough.

I was tired enough that I turned the light off just before 9PM

I don't think we ever have.
More than we need,
but never "way too much".

I put the stuff I didn't mind parting with in a bowl and then the rest of what we bought in another bowl. The "other" bowl had more candy and we didnt even go through the first bowl. That defines way too much.

I've done that.
I remember one year
when the kids were really little,
we ran out and so I took
some of theirs
(They had tons.)

Ruby wasn't happy that I was
giving away chips, though!

We had werthers caramels. I think we still have them a year later!

Interesting.
I don't know if they were from the hood
or not, and I didn't care.
I'm just happy when the kids show up.

Well a lot of ours barely qualified as kids and it was kind of obvious who came from the neighborhood and who was crashing. The younger kids mostly and the ones with the clever or expensive costumes. There were some pretty ghetto costumes at our front door.

I want to be "that house" that kids
make sure they don't miss.
(We give out full size chocolate bars.)

You are very generous! We don't give out slouchy candy, but not full sized bars.

That's just... weird to me.
I guess I'm old fashioned.
Just go door to door
(where the lights are on.)

I think a lot of folks did that, but not as many as we had last year.

 

[pkondz]

Yes!!! And when is that?

Spring break.
But you may have to wait,
since Kay will take the other bed.

At least if you're eating with me. Or you can leave and I'll sit and relax.

Leave a beautiful lady alone at the table????
Never!

haha, I almost didn't say it but I thought it wouldn't seem like a post from me if I didn't!

Zero because we don't give out candy. The last time I did it several years ago I think there was six people.

Not many.
I can see why you wouldn't bother.

However, my neighbor goes all out with the decorations. They played really LOUD music for an hour and 45 minutes. It's a good thing I like them.

I like your neighbour.
We play music too...
but not too loud.
I try to make it that you can
hear it from the street...
but not much more.

I'm coming to your house!!!

Come on over!
We started with 154 bars
and had 115 kids.
Do the math.
(Minus the one I ate
and Elle ate.)

 

[pkondz]

I was tired enough that I turned the light off just before 9PM

It's pretty much done by then, anyway.

I put the stuff I didn't mind parting with in a bowl and then the rest of what we bought in another bowl. The "other" bowl had more candy and we didnt even go through the first bowl. That defines way too much.

We did that!
I took out the Caramilk bars
(you know how good those are!)
and kept them in reserve.

We had werthers caramels. I think we still have them a year later!

Those keep.
Chocolate bars won't.

What will we do with them??

Well a lot of ours barely qualified as kids and it was kind of obvious who came from the neighborhood and who was crashing. The younger kids mostly and the ones with the clever or expensive costumes.

I don't care how old they are.
If they come to the house
they can have candy.

There were some pretty ghetto costumes at our front door.

We had a few without costumes.
But that may have been because of the rain,
so I gave them a pass.

You are very generous! We don't give out slouchy candy, but not full sized bars.

I purchase them starting about a month out.
I'll buy a box of 18 - 20 (at Costco) at a time.
Before you know it, we've got enough.

I think a lot of folks did that, but not as many as we had last year.

Huh.

 

[DISNEYMOON10121991]

Our town's treating time was 5-8:00. and we had 77
Turned off lights around 7:30. I needed to get off my foot. I've been home two days & seeing my foot doctor today. Sunday I couldn't even stand on it. It's better but want to know what it might be causing it.
Back in the days we would get over a 100. We bought a little less but still made sure it was "good" stuff leftover.
I love seeing the costumes and little ones.
I had a small girl as Pluto who wanted to know if I had a doggy in the house. Yes. Where? He's sleeping. Why? He's older then your puppy.
I looked out and saw in the driveway her mom with a little black Lab(what we have) and she was dressed as Minnie. Made my day.
Of course I had another who with her jacket on and dress, I commented "oh a princess" I was corrected, "I'm a mermaid"

 

[irene_dsc]

I'm not sure how many we had - we got home a little late, and the kids handled the first hour for us. But, I totally overbought again - I'm guessing we only had about 50 kids total. Our neighborhood is spread out, and doesn't have street lights or sidewalks, so on the one hand, we don't get kids coming in from other areas, but otoh, since there aren't a lot of kids, people tend to give out better candy. Dd went the day before with a friend in a huge subdivision with sidewalks, and wasn't as happy with that haul.

 

[jandlinz]

We had quite a few too. We also had a sign up on the neighborhood app thing. I didn't sign up, seems silly. Anyways, I love seeing all the kids. We give out a few pieces to each and our house is lighted. We also go all out on our pumpkin carving. Some kids come back twice because they say we have the best house and I always tell them they are more than welcome to come back as many times as they like.

 

[Chrystmasangel]

Ok, so pain meds kicked in... going to try this again and hopefully the new key board doesn't cause me to lose it again. lol Yes, it is the keyboards fault...not mine!

I must admit to feeling some trepidation
when I posted the previous chapter.

I essentially wrote about nothing
except my day spent in airports.
Then I left you all figuratively
standing with me at the bus stop.


Once, when I had begun
one of my TRs in
the same manner,
I received notice that reading
about it was a complete
waste of time.

I truly thought about skipping it,
or at the very least, paring it down
to just a few words.
Perhaps a sentence or two.


But that's just not me.

I feel that writing about that first day,
the trials and tribulations of merely
getting to Disney World,
sets the tone for the entire TR.
And it's my style.


So for better or worse,
there it is.

I am glad you chose to put this in your TR. I love travel days. It is nice to see that others are as crazy as I am when it comes to travel day! Not to mention it wouldn't be a PKondz TR without it!

Seconds later, we were driving under water,
past the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower
and turning into the Magic Kingdom parking lot.


Here!

Made even better when a Monorail
passed by directly overhead.

/sigh so love that feeling of anticipation!

Bag check.

What? You did bag check? What's up with that? You don't do bag check!

Normally, I don't worry about bag check.
I'm never bringing in anything that
I'm not supposed to bring.

See, you don't do bag check@#!%! What are you up to?

Next up is something I'd never done before.

I rented a locker.

Yes, I wanted to bring my tripod,
but I didn't want to lug it around all day!
Besides, later I'd need to...


No. I'll get to that a bit later.

Yes, something is VERY VERY AMISS!

And incidentally,
this is why I didn't use DME
to bring my bag to my room.
I could have used it,
but I wanted my tripod for the park,
and it was in the checked bag.
Of course I also needed....

Well, I already said
I'd get to that later.

Hmmmmmm!?!?!

Soak it in, people.

ahhhhh Love love love!

The fall decorations were out in full display.

Just can't wait to see these next fall!

I decided to go to the ADR first,
and see if they could get me in early.
If not, hopefully I could eat quickly
and still make the FP.


Well, let's see, shall we?

Good choice!

This picture just say's it all! Amazing!

It's funny.
Every time I first get to Magic Kingdom,
and I cross the threshold into the park
or see the castle for the first time...
I get goose bumps and I break out
into a silly grin.


But not this time.
I wasn't feeling it.
I wasn't feeling much of anything.

Actually... I was...


Wishing I hadn't come.

This made my tear up. Made me sad! For just a moment... I thought a fellow Disney junkie had gotten on the band wagon!

It took about an hour before
I finally started to feel... normal.
And it was little things that did it.
Those bits and pieces of thoughtfulness
and surprise that make up
the Magic of Disney.


A father hoisting his giggling child
onto his shoulders.


A couple, skipping hand in hand
towards another adventure.


A CM, smiling broadly.


I eventually smirked at something...
gave a grudging nod at something else...
and eventually found myself
with a big grin on my ugly mug.

There it is! The magic!

You know what the problem was?
Burn out.

No. Not because I'd been essentially
awake for Gawd knows how long.
It was shift after shift after shift at work.
It was working until I couldn't work anymore,
and then working some more.
It was working 32 hours out of every 40.
Repeatedly.

I hadn't realized just how bad
it had gotten until just then.
I couldn't put my finger
on why I wasn't happy,
but when it did happen,
it was like the proverbial
weight had lifted off my shoulders.

I should have known it wasn't Disney. You had me worried for a few moments!

Man it felt good to be back!


I really needed this vacation.
I needed....


Disney.

You need not say any more! I could feel the relief just settling in. all that stress, worrying, responsibility... I just could imagine it melting away!

You may be noticing a certain... theme
to the above photos

Yes and I am soaking it all in.

I was only going to include one in the TR.
But then I thought... screw it.
Shove 'em all in.
So... Voila.

Thank you for this!

But I'm not eating here, so I walked on by.



Ha! Kidding!

Had me for a moment! Good choice!

Yup. Just like on the ride.
Perfect!

So glad to hear this! It's on the list to try on our fall trip next year. Hope it does not change to much before then!

It did feel a little weird at sucking
up Dr. Slush's balls though.
But I soon got used to it.

HAHA.To funny!

Looks good?

Yes, yes it does

she actually looked concerned
until she looked at me
and realized I was joking.

You should not be so serious!

(Later)
"So? How is it safari?"

And when I finished:
"Did you leave room to
travel through the desert?"

I love the cheesiness!

I paid my bill
and headed for the door.
It was 5:16pm and I had
precisely nine minutes
before my FP expired.

Run Forrest, Run!

Is there any better feeling in the World
then walking by hundreds of
sweating, tired guests
as they stand in an unmoving line?

Nope! Best ever!

OMG! This is awesome at it's finest! How did you not spill the wine and the serious look on your face? I don't think I could do it!

I just made it.

Haha, I so knew you were up to something as soon as I started reading this TR!

I had two separate instances of men
saluting me with their drinks.
I toasted them back in return.
I felt like royalty.
Or upper crust, at the very least.

That is just so cool!

Time for another new experience!
First, though, I had to tell someone
that yes, indeed this was the way
to the train.

I have not rode the train either. Guess I need to add this to my list of must do's. Don't know why/how this happens when my youngest son loves trains. We ride them every where else we go. hmmm.

I climbed the stairs and of course
the train was waiting there for me.

Of corse!

And most of you already know
where I'm probably headed.
And you're right.
Haunted Mansion.


But if you guessed I had a FP for it,
then I'm afraid you're wrong.

I pretty much never FP HM.
I will once my original FPs
are used up, if there's one available.
But it's too fast a loading ride
for me to worry about it.
Yes, there can be lines,
but usually, I don't have any issues.

I should have known better! Haunted mansion is silly to fast pass.

Once our host showed us
'his' way out, the door opened
and I was the first one out.
I usually am.
I always enter HM and position
myself near the doors
so when I enter the stretching room
I can position myself nearest the next door.

I NEVER go through the doors first. Side story...First time I went to Disney, (I was 15) I was waiting in line at HM. My family was the first in line to enter. I stood right at the doors waiting. The big double doors opened...No one was there...What??? How did that happen... so I, in all my 15 year old wisdom start to walk in on a mission not knowing what to expect. I could see the other side of the room and I thought I would head right for it. I had my sights cause there had to be an exit somewhere! I took 3 steps and next thing I knew, this GIANT ( I kid you not, I think he was 7 feet tall) man steps right in my way from NO WHERE I tell you. NO WHERE! And in the loudest voice he says "WELCOME" and I am sure there were other words he said, but I did not catch them, see... I was to busy literally getting my heart out of my stomach and trying to stop going forward and jumping backwards 5 feet all at 1 time right square into my aunt who I knocked on her bum! So I make it a point of NEVER EVER being the first one through ANY door ANY WHERE in HM. Nope! NEVER! And incase I didn't make it clear, NEVER!

Ahhhhh.... Best. Ride. Ever.

Yes! It has been my favorite since day 1!

It was right about there that I realized
I was walking in the wrong direction.

You went the wrong way... what was it you did on the train? Imagine me.. sticking my tongue out saying Nay-nay!

(Did you notice the water bottle?
What kind of jerk tosses a water bottle
while riding Peter Pan???)

Makes me so sad!

And it was okay.


Well... maybe a bit better than just okay...


Well... maybe I sharpened my spoon
into a knife and threatened to stab
anyone who ventured to close.


Made eating with it problematic.


Problem solved.
I just stuck my face in it
and inhaled.


Sooooo good.

I have yet to try one of these.

The speaker continued:
"If you can hear my voice,
you will NOT be able to see
the fireworks.
That big tree behind you
will block your view!"

I looked over my shoulder,
sure enough, there was a large tree.
But...

Nah. I'm not buying it.
Maybe I'll miss a bit, but...
I'm not moving.

And I didn't.

blame it on the classic "It applies to everyone else but me" syndrome?

Stupid CM!
Why didn't he say:
"No! Seriously! You won't see it!"

Because he already knows that it will not do any good penetrating through thick skulls? It's not his first Rodeo ya know!

I found a spot and... well... just stood there.
It felt... odd.
Normally I skip the parades and do rides.
The crowds for the rides are smaller
since most everyone's watching the parade.

This is the only parade we really watch now that the little's aren't so little. I am so sad it will be leaving! Well, unless it is replaced with something the scale of Paint The Night or something of the sort. Then it might get me over my sadness. I am a huge Christmas crazy person (If you can't tell by my forum name! Sheesh) and this parade just always reminds me of Christmas.

Is it just me?
Or does Goofy's eye creep you out?
And were you so focused on that,
that you failed to see Minnie?
Or Mickey?
Bonus points if you tell me.

When I first looked at this pick.. My thoughts were... Shooting the 1 eyed bandits are we? You seemed to really get a lot of good pictures this time around. lol

Obviously a mannequin.

Have you ever seen Firefly or Serenity? This reminded me of Lenore from Serenity/Firefly.

They don't make feather dusters
like they used to.

I love how you caught this in action. Her face is awesome!

Ha! They spelled "Honour" wrong!

Fixed!

And did I miss it?
Or did they remove (or cover)
the pirate with the overly hairy leg?
(The one sitting on the bridge
that you go under.)
I was watching for him, but...

I just watched a Youtube video of this a couple days ago and the video was from August and he was in there...

How'd I get old?
Just yesterday I was a kid!
Still am at heart,
but the body? Not so much.
I'm filling out a formal complaint.

I tried. It does no good. They don't listen. Sorry to burst your bubble here!

I caught up to, and started to pass,
a couple of young families consisting
of Moms & Dads and littles
ranging in age from babe
to pre-school.
The baby was fussing
and the kids had obviously
reached the end of their ropes long ago.

I learned from our VERY FIRST family trip that this makes no sense. It makes life easier on the little's and the parents if you JUST LISTEN to those that have no voice!

I hung back and let them precede me
in the line.
There was already a fair amount of people
in line, so I didn't know if it would really matter.
Still, let them go first, 'cause I've been there.

I arrived at the stop at 12:22am
and the bus arrived fashionably late
at 12:26am. Four minutes.
It took a while to load,
since there were two people in ECVs
who had to be loaded first.
Eventually the bus started to load,
and yes, those two families
were able to board.
But I wasn't.

Not to mention you were secretly hoping you would not be on the same bus!

I got back to the Resort around one am.
As I staggered back to my room
(thank Gawd it was so close!)
out of the corner of my eye
I spotted a cat crossing
the walkway behind me.

A cat? I don't think I've ever seen
a cat at Disney.

Maybe one of the cats they let loose in the parks at night found it's way to your resort?

Huh. There's one from Disney
saying I could ride 7DMT
anytime I wanted... yesterday.


I laughed. I guess I could
have ridden it after all.

Where is The Doctor with his Tardis? Doesn't he know you have a FP to get to?

So... How's your day going?
Hopefully a bit better than mine.

I feel terrible.
I scared the heck out of Kay this morning.
We were in the garage,
getting ready to go to school.
The dogs were coming along for the ride.
I bent down to pick up Luna,
picked her up and as I handed her to Kay,
felt my back let go.
I let out a little yell and fell over
onto the concrete floor
like a sack of potatoes.

Poor thing was yelling
"Should I call 911! Should I call 911!"[/QUOTE]

Poor Kay! I bet she was scared to death!

Your body's way of saying "Hey dope! It's time to rest?"

You did that!
That's awesome!

I did, and it was!

Did you close your browser
and re-open it?
That works sometimes.

yes, I did, and it didn't!

So it's pretty obvious
which is better, right?

Yup, sure is! Nothing better than Pkondz Air! It is always right where it is suppose to be!

 

[pkondz]

Just before I get to the shout-outs,
there's something I need to say
to a few people.
(You know who you are.)
I'm concentrating right now
on getting out the next update
as well as maintenance
(i.e. replies) on my TR.

I have six TRs that I need to get to,
but they're going to have to wait.

But I will get there eventually.

 

[pkondz]

Our town's treating time was 5-8:00. and we had 77

You have posted times?
What happens if some kids are still out
after 8pm?

Turned off lights around 7:30. I needed to get off my foot. I've been home two days & seeing my foot doctor today.

How did that go?
Did you get any answers?

Sunday I couldn't even stand on it. It's better but want to know what it might be causing it.

Ouch. Glad you're getting/got
it looked at.

Back in the days we would get over a 100. We bought a little less but still made sure it was "good" stuff leftover.

Neighborhoods ebb and flow.
The littles grow up, people move away,
new families move in.

I love seeing the costumes and little ones.

Best part!

I had a small girl as Pluto who wanted to know if I had a doggy in the house. Yes. Where? He's sleeping. Why? He's older then your puppy.
I looked out and saw in the driveway her mom with a little black Lab(what we have) and she was dressed as Minnie. Made my day.

Love it!

Of course I had another who with her jacket on and dress, I commented "oh a princess" I was corrected, "I'm a mermaid"

How could you! You should be ASHAMED of yourself!!

I'm not sure how many we had - we got home a little late, and the kids handled the first hour for us.

And that was probably the busiest time.

But, I totally overbought again

That's why you buy good stuff.

I'm guessing we only had about 50 kids total.

That's not bad!

Our neighborhood is spread out, and doesn't have street lights or sidewalks, so on the one hand, we don't get kids coming in from other areas, but otoh, since there aren't a lot of kids, people tend to give out better candy.

I get that.
Makes sense.

Dd went the day before with a friend in a huge subdivision with sidewalks, and wasn't as happy with that haul.

Huh. So quality over quantity.

We had quite a few too. We also had a sign up on the neighborhood app thing. I didn't sign up, seems silly.

Agreed. The lights are on.
Come on over.
If you're scouring an app,
deciding where to go,
you're doing it wrong.

Anyways, I love seeing all the kids.

Especially when they're really little
or have made a real effort with their costume.

We give out a few pieces to each and our house is lighted.

Ours too. We decorate more than most,
but not as much as those who really
go all out.

We also go all out on our pumpkin carving.

<sigh> This year was a disaster.
I didn't do one myself (no time)
but Kay did two and they were amazing.
Elle did one and her boyfriend did one.
Then Kay did another quick one that wasn't bad.

But they did them too early and when we went
to put them out on Halloween,
half of them were rotted and falling apart.

Some kids come back twice because they say we have the best house and I always tell them they are more than welcome to come back as many times as they like.

Nice of you.
I don't tell them that,
because I'm worried I'll run out.
But I think we may have had one or two repeats.

 

[pkondz]

Ok, so pain meds kicked in... going to try this again

On pain meds?
This should be good...

and hopefully the new key board doesn't cause me to lose it again. lol Yes, it is the keyboards fault...not mine!

Of course it is.
There, there.
Of course it is.

I am glad you chose to put this in your TR. I love travel days. It is nice to see that others are as crazy as I am when it comes to travel day! Not to mention it wouldn't be a PKondz TR without it!

Thanks for that.
Appreciate it.

/sigh so love that feeling of anticipation!

That monorail going overhead
totally made it real.

What? You did bag check? What's up with that? You don't do bag check!

But I do!
You people keep insisting
that I write these things
and even more so,
insist on photos!

See, you don't do bag check@#!%! What are you up to?

I do. I just don't normally worry about it.

Just can't wait to see these next fall!

Love the fall decorations.
Never seen the Christmas ones, though.

Good choice!

It did turn out well, didn't it?

This picture just say's it all! Amazing!

Thanks! And as soon as I saw
what was going on, I knew
I had to capture it.

This made my tear up. Made me sad! For just a moment... I thought a fellow Disney junkie had gotten on the band wagon!

It was a bit rough at first, but...

There it is! The magic!

I should have known it wasn't Disney. You had me worried for a few moments!

No, definitely not Disney.
And I credit Disney for making
everything better.

You need not say any more! I could feel the relief just settling in. all that stress, worrying, responsibility... I just could imagine it melting away!

Pretty much.
I don't know how else to describe it.

Yes and I am soaking it all in.

Not overloaded?

Thank you for this!

You're welcome!

Had me for a moment! Good choice!

I'm glad I went.
I won't do it every time,
but I will do it again, I think.

So glad to hear this! It's on the list to try on our fall trip next year. Hope it does not change to much before then!

Having the servers kibitz like that
was what made the meal.

You should not be so serious!

She started it!

I love the cheesiness!

And yet,
I don't believe they serve cheese.

Run Forrest, Run!

Nope! Best ever!

Excuse me. I have a Fast Pass,
whereas you do not.

OMG! This is awesome at it's finest!

Thanks!

How did you not spill the wine and the serious look on your face? I don't think I could do it!

Funny you should mention the wine.
It was only when I was going up that last
incline that I wondered about it.
But I didn't spill a drop.

Not sure how I managed that.

Haha, I so knew you were up to something as soon as I started reading this TR!

Do you think I'm done?
Hmmmmmmm?

That is just so cool!

It was such a great, unexpected little perk!

I have not rode the train either. Guess I need to add this to my list of must do's. Don't know why/how this happens when my youngest son loves trains. We ride them every where else we go. hmmm.

I wouldn't put it on the "must do" list,
but it is a convenient way of getting around.

I should have known better! Haunted mansion is silly to fast pass.

Yes and no.
I generally won't (see above)
but if I'm pressed for time I will.

I NEVER go through the doors first. Side story...First time I went to Disney, (I was 15) I was waiting in line at HM. My family was the first in line to enter. I stood right at the doors waiting. The big double doors opened...No one was there...What??? How did that happen... so I, in all my 15 year old wisdom start to walk in on a mission not knowing what to expect. I could see the other side of the room and I thought I would head right for it. I had my sights cause there had to be an exit somewhere! I took 3 steps and next thing I knew, this GIANT ( I kid you not, I think he was 7 feet tall) man steps right in my way from NO WHERE I tell you. NO WHERE! And in the loudest voice he says "WELCOME" and I am sure there were other words he said, but I did not catch them, see... I was to busy literally getting my heart out of my stomach and trying to stop going forward and jumping backwards 5 feet all at 1 time right square into my aunt who I knocked on her bum! So I make it a point of NEVER EVER being the first one through ANY door ANY WHERE in HM. Nope! NEVER! And incase I didn't make it clear, NEVER!

Great story!


So... do you ever go through doors first?
You weren't quite clear there.

Yes! It has been my favorite since day 1!

Gawd I love that ride.
I'll ride it more than any other ride in any of the parks.

You went the wrong way... what was it you did on the train? Imagine me.. sticking my tongue out saying Nay-nay!

Hey now!
At least I figured it out right away.
And without a map, too!

I have yet to try one of these.

Well, now you know what you need at the top of your list.
And make sure (especially if it's hot) that you get the
Dole Whip float and not just the Dole Whip.
(Unless you don't care for pineapple... then what
are you doing with it in the first place????)

blame it on the classic "It applies to everyone else but me" syndrome?

Yup.

Because he already knows that it will not do any good penetrating through thick skulls? It's not his first Rodeo ya know!

Yeah. Even if he came by and tapped me
on the shoulder and said "You won't see anything."
I probably would've just nodded and stayed put.

This is the only parade we really watch now that the little's aren't so little. I am so sad it will be leaving! Well, unless it is replaced with something the scale of Paint The Night or something of the sort. Then it might get me over my sadness. I am a huge Christmas crazy person (If you can't tell by my forum name! Sheesh) and this parade just always reminds me of Christmas.

I'm hoping it will be replaced with bigger and better too.

And I kinda figured you might be slightly interested
in Christmas.... slightly.

When I first looked at this pick.. My thoughts were... Shooting the 1 eyed bandits are we? You seemed to really get a lot of good pictures this time around. lol

Have you ever seen Firefly or Serenity? This reminded me of Lenore from Serenity/Firefly.

That's... weird.
I've never seen either... but they're both
on my watch list on Netflix.

I love how you caught this in action. Her face is awesome!

Just lucky. But funny!

Fixed!

You did that for me???
That's awesome!!

I just watched a Youtube video of this a couple days ago and the video was from August and he was in there...

A few people have mentioned
that they think he's wearing longer
pants now, though.

I tried. It does no good. They don't listen. Sorry to burst your bubble here!

Crap.

I learned from our VERY FIRST family trip that this makes no sense. It makes life easier on the little's and the parents if you JUST LISTEN to those that have no voice!

My number one rule
for parents visiting Disney
with children.

Not to mention you were secretly hoping you would not be on the same bus!

Nah. I wouldn't have minded.
They'd probably fall asleep
as soon as they got off their feet.

Maybe one of the cats they let loose in the parks at night found it's way to your resort?

The thought crossed my mind.
"Aren't the cats over in DL?
Do they have 'em here too?"

Where is The Doctor with his Tardis? Doesn't he know you have a FP to get to?

He was tardy with his Tardis.

Your body's way of saying "Hey dope! It's time to rest?"

Didn't have to shout.

yes, I did, and it didn't!

Yeah, it's not a sure thing.
Dang.

Yup, sure is! Nothing better than Pkondz Air! It is always right where it is suppose to be!

Snarky but never tardy.

 

[Thumper_Man]

You never asked!
Actually, I never told
but since it's on FB now...

I know at some point it was mentioned many years ago. I never made full note of it. I'll never forget it now though.

Tell her thanks!

She said you're welcome.

 

[pkondz]

Something Fishy

I sat up in alarm.


Something... some... thing...
had woken me.

I had this uncanny feeling
that I wasn't alone in my room.

I held my breath.
Was that... a rustling?
Perhaps a bustling?
Perchance a jostling?

I had two choices.
Hide under the covers
and perhaps be murdered
in my bed.
Or confront the intruder
and get murdered out of bed.
The former would shorten
this TR drastically.
Come to think of it,
so would the latter... hmmm....
Perhaps, after getting through
this chapter, you'll have wished
that either had been the case.

Either way, I was only in my
pajamas and it was going to be
embarrassing.


I chose to meet the villain head on.
I slowly drew back the covers...
sidled out of bed...
and raced around the foot
of the bed to confront...

OMG! A horrible beast
stood in front of me!
It's arms raised in a
threatening gesture
and it's ugly face a....


Wait.

Stupid mirror.

But what had woken me
at 6:30 in the morning?

Ah. It was something
far, far more sinister.

It was... my alarm.


Oh, the horror.


I shaved, (my legs looked great!)
showered and did all the other things
one does to get ready,
and was out of the room by 7:10.
I arrived at my bus stop by 7:12.
I barely had time to note the times
when one minute later
I espied a bus approaching.
I can't quite make out where it's...
uh... It's a short one... starts with an 'E'
Yay! It's got to be the Epcot bus!

Nope.
False alarm.
ESPN.
What a dirty trick.


Perhaps some of you are secretly
gloating that my VIP bus package
seems to be failing.

Here I am waiting for an Epcot bus
and instead I get teased with
an ESPN bus.

Good thing the bus that was
practically on its bumper,
right behind it, was for Epcot.

Wait time, one minute.
Total wait time to date 27 minutes.

I hopped on the bus and settled in.
And almost immediately realized
that I'd forgotten something
in the room that I'd need later.

Hmmm... this will necessitate
a return trip to the resort.

Huh. This will be the first time
in over a decade that I'll return
to the resort in the middle of the day.


The bus eventually arrived at Epcot
and barfed out its passengers.

At bag check, there was only
a short wait before it was my turn.
I have it down to a system.
I unzip the three main pockets
of my camera bag and go through
them quickly for the guard.
"There's one <look>, two, <look>
and three. <look>"
Zip, zip, zip. done.

"Would you mind going through
extra security please?"

This was new.
But I'd heard of the new metal detectors
so wasn't overly surprised.
I mean they get random people
to go through them,
so it makes sense that sooner
or later, it'd be my turn.

I emptied my pockets,
dumped off the camera bag
and sashayed through the detector
with nary a beep.

I was disappointed that I didn't
even get a sucker for it.
They really need to start doing that.
Ah well.


I got in line behind a couple of people
at a tapstile and waited for the park to open.
Eventually it did and we all rushed to....
a rope barring our way.

I hate when they do that.
I'm in the park. Let me play!


They do things differently
in Epcot from MK.
In MK, once you're in the park
you encounter a rope on Main St.
and they walk the rope all the way to 7DMT.
In Epcot, they warn you not to move
and then remove the ropes and poles
that hold the ropes up.
At the allocated time
(8am. Morning Extra Magic Hours today)
they release you and let
the children and elderly
get trampled underfoot.

Makes sense.
What with Epcot hosting The Circle of Life,
might as well demonstrate
survival of the fittest, am I right?

After trampling two toddlers
and an elderly lady with a walker,
(note to self. do not visit Epcot
at rope drop when I'm an old geezer.
Older geezer.)
I made a bee line for
Ellen's Energy Adventure.

This ride is 45 minutes in length,
and if you don't make the first show
you could possibly be waiting
for seventeen minutes for the next one.
So it's crucial that you hit it first thing.






or not.


I actually have never seen it.
I did see the original Universe of Energy
about 150 years ago.
I don't remember much.
But I think I'm good with that.
I'll probably never see Ellen.
Maybe if it's still around
when I'm old (older) and need a nap.

What I did do however,
was fast walk...
well more like a speed walk,
over to The Land to get on Soarin'.

Even with walking at an abnormally
fast pace, there were some
who sped by me.
I'm Canadian.
I obey the rules.
I didn't run.
So I didn't get on the very first show.
But I was about fifth in line for the second.
That'll work.


I asked for (and got) the highest row.
And while I do enjoy this the most
(no dangly, disembodied feet)
I now know what to ask for next time.
(I'll get to that.)


I watched the pre-show with interest
since this was my first experience
with the new and improved Soarin'

You'd think that with the money they
must've spent on this, that they could
afford to buy a 'G' and call it Soaring.


I noted the upcoming ports of call.

We'll be traveling to Greenland,
France, Switzerland, Germany,
Egypt, India, China, back to the USA
for views of Monument Valley and Epcot,
then off to Tanzania, Australia, Fiji,
and finally, Argentina/Brazil.

I was really psyched for this.
I mean, the ol' Soarin' was good
so this should be amazin'!


As I buckled myself in,
I noticed that the female half
of the couple who had been
in front of me was missing.
"Where did your wife go?" I asked.
He explained that she wasn't feeling well
and instead of ruining everyone's
experience with her coughing,
she'd sit this one out.

Wow. That's pretty considerate.
I must admit I was impressed.
(They had seen it the day before,
so she wasn't completely missing out.)


Shortly after, we were flying!!
Man I love that feeling!
You're soaring like a bird and...
uh... how come those polar bears
are acting like that?
Real bears don't do that...
Trust me. I know.

Wait! They're CGI!!! What the hell??
As the show continued,
we flew past the Leaning Tower of...
Eiffel??
Why does the Eiffel Tower look
like it's had one too many drinks?

Okay. Flying over Germany.
There's Neuschwanstein!
I've been there!
Yup! People lined up in the courtyard.
And now we're in Egypt!
And India and....
What is wrong with the Taj Mahal?
Is it supposed to be in chunks...
and tilted???

The rest of the ride was okay, but...

Note to self.
Next time, ask for the top row...
and the middle section.
Maybe if you see it dead center,
the flaws won't be so noticeable.
Because, otherwise, they're
really distracting.

Sorry Disney, but I really don't think
you've improved the ride all that much.

Tell you what, re-shoot it with
an IMAX camera and then we'll talk, okay?


Whelp! I guess I've pretty much exhausted
this park, don't you think?
Time to head over to the Studios.

Just one teensy, tiny problem.
Well... two, actually.
I know you can walk
from Epcot to DHS...
But I've never done it.
Surely there'll be signs, right?

But the other problem was.
Could I get there from here?
I know where to go.
(Do not tell me where to go!)
Just toodle along over to
World Showcase and hang
a right just before you get to
the bridge to France.

But... WS doesn't open til 11:00.
Can I go through WS to get to
the International Gateway?
Or do you need to be a guest
at one of the Boardwalk resorts?
Well, surely you can?

Right?

Right?





Right?


Crap.

I really, really didn't want to walk
over to WS only to find that
I had to turn around and
take a bus.

I didn't mind taking a bus
if I had to.
But if I did, I didn't want
to waste time going in
the opposite direction, first.

So the natural answer is...
Ask a CM.

There was a CM just outside The Land
so I asked her.
"Can I get to the Boardwalk
by going through WS?" I asked.
She looked at me and said.
"Do you know when WS opens?"
"Eleven o'clock." I replied.
"So then you can't." She said.

Darn.
Bus it is.


But I didn't really believe her.

There were two other CMs
busily arranging the over
7,850 strollers that had
piled up near the entrance
since the park had opened
30 minutes earlier.
I walked over and asked one.
"Can I get to the Boardwalk
by going through WS?"
The first one said to
the second one there.
"I hope you're having fun."

No. Wait.
She just looked questioningly
at the second one, who said.
"Of course you can."

I believed him.


See I think this is an underlying
issue with Disney CMs.
You know how they have rules
like never point with one finger?
Well another rule is
"Never tell a guest 'you don't know'."

But the problem with that is,
if you don't know, and can't say it,
it's a whole lot easier to guess
and give that as an answer.
What's the worst that could happen?
If you're right. Great.
If you're wrong...
Some guest walks up and says.
"I was told _____ by someone else."
And you'll probably never see them again.
Ever.

Probably not quite what Walt envisioned.
You're supposed to find out.
But that requires effort.
A lot easier to just guess
and hope for the best.
Or not care at all.


Whoa.
Gettin' off topic real quick here.


I sashayed off in the direction
of World Showcase.
And yes, you could go through it
to get to the Boardwalk area.
The bridge to France was
roped off, to prevent wrong turns,
but that was it.

I did make a slight mistake
in my stroll by overshooting
the path to DHS a bit.
(I suppose I could've cut
through BWV, but instead
I bypassed it and turned
a little later. No biggie.)


As I sashayed along the canal,
I noticed several signs
cautioning pedestrians to
keep away from the water.
A visible reminder of a tragic event.
Mind you the signs do say
"Danger Alligators and snakes".
Covering their bases.

DHS opened at 9am that day,
and I arrived just a bit after
rope drop at 9:08am.
If I'd not had to stop to ask
the CMs (twice) or gotten
a little lost I would've made it.
Ah, well. Close enough.

If I'd been wearing a hat,
I would've tipped it at the
lack of one in this picture.

Wait... I was! And I did!

Much better Disney.
Much.

So! What's first?
I have a FP for TSMM,
so I don't have to worry there.
RNRC has a single rider line,
so it's potentially less problematic...
Well, that really only leaves...

And... it was a walk on.
I walked straight through
the queue, into the library
and they closed the door
behind me.
I listened to faux Rod Serling
and was boarding my elevator
shortly thereafter.

I really don't know why I do it.
Every single time I come here,
the elevator always breaks.
Every. Single. Time.
I sit there, and the cable breaks
or something and we're falling.
And then they fix it or something.
And then we go back up...
only to have it break again!

Poor maintenance I suspect.

I pondered the folly of my
choice as I rode.

Darned thing broke again.
We bounced up and down like a yo-yo.


I wonder if they'll change this to
a Marvel themed one here too.
I guess if you have a good ride
the thing to do is go and ruin it.


After exiting the faulty elevator
(and there was a CM at the exit.
He didn't even apologize.
And he certainly knew something
was wrong.
You couldn't miss the screaming.)
I stopped in the gift shop for a bit.

This may surprise some of you.
But many of Disney's attractions
have gift shops nearby.

No! Really! See for yourselves
next time you go!


I purchased a mug for Kay
as an "I miss you" gift since
this was her favourite ride.
I also figured that,
since it was getting pretty hot out
and I'd just walked a mile and a half...
Perhaps a cold beverage was in order.
So I also bought a 20oz/590ml Coke.
I asked the CM to send the mug
to the resort.
The Coke came with me.

I walked next door to:

I may have been a tad thirsty.
By the time I got here,
I had already finished my Coke.
Can you say dehydration?

I knew you could.

You know, it's funny.
I don't know how many times
I've walked under that,
but I never noticed
1. That it's the guitar head
and tuning pegs. And;
2. The car is curved.


I went in via the single rider line
and there were only two people in it.
Soon I was comfortably seated in
my 24 seat limo.
I was practically giddy with glee!

After the ride, I went and righted a wrong.
When Kay and I were here
the previous year,
she had purchased some
Aerosmith guitar picks with
her own money.

Somewhere between the
RNRC gift shop and home,
the picks went missing.
She was not a happy girl.

So I took out a second mortgage
on the house and bought
five of them (one of each colour.)


I didn't dawdle too long though, since
1. I didn't have any money left. And;
2. I had a FP that would expire soon.
Best get a move on.

I sashayed off down Sunset Blvd.
with a quick stop to grab a snap.

For whatever reason, Kay just loved this light.
Why not? It is kinda cool.

I crossed Hollywood Blvd.,
skirted Echo Lake and soon...

Star Tours hove into view.
I'm not sure how something
that's stationary can "hove"
anywhere, but...

The lineups were crazy!
Thank goodness I got a FP!
I think there were about
half a dozen people in the FP line
and maybe one or two in the Standby line.

Ya know, I think I just might
have time for a quick snap.

Every time (which, granted
is not all that often) I hope
that I'll be chosen to be
the rebel spy.
I never am.
And if they keep picking kids...
I'm totally okay with that.
(well... maybe a little jealous.)

The ride was fun.
We dove inside a large derelict
ship that was being salvaged
and got stuck for a bit.
(We sat tilted at an angle for
a few seconds. It was hilarious.)

By the time I exited, it was fast
approaching my next FP window.
But since I had just done a
Star Wars themed ride,
I figured it would be a good time
to pop into the Launch Bay
and check that out.

This place is a Star Wars nerd's dream!
There's everything here that any
Star Wars aficionado could possibly want!

So I was kind of bored.

I like the movies well enough.
Well... some of them...
(I was much more interested
in Close Encounters back then.)
So it's not really my thing.
I noted the exorbitant prices
on some of the memorabilia,
shook my head in amazement and left.
Time to head over to my next FP.

I thought I'd be playing alone,
(story of my life)
but they paired me up with another Dad.
His wife and kid were in another car.
Just before we started,
we were facing each other
and the wife lifts the camera
to take a picture.
I immediately lean way over
towards my co-rider
and give her a big silly grin.
She bursts out laughing
and takes the picture.

I wonder if I'm in someone else's TR?
If you're out there,
sorry for breaking your camera.


The guy I was riding with turned out
to be a real jerk, though.
I mean he was nice and friendly,
but he beat my score
so I immediately hated him.


It's a rule.


After TSMM, I had a few minutes
to spare before my ADR.
I wandered over to GMR,
but the line was wayyyy too long.
I considered getting a FP for it,
but then remembered I still
had a FP for TOT.
It would have to wait,
because I certainly wasn't going to.

I sashayed off in the direction of the ADR.
Along the way, I popped into
Keystone Clothiers and
Mickey's of Hollywood.
I picked up a shirt for Ruby.

Not because I was missing her or anything.
No! Of course not.
It's just that she always steals
my shirts for sleeping in.
This way, maybe she'll leave mine alone.

Doubtful.

After making my self-preservationist purchase,
I made my way down the street to my ADR.

Yeah, yeah.
I did say my ADR was outside
the park.
But I didn't say that I only made one.
The other one is elsewhere.


I was seated almost immediately
and told my server was "Li'l John".
He looked the part, too.
He was big.
Easily the biggest server
I've ever had.

And one of the best.

He pulled out the chair opposite me
and recited a little poem
outlining the rules of the house.
(As soon as he said "rules"
I quickly pulled my elbows off the table.)

I really wish I'd recorded him,
the whole thing rhymed and
included admonishments for
no elbows, fighting or cussing,
among other things.


He left me with a menu
that I really didn't need
since I'd already decided
what I wanted.
Gave me a chance to take
a photo or two.

Li'l John came back and saw
the camera and took it to take
a photo of me.
Or at least he tried.
As soon as he picked it up
and aimed it at me,
I told him it wouldn't work.
<click!>

Told you.
I had the camera set up
for a long exposure.
I was trying for this shot:

Which, granted, is a lousy picture,
but it was funny at the time.
He gave up with the photo taking
and took my order.
I didn't have long to wait
before he showed up with my drink.
Or I should say... drinks.
I guess he knew it was hot out,
so without asking, he brought me
two glasses of Vanilla Coke.

And not long after that...

... the food arrived.

Onion rings and a Caesar salad.
It took everything in me to not
order the fried chicken.
Oh, I wanted it.
Don't get me wrong.
But I really didn't want a big meal.
Two reasons.
Which will become apparent
in a little bit, I think.


The Caesar salad was... boring.
I probably should've asked for
some more dressing on the side.
Since there was almost none
on the salad.
But I didn't really care.
The whole reason I was here was...

Years ago, I'd been told that the best
onion rings were at Flame Tree
and 50s Prime Time.
I had made a note to try them.
And it never happened!
Several times!
So this time... This time!
I was bound and determined to try some.

And.
Oh. My. God.
Now I'm not a huge fan of onion rings.
Sometimes I feel like some
and am usually disappointed.
But these. These were amazing!
I may have to make another trip
to 50s just for those rings.


When I had finished,
Li'l John said.
"It's hot out, would you like
a Vanilla Coke to go?"
I was so surprised that he asked
that at first I didn't know what to say.
"That's a yes." He announced,
and brought me a Coke to go.

The bill came to $25.03
with pre-calculated
"Suggested tip" amounts of
18% - $4.23 and
20% - $4.70

I left $7.50 and a note
saying he'd made my day.
And he had!

I headed out and figured
it was about time to skedaddle.
But first I popped into
one of the many, many
gift shops and snagged
an Aurora mug for Elle.
(Her favourite Princess)
The CM at the till was
from Haiti, I believe.
I chatted with her in French.
Hers was better than mine.
I asked her to send the mug
off to the resort.

That taken care of,
I sashayed down
Hollywood Blvd towards
the exit.
And then stopped dead.

Wait. Did I get Ruby's shirt?
Or had I just looked at it?
I did, didn't I?

I turned around.
I don't have it.
Did I buy it or not?
Yeah. I remember that.
Shoot! Did I leave it in 50s?
Crap!
I started back towards the restaurant.

Wait.....
Dang it!
I don't have it because I sent
that off to the resort too!

Sheesh.


Speaking of resort,
I better get a move on.
Places to go! Buses to catch!


Just as I was getting close to
the bus stop, I saw an ASMu
bus go by.
Dang it!
If I hadn't stopped to turn around
and wonder about Ruby's shirt,
I would've caught it!

So... is this one on Disney? Or on me?
I arrived at the stop at 12:18pm.
A few minutes later, an ASMo bus pulled up.
Hmmm.... should I take that?
It's not that far of a walk from
ASMo to ASMu.
I walked over.
"Do you know when the next
ASMu bus is coming?" I asked.
Yes.
I know.
I actually asked a bus driver
for information.



Desperate times...
He told me that one would be coming
"any minute".

Uh, huh.
Sure, buddy. I just saw one go by
five minutes ago.

For whatever reason, I believed him
and decided to wait.
It may also have been because I wasn't
exactly sure how to get from ASMo to ASMu.
I'd already gotten a little lost once today.

Anyway, it didn't really matter
since the bus to ASMu showed up at 12:26pm.
Wait time: 8 minutes.
Total to date: 35 minutes.
Eight minutes.
Well, I decided that since I was the one
who'd been late to the bus stop,
I'd forgive Disney for their tardiness.

I got to the resort by 12:38,
zipped over to my room,
grabbed what I'd forgotten
and was back at the bus stop by 12:42.
I'm so glad I have that VIP package...
The bus for Springs arrived a short
four minutes later at 12:46.
Total wait time now: 39 minutes.


Going to Springs wasn't even
on my radar when I planned this trip.
But a tip from @franandaj
(as well as a couple others, I believe,
but Alison was first) led me here:

As many of you know,
I own a Harley and make it
a habit of visiting Harley stores.
Every Harley store has their own
unique poker chip with the name
and location stamped on it.
I collect them.
I'll also buy a T-shirt
provided I find one I like.
The poker chip is a must,
the shirt is an "if".


(And I've said this before,
but for those who may have missed it,
I do not wish for poker chips
from stores that I haven't been to.
I like to point to my small,
yet ever growing collection
and say "I've been to all of those!"
So if you were thinking of sending
me one from where you live...
Thank you very much for the thought,
but just tell me that you have a store
near you... and maybe I'll show up
in person to collect! )


This time, I found two
shirts that I liked.
But only one in my size.
I wandered over to the counter,
grabbed a poker chip
(They're almost always by the cashier)
and asked if they might have my size
in the back?
The nice girl at the counter said
she'd go and look.

I checked my watch.
Holy crap! I've gotta run!
My next ADR was coming right up.
I waited impatiently for the girl
to come back.


Come on! Come on!
How long does it take to check
on a crummy T-shirt?


(Notice how I've gone from
happy to find two shirts
and a nice staff member
to wishing she'd just
hurry the heck up
and forget it?)


Seven hours later,
or maybe it was less than a minute.


No, pretty sure it was seven hours.



Seven hours later,
the girl comes back with a
shirt in my size.
Great! Now hurry up and ring them in!
I asked them to send the shirts to the resort,
but grabbed the poker chip.
I didn't want to risk something that small
going missing.
It can too easily fall out of the bag unnoticed
and there was no way I could come back.

It seemed to take forever for her to
do the paperwork to ship to the resort.
As soon as she was done,
I quick-walked/jogged to the bus stop,
arriving at 1:34pm.
My ADR was for 2pm.
Tight.

Continued in following post​

 

[pkondz]

Continued from previous post​

For once, my VIP transportation
package failed me.
It took an eternity for the bus to come.
Hours! Days! Weeks!
It finally arrived at 1:44.
Ten freaking minutes!
Are you kidding me?!?!?


Sorry, I don't have time
to total up the transportation time.
Way too much in a rush.

Oh... crap!
An older couple with an ECV just drove up.
Guess I have time now.
Total wait time now: 49 minutes.

Ten minutes... grumble, grumble.

The driver got the ECV squared away
and we were soon heading over to
either the Yacht Club or the Beach Club.
I didn't know which one we'd get to first,
and I didn't really care.
First come, first exiting.


We crossed the canal to the Yacht Club
where I spotted a gator slowly swimming along.
Huh. I wonder if they'll trap it, or just leave it.
I really don't know.


I didn't have time to think about it as
the bus pulled up to the bus stop.
I bolted out of my seat
and charged through the resort.
Make a quick left, zip down the path
and Boom! Made it!
Crap! 2:08pm! Eight minutes late!
I nonchalantly moseyed up to the CM
at the podium in front of Beaches & Cream.
"Hi! I have a reservation for pkondz?"

I don't know why I do that.
I always say that like a question.
It's not.
I know I have a reservation.
And I know what name I reserved
it under.
But I always do.
Maybe I need to be more assertive.
"I have a reservation for pkondz,
so in your face!... Wench! Fetch my table!"

That works.
I should try it.


The wench handed me a buzzer
and told me it would be a few minutes.

I didn't actually mind.
Gave me a chance to sit
and catch my breath.

She called my name
(the buzzer didn't go off)
just a few minutes later.

When I originally decided to
go to Disney,
(read: Ruby let me.)
I was already well within
my ADR window.
There were two ADRs that
I couldn't make.
1. Beaches & Cream. And;
2. Wishes Dessert Party.

Nevertheless, I kept checking
on an almost daily basis,
hoping that someone would cancel.

And someone did.
For September 17th at 4pm.
Right in the middle of my
(hoped for) DISmeet.

While I pondered whether or not
to reschedule the meet,
(ultimately deciding that it
was too much of a chore to do so.)
the availability disappeared.
Oh, well. Easy come.... no ice cream.

But I kept checking.
And then, on September 6th,
(a little over a week before departure)
at 6:00pm, a spot opened.
I didn't hesitate this time.
I grabbed it.
After I did, I figured out
if and how it would work.
And that's how that happened.

I never did see an opening
for the dessert party though.
Ah well.

Once I was seated, I grabbed the menu
and proceeded to agonize over my order.

I really, really wanted another No Way José.
But... well, I knew I wouldn't come close
to finishing it.
And... it would be fun to try something new.

Banana split it is.

Mine! All mine! Mine!!!!
HANDS OFF!!!!

Sorry.

And sorry if you got an electric shock
from licking your screen.

I know I did.
Get a shock that is.

Worth it.

Well, not really.
I didn't taste the Banana Split.

But I did then!
And boy was it goooood!


It didn't take very long
before it looked like this:

Poor thing.
Mortally injured.
At least it gave its life for a good cause.

I might have been able to finish it,
maybe, but I didn't want to be full.
I had a tour coming up soon
and who wants to tour while
trying not to vomit?
Not I.
At least not often.


After not finishing my meal,
I sashayed off back to Epcot.
Didn't get lost this time, too.
After passing through bag check,
I once again had to go through
extra security.
Drop off bag,
empty pockets,
walk through metal detector.

It's kind of a ride itself.
"Step right up folks!
Take a chance and see
if you can ring the bell!"

Love the prize, too.
They let you in the park.


I really don't mind.
Really I don't.
I will gladly subject myself
to going through a detector
if that means extra safety
on the other side.


I made my way to Future World.
I had a few minutes to kill
and I wanted to check out a
new (to me) attraction.

I'd heard very little about Colortopia,
other than it was a minor diversion.

There are three stages to this.
The first thing you do is enter a round room
that changes colours as you stand.
There's a narration that discusses how
colours... well, colour our lives.
After, you exit out into this area:

There are two things to do here.
In the back, where those people are,
you can push buttons that make
the multi-coloured discs spin.
It lets you see how the colours look
when they're "blended" together.
I spent a grand total of five seconds
playing with it.

The other part is the two podiums
in the foreground.
There are paint buckets suspended
above the podium and the "paint"
changes colours.
Your job is to match the colour by sliding
the red, blue and green toggles.
First one wins.
That was more fun.
I spent a good 30 seconds there.
Maybe a whole minute.


I thought that was it,
but then you're herded into another room.
There you are given a paintbrush
and then ushered into another room.
In this room, the walls are covered in
line drawings like what you'd see in
a colouring book.
You "dip" your brush into a lighted pot
and the brush glows in that colour.
You then touch a spot on the wall
and a section of the drawing will
be coloured in.

There is a time limit, which isn't enough
to completely finish your masterpiece.
I believe I was told that you could
download your design and/or play it online.
I didn't really pay attention.
Maybe if you have littles, you might.

Would I do this again? No.
Was I glad I did it?
If I hadn't been killing time,
I might have been annoyed at
the time I'd wasted.
But otherwise, it was... okay.


I still had time to kill,
so I made a FP for SE, ASAP.
I wandered over and...
it probably wouldn't have made
too much of a difference
if I didn't have a FP.
I only passed a few souls.
Still.... I did pass them.
And that's always satisfying.
Mind you, it doesn't have
quite the cachet as
elbowing people out of the way.


I rode SE and marveled at...
the fact that this was only the
second ride I've done at Epcot
and I've been here twice now!

I relaxed, listened to Dame Judi Dench,
waved to my Dad, saw my future,
you know... the usual.

By the time I exited the ride,
it was past time to get going.
I headed straight out of the park
without delay.
I had to be at the meeting point
at 4:15 and it was already
after 4:00.
As it turned out, I could've
taken my time.
There were others who didn't show
until well after the meet time
and they were brought to us
while we were already well
into the tour.

Once the tour was done,
I was hungry and that was a good thing
since it was going to be my first
time experiencing Food & Wine.

I had a list of...

What?


You want to know about the tour?
But I've done it before
(and written about it)
so I didn't want to bore you with...

What's that?
You want to know anyway?


Well.... okay, I suppose I could.



I arrived at the tour meeting spot
just outside Guest Services.
I was right on time,
just a minute or two before
the meet time of 4:15pm.

Right on cue, I and a few others
were gathered up and brought backstage.
Once again, since I'd had such an amazing
time last time, I was doing the
Epcot DiveQuest tour.

This tour allows those with Scuba
certification to dive in The Seas aquarium.


Keenan, our tour guide,
had us all sign waivers
and give him our dive certification cards.
(This was what I'd forgotten
back at the resort.)

There were a few missing,
so he filled the time by telling
us some anecdotes and details and...

Yeah. No. He didn't.
There was this one guy,
a grandfather with his two
grandsons, who was an instructor
and insisted on telling his boring
dive stories.

I don't mind a good story.
Too bad his... weren't.

And his grandkids interrupted
Keenan too.
Like grandfather like grandsons,
I guess.
I put up with it, knowing that
they couldn't talk underwater.

We waited around for a bit
for the two stragglers
who hadn't shown up yet
but eventually we moved on.
A CM stayed behind to wait
just in case.
(They did eventually show up,
probably about 30 minutes late.)


As we were touring, Keenan kept
cracking jokes.
I really enjoyed his enthusiasm!
Of course I would've enjoyed it
more if grandpa and co. would've
shut up, but...

We were inside, by the food prep
areas when Keenan pointed
to two rooms and said
"This is where I failed at love
and failed at relationships."
The rooms were labeled
"Chemistry" and "Husbandry".

He also pointed out
"the world's cleanest kitchen".
The kitchen is all stainless steel
and is hosed down completely...
I think he said, "daily".

There was a whiteboard
that listed all the fish
and their diets.
Keenan mentioned that in the wild,
sharks typically eat once a week,
whereas here, they were fed
every second day.
He said they were pretty much overfed.
I found that comforting.
I did not ask if they'd been fed today.
I didn't want to know if they hadn't.


Still. Overfed you say?


Someone asked about the rays
and if they had barbs.
(Everyone remember Steve Irwin?)
Keenan told us that the barbs are trimmed.
"The rays get mani/pedis. Some places
remove them surgically, but I think that's barbaric."


I'm going to wait, while you think about that.


I don't think the two young kids got it,
but I cracked up.


We then went over to where
the manatees hang out.
He did say that they hated him.
He had a high pitched voice,
so maybe that's why?
Dunno. Either way, the manatees
avoided the area while he was there.

The manatee backstage area
is really interesting.
There's a skylight above that can
be opened and a hoist can lift
(or lower) the manatees that have
been brought in (or are being released.)
The floor of the pool was variable,
and could go from a depth of 15 feet
to zero.


Eventually, we were taken to the change rooms
and we changed into our suits, booties
and shorty neoprene wetsuits.
We then trekked up to the surface
of the tank and checked out the dolphins.
We were told to stay at least 10 feet
away from their area when diving.
They didn't want to rescue us while
a playful dolphin grabbed
a regulator hose or pressure gauge.


The previous time I dove here,
I had a CM shadow me during my dive.
I didn't notice this until after the dive,
when I viewed the video.
Also, last time, when we submerged,
we followed the leader around the tank
and then went on our merry way.
It was a bit different this time.

We all sat on the two steps leading into the water.
"Okay. Is everybody buddied up?"
A cardinal rule when scuba diving is you
always dive with a buddy.
Of course I was alone, so I didn't have one.
"Okay." Points at me. "You can buddy up with ____."
(Points at a CM diver.)
Fine by me. Follow me around as much as you want.

But then the grandpa had to talk.
I don't blame him.
He'd been quiet for seconds already.
"I'm diving with my one grandson here
and my other grandson sitting over there."
Then everyone sort of motioned to their partners.
"Okay." The dive master said. "So you,"
nods at me. 'Will be with them?"

What? Who? With who? What?

"Okay! Let's go diving!"

1. Who am I paired up with? And;
2. You really like to say "okay" a lot.

"Okay. What we're going to do." He continued.
"Is meet up at the bottom and I want you all
to go on your knees on the Mickey head."
(There's a Mickey head made out of larger rocks.)
"The cameraman will swim up to you
and you can wave or whatever you want.
Then I'll lead you on a tour,
we'll meet back at the Mickey head,
I'll give you a sign
and then you can buddy up
and be off on your own.
If you get low on air, just come up
and we'll swap out your tank for a new one.
The record for most air used is four tanks,
but I don't think you guys will use that much.
Okay? Let's go!"


And with that, we all popped into the water and headed down.


I still didn't know who I was buddied up with,
but figured once we were told to join up,
the people/person looking expectantly at me
would be my buddy/buddies.

We descended the 28 feet to the bottom.
I arrived at the Mickey head
and was busy for a couple of seconds
making adjustments to my buoyancy vest.
Have you ever worn a scuba/snorkel mask?
You have a bit of tunnel view, right?
Peripheral vision is going to be hampered a bit.
Well, I was kneeling on the bottom,
looking down and making my adjustments.
When I finished, I looked up.
Looked left...
other divers settling in.
Looked straight...
there's the dive master, the videographer,
a couple other CM divers.
Looked right.



Ya know, I'm kinda glad I listened
to Keenan when he was telling us
details about the aquarium.
Especially the feeding schedules.

I kid you not,
when I turned my head...
less than an arm's length away...

this is what I saw:

It was just.... there,
a six or seven foot sand tiger shark,
slowly gliding by.
In about 15 - 20 seconds
it had swum by.
But... having its head
right beside mine when I turned...

I'm still a little surprised
that I didn't shoot for the surface
with a brown stream trailing behind me.

But all I did was think...

"Huh."

Well, since I didn't get eaten,
might as well enjoy the dive.


We went for our tour around the tank,
and all the while, I was just itching
to strike out and start having fun.
We toured, we were videoed
and then we re-gathered at the Mickey head.
The dive master signaled to us to buddy up
and disperse.
Everyone quickly scattered... leaving me
sitting there on the bottom.

The dive master kinda looked surprised for a bit,
then signed to me "You okay?" I gave him a nod
and an "okay" sign.
He indicated that I should just go off on my own.
Why not. It's relatively shallow and there were
other CM divers around if I got into trouble.
(I can't think what kind of trouble
I might get into, but...

Hey! Stop biting my leg!!)


I spent the next 30 - 35 minutes doing what
I'd been waiting for.
You might think it was exploring on my own
or checking out the marine life.
Oh, I did that too, but the best part?
Interacting with Disney guests.

I would start by swimming to the bottom
and visiting the people dining at The Coral Reef.
I'd swim by each window, pausing as people
took photos and waving to the kids
(and kids at heart.)

There were people near the window,
but kids farther back would be waving
like crazy, too.
I tried to wave to all of them.
I'd then swim upwards and around
to the observation areas and play
patty cake with kids and pose for photos.
I did this several times.

I just love doing that.
I totally get why people want to work there.
Interacting with the guests is the best.


Along with the various fish in the tank,
there are three Loggerhead sea turtles
and one Green sea turtle.
Both times that I've been in the tank,
all they've done is sleep on the bottom.
You're not allowed to touch them
so they basically just get ignored.
I mean once you see them, sitting there...
they're kinda boring.

However.

On one of my circuits, I happened to notice
one of the turtles getting some air
at the top of the tank.
The dive master just happened to be
between the turtle and myself.
I started to swim up towards the turtle.
The dive master saw me coming towards "him"
and signaled asking if I was all right.
I assured him I was and pointed to the turtle.
I came to a rest a few feet underwater
and fairly close to the dive master.
We both watched the turtle.
The turtle was.... exactly like Crush.

Probably stoned.

The turtle finished getting air
and started to majestically glide
effortlessly through the water...
until it effortlessly glided head first
right into a pier that was jutting out
into the water.

<bonk>

I burst out laughing!
(No easy feat when you're breathing
through a regulator.)
The dive master just sadly shook his head.

Eventually, I noticed that I was running
low on air.
I surfaced and swam over to the deck.
"Are you okay?" A CM asked.
I told him I was okay, just out of air.
He checked the time and said.
"You might as well come out,
by the time we switch tanks,
it'll be time anyway."
I looked at my watch. 6:13pm.
The dive ends at 6:15pm.
At least I didn't have to use 4 tanks!
I got my gear off, retrieved my glasses...

Oh. I forgot to mention that.
You can supply your own mask,
or Disney will provide one.
They had prescription masks,
which was great!

... and hauled my butt out of the pool.
I really didn't want it to end,
but all good things...


I spent the next few minutes
watching the dolphins while
the others gradually joined me.
We trekked back to the change rooms,
showered, dressed and then gathered
to watch the video they'd shot of us.

Unfortunately, this was disappointing.
At least for me.
They got one shot of me on the guided tour,
and one other of me swimming by...
and that was it.
I didn't buy the video this time.

And that was the tour.


But the day wasn't over yet!
I had an appetite after the swim,
and Food & Wine was beckoning!

The first place I tried, was due to
@TheLittleKatie 's advice.
I made a bee-line for Hawaii
and tried the Kalua Pork Slider
(with Sweet and Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney
and Spicy Mayonnaise.)

It may not look like much,
indeed, it may not even look good.
But trust me... this thing was soooo good.
Thanks so much for the tip, Katie!

I might have gone back for seconds,
but I wanted to try other things.
I had read that you should make a list
before you go, otherwise you could fill up
on too much of things you'd rather not have
and be too full when you got to the things
that you did want to have.


My next stop was Farm Fresh
where I tried the Loaded Mac ‘n’ Cheese
(with Pepper Bacon, Cheddar Cheese,
Peppers and Green Onions)
and the Chicken and Dumplings
(Stewed Chicken with Mushrooms and Spinach.)
I also decided to try the Florida Orange Groves
Mango Mama Wine, which wasn't bad!

The chicken and dumplings were a bit
of a disappointment however.
They were okay... but... pedestrian.
The mac 'n' cheese was better,
but not as good as you'd think.
I would have seconds of that,
but not of the chicken.

I sashayed along until I came to China.
I got in the line and waited my turn.
As I rounded a bend in the line,
I looked up and noticed someone
standing on the other side of the rope.
I very nonchalantly said.
"Hi Katie."

I said it nonchalantly,
but on the inside I was:

"OMG! OMG! OMG! IT'S KATIE!!!"

Yes, it was @TheLittleKatie and Jamie!
Katie looked perplexed for a second,
and then recognized me
and without a second's thought
we both reached over and hugged.
It was so good to see her!
Katie introduced me to Jamie
and we just started chatting
like long lost friends.
I don't know about her,
but as far as I was concerned,
it was wonderful meeting them.

The line kept moving, however,
and soon it was my turn to order.
After I got my food,
I grabbed a table and was prepared
to share, but Katie is obviously
a good judge of character
and I didn't see them again that night.

We were scheduled to meet again, however,
so I wasn't overly concerned about stalking...
I mean seeing them again.


So instead I turned to my food.
I had ordered the Beijing Roasted Duck
(in a Steamed Bun with Hoisin Sauce)
and the Black Pepper Shrimp with Garlic Noodles.

Unfortunately, I found the duck
to be chewy and just so-so.
The shrimp was good, if a bit dry.
I think I enjoyed the noodles more.


Time for something new to drink
that had been on my list for a bit.
I stopped and purchased
a Strawberry Oolong slush.
I think it was @Steppesister
that suggested that one.

mmmm.... good.
Which kinda surprised me.
I like sweet ice tea,
but otherwise, I'm not a tea fan.
This had very little tea taste to it.
So... that makes it yummy.

I sipped my tea and sashayed off
in the direction of the American pavilion.
I wanted to find a decent spot
to photograph Illuminations.


I found a spot beside a trash can
and set my drink on it.
Hardly five minutes had gone by
when I was told by a CM that
I shouldn't stay there.
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because that trash is emptied
every few minutes." She replied.
"Especially during Food & Wine."

Ah. Good point.
I moved a few feet away.


A few minutes later, a woman
came up to me and asked for
directions to view the show.
I basically told her
(since there was no wind)
that pretty much anywhere was
a good spot.
She stayed.

I took a warm-up photo
mostly to get in focus.

Pretty soon it began to grow darker
and show time approached.

Yup. Still in focus.


And finally, the show started.

I was trying different focal lengths
for this show
and unfortunately, I guessed wrong
at what I was going to need.

Now, lucky you, you get to suffer
through a bunch of mediocre
Illuminations photos.
Just be glad I only posted some of them.

I got lucky here and noticed during
a lull that the fireworks at DHS (I presume)
were going off.

Okay, I've tortured you enough.
Ha! Like this whole TR isn't torture already!
Talk about rubbing salt in the wound!


Once the show was finished,
I put the sashaying away
and put on my overdrive speed walking shoes.
I can move really quickly when I want to...

And I wanted to.

I zipped and dodged and darted
through the crowd.
Remember, I was all the way
on the other side of the lagoon
near the American pavilion.

I got to the bus stop at 9:33pm.
I may not necessarily get on a bus
right away, but I'm still going
to be ahead of several hundred others.

Besides, if I hadn't boogied,
I would've missed the bus
that arrived at 9:35pm.
Two minute wait.
Total wait time to date: 51 minutes

I was back at the resort by 9:53pm
and in my room by 9:55pm.

Phew! Got lots done today!
I put my gear away, plugged in
the camera battery to charge,
plugged in my iPod to charge...
And then discovered something missing.

Remember how I kept the Harley Davidson
poker chip so it wouldn't get lost?

Well, that backfired spectacularly!


Wonderful. I was less than impressed.

At that point, I didn't know if
I was going to have time to make a
return visit to the Harley store to replace it,
or if it would have to wait for another visit.

Poop.

Who knew that there would be
a surprise twist to that?




Contest


My Big Fat Canadian Bonus:
I ride Disney transportation
nineteen times this trip.

What is my total time spent waiting
for Disney Transportation?

Wait times guesses closed.

Guesses:
(Total time to date: 51 minutes)
Gracefulskinny - 60
Thumper_Man - 72
queenbetsey - 78
Mrs T 2009 - 86
MAGICFOR2 - 94
jandlinz - 96
DaisyDuck001 - 103
franandaj - 111
Terra Nova guy - 116
afwdwfan - 123
juniorbugman - 124
Mac Brew - 127
Heluvsme - 128
Thumper_Man's Wife - 130
chookie94 - 132
Steppesister - 135
kaileighbug - 137
SnowWhiteOz - 138
irene_dsc - 139
tashers - 144
rndmr2 - 146
fallonkendra - 150
Captain_Oblivious - 153
Chrystmasangel - 158
bankr63 - 165
DonnaBeeGood - 167
cinderkelly - 175
Curiouser&curiouser! - 177
orangecats2 - 180
vrajewski10513 - 182
DISNEYMOON10121991 - 184
chillitsanne - 196
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - 234



Answers to previous questions:
1. Do I sleep in?
Answer: Nope. 2 points.

2. What time do I wake up?
Answer: 6:30.
Nailed it - 8 points.
Within 15 - 4 points.
Within 30 - 2 points.
Within 60 - 1 point.

3. Which park am I first off to today?
Answer: Epcot. 4 points.

4. How many times do I visit the nice folks
at bag check?
Answer: 3. 4 points.

5. How many times am I asked for directions?
Answer: 1. 2 points.

6. What time do I get to my room
at the end of the day this time?
Answer: 9:55pm.
Within 5 minutes - 8 points.
Within 15 minutes - 4 points.
Within 30 minutes - 2 points.
Within 60 minutes - 1 points.

7. I use a new method of getting
from one park to another. What is it?
Answer: Walk. 4 points.

8. As a matter of fact I do have an ADR.
Guess the one that’s not in any park or in Springs.
Answer: Beaches & Cream. 8 points.

9. What wild animal do I see today?
Answer: Gator. 6 points


Did you see it?
Pkondz airline sign - 4 points

What did you think of Goofy's eye?
4 points.


Guesses
jandlinz - No, 6:50, Epcot, 3, 3, 11:41, walk, Yachtman, horse, saw it, eye - 24 points.
Gracefulskinny - No, 6:00, AK, 3, 2, 1:35, cab, Ohana, gater, saw it, eye - 20 points.
DaisyDuck001 - Yes, 7:30, Epcot, 2, 3, 11:30, walk, B&C, pigeon, saw it - 21 points.
rndmr2 - No, 7:00, Epcot, 3, 4, 12:45, walk, Trattoria, bunny, saw it, eye - 24 points.
DonnaBeeGood - No, 7:40, Epcot, 2, 2, 11:15, Uber, Ohana, snake, saw it, eye - 14 points.
tashers - No, 7:15, Epcot, 2, 3, 11;30, walk, B&C, pelican, saw it - 23 points.
Mac Brew - Yes, 7:30, DHS, 3, 3, 10:25, taxi, Ohana, deer, saw it, eye - 15 points.
Mrs T 2009 - No, 8:00, Epcot, 2, 3, 10:30, Uber, B&C, lizard, saw it - 19 points.
kaileighbug - No, 7:00, Epcot, 3, 3, 11:30, taxi, Kona, gator - 16 points.
Captain_Oblivious - No, 6:30, DHS, 2,1, 11:04, walk, Yachtman, ducks, saw it, eye - 24 points.
Curiouser&curiouser! - No, 7:00, DHS, 5, 3, 10:45, walk, B&C, bunny, eye - 21 points.
fallonkendra - No, 7:00, Epcot, 3, 3, 11:00, walk, B&C, squirrel, saw it, eye - 32 points.
irene_dsc - No, 6:15, DHS, 2, 3, 11:45, walk, B&C, gull, saw it, eye - 26 points
afwdwfan - No, 7:00, DHS, 2, 3, 10:30, walk, B&C, duck, saw it, eye - 25 points.
mustinjourney - No, 6:45, AK, 3, 3, 12:00, walk, Boma, gator - 18 points.
cinderkelly - No, 6:30, DHS, 2, 3, 11:00, walk, B&C, duck, saw it - 26 points.
franandaj - No, 7:00, 3, 3, 11:47, walk, B&C, duck, saw it, eye - 28 points.
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - No, 6:50, DHS, 2, 3, 11:30, walk, Yachtman, stork, saw it, eye - 16 points.
Heluvsme - Yes, 7:00, Epcot, 3, 3, 12:50, walk, Ohana, gator, saw it - 22 points.
Ladyfish77 - eye - 4 points.
queenbetsey - Yes, 7:30, DHS, 3, 3, 10:30, walk, B&C, squirrel - 18 points.
chookie94 - Yes, 7:30, DHS, 3, 2, 11:48, walk, B&C, duck, saw it, eye - 25 points.
juniorbugman - No, 7:15, DHS, 2, 2, 11:45, walk, B&C, saw it, eye - 23 points.
MAGICFOR2 - Yes, 8:10, DHS, 3, 3, 10:30, taxi, Kona, saw it - 9 points.
Terra Nova guy - Yes, 7:20, DHS, 2, 3. 11:35, walk, B&C, snake, saw it, eye - 21 points.
Thumper_Man - No, 6:30, DHS, 3, 4, 9:30, walk, Yachtman, rabbit, saw it, eye - 28 points.
Thumper_Man's wife - No, 6:00, DHS, 3, 3, 10:15, walk, Cpt Grille, squirrel, saw it, eye - 22 points.
chillitsanne - No, 6:37, Epcot, 3, 2, 12:04, walk, Ohana, snake, saw it - 22 points
Steppesister - No, 6:43, DHS, 3, 3, 11:00, walk, B&C, rabbit, saw it, eye - 30 points
DISNEYMOON10121991 - No, 6:00, DHS, 2, 2, 1:00, walk, B&C, lizard, saw it, eye - 24 points
orangecats2 - No, 6:30, Epcot, 2, 2, 10:00, walk, B&C, bunny, saw it, eye - 42 points (high score!)
Chrystmasangel - No, 6:00, DHS, 3, 3, 11:30, Uber, Cape May, squirrel, saw it, eye - 16 points
bankr63 - No, 7:15, Epcot, 3, 3, 9:45, Uber, Boma, giraffe, saw it - 19 points


As usual, if I've made any mistakes,
either above or below, let me know.


Bonus points
MAGICFOR2 - 2 points for knowing where she's going.
tashers - 2 points for waiting.
fallonkendra - 2 points for nailing question 4.
queenbetsey - 3 points for Mountie.
chillitsanne - 2 points for fancy pants.
Steppesister - 2 points oh, faithful servant.
DISNEYMOON10121991 - 2 points for the memories
Chrystmasangel - 2 points for getting the f out. 2 points for honour.

Score
orangecats2 - 85 points
Steppesister - 77 points
queenbetsey - 73 points
cinderkelly - 69 points
fallonkendra - 67 points
bankr63 - 65 points
franandaj - 64 points
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - 61 points
irene_dsc - 61 points
jandlinz - 61 points
chillitsanne - 57 points
chookie94 - 55 points
tashers - 55 points
DISNEYMOON10121991 - 54 points
Curiouser&curiouser! - 53 points
Terra Nova guy - 53 points
Thumper_Man - 52 points
juniorbugman - 49 points
rndmr2 - 49 points
Chrystmasangel - 47 points
Captain_Oblivious - 46 points
Mrs T 2009 - 44 points
Mac Brew - 41 points
Thumper_Man's Wife - 40 points
afwdwfan - 39 points
DonnaBeeGood - 38 points
Gracefulskinny - 38 points
DaisyDuck001 - 37 points
SnowWhiteOz - 30 points
SoccerDogWithEars - 30 points
vrajewski10513 - 30 points
MAGICFOR2 - 28 points
kaileighbug - 28 points
krnelson65 - 22 points
lisaviolet - 18 points
mustinjourney - 18 points
Heluvsme - 36 points
natebenma - 14 points
QueenJen - 10 points
Ladyfish77 - 4 points
Self_resqing_princz - 2 points
MHSweb79 - 1 point

Questions, next round:
1. The usual... what time do I get up?

2. How long do I wait for that first bus?

3. Which park do I visit?
Hint: It's Magic Kingdom.

4. Do I go through the metal detector again?

5. What's my first ride.
Hint: Think a little deeper. Outside the box a little.

6. Why yes, I do have a lunch ADR.
And it's in the park! Guesses?

7. I try a new-to-me ice cream treat.
What is it?

8. What ride do I FP... but don't use it.

9. What ride do I FP... and use.
Hint: I know what I said. Read it again.

Bonus: Did you see it? You did, didn't you?
I mean it was really obvious.
Be vaguely vague in your specificity.

And if you tell me when you noticed
I'll throw you a few more points.
Sometimes the obvious ones
are overlooked at first.

Coming up: Just another day in Paradise.
And... I promise the next update won't be so ginormous.
I am definitely breaking the day in two.

Chapter 5. Hey Bay-bee​