Canadian Buffoon's Solo Disney Vacation - Update 07/08! pp99 - Here today gone tomorrow

[laura74]

I know I am probably too late. I will guess Little Mermaid, which may be a lame FP+ but that ride would not have been there last time you went. You ate a pork shank at Gaston's.

 

[Sandy Mouse]

I parted ways with the pillaging and plundering of Pirates
and headed for Frontierland.
I'd heard some good things about Pecos Bill's...
and gave it a glance as I sashayed on by.
Perhaps later.

Oh no! Should I have guessed Pecos Bill's? It's also one of our favorites. After all, you did say maybe later.

Hmmm... Maybe now would be a good time for a few photos.
Yes I was hungry, but... Castle!

Squirrel!

I still felt like exploring so I ventured deeper into the area.
I spotted Gaston out and about and snapped a quick pic for the ladies.

I was so disappointed that we didn't get to see him.

The Pork Shank.
Of which many praises have been sung.
Now this... this... was a meal worthy of my hunger.


But it'll have to wait for another time.

Oh no! Should I have guessed Gaston's and the pork shank? (I would love to try this, by the way) You are tricky.

Whatevs.

Whatevs?

You'll notice that the castle is quite a distance away.
Maybe... oh... one or two hundred yards?
And yet, through the magic of Disney,
if you just walk twenty feet down the bridge,
you'll find yourself inside!

That bridge is longer than you think. Or it's all smoke and mirrors.

Maybe a minute later, a server rolled a cart up to my table.
"Mr. pkondz? French Onion soup, Braised Pork and Master's cupcake?"

I think I had the roast beef sandwich, which was pretty good. I found it hard to decide so far in advance, but we were given the chance to change our order when we got there. Now I wish I had had the braised pork.

Eventually, I finished my meal, pushed back my lone seat and set out to explore a bit.
I took a quick peek into the West Wing,
but it didn't really strike my fancy, (my fancy's good at dodge ball)
but the Rose Gallery did.

We didn't even peek. Darn! But it was November and a party night. We had just arrived in the park and were anxious to get started.

 

[KathyM2]

Under the sea was under refurb?? Didn't they just build that thing? I will throw in a guess...have to go with Jungle Cruise too...I'm too new at this but it's what I'd pick

 

[pkondz]

Wow, I figured I was out of the running for sure. Been recovering from my trip, and getting ready for the meet next weekend, so haven't been able to spend too much time on the boards.

Welcome back!

Guess for next meal? BLT Waffle Fries at Golden Oak Outpost

Ride? Jungle Cruise (hey, it sounds good)

Okay, got 'em!

Oh, and I did get one more pineapple soft serve on my trip.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_RuE6uhgsmONmJHSm9RWGhxWTQ/view?usp=sharing

So cruel... posting that.
So... cruel...

I know I am probably too late.

Nope! But....

I will guess Little Mermaid, which may be a lame FP+ but that ride would not have been there last time you went. You ate a pork shank at Gaston's.

Got your guesses, and it's almost too late, but...

It can't be any ride that I've been on, or is being refurbed,
or will kill me, or is down or...
Just, none of these:

Pooh, 7DMT, HM, BTMRR, POC, PP, Philharmagic... all ridden (or seen)
I've ruled out Magic Carpets.
Space is a no-no for sore necks.
Splash was down.
Under the sea was being refurbed.

But I'm posting tonight! So if ya snooze, ya lose.

Oh no! Should I have guessed Pecos Bill's? It's also one of our favorites. After all, you did say maybe later.

Maybe...

Squirrel!

Exactly!

I was so disappointed that we didn't get to see him.

Well, me too kind of.
I would've loved to have seen some interactions
with guests who weren't terrified of him.

Oh no! Should I have guessed Gaston's and the pork shank? (I would love to try this, by the way) You are tricky.

Maybe...

Whatevs?

Same.

That bridge is longer than you think. Or it's all smoke and mirrors.

I'm going to go with long smoky mirrors.

I think I had the roast beef sandwich, which was pretty good. I found it hard to decide so far in advance, but we were given the chance to change our order when we got there. Now I wish I had had the braised pork.

Well, I can't tell you if the braised pork is better or worse than the sandwich,
but it was certainly good!

We didn't even peek. Darn! But it was November and a party night. We had just arrived in the park and were anxious to get started.

That's understandable.
You'll just have to make another trip, right?

Under the sea was under refurb?? Didn't they just build that thing?

YES!!

I will throw in a guess...have to go with Jungle Cruise too...I'm too new at this but it's what I'd pick

Okay. Got the ride.... How about where and what did I eat?
Time's running out, though....

 

[bankr63]

Well, me too kind of.
I would've loved to have seen some interactions
with guests who weren't terrified of him.

OMG, we had the best one when we were walking by. A little princess in all her finery (probably about 6 or 7) putting that rogue in his place.

Gaston: "Why I am the handsomest in the land and Belle will have my hand in marriage"
Princess: "No your NOT! She doesn't love YOU! YOU will not marry her!

This went on for several minutes, with the princess near apoplectic. The princess' parents (the king and queen?) were nearly in tears and rolling on the ground. Gaston played his part to a tee. It was a priceless Disney moment, and in hindsight I sure wish I had thought to take some video.

If Belle needs a lady in waiting, that princess merits serious consideration for her defence of her lady's honor.

ETA - you know as a dad of a teenage girl, I kind of wish my daughter had this much spunk. I don't think this girl's dad has anything to worry about the boys taking advantage. She already knows how to put the boys in their place.

 

[orangecats2]

I'm waiting!!! I'm ready to go to bed! Come oooooonnnnn already!

Still sick. Went to doctor. Thinks I have ear infections. Have to take a Z pack.

 

[pkondz]

OMG, we had the best one when we were walking by. A little princess in all her finery (probably about 6 or 7) putting that rogue in his place.

Gaston: "Why I am the handsomest in the land and Belle will have my hand in marriage"
Princess: "No your NOT! She doesn't love YOU! YOU will not marry her!

This went on for several minutes, with the princess near apoplectic. The princess' parents (the king and queen?) were nearly in tears and rolling on the ground. Gaston played his part to a tee. It was a priceless Disney moment, and in hindsight I sure wish I had thought to take some video.

If Belle needs a lady in waiting, that princess merits serious consideration for her defence of her lady's honor.

Great story! Believe it or not, I'm almost positive I've seen a video very similar to that.
Hang on, I'm going to see if I can find it.
BRB.

Got it!

ETA - you know as a dad of a teenage girl, I kind of wish my daughter had this much spunk. I don't think this girl's dad has anything to worry about the boys taking advantage. She already knows how to put the boys in their place.

But it doesn't last. Hormones creep in and poof. Crying, laughing, screaming, pouting, giggling.... all in the span of about six seconds.

I'm waiting!!! I'm ready to go to bed! Come oooooonnnnn already!

Just got in. Gimme five minutes
(Unless you're already sleeping... then I guess it doesn't matter.)

Still sick. Went to doctor. Thinks I have ear infections. Have to take a Z pack.

Ugh. That doesn't sound like fun. Do your ears hurt? Or is it deeper in the sinus?
Hope you start feeling better!

Ummm... Hey! How about if I give you something to read!

 

[pkondz]

Little dog lost


We last left our inept explorer happily sashaying off to his next ride.
He had a fast pass and that time was fast approaching.

It was at this juncture in the TR that our hero chose to stop being an @$$
and to quit referring to himself in the third person.


Trust me. One of me is enough.
You really, really don't want three of me.

(I would make this TR three times as long!)
(No you wouldn't.)
(Yes. Yes he would.)

Bonus points to anyone who can tell me what I just did there.
Because I'm quite proud of myself for doing it.
That's why.


In short order, I found myself entering the FP+ line.
Which is awesome, because I once was (100 years ago)
a short order cook.
So that works.
As did I.
(Now I just look for ways to goof off.)

It still took 10 minutes to board my yacht.

Really, don't you think Jungle Cruise boats should be called yachts?
Hmmmm..... guess not...
I just looked up the definition and it has to be non-commercial use.

Boat it is, then.

The skipper was... okay.
Not fabulous, not bad.
He told the same litany of corny jokes
(Don't get me wrong, I like 'em.)
and he tried to be engaging and funny.
Just.... I can't really put my finger on it.
(Which would've gotten me arrested... or a date.)

Oh, well.
Let's just say the cruise was "fine" and move on.

Sorry, no pictures.
I just enjoyed the ride.
Plus, if you really, really want to see Jungle Cruise pictures...
Just Google.
There's over 4.62 bajillion photos of fake critters out there.


Exiting Jungle Cruise, I went to see if I could grab another fast pass.
I saw what was available and a sly grin creased my face.

"Heh. No... I couldn't... No one would believe I'd... should I? Yes. Yes I will."

I punched buttons, held up my wrist and voila.
New fast pass for.... well, wait and see, I guess.
Suffice to say, the only... ONLY! reason I got this...
Was for you guys.


I had some time before my next FP+ window so I contemplated my navel.
No! I contemplated what to do next.
"Sir? Could you please put your shirt down? You're scaring the children."

I get that a lot.


A lot.


I thought about getting another Dole whip float,
but didn't want to ruin my appetite so I decided to skip it.

I know.
Sometimes I do stupid things.


There was something that I had possibly never seen.
I say "possibly" because I honestly don't recall if I have or haven't.
I've seen bits of it on TV, so it may be from that where I get
what little memory I have of it.
If I have seen it... well, it would be at least twenty three years,
or seven presidents ago.

Yes, I went to the Hall of Presidents.

(For those wondering... "Hey! Shouldn't that be four presidents?"
I last would have possibly been to Hall of Presidents in 1992.
Since then, Disney has added:
Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton (1993), W. Bush (2001) and Obama. (2009))

I entered the foyer and... didn't recognize a dang thing.
So maybe I haven't seen this?
Soon, the doors opened and we shuffled in.
There weren't too many people so I picked a row where
some folks had stopped in the middle of the aisle.
This way, I could stop near the middle too...
And not feel guilty.

It wasn't an issue anyway, there just weren't that many people there.
I didn't recognize the pre-show, narrated by Morgan Freeman,
but I knew it was new and didn't expect to.


What can I say about the Hall of Presidents, as a non US citizen.
Well, obviously I felt no patriotic swelling of emotions.
And I have no idea if my American readers do either.
I did think that it was very well done
and the animatronics were probably amongst the most realistic I'd seen.
I certainly enjoyed it.
Would I rush to see it again?
Well, no.
But I would see it again, given enough time.


When I left the Hall, I noticed that it was FP+ time.
I set out.

I got to the next destination and, well...
I guess I didn't need that FP+ after all.
The standby line was no longer than the FP+ line.
I didn't even bother with it.


And that's where it happened.


I was just standing there, minding my own business.
I wasn't humming the song from IASW
or doing anything else that would merit an attack.
I didn't fart in anyone's face, no matter how much fun that would be.
I didn't spit or curse.

And yet.

And yet...


This woman.


How can I describe how she was?

She had an attitude.
I can tell you that much.
I don't know what I did, or what I said,
but this lady got right in my face.

To say I was a little shocked would be an understatement.

I mean, I wasn't doing anything!!!


I really don't know how people like that can manage to not get kicked out of Disney.

Just so... so.... rude!

And even with a CM in the area, she wouldn't back down!


While all this was going on, I handed my camera to the CM.
I asked her to take pictures.
I mean if she wasn't going to put a stop to this woman's behaviour,
she might as well record it, right?


I guess I figured if I had a visual record, then maybe I could either;
a) Shame this, well, shameless hussy into behaving (it didn't work) or;
b) Have photographic evidence to get her tossed out of the park.


Unfortunately, I don't think the pictures really show enough.
So I didn't bother to go to guest services with my complaint.


I really don't know if I did the right thing or not.
After I got away from her, she probably went on to some other poor victim.
She had to be stopped, and I didn't do it.
I'm so ashamed.



What do you think?
Were these photos enough for me to go and file a complaint?

I can only hope that she got over whatever was bugging her
and calmed down a bit.

I'll never know.


After enduring this harrowing encounter,
I felt like it would be a good time to... eat.
Food solves lots of problems.
Disney food solves more.

As I left the building, a PP photographer handed me a card.
I really wasn't sure why since I had used my own camera
and had a magic band too.
(Yes, his photos were there later that night.)

As I sashayed away, a woman caught up to me just as I entered Main St.
"Sir! Sir! You dropped this!"
It was the photo card. I had somehow accidentally dropped it.
It was very nice of this complete stranger to run after me after I'd dropped it.
As it turns out, I didn't need it, but I didn't know that at the time.
And it certainly didn't diminish her act of kindness.
Disney does that. Brings out the best in people.


Sometime after this... and I don't recall where...
I snagged another FP+. This time for Splash.
"Great!" I thought. "They've finally got it up and running!"

I continued on my way, deeper into MK.
I was passing by, when I noticed a time.
Hmmm.... Six minutes until the show starts.
It's been a while... nine years to be semi-precise.
Why not?

Why not indeed.
It's a classic after all, right?

Now it's possible that the two green floating lights you see
are just a reflection from the wall sconces.
But I prefer to think of them as lasers coming from the bison's eyes.

Wouldn't that perk up this show a tad?
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... Terminator Country Bears!"

No?

Guess it's just me, then.


By now, the non-directionally challenged will have deduced
that I'm heading to Pecos Bill's for dinner.
And you'd be correct.
I told you I'd be here later, didn't I?
I'd heard of the fixin's bar here from several sources
(some of them you dear reader)
and when I got there... I realized I'd never been in here before either!

I ordered a burger (well.... of course. Hello!! Fixin's bar!), fries and a Coke.
Upon receiving my order, I made my way over to said fixin's bar.


Now... Don't judge me.
Oh, go ahead. Judge away.
Me telling you not to won't stop you anyway.


Maybe it was because I had other things on my mind.
Maybe it was because it had been a long day.
Maybe, even, it was because I was faint with hunger.
Yeah. I like that one. Let's go with it.
It elicits sympathy and that makes you less likely to harangue me.

Yeah. No. Probably not.
You'll still harangue me.


I always do the same thing when I go to condimentize a burger.
What? It's a good word.
My TR. I can make up words if I want to.
(And you better believe I took my time with the spelling!)


I always put sticky, liquidy stuff on the bun.
You know, like ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc.
And loose stuff goes right on the patty.
Like lettuce or pickles, or pickles or... maybe pickles.

I like pickles.


But this fixin's bar has hot items, too!
Like sautéed mushrooms and onions.
So I grabbed some of those... and put them on the bun.
I put more stuff on the patty... lettuce and other stuff.
Probably pickles.

And here's what happened.
I was off on a nice trip to la la land.
I could have... that's could have quickly flipped my bun onto my burger,
letting centripetal force hold everything in its place.

But I didn't do that.
I lazily grasped the bun in my hand and flipped it casually onto the patty.

Yeah.
Mushrooms and onions all over the tray.

...Still good though.


Would I go there again?
Heck yeah!
(Although I might change my fixin's methodology.)


The Contest

So the correct answer to the bonus questions would be:
Jungle Cruise, Pecos Bill's and a burger.

Points awarded as follows.
Two points for the correct ride
Two points for the correct restaurant.
One point for the correct meal item.
Two points for being the first to correctly guess... everything.

Here are your guesses, in order of posting and points awarded.

orangecats2 - Jungle Cruise - CHH - fish and fries - 2 points
Helovesme - POC - CHH - Fish and Chips - 0 points
ForeverDance - Buzz - Pecos Bill's - burger - 3 points
afwdwfan - Jungle Cruise - Pecos Bill's - burger - 7 points
KatMark - Jungle Cruise - CHH - Anchors Aweigh meal - 2 points
mmeb144 - Ariel meet - Cosmic Ray's - chicken tenders - 0 points
dawnbu40 - Buzz - Cosmic Ray's - - 0 points
Tracy161 - Jungle Cruise - Cosmic Ray's - burger and fries - 3 points
ursalita - Splash - CHH - Fish - 0 points
@Steppesister - Jungle Cruise - Cosmic Ray's - chicken - 2 points
DonnaBeeGood - Under the Sea - Pecos Bill's - burger - 3 points
Captain_Oblivious - Jungle Cruise - Pecos Bill's - burger - 5 points
MAGICFOR2 - Jungle Cruise - Casey's - Hot dog - 2 points
RockinDisney - Buzz - Crystal Palace or Casey's - wafer thin mint - 0 points*
Susan R - Jungle Cruise - CHH - shrimp - 2 points
RGirl - Jungle Cruise - Pecos Bill's - burger - 5 points
Scoobymoons - Jungle Cruise - CHH - shrimp - 2 points
Sandy Mouse - Jungle Cruise - CHH - salmon - 2 points
courtneybelle - Buzz - Cosmic Ray's - chicken & ribs- 0 points
bankr63 - Barnstormer - Golden Oak - waffle fries, BBQ pork & slaw - 0 points
Self_resqing_princz - - Gaston's - pork shank - 0 points
dgthree - Jungle Cruise - Golden Oak - BLT waffle fries - 2 points
laura74 - Little Mermaid - Gaston's - pork shank - 0 points
KathyM2 - Jungle Cruise - - - 2 points


And bonus, bonus points awarded as follows:

afwdwfan - 1 point for fancy wrench dodging.
mmeb144 - 1 point for even suggesting meeting Ariel.
dawnbu40 - 1 point for knowing which princess is best.
Tracy161 - 1 point for teasing and 2 points for a table for two.
DonnaBeeGood - 2 points because I like it.
MAGICFOR2 - 1 point for that's the way, unh huh, unh huh, she likes it.
and 2 points for swinging on a full count and hitting it out of the park.
orangecats2 - 1 point to help her feel better. 1 point for the kiss.
RockinDisney - *1 point for still going with wafer thin mint.
Susan R - 1 point for paying attention.
Scoobymoons - 2 points for adorbs DD pics.
Sandy Mouse - 1 point for understanding the methodology of locomotion.
courtneybelle - 1 point for charisma and 1 point for needing more photos.
Self_resqing_princz - 2 points for asking for points.
bankr63 - 1 point for the Gaston story.

Contest points so far

afwdwfan 21 points
orangecats2 18 points
Sandy Mouse 17 points
Laura74 16 points
dawnbu40 15 points
MAGICFOR2 15 points
Rgirl 14 points
Tracy161 14 points
shan23877 13 points
dgthree 10 points
ForeverDance 9 points
Scoobymoons 9 points
Captain_Oblivious 8 points
KatMark 8 points
courtneybelle 6 points
ddstratton 6 points
lisaviolet 6 points
Susan R 6 points
mmeb144 6 points
Backstage_Gal 5 points
DonnaBeeGood 5 points
RockinDisney 5 points
@Steppesister 5 points
Thumper_Man 5 points
courtneybelle 3 points
Self_resqing_princz 3 points
bankr63 2 points
KathyM2 2 points
LookinUp 2 points
TheLittleKatie 1 point

Plenty more points to come. Everyone's still in it!
(And the usual disclaimer, if you notice an error, tell me!)


After dining on a delicious burger with only a modicum of mushrooms and onions,
it was time for my Splash FP+.
I headed out and... noticed almost immediately that it still wasn't running.
And it didn't show any signs of recent activity.

I really wonder... do the FP+ kiosks get updated when a ride is down?
I'm pretty sure I noticed Splash FP+ being available earlier,
but just chocked it up to the current status not being updated quickly.
Dunno.


With Splash closed, I didn't really have any pressing business anywhere.
I decided to take the opportunity to take some night pics.

I wonder if I'm fated to have one rude interaction at the end of each night.
I was setting up for that last shot when a couple walked by.
The male member of the pair pipes up as they walk past.
"Hey, take our photo in front of the castle."

Now, oddly enough, this isn't the first time someone's asked me
to take their photo with my camera.

A few years ago, I was in Indianapolis for the 500.
I was walking around, taking pics, when two young ladies stopped me.
"Would you be able to take our picture in front of the pagoda?" They asked.
They were friendly and polite, so I said I would, and I would email them
the resulting picture.
The story doesn't have a happy ending since I somehow misplaced their
email address and had no way of contacting them.

So if that was you! Sorry!


Back to Disney.
I'm pretty sure this guy saw the camera and mistook me
for a PP photographer.
It was dark, so I guess he didn't notice the Harley Davidson shirt?

But it was his manner that set my teeth on edge.
First off, I was aiming in the opposite direction of the castle.
Second, to take their picture "in front of" the castle,
I would have to follow them over to Main St.
But mostly... mostly it was the demanding tone.
"Take our photo in front of the castle."
No "please", no "Could you", just "do it."
And not in a Nike or nice way.

So, while I might have turned and taken their picture,
I instead said, "Uh, no."
The woman accompanying Mr. I'm God's Gift pulled on his arm,
saying "He's not one."
Meaning, I presume, I'm not a PP photographer.
Or perhaps she meant "He's not one who wouldn't beat you with a tripod."

Funny thing is, I would've taken their pic and sent it for free.
But the guy just immediately rubbed me the wrong way.

They moved on, as did I.


I sashayed to the end of the bridge and entered Monsters Inc.
I'd never done this before.
While I had a fairly good idea what went on here,
I had no idea what "That guy" meant.
No, I wasn't picked to be "that guy",
but I did get singled out with the caption:
"Just needs a hug."

How did they know?
Actually, I was feeling pretty good right about then.
I'd had an amazing day so far, and it wasn't over yet.

I watched the show and enjoyed it.
I'd do it again, but doubt it would become a "must do".
More of a "should do", I guess.


When I exited Monsters, it was creeping up to the time to see...
Celebrate the Magic.
I was looking forward to this since I'd never seen that either.
There always seems to be so much to see and do,
no matter how much you've seen and done!

When I got to Main St. I found a spot that had a bit of room.
I was about half way between Casey's and the hub.
I guess my day was going to end roughly the same way
it started.

A family of three, two parents with child in stroller,
decided that my spot was a really good spot.
They parked themselves right in front of me.

Okay. It's a free world. You can stand wherever you like.
While some of the castle was now blocked, I could still see over
and around them.
I could live with that.
But they obviously didn't feel the same way about their view.

They moved back a bit. I shuffled a bit back, myself.
Give 'em room, I thought.

They took a step back.
Uh, I really can't move back much more... and I don't want to.
I picked my spot and didn't feel like watching from the bus stop.


So now they're right in front of me.
As in, I can't cross my arms without hitting them.

They moved back some more.
Now they are literally touching me.
Surely they'll glance over their shoulders and say,
"Oops! Sorry!" and move up?

Nope.

They moved back a little more.
Now they're actually pressing against me.
I realized at this point that they just didn't give a crap.
They were going to get that perfect view even if it meant
shoving other people out of the way in a passive aggressive manner.

I decided to take the passive out of the aggressive.

I took a step forward, back to my original location.
They had no choice but to stumble forward
as I pushed them out of the way.

They both glanced over their shoulders at me.
I looked at them both steadily, as if to say
"You want to play that game? I can play too... and better than you."

They moved over.
I can only assume they started pressing back against someone else.
But that's their battle.


I did notice that a few minutes before the show started,
a very tall man stood in front of them.
The touchy-feely couple shook their heads and went away.

Yay!

Karma.


The show started shortly afterwards and it was great.
But...

When Wishes started not long after?





No. I didn't take a single picture.
I just stood there.... and.... breathed.
Disney sure knows how to get you right in the feels.

I do remember having one thought...
When you hear "When you wish upon a star..."
I wondered how many people knew where that song came from?
I would think that the majority of the people there would think
"Oh it's the Disney theme song!" and not even know
that it's originally from Pinocchio.
(And used to great effect in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, too.)

During and after Wishes, they pump fumes from the next day's
servings of cut onions into the air.
The only way to get away from the stinging effect to your eyes
is to go do something else.


Oh, no. I wasn't heading out quite yet.
There were still a few things that I wanted to do.

The night is young!
And so am I!

Neither one of those two statements are truthful.
But I'm still not heading back to the hotel just yet!


I took a right and proceeded to fight my way upstream into Tomorrowland.
There were two attractions that I still wanted to do.
Let's see...
There's Space.... Unfortunately, no. Not this trip.
Stitch... Well, I've never seen it... or smelled it... and I had no interest in it.
Astro... Not interested. I equate it to Dumbo with more height.
Speedway... Please.
Buzz.... Same as TSMM. I just didn't think I'd have much fun on it by myself.

In retrospect, what I should have done was looked around
for some myopic, skinny armed kid and offered to go on Buzz with him.
And then when I utterly destroyed him,
mock him with an "I owned you kid! Ha!"

Of course what would have happened is that he would've
sat still in the car, pushed his thick glasses up on his runny nose,
taken one shot and scored 999,999 points.
"I owned you grandpa!"


I hate that imaginary kid.


So that leaves Carousel of Progress (COP) or WEDWay Peoplemover.
What? Do I mean the Tomorrowland Transit Authority?
No. I certainly do not.
I simply cannot understand why they would change the name.
When something has Disney's own freaking name on it
(WED = Walter Elias Disney), YOU DON'T MESS WITH IT!!!


Ahem.



I started to walk over to COP, but it didn't look like anyone was there.
Maybe they just finished loading? Okay, I'll go a bit later.
I spun around and headed to WEDWay.
But out of the corner of my eye, I saw a couple of people go into COP.
I spun again and started to march over to COP...
And they shut the door... So I spun again and went on WEDWay.

I had to. I was too dizzy to stand up anymore.

Obligatory WEDWay foots shot.

I wish I had pretty coloured laces, like Rob.
But, oh well...


After WEDWay, I did go to COP.
I hadn't seen it in ages.
Minimum twenty + years ago.
So.... did they change the song in there?
I could've sworn it was a different song.
And I could be completely wrong.

Hang on... I feel a Google search coming on.

And I was right!
I'm not crazy!
Well, okay...
I'm not crazy about this one particular thing!


COP first opened at the World's Fair in 1964 with
"There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" as the theme song.
It ran there until 1965.
In 1967 it re-opened in DL with the same song.
COP was replaced by America Sings in 1973. (1973-1988)
In 1975 it re-opened in WDW's MK with a new theme song:
"The Best Time of Your Life".
That song ran until it was replaced by a new rendition of
"There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" in 1994.

So, considering the only time(s) I could have seen it were
1978, 1987 and/or 1992... at those times, the song was different.


I exited COP thoroughly confused, but with a smile on my lips
and a song in my heart.
(That new song's kinda catchy, ya know.)


I'd had enough for one day.
I wandered about for a bit, trying to decide if there
was anything I needed or wanted to do before leaving.

Nope.
I'm good.
Well, maybe there's one thing...


As I neared Main St., I noticed they weren't letting anyone through.
MSEP was happening... right now.
But...
While I have some nice memories of MSEP,
it just doesn't hit me in the gut like Wishes does.
Plus, I was pooped!
I ducked into the ice cream parlour and cut my way
through all the way to the Confectionery.

Well.... while I'm here....
I snagged a Rice Krispies treat, because... Rice Krispies treat.
When I went to MB for my purchase,
(MB = Magic Band. Everything's free right? Just wave?)
the CM asked me if I was okay with it as is or if I wanted a bag.
Actually, a bag was one of the reasons I was buying something.
(Maybe not the most pressing reason.)
I asked her if instead of a small bag I could have a medium size bag.
I would need a bag for the next day.

I left MK, with a little sinking feeling in my gut...
Would this be the last time this trip I came here???
I was at the bus stop at 10:10pm and the bus arrived at 10:30pm.

Twenty minutes seems to be the standard wait time at the end of my day.
Still, much better than an hour and a half!


I got back to ASMU tired, but happy with all I'd accomplished.
I popped into Melody hall and grabbed a danish (for the morning)
and a couple of OJ's.
I got to my room about 10:45ish.

This was sitting on my bed:

I didn't know it at the time,
but that would be my one and only towel 'animal' for the week.
Still, nice way to cap off my day!

I plugged in my various battery powered devices to recharge...
Looked down...
And noticed that I was down one MagicBandit.
I still had my ghost from Dale,
Jack Skellington was still around,
as was Oogie Boogie...
But Zero, Jack's pet ghost dog, was nowhere to be seen.

Can you call Guest Services to report a lost dog if it's
a) a ghost and;
b) a plastic MagicBandit?

Probably not.

And that's the end of my MK day!


Hmmm..... I'm forgetting something....
Ah, yes.

THE CONTEST.
At the end of each Disney day, I will reveal a previously
never before seen Disney photo!
First person to guess it gets the points.

Here ya go. Have at it.

Coming up... You are not. freaking. going to believe...
What I do tomorrow!
I'm so excited to tell you all about it that I can hardly sit still!
(You have no idea how hard it's been not to spill the beans about this!)

And what's killing me is.... it probably won't even happen in the next chapter!

Thanks for reading folks!

Link to next post - P is for Piercing Eardrums​

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Can I guess an either -or? No? Okay it looks like a radio knob at PTC No laughing if it doesn't. I've never been there

I though Pecos was too obvious. I knew I should go with that because well, burgers. Nice pics I'm sure the guy demanding pics was just noticing your professional skills. Maybe you were wearing a khaki vest over the Harley shirt.rolleyes1

people are so rude. They wanted the spot you were already standing in. Therefore you should move. Because they wanted that spot. They are the only ones who matter. They paid a lot to be there. The rest of you got in free and should make way for them.

 

[dgthree]

So cruel... posting that.
So... cruel...

Does it help that I keep torturing myself with these images? I would love to have one right now, too.
I really did want to try to get one at every spot, but just didn't make it to the Poly. Figured that Epcot was a limited engagement. =)

 

[shan23877]

Bus ceiling? And all that I can tell you did was seamlessly switch narrators.

I got so far behind!!!! I'm very sorry to have abandoned you, but I'm even more sorry that I let Andy get ahead of me

Isn't Celebrate the Magic the BEST??? I love it beyond all reason. And Wishes is just special. I never knew that about the onions. Makes total sense now. I always seem to encounter people like the personal space folks. When you're as small of stature as I am, people tend to think they can just relocate you. Little do they know--I'm mean.

I don't think I've done CoP since 1985. Was it by chance sponsored by GE back then? I know at least one ride was because my grandpa (who took me to WDW) worked for GE and insisted that we see the attraction presented by the company. I'd give anything to take him on CoP now

Don't be ashamed. Fixin's Bar has entranced all of us. I think everyone loses their mind a little in the face of all the choice-and radioactive cheese substance.

I plan to stay current now sir, thanks for the chapter

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

(I would make this TR three times as long!)
(No you wouldn't.)
(Yes. Yes he would.)

Bonus points to anyone who can tell me what I just did there.
Because I'm quite proud of myself for doing it.
That's why.

1st Sentence: written in 1st person
2nd Sentence: written in 2nd person
3rd Sentence: written in 3rd person

I thought about getting another Dole whip float,
but didn't want to ruin my appetite so I decided to skip it.

I'm sorry, the judges have ruled that "ruining my appetite" is not sufficient justification for not getting a Dole Whip float.

Yes, I went to the Hall of Presidents.

Thank you for your confession. Do 7 Hail Marys and one good deed for a stranger as penance.

What can I say about the Hall of Presidents, as a non US citizen.
Well, obviously I felt no patriotic swelling of emotions.
And I have no idea if my American readers do either.

Depends on the President. But you can also take a nice nap in air-conditioning.

I was just standing there, minding my own business.
I wasn't humming the song from IASW
or doing anything else that would merit an attack.
I didn't fart in anyone's face, no matter how much fun that would be.
I didn't spit or curse.

Sounds like you needed to liven things up a bit.

What do you think?
Were these photos enough for me to go and file a complaint?

There's definitely some attitude going on there.

Food solves lots of problems.
Disney food solves more.

Unless it's a vegetarian lasagna, right @afwdwfan ?

Disney does that. Brings out the best in people.

For the most part. Sometimes it brings out the entitlement in people, too.

Now it's possible that the two green floating lights you see
are just a reflection from the wall sconces.
But I prefer to think of them as lasers coming from the bison's eyes.

Oh, your story is way better.

Wouldn't that perk up this show a tad?
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... Terminator Country Bears!"

No?

Guess it's just me, then.

No, I absolutely would rather watch the Terminator version!

So the correct answer to the bonus questions would be:
Jungle Cruise, Pecos Bill's and a burger.

Captain_Oblivious 8 points

@Steppesister 5 points

@Steppesister

I decided to take the opportunity to take some night pics.

Excellent work!

"Would you be able to take our picture in front of the pagoda?" They asked.
They were friendly and polite, so I said I would, and I would email them
the resulting picture.
The story doesn't have a happy ending since I somehow misplaced their
email address and had no way of contacting them.

So if that was you! Sorry!

But mostly... mostly it was the demanding tone.
"Take our photo in front of the castle."
No "please", no "Could you", just "do it."
And not in a Nike or nice way.

Hey, there's that entitlement thing.

No, I wasn't picked to be "that guy",
but I did get singled out with the caption:
"Just needs a hug."

Well, it's good to be recognized for something.

I did notice that a few minutes before the show started,
a very tall man stood in front of them.
The touchy-feely couple shook their heads and went away.

Yay!

Karma.

In retrospect, what I should have done was looked around
for some myopic, skinny armed kid and offered to go on Buzz with him.
And then when I utterly destroyed him,
mock him with an "I owned you kid! Ha!"

You're going to make me post that Nelson photo again??

Of course what would have happened is that he would've
sat still in the car, pushed his thick glasses up on his runny nose,
taken one shot and scored 999,999 points.
"I owned you grandpa!"


I hate that imaginary kid.

That imaginary kid is a jerk. I'd give him a wedgie if I were you.

THE CONTEST.
At the end of each Disney day, I will reveal a previously
never before seen Disney photo!
First person to guess it gets the points.

Well, to be honest, it looks like the thing with the doohickey.

But if you need me to be more specific, I'll guess a knob/part of the dashboard in the front of a Disney bus.

 

[ForeverDance]

Disney does that. Brings out the best in people.

In some people... or it brings out the worst.

So I grabbed some of those... and put them on the bun

Rookie mistake. I knew where this one was heading.

They were going to get that perfect view even if it meant
shoving other people out of the way in a passive aggressive manner.

I refer you back to my first comment.

(That new song's kinda catchy, ya know.)

The first time my family went to Disney we were singing that song for weeks after returning.

As for the picture. I'm going with the door of the in-room safe.

 

[afwdwfan]

(I would make this TR three times as long!)
(No you wouldn't.)
(Yes. Yes he would.)

Bonus points to anyone who can tell me what I just did there.
Because I'm quite proud of myself for doing it.
That's why.

Well, it looks like Mark has it covered.

The skipper was... okay.
Not fabulous, not bad.
He told the same litany of corny jokes
(Don't get me wrong, I like 'em.)
and he tried to be engaging and funny.
Just.... I can't really put my finger on it.
(Which would've gotten me arrested... or a date.)

Oh, well.
Let's just say the cruise was "fine" and move on.

Bummer. The skipper makes it or breaks it. I know what you mean though. An average skipper is still an ok ride. You get all the jokes and the experience, but it is that skipper that is just above and beyond that really makes for a memorable ride.

I know.
Sometimes I do stupid things.

We all have our moments.

There weren't too many people so I picked a row where
some folks had stopped in the middle of the aisle.
This way, I could stop near the middle too...
And not feel guilty.

Well, because I'm sure the theater was filled to about 20% capacity if it is a normal day.

Well, obviously I felt no patriotic swelling of emotions.
And I have no idea if my American readers do either.

Not as much as the American Adventure at EPCOT.

I did think that it was very well done
and the animatronics were probably amongst the most realistic I'd seen.
I certainly enjoyed it.
Would I rush to see it again?
Well, no.
But I would see it again, given enough time.

And a fair assessment that I think most Americans would give.

What do you think?
Were these photos enough for me to go and file a complaint?

Um... good luck with that one. I'm impressed that you went through with it and met Tink!

But no visit to Ariel's Grotto??????

And it certainly didn't diminish her act of kindness.
Disney does that. Brings out the best in people.

It brings out the best in some people. The worst in others. As you would clearly experience...

Sometime after this... and I don't recall where...
I snagged another FP+. This time for Splash.
"Great!" I thought. "They've finally got it up and running!"

Yeah, right.

Why not?

Why not indeed.
It's a classic after all, right?

There was blooooood on the saddle.

Now it's possible that the two green floating lights you see
are just a reflection from the wall sconces.
But I prefer to think of them as lasers coming from the bison's eyes.

Wouldn't that perk up this show a tad?
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... Terminator Country Bears!"

You might be on to something. If only they could get the rights to the Terminator attraction from Universal.

Yeah. No. Probably not.
You'll still harangue me.

Yeah.
Mushrooms and onions all over the tray.

If you don't make a mess, you aren't doing it right.

afwdwfan - Jungle Cruise - Pecos Bill's - burger - 7 points

Woohooo!!! Moral of the story: Keep guessing the same thing and you'll get it eventually!

I headed out and... noticed almost immediately that it still wasn't running.
And it didn't show any signs of recent activity.

With Splash closed, I didn't really have any pressing business anywhere.
I decided to take the opportunity to take some night pics.

And an excellent choice! Awesome pictures!

A few years ago, I was in Indianapolis for the 500.
I was walking around, taking pics, when two young ladies stopped me.
"Would you be able to take our picture in front of the pagoda?" They asked.
They were friendly and polite, so I said I would, and I would email them
the resulting picture.

Very nice of you to take the picture... you know aside from losing the email.

But you were at the Indy 500? No kidding? I used to go every year. I attended every race from 1990 to 2011, but I've missed the past few. It is just a bad time of year for me.

Second, to take their picture "in front of" the castle,
I would have to follow them over to Main St.
But mostly... mostly it was the demanding tone.
"Take our photo in front of the castle."
No "please", no "Could you", just "do it."
And not in a Nike or nice way.

Bad enough that he "asked" you in that manner. Not that it is necessarily acceptable to speak to a PP photographer in that same manner.

No, I wasn't picked to be "that guy",
but I did get singled out with the caption:
"Just needs a hug."

Awww...

I watched the show and enjoyed it.
I'd do it again, but doubt it would become a "must do".
More of a "should do", I guess.

That's how I feel about it too.

There always seems to be so much to see and do,
no matter how much you've seen and done!

I decided to take the passive out of the aggressive.

I took a step forward, back to my original location.
They had no choice but to stumble forward
as I pushed them out of the way.

They both glanced over their shoulders at me.
I looked at them both steadily, as if to say
"You want to play that game? I can play too... and better than you."

I did notice that a few minutes before the show started,
a very tall man stood in front of them.
The touchy-feely couple shook their heads and went away.

Yay!

Karma.

I know @Captain_Oblivious already posted this one, but it is just too appropriate...

No. I didn't take a single picture.
I just stood there.... and.... breathed.
Disney sure knows how to get you right in the feels.

The night is young!
And so am I!

Neither one of those two statements are truthful.
But I'm still not heading back to the hotel just yet!

Regardless of what is or isn't young, excellent choice!

In retrospect, what I should have done was looked around
for some myopic, skinny armed kid and offered to go on Buzz with him.
And then when I utterly destroyed him,
mock him with an "I owned you kid! Ha!"

No, he'd have owned you. Skinny kids are good at games like that.

Of course what would have happened is that he would've
sat still in the car, pushed his thick glasses up on his runny nose,
taken one shot and scored 999,999 points.
"I owned you grandpa!"

See what I mean?

So that leaves Carousel of Progress (COP) or WEDWay Peoplemover.
What? Do I mean the Tomorrowland Transit Authority?
No. I certainly do not.
I simply cannot understand why they would change the name.
When something has Disney's own freaking name on it
(WED = Walter Elias Disney), YOU DON'T MESS WITH IT!!!

After WEDWay, I did go to COP.
I hadn't seen it in ages.
Minimum twenty + years ago.
So.... did they change the song in there?

Yes. But I think you've figured that out.

I exited COP thoroughly confused, but with a smile on my lips
and a song in my heart.
(That new song's kinda catchy, ya know.)

It really is! One of my favorite Disney theme park songs.

Twenty minutes seems to be the standard wait time at the end of my day.
Still, much better than an hour and a half!

True. 20 minutes is a long time when you're tired and just want to get back to the room. But it could be much worse.

Can you call Guest Services to report a lost dog if it's
a) a ghost and;
b) a plastic MagicBandit?

Probably not.

Why not? I'm sure you wouldn't be the first. Nor the last.

Coming up... You are not. freaking. going to believe...
What I do tomorrow!
I'm so excited to tell you all about it that I can hardly sit still!
(You have no idea how hard it's been not to spill the beans about this!)

Then get on with it!!! Tell us!!!!!

And what's killing me is.... it probably won't even happen in the next chapter!

As for the contest... I'm going to say the bottom of the refrigerator.

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[KathyM2]

OMG an amazing MK day. I can't believe that guy who thought you were a PP photographer...what a psycho the way he was acting. No one should be like that at Disney (or anywhere else really lol) I can't believe I got 2 points!! I guess I better keep playing. No clue what it is though...a doorstop?

 

[Thumper_Man]

The picture is the bottom of an radio/alarm clock.

 

[mmeb144]

Underside of your carrion, er, carry-on?

 

[Sandy Mouse]

(I would make this TR three times as long!)
(No you wouldn't.)
(Yes. Yes he would.)

Bonus points to anyone who can tell me what I just did there.
Because I'm quite proud of myself for doing it.
That's why.

You wrote in 1st person, 2nd person and then 3rd person. I know. Way too late.

The skipper was... okay.
Not fabulous, not bad.
He told the same litany of corny jokes
(Don't get me wrong, I like 'em.)
and he tried to be engaging and funny.
Just.... I can't really put my finger on it.
(Which would've gotten me arrested... or a date.)

You really think you could have gotten a date? Hmm?

I thought about getting another Dole whip float,
but didn't want to ruin my appetite so I decided to skip it.

A Dole Whip is totally worth it!

I always do the same thing when I go to condimentize a burger.
What? It's a good word.

You should copy write that and then see if it catches on.

I just stood there.... and.... breathed.
Disney sure knows how to get you right in the feels.

Yup.

I do remember having one thought...
When you hear "When you wish upon a star..."
I wondered how many people knew where that song came from?
I would think that the majority of the people there would think
"Oh it's the Disney theme song!" and not even know
that it's originally from Pinocchio.

One of my favorites.

The night is young!
And so am I!

Hah!

And I was right!
I'm not crazy!
Well, okay...
I'm not crazy about this one particular thing!

So you KNOW you're crazy. Good. Not everyone picks a fight with Tink. The first step is admitting you have a problem.

THE CONTEST.
At the end of each Disney day, I will reveal a previously
never before seen Disney photo!
First person to guess it gets the points.

Here ya go. Have at it.

On the Disney resort bus, it's the wall behind where the scooters/wheelchairs go.

 

[Steppesister]

@Steppesister

Waaaaaaaay too busy killing fake patients over here to care. Today was the single most stressful day I've had in years, and left school almost crying. I need a trip to Disney.