Somebody's Gonna Pee in a Cup, West Coast - Link to new TR 1/21

[TheMaxRebo]

ok, just reading that was stressing me out. Sounds like an honest mistake to not know the right time to meet up but still, I'd be stressed. especially hearing about the bus ride and the driver apparently not knowing fully what he was doing and then them "power walking in the wrong direction, le sigh.

And then she went for another plate?

Actually, I think at that point I would have tried to pay the bill and left to get on RnRC and tell them to meet us at the Disney Jr theater.

Glad the kids enjoyed the characters though. I thought we were done with H&V and then they had to go and add Sophia and Doc so now it is back on the list for future trips.

Fully supportive of cupcakes for lunch - especially when at Disney as instead of calories all food is made of wishes and pixie dust!

Bummer that your's was dry - but yes, anything chocolate and peanut butter, by definition, wins

 

[vamassey1]

I felt like that was leaving plenty of wiggle room for us.

Don't tempt the fates.

DW told him to take the bus to DHS and meet us there.

More tempting of the fates.

As it turned out, it was in CM parking. I knew I shouldn’t park there, but we were running late, and I literally followed the signs they had posted. So if they didn’t like it, that’s their own fault. I was glad to have a short walk anyway.

Prime parking, not your fault you ended up there, just go with it.

We did the walk of shame back from the front of the ADR line and found a vacant ticket booth to lean against while we waited.

We have an early breakfast with our daughter's in laws and I really hope we don't have to do this.

Then DW took some pictures of the kids

Super cute pictures of super cute kids.

I needed a drink.

I'm with you.

As you can see, DS clearly loves Jake and DD is a Sofia fan.

The kids really do look like they're having a blast.

I was trying to get the kids ready to move out of the restaurant when DW said she wanted to get another plate.

Oh Nooooooo!

I developed a nervous tick.

I would have one too.

When we walked around the corner into the courtyard in front of RnRC, the display above the Standby line said 60 minutes…



and then changed to 100 minutes.

Yikes!

My mood went from slightly grumpy, to “don’t even talk to me, look at me, or breathe the air in my general vicinity.”

Been there done that and have the pictures to prove it.

I, as always, hated trying to fold my legs up to sit on the stupid floor.

So glad I don't have to do this anymore.

Starring Rolls

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake.

I’ll eat that for lunch anytime.

Sounds like my kind of lunch.

Well even thought you have really rough start and I would have had a nervous breakdown, the first part of your turned out really well.

 

[afwdwfan]

I had no idea who or what a Bubby was at first.
I thought it was a stuffed animal.
Then when I learned the truth, I'm surprised you didn't have a heart attack!

It was close. I think I made it at least 10 - 12 feet away from the bed before my feet ever touched the floor.

You bet! And it's oh-so-easy to fall back asleep after that, right?

Hmmm.... Then again, they say there's nothing like Disney sleep... so... Did you?

You know... I think I crashed again fairly quickly. It woke me up fast but once I saw everything was ok, I was ready to go back to bed.

All completely rested, right???

Not too bad. On a normal night at home, DS usually wakes us up at around 3:30 anyway, so a middle of the night wake up is nothing.

Of course. Parent's aren't supposed to eat warm food.
Or didn't you know that?

Warm food? What's this myth you speak of?

Nooooooo!!!!!!

I was sweating it for a bit. I thought we'd wasted a trip into Club Cool.

Um.... ick?

Pretty much...

Okay, no debate.
But... No photos means it didn't happen!

If only that were true...

And ya know what? That's okay.
You can't always be so busy taking pictures that you miss the event your taking pictures of!

Well, thanks. I just feel bad from a TR perspective. There are some pretty dull, pictureless updates.

Dude! That's awesome, dude!

Oh. Wait.

That was sarcasm right there, wasn't it?

Sarcasm? I would never use sarcasm.

Must've made you happy knowing he enjoyed it so much.

I hear ya.
Parenting is like walking a tightrope.
"I could let it go (do NOT start singing!!) this one time. No big deal. But it's the principal of the thing!"
Which way will you go this time???

Yep... pretty much sums it up. I just wish you wouldn't have used those 3 words though.

Huh. I've heard a lot of good things about Via Napoli, but I hadn't heard that.

It is loud. Not a bad loud, as it seems to fit the layout and theme of the restaurant. But it really is a big, open area that echos, with the kitchen right there in the same room. So you get sounds from the kitchen and conversation from all around the room. Kind of like a big family style Italian meal.

Now there is a small room off to the side that opens out into the outdoor seating that is much more intimate and quiet than the main dining room.

Yup! That's a kid all right.

I hear ya.
But good news! It doesn't get much better as they get older!

Good to know.

My tip would've reflected that.
He (or she) would learn, eventually.

Honestly, I don't know what we tipped. MiL offered to take care of it and I wasn't going to argue.

Nice! I loves me some caramel popcorn!

You don't want to quit. There are still things to do! Right?

Exactly!

Only 15 minutes behind schedule.
You guys are getting better!

Baby steps.

Then again. It's Disney. Would Disney tow your car?
Doesn't seem.... Disneyish.

No... I don't think they'd tow it. They'd "magically re-park it" or something like that. You know, some fancy Disney term to make it sound better.

Totally cute!

Thanks.

Of course they were!

Just one thing after another...

Or at least some morning coffee.

Coffee doesn't teach you how to drive a bus.

Whadya mean 'developed'? Don't you mean 'increased'?

At this point, who knows???

Nope.
Just. No.

It was unbelievable.

Well, I'm with you on that.
Who wants to breathe used air?

"Son, I'll take you on Dumbo when we get back home and the fair is in town. Okay?"

I'm totally stealing this one next time.

Oh, dear Lord.
Just added that to my Disney wish list.

If you like chocolate or peanut butter, and frankly who doesn't, you'll love it.

 

[afwdwfan]

Getting caught up again. I can't believe the CM went into the bat broom to check for bands. I'm all for keeping the party for attendees only but that is too far.

Yeah, it was a bit extreme. He could have accomplished the same thing by just standing near the exit and checking as people came out.

sound like you had a great day at Epcot. I think this is a great park to just stroll around in and relax. That family picture is great!

Yeah, I have a hard time taking it slow, but I do enjoy leisurely strolls around EPCOT.

Just reading your morning at DHS is giving me anxiety. It's one thing to get behind plans at another park but DHS is hard to tour anyway but, even more so behind schedule.

Absolutely! I mean, I had kind of outlined plans for our other parks and days. Basically through making the FP+ reservations and at MK, just kind of focusing on one area of the park or another. But for the most part, we kind of went with the flow based on how the lines were or what the kids wanted to do. This was the one day that I had a touring plan figured basically to the minute for the first half of the day, just so we could fit our "must do" shows in and not have to worry about missing something if our ADR ran over.

Your in laws experience with the bus is exactly why I feel it's necessary to shell out the extra money for a car. I am way too much of a control freak to allow a WDW bus decide when I will get somewhere.

To me, it is a no brainer to drive to the parks. Except for MK. I like taking the bus there, but you just never know what you're going to get into with bus waits.

Oh, yikes, I've never even thought about that possibility! Izzy just started opening closed doors on her own, but I doubt she could manage the locks like that yet. Glad that he was safe and sound, but what an awful scare to wake up to!

It was a scare. DS is about 43" and he could just reach the top lock by standing on his tip toes.

Of course. Isn't that always the way? (Same with your VN pizzas). Just tonight, Izzy asked for one of her favorite things (a fruit pouch), then proceeded to not take a sip of it after it was opened. We had a little chat about only asking for things you actually intend to eat.

DD does that all the time. She loves to peel oranges... and then leave them laying somewhere uneaten.

Wait, what?! You actually took a big drink of Beverly? Or had another as a decoy? If it was Beverly, you were quite committed to your gag!

It was Beverly. I'd say it is an acquired taste. I can't say that I'd go to the store and buy a 2 liter of it or anything like that, but I can tolerate it. I guess knowing what it tastes like now makes it easier, but I can take a drink of it with no negative reaction.

I totally get the discomfort and think you did exactly the right thing by looking at your phone and ignoring it.

Um... yeah. And I kind of debated whether I should mention it or not, because I know that there are a lot of other factors, like you mentioned about a baby that you can't keep under a blanket or whatever. But in this case, it just seemed a little too... out there.

Sounds like a win for everybody! You sure know how to find the attractions to please 3 generations at once.

As long as everyone is happy, that's all that matters.

We had that happen once too (a few years ago) at Via Napoli. We only had small glasses of water to drink and it was scorching hot out (August) and getting a refill was mission impossible. It just didn't seem important to them.

Yeah, that's kind of how it was this time. I have to say that I just think it was our particular server, because I noticed tables around us seemed to be getting better service. Heck, we saw their servers, and probably spoke to them more than our own.

Ack, so much stress! I have to admit that I probably would have gone in and said, "you snooze, you lose" to the in-laws. I just couldn't handle the whole day going bad so soon into it.

Pretty much. I felt that way, MiL and FiL actually felt that way and told us to just go on and they'd meet us later. Someone else wasn't interested in doing that though.

And I'm not gonna win that one.

That is crazy talk. I'm sorry you missed your favorite.

I couldn't believe how fast that wait ballooned. I think it had to be a pretty significantly inflated number... but it was definitely a long line.

Ditto that! I'd even take a dry one, if that's my only option.

Heck, I'd still take it over a lot of other options.

The day in EPCOT sounds really nice. Except for the grumpy kids at dinner. Kids are just so frustrating the way they choose to like something one moment and hate it the next. But, at least you got your pizza!

Yeah, I was in a pizza coma. So they could whine if they wanted and I didn't care.

I can't even imagine how scary it must've been for your DD to wake y'all up in the night screaming that DS was gone. Oh my!! Glad it was all ok!

Yeah, it woke us up fast! It was a relief that he was still in his bed.

Glad y'all were able to still make the H&V ADR. People being late for an ADR is one of my main fears for our upcoming Easter trip. My sister is always late. She will be late to her own funeral! I'm hoping we don't miss any of our ADRs because of it. I was happy to read that y'all had a good experience there. We had breakfast there in 2012 & thought it was ok but not a place we needed to return to. Well, we'll be having lunch there in April just to meet Doc & Sophia.

The guy who checked us in said there is no penalty to check in late. Now I don't know if that would be the case during the Easter crowds or not... but that's what we were told this time.

I thought the breakfast was good. About the same as any other Disney breakfast buffet. But the characters are what really made it.

Sounds like it was definitely a busy day in DHS for y'all!

Yeah... we were on a pretty tight schedule!

 

[pkondz]

It was close. I think I made it at least 10 - 12 feet away from the bed before my feet ever touched the floor.

So not surprised to read that.
I don't know how many times I've heard a cry in the night and Boom! I'm in their room, no knowledge of how I got there.

On a normal night at home, DS usually wakes us up at around 3:30 anyway, so a middle of the night wake up is nothing.

This too shall pass..... until your DD becomes a teen and starts staying out later and later and you're waiting up worrying and worrying.

Warm food? What's this myth you speak of?

I read about it on the internet.
I know. You shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet.

Well, thanks. I just feel bad from a TR perspective. There are some pretty dull, pictureless updates.

Don't feel bad. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a chapter or two coming up over on my TR with few pictures too.
It is what it is.
While I was busy taking notes, photos, etc. for the TR, I wasn't going to not enjoy myself for it.

Yep... pretty much sums it up. I just wish you wouldn't have used those 3 words though.

Three words. Reminds me...
You've probably heard this one, but... here goes.

A woman is sitting in a bar, relaxing when this incredibly handsome, younger man walks in.
It's obvious from his swagger that he's not only good looking... but he knows it.
He understands, without even worrying about it, that he can have any woman in the room.
He spots the woman, walks up to her and with a seductive grin, tells her:
"You can say any three words to me and I'll do it. I can make your dreams come true. Any fantasy can be yours for the taking. Just say any three words... and I will do as you say."
The woman's hand goes to her pounding heart. She can't believe this is happening.
Breathlessly she leans towards the handsome stranger and whispers....

"Paint my house."

No... I don't think they'd tow it. They'd "magically re-park it" or something like that. You know, some fancy Disney term to make it sound better.

That's right! Hadn't thought of that.

 

[afwdwfan]

"Bubby is missing" is a very scary story! As frightening as it was, I'm sure it was reassuring to know your daughter was on the case, being responsible for keeping track of her brother. I'm still not sure how you think someone is missing when they are RIGHT THERE (says the mom who panicked about the missing kid she was holding in line at Tiki Birds )

It was quite the wake up call. But yeah, if something were to happen, it's good to know that she is concerned.

Sounds like fun in Test Track.

It was. I enjoy the ride and DS really got a kick out of designing his vehicle. And going fast. he liked that too.

Nicely played with the Beverly. Hopefully they don't do something to get back at you the next day!

I love your son's reaction to Turtle Talk!!!

I'm glad he enjoyed it so much!

"We survived Via Napoli"

I could say that. But I got some pizza. So all is right with the world at that point. There's no bringing me down from that high.

That really, really is a great family photo!

We really liked it and have it in our living room. Thanks!

YIKES!!! That is a frustrating start to your day at HS. What a series of unfortunate events

It was just an absolute snowball effect.

Glad you had a great and entertaining meal at H&V. The kids have adorable outfits. I have read many bad reviews in the past, but lately I'm hearing some very positive stuff.

Yeah, I think they've stepped it up from our past experience. I mean we literally said we'd never go back... and probably wouldn't have if it weren't for Jake and Sofia. But now, I don't think I'd have a problem scheduling it again.

Another possible Aerosmith title for your chapter "I don't want to miss a thing". It is so annoying when circumstances not of your making mess with your touring plans!

I did consider that one. But as far as songs go... I just like Sweet Emotion better.

I just can't separate "I don't want to miss a thing" from Armageddon.

I'm glad to hear Indiana Jones was a hit.

It was indeed. I felt pretty confident that it would be a show that everyone would like. And it had been a few years since I'd seen it so I wanted to make sure we saw it in case it would happen to go away like everything else at DHS.

ok, just reading that was stressing me out. Sounds like an honest mistake to not know the right time to meet up but still, I'd be stressed. especially hearing about the bus ride and the driver apparently not knowing fully what he was doing and then them "power walking in the wrong direction, le sigh.

Yeah, it was just a misunderstanding... but the way things snowballed.

And then she went for another plate?

That was the dagger...

Actually, I think at that point I would have tried to pay the bill and left to get on RnRC and tell them to meet us at the Disney Jr theater.

Believe me, the thought crossed my mind. But I'm married.

Glad the kids enjoyed the characters though. I thought we were done with H&V and then they had to go and add Sophia and Doc so now it is back on the list for future trips.

Well, it could be worse. They could still be serving the crap we had there a few years ago.

Fully supportive of cupcakes for lunch - especially when at Disney as instead of calories all food is made of wishes and pixie dust!

You're right! And besides... it was a peanut butter cupcake, so I got some protein.

Bummer that your's was dry - but yes, anything chocolate and peanut butter, by definition, wins

Don't tempt the fates.

I'll learn eventually.

More tempting of the fates.

Prime parking, not your fault you ended up there, just go with it.

Yep, that was finally what I decided.

We have an early breakfast with our daughter's in laws and I really hope we don't have to do this.

I hope you don't either. Not fun at all.

Super cute pictures of super cute kids.

Thanks!

I'm with you.

I don't think they serve anything strong enough that early in the morning.

The kids really do look like they're having a blast.

They did. They really had a great time. Which makes it worthwhile.

Oh Nooooooo!

I would have one too.

It took a few years off my life expectancy.

Yikes!

Things escalated quickly. I don't see how that could possibly be the correct wait time... but there were a lot of people there. So I know it was a long wait regardless.

Been there done that and have the pictures to prove it.

Haven't we all...

So glad I don't have to do this anymore.

I so should have told them to have fun while I waited in line for RnRC.

Sounds like my kind of lunch.

Well even thought you have really rough start and I would have had a nervous breakdown, the first part of your turned out really well.

It was the perfect lunch.

It was a rough start, but aside from RnRC, we were doing well to get through our list of must do's.

 

[KatMark]

Andy, blame my boss for me falling behind. The man kept me extremely busy last week so that he could go to Florida for five weeks. Seriously, I don't know where he gets the nerve.

I still can't get over the breastfeeding mom.

Glad you all enjoyed Test Track.

It's always fun to try to fool someone at Club Cool. But I hate peeling my shoes off the floor after leaving there.

I love watching the dolphins interact with the CM's...we usually try to catch this when we can.

That is a GREAT family picture at the end of your Epcot night. I really like that a lot.

Hollywood & Vine -- looks like the kids had a blast. I've never seen the show, don't know any of the characters except Jake, but your kids had a blast...you can tell by the smiles. We ate dinner there twice...NEVER again. But you can't really screw up breakfast. If it weren't a character breakfast, we'd probably give it a shot some time.

I've never seen the Disney Playhouse show either (thankfully), but your DD is sure having a good time.

And you can't beat a snack at Starring Rolls.

 

[afwdwfan]

Andy, blame my boss for me falling behind.

Sure, just pass the buck...

The man kept me extremely busy last week so that he could go to Florida for five weeks. Seriously, I don't know where he gets the nerve.

Florida tourism really makes a killing off of people in your office, don't they?

I still can't get over the breastfeeding mom.

Um... yeah. It was a little bit of a shock.

Glad you all enjoyed Test Track.

Always! One of my favorites!

It's always fun to try to fool someone at Club Cool. But I hate peeling my shoes off the floor after leaving there.

I wonder how many flip flops have been lost in there?

I love watching the dolphins interact with the CM's...we usually try to catch this when we can.

Yeah, I think this is the first time we've seen it, but I'm glad we did!

That is a GREAT family picture at the end of your Epcot night. I really like that a lot.

Thanks! We've got it framed in the living room. Our favorite from the trip.

Hollywood & Vine -- looks like the kids had a blast. I've never seen the show, don't know any of the characters except Jake, but your kids had a blast...you can tell by the smiles. We ate dinner there twice...NEVER again. But you can't really screw up breakfast. If it weren't a character breakfast, we'd probably give it a shot some time.

I have complete faith that you'll have breakfast there in a few years. One of these days when you take grandkids...

I've never seen the Disney Playhouse show either (thankfully), but your DD is sure having a good time.

Again... just wait till there are grandkids...

And you can't beat a snack at Starring Rolls.

Nope... Love me some Starring Rolls cupcakes!

 

[afwdwfan]

Back in the Saddle

DW just finished spending some money at the gift shops when our FP+ window for Toy Story opened up. We headed on over for another ride. Once again, DD was my ride buddy.

DW apparently was more interested in taking pictures than playing the game. I guess she wanted to have an excuse for why I always win.

​

We finished our ride and had to make a quick walk to our next destination. Lights Motors Action. We wanted to see it again in case it would happen to fall victim to the many cuts that seem to be happening at the studios in preparation for Pixar/Star Wars/Whatever expansions. It’s a show that we’ve seen before but don’t necessarily feel compelled to see every trip.

In this case though, we knew DS would enjoy it and we thought FiL might like to see it too.

We made it just before show time, but by the time we got into the stadium and found a seat the show had just started. We had a good time and DS was excited to see Lightning McQueen come out and beat the bad guys.

After the show ended, we waited in our seats for a little bit to let the crowd filter out somewhat and then we headed over to see the Muppets. DS loves the new Muppets movies and we’ve even bought the DVD set of season 1 of the Muppet show and he loves watching those too. He was pretty excited to see this show.

DD on the other hand… well, getting a 2 year old to keep 3D glasses on for anything isn’t very easy.

We headed on over to Mama Melrose for our ADR. I think it was just before 3, so we were a little bit early, but we went ahead and just checked in hoping maybe we could get in early.

Again, I hated to be eating “dinner” at 3pm, but since we’d basically skipped lunch, we were all ready to eat. And in addition to that, I was really hoping that we could get in and eat a little bit earlier than we planned so that maybe we might have time to sneak RnRC in before Fantasmic!

We checked in and we stood and waited.


Every ADR we had all week, we were seated within minutes of checking in. Even if checking in early. 3:15 came and went. We were still waiting.

It was about 3:35 when we were finally seated. I expected to find a full restaurant, but there was hardly anyone there. In fact, the whole time we were in there, I don’t think there was anyone seated at any of the tables directly adjacent to ours.

We sat down and waited some more. Our server finally came over to take our drink order after we’d been sitting there for about 15 minutes.

By that time we’d all looked over the menu and wanted to go ahead and order our food.

I ordered a salad and spaghetti, since we didn’t bring anything for DD to eat. Those are a couple of things that we always have good luck getting her to eat at home, so I figured it was something we could share.

Our drinks were brought out and we sat and colored with the kids and waited on our food. The kids were getting hungry and restless so we pulled the goldfish back out. I don’t know how long we’d been sitting there, but I know most of us had drained our drinks, were waiting for refills, and we still hadn’t seen our salads yet.

Finally the salads came out. And they were fine. Not much you can do to screw one up. DD ate quite a bit of mine, which was fine with me. We finished our salads off and then sat there waiting some more.

The kids were getting beyond restless. It had been well over an hour since we had checked in for our ADR. It had been at least 45 minutes since we were seated, a good 30 minutes since we’d ordered.


And we still didn’t have our food.


We’ve been to Mama Melrose before and I’ve thought quite highly of the place. That opinion was quickly changing.



They finally brought out our food, and the general consensus of all the meals was basically, meh.


Spaghetti for the most part, is hard to screw up. I think mine was maybe a couple of degrees warmer than room temp. But it was pretty close. It was clear that it had been sitting for quite a while before it was brought out.

FiL ordered the Charred Strip Steak. He seemed to be pretty happy with his meal. I’m assuming they just assembled everyone else’s meals and left them sitting somewhere until his was ready though, because he was the only one who really had anything positive to say about his food.


We really weren’t impressed, and DD and I didn’t come close to eating all of my spaghetti.


And it is rare that I hand them back a plate with any food on it.


Especially at Disney World.


Food there is expensive!


Our server took our plates away and we waited some more. I don’t think any of us cared if we had dessert or not, but it was part of our Fantasmic! package. It was probably another 15 minutes after he took our plates before our dessert was brought over. The kids were just over it and ready to go. We asked for the bill when he brought the dessert. It was a dessert sampler, but I don’t even know what was on it. I took a couple of bites to try it and wasn’t impressed by anything. It took a while before we finally got our bill paid and headed out.

When it was all said and done, we were at Mama Melrose for about 2 ½ hours from the time we checked in to the time we left. I’m really glad we got all our must do shows in during the first part of the day, because we’d have been screwed at this point.

Mama Melrose is a restaurant we’ve been to before, and I actually liked it. A lot. It wasn’t one of our must do’s every trip, but it was something that we looked forward to doing once every few trips. Heck, I love Italian food in general! But the food wasn’t anything impressive this time. I mean, I just ordered spaghetti. Simple dish to make. Even I can make good spaghetti. And my cooking skills basically consist of spaghetti, frozen pizza or anything that can be made in the microwave, toaster or on a grill. And this just tasted like something from a can that had been warmed and then sat on a counter getting cold for quite a while.

And service was horrible. By far, the worst we had at any of our Table Service meals. They made that one lone server who was slacking off at VN look good. I mean, at least at VN there were servers out and about and present. There was always someone you could wave down if you needed anything. Mama Melrose was like a freakin’ ghost town. Seriously. Hardly anybody seated at any of the tables in our section. And it was rare we’d even see an employee out and about. It is safe to say that we will not be in a hurry to eat here again in the future.

Oh well, we were fed and had our Fantasmic! passes. Moving on!

After we finished eating, DW wanted to stop by Wandering Oaken’s to look for a couple of dolls that she saw and wanted to get for DD for Christmas. We didn’t want the kids to see what she was getting, so FiL and I stayed outside with them and waited on her to finish up.

While they were inside, I was on my Touringplans App checking out the ride/FP+ situation. I forget what the wait time was for RnRC. Still way too long. But… according to their predictions, there should be FP+ available for about an hour out… This might just work!!!!

It was time to go use our third and final FP+ at Tower of Terror. We were going to be cutting it close though… That long dinner really screwed with our plans.

When DW finished shopping, we stuffed the bag into the bottom of the stroller basket under all the jackets and headed for ToT. We went to the FP+ entrance and I made sure we all scanned our bands… so I could get another FP+ right away…

DW and I rode first while MiL and FiL waited.

​

We had a great ride and I timed how long we waited in the FP+ line. It only took us about 15 minutes from the time we got in line to the time we exited. That was plenty of time for MiL and FiL to ride before Fantasmic!

They headed in to ride, I had just checked my Touringplans app again. They were still predicting FP+ available for RnRC during the last hour the park was open. I headed for the FP+ kiosk near ToT, waited in line…



And the only thing available was The Great Movie Ride or the second Fantasmic!



I went ahead and got TGMR. I didn’t know if we’d use it, but at least we had an option.



And there’s also the fact that I now had an FP+ for anything in my name that I could now access from my phone. And that would mean I’d be able to check to see if I could selfishly change one single FP+ from TGMR to RnRC. I mean, odds are pretty slim that somebody is going to be canceling an RnRC FP+ at this time of day, but there’s always a chance.


MiL and FiL returned shortly after and they seemed to have enjoyed ToT. DW went to get something to drink and we stopped at the restrooms before heading into the theater.

We got in, parked the stroller and had great seats right in the middle section about halfway up. And we were only sitting there maybe 15 or 20 minutes before the show started. This was the first time I’ve ever done the dining package for that show, but it won’t be the last. It really makes it much, much easier to get in and see the show. Especially with the kids.


I spent that time waiting for the show to start being completely anti-social with my phone in front of my face while repeatedly trying to change my FP+ to RnRC. One of the upsides, to me, is one of the biggest downsides to the new FP+ system. I like having that ability to change it on the fly. But I hate that I spent so much time looking at my phone this trip. Either to change an FP+ or check the status of something. It just felt wrong.

Although, I did end up using my phone a lot at Disneyland too, using the Touringplans app there. And they don’t have FP+ so maybe that isn’t even a logical argument. I guess that’s just the general lifestyle change of having a smart phone now.

Anyway, after trying approximately 900,000 times to change that FP+, it ended up being a total waste of time.



We all loved Fantasmic! Well, most of us. DD was sitting on my lap. She was all excited when Mickey came out in the beginning, but then when he went away and it got dark and they were projecting on the water screens… Well, it apparently got too boring for her. She was out. Didn’t take long at all.

​

​

​

​

After the show ended, I took DD with me to get the stroller and met everyone else outside the stroller parking area. I laid her seat back and laid her in there and she was out. I checked my apps again, both TP and the Disney app. And I formulated a plan.

When I got back to everyone else, I laid it out. I was going to ride RnRC. It was a 60 minute posted wait, but I was going to wait. I was willing to give them the keys so they could drive back to the resort and then I’d just catch a bus when I finished.

DW didn’t want to drive, because she didn’t know where she was going. FiL felt the same way. But nobody had a problem with me riding RnRC. DW and MiL said they could go through the shops for a while. FiL said if they were shopping, he’d go ride with me. I gave DW the keys in case they got bored and decided they wanted to leave before we were done.

We went over to ride and when we got in line the posted time had changed to 80 minutes. We were lined up all the way back to the entrance. But people in front of us just constantly kept bailing on the line. It seemed like we moved through all the exterior switchbacks without ever stopping. In the end, it was really only about a 45 minute wait on the clock.


And well worth every minute…

When we got out it was just right at 8pm. I called DW to ask if they were still in the park. She said they were in the Osborne Lights, but would meet us near the hat. (RIP and good riddance!)

We headed that way and when DS saw us, he came running over. He was still wide awake and going strong. It turned out that they had a pretty exciting evening too. They went shopping and this is where they bought a Cinderella Christmas ornament for DD and DS picked out his Crush ornament. DW and MiL bought Christmas light necklaces. They checked out the Osborne Lights in a much less crowded environment this time. And they returned to Wandering Oaken’s so that DS could play in the Frozen Wonderland… or whatever they called it. They really seemed to have enjoyed their evening roaming DHS… much more than we enjoyed our first evening there.

And DD… she was still sound asleep in the stroller, just how I left her.

We went out to the parking lot. Thankfully the Suburban was right where we left it that morning. We made it out of DHS without any of the traffic headaches we experience the first night and we were quickly back at AoA.

It was our last night, and we needed to do some packing. We laid DD in bed. That girl was out cold. DS wanted to swim, so I took him out to the Cozy Cone pool and we just jumped in for a quick swim while DW started packing.



DS asked me about Lightning on the way out to the pool though. Lightning was always parked right in front of our building. So he couldn't figure out how Lightning got to the car show that afternoon or why he won't talk at AoA. I tried to explain to him that the Lightning we were walking past wasn't the real Lightning. He was just kind of a statue. I think he was ok with that explanation. Not that I want the magic to end for him, but I was proud of him logically thinking it all through. He had some very good questions.

We got back to the room and DS got in the tub to take a warm bath. I helped pack some things and decided to take a few bags on out to the vehicle to save us some work in the morning. I got out to the parking lot and the fireworks from Illuminations were going off again.

Well, at least I wasn’t in bed this time.

But I started walking back to our room and I just stopped. I couldn’t move. It was that feeling that everybody who is on the DIS knows all too well.


I was in wet swim trunks, standing in the middle of the parking lot and it was like 50 degrees. But I didn’t care. I just didn’t want to move.


The sky was clear, it was a beautiful night.
There were fireworks going off in front of me.


I was in Disney World. And I wasn’t ready to leave!


It was just a magical moment and I didn’t want it to end.


I took the long way back to the room. I basically wandered around the entire Cars area of the resort, just taking it all in once again, and taking my time. Maybe looking at things through misty eyes this time.


When I got back to the room, DW had some more things packed, so I made another trip out to the parking lot. This one more miserable. I was just cold, but there were no fireworks or a magical moment to keep me warm.

I headed back inside and took a shower. Our last day was going to be in MK. It opened at 8, but I didn’t have any expectations of being able to make RD after finishing our packing. We had a few more must-do’s to conquer, but it was mostly going to be a “go with the flow” kind of day.

 

[ichabody]

You're a freakin' man on a mission with RnRC! Glad you got to ride! Thank for the tip on the FP+...sounds like all you have to do after you use your first three is get a fourth, no matter what the heck it is, then you can change it later using MDE? I didn't know that...and this June will be our first experience with FP+!

 

[glennbo123]

Yikes regarding your Mama Melrose experience. 2 1/2 hours is just plain way too long. Inexcusable really, in an amusement park setting, where people want to get going. I haven't been to Mama Melrose since 2001, not that I had a bad experience, it just seemed "okay" and I never had a desire to try to get back there.

Glad you finally got to ride RnRC. Way to persevere!

Great pictures of your son and wife. I especially like the "ooo, it's cold" one.

Yeah, you're preaching to the choir about not wanting to leave WDW! But that was a great write-up, had me right with you.

 

[jchurch0409]

Yay for RnRC! I love the picture of your wife and son, soooo cute!!

 

[KatMark]

Well, now you have me teary-eyed picturing you in a parking lot in your bathing suit with misty eyes enjoying all of that magic.

I'm sorry to hear about Mama Melrose. I have, unfortunately, found that at a lot of the restaurants (Plaza and BOG for starters) where there are empty tables but you wait past your ADR and then have horrid service. I truly don't believe that they hire enough staff for these restaurants.

Great pictures of Fantasmic (I plan on seeing that in May). And the picture of your FIL and you on RnR is terrific.

DS looks like he had some fun with mom and grandma while you were off with grandpa. He's such a handsome boy and love his smile with mom and Anna and Elsa.

 

[that's nice]

It was around 4:30 am when DD came running into our bedroom screaming.

Bubby’s gone! Bubby’s gone!

Nothing like a nice surge of adrenaline in the middle of the night when you’re planning to sleep in a bit.

That is scary. I'm sure you had a hard time getting back to sleep after this.

Nice truck!

I figured we needed to make a quick stop in Club Cool to try some new drinks.

Hummm.... wonder what old drinks you'd be trying?

The Beverly dispenser was out of order.

Nooooooooo......

Glad you ended up finding one that worked.

The lady sitting next to DW was nursing the baby. And um… wow, it was all out there.

Interesting... Melody nursed each of our kids and nursed Gabby in WDW. I guess she is more modest than some- she always had a cover over her and found a discrete area to do it.But to each their own I guess.

It was the friendly dad from Soarin!

And nursing mom.

This time she was fully clothed.

Awww.... too bad she wasn't 'hanging out' again.

Seriously… I love our kids, but they can drive me nuts sometimes.

Understatement of the century!

Great pic!!!!

It. Was. Cold!!!!!

How cold was it?

But as someone who likes to hit the parks rope drop to park close and maximize every minute of Disney available to me…


There’s just something unsettling about laying in bed and hearing fireworks.


It just feels like I failed.

Who said you had to goto bed? If Melody is ready for bed too early, I go for walks, grab a drink, take in the sights, take some nighttime pictures, etc.

I just hoped our vehicle would still be there at the end of the day.

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNN

By this time, it’s already 8:10. We’re 10 minutes late for our pre-RD ADR and the park opens in less than an hour. With the shows we wanted to see our plans are absolutely jam packed for the day. I was pacing, getting stressed and just starting to get downright ticked off.

Oh boy.. not good.

I needed a drink.

LOL This is when nips come in handy!

We really enjoyed our meal here. We last ate at H&V for dinner in 2008. The meal we had back then was absolutely horrible.

This is funny cuz I'm about to write about H&V in my TR as well.

DW said she never wanted to go back there again. Had it not been for the opportunity to see Doc, Sofia and Jake, H&V never would have even been on our radar.

LOL This sounds very familiar.

RnRC is my absolute favorite ride at Disney World. We had a jam packed day planned, and at this point, I didn’t see how we’d have any time to work it in later.

My mood went from slightly grumpy, to “don’t even talk to me, look at me, or breathe the air in my general vicinity.”

I hear ya... this is my favorite ride as well.

Just what I want to do during the first hour DHS is open. Watch the Little Mermaid show.

What cha gonna do?

We headed out the door and walked across the courtyard and walked right into the theater for Disney Junior with about 5 minutes left on our FP+ window.

Why did you use FPs for this show?

I don’t know about everybody else, but when I’m in DHS and want a snack there’s really no question where I’m going or what I’m getting.

Ummmmm I know what I'd be getting.

We finished our ride and had to make a quick walk to our next destination. Lights Motors Action. We wanted to see it again in case it would happen to fall victim to the many cuts that seem to be happening at the studios in preparation for Pixar/Star Wars/Whatever expansions. It’s a show that we’ve seen before but don’t necessarily feel compelled to see every trip.

I hope we can fit this in August. Hopefully it is still there.

We’ve been to Mama Melrose before and I’ve thought quite highly of the place. That opinion was quickly changing.

Rut Roh.

We've eaten here a few times over the years. I don't really have a glowing review or a bad review. Maybe they were understaffed the day you were there. 2 1/2 hours for salad, pasta, and dessert would make me insane.

After we finished eating, DW wanted to stop by Wandering Oaken’s to look for a couple of dolls that she saw and wanted to get for DD for Christmas. We didn’t want the kids to see what she was getting, so FiL and I stayed outside with them and waited on her to finish up.

But did you get a beer? This is the perfect time for that!

And we were only sitting there maybe 15 or 20 minutes before the show started. This was the first time I’ve ever done the dining package for that show, but it won’t be the last. It really makes it much, much easier to get in and see the show. Especially with the kids.

I already have our ADR set for our DHS day in August... I might have to rethink it though for the package.

We went over to ride and when we got in line the posted time had changed to 80 minutes. We were lined up all the way back to the entrance. But people in front of us just constantly kept bailing on the line. It seemed like we moved through all the exterior switchbacks without ever stopping. In the end, it was really only about a 45 minute wait on the clock.

WIINNING!!!

I was in Disney World. And I wasn’t ready to leave!

So don't. You are the adult. Put your foot down and add on some days!

 

[that's nice]

Well, now you have me teary-eyed picturing you in a parking lot in your bathing suit with misty eyes enjoying all of that magic.

I was teary eyed too... not from being sad but from laughing so hard.

 

[KatMark]

I was teary eyed too... not from being sad but from laughing so hard.

You are so bad. You might find ALL of us crying if you ever update your TR.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

oh my gosh! That dining experience at Mama Melrose sounds awful! I think slow service at a restaurant that isn't full (and thus should not have slow service) is one of the most annoying things out there - and to top it off you didn't even get great food out of it! Am glad though at the end you figured out how to get a ride on RnRC in

But I hate that I spent so much time looking at my phone this trip. Either to change an FP+ or check the status of something

I did notice that on our last trip that with FP+ combined with all the wait time apps, etc. it is easy to spend a lot of time on ones phone. Definitely is just par tof modern life a bit, though would be nice to not have to do that as much

Anyway, after trying approximately 900,000 times to change that FP+, it ended up being a total waste of time.

well that sucks - though you did get the ride in at the end - too bad the effort was for naught

So he couldn't figure out how Lightning got to the car show that afternoon or why he won't talk at AoA.

I am dredding all those questions and how to explain everything. I almost blew it with my daughter when I let her know that Idina Manzel would be singing Let it Go at the Oscar awras which was cool as she was the actual voice of Elsa - to which she replied "what do you mean 'voice of? Elsa's real!" - We ultimately settled on that since Elsa is busy meeting guests at WDW and Idina does such a good job singing the song they let her sing it in public.

but there were no fireworks or a magical moment to keep me warm.

I don't know what it is but in almost any setting fireworks do make the moment more magical

 

[that's nice]

You are so bad. You might find ALL of us crying if you ever update your TR.

I'm working on that right now...

Who knows, It might be posted before 3!

 

[pkondz]

DW apparently was more interested in taking pictures than playing the game. I guess she wanted to have an excuse for why I always win.

I'm going to go out on a limb here..

She beat you anyways, right?

No?

We wanted to see it again in case it would happen to fall victim to the many cuts that seem to be happening at the studios in preparation for Pixar/Star Wars/Whatever expansions.

Is that likely? I haven't heard anything, not that that means much.

DS was excited to see Lightning McQueen come out and beat the bad guys.

Dream come true for a lot of boys I'd think.
Princesses as far as the eye can see, but stuff for boys?
Yeah, okay there is, but still.

DS loves the new Muppets movies and we’ve even bought the DVD set of season 1 of the Muppet show and he loves watching those too.

The 1976 season, you mean?

DD on the other hand… well, getting a 2 year old to keep 3D glasses on for anything isn’t very easy.

I bet!

I was really hoping that we could get in and eat a little bit earlier than we planned so that maybe we might have time to sneak RnRC in before Fantasmic!

Keeping fingers crossed here.
As long as dinner is quick, you've got a chance, right?

It was about 3:35 when we were finally seated. I expected to find a full restaurant, but there was hardly anyone there. In fact, the whole time we were in there, I don’t think there was anyone seated at any of the tables directly adjacent to ours.

I wondered, after the first fit of indignation, if they were turning it over from the lunch set up?

We’ve been to Mama Melrose before and I’ve thought quite highly of the place. That opinion was quickly changing.

That's too bad.
Gotta admit, you're not painting a pretty picture!

They finally brought out our food, and the general consensus of all the meals was basically, meh.

Way to sell it Andy!
Aren't you glad you waited that long for 'meh' food???

Spaghetti for the most part, is hard to screw up. I think mine was maybe a couple of degrees warmer than room temp. But it was pretty close. It was clear that it had been sitting for quite a while before it was brought out.

Yuck.
That's the problem isn't it?
You might want to send it back... but then how much longer is it going to be???

Food there is expensive!

What????
When did this happen!
You should call the news people.

When it was all said and done, we were at Mama Melrose for about 2 ½ hours from the time we checked in to the time we left.

That's crazy! Especially at Disney where time is money more than anywhere else.

Heck, I love Italian food in general!

Made pizza last night... got a lasagne in the oven right now.
We might... might... have similar tastes.

It is safe to say that we will not be in a hurry to eat here again in the future.

Really?
So surprised.

But… according to their predictions, there should be FP+ available for about an hour out… This might just work!!!!

Still keeping fingers crossed.
Do you have any idea how hard it is to type this way?

I headed for the FP+ kiosk near ToT, waited in line…

And the only thing available was The Great Movie Ride or the second Fantasmic!

D'oh! Lies! All lies!
I demand a full refund!
(Or head of the line pass to RnR.... whichever comes first.)

This was the first time I’ve ever done the dining package for that show, but it won’t be the last. It really makes it much, much easier to get in and see the show.

Oh really!
I seem to remember reading in the UOG that it wasn't worth it, or maybe I'm thinking of FP+ for it?
Either way, so I'm guessing you have reserved area and don't have to line up two hours ahead, correct?

One of the upsides, to me, is one of the biggest downsides to the new FP+ system. I like having that ability to change it on the fly. But I hate that I spent so much time looking at my phone this trip.

True. I noticed that too.
But I didn't really mind.
I just figured it was one more advantage over those who don't do their research.

Anyway, after trying approximately 900,000 times to change that FP+, it ended up being a total waste of time.

Nooooo!!!!!

Stupid crossed fingers!

She was all excited when Mickey came out in the beginning, but then when he went away and it got dark and they were projecting on the water screens… Well, it apparently got too boring for her. She was out. Didn’t take long at all.

Awwww.... poor tuckered out tyke.

​

I think that's your best picture of the bunch!
Don't quite know why, though....

And well worth every minute…

You go, Andy!
Glad you finally got to ride it!

would meet us near the hat. (RIP and good riddance!)

Yup. That's how I feel.
You should see the theater when you come in, not the hat.
Unless they replace it with something even gaudier.

We headed that way and when DS saw us, he came running over. He was still wide awake and going strong. It turned out that they had a pretty exciting evening too. They went shopping and this is where they bought a Cinderella Christmas ornament for DD and DS picked out his Crush ornament

That must've put a smile on your face.
I know that if it was me, even though I would've been happy to ride RnR, I still would've been wondering how DS was doing.

And DD… she was still sound asleep in the stroller, just how I left her.

Aw, man! You're killing me with the extreme cuteness here!

Thankfully the Suburban was right where we left it that morning.

Not even a little pixie dust slip of paper under the wiper?

Not that I want the magic to end for him, but I was proud of him logically thinking it all through. He had some very good questions.

Good for him!
That's smart.

I got out to the parking lot and the fireworks from Illuminations were going off again.

Well, at least I wasn’t in bed this time.

I'm guessing you might've possibly gotten a little misty eyed there?

But I started walking back to our room and I just stopped. I couldn’t move. It was that feeling that everybody who is on the DIS knows all too well.


I was in wet swim trunks, standing in the middle of the parking lot and it was like 50 degrees. But I didn’t care. I just didn’t want to move.

The sky was clear, it was a beautiful night.
There were fireworks going off in front of me.


I was in Disney World. And I wasn’t ready to leave![/QUOTE]

Never mind. You just answered the question.

We had a few more must-do’s to conquer, but it was mostly going to be a “go with the flow” kind of day.

Can't wait to read all about it!
Thanks for the update!

 

[jecskc]

YAY you got to ride it after all!! We feel that same way about Mama Melrose. The food was meh and the service was terrible.