Travels With Teens: Take Two “I Can Organize This Trip in My Sleep!”BC Dee in DC Roti & Fini p. 40

[natebenma]

We have to accept places in May. Give a first and and 2nd choice but then when results come in he can turn the places in if he gets independent uni or if he doesn't get grades he can apply for clearing where the other universities will look at his achievements and let him know if he is eligible for any other courses. Fingers crossed both boys get what they wish for

And their parents, too!

:

 

[natebenma]

Do we make it to 1 am at the MK? Part 1


So where were we?

Oh, yes, the last day of the class trip. We had spent the morning at Animal Kingdom, the afternoon at Hollywood Studios and most of us had a break for a couple of hours at the resort.

It was now time to hit the Magic Kingdom. The park was closing at 1 am and we had no curfew.




On the bus over, my friend L. suggested that we ask the boys what they wanted to do and we made note of their suggestions.

One dad and two students had stayed behind at Hollywood Studios then went on to MK without taking a break. We would meet up with them when we arrived at MK.

We arrived at 7:40 (according to the clock on the train station).

The rest of our group was at Tomorrowland Speedway, so we headed to there.


Once we were together, I offered to get Fast Passes while everyone else rode the Peoplemover.

The line at the FP kiosk was brutal- the families in front of me had no idea what they wanted to do for rides, and some of them didn’t speak English and didn’t understand the process. The person right in front of me got to the head of the line, and then she tried to call over members of her family, but it took them forever to get there.

Finally, it was my turn, and after listening to what was available while I was in line, I got Fast Passes for Haunted Mansion at 9:05 pm.

When I returned the group and let them know what I reserved, one of the chaperones (our thrill rider) said

“Did you get what YOU wanted or what the kids wanted?”



I was pretty annoyed by the comment because, yes, I HAD asked the boys what they wanted when we were on the bus. They said Space, Big Thunder or Haunted Mansion. Space and Big Thunder were not available.



It was 8:20, so we had some time before our FP. We hopped in line for Buzz.

While in line, I thought we should make a plan for dinner since we hadn’t eaten since our lunch at HS. My first choice was to return to Columbia Harbor House because I wanted to try the Seafood Mac and Cheese which is only on the dinner menu.

Picture from Disney Food Blog

Then we would right by Haunted Mansion.

I surveyed the group, and amazingly, they all agreed.

Perfect!

Except… I didn’t know what time CHH closed at night. So I approached a CM who was working nearby to ask. She pulled out a book of info, but it didn’t list the closing time. Then she said she could get the info on her phone, but that Cast Members are not allowed to use their phones when they are “On Stage”. The CM asked her supervisor if it was alright to use her phone because she was trying to help a guest. Surprisingly the supervisor said “Yes” and we both tried to block the view of the CM while she checked her phone so nobody could see.

The answer: CHH closes at 9 pm. It was going to be close by the time we got off the ride.

Ben asked if he could ride with me.

There had been a lot of hooting and hollering by some of the kids in our group while they rode the TTA and Ben had a headache.

I can’t remember who got the high score, mainly because I don’t really care.

When the ride was over, it was around 8:50. Although I really wanted to go to CHH, I didn’t want to risk getting there and finding out they wouldn’t let us in because it was closing time.

I am not a big fan of Cosmic Rays because it can be really chaotic and you have to go to different pods to order different meals. I also get concerned about seating there. But it really was the best choice for us at that time.

I got the pulled pork sandwich with green beans for a side and Ben got the grilled chicken.


I was pleasantly surprised. There was plenty of seating (then again, it was 9 pm) and the food was good.


I mentioned earlier in the report that I had been sharing little bits of Disney trivia with everyone throughout the trip- a lot of it morbid things like the ride on which the most deaths have occurred and that nobody dies at the Happiest Place on Earth (they ship ‘em to Reedy Creek)

I can’t remember what little tidbit I was going to share, but I asked out loud “Who is sick of hearing Dee’s Disney Trivia?”

And a little girl, about 6 years old, walking just ahead of us with her family, turned around to look at us and raised her hand.

We all cracked up!

ETA: I think I was going to share that Disney is largest consumer of fireworks in the world.

I was really happy to be going on Haunted Mansion since this would be my only time on the trip. The group had gone as part of the Y.E.S. class at MK on Tuesday, but that was when I was having my solo adventures at the park.

When we exited the ride, the fireworks from Wishes were going off. We walked around a bit to try to get a slightly better view. The pictures from my phone are pretty lousy, but these are the best of them:

Next Up: Crossroads: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

.

 

[rteetz]

That comment would've probably annoyed me too.

I'm a big fan of Buzz even though I think it could use a nice big refurb with some updates.

Cosmic rays is ok we have probably eaten there the most of the QS locations at MK.

Looks like a nice night.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I got the pulled pork sandwich with green beans for a side and Ben got the grilled chicken.


I was pleasantly surprised. There was plenty of seating (then again, it was 9 pm) and the food was good.

The food does look good and the chicken is a good size portion. For some unknown reason, we never eat there. There seem to be too many favorite restaurants and too little time to add a new one.

 

[hill6]

Did they not offer you a refund if it was cancelled and you couldn't go? That would really be unfair!

My brother and I saw them in the makeup show and then Mark and I saw them together during the Night in the Ruts tour. I remember the next day at high school students had to turn their t-shirts inside out because the concert t-shirts had the N and R replaced.

Too funny about the shirts.

We did get refunds for the cancelled concerts. The one that was rescheduled we were given option to change concert date or refund. The reschedule date was day we flew to FL for a cruise. I would love to see them. May consider it next time they come around.

 

[afwdwfan]

It was now time to hit the Magic Kingdom. The park was closing at 1 am and we had no curfew.

Woohoo!!!

The rest of our group was at Tomorrowland Speedway

Why?

The line at the FP kiosk was brutal- the families in front of me had no idea what they wanted to do for rides, and some of them didn’t speak English and didn’t understand the process. The person right in front of me got to the head of the line, and then she tried to call over members of her family, but it took them forever to get there.

That's certainly frustrating. And that's what I always hate about the FP+ kiosks. It's like you have to try to evaluate every time you walk towards one and try to figure out who looks the dumbest so you don't get in line behind them.

When I returned the group and let them know what I reserved, one of the chaperones (our thrill rider) said

“Did you get what YOU wanted or what the kids wanted?”



I was pretty annoyed by the comment because, yes, I HAD asked the boys what they wanted when we were on the bus. They said Space, Big Thunder or Haunted Mansion. Space and Big Thunder were not available.

Although, I'm kind of surprised you couldn't get BTMRR, still having 5 hours or so of park time left. Must have been a fairly busy day.

Then we would right by Haunted Mansion.

I surveyed the group, and amazingly, they all agreed.

See... doing what YOU want to do.

I can’t remember who got the high score, mainly because I don’t really care.

In other words, it was Ben.

I was pleasantly surprised. There was plenty of seating (then again, it was 9 pm) and the food was good.

I've always thought Cosmic Rays is fine. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there, but there's a decent selection and I've never been disappointed in the food. Not crazy about the different food stations though.

Next Up: Crossroads: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Is it 1 am yet? I don't even think there's any question.

 

[annie170]

Wow! What a nasty remark from that chaperone! I guess no good deed goes unpunished.

We try to hit Cosmic Ray's whenever we're on the dining plan for dinner. The half rotisserie chicken with a half of a slab of ribs is probably the best use of cs credit I've found. My husband and I have good appetites and there is more than enough food for the two of us to share the meal.

Your fireworks photos are good out of the phone!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

I'm loving the photos in this latest update. Looks like a beautiful night but it must have a full moon or something because the nastiness of some people would seem to be at an all time high.
Yay for Buzz and HM and to grumpy guts and dopey people!
Food looks decent too. We've eaten there a couple of times mainly when we are either too hungry or too hot to walk another step lol

 

[SarahDisney]

The line at the FP kiosk was brutal- the families in front of me had no idea what they wanted to do for rides, and some of them didn’t speak English and didn’t understand the process. The person right in front of me got to the head of the line, and then she tried to call over members of her family, but it took them forever to get there.

So, I'm a bit of a FP+ kiosk fanatic, and I have to say ... this is probably the thing that bothers me the most. Some groups just are not considerate in line. If there are people behind you, don't take forever. Come witha strategy. If you want to wait in separate lines to see who gets to the front first, I'm okay with that (it's what we do), but have everyone be close enough that you can come together easily, and whoever gets to the kiosk needs to start the process before everyone else gets there.
There are people waiting behind you in line - be courteous!

When I returned the group and let them know what I reserved, one of the chaperones (our thrill rider) said

“Did you get what YOU wanted or what the kids wanted?”

Not cool. Seriously.

I am not a big fan of Cosmic Rays because it can be really chaotic and you have to go to different pods to order different meals. I also get concerned about seating there. But it really was the best choice for us at that time.

We do Cosmic Ray's a lot, but we try to do it late at night when it's less chaotic. But when it's time to eat, you have to eat ... and I guess that means putting up with the chaos.

I can’t remember what little tidbit I was going to share, but I asked out loud “Who is sick of hearing Dee’s Disney Trivia?”

And a little girl, about 6 years old, walking just ahead of us with her family, turned around to look at us and raised her hand.

That is adorable!

When we exited the ride, the fireworks from Wishes were going off. We walked around a bit to try to get a slightly better view. The pictures from my phone are pretty lousy, but these are the best of them:

Those are some pretty good Wishes pictures, especially for a phone!

 

[jwwi]

Still here, I think you do make it to 1am. You should have let the thrill rider wait in the FP kiosk line...

 

[pas130]

DH and I ate at Cosmic Rays and also were pleasantly surprised, and surprised we were hungry after F&W
Not even going to mention what I think about the other chaperone's comment.....grrrrrr
Too cute about the little girl in front of you with the trivia

 

[natebenma]

Class trips, especially multi-day trips with a large group of teenagers, and adult acquaintances, are not for the faint-of-heart.

Although the comment made by the other chaperone was uncalled for and probably the lowlight of the trip, it by no means spoiled the trip, the night or even my friendship with the person who made the accusation.

I did defend myself, though. All of the boys were lined up on a planter when we met back up, and after the comment, I pointed to each boy and asked them what they wanted to do and at least half said Haunted.

This was the same chaperone who was mad that we didn't get to do Kali because we rode EE twice at AK. This was her second time chaperoning the class trip, and the group she had on the previous trip was great. She was the sole chaperone for her kids for lot of that trip, it was a smaller group, and all of the boys were willing to ride anything. It was frustrating that we had to compromise about the things we were doing because some of our students did not like the thrill rides, but that is what you need to do when you are on a group trip.

In light of some of the things I endured with Nate's class trip, this was just a minor bump in the road.

That comment would've probably annoyed me too.

I'm a big fan of Buzz even though I think it could use a nice big refurb with some updates.

Cosmic rays is ok we have probably eaten there the most of the QS locations at MK.

Looks like a nice night.

I remember how exciting Buzz used to be BTSMM- Before Toy Story Midway Mania.

At Buzz in Disneyland, you can take the astroblaster out of the holder. That actually is a big improvement.

The food at Cosmic Ray's is good and some of the entrees, like the chicken and rib combo, are really good deals. Two people can easily share this meal. What I really don't like is the chaos of having to order at different bays for different foods, and trying to find a lot of seating together when we are with a big group.

It did work out well that night, though.

The food does look good and the chicken is a good size portion. For some unknown reason, we never eat there. There seem to be too many favorite restaurants and too little time to add a new one.

Fortunately, my family loves Columbia Harbor House, so that is our go-to on our trips.

Too funny about the shirts.

We did get refunds for the cancelled concerts. The one that was rescheduled we were given option to change concert date or refund. The reschedule date was day we flew to FL for a cruise. I would love to see them. May consider it next time they come around.

We don't go to many big stadium concerts anymore. Actually, I think a lot of the bands saw "back in the day" are playing smaller venues now. I don't think I have seen Aerosmith since high school. I bet they are still pretty awesome.

 

[natebenma]

Woohoo!!!

I think it is awesome that we could stay out as long as we wanted. We had an early wake-up the next morning for the Tragical Depress to the airport and the girls had an even earlier wake up since they had an earlier flight.

But there is no sleeping at Disney!

Why?

Good question! These 3 guys actually rode the Speedway. Maybe twice. Perhaps the boys were getting in practice for driving lessons which are coming to this group WAY TOO SOON!

That's certainly frustrating. And that's what I always hate about the FP+ kiosks. It's like you have to try to evaluate every time you walk towards one and try to figure out who looks the dumbest so you don't get in line behind them.

I had been practicing this skill at the entrance turnstiles at Universal. That is another place where it is important to avoid getting behind the wrong group of people. Apparently, I need more practice.

Although, I'm kind of surprised you couldn't get BTMRR, still having 5 hours or so of park time left. Must have been a fairly busy day.

I think maybe it was that these rides did not have upcoming availability. Like there were times for Space in a few hours, but as you are understandably having trouble comprehending, we didn't know how long we would be in the park.

See... doing what YOU want to do.

Yeah, but we didn't end up there!

In other words, it was Ben.

You are probably right!

I've always thought Cosmic Rays is fine. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there, but there's a decent selection and I've never been disappointed in the food. Not crazy about the different food stations though.

It's okay. I agree that it is not worth going out of our way for, which is how we ended up there. It was on the way.

Is it 1 am yet? I don't even think there's any question.

It is 10 pm.

Let me just say, they don't make teens the way they used to!

 

[natebenma]

Wow! What a nasty remark from that chaperone! I guess no good deed goes unpunished.

We try to hit Cosmic Ray's whenever we're on the dining plan for dinner. The half rotisserie chicken with a half of a slab of ribs is probably the best use of cs credit I've found. My husband and I have good appetites and there is more than enough food for the two of us to share the meal.

Your fireworks photos are good out of the phone!

Well, the comment didn't make me cry, so it must not have been that bad!

I do agree about that chicken/ribs meal. Definitely a great deal!



Of course I didn't post all of the terrible fireworks photos.

I'm loving the photos in this latest update. Looks like a beautiful night but it must have a full moon or something because the nastiness of some people would seem to be at an all time high.
Yay for Buzz and HM and to grumpy guts and dopey people!
Food looks decent too. We've eaten there a couple of times mainly when we are either too hungry or too hot to walk another step lol

Thanks!

That's exactly why we go to Cosmic Ray's. It is convenient. It may not be "Mr. Right", but it is "Mr. Right Now"

 

[natebenma]

So, I'm a bit of a FP+ kiosk fanatic, and I have to say ... this is probably the thing that bothers me the most. Some groups just are not considerate in line. If there are people behind you, don't take forever. Come witha strategy. If you want to wait in separate lines to see who gets to the front first, I'm okay with that (it's what we do), but have everyone be close enough that you can come together easily, and whoever gets to the kiosk needs to start the process before everyone else gets there.
There are people waiting behind you in line - be courteous!

Hmmmm... maybe we should have Fast Pass lanes for the FP+ kiosks for those of us who know what we are doing.

Not cool. Seriously.

We do Cosmic Ray's a lot, but we try to do it late at night when it's less chaotic. But when it's time to eat, you have to eat ... and I guess that means putting up with the chaos.

I did NOT want to see the consequence of keeping hungry teenaged boys waiting.

That is adorable!

Nothing can put you in your place quicker than a cute little girl you don't know who is dissing you!

Those are some pretty good Wishes pictures, especially for a phone!

Thank you!!!

:

 

[natebenma]

Still here, I think you do make it to 1am. You should have let the thrill rider wait in the FP kiosk line...

Well, the thrill rider had waited in a FP kiosk line earlier in the trip, while the rest of us rode Small World. Hmmm... who got the short end of the stick there?

And I actually probably got the better deal that night. Even with the frustration at the kiosk, I think they rode the People Mover twice while I was doing that. Which normally would be a very pleasant experience, but the teens (not mine) were screaming during the ride, so yeah, I'll pass.

DH and I ate at Cosmic Rays and also were pleasantly surprised, and surprised we were hungry after F&W
Not even going to mention what I think about the other chaperone's comment.....grrrrrr
Too cute about the little girl in front of you with the trivia

You can definitely get filled easily at Cosmic Rays.

The little girl got some laughs (even from me), at my expense!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Okay so I read your latest update and then realized that you had another report going and went over there to read. Oops, forgot to comment here. What the heck was up with the chaperone and the snotty remark? Alrighty then, you go get the Fastpasses and deal with the line and figure out what to choose smarty pants. We are ditching the dining plan this year and I'm scoping out other counter service eateries to try. It's been years since we've been to Cosmic Ray's but your meals looked good so I may have to give it another shot.

 

[hill6]

We don't go to many big stadium concerts anymore. Actually, I think a lot of the bands saw "back in the day" are playing smaller venues now. I don't think I have seen Aerosmith since high school. I bet they are still pretty awesome.

We go to the PNC Bank Arts Center which holds about 17,000. It is 20 minutes from home. We don't go to the big venues unless a special show. I think las one we went to was Bon Jovi and Kid Rock at Metlife (football stadium). That was an awesome evening. Love JBJ. He is our hometown boy. My next door neighbor turned down his prom invite.

 

[jenseib]

That's so cute the little girl raised her hand. She is going to be a little prankster when she grows up

 

[natebenma]

Okay so I read your latest update and then realized that you had another report going and went over there to read. Oops, forgot to comment here. What the heck was up with the chaperone and the snotty remark? Alrighty then, you go get the Fastpasses and deal with the line and figure out what to choose smarty pants. We are ditching the dining plan this year and I'm scoping out other counter service eateries to try. It's been years since we've been to Cosmic Ray's but your meals looked good so I may have to give it another shot.

First- still sending thoughts to your family and neighbors that the sun will come out soon and the damages in your area are minimal



Well, too much togetherness, especially while spending time with 12 very different teenagers can really start to wear on people after a few days.

We no longer get the dining plan on our family trips. You have a lot more flexibility about where to eat and there are many places where the servings are large enough to share. We love several quick service restaurants- Columbia Harbor House and Pecos Bills at MK. Flame Tree and Tamu Tamu at AK, but I think Yak and Yeti would appeal to us, too. Too many to mention at EPCOT!

And then, there is Hollywood Studios...

We go to the PNC Bank Arts Center which holds about 17,000. It is 20 minutes from home. We don't go to the big venues unless a special show. I think las one we went to was Bon Jovi and Kid Rock at Metlife (football stadium). That was an awesome evening. Love JBJ. He is our hometown boy. My next door neighbor turned down his prom invite.

Wow! That is funny about your neighbor! Must have been fun to know him in high school.

That's so cute the little girl raised her hand. She is going to be a little prankster when she grows up

It really was a hilarious moment!

I remembered the little trivia tidbit she missed by being so fresh (and funny)- that the Walt Disney company is the largest consumer of fireworks in the world.