declansdad
DIS Dad #639 New Brunswick, Canada
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2004
- Messages
- 31,307
A few links to start you off:
Part 1: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=866174
Part 2: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=868634
Part 3: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=871095
Part 4: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=873749
Part 5: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=874731
Part 6: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=884120
Part 7: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=907475
Photos: http://www.shutterbook.com/albums/declansdad/
Day 9
Cast:
declansdad - me (40)
pooksma - dw
declan - ds (4)
We got up to another beautiful but alreadry hot day in WDW. The only plan we have for today is dinner at Crystal Palace and maybe Wishes if all goes well. We decide that before that a second visit to AK is in order so off we go.
Pooksma and I wanted to do Dinosaur and see Tarzan Rocks today so we were careful in what paths we took with Declan. We wanted to avoid getting tied down in dinosaur dig and any carnival type games.
Our first stop was Dinosaur. Declan was a bit traumatized on this ride last year and didn't care for it (that is until we got off and then it was one of his favourites). Well another year went by and with some discussion he was keen on doing this again. Besides he is a big Aladar fan and wanted to save him. We waited in line for about 15 minutes before getting to the load area. This was just the right amount of time to allow us to see a bit more of the queue area and get some neat pictures. (Sorry I haven't posted them yet.)
In the pre-show area some nice people decided that it would be ok to stand in front of a four year old. I guess they figured he didn't need to see that boring video anyway. Declan found the ride much more enjoyable this time (no crying) and wanted to go again. I think this is a great ride other that the bouncing around. The effects are tremendous and the lifelike dinosaurs are very cool.
Next up we deided that FPs for Kali were in order. It was very hot today and thought that a refreshing drenching would be in order. Well apparently so did everyone else. The crowd
was so thick that we split up right by the gift shop near Kali. I went for the FP while they waited there, or so I thought. After getting FP for much later in the afternoon, I returned to our spot to find everyone but dw and ds. I wondered around looking, up towards Africa, back into Asia and finally found them after about 20 minutes over near the Monkey viewing location. We were surprised how active the monkeys were. They were swinging around their little temple like there was no tomorrow. Very fun to watch.
Our next stop was ITTBAB. We only had about a 10 minute wait for this and once again ds was much better prepared this time. I think a lot of it has to do with how tired he is. As we entered the theater, we picked our row and started moving towards the far side, just as we are supposed to do. As we neared the middle everyone in front of me started to stop and sit down so I followed suit. I thought great we are right in the middle. Hooray. I quickly realized that the people that I was following simply decided to sit in the middle and not follow directions. Man was I embarrased when I realized that people had to climb by us to get to the other seats.
After the exiting we weren't sure if we could make it to Tarzan as it was close to show time. We realy wanted to see this because this was its last year to be an attraction. We decided to kick it into gear to see if we could make it over. It looked as if we were too late but the CM said not a problem. As dw and ds waited I went to park the stroller. Another nice CM saved me a spot right in front of the fan so the stroller would be cool. In we went and decided to sit in the front left section. Man it was still warm in there but there was shade. Declan was getting a little worn out and decided to take a nap just before the show started. Pooksma and I enjoyed the show but I don't think we would do it again. Declan seemed to enjoy the parts that he saw as well. At least we can say we did it but it is no Lion King.
We decided that it was just too warm for Declan today and we didn't want to wear him out before tonight so we went back to Pop for a rest. On the way out I gave our FPs to some people on their way in. Going through the exit a gentleman said that someone had done that for his family earlier and he thought it was a very nice gesture. Makes you feel good doesn't it?
Resort time - Food, Swim, Laundry, Cat Nap.
Off to MK we go.
We had a PS at Crystal Palace for early evening so we made for MK in time to get in the park and check in. It took about 20 minutes for our little buzzer to go off.
When we entered the restaurant, we were seated on the left side near the door. It was kind of an odd spot but you certainly could see everything. Our server, Cher, promptly delivered our drinks and off to the buffet we went. We dined here last year as well but for lunch. I am happy to say that the food and service is just as good at dinner.
The characters were already out and about and we were quickly visited by Pooh, Eyeore and Piglet but no Tigger. Tigger is the favourite so he must stop by or I will not be able to control what happens. While we are patiently waiting and eating or food we hear a crash at the buffet line and I feel something hit me in the back of my leg. A young boy had dropped his plate and a piece had flew across the restaurant and struck me. Luckily there was no blood just one upset little boy. and still no Tigger!! I picked the piece of plate up off the floor and placed on the side of my now empty plate (the near mortal wound didn't slow me down any
). When Cher returned to clean up our empty dishes I informed her that the glass wasn't from us but from the earlier incident. She made sure that I was alright and went on her way. (I returned to the buffet.) Still no Tigger!!!!!!
A short time later, a management type person stopped by our table to see if we were enjoying ourselves. We assured her that we were and complimented her on the food and service. She then asked if I was in need of assistance from my brush with the flying glass. At this point I was a bit amused, I mean it didn't even break the skin. I told her that everything was fine and I thought that I would survive the ordeal. She chucked and said that if there was anything she could do to let her know. I decided to tell her that we still hadn't seen Tigger and we were getting worried. She told us that if he hadn't arrived by the time we were ready to go, to find her and she would make it happen.
A short time later......TIGGER!!!
Everyone was happy and content.
After our memorable supper we wandered over to Frontierland to get FPs to BTMRR. We managed to get some passes for just after 9 pm so it was time to wander around a bit. As we were walking past Peter Pan, I hear someone call my name. Standing in line was a friend from home with his family. (and people thought we were the only ones foolish enough to go to Florida in the summer). We chatted for a few minutes and moved on to Buzz.
The wait for Buzz was about 20 minutes but while waiting we chatted with a nice family from Australia. They were finishing up a 2 week world tour. Once on the ride, I paired up with ds for the first time ever. I now know why dw always has such poor scores. The boy can not fly.
We now had to cross back over to BTMRR and it was getting close to Spectro time. We thought this could be a challenge but that little walkway along the river sure helps getting around that crowd. By now ds is really getting into roller coasters so this another great trip and the FPs make even better.
Next on our agenda is Wishes. We did see parts of it earlier in the trip from Liberty Square but we wanted to get in front of the castle for this one. The walk over to the castle was a bit of a challenge as we were travelling with the parade crowd. I don't know how many times people just stepped across ds in the stroller or simply pushed their way past. I was tempted a couple of times but pooksma had me figured out and would quickly grab hold before I could do any serious damage with the stroller.
We managed to get to the front of the Castle and staked out a good spot in the hub. DS was getting a bit tired but we (I) was determined to stay for this. Some people did start to stand in front of us but we made do. It wasn't long before the lights went dim and we all watched Tink make the trip from the top of the Castle. WOW!!! Amazing. Unfortunately shortly after that came the "I have to go pee chant". From ds not me. Pooksma decided that she would take him and meet me by the washroom near Crystal Palace.
At the end of the show I was both amazed and sad. I had waited 40 years to see this live and it was truly worth it. On the other hand, the two people who matter most to me in the world were not there to share it with me. Sure they were just a short walk away but it just wasn't the same.
I decided that trying to fight my way with the crowd was not a good idea so I just made my way to the center ring to wait it out a bit. When I thought I could get through I started over towards Crystal Palace to find my lost kin. Lo and behold they were right by the washroom. We used the shops to get part way out but we were eventually forced onto Maint Street. DW was trying to find a Pluto hat for DS so she looked for that while we moved to the confectionary for a treat.
While waiting in line we met up with a little girl who had made friends with declan the night before in the pool. She was all made up in a Tinkerbelle costume and looked really cute. As soon as she recognized Declan she said to her mother there is my new best friend. She told us that she was going to go for a swim at the pool and wanted to know if he could come along. We eventually gave in and let pooksma know when she caught up with us.
We then made our way to the bus stop. Boy were we surprised. The line for Pop Century was stretched back a couple of stops anyway. We figured this could take awhile. As we reached the queue area, we again met out little Tinkerbell friend and she kept asking if we were coming to the pool. We told her yes but unfortunately ds fell asleep in the bus and we didn't make it. We never did see her again and I think that ds was a bit upset that he couldn't say goodbye to his new friend.
We were amazed that we only waited about 35 minutes to get on a bus and were back to the resort in no time.
Well that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed it.
Part 1: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=866174
Part 2: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=868634
Part 3: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=871095
Part 4: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=873749
Part 5: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=874731
Part 6: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=884120
Part 7: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=907475
Photos: http://www.shutterbook.com/albums/declansdad/
Day 9
Cast:
declansdad - me (40)
pooksma - dw
declan - ds (4)
We got up to another beautiful but alreadry hot day in WDW. The only plan we have for today is dinner at Crystal Palace and maybe Wishes if all goes well. We decide that before that a second visit to AK is in order so off we go.
Pooksma and I wanted to do Dinosaur and see Tarzan Rocks today so we were careful in what paths we took with Declan. We wanted to avoid getting tied down in dinosaur dig and any carnival type games.
Our first stop was Dinosaur. Declan was a bit traumatized on this ride last year and didn't care for it (that is until we got off and then it was one of his favourites). Well another year went by and with some discussion he was keen on doing this again. Besides he is a big Aladar fan and wanted to save him. We waited in line for about 15 minutes before getting to the load area. This was just the right amount of time to allow us to see a bit more of the queue area and get some neat pictures. (Sorry I haven't posted them yet.)In the pre-show area some nice people decided that it would be ok to stand in front of a four year old. I guess they figured he didn't need to see that boring video anyway. Declan found the ride much more enjoyable this time (no crying) and wanted to go again. I think this is a great ride other that the bouncing around. The effects are tremendous and the lifelike dinosaurs are very cool.
Next up we deided that FPs for Kali were in order. It was very hot today and thought that a refreshing drenching would be in order. Well apparently so did everyone else. The crowd
was so thick that we split up right by the gift shop near Kali. I went for the FP while they waited there, or so I thought. After getting FP for much later in the afternoon, I returned to our spot to find everyone but dw and ds. I wondered around looking, up towards Africa, back into Asia and finally found them after about 20 minutes over near the Monkey viewing location. We were surprised how active the monkeys were. They were swinging around their little temple like there was no tomorrow. Very fun to watch. Our next stop was ITTBAB. We only had about a 10 minute wait for this and once again ds was much better prepared this time. I think a lot of it has to do with how tired he is. As we entered the theater, we picked our row and started moving towards the far side, just as we are supposed to do. As we neared the middle everyone in front of me started to stop and sit down so I followed suit. I thought great we are right in the middle. Hooray. I quickly realized that the people that I was following simply decided to sit in the middle and not follow directions. Man was I embarrased when I realized that people had to climb by us to get to the other seats.
After the exiting we weren't sure if we could make it to Tarzan as it was close to show time. We realy wanted to see this because this was its last year to be an attraction. We decided to kick it into gear to see if we could make it over. It looked as if we were too late but the CM said not a problem. As dw and ds waited I went to park the stroller. Another nice CM saved me a spot right in front of the fan so the stroller would be cool. In we went and decided to sit in the front left section. Man it was still warm in there but there was shade. Declan was getting a little worn out and decided to take a nap just before the show started. Pooksma and I enjoyed the show but I don't think we would do it again. Declan seemed to enjoy the parts that he saw as well. At least we can say we did it but it is no Lion King.
We decided that it was just too warm for Declan today and we didn't want to wear him out before tonight so we went back to Pop for a rest. On the way out I gave our FPs to some people on their way in. Going through the exit a gentleman said that someone had done that for his family earlier and he thought it was a very nice gesture. Makes you feel good doesn't it?
Resort time - Food, Swim, Laundry, Cat Nap.
Off to MK we go.
We had a PS at Crystal Palace for early evening so we made for MK in time to get in the park and check in. It took about 20 minutes for our little buzzer to go off.
When we entered the restaurant, we were seated on the left side near the door. It was kind of an odd spot but you certainly could see everything. Our server, Cher, promptly delivered our drinks and off to the buffet we went. We dined here last year as well but for lunch. I am happy to say that the food and service is just as good at dinner.
The characters were already out and about and we were quickly visited by Pooh, Eyeore and Piglet but no Tigger. Tigger is the favourite so he must stop by or I will not be able to control what happens. While we are patiently waiting and eating or food we hear a crash at the buffet line and I feel something hit me in the back of my leg. A young boy had dropped his plate and a piece had flew across the restaurant and struck me. Luckily there was no blood just one upset little boy. and still no Tigger!! I picked the piece of plate up off the floor and placed on the side of my now empty plate (the near mortal wound didn't slow me down any
). When Cher returned to clean up our empty dishes I informed her that the glass wasn't from us but from the earlier incident. She made sure that I was alright and went on her way. (I returned to the buffet.) Still no Tigger!!!!!!A short time later, a management type person stopped by our table to see if we were enjoying ourselves. We assured her that we were and complimented her on the food and service. She then asked if I was in need of assistance from my brush with the flying glass. At this point I was a bit amused, I mean it didn't even break the skin. I told her that everything was fine and I thought that I would survive the ordeal. She chucked and said that if there was anything she could do to let her know. I decided to tell her that we still hadn't seen Tigger and we were getting worried. She told us that if he hadn't arrived by the time we were ready to go, to find her and she would make it happen.
A short time later......TIGGER!!!
Everyone was happy and content.
After our memorable supper we wandered over to Frontierland to get FPs to BTMRR. We managed to get some passes for just after 9 pm so it was time to wander around a bit. As we were walking past Peter Pan, I hear someone call my name. Standing in line was a friend from home with his family. (and people thought we were the only ones foolish enough to go to Florida in the summer). We chatted for a few minutes and moved on to Buzz.
The wait for Buzz was about 20 minutes but while waiting we chatted with a nice family from Australia. They were finishing up a 2 week world tour. Once on the ride, I paired up with ds for the first time ever. I now know why dw always has such poor scores. The boy can not fly.
We now had to cross back over to BTMRR and it was getting close to Spectro time. We thought this could be a challenge but that little walkway along the river sure helps getting around that crowd. By now ds is really getting into roller coasters so this another great trip and the FPs make even better.
Next on our agenda is Wishes. We did see parts of it earlier in the trip from Liberty Square but we wanted to get in front of the castle for this one. The walk over to the castle was a bit of a challenge as we were travelling with the parade crowd. I don't know how many times people just stepped across ds in the stroller or simply pushed their way past. I was tempted a couple of times but pooksma had me figured out and would quickly grab hold before I could do any serious damage with the stroller.
We managed to get to the front of the Castle and staked out a good spot in the hub. DS was getting a bit tired but we (I) was determined to stay for this. Some people did start to stand in front of us but we made do. It wasn't long before the lights went dim and we all watched Tink make the trip from the top of the Castle. WOW!!! Amazing. Unfortunately shortly after that came the "I have to go pee chant". From ds not me. Pooksma decided that she would take him and meet me by the washroom near Crystal Palace.
At the end of the show I was both amazed and sad. I had waited 40 years to see this live and it was truly worth it. On the other hand, the two people who matter most to me in the world were not there to share it with me. Sure they were just a short walk away but it just wasn't the same.
I decided that trying to fight my way with the crowd was not a good idea so I just made my way to the center ring to wait it out a bit. When I thought I could get through I started over towards Crystal Palace to find my lost kin. Lo and behold they were right by the washroom. We used the shops to get part way out but we were eventually forced onto Maint Street. DW was trying to find a Pluto hat for DS so she looked for that while we moved to the confectionary for a treat.
While waiting in line we met up with a little girl who had made friends with declan the night before in the pool. She was all made up in a Tinkerbelle costume and looked really cute. As soon as she recognized Declan she said to her mother there is my new best friend. She told us that she was going to go for a swim at the pool and wanted to know if he could come along. We eventually gave in and let pooksma know when she caught up with us.
We then made our way to the bus stop. Boy were we surprised. The line for Pop Century was stretched back a couple of stops anyway. We figured this could take awhile. As we reached the queue area, we again met out little Tinkerbell friend and she kept asking if we were coming to the pool. We told her yes but unfortunately ds fell asleep in the bus and we didn't make it. We never did see her again and I think that ds was a bit upset that he couldn't say goodbye to his new friend.
We were amazed that we only waited about 35 minutes to get on a bus and were back to the resort in no time.
Well that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed it.
