155 teenage girls; 2-26 hour bus rides; & ABSOLUTELY NO INPUT Final Chapter - 6/25

[Tinker'n'Fun]

working on the next installment should be done by Monday.

 

[DramaQueen]

great update!!!!!!!
very entertaining.

can't wait for the next installment!

 

[OhMari]

Great smilie and great update. I was thinking you got lost.

 

[teedisney]

I love your TR. I got misty when you talked about you crying. This proves I cry with everybody!!!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I think World Showcase is great. I really like the live entertainment, especially the drummers in Japan, the Morocco group, the Chinese acrobats, and the chair guys in France. The architecture is cool too.

I am really enjoying your writing style and your report reminds me of the many band trips I took during high school. Thanks!

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Great smilie and great update. I was thinking you got lost.

Sometimes it takes me longer to match up the smilies to the report than the actual time to write it?? I must be obsessed

I love your TR. I got misty when you talked about you crying. This proves I cry with everybody!!!

I cry on the drop of a pin, my kids won't even watched Frosty the Snowman with me, cause I embarass them....

I think World Showcase is great. I really like the live entertainment, especially the drummers in Japan, the Morocco group, the Chinese acrobats, and the chair guys in France. The architecture is cool too.

I am really enjoying your writing style and your report reminds me of the many band trips I took during high school. Thanks!

We are going as a family (and just us for the first time ever) and we have resolved to see the Showcase the way it should be done... I even made dinner plans at Tutto Italia, so there is hope for us still

 

[mousecrazy2006]

Just found your tr and I am loving it.. I too am a softy and ya had me all weepy at the band and dancers coming around the circle. Very nice We also are going in sept and hoping for small lines like last year, 2o minute wait at the longest and that was soaring Can't wait to read more

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Am I too sick?? Missing an ADR, and “THAT MOM” was right!!!

I woke up very early today. It was our last day in the parks and my body knew it. I woke up way before DH and DS. So I quietly unlocked the laptop from the luggage and decided to “Dis” for a bit. I was in “Dis” withdrawl after all it was only 5:30am and I like sleeping. So I stayed on the computer for a bit, then laid in the bed and tried to rationalize going home. I knew that it had to happen. I just knew. So I laid there and at 6:30ish got up, showered, and went downstairs for coffee. It was amazing the amount of parents and chaperone’s that were roaming the halls. Some were getting coffee, others were using guest services for their e-mail, and a few were working in the lobby. I wondered if anyone else slept. Did my daughter go to Vampire School

? Who gets up this early on vacation?? I said my hello’s and went back to the room. I woke DH up and he gave me the look. He knew also! DS woke up by 8:30am and HE knew (I guess it must be genetic)… His first words were, “Am I too sick to go to the park?” I didn’t think so but we called the nurse. She asked DH a few questions and pronounced DS perfectly fine, and if all else failed she said we could take a cab back to the hotel. Let him eat what he wants but keep him hydrated

. So we were all up and ready. DS ate breakfast like nothing had happened the night before. DD called and came up to shower. I went back with her and packed her up, except for the items she would need for today and tomorrow. Okay I know, she if 15 and can pack herself. All the other girls had to, but come on, Do you like to pack to go home?? So DD is sitting on her bed with a non-existant smile. Can you see the trend here. It was a very somber morning. The other girls and chaperone’s were oblivious to this! So we all put on our game faces, lifted our heads high and got onto the bus…..

What happens next is my favorite DH memory of the trip, by far, hands down. So one of the chaperone’s who DH has been flirting with since day one gets on the bus. I know what’s next. DH exclaims, “You look lovely today, Karen! I missed you last night”. Well what would you know, Karen turns around and loudly exclaims, “I could kiss you!”

DH perks right up, his feathers are fluffed. He is the man, and he knows it. All the girls on the bus heard her. HE was the MAN. And so with all his might DH says… “Why is that my dear?” and Karen replies, “NOT you, your wife??” Now my husband’s expression

is worth a gazillion words. All the girls on the bus our quiet. You could hear a pin drop

… Not sure if DH was speechless because she didn’t want to kiss him, or if the thought of her kissing me was going through his mind

… So Karen proceeds to tell everyone that her purse was stolen at Epcot the night before. Her ticket is gone, along with everything else. No one has handed it in! I felt terrible for her. I offered to lend her money. She declined as the band director has already lent her the money. He also told her how much her ticket would be for today, but SHE corrected him. See she was listening to “That Mom”, yep me. And she took a picture of her ticket, and Disney had already told her she could go to guest services and they would re-issue her a ticket at NO cost! I fluffed my feathers and sat up straight. I was the hero, I was the MOM

! And I could get a kiss from Karen if I wanted, but for the sake of my daughter’s reputation, I declined. And off we went to Animal Kingdom. No sulking anymore. We would take on the park with a passion. DD and DS had already decided to stay with us. They knew the lines for the rides they wanted would be long. So the Magical Pass was in play for the last day. We rode them all in a massive flurry, stopping only long enough for a few pictures here and there. We laughed, smiled, and had fun. DD’s friends came and went throughout the morning.

Morning quickly passed and afternoon was approaching. We had reservations at the Rainforest Café for 1pm. I knew this! I made the reservations! I never miss an ADR. That is just plain not acceptable and everyone who knows me, knows this. So around noon we go over to ride the Kilimanjaro Safari’s. I use my pass and we wait, and we wait, and we wait… It’s now 12:30pm and I am fretting on the inside. I know we are eating soon, but the ride is pulling up. I ask the CM he tells me the ride is around 25 minutes. NOW I have my panties in a HUGE bunch. (not sure if they are bunched because they are still wet from Kali Rapids or because I am nervous

) But they are in a bunch!! We get on the ride and I immediately tell DD to call her friends and let them know we will be late. So DD text’s them. She is incapable of human phone conversations. I have made her this way. The unlimited text feature on the phone is EVIL, yes EVIL

if you are teaching your children manners. I yell pick up the phone and CALL, please! The guests on the ride look at me. I am the dangerous animal on this ride,

not the lion’s in their dens. Its me, and poof once again, I am “That Mom!” My glory from the morning is gone. I quietly sink down and try to enjoy the ride. I do enjoy the ride. If you have ever visited the park in July

, you will understand. We have really have never seen any of the animals on this ride. They were always trying to stay out of the heat when we were there. But today was cool and the animals were plentiful. The ride was spectacular and at the end, I pushed everyone in my party out of the ride and we ran. No jogging, no walking, you must run, because Mrs. K never misses an ADR. But I knew in my heart that I already had as it was 1pm…. So we ran through the countries, we were on a mission, we needed to succeed, and as we quickly ran through the turnstiles, the CM desperately tries to tell us we were leaving the park and would need our passes to get back in. But on cue, like all good Catholic girls and one Catholic boy would do, they held their tickets above their heads, and waved a thank-you to the CM without missing a beat. We were in sync! We entered Rainforest Café at 1:15pm. I went to the podium and apologized for being late. Hey wait, yes you in the podium and you the waitress with the menu’s, you didn’t even care

. No look over at those kids… Yep the ones with sweat

pouring down their brow. Remember it’s not hot outside and they had to take the “wrath” of “That Mom” and all you can say is, no problem

?? Now I guess I should not have been upset, because we were seated within minutes. I was still trying to apologize. No one cared? So is this how it’s done? Do people always miss ADR’s and just come in when they want. I need to ponder this thought quietly when I get home. Maybe next trip might be just a little more relaxed?? Could it be, well I might just give it a try. If I can, which I probably can not, but I will try! Lunch was wonderful and conversations flowed. We shopped and found items on sale. The universe was spinning back into my direction.

The girls at lunch!

We left lunch and immediately parked our butts down for the parade. The one parade I have never seen. We were all excited! All but one of DD’s friends had deserted her. She knew that it would happen. Liking your parent’s is not cool. But for today, the last day, she did not care. The parade was great and we headed over for the last daily showing of “Finding Nemo the Musical”. Somehow we managed to pick up 3 of her friends along the way. It was a great ending to the day. We headed back for the busses and in true DD and DS fashion, the following picture had to be snapped.

The Good-bye picture!

The bus ride back to the hotel was uneventful and both DD and DS came and asked if they would be allowed to swim at the pool party. They caught me off guard and they knew it. I relented, and bathing suits would be flying. It’s probably a good time to tell you that I don’t do pool parties and I don’t do well with large groups of “chaperone’s”. I have my friends and their kids don’t go to my DD’s school. So DH and I are the loners. We are the only parents asked to sit at the kids table. We did not receive one invite to a parent table. I knew this would happen and so did my daughter. We only stayed long enough to get something to eat, take a few pictures of the kids in the hot tub

, and to hand out money for tattoo’s. YES tattoo’s. I offered money to children for tattoo’s…. What kind of Mother does this.. The kind who knows that they are painted on and are being offered at buy-one-get-one-free prices…

DH and I walk hand-in-hand back to the room to pack. It was over. So make a mental picture here, DH and I, hand-in-hand heading up to the room with my… tattoo on my bust…. Oh did I forget to tell you about my tattoo! Yep, Mickey and Minnie swinging on the moon in all their glory on my chest!! DH got Mickey on his arm and we were “way so cool”. More than any of those teenage girls…

The HotTub

In the room I packed and DH and I talked quietly to each other. The kids came to the room and advised us that room check was 3AM. I freaked on the inside and smiled on the outside. DS was back by midnight, DD was already in her room, so we drifted off to sleep with lions, tigers, and bears, Oh My…. No one got sick, no one got hurt and the last day rose with the first light of sunrise and a new day would be dawning

…..


Next Up…. My last $3.00 coffee, DTD in 3 hours, and the second 26 hour bus ride begins…

 

[TwistofLemon]

Oh Wow thanks for this great report!
It's brought back memories of the trips I've chaperoned for my kids, including the class trip to WDW, three busloads of 7th and 8th graders, 13 hours on the bus, etc etc....

Your family sounds like so much fun. Can I crash on your next trip?

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Oh Wow thanks for this great report!
It's brought back memories of the trips I've chaperoned for my kids, including the class trip to WDW, three busloads of 7th and 8th graders, 13 hours on the bus, etc etc....

Your family sounds like so much fun. Can I crash on your next trip?

By all means, the more the merrier... We arrive Sept 18th. is that okay with you???

 

[jacensolo3]

as alwyas fantastic!! update your smiley faces are the best out there i absouutley love them

 

[debknight]

Been reading your posts for days, really great! Sorry to be dense, but what is "Magical Pass"? Are you talking about the Fast Pass for rides?

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Been reading your posts for days, really great! Sorry to be dense, but what is "Magical Pass"? Are you talking about the Fast Pass for rides?

I have been disabled for around 7 years. I was in a bad car accident. The damage can not be fixed. When this happened the Dr's also found 2 auto-immune diseases that I had not know about. They have attacked body parts.. (thyroid, gallbladder - which were removed, my lung and my actual bladder which is monitored with medicine) I use a GAC pass (see the disabilities boards if you are not aware of them) because of the pain and my inability to do "normal" activities. I am also severly allergic to the sun.. It was a blessing that is was so cold when I was there.... Please no "flames". I know some people don't believe they should be used, but my trip would be horrible without it...


Diane

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

xxx

 

[teedisney]

Cool video. Are those portable keyboards?

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Cool video. Are those portable keyboards?

Yes we have 5 or 6 sets at the school. They are very lucky girls....

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Update to follow after the holiday....God Bless the Soldiers and everyone who defends our country, past, present, and future!

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Please check out the previous post.... The girls performing in WDW.... Thanks, Diane!

 

[McDISer]

I hope you come back and finish up. I want to hear about the bus ride home and your expensive coffee.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I have been under the weather for a bit and actually planning a trip in Sept back to WDW. I will update very soon and finish..... Pretty bad of me to leave out the last chapter...