A Daddy-Daughter Adventure TR - Sep'10@AKV - UPDATED 3/31 Post #130

[franandaj]

Very cute update. She is a beautiful little girl. I wish they had that when I was little but sadly I was too old and cool for this by the first time I got to DL. However, I'd like to do it now? Is that weird?

 

[Dizny Dad]

Hey Stoph - reviewing this adventure is a good way to start my day!

Thanks!

 

[stopher1]

Very cute update. She is a beautiful little girl. I wish they had that when I was little but sadly I was too old and cool for this by the first time I got to DL. However, I'd like to do it now? Is that weird?

Alison I don't think it's weird at all. Whatever floats your boat. When we did this with her in 2008, there were several grown ladies in there getting their hair done, and it looked like they were having a grand time of it too. And thanks BTW, I think she's beautiful too.

Hey Stoph - reviewing this adventure is a good way to start my day!

Thanks!

Thanks Rich! Welcome! Your lovely wife was in here not too long ago...it's nice to see you popping in as well. Can't wait til the day comes that we can sit down together once more. That was fun. That story will show up in my other adventure TR soon enough.

 

[stopher1]

Part V – A Rock Star on Endor?

After departing Ghirardelli’s and our oh so yummy lunch, we started to walk through DTD, passing the former McDonald’s location (I was personally sad to see it go - it was always a favorite stop for our family while there, silly perhaps, but it was), and headed up in through the former Pleasure Island – on our way to the boat launch. Our destination was Saratoga Springs Resort, and the DVC Sales Center. I had a little package waiting for me there, left my guide, so I wanted to make sure and pick it up. Nothing fancy, but I definitely wanted to get it… a set of those cool instant FP’s. (I know the debate rages at times on this board that “guides are just sales people and don’t care about you unless you’re interested in buying more points” and for some guides that is very true. For some it’s partially true, and for others it really isn’t true at all. It isn’t for ours, we appreciate her friendship as well as her service, but enough of that topic).

The boat ride was pleasant as always, especially since it was not crowded at all – I recall just one pair of ladies and us. It ‘s just a short walk from the SSR boat dock to the Sales Center, so we got what we wanted and moved on quickly to the bus stop, headed I thought over to the Studios, since my DD wanted badly to ride Star Tours. BUT, my fickle tour guide decided she’d rather go back to the room first to change from her new mermaid costume and “take a little rest.” Being that we couldn’t get back to our resort from SSR, we waited for the Animal Kingdom bus so that we could transfer there. But the bus was taking longer to arrive than we’d hoped. Several buses showed up for all of the parks but AK, and she was getting a but whiny about her new outfit and how she wanted to change. Despite being very gracious the night before and leaving the MK right before the start of the MSEP, I told her there was no way we were going to leave that bus stop to go find a bathroom to change in. So, she decided she would find a way to change right there. And the ingenious little love did just that. She got her regular top out of the backpack, asked me to stand in front of her so no one could see her (never mind that there was NO ONE around at all), and somehow got her regular top over her head, and under the mermaid top – and then proceeded to do the same thing with the shorts. A quick change artist in the making…and lo and behold just as she was handing me her mermaid costume to “please put in the backpack”, our AK bus showed up. Smiles once more from my DD as she was once again comfortable in her clothing.


She really took fancy to standing on the buses on this trip

Back at the resort we dropped off her mermaid costume and the various BBB accessories that came with it all, and were about to leave to go to Hollywood Studios when she decided instead it was time to watch some more of Peter Pan! So we did, but soon enough, by about 3pm we were standing on Hollywood Blvd getting our picture taken – looking like a little rock star now, no longer the little mermaid she was just a few hours before, especially since she had gone with the “Diva” look for her hair, adding a large extra piece with strands and such instead of the “Princess” look where they pull the hair back into a tiny, tight bun.

At the Studios, her primary focus was of course, Star Tours. She has been on Star Tours a few times in the past, but really fell in love with it on our family trip in January. She was so very excited to be able to ride it once more… especially since it would be closing just 2 days later for the extended time needed to remove the original version and introduce the World to Star Tours 2.0 this coming May. We can’t wait to experience the new version when the family returns in October 2011.

But before we headed to Star Tours, we wanted to see about a character autograph or two. Being so late in the afternoon, once again we were kind of shut-out since there were none standing around at the end of Hollywood Boulevard as they are early in the day, but Buzz Lightyear was available down in Pixar Place, so we headed there.


Waiting in line, checking out the fun photo ops

Getting her autograph

After a quick bite to eat , we proceeded to head on over to Star Tours, by way of the Streets of America area. Here she is standing in the San Francisco part, where her grandpa (my dad) lives

As we approached Star Tours, she HAD to get another picture taken on the speeder, as she and her brothers have done every single trip that we’ve enjoyed with a visit to the Studios. So here is my little “rock star” speeding through the woods on the forest moon of Endor

That photo done, it was time to enjoy the adventure one last time – although it turned out to be three more “last times”…in a row. It was awesome. Personally I’m sad to see it go as I mentioned back in the original installment – but that’s okay. I understand needing to update and refresh from time to time… afterall, it has been 23 years (at DL… 21 at WDW) since Captain Rex first said, “I know it’s probably your first flight, and it’s, heh heh, mine too!”. And I do have a video of the film that I took a few years back so we can always revisit it… too bad I don’t have a motion simulator in my living room though!

Next up, The American Idol Experience; she really enjoyed it in January, and wanted to do it again. And BONUS…the female singer sung “Part of Your World” – so she was in heaven there.

Followed by the Beauty and the Beast stage show, which she also loves.

As the show's cast members were taking their bows at the end of the show, the skies opened up once again, and the rain started to come down. She was not interested in staying due to the rain, so we decided to work our way down Hollywood Blvd, and find our bus to go back to the resort.

Dinner was back at The Mara, and what do you think was the evening entertainment??? Another portion of Peter Pan! Woo hoo. I love flying to Neverland…

The next day would once again be filled with fun and surprises – I wonder what they might be. Stay tuned to find out…

 

[dvczerfs]

great pics stopher!!! the last star wars ride. glad you guys are having a great time.

 

[franandaj]

We've obviously fallen into that, "We have it a Disneyland, don't need to do it at WDW" fallacy with Star Tours because it looks like the queue and stuff is really cool. We'll have to go to check it out on our trip in Oct/Nov 2011, when are you folks headed there.

She is such a cute little girl, your DW should be happy that you really captured her on this trip.

 

[BigEeyore]

Great update! I love that she is holding her Lady stuffed animal in every pic! I actually had a stuffed animal Lady when I was a kid, kept it, and now my DD sleeps with it every night! That thing is at least 25 yrs old. Something about that little dog that appeals to little girls I guess!

 

[stopher1]

great pics stopher!!! the last star wars ride. glad you guys are having a great time.

Thanks!

We've obviously fallen into that, "We have it a Disneyland, don't need to do it at WDW" fallacy with Star Tours because it looks like the queue and stuff is really cool. We'll have to go to check it out on our trip in Oct/Nov 2011, when are you folks headed there.

Oh yeah - the ride itself was identical to DL, but the queue! WOW. I just loved the Ewok village they created there. It's kind of funny though too, how even though they didn't have the same space constraint that DL did, shoehorning it in to the old Adventures Thru Inner Space location, that when they built WDW's version, once you enter the building the ramp was the same at DL. Even the Droid room, while the orientation was slightly different, they still built in the curving path that in Anaheim was the Peoplemover track. Sure there's no track there in Orlando, but it was built in, with the same curve that Anaheim had. There was no need for that there since they built a brand new structure, but it was kinda cool.

She is such a cute little girl, your DW should be happy that you really captured her on this trip.

Thanks. Yeah, she was very pleased with the number of pics I brought home (more than 600) and the fact that about 80-85% of them had my DD in them, in some manner.

Great update! I love that she is holding her Lady stuffed animal in every pic! I actually had a stuffed animal Lady when I was a kid, kept it, and now my DD sleeps with it every night! That thing is at least 25 yrs old. Something about that little dog that appeals to little girls I guess!

Thank you. Oh yeah, she adores her little Lady!

 

[tea pot]

Thanks Chris for taking us along on your trips

I'm looking forward to more and by the way
She is one lucky lady to have a dad like you

 

[FreezinRafiki]

But she is growing up quickly, and won’t be into this whole princess thing forever, so sometimes you do spoil them a bit.

I know the feeling!

One word.
Ghirardelli’s!!!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Hot Fudge Sundaes for lunch.

For pulling off BBB and Hot Fudge Sundaes for lunch, you deserve a mug that that says "World's 2nd Best Daddy!" (Next to myself, of course.)

And the ingenious little love did just that. She got her regular top out of the backpack, asked me to stand in front of her so no one could see her (never mind that there was NO ONE around at all), and somehow got her regular top over her head, and under the mermaid top – and then proceeded to do the same thing with the shorts. A quick change artist in the making…and lo and behold just as she was handing me her mermaid costume to “please put in the backpack”, our AK bus showed up. Smiles once more from my DD as she was once again comfortable in her clothing.

Eat your heart out, Houdini.


I'm pretty far behind on all of the Trip Reports I'm following, but even though I don't have much time to comment, I always make sure to at least read yours. Great updates - it really looked like you guys had an awesome day!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Nice job with the quick-change in the bus! Something tells me she can pull that off better than you would have.

And it looks like a fun time at DHS. I miss Star Tours, too. Was so disappointed we couldn't ride it one last time this year. But it'll be really cool to see what they do with the new version. I guess I'll just have to go back to try it.

 

[that's nice]

She really took fancy to standing on the buses on this trip

She'd fit right in with the DisDads!!!!

I can't believe your DD wanted out of her costume so quickly.


You guys accomplished a lot considering you got to DHS so late in the afternoon!

Love the pic of her riding the speedster!!!!!

Oh man, rain again???? Hope you didn't get too wet heading back to the busses.

 

[stopher1]

Thanks Chris for taking us along on your trips

I'm looking forward to more and by the way
She is one lucky lady to have a dad like you

Thanks Joy. and thanks for coming along, too.

For pulling off BBB and Hot Fudge Sundaes for lunch, you deserve a mug that that says "World's 2nd Best Daddy!" (Next to myself, of course.)

Of course, Barry, of course.

Nice job with the quick-change in the bus! Something tells me she can pull that off better than you would have.

Oh so true. So true.

And it looks like a fun time at DHS.

We did have fun! I like those partial days and just do a few things. Full days in the park just aren't as much fun as they used to be. I like mixing things up. Of course having the flexibility to do that helps too.

I miss Star Tours, too. Was so disappointed we couldn't ride it one last time this year. But it'll be really cool to see what they do with the new version. I guess I'll just have to go back to try it.

Yeah - like anyone really needs to twist your arm on that one. The key question really is, WHEN will you go back? Though I guess that question should be directed more towards Julie, shouldn't it?

She'd fit right in with the DisDads!!!!

You got that right! There was a time she even got up so someone else could sit down in her seat... and there was no one else on the bus! She was having SUCH fun with that.

I can't believe your DD wanted out of her costume so quickly.

Oh yeah, sad but true. She was so happy with it... for a whopping hour and a half - two hours. Of course, she has worn it numerous times since then, but yeah, she was pretty much DONE with it the rest of the trip.

You guys accomplished a lot considering you got to DHS so late in the afternoon!

We tried.

Oh man, rain again???? Hope you didn't get too wet heading back to the busses.

"and the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down, in rushing rising rivlets..."

Yes, it rained AGAIN. A LOT. Thankfully we both had our umbrellas in the backpack, so we didn't get too wet.

 

[trennr]

...'Til the river crept out of its bed and crept right into Piglet's...

hmmm...I believe this is a Tuesday and I was headed to the MK that night...and tomorrow we meet at Epcot after being on oposite sides of the park most of the day....nope...my bad...you clearly state this is Monday...check my spreadsheet...ahh yest it is a Monday...and I was heading to MK...and we meet at Epcot on Tuesday.

I submit my photo for those of us that left our resort with out umbrellas...

From the connecting bridge from Bay Lake Towers to the Contemp...

Kids waiting for Cinderella's RT

 

[stopher1]

...'Til the river crept out of its bed and crept right into Piglet's...

hmmm...I believe this is a Tuesday and I was headed to the MK that night...and tomorrow we meet at Epcot after being on oposite sides of the park most of the day....nope...my bad...you clearly state this is Monday...check my spreadsheet...ahh yest it is a Monday...and I was heading to MK...and we meet at Epcot on Tuesday.

I submit my photo for those of us that left our resort with out umbrellas...

From the connecting bridge from Bay Lake Towers to the Contemp...

Kids waiting for Cinderella's RT

Thanks for adding pics Nate! But shhhh, you're getting ahead of me here...

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

(drumming fingers on desk)

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

(twiddling fingers)

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

(counting ceiling tiles)

 

[FreezinRafiki]

(counting ceiling tiles)

You should sharpen all of your pencils, throw them into the ceiling tiles and see how long they stick.

 

[trennr]

(drumming fingers on desk)

(twiddling fingers)

(counting ceiling tiles)

I could get all territorial and mad and say, "Hey...wait a minute...he's MY Nemisis!!!"

But nah...go ahead...Pirate away!!!

Maybe I should decorate the stopher mancave...like I did for Don!!!