kathleen27
DIS Veteran
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Your room sounds awful! 
For the Hashbrowns!
For the Hashbrowns!
A DISers Trip of Firsts! [Updated 8/4, Post #95]
- Thread starter RachelNinja
- Start date
RachelNinja
Sometimes I'd rather live in VMK than in real life
- Joined
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Hello! =) You know it's weird, DH and I stayed at a Ramada Inn I think when we went to Disneyland. It was actually not even Ramada Inn, but a cheaper one, I think Ramada Limited or something I can't remember. And indeed it was ugh too!
Oh and yay for Dad! Love those McD's hashbrowns!!!
Haha, if it weren't for those hashbrowns, I probably would've written a scathing letter to Ramada Inn. But once I ingested that potato-y goodness, all seemed to be forgotten (until writing this TR, of course!).
The rest of the trip definitely did! I'm getting so excited just writing about it!
Awesome updates! Congrats on getting a job so quick! I am a fellow teacherI used to teach second grade, but now I am a Instructional Technology Staff Developer...fun stuff!
Keep 'em comin'
Thanks! I'm very surprised and blessed that I got this job so quickly. Despite the hard work of this first year, I really do love it and can't imagine doing anything else.
Wow, second grade! Haha, people think it's amazing that I deal with middle school students, but I'm amazed at those who teach the younger grades!
Your room sounds awful!
Lovely hashbrowns! My friend once made hashbrown "cakes" for my cousin and my birthdays! Twas the best kind of cake I've ever eaten!
Haha, and no, we didn't eat all of that in one sitting ...
RachelNinja
Sometimes I'd rather live in VMK than in real life
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2007
- Messages
- 3,533
Last time I posted, we were leaving SC and heading down to Florida! Well, I slept as usual while I was in the car. Unfortunately, when we arrived in the sunshine state, I woke up with at tickle in my throat. Of course, I would get sick! Piglet had a phlegm-y cough. Dad got his cough the day before vacation. Breathing that same gross air in the car meant that I was bound to get it. Yep. I got the dry cough.
We finally arrived at our timeshare at 5:36pm. We were off by 4 minutes in terms of Dad's estimation but earlier is always better! We checked in (Piglet went downstairs to get some of the free popcorn ... twas yummy). Our condo this time was at a weird location because it's just around a curve in the road so it made it a little difficult to park and back up.
We unloaded all of our gear from the car and started straightening up a bit, but we were starved. We ended up going to one of the restaurants on the property called River Island Grilling Company. We ate there the last time we came here and the FOOD was good. I say that because I absolutely HATE the décor. Why? They have sharks hanging everywhere! AHHHH!!!
Mom was actually saying that she thinks I'm weird because of my fears. After my whole shark freakout at the restaurant (I have to hold on to someone and look down but I still feel the presence and the eyes looking at me!), she said that it's funny that I'm afraid of "small" things like that, but I'm not scared of bigger things. She fears things like scary rides and such, but I'm okay on those. For me, it always has to do with whether or not I'm the one that has to do any moving. Like if you wanted me to ride Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom, yeeha! That ride is awesome. It's so cool! Yet if you asked me to walk through the ride ... it wouldn't happen. Even if all the animatronics were turned off and they didn't move, I still wouldn't want to or be able to walk. The same thing happened at Six Flags many years back when I went during Fright Fest with my youth group. I was okay if everyone wanted to go on the hayride because I could just sit in the middle and close my eyes. However, the thought of going through the maze where those creepies just pop out at you?! That would just NOT happen. Anyway, I digress ...
Haha, back to the food this time, however, it wasn't as good.
These were the meals from last time
But this time I ordered fish and chips. It was good, but it was actually a little bit healthier than I thought it would be. I would have liked them to be ... not as healthy. Haha, if that makes any sense. Dad had baby back ribs. Mom had cedar plank salmon. Piglet had fish nuggets. Everything was okay, but nothing to rave about, especially not at those prices. They didn't have that ahi tuna salad that I ordered last time or the chilean seabass that Mom ordered last time.
Fish and chips.
Cedar plank salmon (and a little bit of Dad's ribs on the side).
After dinner we went to Publix (the supermarket right outside) to pick up a few grocery items, especially for the next day's breakfast. We also had to make a stop in the ice cream section. There wasn't any Ben & Jerrys Chubby Hubby (my vacation ice cream choice), but that was okay since Dad, Piglet, and I all have our wonderful coughs. Instead, Mom and I chose mango sorbet. I think it's weird that I'm willing to have mango things now. I remember when I was weirded by the fact that my cousins used to always get the mango smoothie at Cheesecake Factory! Now Im starting to like mango! Mango salsa on fish or dried mango. Yummy.
Back at the condo, we unpacked the groceries and continued to settle in. Well, Dad settled down to watch some TV since he's been driving since forever and then Piglet watched the second half of Zathura because it was on Cartoon Network. I helped Mom out a bit by loading the dishwasher and all those other fun things. She always says that she's not really on vacation when we come to Florida because she still has to do those things so I tried to be a bigger help this time while also getting a lot done for work. Super vacationer was I.
I was really tired after watching the ending of Zathura with Piglet. It was kind of creepy because it's like Jumanji, and that's a really scary movie! Haha, those monkeys and then that drum pounding at the end! The alien lizard creatures in Zathura reminded me of ... I think the illustrations of the aliens in the book Aliens for Lunch. It was a bit strange. Haha. I'm just a big kid in a way. Scared of these things.
Anyway, I took some pictures of our place
I finally got up to shower. I hate showering on the first night. It's like ... not home (its REALLY not home because I didnt have everything with me I forgot contact solution!). But then it's all good after the first night. The condo becomes home really quickly. Except for the whole walking around in slippers thing. We only use slippers on the lower levels of my house where there's no carpet. Here it's slippers everywhere. The rest of the night was spent chatting with a good friend on the phone and then drying my hair and whatnot.
I was ready to go to bed but apparently Piglet wasn't. He was having a fit because there was a generator right outside our condo that made a humming noise. It's not really that bothersome because it's just white noise after a while. However, Piglet was probably not tired because he had slept in the car and was probably pumped with adrenaline for the vacation so of course, he started having a frustration tantrum. He kept moving in his bed and the sheets made a lot of noise. I was getting fed up but I was hoping that he would stop if I just ignored him.
He got up at one point and I was like, "What are you doing?" and he thought the sound was from the bathroom fan. I informed him that it was coming from outside. Then he finally went to my parents' room and got my mom. I told her that it was just a generator of some sort. Of course, Piglet still wasn't having any of it. He actually slammed my little piggie flashlight onto the nightstand because of his frustration and I was like, "HEY, that's MY PIG!" Grrr. Later on, he went to get Mom again and she ended up staying in his bed until he fell asleep. Dork. It took forever for me to finally fall asleep thereafter since I was constantly awakened by his stinkiness.
In the morning, I woke up because Piglet got up to go to the bathroom and then search for his Gameboy. That kid needs to read more books. I got up to go to the bathroom too but I figured my parents wouldn't wake up anytime soon since they were so tired (it was 8:10am). I slept for another hour.
Mom made grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. When I finally got up, I just made myself a regular ham and cheese sandwich because the whole extra butter thing makes me not feel so good. I then had a glass of milk. Now that doesn't seem like such a significant thing to add here, but it is because at home, I don't even just drink a glass of milk like that anymore (it's really for my cereal and tea). Mom got me an entire carton of Lactaid and since we each have our own milk, I gotta finish it in a week! Let's see if that's possible~
We kind of just hung around for the morning. I took my jolly ol' time getting ready. Discovered that I forgot something else on top of the contact solution I forgot to bring. I forgot to bring more than just sports bras! Haha, I'm usually not this bad, but I've been so concerned about bringing the right things to do here for work, that I failed to spend adequate time packing clothes and such. I mean, I even went through my list and mentally said "check" when I came across "extra contacts" and "solution." We had to buy that yesterday at Publix. The other thing I forgot ... can't quite buy that at Publix~
Finally we decided to head on out. First we went back to the Clubhouse at our timeshare to buy a Disney ticket for me. I wasn't planning on coming back to Florida with my parents since last time we came, I thought I'd be working. Who knew that I'd be a teacher with the same vacation schedule as Piglet! Funny how things work out. We initially bought a ticket based on some deal they were giving here (where my parents were required to go to some owners' update on Wednesday morning) which was for two days. Then Dad thought that it would be better for me to get more days since I'd be coming back down here on my own (as in with friends). I ended up getting a 9-day ticket (no park hopping ... which I don't do anyway). There's no expiration date for my ticket so that means there's no rush to use it. I can't wait to make a trip down here with friends (hopefully other Disney fanatics!) because as much as I love coming with my family, they don't share in the same enthusiasm for all things Disney!
Anyway, the next installation will be the continuation of the day when we went to Downtown Disney!
We finally arrived at our timeshare at 5:36pm. We were off by 4 minutes in terms of Dad's estimation but earlier is always better! We checked in (Piglet went downstairs to get some of the free popcorn ... twas yummy). Our condo this time was at a weird location because it's just around a curve in the road so it made it a little difficult to park and back up.
We unloaded all of our gear from the car and started straightening up a bit, but we were starved. We ended up going to one of the restaurants on the property called River Island Grilling Company. We ate there the last time we came here and the FOOD was good. I say that because I absolutely HATE the décor. Why? They have sharks hanging everywhere! AHHHH!!!
Absolutely TERRIFYING!
Mom was actually saying that she thinks I'm weird because of my fears. After my whole shark freakout at the restaurant (I have to hold on to someone and look down but I still feel the presence and the eyes looking at me!), she said that it's funny that I'm afraid of "small" things like that, but I'm not scared of bigger things. She fears things like scary rides and such, but I'm okay on those. For me, it always has to do with whether or not I'm the one that has to do any moving. Like if you wanted me to ride Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom, yeeha! That ride is awesome. It's so cool! Yet if you asked me to walk through the ride ... it wouldn't happen. Even if all the animatronics were turned off and they didn't move, I still wouldn't want to or be able to walk. The same thing happened at Six Flags many years back when I went during Fright Fest with my youth group. I was okay if everyone wanted to go on the hayride because I could just sit in the middle and close my eyes. However, the thought of going through the maze where those creepies just pop out at you?! That would just NOT happen. Anyway, I digress ...Haha, back to the food this time, however, it wasn't as good.
These were the meals from last time
My seared ahi tuna salad (fresh mixed field greens, carrots, plum tomatoes, cucumber, grilled baby corn, sliced radish, and bean sprouts topped with a light wasabi dressing and wakame garnish, and of course, fresh seared and sliced yellow fin tuna).
Dad's North Atlantic cedar plank salmon with mashed potatoes.
Mom's Chilean Seabass with Asian ponzu sauce and zucchini with marinara.
Dad's North Atlantic cedar plank salmon with mashed potatoes.
Mom's Chilean Seabass with Asian ponzu sauce and zucchini with marinara.
But this time I ordered fish and chips. It was good, but it was actually a little bit healthier than I thought it would be. I would have liked them to be ... not as healthy. Haha, if that makes any sense. Dad had baby back ribs. Mom had cedar plank salmon. Piglet had fish nuggets. Everything was okay, but nothing to rave about, especially not at those prices. They didn't have that ahi tuna salad that I ordered last time or the chilean seabass that Mom ordered last time.
Fish and chips.
Cedar plank salmon (and a little bit of Dad's ribs on the side).
After dinner we went to Publix (the supermarket right outside) to pick up a few grocery items, especially for the next day's breakfast. We also had to make a stop in the ice cream section. There wasn't any Ben & Jerrys Chubby Hubby (my vacation ice cream choice), but that was okay since Dad, Piglet, and I all have our wonderful coughs. Instead, Mom and I chose mango sorbet. I think it's weird that I'm willing to have mango things now. I remember when I was weirded by the fact that my cousins used to always get the mango smoothie at Cheesecake Factory! Now Im starting to like mango! Mango salsa on fish or dried mango. Yummy.
Piglet and I had fun going through the Disney aisle! How adorable is this dalmation!
I loveee avocados!
Fuzzy coconuts!
The size comparison between the regular Ben & Jerry's container and a miniature one!
I loveee avocados!
Fuzzy coconuts!
The size comparison between the regular Ben & Jerry's container and a miniature one!
Back at the condo, we unpacked the groceries and continued to settle in. Well, Dad settled down to watch some TV since he's been driving since forever and then Piglet watched the second half of Zathura because it was on Cartoon Network. I helped Mom out a bit by loading the dishwasher and all those other fun things. She always says that she's not really on vacation when we come to Florida because she still has to do those things so I tried to be a bigger help this time while also getting a lot done for work. Super vacationer was I.
I was really tired after watching the ending of Zathura with Piglet. It was kind of creepy because it's like Jumanji, and that's a really scary movie! Haha, those monkeys and then that drum pounding at the end! The alien lizard creatures in Zathura reminded me of ... I think the illustrations of the aliens in the book Aliens for Lunch. It was a bit strange. Haha. I'm just a big kid in a way. Scared of these things.
Anyway, I took some pictures of our place
Piglet and my room. There was a TV in there as well as another door that led to our own bathroom.
The kitchen (also included washer and dryer). Um, don't mind the messy countertops. Everything was being unpacked.
The high counter that looks into the kitchen. I always loved sitting there as a kid.
The dining room and living room. I sat at that table for a good chunk of my vacation working on the laptop. There's Piglet watching Zathura.
The kitchen (also included washer and dryer). Um, don't mind the messy countertops. Everything was being unpacked.
The high counter that looks into the kitchen. I always loved sitting there as a kid.
The dining room and living room. I sat at that table for a good chunk of my vacation working on the laptop. There's Piglet watching Zathura.
I finally got up to shower. I hate showering on the first night. It's like ... not home (its REALLY not home because I didnt have everything with me I forgot contact solution!). But then it's all good after the first night. The condo becomes home really quickly. Except for the whole walking around in slippers thing. We only use slippers on the lower levels of my house where there's no carpet. Here it's slippers everywhere. The rest of the night was spent chatting with a good friend on the phone and then drying my hair and whatnot.
I was ready to go to bed but apparently Piglet wasn't. He was having a fit because there was a generator right outside our condo that made a humming noise. It's not really that bothersome because it's just white noise after a while. However, Piglet was probably not tired because he had slept in the car and was probably pumped with adrenaline for the vacation so of course, he started having a frustration tantrum. He kept moving in his bed and the sheets made a lot of noise. I was getting fed up but I was hoping that he would stop if I just ignored him.
He got up at one point and I was like, "What are you doing?" and he thought the sound was from the bathroom fan. I informed him that it was coming from outside. Then he finally went to my parents' room and got my mom. I told her that it was just a generator of some sort. Of course, Piglet still wasn't having any of it. He actually slammed my little piggie flashlight onto the nightstand because of his frustration and I was like, "HEY, that's MY PIG!" Grrr. Later on, he went to get Mom again and she ended up staying in his bed until he fell asleep. Dork. It took forever for me to finally fall asleep thereafter since I was constantly awakened by his stinkiness.
In the morning, I woke up because Piglet got up to go to the bathroom and then search for his Gameboy. That kid needs to read more books. I got up to go to the bathroom too but I figured my parents wouldn't wake up anytime soon since they were so tired (it was 8:10am). I slept for another hour.
Mom made grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. When I finally got up, I just made myself a regular ham and cheese sandwich because the whole extra butter thing makes me not feel so good. I then had a glass of milk. Now that doesn't seem like such a significant thing to add here, but it is because at home, I don't even just drink a glass of milk like that anymore (it's really for my cereal and tea). Mom got me an entire carton of Lactaid and since we each have our own milk, I gotta finish it in a week! Let's see if that's possible~
We kind of just hung around for the morning. I took my jolly ol' time getting ready. Discovered that I forgot something else on top of the contact solution I forgot to bring. I forgot to bring more than just sports bras! Haha, I'm usually not this bad, but I've been so concerned about bringing the right things to do here for work, that I failed to spend adequate time packing clothes and such. I mean, I even went through my list and mentally said "check" when I came across "extra contacts" and "solution." We had to buy that yesterday at Publix. The other thing I forgot ... can't quite buy that at Publix~
Finally we decided to head on out. First we went back to the Clubhouse at our timeshare to buy a Disney ticket for me. I wasn't planning on coming back to Florida with my parents since last time we came, I thought I'd be working. Who knew that I'd be a teacher with the same vacation schedule as Piglet! Funny how things work out. We initially bought a ticket based on some deal they were giving here (where my parents were required to go to some owners' update on Wednesday morning) which was for two days. Then Dad thought that it would be better for me to get more days since I'd be coming back down here on my own (as in with friends). I ended up getting a 9-day ticket (no park hopping ... which I don't do anyway). There's no expiration date for my ticket so that means there's no rush to use it. I can't wait to make a trip down here with friends (hopefully other Disney fanatics!) because as much as I love coming with my family, they don't share in the same enthusiasm for all things Disney!
Anyway, the next installation will be the continuation of the day when we went to Downtown Disney!
irky416
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2007
- Messages
- 1,353
I finally caught up on your last installments...
I agree Jumanji is a really scary movie!
I understand your fear of the sharks hanging overhead in the restaurant. When we were in Ohana and I realized there was a bird statue over my head, I freaked out, too.
Sorry to hear about your bad hotel experience. Hopefully, Disney has better things in store for you!
And I totally sympathize with you about parents who take their kids out of school and expect work for the next week or two.
I agree Jumanji is a really scary movie!
I understand your fear of the sharks hanging overhead in the restaurant. When we were in Ohana and I realized there was a bird statue over my head, I freaked out, too.
Sorry to hear about your bad hotel experience. Hopefully, Disney has better things in store for you!
And I totally sympathize with you about parents who take their kids out of school and expect work for the next week or two.
RachelNinja
Sometimes I'd rather live in VMK than in real life
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2007
- Messages
- 3,533
People think I'm silly for thinking Jumanji is a scary movie! I mean, it's a GREAT movie, don't get me wrong. The idea behind it is so clever! And even though the animals look really fake especially with the technological advances now, I still think it's terrifying. I think it's also the tension from having to finish the game and not knowing what would be next. Creepy!
Haha, I wonder if that means I can't go to Ohana, lol. As people request certain seats with better views, I'll request the ones far away from any overhanging creatures!
Yeah, and then I'm also the one who has to keep track of what tests need to be made up. Because I can remind the student once s/he returns, but then s/he never reminds me. It would somehow be my fault if I had to factor in a 0 for an incomplete test or assignment ... because I was supposed to remind the kid. If you're responsible, then okay. It's a bit more understandable. I had a student who missed 7 days of school to go to Hawaii, but he came back and took ALL the tests in 2 days. He even took 2 math tests in one day (the one that his classmates were taking and then the one he missed). He scored beautifully on both so I can't really say much about that (even though I still don't think students should miss class time either).
RachelNinja
Sometimes I'd rather live in VMK than in real life
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2007
- Messages
- 3,533
After getting my ticket, we were heading out and at that time, twas already raining heavily. I was going to take a picture of the rain when I realized that I didn't have my camera! We ended up turning around to get it since we were going to Downtown Disney and the camera is a must! We headed back out and when we were almost there, I realized I forgot the roll of quarters and pennies I purposely put together for the squished penny machines. Seriously, I'm losing it, it's not even funny! Haha, I have everything school-related organized, but everything else is up in the air.
Dad hates DTD. He thinks it's totally pointless. BUT BUT BUT he had to agree with me in my choice of lunch. I had read reviews for Earl of Sandwich and insisted we eat there. This was another FIRST of the trip! The lines were CRAZY. It was like waiting for a ride! At first, Dad waited on line and the 3 of us went through one of the stores. Then Mom and I waited on line and the other 2 walked around for a bit. Haha. Making a decision for the sandwiches was difficult. Dad actually said the sandwiches were cheap ($5.75 each) in comparison to the city so we ordered four ... I really wanted the All-American and the Beef 'n Bleu, Dad wanted Le Frenchy, and we also got The Montagu. Mom wanted to try the Florentine, but we ended up not getting that. We also got 2 bowls of corn chowder for $1.95 each. We thought we wouldn't find seats but we did.
Adorable cookie jars in the store next to Earl of Sandwich! I dont have my own house to put this in just yet so a picture had to suffice!
You know youre at WDW when a line for a sandwich looks like this!
You can see everyone in the back working hard to get those sandwiches made for the hungry customers! I think the place runs really well. I thought it would take much longer, but theyre pretty organized!
My first half was the All-American. Twas so good! My second ... third (couldnt actually eat another half, I was already full!) was the Beef n' Bleu. I normally don't like roast beef but I read that it was good there so I had to give it a try. Yummy, good thing I listened to the reviews! MMmMm ... everything was just good, especially within that atmosphere.
The All-American. It had roast turkey, buttermilk ranch, cranberries, cheddar cheese, tomato and lettuce. That cranberry yumminess really made it so good, and I'm not even that big of a fan of cranberry.
A close-up of the All-American.
Beef n Bleu. It had fresh roasted beef, bleu cheese, lettuce & tomato.
Corn chowder. It actually had a good amount of chicken in it. As a meal, this would have been good. But considering I was full from the sandwiches, I probably could have done with less chicken! But the soup was fantastic. I saw that they had a tomato soup too, something I really like, so I have to try that next time!
I thought it was funny how I used to think, "Why would anyone wait on a long line for just a sandwich?" when I passed by the shop in the past. Haha, now I know. Now I'm not as Disney-dumb. The soup was excellent too. I don't think it would work very well in the summer though because it was a little warm inside. Maybe they didn't turn on the AC because the weather was nice out. We were all stuffed afterwards and we still left with about one sandwich (if we put all the pieces together).
A look at the inside of the Earl of Sandwich. Love the décor! I wanted to see if the books were real. Haha, does anyone know?
Piglet after lunch.
We went to the pin shop afterwards. This was the FIRST time I went into the pin shop to actually look (as opposed to passing through because of the AC). I wanted to buy a pin for me and for a friend but they ended up being more than I had expected. I was thinking like, $6 tops, but the cute ones were more like, $9ish. I didn't think it was worth it. I would have definitely bought a pin if they had the Wedway People Mover pin, but that's an old one that wouldn't be sold right now. Nothing really screamed, "BUY ME!" so I was good with saving my money! Piglet really wanted to buy one, but he probably wouldn't appreciate it (since you can't just stick it anywhere where it might be lost!) and we convinced him that we had so many other stores to look at first.
Ive probably seen this before but never realized that it was for pin trading.
I wanted to go to Pooh Corner because I really wanted Tigger ears. This is another FIRST as I never understood the desire to buy hats. Now I was one of those people who wanted one! Of course, the two people I asked said that they didn't know or they never saw them before. I'm pretty sure I saw them in a picture on DIS but it might have been from a while ago. At one of the stores I did find Mickey ears with a tiny sorcerer hat and I picked that up. I wanted to get that and I held on to it for a bit. By the end of that wandering, however, I decided against the $10 because I thought that if I ended up finding Tigger ears on a park day, I'd be disappointed that I spent on the sorcerer mickey ears (although I totally love the sorcerer hat too). So a picture had to do. Of course, neither my mom or Piglet can take good pictures so they all came out crappy, haha.
Sorcerer Mickey hat and ears on a real me! Not just a little VMK me
This is RachelNinja on VMK.
We ended up leaving with nothing. Oh wait, I did get some flattened pennies! Haha, so all wasn't lost. We headed to the Lego store and Piglet got a tiny Lego set there because he was all upset that Dad didn't want him to get a round cute Piglet stuffed animal. Dad was saying twas a little girly. I mean, yes, Piglet is pink ... but what's with certain dads having such issues with effeminate things and their sons? I didn't want him to get the stuffed Piglet just because it would be another thing on his bed. He loses interest quite quickly. I mean, it's one thing to have love for the stuffed animals you buy or receive, but to just get because you want at the moment? Not a good enough reason, in my opinion.
Why is everything cuter when you make it circular?
A typical picture spot. What was funny about this picture was two things. There was a squirrel that kept coming closer to us, looking as if we were taking over his/her space on that fake log. My mom kept screaming the entire time. Then there was also a little baby girl who told her mom that she didnt like that we were sitting there because she thought it was her spot! Haha.
(continued in next post ... too many pictures!)
Dad hates DTD. He thinks it's totally pointless. BUT BUT BUT he had to agree with me in my choice of lunch. I had read reviews for Earl of Sandwich and insisted we eat there. This was another FIRST of the trip! The lines were CRAZY. It was like waiting for a ride! At first, Dad waited on line and the 3 of us went through one of the stores. Then Mom and I waited on line and the other 2 walked around for a bit. Haha. Making a decision for the sandwiches was difficult. Dad actually said the sandwiches were cheap ($5.75 each) in comparison to the city so we ordered four ... I really wanted the All-American and the Beef 'n Bleu, Dad wanted Le Frenchy, and we also got The Montagu. Mom wanted to try the Florentine, but we ended up not getting that. We also got 2 bowls of corn chowder for $1.95 each. We thought we wouldn't find seats but we did.
Adorable cookie jars in the store next to Earl of Sandwich! I dont have my own house to put this in just yet so a picture had to suffice!
You know youre at WDW when a line for a sandwich looks like this!
You can see everyone in the back working hard to get those sandwiches made for the hungry customers! I think the place runs really well. I thought it would take much longer, but theyre pretty organized!
My first half was the All-American. Twas so good! My second ... third (couldnt actually eat another half, I was already full!) was the Beef n' Bleu. I normally don't like roast beef but I read that it was good there so I had to give it a try. Yummy, good thing I listened to the reviews! MMmMm ... everything was just good, especially within that atmosphere.
The All-American. It had roast turkey, buttermilk ranch, cranberries, cheddar cheese, tomato and lettuce. That cranberry yumminess really made it so good, and I'm not even that big of a fan of cranberry.
A close-up of the All-American.
Beef n Bleu. It had fresh roasted beef, bleu cheese, lettuce & tomato.
Corn chowder. It actually had a good amount of chicken in it. As a meal, this would have been good. But considering I was full from the sandwiches, I probably could have done with less chicken! But the soup was fantastic. I saw that they had a tomato soup too, something I really like, so I have to try that next time!
I thought it was funny how I used to think, "Why would anyone wait on a long line for just a sandwich?" when I passed by the shop in the past. Haha, now I know. Now I'm not as Disney-dumb. The soup was excellent too. I don't think it would work very well in the summer though because it was a little warm inside. Maybe they didn't turn on the AC because the weather was nice out. We were all stuffed afterwards and we still left with about one sandwich (if we put all the pieces together).
A look at the inside of the Earl of Sandwich. Love the décor! I wanted to see if the books were real. Haha, does anyone know?
Piglet after lunch.
We went to the pin shop afterwards. This was the FIRST time I went into the pin shop to actually look (as opposed to passing through because of the AC). I wanted to buy a pin for me and for a friend but they ended up being more than I had expected. I was thinking like, $6 tops, but the cute ones were more like, $9ish. I didn't think it was worth it. I would have definitely bought a pin if they had the Wedway People Mover pin, but that's an old one that wouldn't be sold right now. Nothing really screamed, "BUY ME!" so I was good with saving my money! Piglet really wanted to buy one, but he probably wouldn't appreciate it (since you can't just stick it anywhere where it might be lost!) and we convinced him that we had so many other stores to look at first.
Ive probably seen this before but never realized that it was for pin trading.
I wanted to go to Pooh Corner because I really wanted Tigger ears. This is another FIRST as I never understood the desire to buy hats. Now I was one of those people who wanted one! Of course, the two people I asked said that they didn't know or they never saw them before. I'm pretty sure I saw them in a picture on DIS but it might have been from a while ago. At one of the stores I did find Mickey ears with a tiny sorcerer hat and I picked that up. I wanted to get that and I held on to it for a bit. By the end of that wandering, however, I decided against the $10 because I thought that if I ended up finding Tigger ears on a park day, I'd be disappointed that I spent on the sorcerer mickey ears (although I totally love the sorcerer hat too). So a picture had to do. Of course, neither my mom or Piglet can take good pictures so they all came out crappy, haha.
Sorcerer Mickey hat and ears on a real me! Not just a little VMK me
This is RachelNinja on VMK.
We ended up leaving with nothing. Oh wait, I did get some flattened pennies! Haha, so all wasn't lost. We headed to the Lego store and Piglet got a tiny Lego set there because he was all upset that Dad didn't want him to get a round cute Piglet stuffed animal. Dad was saying twas a little girly. I mean, yes, Piglet is pink ... but what's with certain dads having such issues with effeminate things and their sons? I didn't want him to get the stuffed Piglet just because it would be another thing on his bed. He loses interest quite quickly. I mean, it's one thing to have love for the stuffed animals you buy or receive, but to just get because you want at the moment? Not a good enough reason, in my opinion.
Why is everything cuter when you make it circular?
A typical picture spot. What was funny about this picture was two things. There was a squirrel that kept coming closer to us, looking as if we were taking over his/her space on that fake log. My mom kept screaming the entire time. Then there was also a little baby girl who told her mom that she didnt like that we were sitting there because she thought it was her spot! Haha.
(continued in next post ... too many pictures!)
RachelNinja
Sometimes I'd rather live in VMK than in real life
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(continued from previous post)
We also stopped by the Lego store because Piglet loves Lego. Well, he used to love Lego. Now hes more into his Nintendo DS and his Wii. However, when hes punished from that stuff, he usually goes back to Lego, haha. Here are some remaining DTD pictures.
Piglet always loved Buzz Lightyear as a kid. My dad always called it Buzz-a-light when talking to Piglet.
Stepping into one of the stores was REALLY creepy as these skeletons actually MOVED!
Outside of the Lego store.
Haha, Piglets still tiny.
My dad took this picture. I ran away. Haha, twas a shark and all!
Then inside the Lego store, they had all of these miniature scenes. I think theyre so much fun to see! Here are a few of them:
Red carpet!
Skateboarding!
Pool time!
The beach! The bikini top is really funny to me!
Another beach picture.
Milking the cows. Next to cow poo. Haha.
Anyway, we left after that and stopped by Olive Garden to pick up dinner since it was early and we didn't want to have to go back out later in the evening. I fell asleep in the car though. I think the reason why I've just been sleeping more is because I'm so behind because of work. It's nice to sleep more but I get exhausted really easily. Then they stopped by an orange place and then a Nike outlet and ... I don't remember. In the car, I continued reading Among the Hidden, the next book the 6th graders will be reading. It's a really good and easy read. I hope they are interested in it.
Back at the condo, I got to work right away. I did math lessons! I did 4 of them in a row and did some more reading as well. I had Gilmore Girls and Alias on the laptop. I also ate my salad and most of my dinner. We were kind of eating quickly because we wanted to go to a hayride/campfire thing at 6:30 on the property, but we changed and got ready to leave and ... it started raining. Haha, oh well ... guess no hayride or s'mores for us this year! The next time they're doing it was the following Saturday and at that time of night, we'd be halfway home already. I remember the hayride at a past church retreat when I was really young. I thought it would've been fun to do it again. Plus, Piglet's never been on one before.
It was an okay thing at the same time too because I was able to do more work and just relax since we're doing one of the parks tomorrow. I kept eating. I am going to get so fat, for real! Mom said I have to drink more but I had already had 2 cups of OJ (love me some Florida OJ ... so smooth and not from concentrate!). I figured she was right though so I got me a Fuzzy Navel. Haha, that's my form of "drink."
Bailey wanted his own bottle.
I took a shower early and then ... typed. Haha, I think I was pretty productive though ... 4 math lesson plans (technically 4.5) and 4 Alias episodes. Love me some Vaughn. Good night!
We also stopped by the Lego store because Piglet loves Lego. Well, he used to love Lego. Now hes more into his Nintendo DS and his Wii. However, when hes punished from that stuff, he usually goes back to Lego, haha. Here are some remaining DTD pictures.
Piglet always loved Buzz Lightyear as a kid. My dad always called it Buzz-a-light when talking to Piglet.
Stepping into one of the stores was REALLY creepy as these skeletons actually MOVED!
Outside of the Lego store.
Haha, Piglets still tiny.
My dad took this picture. I ran away. Haha, twas a shark and all!
Then inside the Lego store, they had all of these miniature scenes. I think theyre so much fun to see! Here are a few of them:
Red carpet!
Skateboarding!
Pool time!
The beach! The bikini top is really funny to me!
Another beach picture.
Milking the cows. Next to cow poo. Haha.
Anyway, we left after that and stopped by Olive Garden to pick up dinner since it was early and we didn't want to have to go back out later in the evening. I fell asleep in the car though. I think the reason why I've just been sleeping more is because I'm so behind because of work. It's nice to sleep more but I get exhausted really easily. Then they stopped by an orange place and then a Nike outlet and ... I don't remember. In the car, I continued reading Among the Hidden, the next book the 6th graders will be reading. It's a really good and easy read. I hope they are interested in it.
Back at the condo, I got to work right away. I did math lessons! I did 4 of them in a row and did some more reading as well. I had Gilmore Girls and Alias on the laptop. I also ate my salad and most of my dinner. We were kind of eating quickly because we wanted to go to a hayride/campfire thing at 6:30 on the property, but we changed and got ready to leave and ... it started raining. Haha, oh well ... guess no hayride or s'mores for us this year! The next time they're doing it was the following Saturday and at that time of night, we'd be halfway home already. I remember the hayride at a past church retreat when I was really young. I thought it would've been fun to do it again. Plus, Piglet's never been on one before.
It was an okay thing at the same time too because I was able to do more work and just relax since we're doing one of the parks tomorrow. I kept eating. I am going to get so fat, for real! Mom said I have to drink more but I had already had 2 cups of OJ (love me some Florida OJ ... so smooth and not from concentrate!). I figured she was right though so I got me a Fuzzy Navel. Haha, that's my form of "drink."
Bailey wanted his own bottle.
I took a shower early and then ... typed. Haha, I think I was pretty productive though ... 4 math lesson plans (technically 4.5) and 4 Alias episodes. Love me some Vaughn. Good night!
irky416
DIS Veteran
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The sandwiches look good. We were going to try them on our last trip and never got around to it. I don't really like cranberry either, but if you said it was good, I may take your word for it and try it next time!
The sorcerers ears look cute on you!
Can't wait to read more.
The sorcerers ears look cute on you!
Can't wait to read more.
kathleen27
DIS Veteran
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- Feb 26, 2008
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- 1,379
Your time share looks really roomy! We've stayed in a few besides ours when we couldn't get the week we wanted there, and its fun to see the differences.
Whenever I stay in one hotel room with the whole family, its so hard to sleep!
Downtown Disney looks fun!
The sandwhiches look good, I've never eaten there.
The sorcerer Mickey ears are cute. Hope you find tigger ears. I don't think I've ever seen them.
The lego displays are amazing! I can't believe the stuff they make.
Whenever I stay in one hotel room with the whole family, its so hard to sleep!
Downtown Disney looks fun!
The sandwhiches look good, I've never eaten there.
The sorcerer Mickey ears are cute. Hope you find tigger ears. I don't think I've ever seen them.
The lego displays are amazing! I can't believe the stuff they make.
RachelNinja
Sometimes I'd rather live in VMK than in real life
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Well, I don't hate cranberry either. Haha, just making sure you know that because I wouldn't want you to try it and not like it on account of me! I'd actually suggest looking at the menu and the descriptions online before going. That's how I narrowed down the sandwiches before I even got there. Although the line was long enough to stand there and decide, some people (ahem, like my mom!) can be VERY indecisive. I know what I like to eat in terms of tastes and I know what I'm in a mood for at the moment so it wasn't that difficult for me. But seriously ... those descriptions sound SO GOOD that it may be hard to narrow them down!
Thanks for the sorcerer ears comment
Although I liked them, I think my head's a bit too big! LOL. I think if I were to wear them, I'd be afraid they weren't on securely because I would have preferred for the headband part to come down more. I tell myself that it's made with younger kids in mind ... not that I have a strangely large head ... haha. Time shares are great that way! Absolutely love the space. I don't know that if a cramped hotel is what I'd call a vacation, especially since my family doesn't do park after park each day. That means we'd be stuck in a room more times than not! I think the smaller rooms make sense for the families who are always on the go and just need a place to sleep.
I agree with the difficulty in sleeping in a hotel room! Suddenly there are so many people breathing around you. Then the moving of the covers. The swishing of the sheets. The possible snoring ... haha.
Aren't they? I was never creative with Lego (I liked building rooms so I could actually play with the people in them). I think it's amazing how people can build 3-D models and stuff. I don't have that ability to visually see something in 3-D and make it happen. But I still love seeing them! Especially the city scenes outside the store!
Here's a picture of thethe NY one that I took a few years ago ... don't mind the black spot, that's where Piglet is.
And to close with another story/picture ...
As I said earlier, my mom's not really that big of a Disney fan. She enjoys it and all, but her main purpose in going is to see her kids enjoying it, even if she doesn't quite understand why I love it so much! She is starting to accept my love for WDW and Disney now because she went shopping yesterday and bought me these ...
Tigger bowls! Haha, I purposely took the picture on top of math tests that I was grading because it makes them that much more special. She gave them to me in the midst of my working. Doesn't it just make you want to eat cereal and drink all the milk that's left over just to see Tigger's happy face?!?
RachelNinja
Sometimes I'd rather live in VMK than in real life
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Just found your report today. Can't wait to read all about your adventures in the parks.
We discovered Earl of Sandwich a few years ago, and now it's a must do each trip!
Yay! Thanks for reading
My dad will agree about Earl of Sandwich being a stop every trip now! Haha, he's beginning to respect my opinions ... I mean, who's going to know better? I am a DISer, after all~ 
The next installment will be about MK!
RachelNinja
Sometimes I'd rather live in VMK than in real life
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This installment will definitely be one of the more interesting ones, IMO, considering it wasn't spent just at the condo. Instead, it was spent at Magic Kingdom! Yay for Disney!
We don't do Disney like the gung-ho people in the sense that we don't head out for rope drop. Dad is definitely not a huge theme park fan so he wouldn't understand going there early to wait for them to open. I'll get to do all those things eventually though.
In the morning, I got ready while watching some Saved by the Bell. Haha, Jessie wasn't supposed to be valedictorian, Screech was! It was funny being reminded of all these things. It's so funny to think about how big of a deal Saved by the Bell was in my younger years (oh how much I wanted to have my own locker and how much I wanted to “go steady,” haha). Our breakfast was eggs, sausage, and bread. We typically eat bigger breakfasts (carbs and protein) on park days so that we’re not starved so quickly. Afterwards, we finally finished packing up all our bags (made sure I had my camera in my bag ... with the battery, of course!) and headed on out.
Bailey was all ready with the pennies for flattening! I only knew to do this because I read it on the DIS. Put 2 quarters and 1 penny over and over again in a mini-M&M’s container, in that order, so that you don’t have to search for the proper change when you find a flattened penny machine. Plus, if you prepare this ahead of time, you can pick the shiny pennies (or apparently pennies before a certain year are better because you don’t get a zinc streak). Of course, now that there are the flattened quarter machines, you might need a tube of just quarters.
I absolutely love that Disney is only less than 5 miles away from our condo! I love that it doesn't take very long for us to see that huge welcome sign and then the Magic Kingdom sign! Parking was $11. Haha, Dad went on this whole mini-rant saying that Disney could raise the parking price to $25 and everyone would still go. It'd be a brilliant move on Disney's part because what are you gonna do, not go to the park? Haha. Regardless of the parking prices, I’d still go. OR … it'll just make more people stay on the property!
Such a pretty sign! With pink! I don’t think I ever cared to notice these things beforehand.
We parked near the front of a row so that was lovely not having to walk very far (the only time we got good parking was when Mom was pregnant with Piglet and we asked if we could stay near the front). Of course, normally we have to park all the way at the end and that's in the summer. We hopped on the tram and then got to the ticketing and transportation area to wait for the monorail. I always get nervous at the monorail line because that's where I fainted in the past. Yep, I fainted at Disney World.
Here’s what happened: I woke up that morning (I was maybe around 15?) not feeling very good. But I thought that maybe it would go away. It was common for me to not feel well in the morning. I ate Cheerios for breakfast … or at least I tried to eat Cheerios for breakfast. I couldn’t finish the little that I poured out. That should have been a sign to not go but it was our family and my dad’s friend’s family. Anyway, I spent the short car ride there with my head down in the middle of the backseat. Still kept going anyway (apparently I didn’t know what it meant to listen to my body!)!
While we were waiting on the ramp for the monorail, I still wasn’t feeling well. So I kind of squatted down because the standing made me feel very weak. Then I stood back up and after a few minutes, I told my mom, “I think I’m going to faint.” At that point in my life, I had already fainted a few times because I’m hypoglycemic so I knew what the feeling was. I get this insane nausea and I don’t really feel like I’m in the world and then things start blacking out. Apparently my mom quickly gave Piglet, who was just a baby, to the other family’s mom. Then she told my dad and he caught me before I fell all the way forward.
The father of the other family ended up carrying me through the crowd to the top of the monorail station. I actually came to a bit when I was being carried. I still couldn’t open my eyes, but I knew I was being moved. Then I went unconscious again. I finally woke up on one of the benches with my head on my mom’s lap. A CM went to get towels soaked with cold water to help wake me up. They asked if I needed to go to First Aid, but I was feeling better at that point. We got on the monorail and everyone made sure I had a seat. I was excited to go to MK!
My mom and the other mom took me to the Main Street Bakery to get something to eat. I had this muffin that had different colors in it or something. I think there was cranberry in it too because they wanted me to have the sugar. I thought it was disgusting. I also remember seeing the barbershop quartet too. They talked about whether they would get me a wheelchair for the day, and I actually thought it was a good idea because I was tired, but it didn’t happen for whatever reason.
Maybe an hour later when we were at the Indy Speedway waiting on line, I felt like I needed to sit down. So I got off the line and sat at the viewing area. I felt sick again, and at that point, I knew I couldn’t be at MK anymore. Dad drove my mom and me back to our condo and then Dad returned back to spend the day with my brothers and the other family. It was stupid though because we didn’t think to get our tickets refunded at Guest Services or something. We realize now that we probably could have done that because we were only there for an hour, and we didn’t even ride anything. Oh well.
Now back to 2008!
I was hoping to sit at the front of the monorail but twas really busy to even ask. It was weird seeing everyone in hoodies! Normally we're already sweating at that time of the morning.
Here’s Piglet on the monorail looking out the window when we drove through … the Contemporary? I don’t know my Disney hotels yet. I’m learning via DIS though!
We headed into the park and I was ecstatic! I've never seen Magic Kingdom with these eyes before. Now that I'm a DISer, I know so much more about Disney.
I know people have better pictures of this, but I’m not a very good photographer. Plus, we were rushing. My family hasn’t quite understood why it’s important to get good pictures! They actually don’t understand why it’s important to get pictures at all! Once I started being responsible for the camera, we started coming back from vacations with a LOT more pictures. They’re grateful for that. Anyway, how BLUE is that sky?!
I really tried to enjoy Main Street as much as possible even though we were kind of walking quickly. As usual, we headed off to Tomorrowland. I got a Fast Pass (FP) for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (as in, I got them for the family) and we actually rode on it once. I got an awesome score since I was able to hit the back of the robot arm and some other random high point target. For those of you who don't know, this ride has 2 people per car thingie. Each vehicle has 2 laser guns to shoot at targets (many "secret targets" and high point targets spread throughout) and a joystick to move it around. I went with mom the first time.
This is what part of the ride looks like. Without flash. Haha. The ride stopped when we were in the middle of the movie tunnel so it was dark except for the bright lights at the end of the tunnel.
My first score. So I realize that there are DISers who actually get scores so high that they can’t even add anymore points but hey, this is a big deal for me! Haha. I was so thrilled!
We did the morning stuff before lunch "commando" (as in doing one ride after another, moving quickly, like on a rigid schedule – and I’m writing this because I never knew what commando meant until someone explained it on DIS, haha). I knew that FP system quite well this time! I knew that to get a new FP, you didn't have to wait until you used the previous one but could get it once the window opened up. So for example, our first FP said to return at 10:15-11:15, so that meant that we could get another new FP for another ride at 10:15 even if we didn't go on the ride with our FPs yet. Ahh, the things I didn't know the previous visits! Of course, this time it was actually written on the little ticket ...
We headed on over to Fantasyland to ride Peter Pan. It's Mom's favorite ride and we missed it the last time we were there so we had to do it this time. The line wasn't that bad. Actually the lines weren't that terrible. The most we had to stand was maybe 45 minutes or so (compared to the one time we had to wait 3 hours in the heat for Splash Mountain). I rode with Piglet and tried getting some pictures but it's one of those "No Flash Photography" rides so they're all dark. I love that feeling of flight, especially over London! It'll probably be the only time I'll actually be in London. Then I was super psyched when Peter Pan defeated Captain Hook, yay! Haha, btw, what was Captain Hook's name before he had the hook? Why, Captain Hand, of course. Hehe. I forgot where I heard that ...
It’s so crazy that we’re standing on the lines in SWEATSHIRTS! That was a FIRST for us. Normally we’re in shorts and tanks.
How exciting is it to see these flying ships!
What was extra special to me is the fact that VMK made an amazing virtual replica of this wonderful ride! Although I was glad to have been able to “ride” it when I was all the way back home and now that I was actually MK, it was so much fun to be on the real thing! Here are some pictures of the VMK version.
The nursery scene! I even loved that they spelled out Peter Pan with the blocks on the floor.
Look! Big Ben! Or the Tower of London, to be more precise. [edit: Nope! The Tower of London is a prison! What I should have written was Westminster Tower! Thanks for the heads up, disneyhockeymad!]
When I tried capturing that on film on the real ride, this is what I got instead … haha, you can see the face of Big Ben because it was the only thing giving off a stronger light!
Lastly, here’s a picture … or should I say, attempted picture, of the Mermaid Lagoon. I always loved how there’s one mermaid that looks exactly like Ariel.
At that time we returned to Buzz Lightyear to ride once again. Knowing my score and knowing that I knew the secret spots, Piglet rode with me. The ride stopped again so I was able to get some no flash pictures. Because everything was glowing, the pictures came out better than the Peter Pan ones! And the reason why I was able to take them was because the ride stopped when we passed all the targets so there was no reason to concentrate anymore! Haha. I love it when the ride stops and the laser guns still work!
Piglet still didn’t do very well (couldn’t break 3000) because he needs to get taller and grow! He pretty much has to stand to be able to move the laser gun around. He’s a very small 9-year old!
I also turned around to get a picture of my parents.
My second score!
Afterwards we went to Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, which is a totally new thing for us. It was another FIRST! Yayyy!!! The line wasn’t THAT long, but it was probably one of the longer lines of the day. That was okay by me though because I was able to take in the atmosphere since it was new for us.
Piglet by a laugh canister. I thought it was so cute how we walked through the doors!
Trying to figure out how many laughs were needed!
The doors before the show.
I had read that it was really funny and was excited to see it for myself. Each show is different because it's interactive and people text in jokes. I had forgotten how interactive it was, but it's very similar to Turtle Talk with Crush at Epcot.
The greatest thing about it? They were taking video of people in the audience and putting captions underneath them. The second photo before the show officially started? Piglet, Mom, and me! Haha! The caption under Mom said, "Sitting between two monsters." We were so shocked and I was pointing at the screen after we came to our senses. It was hilarious. It was a FIRST in the sense that we typically don’t get picked for these things!
Afterwards, they kept showing this one man who was sitting near us as well and totally mocking him (saying that the monster would want to dress up like him for Halloween). It was just hilarious how they kept going back to him. Anyway, the whole point of the show is that Mike needed to fill up a laugh canister and Roz didn't think he could do it. All the monster comedians came up and talked with the audience (this is all on a huge screen but it's still "live" because of the interaction) while cast members walked through the aisles and held mics to people's mouths if the monsters were talking to them. Of course, our laughter filled up the canister. That guy who was made fun of the most ended up getting something at the end (I read that it’s a pin or something that says, “I was THAT GUY at Monsters Inc Laugh Floor” or something like that). I wonder what would happen if they accidentally picked someone who was NOT in a good mood or who didn’t have a good sense of humor about it~
Anyway, earlier I had gotten FP for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh so we headed back to Fantasyland to ride that. Get what I mean about doing Disney commando style? Haha, a bit crazy, but I was surprisingly extremely energetic. That ecstatic feeling was still pervading my entire being! Haha, that sounds a bit corny, but believe me, I was just absolutely thrilled. The Pooh ride is great.
This is where we got our “names.” We each have our favorites. Mom likes Eeyore, Piglet likes … well, Piglet, and I like Tigger. I was talking with my mom about how Pooh is actually based on Taoism and that it must mean something for us to like our particular characters. I then concluded that Dad must be Rabbit because he always likes to spoil the fun. Hehe. I mean, he’s the one always telling Tigger to stop jumping around!
Mom with her favorite character.
While on the line, we saw that the characters were out in Pooh’s Corner! My parents said I could run over and take a picture with them, but I have a slight (okay, a GREAT) fear of people in costumes. So these pictures were good enough for me!
Taken at a safe distance, haha.
At first I was wondering if the person to the right was supposed to be Christopher Robin. Then I saw it was a girl! The next day, I actually saw the girl on the TV show because I had no clue who she was.
Piglet and I sat in the front. It's such a fun Fantasyland ride because the whole vehicle thing moves depending on the theme of the room. Instead of just a plain, straightforward ride, it bounces a bit when we're in the Tigger section. Then we sway with the wind during the windy day section. Absolutely adorable. I can't wait to take my kids on that ride.
Eeyore and Rabbit!
I also love the little thing I read about a few years ago. In one of the rooms with the picture frames, there's a picture on the floor of Mr. Toad handing over a deed to Pooh. The Pooh ride used to be where Mr. Toad's Wild Ride used to be so I think it's cute how they pay homage to him.
They strategically place all those gift shops right there when you exit the ride. Piglet was looking for Piglet things and I was looking for Tigger ears. At DTD, I didn't find anything. I was hoping to find it there. Unfortunately, there were only Pooh ears with a ... triangle birthday-ish hat on them. I wanted Tigger! Oh well. Maybe some day in the future.
I did, however, find a Tigger hat for my baby! Of course, I don't have a baby. Or a husband. Or a boyfriend. So ... it's not really for any baby in the near future, haha. Mom said I should have bought it for far in the future baby if I knew I really liked Tigger. Dad wouldn't understand though. See, Rabbit? Hehe.
These hats were cute, but they’re not my baby’s hat.
THIS is my baby’s hat! I love it so much! Haha, the color’s a bit weird, but the baby Tigger is adorable!
Yep. I have the hat picked for my baby. The baby I will have with my husband. The husband who I do not have at the moment … maybe I’m thinking a little too far ahead~ haha.
To be continued in the next installment!
We don't do Disney like the gung-ho people in the sense that we don't head out for rope drop. Dad is definitely not a huge theme park fan so he wouldn't understand going there early to wait for them to open. I'll get to do all those things eventually though.
In the morning, I got ready while watching some Saved by the Bell. Haha, Jessie wasn't supposed to be valedictorian, Screech was! It was funny being reminded of all these things. It's so funny to think about how big of a deal Saved by the Bell was in my younger years (oh how much I wanted to have my own locker and how much I wanted to “go steady,” haha). Our breakfast was eggs, sausage, and bread. We typically eat bigger breakfasts (carbs and protein) on park days so that we’re not starved so quickly. Afterwards, we finally finished packing up all our bags (made sure I had my camera in my bag ... with the battery, of course!) and headed on out.
Bailey was all ready with the pennies for flattening! I only knew to do this because I read it on the DIS. Put 2 quarters and 1 penny over and over again in a mini-M&M’s container, in that order, so that you don’t have to search for the proper change when you find a flattened penny machine. Plus, if you prepare this ahead of time, you can pick the shiny pennies (or apparently pennies before a certain year are better because you don’t get a zinc streak). Of course, now that there are the flattened quarter machines, you might need a tube of just quarters.
I absolutely love that Disney is only less than 5 miles away from our condo! I love that it doesn't take very long for us to see that huge welcome sign and then the Magic Kingdom sign! Parking was $11. Haha, Dad went on this whole mini-rant saying that Disney could raise the parking price to $25 and everyone would still go. It'd be a brilliant move on Disney's part because what are you gonna do, not go to the park? Haha. Regardless of the parking prices, I’d still go. OR … it'll just make more people stay on the property!
Such a pretty sign! With pink! I don’t think I ever cared to notice these things beforehand.
We parked near the front of a row so that was lovely not having to walk very far (the only time we got good parking was when Mom was pregnant with Piglet and we asked if we could stay near the front). Of course, normally we have to park all the way at the end and that's in the summer. We hopped on the tram and then got to the ticketing and transportation area to wait for the monorail. I always get nervous at the monorail line because that's where I fainted in the past. Yep, I fainted at Disney World.
Here’s what happened: I woke up that morning (I was maybe around 15?) not feeling very good. But I thought that maybe it would go away. It was common for me to not feel well in the morning. I ate Cheerios for breakfast … or at least I tried to eat Cheerios for breakfast. I couldn’t finish the little that I poured out. That should have been a sign to not go but it was our family and my dad’s friend’s family. Anyway, I spent the short car ride there with my head down in the middle of the backseat. Still kept going anyway (apparently I didn’t know what it meant to listen to my body!)!
While we were waiting on the ramp for the monorail, I still wasn’t feeling well. So I kind of squatted down because the standing made me feel very weak. Then I stood back up and after a few minutes, I told my mom, “I think I’m going to faint.” At that point in my life, I had already fainted a few times because I’m hypoglycemic so I knew what the feeling was. I get this insane nausea and I don’t really feel like I’m in the world and then things start blacking out. Apparently my mom quickly gave Piglet, who was just a baby, to the other family’s mom. Then she told my dad and he caught me before I fell all the way forward.
The father of the other family ended up carrying me through the crowd to the top of the monorail station. I actually came to a bit when I was being carried. I still couldn’t open my eyes, but I knew I was being moved. Then I went unconscious again. I finally woke up on one of the benches with my head on my mom’s lap. A CM went to get towels soaked with cold water to help wake me up. They asked if I needed to go to First Aid, but I was feeling better at that point. We got on the monorail and everyone made sure I had a seat. I was excited to go to MK!
My mom and the other mom took me to the Main Street Bakery to get something to eat. I had this muffin that had different colors in it or something. I think there was cranberry in it too because they wanted me to have the sugar. I thought it was disgusting. I also remember seeing the barbershop quartet too. They talked about whether they would get me a wheelchair for the day, and I actually thought it was a good idea because I was tired, but it didn’t happen for whatever reason.
Maybe an hour later when we were at the Indy Speedway waiting on line, I felt like I needed to sit down. So I got off the line and sat at the viewing area. I felt sick again, and at that point, I knew I couldn’t be at MK anymore. Dad drove my mom and me back to our condo and then Dad returned back to spend the day with my brothers and the other family. It was stupid though because we didn’t think to get our tickets refunded at Guest Services or something. We realize now that we probably could have done that because we were only there for an hour, and we didn’t even ride anything. Oh well.
Now back to 2008!
I was hoping to sit at the front of the monorail but twas really busy to even ask. It was weird seeing everyone in hoodies! Normally we're already sweating at that time of the morning.
Here’s Piglet on the monorail looking out the window when we drove through … the Contemporary? I don’t know my Disney hotels yet. I’m learning via DIS though!
We headed into the park and I was ecstatic! I've never seen Magic Kingdom with these eyes before. Now that I'm a DISer, I know so much more about Disney.
I know people have better pictures of this, but I’m not a very good photographer. Plus, we were rushing. My family hasn’t quite understood why it’s important to get good pictures! They actually don’t understand why it’s important to get pictures at all! Once I started being responsible for the camera, we started coming back from vacations with a LOT more pictures. They’re grateful for that. Anyway, how BLUE is that sky?!
I really tried to enjoy Main Street as much as possible even though we were kind of walking quickly. As usual, we headed off to Tomorrowland. I got a Fast Pass (FP) for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (as in, I got them for the family) and we actually rode on it once. I got an awesome score since I was able to hit the back of the robot arm and some other random high point target. For those of you who don't know, this ride has 2 people per car thingie. Each vehicle has 2 laser guns to shoot at targets (many "secret targets" and high point targets spread throughout) and a joystick to move it around. I went with mom the first time.
This is what part of the ride looks like. Without flash. Haha. The ride stopped when we were in the middle of the movie tunnel so it was dark except for the bright lights at the end of the tunnel.
My first score. So I realize that there are DISers who actually get scores so high that they can’t even add anymore points but hey, this is a big deal for me! Haha. I was so thrilled!
We did the morning stuff before lunch "commando" (as in doing one ride after another, moving quickly, like on a rigid schedule – and I’m writing this because I never knew what commando meant until someone explained it on DIS, haha). I knew that FP system quite well this time! I knew that to get a new FP, you didn't have to wait until you used the previous one but could get it once the window opened up. So for example, our first FP said to return at 10:15-11:15, so that meant that we could get another new FP for another ride at 10:15 even if we didn't go on the ride with our FPs yet. Ahh, the things I didn't know the previous visits! Of course, this time it was actually written on the little ticket ...
We headed on over to Fantasyland to ride Peter Pan. It's Mom's favorite ride and we missed it the last time we were there so we had to do it this time. The line wasn't that bad. Actually the lines weren't that terrible. The most we had to stand was maybe 45 minutes or so (compared to the one time we had to wait 3 hours in the heat for Splash Mountain). I rode with Piglet and tried getting some pictures but it's one of those "No Flash Photography" rides so they're all dark. I love that feeling of flight, especially over London! It'll probably be the only time I'll actually be in London. Then I was super psyched when Peter Pan defeated Captain Hook, yay! Haha, btw, what was Captain Hook's name before he had the hook? Why, Captain Hand, of course. Hehe. I forgot where I heard that ...
It’s so crazy that we’re standing on the lines in SWEATSHIRTS! That was a FIRST for us. Normally we’re in shorts and tanks.
How exciting is it to see these flying ships!
What was extra special to me is the fact that VMK made an amazing virtual replica of this wonderful ride! Although I was glad to have been able to “ride” it when I was all the way back home and now that I was actually MK, it was so much fun to be on the real thing! Here are some pictures of the VMK version.
The nursery scene! I even loved that they spelled out Peter Pan with the blocks on the floor.
Look! Big Ben! Or the Tower of London, to be more precise. [edit: Nope! The Tower of London is a prison! What I should have written was Westminster Tower! Thanks for the heads up, disneyhockeymad!]
When I tried capturing that on film on the real ride, this is what I got instead … haha, you can see the face of Big Ben because it was the only thing giving off a stronger light!
Lastly, here’s a picture … or should I say, attempted picture, of the Mermaid Lagoon. I always loved how there’s one mermaid that looks exactly like Ariel.
At that time we returned to Buzz Lightyear to ride once again. Knowing my score and knowing that I knew the secret spots, Piglet rode with me. The ride stopped again so I was able to get some no flash pictures. Because everything was glowing, the pictures came out better than the Peter Pan ones! And the reason why I was able to take them was because the ride stopped when we passed all the targets so there was no reason to concentrate anymore! Haha. I love it when the ride stops and the laser guns still work!
Piglet still didn’t do very well (couldn’t break 3000) because he needs to get taller and grow! He pretty much has to stand to be able to move the laser gun around. He’s a very small 9-year old!
I also turned around to get a picture of my parents.
My second score!
Afterwards we went to Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, which is a totally new thing for us. It was another FIRST! Yayyy!!! The line wasn’t THAT long, but it was probably one of the longer lines of the day. That was okay by me though because I was able to take in the atmosphere since it was new for us.
Piglet by a laugh canister. I thought it was so cute how we walked through the doors!
Trying to figure out how many laughs were needed!
The doors before the show.
I had read that it was really funny and was excited to see it for myself. Each show is different because it's interactive and people text in jokes. I had forgotten how interactive it was, but it's very similar to Turtle Talk with Crush at Epcot.
The greatest thing about it? They were taking video of people in the audience and putting captions underneath them. The second photo before the show officially started? Piglet, Mom, and me! Haha! The caption under Mom said, "Sitting between two monsters." We were so shocked and I was pointing at the screen after we came to our senses. It was hilarious. It was a FIRST in the sense that we typically don’t get picked for these things!
Afterwards, they kept showing this one man who was sitting near us as well and totally mocking him (saying that the monster would want to dress up like him for Halloween). It was just hilarious how they kept going back to him. Anyway, the whole point of the show is that Mike needed to fill up a laugh canister and Roz didn't think he could do it. All the monster comedians came up and talked with the audience (this is all on a huge screen but it's still "live" because of the interaction) while cast members walked through the aisles and held mics to people's mouths if the monsters were talking to them. Of course, our laughter filled up the canister. That guy who was made fun of the most ended up getting something at the end (I read that it’s a pin or something that says, “I was THAT GUY at Monsters Inc Laugh Floor” or something like that). I wonder what would happen if they accidentally picked someone who was NOT in a good mood or who didn’t have a good sense of humor about it~
Anyway, earlier I had gotten FP for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh so we headed back to Fantasyland to ride that. Get what I mean about doing Disney commando style? Haha, a bit crazy, but I was surprisingly extremely energetic. That ecstatic feeling was still pervading my entire being! Haha, that sounds a bit corny, but believe me, I was just absolutely thrilled. The Pooh ride is great.
This is where we got our “names.” We each have our favorites. Mom likes Eeyore, Piglet likes … well, Piglet, and I like Tigger. I was talking with my mom about how Pooh is actually based on Taoism and that it must mean something for us to like our particular characters. I then concluded that Dad must be Rabbit because he always likes to spoil the fun. Hehe. I mean, he’s the one always telling Tigger to stop jumping around!
Mom with her favorite character.
While on the line, we saw that the characters were out in Pooh’s Corner! My parents said I could run over and take a picture with them, but I have a slight (okay, a GREAT) fear of people in costumes. So these pictures were good enough for me!
Taken at a safe distance, haha.
At first I was wondering if the person to the right was supposed to be Christopher Robin. Then I saw it was a girl! The next day, I actually saw the girl on the TV show because I had no clue who she was.
Piglet and I sat in the front. It's such a fun Fantasyland ride because the whole vehicle thing moves depending on the theme of the room. Instead of just a plain, straightforward ride, it bounces a bit when we're in the Tigger section. Then we sway with the wind during the windy day section. Absolutely adorable. I can't wait to take my kids on that ride.
Eeyore and Rabbit!
I also love the little thing I read about a few years ago. In one of the rooms with the picture frames, there's a picture on the floor of Mr. Toad handing over a deed to Pooh. The Pooh ride used to be where Mr. Toad's Wild Ride used to be so I think it's cute how they pay homage to him.
They strategically place all those gift shops right there when you exit the ride. Piglet was looking for Piglet things and I was looking for Tigger ears. At DTD, I didn't find anything. I was hoping to find it there. Unfortunately, there were only Pooh ears with a ... triangle birthday-ish hat on them. I wanted Tigger! Oh well. Maybe some day in the future.
I did, however, find a Tigger hat for my baby! Of course, I don't have a baby. Or a husband. Or a boyfriend. So ... it's not really for any baby in the near future, haha. Mom said I should have bought it for far in the future baby if I knew I really liked Tigger. Dad wouldn't understand though. See, Rabbit? Hehe.
These hats were cute, but they’re not my baby’s hat.
THIS is my baby’s hat! I love it so much! Haha, the color’s a bit weird, but the baby Tigger is adorable!
Yep. I have the hat picked for my baby. The baby I will have with my husband. The husband who I do not have at the moment … maybe I’m thinking a little too far ahead~ haha.
To be continued in the next installment!
irky416
DIS Veteran
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- Apr 9, 2007
- Messages
- 1,353
I laughed out loud at the part where you said you got ready watching Saved by the Bell! My sister and I did when we were there last summer too! We were so excited to watch it.
Great update. I need to ride Winnie the Pooh again to notice the way the car movement changes. I didn't realize last time.
The baby hat is very cute. I hope you find your Tigger ears!
Great update. I need to ride Winnie the Pooh again to notice the way the car movement changes. I didn't realize last time.
The baby hat is very cute. I hope you find your Tigger ears!
disneyhockeymad
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
- Messages
- 1,563
Hey just read your TR... loving it! Can't wait to hear the rest...
Big Ben isn't the Tower of London... they're too seperate places, one is the clock (that's Big Ben) and one is a prison (disused!)... I guess if you wanted to get techincal the clock isn't actually called Big Ben, it's the bell inside it that is, everyone's just called it that anyways!!
I'm not being picky or mean, so please don't take that the wrong way... just thought I'd let you know for future knowledge seeing as I come from the UK and all that!!!!
Big Ben isn't the Tower of London... they're too seperate places, one is the clock (that's Big Ben) and one is a prison (disused!)... I guess if you wanted to get techincal the clock isn't actually called Big Ben, it's the bell inside it that is, everyone's just called it that anyways!!I'm not being picky or mean, so please don't take that the wrong way... just thought I'd let you know for future knowledge seeing as I come from the UK and all that!!!!
RachelNinja
Sometimes I'd rather live in VMK than in real life
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2007
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- 3,533
While making up a vocabulary test, I was typing up sentences for fill-in-the-blanks. I used all the SbtB character names: Zach, Kelly, Lisa, Jessie, Slater, and Screech. Afterwards, I asked if anyone knew where those names were from and I got blank stares. Haha, is it really that old? They were able to get it when I used the names from Scooby Doo and then one girl was able to get it when I used the names from The Brady Bunch. But why not Saved by the Bell?!? Its a travesty! Hehe.
I'm always surprised that I don't move in my seat when the Pooh honey pot starts bouncing or swaying. As I think about it now, I feel like I should have shifted in the seat, but I distinctly remember that I didn't (I made note of it to my mom while on the ride!). I think it's amazing how they were able to design the movement so that it was all very fluid.
Haha, at that point I was starting to wonder if I imagined the Tigger ears!
Hey just read your TR... loving it! Can't wait to hear the rest...
I'm not being picky or mean, so please don't take that the wrong way... just thought I'd let you know for future knowledge seeing as I come from the UK and all that!!!!
Oh YAY! Another VMK reader
That makes me so excited! Glad to see you here 
And no worries! I didn't think you were being picky or mean. I'm actually appreciative that you let me know! I don't want to go on for the rest of my life believing that they were the same thing! I just remembered reading something about it on the VMK boards when they released the Peter Pan ride piece ...
There we go! It's this thread. Haha, got it ... it's the Westminster Tower! I knew it was some kind of tower! I'm gonna go back and change it now
But the reason why I didn't know doesn't really have much to do with the fact that I don't know the UK because I'm an American. I don't know anything in America either. Hehe. This is why I teach English and math at school
disneyhockeymad
DIS Veteran
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- Oct 4, 2007
- Messages
- 1,563
Oh YAY! Another VMK reader
And no worries! I didn't think you were being picky or mean. I'm actually appreciative that you let me know! I don't want to go on for the rest of my life believing that they were the same thing! I just remembered reading something about it on the VMK boards when they released the Peter Pan ride piece ...
There we go! It's this thread. Haha, got it ... it's the Westminster Tower! I knew it was some kind of tower! I'm gonna go back and change it now
But the reason why I didn't know doesn't really have much to do with the fact that I don't know the UK because I'm an American. I don't know anything in America either. Hehe. This is why I teach English and math at school
Another Ex-VMK reader
so sad it's gone! What will I do with my time?! (I guess I oughta revise for my exams next week!! )Glad I could help you on your knowledge, I know nothing about America if it helps! haha, and little about London and the UK!! I hated geography and gave it up as soon as I could, guess we're in the same boat!!
RachelNinja
Sometimes I'd rather live in VMK than in real life
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2007
- Messages
- 3,533
At this point, I think we went back to Buzz Lightyear . Haha, yes, we did go on that ride 3 times. This time the Fastpass line was a bit longer, but it's still much faster than the standby line. While waiting on the line, Piglet found a Hidden Mickey! I had told him about the wonders of the random Mickeys hidden around the park and he found it himself! Then he got really excited about finding more! Getting Piglet hooked on WDW is all part of my plan, muuuahahhahah.
Buzzs washed out face told you I wasnt good at photography!
I love this ride so I'm glad that Piglet really likes it and wants to go on it over and over again. This time I went on it with Mom again. My score went even higher. I didn't get the back of the orange robot so I thought my score wouldn't be that high, but I aimed for the volcano in the back of that big room so BAM ... amazing score. It was the FIRST time that I hit the volcano and it erupted! Hehe, I got so excited. I typically get very distracted by the things in front of me and I finally listened to the advice of Aim farther and Aim for the things that move.
My mom always says that shes trying to get a certain target when I suddenly rotate the vehicle. Haha, I felt so bad! So I said, Do you want to use the joystick? and she goes, No! I cant do both things at once! My moms so silly! For a future trip with my friend (HowWeird), were going to have to go in separate vehicles so we each have control. Then well see who gets the better score
My final score for the day oh to think how much higher it would have gone if we went on it again! So this was a FIRST for me because I had never gotten such a high score!
The smile on my face is VERY fake. Why? Because as I was slipping through the bars, I hit my head against Zurgs arm. There were a ton of people waiting to take that same picture so I couldnt pause to rub my injured noggin. Instead, I plastered on a smile of pain.
After Buzz, we headed on back to Winnie the Pooh because I had gotten FPs for it. Oh wait, at that point we saw one of those flattened penny machines with Toy Story characters and since I was all prepared with my M&M tube filled with groups of 2 quarters and a penny, twas quite easy to get them! I got all 4 for Piglet since they're the cheapest souvenirs to have! Anyway, we were all over the place in the morning. Again, the line for Pooh was long so it makes it all worthwhile to use FP.
All morning, my parents were saying that I had it all under control. Haha, organized with FP. I had it down to a science. We wouldn't have had the ability to ride those rides so many times if it weren't for FP. They didnt have to worry about figuring out where to go next. They didnt even have to look at the map in the morning. And yes, I still do get a map I know thats a DISer no-no, but I like looking to see what attractions Ive missed and yes, I admit it I ADMIT! I dont know the park as well as I would like. Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are the two places I know a lot. We dont spend much time in the other lands. The next most common is Frontierland. But if you want me to navigate my way around Adventureland? No way haha, this comes into play later on
Anyway, back to Pooh!
The honey pot turned right when I was about to snap the picture of Tigger!
The part when Pooh drifts off to sleep kind of creeps me out for some reason I think its the music.
I love the end with the party! Yay! And Pooh makes me really want to have some honey when in reality, I dont really like the taste.
At that point we were hungry. Dad always wants the huge turkey leg. I remember the first time we had it many years ago at Animal Kingdom when we went with my cousins. It was so good! But the times we've had it afterwards, it's either hit or miss. I just don't like it anymore because it's a great deal of meat. It tastes a bit more like smoked ham than it does turkey but if you like it, then it's all good. We went to the wagon in Frontierland (we only knew of that one and the Lunching Pad in Tomorrowland) because I wanted to get my own lunch at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe. I had read reviews of it and I wanted to try it. However, that line extended all the way outside the establishment! Crazy long! I guess those reviews were right! I didn't want to wait on the line so I figured I'd just eat some of the turkey legs.
While Dad waited on the line, the 3 of us went to Splash Mountain to get FP for that. I think I said it before, but that's the longest line I've ever had to stand on in my life (3+ hours) so that's definitely a FP must. It sucks even more when it's in the heat! I love just walking and passing everyone. It's so much fun!
We tried looking for seating for lunch, but we were unsuccessful in Frontierland. We cut through an area to Adventureland and found some benches and then we got seats at a table. I was watching Aladdin and Jasmine take pictures. I must say, Aladdin was quite the cutie. If I had the patience to stand in line~ hehe. I dont normally get any character pictures but hey theres always a first time for everything
Anyway, it ended up that the turkey leg Mom and I were sharing was dry so it grossed me out even more. The one my dad had was a LOT better. But that didn't do me any good because I'm just not into it. I didn't have anything to eat and the nearest food place there was for ice cream only. After they finished eating, Piglet started getting nauseous. He said it was because he ate too fast (possibly because it started getting warmer too). I thought it might have also been because he was nervous about Splash Mountain. We walked around to find a place where I could get food.
We ended up going to El Pirata y el Perico Restaurante and I ordered a beef taco. It was a FIRST for us! Well, for me, since no one else ate they just watched me, haha. It was $6+ for two. There was a toppings bar in a separate room where I added tomatoes, onions (lovely breath), shredded cheese, and salsa. It was all really tasty. I was surprised that it was good, and if I needed lunch again in the future, I would choose that over the regular cheeseburger/chicken fingers stuff that we normally get. I inhaled that because I was hungry (although I was a little nauseous because Piglet looked like he was about to hurl and that ruins my appetite!). In a bit though, I think Piglet started feeling better after we were having normal conversations and took pictures and stuff.
This was inside El Pirata y El Perico. I was saying that I wanted to take a picture that looked like I was cooking something. Mom thought that was funny haha. I dont exactly cook.
The restaurant was right across from Pirates of the Caribbean so that was our next stop. However, our FP for Splash was going to end within the hour and the wait time said 40 minutes for Pirates. Not wanting to miss our FP window for SM, we got off that line.
We went to the gift shop to look for Mom and I went to ask a cast member about something I read online. Supposedly the medallion that was used in the PotC movie (the one that Elizabeth Swann got from baby Will Turner) was in the store somewhere. I asked a CM behind the counter and she was like, "Ahhh, what a good question" and she directed me to an older man who was cleaning things up in the store. He was in full pirate character when I asked him and stayed in character the whole time with his language and accent! Hilarious and so cute since it was an older man. He led me through the store and showed me where the medallion was hanging off a red vase. I knew it was high up above but couldn't find it myself because there's so much going on in that large store. Then he took me another spot and showed me the key that Will Turner had. I thought that was so cool! He was so nice that I asked to take a picture with him.
The medallion up on the shelf. I thought I would be able to find it myself since I had seen a picture of it before but gosh, its really hard to find because that store (as well as all the other stores) are so decorated! Haha, I suggest you ask~
A close-up of the medallion.
Davy Joness key!
A close-up of the key.
Heres Pirate Bob and me! This was the FIRST time I took a picture with a really good CM. Really helped with that Disney magic!
Afterwards our POTC shop excursion, we started walking to find something else to do in the meantime. Dad wanted to do Jungle Cruise, but that's a crazy long line for a not so interesting ride. I remember the last time we went on the ride, I thought it was really funny. I think when I was a kid, I was too young to understand the jokes and the sarcasm of the skippers. And as much as I would have liked to get back on JC to see everything again, it wasnt worth the wait. Plus I dont really like animals. Haha.
Afterwards, I started getting extremely woozy. Looking around in the store got me really dizzy and I was so worried that I was starting to get vertigo again because I was looking around and got dizzy when I moved my eyes. I had recently gotten over vertigo a few months ago. I was actually sick with it and still went to work. I had to hold on to the walls and had to sit during the day while I was teaching. I was REALLY worried about those vertigo feelings again!
It might have been the sudden change in weather because at that time it was okay to just wear short sleeves and no hoodie. We took a breather as I drank some juice. This was right in front of The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management so we decided to just watch that show so I could sit for a bit. Mom put this Chinese pink medicine on my forehead since my right temple was throbbing too (dont quite know what its for exactly, but it always seems to work with everything!). Ahhh, I was hoping this wouldn't end our Disney day or ruin it in any way.
The show was the same as always. I know a lot of people want this attraction gone, but its always a relief for any sort of heat. The only part I have issue with is when the Tiki god comes out of the middle and moves around like a human. The animatronic stuff at Disney is awesome sometimes a bit TOO awesome. Its also cool to think that this show has been there for so long and the animatronics were already so good! I just sat and closed my eyes during the show. When we were leaving, I thought it was a little creepy because there were eyes moving somewhere? On the wall? By the exit? Something. I just remember something creeping me out I forget what it is! Does anyone know?
After that, I felt an itsy bit better so Dad and I headed to Splash Mountain. I say "Dad and I" because Piglet chickened out. I knew it was a big thing if he were to actually go on it. As we were walking closer to it, I told him that the drop that you see is the biggest one and that there are a few smaller ones inside. Once he heard that he was like, "I'm not going on it!" I imagine that he would have freaked out after the first drop and would have died to get off knowing that the big one was up ahead!
FP for Splash Mountain is a MUST. Theres a long line so its always fun when Dad and I bypass all those people in the standby line. I wish we had realized the time though. We had 4 FP tickets (we used Piglets and moms ticket too since we never split up for FP) and because we had gone at the latter part of the hour window, we wouldn't be able to use the second set of tickets (although I know now that sometimes CMs let you use FP even when youve passed the window). We should have given them to people at the back of the regular line when we were walking on the FP line. Oh well. We got on and Dad had his rain coat thing. He put on my hoodie so that it wouldn't get wet before he wore his rain coat. I didn't think I would get very wet because we never have. People were coming off the ride soaked though so I was thinking ... umm, that might not be a good thing.
The ride was shorter than I remember. Actually when we went around one of the turns and was about to go up another hill, the ride stopped. There was a log halfway up the hill and we were at the bottom. Dad took out his cell to try to call Mom so that they could watch us (we got front row seats) but she didn't pick up. Then we were moving again.
I thought there were more drops within the ride. I had forgotten that there was a double drop in the dark. It goes down once and then quickly goes back up a smaller hill and then down again. Haha, Piglet would have hated that, especially since I wouldn't have been able to prepare him for it.
As we climbed up the biggest hill, I was able to see the profile of the original Mickey Mouse head. Haha, I wish I could have shared that with someone because its so much more fun that way! But my dad wouldnt care. And he probably wouldnt even understand what I was telling him to look at. Anyway, over the hill we went! It seemed like it was one of the longest drops ever! Haha, I don't remember it being that long. The thing is, at the bottom, we got absolutely soaked! Haha. Out of all times to get really wet, it happens in February! This was definitely a FIRST!
Dad and I were thinking about it and we think it had something to do with the fact that we were really close to the log in front of us because the ride had stopped. When they went over the top, we were already halfway up the hill. So the splash that the previous log made was still not settled when we hit it so there was an even bigger splash, soaking us! Of course Dad's cap also flew off and he thought he lost it in the water. Dad kept looking all over for it, and thankfully, it had just landed in the seat behind us. I'm surprised the girl didn't say anything, unless she was really that oblivious or shocked from the drop (the group of girls were screamers so maybe their hearts were settling at the moment!).
It was really chilly in the next room because that's usually where you kind of dry off when it's hot out. However, all that AC gave me the chills. Of course, the logs backed up when we were unloading so we had to sit in that cold for a while. I had Dad undo his raincoat so that I could wipe my eyes on my sweatshirt. Finally standing up and walking was a bit gross because the area above my butt was all wet! Haha. Because I had kind of leaned over so that my entire front side wouldn't get wet, my back got the splash instead. It was kind of uncomfortable! We saw our picture on the screen (the girls behind us looked like they weren't there at all because they were hunched over and Dad and I had our hands up).
We made our way to Briar Patch, the Splash Mountain store, because that's where Mom and Piglet were waiting for us. They were looking at the keychains and I saw the usual keychains we've been seeing for a while. But then I found a Mickey Mouse one that was so cute (a picture in an installment to come)! I picked it up to buy. Yes, to buy! This was a FIRST because I never buy souvenirs for myself! I always figure the flattened coins are my souvenirs!
I think it's funny that I like Disney so much now, so much so that I would want a Mickey keychain. I was bringing it up to the counter when I saw another jewelry stand thing. I was looking at the anklets and was about to get one with a tiny, jeweled Mickey head dangling from it. I was considering buying one of the anklets instead because they were so cute! The thing is, I probably wouldn't have many opportunities to wear it so I decided on the keychain instead. Haha, there's always the next Disney trip ... or Epcot!
With that, Im going to leave you until the next installment Patience is a virtue, you know!
Buzzs washed out face told you I wasnt good at photography!
I love this ride so I'm glad that Piglet really likes it and wants to go on it over and over again. This time I went on it with Mom again. My score went even higher. I didn't get the back of the orange robot so I thought my score wouldn't be that high, but I aimed for the volcano in the back of that big room so BAM ... amazing score. It was the FIRST time that I hit the volcano and it erupted! Hehe, I got so excited. I typically get very distracted by the things in front of me and I finally listened to the advice of Aim farther and Aim for the things that move.
My mom always says that shes trying to get a certain target when I suddenly rotate the vehicle. Haha, I felt so bad! So I said, Do you want to use the joystick? and she goes, No! I cant do both things at once! My moms so silly! For a future trip with my friend (HowWeird), were going to have to go in separate vehicles so we each have control. Then well see who gets the better score
My final score for the day oh to think how much higher it would have gone if we went on it again! So this was a FIRST for me because I had never gotten such a high score!
The smile on my face is VERY fake. Why? Because as I was slipping through the bars, I hit my head against Zurgs arm. There were a ton of people waiting to take that same picture so I couldnt pause to rub my injured noggin. Instead, I plastered on a smile of pain.
After Buzz, we headed on back to Winnie the Pooh because I had gotten FPs for it. Oh wait, at that point we saw one of those flattened penny machines with Toy Story characters and since I was all prepared with my M&M tube filled with groups of 2 quarters and a penny, twas quite easy to get them! I got all 4 for Piglet since they're the cheapest souvenirs to have! Anyway, we were all over the place in the morning. Again, the line for Pooh was long so it makes it all worthwhile to use FP.
All morning, my parents were saying that I had it all under control. Haha, organized with FP. I had it down to a science. We wouldn't have had the ability to ride those rides so many times if it weren't for FP. They didnt have to worry about figuring out where to go next. They didnt even have to look at the map in the morning. And yes, I still do get a map I know thats a DISer no-no, but I like looking to see what attractions Ive missed and yes, I admit it I ADMIT! I dont know the park as well as I would like. Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are the two places I know a lot. We dont spend much time in the other lands. The next most common is Frontierland. But if you want me to navigate my way around Adventureland? No way haha, this comes into play later on
Anyway, back to Pooh!
The honey pot turned right when I was about to snap the picture of Tigger!
The part when Pooh drifts off to sleep kind of creeps me out for some reason I think its the music.
I love the end with the party! Yay! And Pooh makes me really want to have some honey when in reality, I dont really like the taste.
At that point we were hungry. Dad always wants the huge turkey leg. I remember the first time we had it many years ago at Animal Kingdom when we went with my cousins. It was so good! But the times we've had it afterwards, it's either hit or miss. I just don't like it anymore because it's a great deal of meat. It tastes a bit more like smoked ham than it does turkey but if you like it, then it's all good. We went to the wagon in Frontierland (we only knew of that one and the Lunching Pad in Tomorrowland) because I wanted to get my own lunch at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe. I had read reviews of it and I wanted to try it. However, that line extended all the way outside the establishment! Crazy long! I guess those reviews were right! I didn't want to wait on the line so I figured I'd just eat some of the turkey legs.
While Dad waited on the line, the 3 of us went to Splash Mountain to get FP for that. I think I said it before, but that's the longest line I've ever had to stand on in my life (3+ hours) so that's definitely a FP must. It sucks even more when it's in the heat! I love just walking and passing everyone. It's so much fun!
We tried looking for seating for lunch, but we were unsuccessful in Frontierland. We cut through an area to Adventureland and found some benches and then we got seats at a table. I was watching Aladdin and Jasmine take pictures. I must say, Aladdin was quite the cutie. If I had the patience to stand in line~ hehe. I dont normally get any character pictures but hey theres always a first time for everything
Anyway, it ended up that the turkey leg Mom and I were sharing was dry so it grossed me out even more. The one my dad had was a LOT better. But that didn't do me any good because I'm just not into it. I didn't have anything to eat and the nearest food place there was for ice cream only. After they finished eating, Piglet started getting nauseous. He said it was because he ate too fast (possibly because it started getting warmer too). I thought it might have also been because he was nervous about Splash Mountain. We walked around to find a place where I could get food.
We ended up going to El Pirata y el Perico Restaurante and I ordered a beef taco. It was a FIRST for us! Well, for me, since no one else ate they just watched me, haha. It was $6+ for two. There was a toppings bar in a separate room where I added tomatoes, onions (lovely breath), shredded cheese, and salsa. It was all really tasty. I was surprised that it was good, and if I needed lunch again in the future, I would choose that over the regular cheeseburger/chicken fingers stuff that we normally get. I inhaled that because I was hungry (although I was a little nauseous because Piglet looked like he was about to hurl and that ruins my appetite!). In a bit though, I think Piglet started feeling better after we were having normal conversations and took pictures and stuff.
This was inside El Pirata y El Perico. I was saying that I wanted to take a picture that looked like I was cooking something. Mom thought that was funny haha. I dont exactly cook.
The restaurant was right across from Pirates of the Caribbean so that was our next stop. However, our FP for Splash was going to end within the hour and the wait time said 40 minutes for Pirates. Not wanting to miss our FP window for SM, we got off that line.
We went to the gift shop to look for Mom and I went to ask a cast member about something I read online. Supposedly the medallion that was used in the PotC movie (the one that Elizabeth Swann got from baby Will Turner) was in the store somewhere. I asked a CM behind the counter and she was like, "Ahhh, what a good question" and she directed me to an older man who was cleaning things up in the store. He was in full pirate character when I asked him and stayed in character the whole time with his language and accent! Hilarious and so cute since it was an older man. He led me through the store and showed me where the medallion was hanging off a red vase. I knew it was high up above but couldn't find it myself because there's so much going on in that large store. Then he took me another spot and showed me the key that Will Turner had. I thought that was so cool! He was so nice that I asked to take a picture with him.
The medallion up on the shelf. I thought I would be able to find it myself since I had seen a picture of it before but gosh, its really hard to find because that store (as well as all the other stores) are so decorated! Haha, I suggest you ask~
A close-up of the medallion.
Davy Joness key!
A close-up of the key.
Heres Pirate Bob and me! This was the FIRST time I took a picture with a really good CM. Really helped with that Disney magic!
Afterwards our POTC shop excursion, we started walking to find something else to do in the meantime. Dad wanted to do Jungle Cruise, but that's a crazy long line for a not so interesting ride. I remember the last time we went on the ride, I thought it was really funny. I think when I was a kid, I was too young to understand the jokes and the sarcasm of the skippers. And as much as I would have liked to get back on JC to see everything again, it wasnt worth the wait. Plus I dont really like animals. Haha.
Afterwards, I started getting extremely woozy. Looking around in the store got me really dizzy and I was so worried that I was starting to get vertigo again because I was looking around and got dizzy when I moved my eyes. I had recently gotten over vertigo a few months ago. I was actually sick with it and still went to work. I had to hold on to the walls and had to sit during the day while I was teaching. I was REALLY worried about those vertigo feelings again!
It might have been the sudden change in weather because at that time it was okay to just wear short sleeves and no hoodie. We took a breather as I drank some juice. This was right in front of The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management so we decided to just watch that show so I could sit for a bit. Mom put this Chinese pink medicine on my forehead since my right temple was throbbing too (dont quite know what its for exactly, but it always seems to work with everything!). Ahhh, I was hoping this wouldn't end our Disney day or ruin it in any way.
The show was the same as always. I know a lot of people want this attraction gone, but its always a relief for any sort of heat. The only part I have issue with is when the Tiki god comes out of the middle and moves around like a human. The animatronic stuff at Disney is awesome sometimes a bit TOO awesome. Its also cool to think that this show has been there for so long and the animatronics were already so good! I just sat and closed my eyes during the show. When we were leaving, I thought it was a little creepy because there were eyes moving somewhere? On the wall? By the exit? Something. I just remember something creeping me out I forget what it is! Does anyone know?
After that, I felt an itsy bit better so Dad and I headed to Splash Mountain. I say "Dad and I" because Piglet chickened out. I knew it was a big thing if he were to actually go on it. As we were walking closer to it, I told him that the drop that you see is the biggest one and that there are a few smaller ones inside. Once he heard that he was like, "I'm not going on it!" I imagine that he would have freaked out after the first drop and would have died to get off knowing that the big one was up ahead!
FP for Splash Mountain is a MUST. Theres a long line so its always fun when Dad and I bypass all those people in the standby line. I wish we had realized the time though. We had 4 FP tickets (we used Piglets and moms ticket too since we never split up for FP) and because we had gone at the latter part of the hour window, we wouldn't be able to use the second set of tickets (although I know now that sometimes CMs let you use FP even when youve passed the window). We should have given them to people at the back of the regular line when we were walking on the FP line. Oh well. We got on and Dad had his rain coat thing. He put on my hoodie so that it wouldn't get wet before he wore his rain coat. I didn't think I would get very wet because we never have. People were coming off the ride soaked though so I was thinking ... umm, that might not be a good thing.
The ride was shorter than I remember. Actually when we went around one of the turns and was about to go up another hill, the ride stopped. There was a log halfway up the hill and we were at the bottom. Dad took out his cell to try to call Mom so that they could watch us (we got front row seats) but she didn't pick up. Then we were moving again.
I thought there were more drops within the ride. I had forgotten that there was a double drop in the dark. It goes down once and then quickly goes back up a smaller hill and then down again. Haha, Piglet would have hated that, especially since I wouldn't have been able to prepare him for it.
As we climbed up the biggest hill, I was able to see the profile of the original Mickey Mouse head. Haha, I wish I could have shared that with someone because its so much more fun that way! But my dad wouldnt care. And he probably wouldnt even understand what I was telling him to look at. Anyway, over the hill we went! It seemed like it was one of the longest drops ever! Haha, I don't remember it being that long. The thing is, at the bottom, we got absolutely soaked! Haha. Out of all times to get really wet, it happens in February! This was definitely a FIRST!
Dad and I were thinking about it and we think it had something to do with the fact that we were really close to the log in front of us because the ride had stopped. When they went over the top, we were already halfway up the hill. So the splash that the previous log made was still not settled when we hit it so there was an even bigger splash, soaking us! Of course Dad's cap also flew off and he thought he lost it in the water. Dad kept looking all over for it, and thankfully, it had just landed in the seat behind us. I'm surprised the girl didn't say anything, unless she was really that oblivious or shocked from the drop (the group of girls were screamers so maybe their hearts were settling at the moment!).
It was really chilly in the next room because that's usually where you kind of dry off when it's hot out. However, all that AC gave me the chills. Of course, the logs backed up when we were unloading so we had to sit in that cold for a while. I had Dad undo his raincoat so that I could wipe my eyes on my sweatshirt. Finally standing up and walking was a bit gross because the area above my butt was all wet! Haha. Because I had kind of leaned over so that my entire front side wouldn't get wet, my back got the splash instead. It was kind of uncomfortable! We saw our picture on the screen (the girls behind us looked like they weren't there at all because they were hunched over and Dad and I had our hands up).
We made our way to Briar Patch, the Splash Mountain store, because that's where Mom and Piglet were waiting for us. They were looking at the keychains and I saw the usual keychains we've been seeing for a while. But then I found a Mickey Mouse one that was so cute (a picture in an installment to come)! I picked it up to buy. Yes, to buy! This was a FIRST because I never buy souvenirs for myself! I always figure the flattened coins are my souvenirs!
I think it's funny that I like Disney so much now, so much so that I would want a Mickey keychain. I was bringing it up to the counter when I saw another jewelry stand thing. I was looking at the anklets and was about to get one with a tiny, jeweled Mickey head dangling from it. I was considering buying one of the anklets instead because they were so cute! The thing is, I probably wouldn't have many opportunities to wear it so I decided on the keychain instead. Haha, there's always the next Disney trip ... or Epcot!
With that, Im going to leave you until the next installment
Patience is a virtue, you know!-
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