Goofmeister
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2003
- Messages
- 213
Cast:
Sam (30) - the Planner, (1985,1987,2000) Trip # 4
Angie (30) - Eeyore nut and researcher, (2000) Trip # 2
Samantha (3.75) (2000) Trip # 2
Not Too Wet
Day 2, Saturday November, 30th 2002
Weather: Scattered Clouds with highs in the low 70s
Plan: Sleep in, Downtown Disney, and 1900 Park Fare
We decided after the late night that we needed to take it easy. Plus wed heard horror stories about the MK the weekend after Thanksgiving. I was reminded of salmon swimming upstream during spawning season. Not wanting to get eaten by a hungry bear or die from exhaustion we decided to skip it, and go to Downtown Disney instead. After all Eisner and gang didnt have enough of our money already.
We started out at the crack of noon, and headed out for an All-American lunch at McDonalds. You know, the one that is just outside of the All-Stars. It has the giant Ronald, Grimace, and a giant order of fries (which by the way you cant order, dont even try.). Some low cal foods later we posed for photos (like we were tourists) with the giant Ronald and friends.
We had no trouble finding a parking spot. But many other people were circling the lot like vultures looking for the ideal spot near the front. Stalking shoppers on the way to their cars. Waiting for their chance to pounce.
Our first stop was the World of Disney. We bought a lot of stuff. It is a big place. I liked all of the Disney characters over head. Did you know that they sell macaroni in the shape of Mickeys Head here? With babies on our minds, we went Gwarsh, how cute! over the baby clothes, bibs and hats. Speaking of hats, we bought fun hats here to wear at MVMCP: Goofy Santa hat for (who else) me, an Eeyore lighted reindeer ear headband for Angie, and a Minnie-Mouse Christmas headband for Samantha. We looked cool. These silly headpieces always look better at Disney than they do anywhere else. Angie says people will wear anything at Disney no matter how silly or tacky.
Angie sent us to the Lego Playground while she paid. Isnt she great? Samantha played in the playhouse, which for some puzzling reason had the slides blocked. A little girl playing with her declared that the living room was a mess, and that the kids better clean up their stuff if they knew what was good for them. Samantha looked a little confused, but began to pick up the Legos on the ground. Her brother then came over and started playing with some of the blocks. He dropped a few on the ground setting the little girl off. She started lecturing him about his toys when Angie returned. Mom announced an ice cream break, which freed Samantha from her chores.
We tried Ghirardellis, but the wait was too long. We settled on a Mickey Bars and sodas by the water. Samantha spotted a woman who had a tiny dog in her purse and wanted one herself. So, we got her a purse. No not really, but she did want a tiny dog that you could carry in a purse. While eating we asked Samantha if she was having fun, and what she thought about DTD. Forever captured on film is her pretending to die, and shouting Pee. Didnt she know we were looking for something cute to memorialize our shopping spree? This was a trend for the vacation. When the camera was off shed do cute things. Turn the camera on shed do obnoxious things. Giving up for now, we finished our snacks and headed to Once Upon a Toy for some Christmas shopping.
We played with some toys. I like toys. I like giving toys to children, especially my own, which explains why Christmas 2002 was a very good Christmas for the Goofmeisters. Our first stop was to admire the toy monorail and the many add-ons available. I had planned on buying this, but when I saw it I couldnt bring myself to spend the money. Sometimes I wish I had. I had envisioned an elaborate monorail system encircling the living room ceiling complete with tunnels to and from the master bedroom. My grand plan was to build scale models of the resorts and theme park icons near the monorail. Angie was lukewarm to say the best about the idea. I did however want (for Samantha of course) the Wilderness Lodge Lincoln Log set and the Haunted Mansion version of Clue! We played with the make your own Lincoln Log kits before a little girl who wasnt sharing so well chased us off. Then we played with the build your own Potato Head complete with Disney themed parts and pieces. To distract Samantha, we let her use some of her money to buy a baby doll backpack and a light up Cinderella necklace while Angie purchased several Christmas prizes.
With our bags in hand we visited Pooh Corner and shopped. We were a little disappointed with the selection but managed to spend even more money. We snapped photos outside the shop of Samantha posing with the Tigger artwork.
We decided it was becoming too difficult to carry our many bags and keep their contents secret. Angie elected to take them back to the car while Samantha and I rode the carousel. She didnt even make it halfway to the car. The sacks were cutting into her fingers when she decided to turn back. Halfway through our second ride she returned. I needed a break, especially after we negotiated the Christmas store with many large heavy bags and an almost four year old. Could there be a little more glass in here? Hey, lets get two or three hundred more people inside the store, I can almost move my left foot. Samantha, dont touch that. Samantha and I left. We sat at a fountain outside the shop while Angie bought an ornament for our Christmas tree.
Lets see shopping, water, and a four-year-old this is a recipe for a wet kid. It started off in the usual way. We were watching other peoples kids get wet and cold. I was smugly thinking, There is no way Id let my kid get that wet. It is too cold today.
Samantha: Daddy can I go over there? (Pointing to the water shooting out of the ground.)
Me: No lets stay here and rest. Its too cold today.
(A little while later) :
Samantha: Daddy can I go over there? (Looking at me with the biggest most gorgeous brown eyes.)
Daddy: (doing a double take) Oookay, but dont get too wet. Youll get cold and we dont have any clothes for you. I think, Were on vacation. A little water is no big deal.
Im not sure what not too wet means to you, but to Samantha it means wetter than a trout. Mom stops by in the early stages of the fountain, and I assure her that Samantha promised to not get too wet and that I took her shoes and socks off just to be sure. She is appropriately concerned. And apparently, so are some people sitting by me because they keep making snide comments. Mind your own business, I mutter under my breath.
Angie decides to not watch the screaming spectacle that is our child and gets some scrapbooking supplies at the 2 Rs. While shes gone she also visits a disappointing Disney at Home store. When she returns, she declares that the child must have dry clothes. Off she goes to find a sweatshirt and sweatpants for the now shivering (but doesnt know or care) Samantha. Victorious Angie returns and pronounces my punishment. (Hey! I told her dont get too wet.) My punishment was to change her clothes in the Mens room while not letting her or her clothes touch anything in the Mens room. You ever change a slippery cold preschooler? Ever done it while holding her, her dry clothes and not dropping anything? It can be done. But I dont recommend it. I got a little wet. But its a sacrifice I was happy to make. She had fun, and I will never forget the look of joy on her face. If I do, I can always watch the video.
It was time to leave Marketplace and get cleaned up for our PS at 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian. We took a bus to Epcot, a monorail to the TTC, and then the resort monorail to the GF. I like the monorail. It is one of my favorite memories from my trips to WDW as a teenager. Samantha loved it. It was her favorite ride of the day.
Samantha was wearing an Eeyore hair thing. Ok, I dont know the correct terminology, but its one of those loops that you use to put hair in a ponytail and it had Eeyores head on it. Her new Cinderella light-up necklace was around her neck. This thing fascinated me. It had two little magnetic clasps. When you closed it on one clasp the necklace would glow in a soft blue. If you closed it on the other clasp, it wouldnt glow at all. She didnt share very well. So, I gave up and let her play with her toy.
We arrived and had to wait about 30 minutes for our table. But it was worth the wait. The GF was breathtaking, and it takes a lot to stop me from breathing. As you enter the lobby, you are hit by a wonderful smell of fresh baked goods. You are blinded from the lights by what little you can see of what must be a giant Christmas tree. Two smaller trees flank the entry. These trees would be huge in my house but are dwarfed by the monster in the center of the lobby. There is lighted garland everywhere. Poinsettias cover the check in counters, and a pianist is softly playing music in a corner of the lobby. The tree is at least five stories tall. There is a gingerbread house in the far corner, which houses a small candy counter.
From our video I got the recipe if you want to make your own at home:
530 lbs. Chocolate
1050 lbs. Sugar
800 lbs. Flour
600 lbs. Powdered Sugar
180 lbs. of ??? Glaze
140 lbs. of Egg Whites
35 lbs. of Spices
5055 Shingles
Tons of Creativity, Disney Magic, and Pixie Dust.
840 hours I think it was to bake, but I cant make it out.
Disney claims that the house is 100% edible. It is impressive, and it smells fantastic.
Samantha climbed up and down the main staircase with her Tigger backpack (that is almost as big as she is). I chased her while Angie did a video tour of the grounds for our neighbors. We worked up quite an appetite while dashing up and down those stairs. I got a little annoyed actually and kept trying to divert Samantha elsewhere. Once up and down is cute, twice is fun, three times is a joy, four times is stimulating, five times is routine, six times is mundane, seven times is dull, and eight times is exhausting. But she was almost four, and it kept her entertained and out of trouble.
We talked with Piglet a bit in the lobby before our pager went off. We were seated in the first room against the wall. Eeyore visited us first. Angie said something to him about running away together, and he gave her a kiss and a big hug. Watch it Donkey Boy! Im going to have to keep my eye on that one. Eeyore made her day. Tigger came by next, and spotted Samanthas backpack. He applauded her taste, and bounced with her awhile. Pooh came by, and she got his autograph. They posed for a picture together, and a small boy ran up to Pooh. Not a big deal, Pooh politely got the child to move. Angie tried again, here comes the small boy this time his Dad is filming him. Still not a big deal, but it is obvious that Pooh, his handler, and my wife are trying to keep the boy out of the shot. The boy tries again, and Dad does nothing. Im annoyed now. That is three times and the Dad is doing nothing. Its not like Pooh isnt coming to everyones table. What happened to common courtesy, waiting your turn, and watching your children? Angie snapped a picture, and let Pooh move on. We also ate dinner from the buffet: Jamaican jerked pork, lasagna, turkey, ham, dressing, sweet potatoes, and for desert strawberry soup and tarts.
While I was taking care of the bill Samantha and Angie went to the waiting area of the restaurant. Samantha had some extended time with Piglet all by herself. They watched a little TV, shared a few hugs, and Piglet played with her hair. I missed most of it, and since I had all the cameras we didnt get it on tape either. But the girls told me all about it. Samantha fell in love with Piglet. He was now her favorite Pooh character. Was Walt smiling down on us? It was really neat to have that kind of interaction.
Full and filled with 100-acre fun we headed back to the monorail. We were the only ones there. The CM kept looking at me like he was expecting me to say something. Why does he keep looking at me like that? Five minutes later another family shows up, and asks the CM if they can ride up front. Doh! Why didnt I think of that? The CM looks at me, and radios the monorail. They could indeed ride up front. There was nothing I could do. The excitement of the other family was even more tortuous. I couldnt bear it. It wouldve been better if there was no room up front. Oh the injustice, oh the humanity. Oh well, it was quickly forgotten by the time we got our seats.
To the MK. We rode Snow White for the first time ever. Here is where the brilliance of the Cinderella necklace struck me. Samantha had forgotten it. To keep it from getting lost, I had put it in my pocket. We had no wait to get on the ride so there wasnt time for her to get scared. She was however, worried about the dark forest. Whipping out the necklace, I told her that this light would help her. It wasnt bright, but it chased her fears away. It worked better than the flashlight, which was too bright and sometimes shed shine it in our eyes or somewhere else inappropriate.
We rode Pooh after waiting five minutes and Peter Pan after fifteen to twenty minutes.
It was time to see Spectromagic again. Angie loves this parade. You know how one or two little things will remind you of a particular vacation. For her it was the music from this parade.
We let the crowd thin and enjoyed popcorn and sodas on the way out. Then we made the purchase. Thats right, a Tinkerbell balloon. This thing was huge. I thought the Mickey head balloons were big. It would take two of those to make one Tink. When Samantha first asked for one, I was thinking of diversionary tactics and excuses why we couldnt get one. I needed rational reasons to leave it here in the MK. I was too slow. Mommy said OK, and bought one while I was standing there stammering
I thought the other guest would kill us for bringing this monster on board the bus for ASMoNo one complained, and it helped that the bus wasnt at capacity. However, our purchase would haunt us later in our trip.
We had a great day, and quickly nodded off to sleep.
Highs: Spending money at Marketplace, Samantha in the fountain, Eeyore, Spectromagic, riding the monorail
Lows: Inconsiderate quests, not riding up front on the monorail.
Tips Learned: We took mini breaks at Marketplace that helped us stay happy, and keep going. Have a plan for a wet child, but go with the moment. Discuss balloon purchases in advance. The MK wasnt as crowded as we feared, but we didnt go until late.
Part 6.
Sam (30) - the Planner, (1985,1987,2000) Trip # 4
Angie (30) - Eeyore nut and researcher, (2000) Trip # 2
Samantha (3.75) (2000) Trip # 2
Not Too Wet
Day 2, Saturday November, 30th 2002
Weather: Scattered Clouds with highs in the low 70s
Plan: Sleep in, Downtown Disney, and 1900 Park Fare
We decided after the late night that we needed to take it easy. Plus wed heard horror stories about the MK the weekend after Thanksgiving. I was reminded of salmon swimming upstream during spawning season. Not wanting to get eaten by a hungry bear or die from exhaustion we decided to skip it, and go to Downtown Disney instead. After all Eisner and gang didnt have enough of our money already.
We started out at the crack of noon, and headed out for an All-American lunch at McDonalds. You know, the one that is just outside of the All-Stars. It has the giant Ronald, Grimace, and a giant order of fries (which by the way you cant order, dont even try.). Some low cal foods later we posed for photos (like we were tourists) with the giant Ronald and friends.
We had no trouble finding a parking spot. But many other people were circling the lot like vultures looking for the ideal spot near the front. Stalking shoppers on the way to their cars. Waiting for their chance to pounce.
Our first stop was the World of Disney. We bought a lot of stuff. It is a big place. I liked all of the Disney characters over head. Did you know that they sell macaroni in the shape of Mickeys Head here? With babies on our minds, we went Gwarsh, how cute! over the baby clothes, bibs and hats. Speaking of hats, we bought fun hats here to wear at MVMCP: Goofy Santa hat for (who else) me, an Eeyore lighted reindeer ear headband for Angie, and a Minnie-Mouse Christmas headband for Samantha. We looked cool. These silly headpieces always look better at Disney than they do anywhere else. Angie says people will wear anything at Disney no matter how silly or tacky.
Angie sent us to the Lego Playground while she paid. Isnt she great? Samantha played in the playhouse, which for some puzzling reason had the slides blocked. A little girl playing with her declared that the living room was a mess, and that the kids better clean up their stuff if they knew what was good for them. Samantha looked a little confused, but began to pick up the Legos on the ground. Her brother then came over and started playing with some of the blocks. He dropped a few on the ground setting the little girl off. She started lecturing him about his toys when Angie returned. Mom announced an ice cream break, which freed Samantha from her chores.
We tried Ghirardellis, but the wait was too long. We settled on a Mickey Bars and sodas by the water. Samantha spotted a woman who had a tiny dog in her purse and wanted one herself. So, we got her a purse. No not really, but she did want a tiny dog that you could carry in a purse. While eating we asked Samantha if she was having fun, and what she thought about DTD. Forever captured on film is her pretending to die, and shouting Pee. Didnt she know we were looking for something cute to memorialize our shopping spree? This was a trend for the vacation. When the camera was off shed do cute things. Turn the camera on shed do obnoxious things. Giving up for now, we finished our snacks and headed to Once Upon a Toy for some Christmas shopping.
We played with some toys. I like toys. I like giving toys to children, especially my own, which explains why Christmas 2002 was a very good Christmas for the Goofmeisters. Our first stop was to admire the toy monorail and the many add-ons available. I had planned on buying this, but when I saw it I couldnt bring myself to spend the money. Sometimes I wish I had. I had envisioned an elaborate monorail system encircling the living room ceiling complete with tunnels to and from the master bedroom. My grand plan was to build scale models of the resorts and theme park icons near the monorail. Angie was lukewarm to say the best about the idea. I did however want (for Samantha of course) the Wilderness Lodge Lincoln Log set and the Haunted Mansion version of Clue! We played with the make your own Lincoln Log kits before a little girl who wasnt sharing so well chased us off. Then we played with the build your own Potato Head complete with Disney themed parts and pieces. To distract Samantha, we let her use some of her money to buy a baby doll backpack and a light up Cinderella necklace while Angie purchased several Christmas prizes.
With our bags in hand we visited Pooh Corner and shopped. We were a little disappointed with the selection but managed to spend even more money. We snapped photos outside the shop of Samantha posing with the Tigger artwork.
We decided it was becoming too difficult to carry our many bags and keep their contents secret. Angie elected to take them back to the car while Samantha and I rode the carousel. She didnt even make it halfway to the car. The sacks were cutting into her fingers when she decided to turn back. Halfway through our second ride she returned. I needed a break, especially after we negotiated the Christmas store with many large heavy bags and an almost four year old. Could there be a little more glass in here? Hey, lets get two or three hundred more people inside the store, I can almost move my left foot. Samantha, dont touch that. Samantha and I left. We sat at a fountain outside the shop while Angie bought an ornament for our Christmas tree.
Lets see shopping, water, and a four-year-old this is a recipe for a wet kid. It started off in the usual way. We were watching other peoples kids get wet and cold. I was smugly thinking, There is no way Id let my kid get that wet. It is too cold today.
Samantha: Daddy can I go over there? (Pointing to the water shooting out of the ground.)
Me: No lets stay here and rest. Its too cold today.
(A little while later) :
Samantha: Daddy can I go over there? (Looking at me with the biggest most gorgeous brown eyes.)
Daddy: (doing a double take) Oookay, but dont get too wet. Youll get cold and we dont have any clothes for you. I think, Were on vacation. A little water is no big deal.
Im not sure what not too wet means to you, but to Samantha it means wetter than a trout. Mom stops by in the early stages of the fountain, and I assure her that Samantha promised to not get too wet and that I took her shoes and socks off just to be sure. She is appropriately concerned. And apparently, so are some people sitting by me because they keep making snide comments. Mind your own business, I mutter under my breath.
Angie decides to not watch the screaming spectacle that is our child and gets some scrapbooking supplies at the 2 Rs. While shes gone she also visits a disappointing Disney at Home store. When she returns, she declares that the child must have dry clothes. Off she goes to find a sweatshirt and sweatpants for the now shivering (but doesnt know or care) Samantha. Victorious Angie returns and pronounces my punishment. (Hey! I told her dont get too wet.) My punishment was to change her clothes in the Mens room while not letting her or her clothes touch anything in the Mens room. You ever change a slippery cold preschooler? Ever done it while holding her, her dry clothes and not dropping anything? It can be done. But I dont recommend it. I got a little wet. But its a sacrifice I was happy to make. She had fun, and I will never forget the look of joy on her face. If I do, I can always watch the video.
It was time to leave Marketplace and get cleaned up for our PS at 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian. We took a bus to Epcot, a monorail to the TTC, and then the resort monorail to the GF. I like the monorail. It is one of my favorite memories from my trips to WDW as a teenager. Samantha loved it. It was her favorite ride of the day.
Samantha was wearing an Eeyore hair thing. Ok, I dont know the correct terminology, but its one of those loops that you use to put hair in a ponytail and it had Eeyores head on it. Her new Cinderella light-up necklace was around her neck. This thing fascinated me. It had two little magnetic clasps. When you closed it on one clasp the necklace would glow in a soft blue. If you closed it on the other clasp, it wouldnt glow at all. She didnt share very well. So, I gave up and let her play with her toy.
We arrived and had to wait about 30 minutes for our table. But it was worth the wait. The GF was breathtaking, and it takes a lot to stop me from breathing. As you enter the lobby, you are hit by a wonderful smell of fresh baked goods. You are blinded from the lights by what little you can see of what must be a giant Christmas tree. Two smaller trees flank the entry. These trees would be huge in my house but are dwarfed by the monster in the center of the lobby. There is lighted garland everywhere. Poinsettias cover the check in counters, and a pianist is softly playing music in a corner of the lobby. The tree is at least five stories tall. There is a gingerbread house in the far corner, which houses a small candy counter.
From our video I got the recipe if you want to make your own at home:
530 lbs. Chocolate
1050 lbs. Sugar
800 lbs. Flour
600 lbs. Powdered Sugar
180 lbs. of ??? Glaze
140 lbs. of Egg Whites
35 lbs. of Spices
5055 Shingles
Tons of Creativity, Disney Magic, and Pixie Dust.
840 hours I think it was to bake, but I cant make it out.
Disney claims that the house is 100% edible. It is impressive, and it smells fantastic.
Samantha climbed up and down the main staircase with her Tigger backpack (that is almost as big as she is). I chased her while Angie did a video tour of the grounds for our neighbors. We worked up quite an appetite while dashing up and down those stairs. I got a little annoyed actually and kept trying to divert Samantha elsewhere. Once up and down is cute, twice is fun, three times is a joy, four times is stimulating, five times is routine, six times is mundane, seven times is dull, and eight times is exhausting. But she was almost four, and it kept her entertained and out of trouble.
We talked with Piglet a bit in the lobby before our pager went off. We were seated in the first room against the wall. Eeyore visited us first. Angie said something to him about running away together, and he gave her a kiss and a big hug. Watch it Donkey Boy! Im going to have to keep my eye on that one. Eeyore made her day. Tigger came by next, and spotted Samanthas backpack. He applauded her taste, and bounced with her awhile. Pooh came by, and she got his autograph. They posed for a picture together, and a small boy ran up to Pooh. Not a big deal, Pooh politely got the child to move. Angie tried again, here comes the small boy this time his Dad is filming him. Still not a big deal, but it is obvious that Pooh, his handler, and my wife are trying to keep the boy out of the shot. The boy tries again, and Dad does nothing. Im annoyed now. That is three times and the Dad is doing nothing. Its not like Pooh isnt coming to everyones table. What happened to common courtesy, waiting your turn, and watching your children? Angie snapped a picture, and let Pooh move on. We also ate dinner from the buffet: Jamaican jerked pork, lasagna, turkey, ham, dressing, sweet potatoes, and for desert strawberry soup and tarts.
While I was taking care of the bill Samantha and Angie went to the waiting area of the restaurant. Samantha had some extended time with Piglet all by herself. They watched a little TV, shared a few hugs, and Piglet played with her hair. I missed most of it, and since I had all the cameras we didnt get it on tape either. But the girls told me all about it. Samantha fell in love with Piglet. He was now her favorite Pooh character. Was Walt smiling down on us? It was really neat to have that kind of interaction.
Full and filled with 100-acre fun we headed back to the monorail. We were the only ones there. The CM kept looking at me like he was expecting me to say something. Why does he keep looking at me like that? Five minutes later another family shows up, and asks the CM if they can ride up front. Doh! Why didnt I think of that? The CM looks at me, and radios the monorail. They could indeed ride up front. There was nothing I could do. The excitement of the other family was even more tortuous. I couldnt bear it. It wouldve been better if there was no room up front. Oh the injustice, oh the humanity. Oh well, it was quickly forgotten by the time we got our seats.
To the MK. We rode Snow White for the first time ever. Here is where the brilliance of the Cinderella necklace struck me. Samantha had forgotten it. To keep it from getting lost, I had put it in my pocket. We had no wait to get on the ride so there wasnt time for her to get scared. She was however, worried about the dark forest. Whipping out the necklace, I told her that this light would help her. It wasnt bright, but it chased her fears away. It worked better than the flashlight, which was too bright and sometimes shed shine it in our eyes or somewhere else inappropriate.
We rode Pooh after waiting five minutes and Peter Pan after fifteen to twenty minutes.
It was time to see Spectromagic again. Angie loves this parade. You know how one or two little things will remind you of a particular vacation. For her it was the music from this parade.
We let the crowd thin and enjoyed popcorn and sodas on the way out. Then we made the purchase. Thats right, a Tinkerbell balloon. This thing was huge. I thought the Mickey head balloons were big. It would take two of those to make one Tink. When Samantha first asked for one, I was thinking of diversionary tactics and excuses why we couldnt get one. I needed rational reasons to leave it here in the MK. I was too slow. Mommy said OK, and bought one while I was standing there stammering
I thought the other guest would kill us for bringing this monster on board the bus for ASMoNo one complained, and it helped that the bus wasnt at capacity. However, our purchase would haunt us later in our trip.
We had a great day, and quickly nodded off to sleep.
Highs: Spending money at Marketplace, Samantha in the fountain, Eeyore, Spectromagic, riding the monorail
Lows: Inconsiderate quests, not riding up front on the monorail.
Tips Learned: We took mini breaks at Marketplace that helped us stay happy, and keep going. Have a plan for a wet child, but go with the moment. Discuss balloon purchases in advance. The MK wasnt as crowded as we feared, but we didnt go until late.
Part 6.
