A No Snooze Bar Christmas, Harry & Mickey are Waiting..it is done

[annmarieda]

Glad you were able to get dry with those machines... I think Disney should invest in some. I think the bathroom near Kali just doesn't cut it.

 

[momabaarjo]

IOA Touring Plan (Almost) Completed​

No luck, right as we were nearing the line area, down comes a raft and of course my family decides this does not look like a ride they want to try! Okay, so I lied a bit to them here…the drop is hidden about so it does not look like that big of a drop and I tell them that the drop is really small. They buy the lie and we walk on to the raft without waiting thanks to the Express pass. The first part of the ride is peaceful

and then the movie plot begins with the dinosaurs taking over…

and the climb begins in the raft to the top of the building and my lie is exposed but there is nothing they can do about it. As we approach T-Rex Goo grabs on for dear life and buries his head while I keep a hold of him because of the impeding drop. Down we go, and only a little wet too!

We unload and I can tell some members of my family are not too happy, mainly Goo whose T-Rex alter ego has resurfaced. Hey but he rode it right, score one for mom! From here I had planned for us to take in the JP Discovery Center, but I can tell that I can no longer push Goo any further. We have come full circle around IOA and are back at WWofHP, where I decide in my mind the best thing to do is to head back to the hotel for a while to rest. Ab and Goo want to walk through WWofHP and notice that the stand by line has been shut down and you can walk freely into WWofHP without waiting giving you the illusion that the crowds are not so bad…within a few steps into Hogsmeade we learn that this was a crowd we really don’t want to get in (FJ wait time is 100 minutes) and decide to head back over the bridge we just came on and circle around WWofHP (base of JP Discovery Center) towards the front entrance of IOA and Jeff is carrying Goo. As soon as we walk through the exit, the kids begin begging wanting to ride the water taxi back to the RPR. I point out that the water taxi is located in the opposite direction that we are headed and it makes no sense, plus the fact that our room is on the opposite end of the hotel from the water taxi dock. It would be shorter for us to walk. That announcement resulted in lots of whines, until I told them they could go swimming. So by 3:00 pm we had toured the entire IOA (minus 3 rides that my chicken family would not attempt, plus a ride that I had not planned to go on...), had ridden almost everything (but not the ones I wanted to ride) and were headed back to rest until dinner reservations at 6:00 pm. As we get into our room, the question is now who is going to go swimming with the kids?

 

[momabaarjo]

Glad you were able to get dry with those machines... I think Disney should invest in some. I think the bathroom near Kali just doesn't cut it.

The bathrooms surrounding Bildge Rat are also packed...I would not say the dryer got you dry, but certainly got some of the leaking under control....

 

[annmarieda]

What a nice morning! You got so much done and now back to the resort. This had been my plan on my trip... but my family did not cooperate. Get up? NO. By the time I was ready for a break often they just were ready to head to the parks. Oh well....

 

[lovethattink]

How did you manange to only get a little wet on Jurasic park?! I didn't know there were "people dryers"! How rude of that family to cut in line.


That's one think I never liked about IOA, almost every ride and show gets you wet in one way or the other.

I love Ptyderdon flyers. I haven't been on them since 2003 or 4, when Grumpy was little. I tried so hard to talk Anakin into riding them when we were there last March. He had no time for anything other than One Fish Two Fish and the "little monorail". So we did make it out of Seuss Land, we just didn't go on anything else.

 

[petals]

How have i never seen Ptyderdon flyers before in IOA?

 

[momabaarjo]

What a nice morning! You got so much done and now back to the resort. This had been my plan on my trip... but my family did not cooperate. Get up? NO. By the time I was ready for a break often they just were ready to head to the parks. Oh well....

Poor Ann.... I would have killed your family. But in their defense they have done Disney lots and know what to expect, for us it was a whole new world, plus I am operating on the notion that this is once in a lifetime. Then again, we usually are morning people and early to bed...

How did you manange to only get a little wet on Jurasic park?! I didn't know there were "people dryers"! How rude of that family to cut in line.


Yep, there were lucky I was no in one of my premenopausal rage moments or they would have gotten it.

That's one think I never liked about IOA, almost every ride and show gets you wet in one way or the other.

I love Ptyderdon flyers. I haven't been on them since 2003 or 4, when Grumpy was little. I tried so hard to talk Anakin into riding them when we were there last March. He had no time for anything other than One Fish Two Fish and the "little monorail". So we did make it out of Seuss Land, we just didn't go on anything else.

I so hear you on the mini monoraol and one fish....we spent way too much time in Seuss Landing!

How have i never seen Ptyderdon flyers before in IOA?

Probably because you do not have little kids...their is a max. height requirement...if you over and do not have someone to ride with that side they will not even let you into the playground area...the CMs stop you at the entrance.

 

[momabaarjo]

Which Way Do I Steer?​

Did you really think I was going to get stuck taking the kids to the pool?

Hah, I easily pawned that duty off onto Jeff. He hates to be couped up inside anyway. With the 4 of them gone, I catch up on my journaling so I can remember what happened when I began writing my TR. About an hour later Jeff returns with the kids who have decided they just want to relax for a while…I don’t blame them we were up early, walked forever, and they just swam on top of it all. The next hour is spent taking a nap. After all the posts I read about crazy people taking an afternoon nap with the parks just outside the door, here I was taking a nap and enjoying every minute of it. I had just wished we would have done this more when we got to WDW. An hour later we awake from our slumber from which I had been having…

These wonderful dreams
Some kind of sensuous treat
Not zucchini, fettuccini or Bulgar wheat
But a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat​

We quickly get ready to make our way to dinner, but

Well good god almighty which way do I steer?​

This time we decide we will let the water taxi captain steer us to our destination on City Walk.

While we waited for the boat to appear the kids spot fish in the water and decide to see if they would eat pieces of reed they break of and throw in the water, which of course the silly fish did.

All the time I am having visions of

Cheeseburger in paradise
Medium rare with mustard 'be nice
Heaven on earth with an onion slice
I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise​

Well any parrot head in good standing now knows where we are eating at…for those of you that don’t know the song, well mini cliff hanger…

This was probably the ADR that I really was most excited about. You see I love hamburgers, a big juicy (okay greasy) burger and fries does sound like a bit of paradise to me. Plus the fact that I LOVE Jimmy Buffet and thanks to his cross over into country music my kids know who he is (not that they wouldn’t anyway, because when I am feeling down his CDs are usually something I turn on). So what could go wrong with this meal, Buffet music, cheeseburgers and yes margaritas? We unload from the water taxi dock and make our way up the stairs into City Walk which is starting to light up in neon as the sun begins to set.

​

Finding our way to Jimmy’s Buffets Margaritaville is not hard, it is at the entrance to the path back to the RPR and we have been by it several times today.

I had made reservations for 6:00 through Open Table online…most of City Walk Restaurants are on Open Table if you want to make reservations. Check in was a little tricky, they had a rope system set up for a line, but there was no entrance to the rope and then there was a column in the way…finally I just skipped the rope and walked up to the podium bypassing the line system (which no one else could figure out either)…I know this makes no sense, but neither did the line they had set up. We were handed our buzzer and told it would be about 15 minute (which would be fine, since we were 15 minutes early). So we decided to wait by looking around the gift shop inside…

Took a picture of this margarita blender and texted it to a friend...perfect size for her!

20 minutes later and nothing purchased we decide we need to find someplace to sit down and our only option was outside on the ledge of a fountain which we decide to squeeze ourselves on. Jeff decides he is going to take advantage of the walk up Margarita window and order 2 drinks for us

…because now we are nearing 30 minutes while the kids and I sit and people watch. Ten minutes later he returns with a drink in each hand and begins grumbling about still sitting here…

thank goodness about the time he hands me my drink the pager goes off (okay we waited 45 minutes…or really 30 minutes longer than our reservation). Famished we make our way back inside where we are met by the hostess who takes us upstairs to our seats

Heading up the stairs overlooking the bar area...Jeff had to point out the fish that he caught during his Cabo trip in the fall...yes, my boys are obsessed with fishing!​

…not the greatest place to sit…hardly any view of the action on the floor/bar area, but by this time I really did not care because I was HUNGRY and so was everyone else. Trying to figure out how to get in line to check in, waiting longer than expected, being seated upstairs, all of this should have pointed exactly to what was about to happen next…

 

[annmarieda]

I hope there was no melt down!!!! Don't you love the walk up (and away) windows that serve the drinks in FL?? I don't know how it is in TX, but here in WA ya can't do that. I think walking around with drink in hand is such a nice addition to a vacation.

 

[momabaarjo]

Last night I had the opportunity to hear Immaculee speak, and now I feel the need to share her message too. What an truly amazing story she has to tell about the events of almost 20 years ago in Rwanda and more importantly the message of loving one another and forgiveness.

http://www.immaculee.com/

I must admit that I have been struggling lately in my personal, professional, and faith life. I feel like things are just out of control and I have lost my way. On the outside you probably could never tell...even those who I encounter day to day. I am have learned somehow in my life that the only one that I can depend upon is only myself...so I tend to shut everyone away and that leads for a very empty life. I feel like I have been hurt so much and that my anger towards people that I feel have hurt/wronged me has taken control of my life...

I truly believe that I was in the presence of a future saint last night and hope that maybe I took something from her message that will help me and hope you will be blessed too by her story!

 

[momabaarjo]

Not A Cheeseburger in Pardise, Not Even Close​

A Non-existent waitress. Now we are not the only tables upstairs but we are seated right near the stairs with a small group of about 4 other tables and then the sound booth and probably 15-20 on the other side of that. We are hardly in a corner somewhere out of vision and could be forgotten.

This picture is from the table next to us...I wanted to get a picture of the floor area...we probably only had 1/3 of this view and angled to the left.​

We waited, we waited, and we waited, until about 15 minutes later we finally flag a wait staff person over to our table to ask where our server was. Yikes…apparently having no drinks or menus should have been a sign…but it wasn’t. Finally, a young lady with menus in hand comes to our table, with no apology. Since then the other tables have filled up around us and they have all been served drinks by this time. She promises she will be right back to take our drink order, I guess right back was, ah NEVER...and we flag down another wait staff member and ordered? Jeff finally got up and found a manager…45 minutes since being seated no drink on the table let alone anything else, by this time everyone around us who had come in after now had meals that this was a meal that even the best Jimmy Buffet music could not save! The manger assured us they were just busy and that he would get on it right away…which in 5 minutes we had drinks and

Our waitress told us she would be right back to take our order, and I stopped her from leaving and told her no, you will take our order now. She was quite miffed at me to say the least. I am not usually a person that gets upset with wait staff, but this was probably the worst service I have ever had. So back to my ordering…I want a Cheeseburger in Paradise? How would you like that?

I like mine with lettuce and tomato
Heinz 57 and French fried potatoes
Big kosher pickle and an Italian Margarita​

And please add some mayo and mustard too! With the ordering taken care of the family devours the nachos in no time flat and with something in our tummies set back to enjoy the music, with my margarita (from the walk up window )in hand, and wait for the main course to come out!

I really am trying to have patience by this time…I know it is Christmas, I know the restaurant it packed, but when tables around you who came in after you are finishing up and leaving, well you know there is a problem. During our wait we hear the countdown for the margarita volcano downstairs to erupt, and I tell the kids to move down the railing so they can see.

Its that tiny little thing in the right hand corner...​

It was a lot of fun from the angle of a little corner of the exploding frozen concoction. I am not sure how long until our food arrives, but let’s just say it was AWFUL as everything else so far here! My cheeseburger was dry

plus the shrimp for the kids over cooked, etc. Huge disappointment!!! And what about my 2nd margarita, that Italian one?…well it never came! Which I pointed out to her several times...So much for

Wastin away in margaritaville
Searching for my lost shaker of salt​

Jeff spots the waitress go by and tells her that we want our check…but she has to offer us dessert first and would be right back…10 minutes later no sign of her. By this time Jeff is mad and so am I. He gets up and finds the manger again, and demands our check and tells the manager that we would not be leaving a tip and the reasons why. Can you believe it the manger did not even offer an excuse? He just shrugged his shoulders and said that they were busy. So let’s recap the time here…Reservations were at 6:00, which we were seated at 6:30…it is now after 8:30 pm and I have only had 1 margarita.So what could make this night get back on track?

 

[FosterA]

oh wow! What a nightmare at Margaritaville. ugh.
nothing worse than starving kids and a grumpy hungry husband. Plus I am sure you were even more frustrated because you knew Jeff was not thrilled about the crowds/trip and you are really wanting him to have a good time and be impressed.
I can't believe how they didn't really apologize or at least offer a couple free drinks or dessert or something.

I sure hope the night perks up though!

 

[annmarieda]

OMG! I cant believe how horrible your service was.

"Wastin away in margaritaville
Searching for my lost shaker of salt"​

That actually is pretty accurate... wastin away TIME and searching for your lost SERVER

Good grief. i hope your night gets better!!

 

[lovethattink]

What a bummer about the restaurant. We ate there once and everything was excellent. I'm so sorry you had a disaster.

 

[Mom&RN]

UGH!! What an awful dinner. So frustrating! I think when we're looking forward to eating somewhere it is even more dissapointing when the restaurant lets us down. And, that manager should be ashamed of himself - he had more than one opportunity to make it right.

 

[BrerMama]

Ugh. I'm so looking forward to Margaritaville. We ate at Cheeseburger in Paradise in Kansas City and LOVED it -- excellent service, great food. I'm so hoping to find the same at Margaritaville. Sorry that you had a less than wonderful experience.

 

[shocky5]

Okay - caught up... so much to comment on, Tammie. Totally bummed about Margaritaville! I have never been there - we are considering the one in Vegas over New Years but that's irrelevant to the experience you had in Florida! Crazy you had to ask for help so often - I would have been so tempted to just walk out.

I will be back.... need to run a 14 yo daughter out of the bathroom.... she's been in there for almost an hour and needs to be in bed... one more week of school til they are on break. I think she thinks it's already here...

 

[Sara1Babe]

Oh NO!!!! I hate hearing about bad dining experiences. Esp when there is the opportunity for a margarita or 3 to make everything all better. Boo on all of them (also surprise that that nothing was comped, but I guess with tourists there is no incentive to create a repeat customer)

Is it wrong to want a burger and 'rita before 9am? If so I just don't want to be right.

 

[momabaarjo]

oh wow! What a nightmare at Margaritaville. ugh.
nothing worse than starving kids and a grumpy hungry husband.

You are so right, and add in a momma wanting a margarita...not a good combination!

Plus I am sure you were even more frustrated because you knew Jeff was not thrilled about the crowds/trip and you are really wanting him to have a good time and be impressed.
I can't believe how they didn't really apologize or at least offer a couple free drinks or dessert or something.

I sure hope the night perks up though!

OMG! I cant believe how horrible your service was.

"Wastin away in margaritaville
Searching for my lost shaker of salt"​

I sure was looking for that lost margarita! and SERVER!

That actually is pretty accurate... wastin away TIME and searching for your lost SERVER

Good grief. i hope your night gets better!!

What a bummer about the restaurant. We ate there once and everything was excellent. I'm so sorry you had a disaster.

I had eaten their (okay only in the bar area and the only reason why we ate was because we were getting a good buzz with the margaritas and it was raining...and the service was great! Just a bad night I guess, for us at least!

UGH!! What an awful dinner. So frustrating! I think when we're looking forward to eating somewhere it is even more dissapointing when the restaurant lets us down. And, that manager should be ashamed of himself - he had more than one opportunity to make it right.

They could have made it right, but I am not a complainer, I like to complain when I leave the place! I was not expecting anything...

Ugh. I'm so looking forward to Margaritaville. We ate at Cheeseburger in Paradise in Kansas City and LOVED it -- excellent service, great food. I'm so hoping to find the same at Margaritaville. Sorry that you had a less than wonderful experience.

I left a bad review on Open Table, but it seems that other people who were there at the same time had great experiences...I think it was just our server...man I wish I would have written down her name and the manager we talked to!

Okay - caught up... so much to comment on, Tammie. Totally bummed about Margaritaville! I have never been there - we are considering the one in Vegas over New Years but that's irrelevant to the experience you had in Florida! Crazy you had to ask for help so often - I would have been so tempted to just walk out.

Too hungry to walk out...and with this being prime eating time, the wait would have been awful anywhere else....

I will be back.... need to run a 14 yo daughter out of the bathroom.... she's been in there for almost an hour and needs to be in bed... one more week of school til they are on break. I think she thinks it's already here...

Did you get her out the bathroom? Jeff complains about Ab now all the time... We are on spring break this week...could not have come at a better time!

Oh NO!!!! I hate hearing about bad dining experiences. Esp when there is the opportunity for a margarita or 3 to make everything all better. Boo on all of them (also surprise that that nothing was comped, but I guess with tourists there is no incentive to create a repeat customer)

Is it wrong to want a burger and 'rita before 9am? If so I just don't want to be right.

I sound like a lush...I very seldom drink but when I finally decide to have a drink somewhere, I want it. I think a cheeseburger anytime of the day is a good choice...now the margarita....

 

[momabaarjo]

Islands of Adventure, An Adventure in the Dark​

The kids want to take a walk around IOA at night and that seems the best way to make the night end on a good note.

But before we agree, we remind them that tomorrow is another early morning (if they want). Agreeing that they will still get up when asked for early entry we head back inside IOA where the place is lit up in Christmas lights and more neon. This time we start our adventure with Super Hero Island, where both Ab and Boo want to ride Spiderman again. Of course, I did not even mention the Hulk or Dr. Doom for fear of being shot down again. Goo wants nothing to do with Spidey so he and Jeff decide to look in the stores while we ride.

Ab, Boo and I ride it twice, walking on both times. I think they would have kept riding if I would have let them. We walk through Toon Lagoon, stopping only long enough for a couple of pictures of the area in the dark.

The boys playing the mister...

As we make our way into Jurassic Park I forget to take my flash off and I nearly blinded some man coming at me…it was all the kids could do not to bust our laughing at the poor dazed guy.

About this time Goo starts complaining about his stomach hurting, and being the good touring mom with a plan I ignore him thinking it has just been a long day. He perks up when he is the Pyterdon Flyers and convinces me that I should go with him. Ab, Jeff and Boo decide they will skip the ride (which has about a 15 minute wait time) and want to look in the gift shop. Goo was so funny as we stood in line; he kept reassuring me that this was not a scary ride and that I would be safe on it. There was also an annoying child in front of us who kept trying to contradict everything Goo was saying about the ride. After Goo and I rode he decided to try and show me the way out, let’s just say that we got lost somewhere in the maze of rope ladders and hideouts

...all the time I could see Jeff below us laughing that we could not figure our way out…hey it is dark! We finally get out and as we walk past the JP River Adventure

I ask if anyone wants to ride, and Ab says she does. There is no wait, so we quickly board along with a couple of 20 years olds seated in front of us…5 in the raft. As we are passing through the tame section Ab tells me that she really does not like this ride…WHAT, then why are we on here? Sweet girl thought I wanted to ride it again, and she thought she would ride with me. I laugh because I only rode because she wanted too. As we are about to make our descent down we decide screaming at the top of our lungs would make it fun…

and that is what we did and made sure we were positioned right behind those in front of us so they got all the water! We came off laughing! Next up we found ourselves in HP and it is getting late, but I want to take a few pictures at night.

At the Tri Wizard Rally area we come across the show that was just ending, and were able to get a picture with the performers, while the whole time Goo is really complaining about his stomach hurting.

We are almost done I assure him as Jeff takes him to visit moaning myrtle (while we take in the windows as we wait).

Still no takers for a ride with Mom!

We watch a screamer in one of the windows Dervish and Banges

Moaning Myrtle only made matters worse and I sense it is time to head back to the RPR for the night, but first we have to make it through….Yes, Seuss Landing…which all of the sudden Goo has a miracle recovery and wants to ride High in the Sky. We all agree that it would be fun to see the lights from above and we take in our last ride for the night.

As we make our way out of IOA Goo starts complaining again, and Jeff picks him up to carry him back to the resort.

Once again, I veto the water taxi for the same reason…shorter to walk. Ab and Boo decide that they would run up ahead and ever so often jump out from behind the foliage at each other. As we near the top of the path to the entrance of the hotel, Ab is laying in wait for us to appear…suddenly I hear her jump out ahead of us and we see a family with a motor scooter suddenly go off the pavement. Wrong family, Ab. They pass us laughing hysterically and we are doing the same thing trying to apologize for my daughter’s behavior between fits of laughter. We make it back in the room, where I set to get everyone in bed and things laid out for tomorrow’s early wake up call, asking once again if everyone is sure that I want to get up to which they all say “YES.”

"Now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed. Before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us all killed. Or worse, expelled.
-Hermione​

Lights out, all is quiet until…

I hear a muffled cry coming from the other bed (let me remind you of the sleeping arrangements, boys in 1 bed girls in the other), the sound that a mother knows all to well. Which immediately has me jumping out of bed turning on a light, knocking Boo out of bed as I grab Goo…too late, the margarita volcano was not the only volcano that blew this night…Mt. Goo decides erupt! I won’t go into anymore details at this point, other than to say that I had a mess to clean up in the bed, the hallway and bathroom that entailed a call to housekeeping for clean linens and cleaning supplies. I must give Jeff credit; for once he did not back off and let me deal with it alone. By the time housekeeping arrived, I had everything bundled by the door waiting. I felt so sorry for the poor guy with this duty that I put in the plastic bags for him and tipped him lots when he returned with air freshener a few minutes later and helped Jeff make the bed the hotel way. Everything quiet and the boys sound asleep I return to bed only to be awoken by…