A Vacation From My Problems (A Sept. 2010 Trip Report) - COMPLETED 12/14

[NMW]

Subscribing awesome tr

 

[that's nice]

NICE!!!

No fair having alone time with your wife at Disney...I haven't had that since 1994.

Ummm...my wife...not your's...that is.

THAT'S NICE!!!!!!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Loving your TR! Have arrived a bit late, yes...

Alas I see not a single quote- or even a hint of one. But that's ok, I'll stop crying momentarily....

Now onto the REAL stuff:

FTBBQ is hands down my favorite also, but as is my luck in this game, FTree was closed during my trip in Sept. I missed snarfing roasted pig- a lot.

Excellent pix, esp. the Poly falls. Nice!

Fluffy??!! Really?

$19??!!! REALLY??!! I mean REALLY!!??

And now, since I still can't shake that mental image you emblazoned on my mind, I"m going to check my own thread, where I can stare at MJ pole dancing.

My daughter and I kept giggling at the idea of a Yeti named Fluffy. As you've no doubt noticed, my sense of humor seems to work best on an 8-year-old level.

And that wasn't the worst highway-robbery price we saw for Disney pictures. They wanted $30 at Chef Mickey's for the picture of us with Mickey.

I think I've seen enough of MJ!

39 1/2 foot pole = How The Grinch Stole Christmas

+1

I did an update, Liesa did an update and now you have an update. AND I SPOTTED THE HIDDEN MICKEY on your EE photo.

Your pictures are great, and Fluffy is adorable and well earned for doing EE. Way to go Sarah.

And I love the photo of you and your wife at Kona. That cake looks yummy.

NIce work! I haven't been on the boards much the last couple of days, so I need to go back and read everyone's updates. Better put on some coffee.

Sarah says thanks! And that cake was yummy. I think I need to go back. Like, now.

Wow, how similar your trip is to ours last summer. Our youngest was rewarded for conquering Everest with a plush yeti (they must really go through those things that way!) and our Date Night was at Kona Cafe. We ate the whole loaf of bread, but after it was gone I learned that my wife only ate a quarter of it, and I ate the rest. I almost regretted it, but it was too good not to.

Great pictures!

Thanks! Those are amazing similarities. I'd say great minds think alike, but this seems to have crossed into long-lost twin brother territory.

Now I know what a TV dinner feels like = Die Hard

+1

Glen is on a movie quoting mission.. so I will just comment on the report this time.

Hurray for Sarah riding on EE!!! I love the little puff ball Yeti!

I know Dinoland is tacky but do you know the backstory behind it? It is interesting.

I love Flame Tree too! The pulled pork sandwich is guuuuuud! (thanks Liesa!)

Remember that name: Mike Cochran, Bus Driver. REMEMBERED!

They have the same bread at 'Ohana. I can polish off a few loafs by myself! We have never eaten dinner at Kona but have breakfast there pretty much every trip. We love it there!

What a nice night- you and wifey hanging out with a romantic boat ride home.

I think I actually read the backstory on DinoLand in one of your trip reports, Tim. It is interesting...but I still don't like the theming! Like I said, I go to Disney for exotic, not tacky.

Mmmmm...Flame Tree Barbecue...Kona bread... This was definitely a good-eats day!

""Is this heaven? No...it's Flame Tree Barbecue"""

Field of Dreams.....sort of.....if the Flame Tree Barbecue were in Iowa

+1

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I also like the fact that your dad is not just grabbing the seat in front of him, but white-knucking it. Mark - are officially off the hook. Despite the fact that you bravely stroll onto any theme park ride with nary a care in the world, your boy's paralyzing fear is clearly genetic.*

Commenter retains the right to adjust, modify or totally void this statement after reading about what may or may not happen in Hollywood Studios

Aw, come on. You're not actually suggesting I would chicken out over certain rides, are you?

(I can't find AJ's favorite smiley. If anyone else can, please insert it here)

I'll have to go look it up to put it in. I knew you'd appreciate that.

I agree, they do. But I like the other picture better. And I swear, it was all her idea.

Sure it was...sure it was. And really, you like Hawaiian shirts? I'd never have guessed.

If his name had been Ron Wilson I would have to go with a Sky High quote! But okay, I will remember Mike Cochran.

Really enjoying your report. Love the pictures by the way. What camera do you have?

ETA: I went back and saw you have a Canon Rebel...I thought I remembered you had said what camera you have. I have been wanting one of them but DH is resisting because he says it's too big (as if he ever carries it or takes pics!). How do you like it?

+1 That actually was a sly Sky High reference, and I never thought anyone would get that one! Great job!

We have a Canon Rebel XSi (which I think they stopped selling last year, as it's been replaced by the Rebel T1i and the T2i). We are thrilled with it so far--we got it based on a recommendation from Consumers Reports as well as research on the internet. We're still learning how it works, but I think it's a definite upgrade over the point-and-shoot we used previously. The kit lens that comes with it is supposedly not as good as other lenses available, but it seems to be a pretty good lens for us. We were very happy with the pictures we took on this trip. If you like our pictures, maybe you'd like the camera!

Let me explain, no it is too much, let me sum up...Princess Bride

+1

Surprised that one lasted as long as it did...

I love these plush yetis!! I never had a reason to buy one since I love EE and hve no fear to go one and don't have kids... Perhaps I have to talk myself into being scared of EE so I can reward myself with a yeti next trip...

Great update! I am glad you enjoyed dinner at Kona. It is one of my favourite restaurants at WDW!

Surely there has to be something worth getting a plush yeti for. Just stub your toe or something.

Kona was great! We will definitely go back.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

My 8-year-old loves the pas-de-deux and this trip, she said she wants to be the girl. This I find funny because she's been asked to join in the dancing at the end every time we've seen the show (and yes, I mean every-stinking-time! She's been to WDW 6 times...every time!) and she says no....wait for it.....every stinking time!

I'd be afraid of all the spinning she would have to do. Maybe she should try to be the fire-dancer instead!

You mean your kids drive you nuts at inopportune times? I've never heard of such a phenomenon.

I love Everest, but I hate heights so I really have to push myself to go on it. I do it and I love it, but my stomach is in knots the whole time.

I'm not a thrill-ride junkie by any means (more on that later), and it's funny how I always get a twinge of nervousness when I get on board the more intense rides. It's a great feeling to overcome fear, though.

Flame Tree is one of our favorites, too. The first time we ate there, we walked over to the first seating area and got annoyed at how packed it was so we kept on down the path. If you are willing to walk far enough, it's so worth it! We love to sit by the lake with Everest in the distance and eat our yummy barbeque.

That's the best spot. We could have sat there all day. And you'd never know it was there from looking at the main building. That trail to the seating areas really goes quite a distance. Beautiful spot.

nice update cap.

Thanks Dave! Glad you're hanging in there.

So I didn't know something wasn't fixed right on EE?? With the yeti?

Okay...so now two more new restaurants I need to try...Flame Tree Barbeque...all my boys love BBQ...and Kona...thanks!

Can't wait to hear if that bus driver threw some Disney magic your way?!?

The support structure for the Yeti is cracked due to its weight and the stress it puts on the foundation. So it can't swing around in full motion as it was originally designed. Instead, they have it frozen in a pose over the track with a strobe light flashing on it.

Stay tuned on the bus driver...

I assume you are not refering the HM on your wife...Left side in the rocks between dad and daughter.

You are truly the Hidden Mickey master. I figured most people would assume I was making a joke about the one on my wife's t-shirt.

NICE!!!

No fair having alone time with your wife at Disney...I haven't had that since 1994.

Ummm...my wife...not your's...that is.

Do I need to have a talk with my wife?

If there's an upside to traveling with parents or in-laws, it's the possibility of having date nights!

Subscribing awesome tr

and

THAT'S NICE!!!!!!

 

[1971DBday]

In this case, my wife fell in love with an ornament featuring the 3-eyed Green Alien Guy (GAG) from Toy Story. She has an unhealthy love for this creature, dating back to the first Toy Story movie. A single mention of "the Claw" will send her into hysterics. In fact, I think when she saw the ornament, she said, "Ooooooooo...."

(No points for that one. I already gave it away)

So we got it, of course. Maybe it can replace the dumb cow-in-a-bikini ornament she had to get a couple of years ago. You think I'm making this up, don't you?

We HAD an ornament like that...it looked like a giant disco ball. My DH loved putting it on the tree every year knowing it would piss me off. So one holiday it sprouted legs and jumped into the garbage...can you believe that!! I was so upset for him...(insert Dr. Evil laugh here).

 

[PennyLane1084]

We thought Sarah deserved a reward for conquering her fears, so she picked up a baby Yeti. We spent some time trying to come up with an appropriate name for a baby Abominable Snowman.

My parent did the same thing for me the first time I rode ToT. They let me pick out a t-shirt from the gift shop.

 

[glennbo123]

We thought Sarah deserved a reward for conquering her fears, so she picked up a baby Yeti. We spent some time trying to come up with an appropriate name for a baby Abominable Snowman. Meet Fluffy, the Yeti:

I was reminded last night that our Yeti reward stuffed animal was named "Frostbite".

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

We HAD an ornament like that...it looked like a giant disco ball. My DH loved putting it on the tree every year knowing it would piss me off. So one holiday it sprouted legs and jumped into the garbage...can you believe that!! I was so upset for him...(insert Dr. Evil laugh here).

Nice work!

My brother made an ornament in 3rd grade that had one of those buttons you push and it plays a crappy electronic version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. Once it starts, you can't turn it off until it's finished. 20 years later, it STILL PLAYS. I have offered to donate it to the Smithsonian for research on solving the nation's energy crisis.

My parent did the same thing for me the first time I rode ToT. They let me pick out a t-shirt from the gift shop.

I rode ToT for the first time in 2006, and all I got was heart palpitations.

I was reminded last night that our Yeti reward stuffed animal was named "Frostbite".

That's much more creative than our name. I still laugh at Fluffy the Yeti, though. I guess I'm just a simple guy.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Current Standings After 9 Entries


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[melnbil]

We must have had CM's on an off night because it was not good at all. The character interaction was amazing though. I am thinking about maybe trying it for breakfast. Eggs are pretty hard to mess up.

Although hard to mess up, it is possible.

I am really enjoying reading the trip report. I am a little late coming in, but hope to catch up today. (laundry...dis...laundry...dis) ok dis won!! Keep up the report. I go in May 2011 and can't wait. It is my 6yos first trip. 10 nights/10 days, we don't get there till around 10 or so the 1st night so I don't count that day.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Although hard to mess up, it is possible.

I am really enjoying reading the trip report. I am a little late coming in, but hope to catch up today. (laundry...dis...laundry...dis) ok dis won!! Keep up the report. I go in May 2011 and can't wait. It is my 6yos first trip. 10 nights/10 days, we don't get there till around 10 or so the 1st night so I don't count that day.

Thanks for joining in! Regarding DIS and laundry, it sounds like you have your priorities straight.

 

[All7OfUs]

My daughter and I kept giggling at the idea of a Yeti named Fluffy. As you've no doubt noticed, my sense of humor seems to work best on an 8-year-old level.

And that wasn't the worst highway-robbery price we saw for Disney pictures. They wanted $30 at Chef Mickey's for the picture of us with Mickey.

Then you're in good company.

Do people REALLY pay that?? When you can whip out your own camera, and get the same shot for about $.30????

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

FORE!

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I know Disney calls it Spaceship Earth, but it'll always be The Big Golf Ball to me. And many others, I suspect.

Epcot is my favorite park at WDW, and my wife's as well. Being an engineer by trade, I tend to be a science geek, and nothing appeals to me more than seeing cutting-edge science applied to real life. Or in this case, theme park attractions. So Future World appeals to me. As for my wife--well, she's a nerd, too. (Hi Honey! ) Maybe that's why we get along. We're also travel geeks, so the World Showcase holds considerable appeal as well. More on that later.

This was another morning EMH day, but we didn't make it to Epcot in time for rope drop. We got there closer to the normal opening at 9:00 a.m., passed under the considerable shadow of the Big Golf Ball and headed straight for Soarin', just like everybody else.

Have they changed the background music that plays in the park? I remember Epcot's music used to be a series of movie themes and other instrumental music that seemed heroic and fast-paced, sort of like NFL Films music that makes you want to hit people with flying tackles in slow motion. Now, it's more of a mellow electronic synthesized set of tunes. I like the inspirational stuff better, but maybe Disney had had enough of me clotheslining random guests.

The crowds didn't seem too bad, but the Fast Pass Return was already inching towards 11:00 or so. We grabbed our Fast Passes and then looked at the stand-by line. The wait was listed at 30 minutes, and we decided to go for it.

This is one of Sarah's favorite rides. When she was 4, she rode it 3 times. So she obviously wanted to get on it as soon as possible.

Stop me if you've heard this before, but Scotty started whining about not wanting to go on this ride. We ignored him, which is the adult version of putting your fingers in your ears and saying, "La la la la I'm not listening." Dave was strangely silent, meaning he was probably nervous. Our gamble with the line paid off, as the wait was only 15 minutes or so. As we got into line to hear Puddy's safety briefing, they put us into the front row. Woohoo! Nobody's feet would be in our view!

I won't do a play-by-play of the whole ride, but suffice it to say: I love Soarin'. Scotty was a little fussy during the ride. My kids' godparents are outdoors-adventure seekers, so my wife tried to distract Scotty by pointing out the various scenes: "Look, there's Uncle Bob in a canoe! Oh, now he's skiing! Hey look, now he's hanggliding!" I thought that was pretty creative, myself.

We had originally thought we'd go to Test Track next, but instead we made our way to the Seas with Nemo. The Clam-mobiles were new to us, so we went straight for that line. Now it was Dave's turn to get nervous and say he didn't want to go on the ride, mostly because it might be dark and scary. To put it lightly, this was getting old. I consoled him and told him it was Nemo and wouldn't be a problem. I tried to talk to him about not letting fear stop him from trying new things. After all, every man dies. Not every man really lives. Dave kind of looked at me funny, but he got into the Scary Clam of Doom with me. Thankfully, the ride wasn't that scary. Although at one point the ride was stopped, and I felt sorry for anyone whose young kids were paused at the point where that barracuda-flashlight fish-thingie (species Carnivorus Maglite-us) was roaming around. The ride itself was just ok, in my opinion. It's pretty cool seeing the characters projected into the fish tank, but you don't get to see that until the very end. Up to that point, it's kind of a random re-hash of the movie. I think I'd rather just watch the big fish tank with the Nemo characters floating around in it.

We wandered around looking at the various creatures in the fish tanks and then caught the Turtle Talk show. I think Turtle Talk is one of the best recent innovations to the Disney parks. The people they have doing the Crush impersonations are top-notch. With this and the Monsters Inc. show, I'm always amazed at the improvisational skills of the performers. I wish I was that quick on my feet. I usually come up with my best lines about 48 hours or so after being given the set-up.

Unfortunately, our kids didn't get called on, but we still enjoyed the show. Here, Crush has obviously been poking around in my s--er, my wife's suitcase again:

On to Test Track. I had video-ed this ride on our last trip, so the boys had seen it and knew what to expect. Being boys, they love fast cars, and they both talked about how eager they were to ride it. They would be speed. Pure speed. Floating like a Cadillac, stinging like a Beamer.

Scotty actually wasn't too bad in line, but Dave grew more and more nervous as we got closer to the pre-show room. To be fair, the sound of the cars screaming around the building can be intimidating to young ears. Once again, I went into Coach mode and told him he'd seen the ride before, it wouldn't be scary, etc. I should have just recorded this speech prior to the trip so I'd be able to just hit play in the line for each ride. Anway, we managed to pile into the car. Dave had his head down and looked miserable. His heartbeat was going at ludicrous speed.

"Daddy, I'm really nervous," he said. Julie turned around from the front seat and snapped a picture. It's not focused properly, but you can still see how miserable and nervous Dave was:

Nevertheless, we were past the point of no return. The final cast member checked our seat belts, and at the signal, unleashed hell. Or at least sent us on our way.

Test Track is a terrific ride, and of course I love the banked curves and raw speed once you get outdoors. We made it to the end and headed for the show room/gift shop. "What did you think, Dave?"

Dave looked up at me.

"That was... fun!" he said. "And FAST!" Grinning ear-to-ear.

Test Track... CONQUERED!

It was getting close to Fast Pass time for Soarin', so we went back over to The Land. We decided to get lunch at Sunshine Seasons, further avoiding the pizza/burger places. It's a great spot for lunch. Nice variety and a terrific dessert bar. I got a rotisserie chicken and mashed potatoes with some unidentifiable beans that I shoved to the side of my plate so they could help hold the tray down on the table. Gotta think about these things, you know. I also got a huge key lime pie about the size of a bowling ball that I'm sure contained absolutely no calories or fat. After all, it was made from limes, so it had to be healthy. In fact, it probably absorbed excess fat from my love handles, which means it was totally justified.

The only downside to Sunshine Seasons is that there's not a whole lot available for picky kids. There's basically PB&J or... PB&J. So they went with PB&J.

After lunch, my dad and I took Sarah on Soarin' to use our Fast Passes. Dave and Scotty decided they didn't want to do it again, which meant we had extra Fast Passes. I told Julie to see if she could post them on eBay.

Julie also didn't want to ride, since the first go-round had touched off some mild motion sickness. So, the three of us went on the ride again. It was Sarah's turn to grin ear-to-ear. She would ride Soarin' all day if she could. When she gets excited, she starts to jump on people. She likes to throw her arms around my neck when she does so. Unfortunately, she's not a lap dog anymore, if you know what I mean. I keep telling her to stop growing up, but she just won't listen. Anyway, she was excited and jumping and gave me a hernia by the time we reached the Puddy speech again. It was all worth it, though--we got the front row again!

As we caught up with the rest of the crew, they told us they had tried to go on Living On The Land, only to get out of line when Scotty started screaming. Because those boats looked awful scary. I told Julie I was very, very sorry to have missed this, and had to suffer through Soarin' instead.

She punched me in the arm and gave me her patented Stink-Eye ©. And here I thought I was being sympathetic and understanding. I'm usually such a sensitive guy.

Coming Up Next: Quite possibly the best picture we've ever taken. Plus, the TR gets a new sponsor and a chance for extra bonus points!

 

[glennbo123]

Fore = Caddyshack (I figured it's worth a shot in the dark)

Every man dies, blah blah blah = Braveheart

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Then you're in good company.

Do people REALLY pay that?? When you can whip out your own camera, and get the same shot for about $.30????

I guess somebody must pay for it, or else they wouldn't keep offering it.

And then they want you to pay $50 for a stinkin' sweatshirt! I can't believe any moron would pay that price, either!

{hides sweatshirt}

 

[glennbo123]

Float like a Cadillac blah blah blah = Cars


Glad to see that Dave conquered Test Track! That's awesome.

 

[glennbo123]

By the way, that's a great picture outside of Test Track, and I loved your Carnivorous maglite-us line.

 

[MissLiz]

Great update!!!

Epcot is my husband's favorite park, 8-year-old and my 2nd favorite, and who knows what number for my toddler. She just likes to say Moush and Da Duck over and over and over and over....


I thought Epcot's music was a little more subdued as well. Although I've never felt the need to tackle someone, the music does usually put an extra spring in my step.

We love Shunshine Sheazhons! One of our absolute favorites at any of the parks. The big question is: did you share your dessert with anyone? Because the rule in our family is that if you share, the calories disappear. Even if it's only 1 bite, it's still sharing.


I'm going to go back over your update again because I must have missed the lines. I saw...nothing.

 

[KatMark]

Mark, love the update.

First to Dave for successfully riding and enjoying Test Track.

Our youngest son (who is 22 now) still calls Spaceship Earth either a Golf Ball or Grandpa's Ball (it was my dad's favorite ride in all of Disney).

So glad to hear that Sarah loves Soarin' -- how could you not?

And I'm thinking maybe by the time Scotty is 22 he'll like the rides at Disney. I love how you and your wife handle it though.