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

[afwdwfan]

That was Iron Man. Wherem I Now got that one earlier.

Wow, missed that one earlier. How in the heck do you keep track of all these quotes and points???

 

[glennbo123]

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

Dang. It stinks that I was slow in seeing this one.

Obrigado!

See? I'm learning Portuguese already. And I'd love to learn any other phrases you're willing to teach me. Useful phrases for this Trip Report might include:

• "Plus one point"
• "I did not mean to offend all Canadians"
• "I think Glenn really is stalking me"
• "Same to you, Barry"

Can't wait to see these in Portuguese!

Never seen it but worth a guess... Inception?

Drat. I suspected that was a movie quote, but my "research" didn't come up with anything.

 

[afwdwfan]

Drat. I suspected that was a movie quote, but my "research" didn't come up with anything.

I take it "research" must be a codeword for "google"

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Drat. I suspected that was a movie quote, but my "research" didn't come up with anything.

I take it "research" must be a codeword for "google"

That's what I did. I Googled that phrase six ways from Sunday and came up empty. I guess if I were to actually go to movies it might help.
Nice find AF!

 

[glennbo123]

I take it "research" must be a codeword for "google"

Shhhh! That's a trade secret.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Wow, missed that one earlier. How in the heck do you keep track of all these quotes and points???

I have to mark them with that +1 sign so they're easy to spot. And I also have to shirk all my duties at work, but I like to do that anyway.

It's nothing compared to trying to judge 116 separate Beverly slogans.

Dang. It stinks that I was slow in seeing this one.

It's a Monday. It happens.

Can't wait to see these in Portuguese!

I should have asked if Beverly does any marketing in Brazil.

Drat. I suspected that was a movie quote, but my "research" didn't come up with anything.

I was wondering if anyone had seen that one yet. And it wasn't really a quote, so that makes it tougher.

I take it "research" must be a codeword for "google"

That's what I did. I Googled that phrase six ways from Sunday and came up empty. I guess if I were to actually go to movies it might help.
Nice find AF!

Darn. And here I pictured you guys in a dark, musty library basement, frantically changing reels on old projectors while downing Red Bulls and chain-smoking. Oh well.

 

[middlepat]

+1 for Barry. I thought his explanation was sufficient. And it made me laugh.

Absolutely. I really only want to offend you, Daddy-O and Tutter, not the entire country.

*BLARES HORN*

My only response to that is "Dam Good Beer" badaba badaba badaba badaba!

No Doot aboot it. Now where are my touque and muckaluks? Oh and the beaver is a proud and noble animal for I AM CANADIAN!

PS for a good laugh search YouTube for the I AM CANADIAN commercials for Molson's Canadian Beer. priceless!

 

[trennr]

It happens. Forrest Gump

 

[All7OfUs]

Yep, still feeling an uncultured swine.

 

[marvali]

Yep, still feeling an uncultured swine.

Is that not against your religion??? Oh wait, you aren't Jewish are you???

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

My only response to that is "Dam Good Beer" badaba badaba badaba badaba!

No Doot aboot it. Now where are my touque and muckaluks? Oh and the beaver is a proud and noble animal for I AM CANADIAN!

PS for a good laugh search YouTube for the I AM CANADIAN commercials for Molson's Canadian Beer. priceless!

Serves me right, I guess. Got that song stuck in my head again. I'll have to get to YouTube after I finish my next update.

It happens. Forrest Gump

+1

Sort of sounds like a bumper sticker.

Yep, still feeling an uncultured swine.

Is that not against your religion??? Oh wait, you aren't Jewish are you???

She can have swine, as long as it's uncultured.

 

[Wherem I Now]

She can have swine, as long as it's uncultured.

Well, that would be a Toy Story reference but I think that that movie has already been referenced.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Dave, Scotty and I couldn't wait to see the Lights! Motors! Action! Stunt Show. We'd missed it on our last trip (it was closed to re-pave the road surfaces), so this would be our first time. We knew virtually nothing about it. But here's the thing: we're boys (or boys at heart). We don't need that much information. All we needed to know was that it involved cars driving fast, motorcycles, jet skis, and pyrotechnics. Really, all you need to say is "cars driving fast" and "pyrotechnics" and the guys will show up.

We made our way through the scorching mid-day heat to the bleachers. Thankfully, they had us in shade facing away from the sun. The show was terrific. Full of cool stunts and tricks, loud engines and the smell of burning rubber. And it had guys catching on fire, which always ups the coolness factor:

Big Dave was transfixed the entire time, and would later give his official verdict that the show was "awesome".

We fought our way out with the rest of the crowd, and although I had wanted to try for pictures at the umbrella on the lamppost, the crowds were too thick to fight through. Instead, we went back to Toy Story Mania to use our Fast Passes. My parents joined us this time. Scotty was a more willing participant, having seen that TSM was slightly less scary than Peter Pan.

Dave and I rode together again, and I thought we were on our way to beating our previous scores. However, when we hit the last game with Woody, our screen was completely blank. I found that I could randomly shoot at it and get a few points once in a while. But we were blindly flailing at targets in a scattershot fashion, sort of like the way the Phillies swung the bats against the Giants in the playoffs. Game over, man! Game over! We got to the final screen with the mine carts and were able to see them, so I yelled at Dave to go to 110%. "I'm givin' it all she's got, Dad! I can't give 'er no more!" he replied. Anyway, I still racked up 118,000 points and another beaver pelt. Dave took the accuracy prize again.

As I was leaving, I told a cast member about the screen that was out. She asked which game, and then apologized for my less-than-perfect experience. She also offered me a pass to immediately bypass the line and get on again.

Bypass the ENTIRE LINE ON TOY STORY MANIA?? This might have been the rarest of theme park ride passes. A prize beyond all measure. The one Fast Pass to rule them all.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't have been for the rest of the family, and I didn't want them to have to wait for me. So I politely declined and ran to catch up.

We went through the first part of the animation tour, and I found myself impressed with the Cast Member's timing in his conversation with Mushu on-screen. I'm guessing he had done this once or twice before. By then, it was time for the Playhouse Disney show to start. We were guessing this was one of the few attractions Scotty wouldn't complain about, so we went for it. Sarah didn't really want to see it, though, since she outgrew the Playhouse Disney shows a year or so ago. So we told her she could see the show or ride the Great Movie Ride with Daddy. She opted for the Great Movie Ride.

We chose...poorly.

I guess this is what happens when Star Tours is closed and you have to find other stuff to fill the day. The Great Movie Ride is one of those rides where after riding it, you say, "Well...at least it was air-conditioned." It looks like they spared no expense, but I'm not really sure what the point of it all is. There's no real "story" to it that I could discern. The only thing I could think of was that they put the scenes together to say, "Here's a bunch of movies you could be watching right now that would be a much better use of your time." I asked Sarah what she thought afterwards, and she gave me a shrug. Yeah, that's about right. She also informed me that she's not really in a hurry to see Alien. I'll have to work on that. Should I tell her what a "chest-burster" is?

We found Scotty making out with June from the Little Einteins.

He sure hates attention, doesn't he? We did some rounds finding characters for pictures, and then headed for the Indiana Jones Stunt Show. We had a few minutes to kill, so we wandered through the shop nearby. Julie found an animal-print Mickey coffee mug she liked, so she bought it and had it shipped to our resort. Meanwhile, I ran into the world-famous adventurer, Delaware Scott:

I've seen this show at least half a dozen times now, but I still love it. It probably doesn't hurt that I'm such a huge fan of the Indiana Jones movies. The rest of the family enjoyed it, too, although the boys assumed their standard position:

We weren't in a great spot to capture the finale explosion, so I'll steal our picture from 2006, which came out great at the time:

Here's me with Sarah and Dave in front of the actual tank from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Mostly I posted this one just so middlepat could enjoy the subtleties of my t-shirt.

We hustled from the show (pausing to pull on the rope at the well, of course) to the Star Tours area to see the Jedi Training Academy. When we arrived, the show had already started, so we were too late to get our kids on stage. We got there in time to feel a great disturbance in the Force. A presence we had not felt since...

I'm sure my kids would never have chickened out at that point. Anyway, that show was an absolute gem. The Jedi Trainer was terrific, doing quite a bit with the kids and very quick-witted. When it was time for a little girl to fight Darth, the poor thing was petrified and didn't follow any of the trainer's instructions. After telling her to swing at Darth a couple of times with no result, he ad-libbed, "Or just stand there and look cute...it'll confuse him!"

I found myself wishing this had been there when I was a kid.

From there, Julie took Scotty to meet a couple of Little Einsteins characters while I took Sarah and Dave to do a little Christmas shopping. As we walked down towards the park entrance again, we saw it looming in the distance:

I asked Sarah if she wanted to try it. Over the summer, she had tried the giant Free-fall ride at the State Fair, and had walked off giggling like crazy. She'd loved it. When I had asked at the time if she'd want to do Tower of Terror, she said, "Sure...but only if you ride it with me."

As the months went by, she seemed to back off. I couldn't figure that out--she looked like she'd had so much fun at the fair. So...we walked down the street. There was a 10-minute wait. Practically a walk-on. I asked Sarah if she wanted to try it. She paused a moment. Then she said, "I don't think I want to do it."

Have you ever had an out-of-body experience? Me neither. At least, not until that moment. I heard myself say, "Are you sure? I'll go with you if you want me to."

Wait a minute...What am I SAYING?!

Sarah took another look at the 13-story drop, listening to the distant screams. "No...maybe next time," she said.

So, being the loving parent that I am, I didn't push it any further. Sure, I could have forced her to go, but what kind of dad would do that? It would traumatize her forever. So, for the good of the family, we turned away and walked back down the street.

But hey, we did stop for a glamour shot:

Coming Up Next: We conclude our day by putting our elbows on the table, refusing to eat vegetables, and whining about the service. And keep checking in for the winner(s?) of the Beverly contest!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

"I'm givin' it all she's got, Dad! I can't give 'er no more!"

Star Trek

A prize beyond all measure. The one Fast Pass to rule them all.

Lord of the Rings

We chose...poorly.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

We got there in time to feel a great disturbance in the Force

It's from Star Wars, but I feel dirty even getting point for it because it's so easy. Not that I won't take them, but I'll feel dirty about it.


Well, that was fun. Now time for sleep, then I'll actually read and enjoy this entry in the morning.

 

[KatMark]

Nice update, Mark. However, I'm a little surprised...you make the boys do things, but you let Sarah slip by TOT. I get the distinct feeling that dad had a little "side" talk with her earlier NOT to do it.

Nice Flyers shirt; but this shirt on the man on the left is better:

 

[middlepat]

Awesome update. We've never watched the Lights Motorcars Action or the Indiana Jones shows, but Mary (our oldest) is showing definite signs of Tomboy. I think next time we go by we'll have to stop for these shows. Also she has become a huge Star Wars fan and I would feel sorry for Darth if she ever was given the chance to showdown against him.

Hey wait, I got a call out. ... but for this?

Here's me with Sarah and Dave in front of the actual tank from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Mostly I posted this one just so middlepat could enjoy the subtleties of my t-shirt.

MAN THE TURRET GUN AND TAKE AIM...DON'T FIRE UNTIL YOU SEE THE WHITES OF THE FLYER'S WING....FIRE!!!!!!!

 

[middlepat]

Nice Flyers shirt; but this shirt on the man on the left is better:

 

[All7OfUs]

My kids still rave about LMA... not my cup of tea, but hey, I'd go if promised Tea the Grand Flo afterwards. Indiana is worth a look-see once, and maybe again if you haven't in oh, say, 5 years or so.

ToT Dude, that ride just rocks. I know you've heard me say it before, but I just love the way you hate it- and the way you say so.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Game over, man! Game over!

Aliens. Not sure how I missed that one before

Unfortunately, it wouldn't have been for the rest of the family, and I didn't want them to have to wait for me. So I politely declined and ran to catch up.

Blood is thicker than water. Toy Story Midway Mania is thicker than blood. I'd make 'em wait!

By then, it was time for the Playhouse Disney show to start. We were guessing this was one of the few attractions Scotty wouldn't complain about, so we went for it. Sarah didn't really want to see it, though, since she outgrew the Playhouse Disney shows a year or so ago.

Really? I'm 32 and haven't outgrown it. Are you saying she's more mature than me? Because if you are, you're just a big poopy-head.

The Great Movie Ride is one of those rides where after riding it, you say, "Well...at least it was air-conditioned."

Oh, you're nicer than I am. I believe my quote was "Well...there's 45 minutes I'll never get back."

Meanwhile, I ran into the world-famous adventurer, Delaware Scott:

Now if my math is correct, that would make you Delaware Scott's dad, putting you roughly on par with James Bond, Marko Ramius, and People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive (1999). Lucky you.

So, being the loving parent that I am, I didn't push it any further. Sure, I could have forced her to go, but what kind of dad would do that? It would traumatize her forever. So, for the good of the family, we turned away and walked back down the street.

Awwwww

 

[glennbo123]

I took a break from stalking you and missed this post by mere minutes. I remember seeing Wherem I Now's quote, which was only 15 minutes before your new chapter went up. Oh well.

Dave, Scotty and I couldn't wait to see the Lights! Motors! Action! Stunt Show. We'd missed it on our last trip (it was closed to re-pave the road surfaces), so this would be our first time.

Darned road crews. Isn't that always the case.

Great shot.

We weren't in a great spot to capture the finale explosion, so I'll steal our picture from 2006, which came out great at the time:

GREAT shot!

So, being the loving parent that I am, I didn't push it any further. Sure, I could have forced her to go, but what kind of dad would do that? It would traumatize her forever. So, for the good of the family, we turned away and walked back down the street.

Do you think anybody's buying this?