E(ticket)lizabeth
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2002
- Messages
- 46
Cast: Me, Elizabeth (39); DH, Art (49); DS, Stuart (17 mos); MIL/Marlene/Grammy (70-ish)
Setting: All Star Music, Dec. 3-11
This was supposed to be a morning at AK, then MGM in the afternoon & evening, but if youve been following this whole sordid tale, you know thats not what were doing. Since I messed up our plans to watch the AK shows & parade on Tues., were now switching our days around. Today will be MGM all day. Since its raining off and on, thats probably a good thing! MGM is a great park for rainy days, because its all inside, and all relatively close together. So, we do our breakfast thing, and off we go in the drizzle. We have a stroller cover for Stuart, plus a really cute little rain suit my mom got him, so were good! I even brought some rain pants for myself this trip, since the last time we were here it rained several days and I got pretty tired of wet legs & butt!
Parking was no problem, although we were surprised at how many cars were already in the lot before opening. Once again, though, we ended up way down towards the end of the row away from the tram. Somehow, this trip, were always walking, even when we take the tram! We get through the search lines and in we goafter fighting the stupid biometrics machines again. Did I mention I dont like those? I dont like those!
Weve decided to get into Playhouse Disney as early as possible, so today, I actually grab a park schedule on my way through the gate. It looks like we can get right back there for it, so thats where we head. The FP machines at Little Mermaid are running, so we get passes for after Playhouse Disney, and then hang out under the roof there for a while. Theres not a big crowd at Playhouse Disney, but people are waiting out in the rain, which doesnt seem like a good idea to us! Art parks the stroller, and Stuart plays with the CM standing at the FP machines at Little Mermaid. About 5 minutes before showtime, we head over and get in line. We go in, and of course, its floor seating. This is not good for Grammy! She says that if she gets down there, shell never get up again. She leans against the back wall and Art stays with her, but then shes directed to a bench over by the door. Seems shes not the first grandparent who doesnt like the idea of floor seating. Stuart & I find a spot, and he plays a little with some of the nearby kids & parents. Hes a little fussy, thoughI think hes pretty tired. Its been quite a trip for him!
The show is fun, but Stuart really only responds to Bear. He loves JoJo, but the JoJos Circus puppets are so small, theyre kind of hard to see from the floor. The best part for him is when they shoot streamers from the ceilinghe loves that! He does a little dancing at the end, and then were ready to go across the courtyard and see the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Our FP time is here, so away we go.
Stuart loves the queue area for VLMfor some reason, all the sailing stuff on the walls really tickles him. Then we show him the nets of fish up on the ceiling, and he loves that. Maybe when hes older well have to do a nautical room for him? Anyway, he plays, we go in, and we have to step over several people who plopped into seats early in the row. They werent even in the center, silly girls! Im tempted to step on some toes, but I decide I dont need that karma, and Ill just leave their karma to them. Theyll get it sometime!
We get those center seats (Im getting pretty good at letting people get ahead of us before we enter a row), and we settle in. Stuart enjoys the show, and then, just like on the Safari the other day, all of a sudden, hes asleep. When the show is over, I manage to transfer him to his stroller and he keeps on sleeping. We wheel him to the ABC Commissary and Art & I leave MIL there with Sleeping Handsome while we go hit Who Wants to Be a MillionairePlay It! Its still drizzling, so Marlene is happy to sit in the warm restaurant with a cup of tea and watch her grandson snooze.
When we get into WWtBaMPI, there arent many people there yet, even though theyre starting a show pretty soon. Were asked to sit down on the floor, which is way cool, even if that doesnt actually give us any advantage! A CM takes our picture there with our screens, so we can show everyone where we sat. Then, as more people file in, we chat a bit with the man sitting next to mehes from England, so hes a little worried about some of the possible trivia questions well face. I tell him I understand, but if hes like most Brits with whom Ive spoken, hell know more about our country than most US citizens do. He chuckles at that, and then the host comes out. She gives us the run through of the rules and procedures for play (like the lifelinesAsk the Audience, 50-50, and Phone a Complete Stranger, where you get to call a phone out on the street in the park and a CM there will grab some poor passerby to try to help you!), and off we go.
Art & I arent quite as quick as wed like to think, I guess, because when they show the top 10 players, were nowhere on it. Then, as the game progresses through a second and then third contestant, we get better. At one point, he was #3 and I was #8, and then the doozy question came up. Whats the capitol of Australia? The British man next to me & I both laugh as we answer, and I look over to realize Art answered incorrectly. So did the person on the floor! Dangtheres the buzzer. Games over. Just for fun, the host shows us the board, and there I am, at #1, with my British buddy #2! We laugh that were probably the only 2 people in the audience who knew the answer (Canberra), and as we leave, I bemoan the fact that I would have been in the hot seat if the game had just been a little longer! Well just have to keep trying whenever we can make it back to Florida. Id like to try to get back in this trip, but I just dont think its going to happen. We have so much to do with Stuart!
We walk back to the commissary where we left Grammy & Destructo Boy. Hes awake, and theyve had lunch. Art & I are hungry, but nothing here looks good, so we trot quickly back to the new Studio Catering Co.its recently had a menu update that looks pretty good! We both get gyros & head back to the commissary to get drinks and grab a quick lunch before we head off again. The gyros are quite good! We dont want much, because we have an early dinner at 50s Prime Time, so these are just perfect.
Its still drizzling, so theres no parade. BummerI think Stuart would have really enjoyed it! Oh, well, just one of those things. Of course, he cant play in the Bugs Life playground, either, so well just make the best of it. We decide to go over to MuppetVision. Stuart seems to enjoy most 3-D things weve done so far, so maybe this will be fun for him. On the way, he discovers the fun of stomping in puddles! Good thing we put his boots on him this morning.
MuppetVision is still fun, but Im beginning to get pretty bored with it. I think Ive just seen it too many times. Stuart wont keep his glasses on, of course, but he still likes it, and the cannon doesnt bother him at all. When we get out, he just wants to get down and play in the puddles again! We all do a little shopping, and Stuart loves taking things off the racks. We finally distract him with a Buzz Lightyear blaster of some sort, and he stops taking every single package down and putting them on the floor! I get to run by the Its a Wonderful Christmas shop where I buy a few things for our tree, and then Art & I want to try to hit the Rock & Drop one last time for this trip. Grammy & Monster do some more shopping & playing while we go hit the lines. Both are very short, so we walk on to RnRC and blast our way through Hollywood, before heading up to ToT. Theres a little bit of a wait now, but thats fine. Its dry now, mostly, so I take the time to call my kid brother from the queue. Its his birthday, and I always try to call him on his birthday, no matter where I am, even though he NEVER answers his phone! In his defense, hes a resident in orthopedic surgery in the Army, so hes pretty busy. When he does have time off, hes usually out hiking, biking, or skiing with his wife & daughter! So, I leave him a message, and then were inside and on our way to the 13th floor!
After our rides, we pick up Marlene & Stuart and were ready to start making our way over to 50s Prime Time. Uh-oh. Somebodys saying something about no Osborne Lights tonight. On account of the weather. What? Its been barely drizzling, and thats off & on! It hasnt really rained for several hours! I just cant believe it, but we check the tips board down on the corner of Hollywood & Sunset, and sure enough. Cancelled. The CMs cant explain it, but everyone (including the CMs) agrees that its pretty chintzy of Disney. If theyre going to cancel a major event like that, they need to explain themselves better! I was really looking forward to seeing the lights on NY Street for the first time.
At least the drizzle has kept the crowds down. We go check in at 50s Prime Time and we just have time to grab drinks in the Tune In Lounge (where Stuart discovers he cant do anything to the TV after all, no matter what buttons he pushes!) before they call our names. Art has a pina colada (he says its weak), I have an amaretto sour, which is a little too strong, and Marlene has her usual, a screwdriver, which is also a little weak. Hmmmnot the worlds best bar!
Were seated back near the restrooms, and our server takes a little long to come and get our drink order. Oh, no, not again. Last time we were here, we had LOUSY service, so were worried. However, she comes and apologizes, and from here on, service is fine. We relax and order, but when the server comes back with our drinks, she catches Art with his elbows on the table. He has to stand up and sing/dance a hula version of Im a Little Teapot, which is hilarious! He has control of the cameras, though, so we dont get a picture. Our entrees arrive, and theyre delightful. Stuart has grilled chicken breast with mashed potatoes and green beans, and its a huge portion. Marlene & I each choose the fried chicken, and Art gets the beef pot roast. We all enjoy our meals, although Art says the pot roast is only good, not amazingly great. He doesnt mind, though, because he knows hell be finishing fried chicken!
Were still pretty annoyed about the Osborne Lights, especially when we leave the restaurant and its not drizzling at all. No change in plans, though, so we just head home. An early night is nice, but we had really hoped to see the lights, and theres no way to do it in the few days we have left in the parks. Win some, lose some, right? So, we look at a few more shops on our way out, and then board the tram, find our car, and head home for showers & an early bedtime. Big, long day tomorrow, and it starts with Extra Magic Hour in Fantasyland!
Setting: All Star Music, Dec. 3-11
This was supposed to be a morning at AK, then MGM in the afternoon & evening, but if youve been following this whole sordid tale, you know thats not what were doing. Since I messed up our plans to watch the AK shows & parade on Tues., were now switching our days around. Today will be MGM all day. Since its raining off and on, thats probably a good thing! MGM is a great park for rainy days, because its all inside, and all relatively close together. So, we do our breakfast thing, and off we go in the drizzle. We have a stroller cover for Stuart, plus a really cute little rain suit my mom got him, so were good! I even brought some rain pants for myself this trip, since the last time we were here it rained several days and I got pretty tired of wet legs & butt!
Parking was no problem, although we were surprised at how many cars were already in the lot before opening. Once again, though, we ended up way down towards the end of the row away from the tram. Somehow, this trip, were always walking, even when we take the tram! We get through the search lines and in we goafter fighting the stupid biometrics machines again. Did I mention I dont like those? I dont like those!
Weve decided to get into Playhouse Disney as early as possible, so today, I actually grab a park schedule on my way through the gate. It looks like we can get right back there for it, so thats where we head. The FP machines at Little Mermaid are running, so we get passes for after Playhouse Disney, and then hang out under the roof there for a while. Theres not a big crowd at Playhouse Disney, but people are waiting out in the rain, which doesnt seem like a good idea to us! Art parks the stroller, and Stuart plays with the CM standing at the FP machines at Little Mermaid. About 5 minutes before showtime, we head over and get in line. We go in, and of course, its floor seating. This is not good for Grammy! She says that if she gets down there, shell never get up again. She leans against the back wall and Art stays with her, but then shes directed to a bench over by the door. Seems shes not the first grandparent who doesnt like the idea of floor seating. Stuart & I find a spot, and he plays a little with some of the nearby kids & parents. Hes a little fussy, thoughI think hes pretty tired. Its been quite a trip for him!
The show is fun, but Stuart really only responds to Bear. He loves JoJo, but the JoJos Circus puppets are so small, theyre kind of hard to see from the floor. The best part for him is when they shoot streamers from the ceilinghe loves that! He does a little dancing at the end, and then were ready to go across the courtyard and see the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Our FP time is here, so away we go.
Stuart loves the queue area for VLMfor some reason, all the sailing stuff on the walls really tickles him. Then we show him the nets of fish up on the ceiling, and he loves that. Maybe when hes older well have to do a nautical room for him? Anyway, he plays, we go in, and we have to step over several people who plopped into seats early in the row. They werent even in the center, silly girls! Im tempted to step on some toes, but I decide I dont need that karma, and Ill just leave their karma to them. Theyll get it sometime!
We get those center seats (Im getting pretty good at letting people get ahead of us before we enter a row), and we settle in. Stuart enjoys the show, and then, just like on the Safari the other day, all of a sudden, hes asleep. When the show is over, I manage to transfer him to his stroller and he keeps on sleeping. We wheel him to the ABC Commissary and Art & I leave MIL there with Sleeping Handsome while we go hit Who Wants to Be a MillionairePlay It! Its still drizzling, so Marlene is happy to sit in the warm restaurant with a cup of tea and watch her grandson snooze.
When we get into WWtBaMPI, there arent many people there yet, even though theyre starting a show pretty soon. Were asked to sit down on the floor, which is way cool, even if that doesnt actually give us any advantage! A CM takes our picture there with our screens, so we can show everyone where we sat. Then, as more people file in, we chat a bit with the man sitting next to mehes from England, so hes a little worried about some of the possible trivia questions well face. I tell him I understand, but if hes like most Brits with whom Ive spoken, hell know more about our country than most US citizens do. He chuckles at that, and then the host comes out. She gives us the run through of the rules and procedures for play (like the lifelinesAsk the Audience, 50-50, and Phone a Complete Stranger, where you get to call a phone out on the street in the park and a CM there will grab some poor passerby to try to help you!), and off we go.
Art & I arent quite as quick as wed like to think, I guess, because when they show the top 10 players, were nowhere on it. Then, as the game progresses through a second and then third contestant, we get better. At one point, he was #3 and I was #8, and then the doozy question came up. Whats the capitol of Australia? The British man next to me & I both laugh as we answer, and I look over to realize Art answered incorrectly. So did the person on the floor! Dangtheres the buzzer. Games over. Just for fun, the host shows us the board, and there I am, at #1, with my British buddy #2! We laugh that were probably the only 2 people in the audience who knew the answer (Canberra), and as we leave, I bemoan the fact that I would have been in the hot seat if the game had just been a little longer! Well just have to keep trying whenever we can make it back to Florida. Id like to try to get back in this trip, but I just dont think its going to happen. We have so much to do with Stuart!
We walk back to the commissary where we left Grammy & Destructo Boy. Hes awake, and theyve had lunch. Art & I are hungry, but nothing here looks good, so we trot quickly back to the new Studio Catering Co.its recently had a menu update that looks pretty good! We both get gyros & head back to the commissary to get drinks and grab a quick lunch before we head off again. The gyros are quite good! We dont want much, because we have an early dinner at 50s Prime Time, so these are just perfect.
Its still drizzling, so theres no parade. BummerI think Stuart would have really enjoyed it! Oh, well, just one of those things. Of course, he cant play in the Bugs Life playground, either, so well just make the best of it. We decide to go over to MuppetVision. Stuart seems to enjoy most 3-D things weve done so far, so maybe this will be fun for him. On the way, he discovers the fun of stomping in puddles! Good thing we put his boots on him this morning.
MuppetVision is still fun, but Im beginning to get pretty bored with it. I think Ive just seen it too many times. Stuart wont keep his glasses on, of course, but he still likes it, and the cannon doesnt bother him at all. When we get out, he just wants to get down and play in the puddles again! We all do a little shopping, and Stuart loves taking things off the racks. We finally distract him with a Buzz Lightyear blaster of some sort, and he stops taking every single package down and putting them on the floor! I get to run by the Its a Wonderful Christmas shop where I buy a few things for our tree, and then Art & I want to try to hit the Rock & Drop one last time for this trip. Grammy & Monster do some more shopping & playing while we go hit the lines. Both are very short, so we walk on to RnRC and blast our way through Hollywood, before heading up to ToT. Theres a little bit of a wait now, but thats fine. Its dry now, mostly, so I take the time to call my kid brother from the queue. Its his birthday, and I always try to call him on his birthday, no matter where I am, even though he NEVER answers his phone! In his defense, hes a resident in orthopedic surgery in the Army, so hes pretty busy. When he does have time off, hes usually out hiking, biking, or skiing with his wife & daughter! So, I leave him a message, and then were inside and on our way to the 13th floor!
After our rides, we pick up Marlene & Stuart and were ready to start making our way over to 50s Prime Time. Uh-oh. Somebodys saying something about no Osborne Lights tonight. On account of the weather. What? Its been barely drizzling, and thats off & on! It hasnt really rained for several hours! I just cant believe it, but we check the tips board down on the corner of Hollywood & Sunset, and sure enough. Cancelled. The CMs cant explain it, but everyone (including the CMs) agrees that its pretty chintzy of Disney. If theyre going to cancel a major event like that, they need to explain themselves better! I was really looking forward to seeing the lights on NY Street for the first time.
At least the drizzle has kept the crowds down. We go check in at 50s Prime Time and we just have time to grab drinks in the Tune In Lounge (where Stuart discovers he cant do anything to the TV after all, no matter what buttons he pushes!) before they call our names. Art has a pina colada (he says its weak), I have an amaretto sour, which is a little too strong, and Marlene has her usual, a screwdriver, which is also a little weak. Hmmmnot the worlds best bar!
Were seated back near the restrooms, and our server takes a little long to come and get our drink order. Oh, no, not again. Last time we were here, we had LOUSY service, so were worried. However, she comes and apologizes, and from here on, service is fine. We relax and order, but when the server comes back with our drinks, she catches Art with his elbows on the table. He has to stand up and sing/dance a hula version of Im a Little Teapot, which is hilarious! He has control of the cameras, though, so we dont get a picture. Our entrees arrive, and theyre delightful. Stuart has grilled chicken breast with mashed potatoes and green beans, and its a huge portion. Marlene & I each choose the fried chicken, and Art gets the beef pot roast. We all enjoy our meals, although Art says the pot roast is only good, not amazingly great. He doesnt mind, though, because he knows hell be finishing fried chicken!
Were still pretty annoyed about the Osborne Lights, especially when we leave the restaurant and its not drizzling at all. No change in plans, though, so we just head home. An early night is nice, but we had really hoped to see the lights, and theres no way to do it in the few days we have left in the parks. Win some, lose some, right? So, we look at a few more shops on our way out, and then board the tram, find our car, and head home for showers & an early bedtime. Big, long day tomorrow, and it starts with Extra Magic Hour in Fantasyland!
