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
We all get up early and grab a quick breakfast in the rooms before heading off to the Magic Kingdom, round 2. Its early entry day for us, and we still havent ridden Dumbo, so thats first on our list! We make it through the checkpoint & the gates, and head straight on down Main Street to the castle and Fantasyland. We get into line for Dumbo, and were about the 3rd group to get on. Stuart & I get in one elephant, and Art & his mom get in one in front of us. We have to trot all the way around the circle to find 2 together, but this is the only way were going to get pictures of Stuart on Dumbo! We take off, and Stuart loves it, of course. He wants to control the flight, even though he doesnt really know what hes doing. He just wants to play with the lever! However, we have to stay fairly low so Daddy can take our pictureotherwise, all he can see is Dumbos belly.
We hit the majors in Fantasyland again, and ride anything we missed, like the carousel (which DS really enjoys), and we make sure Stuart gets to go on Small World again. I have never ridden this ride twice in a trip, but since DS loves it so much, its much more fun now! We pick up the rides we missed last time, making sure to get to Pirates (Stuart loves it) and the Tiki Room (he loves it, too, and not even Pele scares him). We whisk him past Aladdins Magic Carpets, because we dont want to take the time to stand in line for this ride. I know hed love it, but enoughs enough already! Plus, hes still at an age where he doesnt really notice things like rides, so its easy to make these decisions. Next time we come down, I dont think its going to be this easy!
The lines at Splash are crazy, and Big Thunder is packed, too. Art & I decide well just have to pick them up tomorrow night. It may be a little cool for Splash, but we can always ride it right before we leave the park!
We thought about going back to the room to rest, but Art & I really want to get back over to Epcot and do a little more shopping, maybe hit Innoventions. We take Marlene & Stuart back to the resort, and theyll meet us at the Grand Floridian for tea. Marlene gives us her park pass so we can grab a FP at Soarin for later, and off we go to shop a little at Epcot before tea.
We go grab FPs for Soarin for later (theyre for 7, and dinner is 8, so that should be fine), and after a little shopping, we head out to the monorail. Our plan is to just ride the rail to tea at the Floridian, relax over tea, and then head back to Epcot for the evening, so we leave the car here.
Were a little late getting to the GF, and as we leave the Polynesians station, my phone rings. MIL is also running a little late, because DS had a long nap. Shes on her way, and will meet us in the GF lobby. I go in and check in, apologizing for being late, and explain that Grammy and our boy are on the monorail right now, on their way. The hostess graciously tells me not to worry about it, and just to let her know when the whole party has arrived. I find a chair where I can see the entrance from the monorail stop upstairs, and I sit and fretI mean waitwhile watching for MIL. Art takes lots of pictures of the lobby & the huge gingerbread house, and finally, I spot Marlene pushing the stroller. I go to the elevator to catch her, and give Art a call on the way. We all join up and go check in. Were pretty hungry, so even though were going to have a big dinner tonight, Art & I both get a pretty large meal for tea. Stuart enjoys his PB&J and chocolate milk, but of course he doesnt want to sit for long, so we have to take turns chasing him and letting each other eat! I get the Prince Edward, but I dont care for port, so I ask to have sparkling wine instead. Our server isnt too sure we can do that, but she says shell try. I also ask for an order of jam tarts on the side, since thats one thing this tea doesnt have, and I love them! Art & Marlene both get the Grand Tea, and we all decide on the Garden View Bouquet tea. Stuart wants some tea, too, so he has to share with us!
The Prince Edward tea is supposed to come with marinated berries and Cumberland sauce, but its just fresh strawberries & cream. Thats fine, except the berries arent terribly ripe this time of year! There used to be some sort of crab toast with the gentlemans tea platters, and I miss it now that its gone. The various terrines arent bad, but I really could have used the berries at the same time as the terrines to cut some of the fatty residue left on my tongue. Maybe thats what the port is supposed to do, but I enjoy my sparkling wine very much, thank you! I even check the menu to see what it is (Domain Ste. Michelle, from Washington State), I like it so much. Ill buy some for New Years if its not too expensive (my guess is it wont be! Its tasty, but I bet Disney doesnt serve expensive stuff here for tea!).
It takes a while for all of us to finish, since not only are we trying to relax, we also have to keep taking turns getting up and running around the lobby with Stuart. He has a blast, though, so its okay. By the time I come back to tag Art, my tea is pretty cool, but I only have a little left to eat anyway, so I dont bother to ask for a fresh pot.
Art wants to buy some gingerbread shingles, so Marlene & I take Stuart upstairs to the ladies room while Art gets in line at the house. We finish, and Stuart keeps going down the hallway to visit the people at the greeting station for Citricos and Victoria & Alberts. He tries to go in to Citricos to visit some people having an early dinner, but we dont let him get very far. It certainly looks nice, though! Its already after 5, so the dinner crowd is beginning to pick up, and some very nicely dressed people get off the elevator, talking about how nice it is that So-and-So is taking them to Citricos for dinner. I think so, too!
Arts finally done downstairs, so we all head back out to the monorail for the trip around to the TTC, and the transfer to Epcot. We talk about what we want to do that night, and we decide maybe we dont care about Soarin tonight. We decide we want to try to hit Turtle Talk so we dont have to worry about it tomorrow, and can make a less harried day. We decide this is the best course, so as we get off the monorail, I offer our FPs to a nice couple who are SOOOOO happy to get them. Art is kind of upset, because he wanted them as a backup, but we all agree that the look on their faces was priceless! They hadnt ridden yet because of scheduling conflicts, and they were worried theyd have to stand in line for an hour or more tonight. By the time weve left the GF, ridden the monorail around and made the transfer, and finally made it to Epcot, its 6:30, and by the time we make it to the Living Seas, its 7. Theyre closed. Wow. I had no idea. I mean, its Friday night, right? So we decide to go back to the Land and see if we can ride Living with the Land, since only MIL & DS have ridden it so far. Nope. Its closed, too, even though the pavilion is open for Soarinwe check the standby line for that, and its an hour. Okay, I shouldnt have given our tickets away. I know. I should have read the park hours more carefully. I know. But wouldnt you think Disney would keep something close to Soarin open because its so popular? What if people want to baby-swap at night? Theres absolutely nothing for the waiting parent to do except sit & wait! This, I think, is a HUGE problem, and definitely not magical. I hear other people around me complaining, too. Even though its a Friday night, and relatively crowded, Future World is closed except for Soarin, Test Track, and Mission:Space. Nothing for kids. Nothing for anyone who doesnt like thrill rides. Hello? Anyone else out there find this to be un-Disney? Why should MIL and/or DS have to go all the way back to the World Showcase to do anything if we want to ride a thrill ride?
We leave the Land in a bit of a huff, and decide to go see if the Coral Reef can get us in early. Were not precisely hungry, but its been long enough, and most of us had stuff at tea that burns off pretty quickly! Admittedly, my terrines should still be with me, but maybe being angry has made me hungrier! We head around the back of Living Seas and go check in, about 30 minutes early. They say they cant promise anything, but theyll call us as soon as they can. It ends up being pretty much 30 minutes, but there are comfortable benches, and with all 3 of us there, we can let Stuart be pretty free in running around. His favorite thing is to have me hold him up and let him play with the payphone by the restrooms! Good thing I always carry hand sanitizer these days!
When were seated, we get a booth right down by the tank, and right down at the far end where all the active fish seem to be! Stuart loves it. Marlene offers to buy us drinks along with our dinners, and since Im still a little steamed, I know Ill enjoy one! I order a Key Lime martini, which really does taste just like key lime pie! Its a little tart, a little sweet, very creamy, and just enough of a kick to remember theres vodka! Art gets an Octopus Juice which is basically a pina colada made with Chambord instead of rum. It is truly delightful, smooth and creamy and sweet. It is now his favorite drink! Marlene gets her signature (anyone paying attention?) screwdriver, and we order appetizers. I have to try the lobster bisque, and Art gets one too. The four of us (yes, Stuart toohe loves creamy soups!) split them, and the bisque is just as wonderful as everyone has always said. Wow. Excellent buttery-lobster flavor, and just enough brandy and chervil to help all the flavors blend together without being too fat on the tongue.
Theres a chefs special grilled tilapia tonight, served simply, and it looks perfect to me. MIL gets the salmon, Art gets the tilapia Oscar, and DS gets the childs broiled fish. We all enjoy our meals, but Stuart seems to like his apple juice more than anything else. Its not like we dont keep his water bottle handy all day, but hes really sucking the juice down tonight! We have to order another glass for him, so he gets two dolphins to take home! (Kids drinks are served in a plastic cup with a straw and a flat clear plastic dolphin hanging on. His first one was clear blue, and the 2nd one is clear turquoise.)
We have a perfectly wonderful dinner, which really helps my mood. Art says his crab cake is a little on the dressing side, with too much bread and seasoning and not enough crab, but he still enjoys his dinner. I try his crab cake, and I agree with him. Might as well have stuffing on the fish instead of this! Oh, well, a lot of people like their crab cakes like thiswe just like crab too much to gunk it up with too many other flavors!
We were going to have dessert, but none of really want it. Stuart has to get down and run around the restaurant some more, and then when everyone is done, we head back out to our car and head home. Of course, the car is way far away again, but this time, I dont lead the party all over the parking lot finding it again. We make it home and collapse. Tomorrow is another big day, especially for me & Artwere hitting 3 parks tomorrow!
Setting: All Star Music, Dec. 3-11
We all get up early and grab a quick breakfast in the rooms before heading off to the Magic Kingdom, round 2. Its early entry day for us, and we still havent ridden Dumbo, so thats first on our list! We make it through the checkpoint & the gates, and head straight on down Main Street to the castle and Fantasyland. We get into line for Dumbo, and were about the 3rd group to get on. Stuart & I get in one elephant, and Art & his mom get in one in front of us. We have to trot all the way around the circle to find 2 together, but this is the only way were going to get pictures of Stuart on Dumbo! We take off, and Stuart loves it, of course. He wants to control the flight, even though he doesnt really know what hes doing. He just wants to play with the lever! However, we have to stay fairly low so Daddy can take our pictureotherwise, all he can see is Dumbos belly.
We hit the majors in Fantasyland again, and ride anything we missed, like the carousel (which DS really enjoys), and we make sure Stuart gets to go on Small World again. I have never ridden this ride twice in a trip, but since DS loves it so much, its much more fun now! We pick up the rides we missed last time, making sure to get to Pirates (Stuart loves it) and the Tiki Room (he loves it, too, and not even Pele scares him). We whisk him past Aladdins Magic Carpets, because we dont want to take the time to stand in line for this ride. I know hed love it, but enoughs enough already! Plus, hes still at an age where he doesnt really notice things like rides, so its easy to make these decisions. Next time we come down, I dont think its going to be this easy!
The lines at Splash are crazy, and Big Thunder is packed, too. Art & I decide well just have to pick them up tomorrow night. It may be a little cool for Splash, but we can always ride it right before we leave the park!
We thought about going back to the room to rest, but Art & I really want to get back over to Epcot and do a little more shopping, maybe hit Innoventions. We take Marlene & Stuart back to the resort, and theyll meet us at the Grand Floridian for tea. Marlene gives us her park pass so we can grab a FP at Soarin for later, and off we go to shop a little at Epcot before tea.
We go grab FPs for Soarin for later (theyre for 7, and dinner is 8, so that should be fine), and after a little shopping, we head out to the monorail. Our plan is to just ride the rail to tea at the Floridian, relax over tea, and then head back to Epcot for the evening, so we leave the car here.
Were a little late getting to the GF, and as we leave the Polynesians station, my phone rings. MIL is also running a little late, because DS had a long nap. Shes on her way, and will meet us in the GF lobby. I go in and check in, apologizing for being late, and explain that Grammy and our boy are on the monorail right now, on their way. The hostess graciously tells me not to worry about it, and just to let her know when the whole party has arrived. I find a chair where I can see the entrance from the monorail stop upstairs, and I sit and fretI mean waitwhile watching for MIL. Art takes lots of pictures of the lobby & the huge gingerbread house, and finally, I spot Marlene pushing the stroller. I go to the elevator to catch her, and give Art a call on the way. We all join up and go check in. Were pretty hungry, so even though were going to have a big dinner tonight, Art & I both get a pretty large meal for tea. Stuart enjoys his PB&J and chocolate milk, but of course he doesnt want to sit for long, so we have to take turns chasing him and letting each other eat! I get the Prince Edward, but I dont care for port, so I ask to have sparkling wine instead. Our server isnt too sure we can do that, but she says shell try. I also ask for an order of jam tarts on the side, since thats one thing this tea doesnt have, and I love them! Art & Marlene both get the Grand Tea, and we all decide on the Garden View Bouquet tea. Stuart wants some tea, too, so he has to share with us!
The Prince Edward tea is supposed to come with marinated berries and Cumberland sauce, but its just fresh strawberries & cream. Thats fine, except the berries arent terribly ripe this time of year! There used to be some sort of crab toast with the gentlemans tea platters, and I miss it now that its gone. The various terrines arent bad, but I really could have used the berries at the same time as the terrines to cut some of the fatty residue left on my tongue. Maybe thats what the port is supposed to do, but I enjoy my sparkling wine very much, thank you! I even check the menu to see what it is (Domain Ste. Michelle, from Washington State), I like it so much. Ill buy some for New Years if its not too expensive (my guess is it wont be! Its tasty, but I bet Disney doesnt serve expensive stuff here for tea!).
It takes a while for all of us to finish, since not only are we trying to relax, we also have to keep taking turns getting up and running around the lobby with Stuart. He has a blast, though, so its okay. By the time I come back to tag Art, my tea is pretty cool, but I only have a little left to eat anyway, so I dont bother to ask for a fresh pot.
Art wants to buy some gingerbread shingles, so Marlene & I take Stuart upstairs to the ladies room while Art gets in line at the house. We finish, and Stuart keeps going down the hallway to visit the people at the greeting station for Citricos and Victoria & Alberts. He tries to go in to Citricos to visit some people having an early dinner, but we dont let him get very far. It certainly looks nice, though! Its already after 5, so the dinner crowd is beginning to pick up, and some very nicely dressed people get off the elevator, talking about how nice it is that So-and-So is taking them to Citricos for dinner. I think so, too!
Arts finally done downstairs, so we all head back out to the monorail for the trip around to the TTC, and the transfer to Epcot. We talk about what we want to do that night, and we decide maybe we dont care about Soarin tonight. We decide we want to try to hit Turtle Talk so we dont have to worry about it tomorrow, and can make a less harried day. We decide this is the best course, so as we get off the monorail, I offer our FPs to a nice couple who are SOOOOO happy to get them. Art is kind of upset, because he wanted them as a backup, but we all agree that the look on their faces was priceless! They hadnt ridden yet because of scheduling conflicts, and they were worried theyd have to stand in line for an hour or more tonight. By the time weve left the GF, ridden the monorail around and made the transfer, and finally made it to Epcot, its 6:30, and by the time we make it to the Living Seas, its 7. Theyre closed. Wow. I had no idea. I mean, its Friday night, right? So we decide to go back to the Land and see if we can ride Living with the Land, since only MIL & DS have ridden it so far. Nope. Its closed, too, even though the pavilion is open for Soarinwe check the standby line for that, and its an hour. Okay, I shouldnt have given our tickets away. I know. I should have read the park hours more carefully. I know. But wouldnt you think Disney would keep something close to Soarin open because its so popular? What if people want to baby-swap at night? Theres absolutely nothing for the waiting parent to do except sit & wait! This, I think, is a HUGE problem, and definitely not magical. I hear other people around me complaining, too. Even though its a Friday night, and relatively crowded, Future World is closed except for Soarin, Test Track, and Mission:Space. Nothing for kids. Nothing for anyone who doesnt like thrill rides. Hello? Anyone else out there find this to be un-Disney? Why should MIL and/or DS have to go all the way back to the World Showcase to do anything if we want to ride a thrill ride?
We leave the Land in a bit of a huff, and decide to go see if the Coral Reef can get us in early. Were not precisely hungry, but its been long enough, and most of us had stuff at tea that burns off pretty quickly! Admittedly, my terrines should still be with me, but maybe being angry has made me hungrier! We head around the back of Living Seas and go check in, about 30 minutes early. They say they cant promise anything, but theyll call us as soon as they can. It ends up being pretty much 30 minutes, but there are comfortable benches, and with all 3 of us there, we can let Stuart be pretty free in running around. His favorite thing is to have me hold him up and let him play with the payphone by the restrooms! Good thing I always carry hand sanitizer these days!
When were seated, we get a booth right down by the tank, and right down at the far end where all the active fish seem to be! Stuart loves it. Marlene offers to buy us drinks along with our dinners, and since Im still a little steamed, I know Ill enjoy one! I order a Key Lime martini, which really does taste just like key lime pie! Its a little tart, a little sweet, very creamy, and just enough of a kick to remember theres vodka! Art gets an Octopus Juice which is basically a pina colada made with Chambord instead of rum. It is truly delightful, smooth and creamy and sweet. It is now his favorite drink! Marlene gets her signature (anyone paying attention?) screwdriver, and we order appetizers. I have to try the lobster bisque, and Art gets one too. The four of us (yes, Stuart toohe loves creamy soups!) split them, and the bisque is just as wonderful as everyone has always said. Wow. Excellent buttery-lobster flavor, and just enough brandy and chervil to help all the flavors blend together without being too fat on the tongue.
Theres a chefs special grilled tilapia tonight, served simply, and it looks perfect to me. MIL gets the salmon, Art gets the tilapia Oscar, and DS gets the childs broiled fish. We all enjoy our meals, but Stuart seems to like his apple juice more than anything else. Its not like we dont keep his water bottle handy all day, but hes really sucking the juice down tonight! We have to order another glass for him, so he gets two dolphins to take home! (Kids drinks are served in a plastic cup with a straw and a flat clear plastic dolphin hanging on. His first one was clear blue, and the 2nd one is clear turquoise.)
We have a perfectly wonderful dinner, which really helps my mood. Art says his crab cake is a little on the dressing side, with too much bread and seasoning and not enough crab, but he still enjoys his dinner. I try his crab cake, and I agree with him. Might as well have stuffing on the fish instead of this! Oh, well, a lot of people like their crab cakes like thiswe just like crab too much to gunk it up with too many other flavors!
We were going to have dessert, but none of really want it. Stuart has to get down and run around the restaurant some more, and then when everyone is done, we head back out to our car and head home. Of course, the car is way far away again, but this time, I dont lead the party all over the parking lot finding it again. We make it home and collapse. Tomorrow is another big day, especially for me & Artwere hitting 3 parks tomorrow!
