ABCs of a Nursing School Grad Trip + FL Keys Mini Report;D is for: Dang! Last Chapter of this TR...

[pkondz]

Contest Results So Far:

Well, one thing is perfectly clear here.
I suck at this contest!

A- The American Pavilion (bunting above the front entrance)

Oy

D- Dragon from Festival of Fantasy Parade

D'oh!

E- England (part of the red phone booth in the shop)

Poop.

F- France Pavilion (mural on exterior of Le Plume et Palette)

Merde.

H- Hollywood Tower of Terror exterior

No fair! That was one of my first thoughts! But then I was "But TOT isn't an H so it has to be something else."
Curse you and your literal interpretations!

 

[pkondz]

Get up, Kids! “You’ve already slept til 6:00, so haul your hineys out of bed and get moving! Things to do; places to see!”

This is the correct way to tour WDW people.

“Yes, Son, I’m aware you’ve only gotten 6 hours of sleep. Deal with it, because this will be your life for 10 days.”

I'm sure he was overjoyed at this news.

“I hope when you’re pushing my age, you can outlast your kids too. The bus leaves at 8:00, be on it, or rot.”

Love 'em or leave 'em!

“Okay, fine.” <insert typical teenage eyeroll>

pffttt.... A teen eyeroll can't even touch an adult woman's... or any parent.

I’m pretty sure that 45 full minutes of that time... from the 7:00 alarm to arriving at the bus stop... was walking from the most outer-reaches of AoA where our room was to Animation Hall

Oy. Next time request a room that's a one minute walk away.
Trust me on this. I've done both.
I prefer the one minute to the 45.

:18 and we were off.

Not bad. 10 minutes.

<Noted to self: Light the fire under the kids even more tomorrow morning>

I'm sure they'll be much happier with that.

We hoofed it to TT and sailed through the queue in no time. In fact, we sailed through so fast, we didn’t even bother to do the build-your-car thing. Probably should have, but I knew that it’d add a lot of time and put us behind in getting to Soarin’.

#priorities

Fun ride. Not nearly as fun as before they destroyed it when GM was replaced with Chevy, but still enough entertainment value to do it once a trip.

I don't mind it. I really only want to do the fast part anyway and that hasn't changed at least.

In fact, I picked out my one big ticket souvenir and made arrangements for it to be shipped home immediately.

You should always get at least one souvenir.

I made sure to install the green lights on the garage floor too, you know, to make sure she felt at home at all times. It sits right beside the reserved spot for my '63 that I'm going to buy when I win the lottery.

Um....

ETA: Carrie informed me that the lights are actually ON the car.

There ya go.

That is all aftermarket stuff and NOT street legal, at least here in Oregon.

I wonder if it is anywhere?
No. I'm not going to research it.

Corvette knows what they are doing. I've seen it myself... remember?

(What color you ask. Red, of course!)

well, of course. Some things are self evident.

"NO, MY PHONE'S GONE!!!!!", I wailed in retort.

No!!!

First. ride. of. the. trip. (Not that losing your phone would be ok on ANY ride of the trip, but seriously. 1st thing that happens?!) And absolutely NOT where I KNEW I had put it just before the ride started.

Oh, man. Right out of the gate! Not fun Liesa!

Voice of reason on the right hand shoulder: "Ok, Steppe, think. Act cool. Not the end of the world."

Voice of hysterical, rising panic on the left: "YOU FOOL! WHY would you put it in an unzipped pocket, your moron?! It's gone forever, you know."

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the second voice was louder.

assuming there is still yet good in this world.

Oh, there is. Trust me.

(If you leave your trash on a CS table, push your way in front of me at a parade, or or harass young girls in ride lines after you've been at F&W too long, you are not one of the good people walking around that I am talking about.)

And I suspect you will also let them know and thus also be (temporarily) not one of the good people.

I also assumed that having a password on it was a strong deterrent. I made the call to trudge on (a bit faster), get Soarin’ done, and hightail it back to TT to see how much more expensive (and inconvenient) this trip had suddenly gotten.

Wow. I couldn't do that. I'd be right back at TT in a panic.

and now Soarin’ just went…. bent? And CG.

ugh. yeah.

Again, I was in Commando-mode (no, not that kind, I’d already pulled that stunt the night before)

Darn. This TR just took a giant step backward.

S’ok, more in another installment, because you KNOW this TR will go on for… oh, I dunno, forever.

I know the feeling!

Probably not a huge rush to do it next time. I guess I can try for the middle and see. Rant over.

@franandaj says the middle is wayyy better.

Tune in next time for: You’re Dying to Know, Aren’t You?!!

YES!!!

Luckily, we don't have that many that come into the house.

Too bad. It'd take care of that tree in no time.

Well, be sure to check in here once in a while. I'll miss you two.

Hmmm..... Maybe.

Love this!

Thanks!

That's disappointing. @pkondz described the same problem. That stinks! I was hoping the new version would be really cool.

Well... maybe from the exact middle. Otherwise.... definitely, 100%... NO.

 

[Princess Leia]

LOL! Well that depends on how much of a glutton for punishment you are.

I'm definitely a glutton - keep feeding me Trip Reports!

I'm sure you do! I've seen you make the rounds and have actually lurked a bit on your TR. As things ease up with post-holiday craziness, I may de-lurk and say hello!

Please do come out of lurking and say hello.

Yeah, I'd say a swimsuit would be pretty darn high up on that list! Yikes! Well, I mean if you plan to actually swim, otherwise shorts and a t-shirt work mostly ok.

High on my list anyway. Although in Austria you could spot me as the British prude in the sauna sitting in the swimsuit.

Contact lens solution would be a bit higher up on the priority list for sure! I don't think I'd want a plastic blob glued to my eyeball more than a 12 hours.

I usually now pack one bottle and keep another one out for using as it is one of the last things I use before leaving the house.

Your dis-meet at the Ditch (I was about to say trench - I've been doing too much History revision with Hannah) looked a lot of fun! I will be back soon to read more.

 

[Steppesister]

So is mine.

Got as far as undecorating mine. Now the crew needs to get it to the burn pile.

Well now there I draw the line! Food must be had in this house!

Oh we have food, but only food that a 3 year old could make.

OK so now I know where we are agewise. I was in either freshman or sophomore in college.

So, actually not that much difference at all!

Love this!

Not you too!

Well yes and no. I do know you get it back before the end of the trip.

Shhhh..... but how long after....?

OMG!! I'm dying to know if you found it. And totally sympathize with that sick "I don't know where my phone is" feeling. The. Worst.

Pt. Deux soon-ish.

 

[Steppesister]

I quit doing the movie quotes contests because I got so tired of keeping track of the points!

It's a bit time intensive, but still fun. Keeps some friendly competition going.

I don't think I would have recognized that if you gave me 100 guesses.

Because your head is always turned to the left. Toward the bakery.

I think that was the best of the new changes to the ride!

Next time... I know the kids did this when they were off on their own and loved it. I should give it a try.

I liked the older version better, when you knew exactly what test the car was doing when. Now the Tron stuff kind of makes you lose a sense of the story.

Exactly. Too heavy on the franchise advertisement with too big a loss on story.

If you had designed the car yourself, it could have been the glow from the plasma burner engine.

Well crap. Total fail then.

What if I go pool-hopping at resorts? Use last year's refillable mug? Don't move to the end of the row at the theater?

I'd probably only disapprove of one of those....

That's disappointing. @pkondz described the same problem. That stinks! I was hoping the new version would be really cool.

What's sad is that it could have been.

 

[Steppesister]

Please please please let there be good people in the world who will turn in Queen Steppe's phone. (I would, I promise - plus, I have my own phone, and if I find a phone, I don't want someone else's cooties!)

Awww a little prayer spoken for Steppe's Crappiest-Moment-of-the-Trip. You'll find out soon....

I like TT ok, although I'm not willing to wait in the standby line for 45+ minutes for it, the single rider line is the way to go. But it doesn't hold a candle to Radiator Springs Racers at DL!

NO WAY. Not worth that by a long shot! First thing at RD though? Sure. Even 10 minutes in Single Rider I'd do.

And now I"m more excited than EVER to ride RSR this March!!! WOOT!

Oh no! I hate that sinking feeling! I'm constantly checking my park bag after almost every ride because I'm paranoid of loosing something

You have NO idea how obsessively I checked for stuff after this!

I have a very similar story. Our first trip in 2014, first ride, EE, my daughter leaves her camera in the little goodie pouch on the ride, someone finds it, turns it in, bless them. We have the camera back in 15 min. Next day, first ride, my son looses his phone on Star Tours, someone finds it on the next cycle of rides and turns it in to a CM, CM amswers a text I sent to him because I didn't ride ( his phone didn't have a password) to come pick it up in the dump shop. . We have the phone back in 15 min. Craziness. Now I bug the crap out of everyone constantly asking them if they've got everything...

OH BOY! A double whammie. I'd have been irked for sure! And paranoid the rest of the trip. Love that both of yours ended well!

Makes me wonder just how many cameras and phones get turned in every day

I'd say about the same number as toddlers have meltdowns.

 

[Steppesister]

Oh dear, another "meh" review of Soarin'. I have not experienced the new version yet, but all the complaints are basically the same, CG heavy and warped photography. My youngest loved this ride on our last trip. I hope she still enjoys it next time around.

Yeah, I was really looking forward to it, but even to an enthusiast who's willing to forgive a LOT because it's Disney, I hate to say it, but I'm just not a fan right now. I KNOW Disney can and should do better....

I hope you get the phone back! In my limited experience with losing things at Disney, it generally works out. Oldest DD lost her camera back in 2008, she left it in the bathroom. We got it back at guest relations after it was picked up by cleaning staff. The other was on Expedition Everest, DW left her purse in the seat pocket. We realized it almost right away but the cars were already moving out at that point, so we waited for the same car to make a circuit. You know, on the ride it seems to go pretty fast, but waiting for a train to cycle around seems like forever.

I'd never lost anything ever before until this horrifying incident, so was really unsure of what to expect. I knew that if it'd perchance be turned in, I'd likely not get it until perhaps days later from Central Lost and Found. Yikes! I had DISMeets galore I needed to make- phone needed!!!!!!

I"m sure waiting for a train or car to go around seemed like an interminable wait!

 

[Steppesister]

Well, one thing is perfectly clear here.
I suck at this contest!

This is actually a small portion of the Contest. Fear not, the other points are of much bigger value. If you and Donna come back and check in once in a while, you can keep track of how you're doing there too. If not, I'll send your prizes elsewhere. There are plenty of others who will want their gifties.

Merde.

HEY! I know that one! Finally, a French word I remember.

No fair! That was one of my first thoughts! But then I was "But TOT isn't an H so it has to be something else."
Curse you and your literal interpretations!

I am tricky... to quote someone else I know.

But now you know.

This is the correct way to tour WDW people.

I could give lessons and charge enough to fund my next trip.

I'm sure he was overjoyed at this news.

Oh it was nothing compared to having to get up on Day 7.

pffttt.... A teen eyeroll can't even touch an adult woman's... or any parent.

Truth!

Oy. Next time request a room that's a one minute walk away.
Trust me on this. I've done both.
I prefer the one minute to the 45.

Live and learn. It will never happen again.

Ever.

Not bad. 10 minutes.

No. Bad.

Should have been 3, but we stink at anything transportation related. Period.

I'm sure they'll be much happier with that.

I aim to please; I am their Benevolent Benefactress.

I don't mind it. I really only want to do the fast part anyway and that hasn't changed at least.

I really liked the storyline of the old ride. Sad they ditched that. I dunno, maybe if I'd done the pre-build-your-car-thing, it'd have made more sense.

You should always get at least one souvenir.

I aim high.

I wonder if it is anywhere?
No. I'm not going to research it.

I did do the research actually. It is only legal in a VERY few states (like 3) and never in red or blue. Ginger is happy basking in her glow in the garage.

No!!!

Yes.

Oh, man. Right out of the gate! Not fun Liesa!

My trips would be so boring without poop like this happening. I'm just getting warmed up here!

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the second voice was louder.

Deafening works.

Oh, there is. Trust me.

Thank you for that. <shoots off an adult woman's eye roll>

And I suspect you will also let them know and thus also be (temporarily) not one of the good people.

I probably wouldn't mention it, but maybe a particularly well-aimed adult/parent eye roll or post-Casey's bomb might get my point across. Actually, I would say something (and did, but that's a tale for later) to the idiot jerks who were harassing the young girls in a line after drinking too much.

Wow. I couldn't do that. I'd be right back at TT in a panic.

No use. You'd just stand there and waste ride time. Can't let yourself get behind in RD strats.

Darn. This TR just took a giant step backward.

Well, I can't go around like that all the time! I have some standards to uphold.

@franandaj says the middle is wayyy better.

I'll have to request the middle next I"m there then.

Hmmm..... Maybe.

You think about it.

 

[Steppesister]

I'm definitely a glutton - keep feeding me Trip Reports!

I will do my best!

Please do come out of lurking and say hello.

Monday is a day to DIS, so hopefully I can make some good headway in getting a lot of reading and commenting done.

High on my list anyway. Although in Austria you could spot me as the British prude in the sauna sitting in the swimsuit.

You wore a suit in a sauna?! Just no, Girl!! LOL!

I usually now pack one bottle and keep another one out for using as it is one of the last things I use before leaving the house.

I have this strategy too, with toothpaste.

Your dis-meet at the Ditch (I was about to say trench - I've been doing too much History revision with Hannah) looked a lot of fun! I will be back soon to read more.

Oh it was full of silly shenanigans! Quite the fun-loving crowd we were!

Trench? LOLOLOL!!!

 

[pkondz]

This is actually a small portion of the Contest. Fear not, the other points are of much bigger value. If you and Donna come back and check in once in a while, you can keep track of how you're doing there too. If not, I'll send your prizes elsewhere. There are plenty of others who will want their gifties.

I forgot you had prizes. Guess I'll stick around.
I'm shallow like that.

HEY! I know that one! Finally, a French word I remember.

I am tricky... to quote someone else I know

Well, that person must be a real jerk!

I could give lessons and charge enough to fund my next trip.

Oh it was nothing compared to having to get up on Day 7.

Ah. Would that be the travel day??

Live and learn. It will never happen again.

Ever.

Yup. Been there. Done that.

Should have been 3, but we stink at anything transportation related. Period

Huh. Can't say I've had the displeasure.

I aim to please; I am their Benevolent Benefactress.

I like that!

I really liked the storyline of the old ride. Sad they ditched that. I dunno, maybe if I'd done the pre-build-your-car-thing, it'd have made more sense.

It would help. Makes it a bit more interactive.
Don't ask me how to make a good car, though.

I did do the research actually. It is only legal in a VERY few states (like 3) and never in red or blue. Ginger is happy basking in her glow in the garage.

You did the research? Whoa.
But only three States. Doesn't seem to make it overly worth it.

My trips would be so boring without poop like this happening. I'm just getting warmed up here!

Uh, oh.

Deafening works.

Thought so.

Thank you for that. <shoots off an adult woman's eye roll>

Uh, huh. Fine. Be that way.

I probably wouldn't mention it, but maybe a particularly well-aimed adult/parent eye roll or post-Casey's bomb might get my point across.

Actually, I would say something (and did, but that's a tale for later) to the idiot jerks who were harassing the young girls in a line after drinking too much.

No! Wow. I'll be waiting for that chapter.

No use. You'd just stand there and waste ride time. Can't let yourself get behind in RD strats.

And I'd waste it.

Well, I can't go around like that all the time! I have some standards to uphold.

Darn.

I'll have to request the middle next I"m there then.

 

[Princess Leia]

Monday is a day to DIS, so hopefully I can make some good headway in getting a lot of reading and commenting done.

That's good. I'm hardly in the house on a Monday - at work then at a rehearsal till 10pm.

You wore a suit in a sauna?! Just no, Girl!! LOL!

LOL indeed! I know, I was just a young thing then surrounded by rather large (well in terms of rolls of fat), naked older men. To be fair when I first went in I had the place to myself.

Oh it was full of silly shenanigans!

Silly Shenanigans sounds fun! There is no point in trying to explain any funny stories to anyone who wasn't there as I'm sure it was one of those 'had to be there' occasions.

 

[franandaj]

That's good. I'm hardly in the house on a Monday - at work then at a rehearsal till 10pm.

What kind of rehearsal? Just curious...

 

[pkondz]

What kind of rehearsal? Just curious...

Check her TR!
There's even photos!

 

[afwdwfan]

In fact, I picked out my one big ticket souvenir and made arrangements for it to be shipped home immediately.

Why didn't you just get that souvenir in Bowling Green?

That is all aftermarket stuff and NOT street legal, at least here in Oregon. And since I actually like to drive my car AND avoid citations, well..

Ok, ok... it is illegal here too. Well, supposedly it is ok if you have a color like purple but illegal if you use a light that is the color of a traffic signal or emergency vehicles. I've never actually read the law to know for sure. But back in the late 90's - early 00's this was the thing to do. Like everybody around here had them and I literally don't know of anyone ever getting a ticket for it. I was dating a girl at the time and she had a Cougar with red lights under it. She tried to get me to put lights under my truck. I almost did it.

And now that I'm not a dumb high school/college kid, I'm so glad I didn't! Imagine a 4x4 truck with mud tires with a glow underneath it. Ok, I don't have to imagine it. I've seen it. But thank goodness it wasn't me!

"NO, MY PHONE'S GONE!!!!!", I wailed in retort.

You don't waste any time, do you? I mean, I've been known to destroy a phone or 2 on vacation myself, but I usually at least wait until the mid to late portion of the trip.

But, seriously! TT went downhill. Maelstrom went… Frozen, and now Soarin’ just went…. bent? And CG.

I like the pre and post show changes to TT. The rest is just... yeah. Frozen, well, the jury's still out because I've not seen it. I never liked Soarin as much as most to begin with so I'm pretty sure I won't be a big fan of the CG. I've always felt that the transition between scenes was the worst. It totally lost the illusion of flying to me when you constantly cut from scene to scene. So maybe better transitions will help me on some level? I don't know, but I'm not looking forward to seeing an Eiffel Tower in need of Viagra.

OK, GREAT! Been there, done that, now, “Hurry up, Kids! I’ve got an iPhone to Phind!”


Or not.

 

[Steppesister]

but I'm not looking forward to seeing an Eiffel Tower in need of Viagra.

More thorough replies later tonight, but I can't leave this one alone.

I was actually going to write something to the effects of it needing the little blue pill and thought, hmmm... should I?

I"m so glad my readers a) think a little like me and, b) are always ready to fill in the gaps.

 

[afwdwfan]

More thorough replies later tonight, but I can't leave this one alone.

I was actually going to write something to the effects of it needing the little blue pill and thought, hmmm... should I?

I"m so glad my readers a) think a little like me and, b) are always ready to fill in the gaps.

Full disclosure, I heard that one somewhere else. I don't remember where, but I liked it and it stuck.

 

[Steppesister]

Full disclosure, I heard that one somewhere else. I don't remember where, but I liked it and it stuck.

May have been @pkondz's. But, full disclosure, had it not already been said, I'd have been the first. It's a perfect metaphor.

 

[franandaj]

May have been @pkondz's. But, full disclosure, had it not already been said, I'd have been the first. It's a perfect metaphor.

I don't remember hearing that before. I have yet to see it not from the middle row, but these comments are kind of making me want to do it.

 

[pkondz]

Imagine a 4x4 truck with mud tires with a glow underneath it. Ok, I don't have to imagine it. I've seen it.

Oy. Dude... Just... no.

I was actually going to write something to the effects of it needing the little blue pill and thought, hmmm... should I?

I"m so glad my readers a) think a little like me and, b) are always ready to fill in the gaps.

No one thinks like you do... No one.

don't remember hearing that before. I have yet to see it not from the middle row, but these comments are kind of making me want to do it.

 

[franandaj]

I don't remember hearing that before. I have yet to see it not from the middle row, but these comments are kind of making me want to do it.

OK, I just saw it from the top row far right. I didn't think it was nearly as bad as everyone is making it out to be. The people next to me were on their first ride and they loved it! Yes the structures were leaning a bit. The thing I found the most disturbing was Monument Valley, but I can't say why here! It did not need the blue pill!