Sorry for the loooong gap, but I hope you still want to hear about the rest of my trip!! LOL
Recap---
Cast: Aisling (42), Mom (60), DS Chad (18), and DS Jesse (12).
Day 1 highlights: Checked into AKL, met Diser DisKim, Pal Mickey, Whispering Canyon dinner
Day 2 highlights: MK opening, Fantasmic Dinner Package Mama Melrose
Day 3 July 7
Today we were going to Epcot EMH, and Mickey woke us up at 6 AM. We slept with the drapes opened, and from Chad and Jesse's bed, they could see 3 giraffes right outside our balcony. It was wonderful! I mentioned to Mom about the peeping Tom cameras on the savannah, and she started dancing around the room in her pjs singing "look at me, I'm an old lady in my sexy jammies!" It was hilarious.
Today was Chad's segway tour at Epcot, and he was excited. Jesse went with Mom to get her coffee, while Chad and I were last to get ready. By 7:45, we met at the bus stop. The bus was coming, and Chad and I ran to get to the bus. There were only a few families on the bus. As we were leaving the AKL compound, a woman asked to be let off the bus because she said she forgot her park tickets. The driver said he can't let her off by the side of the road like that, and she accepted it, saying Oh well, they'll just have to return to AKL. Then the bus driver made a U-Turn to go back to AKL!! Wow, that was nice, but deep down I was thinking Oh no, we're not going to make it for opening. As he turned and everyone realized what he was doing, the woman said No, that's OK, we found the tickets! We all laughed, and he turned around again. We made it promptly to Epcot.
We went straight to M:S and walked right in. Mom came in as far as the end of the line, and then went out the chicken exit. She had no intention of doing M:S, but she wanted to see the queue attractions. I was so nervous, because I'm claustrophobic, and I kept taking outloud to myself, "It's gonna be OK, you have to get to Mars, you have to save the ship!!" I made myself brave, I did the ride, and it was fun! I didn't get sick, I looked all around the cabin, and I kept shouting "Hey Chad, I'm looking all around!!" because Chad kept telling me to keep my head back, eyes open, and look straight ahead.
Jesse wanted to go right back on, but then there was a bit of a wait, so we got FPs for later, and went over to Spaceship Earth. I love this ride. I love the educational aspect, and the way it looks so beautiful inside at certain parts. I love the way the last part of the ride is backwards. Mom was amazed when she realized that we were all the way up inside the giant golf ball.
It was then 8:50 AM and Chad had to be over at Guest Relations (or something like that) for his segway tour. I was excited because I was going to meet Airhead and Nate, fellow Disers. We had a hard time finding where Chad was supposed to be, and when we asked someone, Chad decided he needed to run to get there in time. I told him to call me on my cell to tell me where he was, and then he took off. There was no way I was going to do any running in that heat! I shouted out to him, "don't forget Airhead!" because I wanted him to introduce himself to her. We hadn't had breakfast, so Mom, Jesse, and I went to Fountainview Espresso & Bakery. It was a popular breakfast spot, judging by the lack of available inside tables. Jesse looked around and got us a two seat table, while I went on line. Two bagels with cream cheese, a muffin, two orange juices, and a chocolate milk came to $12 and change. Jesse and I shared a seat (which was not easy! LOL), and we ate, while waiting for Chad to call. Finally, he did, and we rushed over to where he was. We saw him through an open door inside a building that I can't remember. He was with the segway group, getting instruction. Someone closed the door, and we sat outside the door, waiting for them to come out. After a short while, the door opened, and they all came out, like baby ducks following mama duck, all in a row with their helmets on, riding their segways. I snapped a few pics as they went by. They looked so cute!
Mom, Jesse and I then went to Innoventions and sent those cool photo postcards to every email addy we could think of. Jesse loved the video games, and Mom went off on her own and did some of the exhibits, and I found a nice vacant spot on the floor against the wall to keep an eye on Jesse. It was so hot out that morning, and I felt my face had been sunburned already. All I wanted was to be kept cool. I had 3 bottles of water in my back pack, and I drank them all as I sat there. I wanted to be at World Showcase for rope drop at 11, and also meet Chad there at the end of the tour. At least that's where I thought they were going to be ending the tour. I got my crew together and we went off to World Showcase. As we walked, we could see the segway gang across the lagoon/lake/body of water, going in and out of the different countries. We were like silly fools getting excited and pointing across the lake, "THERE THEY ARE!!" People were looking at us, and then looking across the lake, as if we'd seen movie stars or Mickey or I don't know what. We followed them on our side as we got closer to WS. And then we realized they were coming our way. They weren't stopping in WS. They were coming back to their starting point. Mom and Jesse were ready to beat me with a stick, because now we had to walk all the way back again. Did I mention it was hotter than heck? The segwayers rode right by us, not even looking at us, as gawkers said "Wow, look at those people! What are those things they're riding on??" Chad admitted he felt really cool, but he could have at least given me a nod as he segwayed by his hot, feet-aching family as we trailed them like groupies.
They went by, and I thought we could keep up with them. We walked behind them, then walked fast, then trotted, then I told Jesse "Keep up with them!!" as Mom and I were ready to drop. Poor obedient Jesse tried his best, but it was no use. I don't know why I felt the need to be right there with the segwayers! Anyway, we ended u[p back at the beginning point, the segwayers went into that room, did their end-of-tour thing, and started coming out. We were delighted to finally meet Airhead (CJ), Karen, and Nate. What nice people!! I loved talking with them, and taking pics. It would have been a ton of fun to be able to hang out with them, and maybe we'll meet up in WDW again. CJ and Karen, I'll buy you both a Margarita or two! (Nate, you, too!) Thanks to the Dis for my meeting these swell people!
Off we go, back to Innovention, so that Chad could send some photo postcards to his hundred closest friends. I found my reserved spot on the floor, and sat myself down. This time, Mom joined me. We had totally forgotten about our Mission:Space FPs at that point. All this time, by the way, I had the Pal Mickey in my bag. I'd take him out from time to time, and he was fun, but he was mostly in the bag.
We had a 2:50 Ice Cream Social ressie at the Garden Grill in The Land, and so we headed in that direction. We decided to see Honey I Shrunk The Audience, and that's when things got serious.
My mom is a young 60, very hip and outgoing. But she has her weaknesses. She doesn't do well on roller coasters, closed-in spaces, and anything that shocks you from out of nowhere. Well, HISTH was a disaster for her. I knew she wouldn't be able to handle It's A Bug's Life at AK, but I thought she'd be fine at HISTA. I was so wrong. As we went in and sat down, I explained the 3-D idea, and told her about the movie. She saw lots of little kids, and I think that gave her a false sense of security. When the thing started, she thought it was cute and funny. But when the mice got loose, she FREAKED OUT. Jesse warned her in advance to lift up her feet, and she did, but she still felt the mice. Her legs were so high up, like she was doing yoga, almost touching her head with her legs, and she kept screaming "it bit me, it bit me!!" Kids started screaming like crazy, which made it worse for her. I kept telling her it's just air, not real mice, it's fake, nothing is there, but the damage was done. "Get me out of here," she kept saying, and I realized she was in a state of panic. I got up, took her by the hand, and then the giant snake comes shooting out (was it a snake?? I can't remember.) Well, she still had her 3-D glasses on and I thought she was going to faint. A CM came right over to us, opened the door, and asked if we needed assistance. Mom was that bad. I had to rush her to a bathroom, where she just made it in time. I felt terrible, and worried that Mom's Disney spirit would be shot. She was in the restroom for a long time, coming out, and having to go back in again. Chad and Jesse met us there, and over a time, she was relatively ok. Later that evening, she was even able to joke about having the blank scared out of her! But I was really scared when it was happening.
We made it to the Ice Cream Social, and we were hungry, having had no lunch. Chad hadn't eaten anything at all, but no one wanted any real food. The ice cream was enough. The ICS was an inexpensive way for some great private character interaction. It was $6.99 pp. We loved the slowly-rotating restaurant, and the way the booths are set up so that you don't see the character coming. It's just suddenly there! We were visited by Chip, Dale, Pluto, Minnie, and Mickey, all dressed in farmer clothes. I told Chip that he (she?) is my favorite, and hs (she?) blew me a kiss. Then I said the same to Dale and he(she) did an "aw shucks" move. But then Chad told Dale, "She told Chip the same thing!" And Dale put his hands on his hips like he was mad at me! Very cute! We were there for about 35 minutes. We could've stayed longer, there was no rush put on us to leave even after we finished our ice cream. The characters were coming around again as we decided to leave. It was pouring rain at that time, and people were running into The Land to get out of the deluge. We put on our yellow ponchos and headed back to AKL. The buses came right away, and were were back in our room in no time. We saw zebras right outside the balcony, and then the giraffes came by. They were so close, it was fantastic. What a great room we had. We were very hungry, so we went down to The Mara for a shrimp platter, a fish platter, a hot dog meal, and a burger meal. I thought the prices were too high, but we expected it. The cashier CM was from China, and I asked her for her autograph. She wrote my name in Chinese, and also a greeting. Most of the autographs in my book are from regular people, from different countries, or whatever. The infamous Brazilian Tour groups are well represented in my autograph books! I saw a CM cleaning up, and he wore a ribbon on his shirt. I asked him what it was, and he said this was his first day of work, and he was earning his ears! How sweet! Of course I had him sign my autograph book, and he was thrilled.
We went back to the room, and napped until about 6:30. We had our Illuminations Cruise that night, and would be meeting WDW TRIP NUT. Her family was joining us on the cruise. We had to be at the Yacht Club Marina at 8:15, so we slowly got ourselves going. We ate some snacks we had brought from home, and we were on our way.
The bus to MGM, since it was right there, and then the boat to the YC is how we got there. We strolled around the YC area, while Chad went to the marina. He called me on my cell and told me that he thinks WDW TRIP NUT was there. He saw a woman and a boy waiting, and he figured it was them. He was right. WDW TRIP NUT is from Mississippi, and I loved her accent. She is so sweet, and if you're reading this, I wish I had time to speak with you a little longer. She even brought me a little gift! Her son and herself, and my crew, boarded, and we met Capt. Ron. I requested Capt. Ron because of the good remarks about him here on the boards. He was a hoot! It was drizzling, but Illuminations went on as planned. We parked under the bridge, and people from above were looking down at us. What luck we had to get a boat, and not have to find a spot in the huge crowd. If you're trying for an Illuminations Cruise, don't give up. If you can't get on on your own, post on the boards to join one, it's so worth it!
After the fireworks, Capt. Ron took us over to where we could look between the trees and see Mickey on top of the mountain at the end of Fantasmic. It was awesome!! This cruise was the best spent money of our trip. Capt. Ron asked us to sign his autograph book, and I had him sign mine. We took some pics, and said good night. We got back to AKL to find Disney pins for us on our turned-down beds. (I'm such a sneak!) Chad got Puumba, Jesse got the Cheshire Cat, I got Cinderella, and Mom got a patriotic Mickey. How the heck does Disney know to get us what we like, she asked. Mom, Disney knows everything!
We put Crissa on the TV, and settled ourselved down for the night. I planned on secretly ordering room service for breakfast tomorrow, so I filled out the form and put it under my pillow. Chad had a habit of exploring the AKL late at night before he went to sleep, sitting in the lounge, etc, and I didn't want him to see the form on the door. I woke up at 2 AM and Chad was asleep in bed, so I quietly put the form on the outside doorknob. I went back to bed and fell asleep right away. I had called for a 7 AM wake-up, and ordered breakfast for 7:30 AM.
Tomorrow was going to be a non-park day, starting with parasailing!
Recap---
Cast: Aisling (42), Mom (60), DS Chad (18), and DS Jesse (12).
Day 1 highlights: Checked into AKL, met Diser DisKim, Pal Mickey, Whispering Canyon dinner
Day 2 highlights: MK opening, Fantasmic Dinner Package Mama Melrose
Day 3 July 7
Today we were going to Epcot EMH, and Mickey woke us up at 6 AM. We slept with the drapes opened, and from Chad and Jesse's bed, they could see 3 giraffes right outside our balcony. It was wonderful! I mentioned to Mom about the peeping Tom cameras on the savannah, and she started dancing around the room in her pjs singing "look at me, I'm an old lady in my sexy jammies!" It was hilarious.
Today was Chad's segway tour at Epcot, and he was excited. Jesse went with Mom to get her coffee, while Chad and I were last to get ready. By 7:45, we met at the bus stop. The bus was coming, and Chad and I ran to get to the bus. There were only a few families on the bus. As we were leaving the AKL compound, a woman asked to be let off the bus because she said she forgot her park tickets. The driver said he can't let her off by the side of the road like that, and she accepted it, saying Oh well, they'll just have to return to AKL. Then the bus driver made a U-Turn to go back to AKL!! Wow, that was nice, but deep down I was thinking Oh no, we're not going to make it for opening. As he turned and everyone realized what he was doing, the woman said No, that's OK, we found the tickets! We all laughed, and he turned around again. We made it promptly to Epcot.
We went straight to M:S and walked right in. Mom came in as far as the end of the line, and then went out the chicken exit. She had no intention of doing M:S, but she wanted to see the queue attractions. I was so nervous, because I'm claustrophobic, and I kept taking outloud to myself, "It's gonna be OK, you have to get to Mars, you have to save the ship!!" I made myself brave, I did the ride, and it was fun! I didn't get sick, I looked all around the cabin, and I kept shouting "Hey Chad, I'm looking all around!!" because Chad kept telling me to keep my head back, eyes open, and look straight ahead.
Jesse wanted to go right back on, but then there was a bit of a wait, so we got FPs for later, and went over to Spaceship Earth. I love this ride. I love the educational aspect, and the way it looks so beautiful inside at certain parts. I love the way the last part of the ride is backwards. Mom was amazed when she realized that we were all the way up inside the giant golf ball.
It was then 8:50 AM and Chad had to be over at Guest Relations (or something like that) for his segway tour. I was excited because I was going to meet Airhead and Nate, fellow Disers. We had a hard time finding where Chad was supposed to be, and when we asked someone, Chad decided he needed to run to get there in time. I told him to call me on my cell to tell me where he was, and then he took off. There was no way I was going to do any running in that heat! I shouted out to him, "don't forget Airhead!" because I wanted him to introduce himself to her. We hadn't had breakfast, so Mom, Jesse, and I went to Fountainview Espresso & Bakery. It was a popular breakfast spot, judging by the lack of available inside tables. Jesse looked around and got us a two seat table, while I went on line. Two bagels with cream cheese, a muffin, two orange juices, and a chocolate milk came to $12 and change. Jesse and I shared a seat (which was not easy! LOL), and we ate, while waiting for Chad to call. Finally, he did, and we rushed over to where he was. We saw him through an open door inside a building that I can't remember. He was with the segway group, getting instruction. Someone closed the door, and we sat outside the door, waiting for them to come out. After a short while, the door opened, and they all came out, like baby ducks following mama duck, all in a row with their helmets on, riding their segways. I snapped a few pics as they went by. They looked so cute!
Mom, Jesse and I then went to Innoventions and sent those cool photo postcards to every email addy we could think of. Jesse loved the video games, and Mom went off on her own and did some of the exhibits, and I found a nice vacant spot on the floor against the wall to keep an eye on Jesse. It was so hot out that morning, and I felt my face had been sunburned already. All I wanted was to be kept cool. I had 3 bottles of water in my back pack, and I drank them all as I sat there. I wanted to be at World Showcase for rope drop at 11, and also meet Chad there at the end of the tour. At least that's where I thought they were going to be ending the tour. I got my crew together and we went off to World Showcase. As we walked, we could see the segway gang across the lagoon/lake/body of water, going in and out of the different countries. We were like silly fools getting excited and pointing across the lake, "THERE THEY ARE!!" People were looking at us, and then looking across the lake, as if we'd seen movie stars or Mickey or I don't know what. We followed them on our side as we got closer to WS. And then we realized they were coming our way. They weren't stopping in WS. They were coming back to their starting point. Mom and Jesse were ready to beat me with a stick, because now we had to walk all the way back again. Did I mention it was hotter than heck? The segwayers rode right by us, not even looking at us, as gawkers said "Wow, look at those people! What are those things they're riding on??" Chad admitted he felt really cool, but he could have at least given me a nod as he segwayed by his hot, feet-aching family as we trailed them like groupies.
They went by, and I thought we could keep up with them. We walked behind them, then walked fast, then trotted, then I told Jesse "Keep up with them!!" as Mom and I were ready to drop. Poor obedient Jesse tried his best, but it was no use. I don't know why I felt the need to be right there with the segwayers! Anyway, we ended u[p back at the beginning point, the segwayers went into that room, did their end-of-tour thing, and started coming out. We were delighted to finally meet Airhead (CJ), Karen, and Nate. What nice people!! I loved talking with them, and taking pics. It would have been a ton of fun to be able to hang out with them, and maybe we'll meet up in WDW again. CJ and Karen, I'll buy you both a Margarita or two! (Nate, you, too!) Thanks to the Dis for my meeting these swell people!
Off we go, back to Innovention, so that Chad could send some photo postcards to his hundred closest friends. I found my reserved spot on the floor, and sat myself down. This time, Mom joined me. We had totally forgotten about our Mission:Space FPs at that point. All this time, by the way, I had the Pal Mickey in my bag. I'd take him out from time to time, and he was fun, but he was mostly in the bag.
We had a 2:50 Ice Cream Social ressie at the Garden Grill in The Land, and so we headed in that direction. We decided to see Honey I Shrunk The Audience, and that's when things got serious.
My mom is a young 60, very hip and outgoing. But she has her weaknesses. She doesn't do well on roller coasters, closed-in spaces, and anything that shocks you from out of nowhere. Well, HISTH was a disaster for her. I knew she wouldn't be able to handle It's A Bug's Life at AK, but I thought she'd be fine at HISTA. I was so wrong. As we went in and sat down, I explained the 3-D idea, and told her about the movie. She saw lots of little kids, and I think that gave her a false sense of security. When the thing started, she thought it was cute and funny. But when the mice got loose, she FREAKED OUT. Jesse warned her in advance to lift up her feet, and she did, but she still felt the mice. Her legs were so high up, like she was doing yoga, almost touching her head with her legs, and she kept screaming "it bit me, it bit me!!" Kids started screaming like crazy, which made it worse for her. I kept telling her it's just air, not real mice, it's fake, nothing is there, but the damage was done. "Get me out of here," she kept saying, and I realized she was in a state of panic. I got up, took her by the hand, and then the giant snake comes shooting out (was it a snake?? I can't remember.) Well, she still had her 3-D glasses on and I thought she was going to faint. A CM came right over to us, opened the door, and asked if we needed assistance. Mom was that bad. I had to rush her to a bathroom, where she just made it in time. I felt terrible, and worried that Mom's Disney spirit would be shot. She was in the restroom for a long time, coming out, and having to go back in again. Chad and Jesse met us there, and over a time, she was relatively ok. Later that evening, she was even able to joke about having the blank scared out of her! But I was really scared when it was happening.
We made it to the Ice Cream Social, and we were hungry, having had no lunch. Chad hadn't eaten anything at all, but no one wanted any real food. The ice cream was enough. The ICS was an inexpensive way for some great private character interaction. It was $6.99 pp. We loved the slowly-rotating restaurant, and the way the booths are set up so that you don't see the character coming. It's just suddenly there! We were visited by Chip, Dale, Pluto, Minnie, and Mickey, all dressed in farmer clothes. I told Chip that he (she?) is my favorite, and hs (she?) blew me a kiss. Then I said the same to Dale and he(she) did an "aw shucks" move. But then Chad told Dale, "She told Chip the same thing!" And Dale put his hands on his hips like he was mad at me! Very cute! We were there for about 35 minutes. We could've stayed longer, there was no rush put on us to leave even after we finished our ice cream. The characters were coming around again as we decided to leave. It was pouring rain at that time, and people were running into The Land to get out of the deluge. We put on our yellow ponchos and headed back to AKL. The buses came right away, and were were back in our room in no time. We saw zebras right outside the balcony, and then the giraffes came by. They were so close, it was fantastic. What a great room we had. We were very hungry, so we went down to The Mara for a shrimp platter, a fish platter, a hot dog meal, and a burger meal. I thought the prices were too high, but we expected it. The cashier CM was from China, and I asked her for her autograph. She wrote my name in Chinese, and also a greeting. Most of the autographs in my book are from regular people, from different countries, or whatever. The infamous Brazilian Tour groups are well represented in my autograph books! I saw a CM cleaning up, and he wore a ribbon on his shirt. I asked him what it was, and he said this was his first day of work, and he was earning his ears! How sweet! Of course I had him sign my autograph book, and he was thrilled.
We went back to the room, and napped until about 6:30. We had our Illuminations Cruise that night, and would be meeting WDW TRIP NUT. Her family was joining us on the cruise. We had to be at the Yacht Club Marina at 8:15, so we slowly got ourselves going. We ate some snacks we had brought from home, and we were on our way.
The bus to MGM, since it was right there, and then the boat to the YC is how we got there. We strolled around the YC area, while Chad went to the marina. He called me on my cell and told me that he thinks WDW TRIP NUT was there. He saw a woman and a boy waiting, and he figured it was them. He was right. WDW TRIP NUT is from Mississippi, and I loved her accent. She is so sweet, and if you're reading this, I wish I had time to speak with you a little longer. She even brought me a little gift! Her son and herself, and my crew, boarded, and we met Capt. Ron. I requested Capt. Ron because of the good remarks about him here on the boards. He was a hoot! It was drizzling, but Illuminations went on as planned. We parked under the bridge, and people from above were looking down at us. What luck we had to get a boat, and not have to find a spot in the huge crowd. If you're trying for an Illuminations Cruise, don't give up. If you can't get on on your own, post on the boards to join one, it's so worth it!
After the fireworks, Capt. Ron took us over to where we could look between the trees and see Mickey on top of the mountain at the end of Fantasmic. It was awesome!! This cruise was the best spent money of our trip. Capt. Ron asked us to sign his autograph book, and I had him sign mine. We took some pics, and said good night. We got back to AKL to find Disney pins for us on our turned-down beds. (I'm such a sneak!) Chad got Puumba, Jesse got the Cheshire Cat, I got Cinderella, and Mom got a patriotic Mickey. How the heck does Disney know to get us what we like, she asked. Mom, Disney knows everything!
We put Crissa on the TV, and settled ourselved down for the night. I planned on secretly ordering room service for breakfast tomorrow, so I filled out the form and put it under my pillow. Chad had a habit of exploring the AKL late at night before he went to sleep, sitting in the lounge, etc, and I didn't want him to see the form on the door. I woke up at 2 AM and Chad was asleep in bed, so I quietly put the form on the outside doorknob. I went back to bed and fell asleep right away. I had called for a 7 AM wake-up, and ordered breakfast for 7:30 AM.
Tomorrow was going to be a non-park day, starting with parasailing!
