Antics of the Orange Banded Monkeys: Heartbreaking News June 2017

Dee - I spit my drink out looking at the pictures of you asleep!

The view looks fabulous from the Top of the World Lounge - sorry I missed it. It was Via Napoli where we had our last night dinner. Sorry I missed the Crew Cup I love their lobster rolls
 
The sleeping photos are priceless. I laughed out loud at them.

The view at Top of the World is spectacular. Will definitely go back there in May.
 
Ok I can now breathe again ( at least enough to type)! Priceless update - particularly like the wee bag of beach club shampoos stashed in the bed beside you lol. You cut a fine figure in your flowery cap with your monkey friends!
Hope you had a very monkey Christmas too and thanks for the wonderful gift of laughter :)
Ditto this!!

LOVE the final pic :)
 
FYI- I won't be updating this report until after my visit to Florida and Teena is safely on her way to visit Jeanne and Lily next week.

While my last update was funny and one of the favorite I have ever posted, the next update will be short but heartbreaking.



I wish I was going to be together with you all in person. That would be nice.

It is going to be strange to be staying in Florida without my family and without you!!!

:hug:


I am!!!! Just five days. I made our airport limo reservation this morning - it's at 5:30 am on Saturday which is ridiculously early, but I know I'll be too excited to sleep anyway, so we might as well get ourselves onto that plane and head to WDW. And the bonus for this trip is that I will get to see a couple of Dis friends in person! Yay!

C U Real Soon!!!

:banana::banana::banana:


Dee - I spit my drink out looking at the pictures of you asleep!

The view looks fabulous from the Top of the World Lounge - sorry I missed it. It was Via Napoli where we had our last night dinner. Sorry I missed the Crew Cup I love their lobster rolls

Glad you enjoyed.

We are so lucky that Nannette took us up to the TotW lounge for the amazing view and show!!!

::yes::


The sleeping photos are priceless. I laughed out loud at them.

The view at Top of the World is spectacular. Will definitely go back there in May.

Pretty funny, right?

:rotfl2:

I couldn't believe I was so out of it that I didn't remember talking to the girls. Or realizing they were playing "Dress Up Dee"

I typically take a sleeping pill when on vacation with my family, too, but I am usually the last one to fall asleep, so I don't think they have witnessed (or participated in) any antics.

Enjoy your trip to the TotW!!!

party:

Ditto this!!

LOVE the final pic :)

Thanks! Me, too. Can't believe I actually posted in on Facebook, but it just seemed perfect for New Years Eve!

:lmao:
 


Monday August 31- Honoring Teena’s Wishes


This post is a difficult one to write and I really don’t want to go into a lot of detail about that morning.

It was 6:00. I made coffee, grabbed my phone and camera and I had my hand on the door to sneak out of the room when I heard the phone ring. Ninja woke up and answered it and I heard her trying to reassure the voice on the other end of the phone.

It was Teena, who was on the way to the hospital with Bob. She told us to go down to the lobby and let her coworkers know she would not be in that day.

The next couple of hours were a blur. We were getting reports from a mutual friend who was at the hospital with Teena and Bob. We were devastated when we got the news that Bob had passed away.

We continued to be in shock as we offered, through our friend, to rent a car and either come to the hospital, stay with Teena at her house or to pick up Teena and Bob’s daughter Jeanne who was on the way to Florida from her home in Las Vegas, when she arrived at the airport later that night.

At one point that morning, Teena called and talked to each of us. She told us she wanted us to go to EPCOT as we had originally planned, and to have fun. That would prove to be a very difficult task, as our hearts were with our dear friend, but we did our best to honor Teena’s request.

We all feel that the 4 of us, who had become friends through a love of Disney, the Beach Club in particular, were together at that moment for a reason, to comfort and support each other.

:grouphug:

**********************************************************************************

Once we pulled ourselves together to leave, we headed down to the Yacht Club lobby to meet up with Wood Nymph and her husband who were having breakfast at Captain’s Grille. We were going to spend some time together with them in EPCOT.

I didn’t have a park ticket, so I purchased one and once we had entered through the International Gateway, a CM helped me set up Fast Passes that approximately matched those of my friends- Soarin’, Spaceship Earth and… What else did we have???

We walked and we talked.

We saw some kids doing the Albatross Pirate Cruise and we yelled over some “ARGHs!”

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There was a Photopass Photographer when we got to the bridge between UK and France, so we had a group picture taken.

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When we reached Canada, we had to pay tribute to our friend Janetmom, eh?

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We continued on our way to The Land. Ninja Mom spotted a family up ahead and walked over to them. She talked to the mom and dad and asked if they were going on Soarin’. Then she explained the “Golf Ball trick”, where you pretend to catch the golf ball at the scene in the show. She slipped them a golf ball without the kids seeing. Spreading some magic!


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We passed by some Cast Members, probably college program students who had just finished training and were earning their ears

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I was able to convince my friends to pose for a few more photos in front of The Land. Apparently, Nannette and Rebecca wanted nothing to do with this.


The Photopass Photographer told us to do something silly. Who, us???

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We rode Soarin’ (we asked for, and received, the top row) but we didn’t see the family that Ninja had befriended earlier.

As some of you know, one of my favorite foods at the World was the Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad at Sunshine Seasons. I discovered during the June class trip that SS was no longer offering this.

Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad, with Candied Pecans and Honey Sherry Dressing






"No salad for you!"

Boo hoo!

With my friends for support, I gave a eulogy for the loss of “The Salad I Dream About”.


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Yes, there was actually video taken of my speech, but fortunately it has not hit the interwebs because it would surely go viral.



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Checking in with Command Central


At this point, it was approaching the time for our Spaceship Earth Fast Passes. At least for most of us. Wood Nymph and her husband went through. Then the four of us tried to get through. Apparently the FP I made that morning was 15 minutes later than that of my friends. The CM at the checkpoint did not let us in and when we tried a few times to see if our time had come due, I think she smirked at us.

Finally, the appointed time arrived and entered the ride. Rebecca and Nannette rode together and I brought up the rear with Ninja

I took a few pictures in the ride and as always they are nothing to write home about


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Where is the Future Photo for Ninja and me?

It got censored!!! I gave her a little smooch on the cheek at the time of the picture and it didn’t show up at the end of the ride.


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We monkeys were not born yesterday, and we all know the secret of Beverly, however a trip to Club Cool was still on the itinerary.



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This is where I recreated my "Cortana!" episode from the Wilderness Lodge.


We then made a pit stop at the “Secret Bathrooms” I can’t divulge the location to you, not because I am sworn to secrecy, but because I don’t remember. It is in a quiet area in the backside of a building behind Club Cool and on the way to Figment.

No stop to EPCOT is complete without a visit to the Imagination Pavilion. NOT to ride the ride of course, but to get some special popcorn and to take a much needed picture of our monkey Bubbles with MJ.


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Sufficiently fueled with sugary international drinks and fortified with flavored popcorn, we were ready to take on the World (Showcase). The question is, was the World ready for us?


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Next Up: It’s a Small Mexico
 
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I'm sure you've been dreading writing this latest update but I too think fate played a hand in having you all there together to support eachother and more importantly Teena:hug:
I'm so glad you were able to honour Teena's wishes and make the best of your time together in Epcot and I've no doubt Bob would have whole-heartedly approved :goodvibes
Naughty you and Ninja for the x-rated photos on spaceship earth lol:rotfl2::rotfl:

Sending you hugs from across the atlantic :hug:
 
I can understand why that was difficult but you did a great job honoring Teena's wishes and being there to support here.

You guys and your club cool antics are hilarious. I make sure to stop there every trip.
 


Gosh, that's terrible about Teena's husband. Had he been ill?

That's too bad about your favorite salad. Do they remove items that don't sell well? Back in the early '90's, I used to enjoy a chicken parmesan sandwich at what is now the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant (I think it was called something else back then). I was so disappointed when it was discontinued.

Why on earth would they censor your photo? For a simple smooch? That's crazy!

I like that photo of NinjaMom filling her water bottle at Club Cool. Why haven't I thought of that?!
 
Such a sad time.

Nice to see that you were able to carry on with your day as Teena asked. You managed to do a lot.

On my list of I've never done... I've never been to the Imagination pavillion. Looks like we've been missing out on popcorn!

And thank you for paying tribute to me and my home and native land. I'd expect nothing less from you, eh. You made my day then and I'm happy to see the photos again now. On our recent trip I made my son pose there and told him that my Dis friends pose there for me, so the least he could do is pose there as a tribute to my Dis friends. And so happy you found room for Ninjamom in the picture and didn't let the limit of three face holes stop you from putting four people in the picture. :) Although on second glance the other three faces are exactly the same in both pictures, so maybe you photoshopped Ninjamom in after.
 
I'm sure you've been dreading writing this latest update but I too think fate played a hand in having you all there together to support each other and more importantly Teena:hug:
I'm so glad you were able to honour Teena's wishes and make the best of your time together in Epcot and I've no doubt Bob would have whole-heartedly approved :goodvibes
Naughty you and Ninja for the x-rated photos on spaceship earth lol:rotfl2::rotfl:

Sending you hugs from across the atlantic :hug:

As much as I would have been comforted by Mark when this happened, being together with my friends, others who know and love Teena like I do, was a blessing.

Once Teena insisted that she didn't want us to visit, we made the decision to do our best to make the most of the day. There really would be no constructive purpose in sitting around being sad and depressed.

I'm sure that the picture of us really wasn't that bad!

Thanks for the hugs!

:hug:


I can understand why that was difficult but you did a great job honoring Teena's wishes and being there to support here.

You guys and your club cool antics are hilarious. I make sure to stop there every trip.

Thank you!

I'm glad that even though it was a really tough morning for us, we were able to be silly.

Club Cool is not my favorite place in EPCOT. I don't drink much soda, although I do like trying the different flavors. I am usually pretty grossed out by the sticky floor. There was nobody in our group we could trick with Beverly, but we could watch others to see if there were any newbies in the house.

:drinking1


Gosh, that's terrible about Teena's husband. Had he been ill?

That's too bad about your favorite salad. Do they remove items that don't sell well? Back in the early '90's, I used to enjoy a chicken parmesan sandwich at what is now the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant (I think it was called something else back then). I was so disappointed when it was discontinued.

Why on earth would they censor your photo? For a simple smooch? That's crazy!

I like that photo of NinjaMom filling her water bottle at Club Cool. Why haven't I thought of that?!

Bob's passing was unexpected. He was 77, Teena is younger. He had a complete health work-up a few months prior, and there were no red flags.

I'm not sure why they took away my favorite salad. They replaced it with a salad made with that trendy new "miracle" grain quinoa.

I think that because there were two faces in Ninja's space, and none in mine, the future generator at Spaceship Earth did not register correctly. I would have done the nose-picking thing, but I already did that with my friend on the class trip.

An interesting way to get some free soda.

::yes::

Such a sad time.

Nice to see that you were able to carry on with your day as Teena asked. You managed to do a lot.

On my list of I've never done... I've never been to the Imagination pavillion. Looks like we've been missing out on popcorn!

And thank you for paying tribute to me and my home and native land. I'd expect nothing less from you, eh. You made my day then and I'm happy to see the photos again now. On our recent trip I made my son pose there and told him that my Dis friends pose there for me, so the least he could do is pose there as a tribute to my Dis friends. And so happy you found room for Ninjamom in the picture and didn't let the limit of three face holes stop you from putting four people in the picture. :) Although on second glance the other three faces are exactly the same in both pictures, so maybe you photoshopped Ninjamom in after.

In the words of my favorite poet, Jimmy Buffett "If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane"

Humour has always been my method for coping with difficult times. This was no different. And of course I was with a group of people who excel at humour.

It was our pleasure to send our shoutout hello to you. Put some of the first smiles of the day on our faces. Glad you could use our picture as ammunition.

Yes, the popcorn stand may be the best thing about the Imagination/Figment pavilion. The attraction use to be so much better when the Dreamfinder was part of it. Now, it is not my favorite. A sentiment that seems to be shared by the masses.

:figment:


Dee - well done.

:grouphug:

Thank you. For everything!

:hug:


So sorry to read about Teena's husband.

Thank you!

The past few months have been tough. I have been in almost daily contact with Teena.

She is building a house out in Las Vegas and will be moving there with her daughter and granddaughter. Her house in Clermont just sold, so she is relocating at the end of January. I was in Florida for a few days last week helping her around the house, and just hanging out together. Although she is sad to be leaving Florida and her job at Disney, Teena is moving forward. Her girls mean the world to her and being with them is the right place for her to be.

:hug:


Well done, Dee. It was very sad to hear the news about Bob that morning.

Thank you.

It was such a shock. Thank you for being there with us, and helping us get through that morning.

:grouphug:
 
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Finally having the chance to read back while waiting at BWI to fly down to Universal and then WDW. Your post about Bob's passing is very sweet and sad. I love that you honored her wishes and had fun during a difficult time.

I think we need to hear Ninja Mom's side of things about why that SE photo got censored. I'm guessing it's very different from yours. :)
 
Finally having the chance to read back while waiting at BWI to fly down to Universal and then WDW. Your post about Bob's passing is very sweet and sad. I love that you honored her wishes and had fun during a difficult time.

I think we need to hear Ninja Mom's side of things about why that SE photo got censored. I'm guessing it's very different from yours. :)

Good luck with your flight!

Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad we did go out together to EPCOT together. We made the most out of a tough day.

Good point! Yes, I'm sure Ninja will not disappoint with an explanation about our missing Spaceship Earth future photo. Makes me wonder what she got for grades in High School history, because it seems like she often has a very revisionist view of things!

;)
 
We were devastated when we got the news that Bob had passed away

We all feel that the five of us, who had become friends through a love of Disney, the Beach Club in particular, were together at that moment for a reason, to comfort and support each other.

:grouphug:

I am a believer that things happen a certain way for a reason. It made me happy that I could help in a small way during this devastating time for Teena and that we could all be there to put our heads together.
 
We saw some kids doing the Albatross Pirate Cruise and we yelled over some “ARGHs!”
We passed by some Cast Members, probably college program students who had just finished training and were earning their ears

I was harassing a lot of people that morning as I recall. As far as the golf ball trick for Soaring I was careful to try and speak in "code" so the very inquisitive 9 year old hopefully would not catch on to what I was trying to do. The Dad looked rather alarmed at first but after I managed to palm him the golf ball everything I was doing suddenly made sense. I have some idiot in my neighborhood who likes to hit golf balls on my lawn and they are always getting lost in my flower gardens so I have a surplus of golf balls. Many times I have been told that I have a lot of balls and I never disagree, I just never get specific about exactly what kind I have.

With my friends for support, I gave a eulogy for the loss of “The Salad I Dream About”.


Where is the Future Photo for Ninja and me?

It got censored!!! I gave her a little smooch on the cheek at the time of the picture and it didn’t show up at the end of the ride.

The reason that Dee's photo did not show up on Space ship earth is that SECURITY was after her for attacking the Sunshine Seasons menu with a plastic knife in protest of the deletion of that Goat Beet contraption that she is obsessed with. When she realized that a picture would be taken on SSE she dived over to my side of the car and hid from the camera. I thought either of the 2 women in the car in front of us must have farted and I started to exit the ride vehicle to save myself from a dasterdly gassing, but at the last minute Dee pulled me back in and we continued along on the ride.

I know you people think I make all this stuff up but Look at that picture of Dee stabbing the menu. SEE!!! I am the one telling the truth and I do not embellish my statements to jazz up a trip report. I'd also like to state that I was coerced into any and all shenanigans written about in these reports and elsewhere on the internet (See the great Pretzel roll heist of August 2014). I am an upstanding fine (young) woman who always behaves properly. Please know that these trip reports are carefully crafted to make me out as a hooligan and a law breaker. It's simply not true.


Oops. I forgot about this picture. Well... let me see how I can explain away this one. You see it is actually perfectly "Legal" to fill your own container using a paper cup. If you ask 57,133 cast members eventually you will find a poorly trained one who is on the verge of being fired and says "What the hell do I care! lady, you could fill a swimming pool because as soon as my manager clocks in and gets a hold of me I'm turning in my name tag and I'm headed to Sea World to pick up an application".

Actually you really can fill up your own container. They just don't publize it. The paper cups are provided because must people would not bring in a container and they would probably resort to sticking their heads under the spigot to load up on Vegi-beeta-Goat-Cheese or what ever the heck Dee is obsessed with now. I'm sure after working a shift or two at WDW most CM's have seen it all, so the sight of good ol' Ninja Mom filling her bottle in a sanitary fashion by using a paper cup is not even going to make the list of "Gross things I saw a guest do today".

But honestly, it's all you care to drink at Club Cool so load up!

I think we need to hear Ninja Mom's side of things about why that SE photo got censored. I'm guessing it's very different from yours. :)

Oh it's different all right. Most people think of Dee and this law abiding super "Volunteer Mom" but have you seen her party outfit? She goes out at night wearing her flower cap and sunglasses and dragging along her little bags of resort shampoos. Nannette, Rebecca and I went down to the Beach Club Marketplace to get a chocolate croissont and when we came back Dee was gone. After a couple of hours of her not answering her phone we went out to look for her and when we finally got back to the room we found her in bed surrounded by all those liquor bottles and a note that said "We had to drag her back from Jelly Rolls. She would not stop trying to dance on top of the pianos."

Good point! Yes, I'm sure Ninja will not disappoint with an explanation about (you name it)

Hmph!

~NM
 
I was harassing a lot of people that morning as I recall. As far as the golf ball trick for Soaring I was careful to try and speak in "code" so the very inquisitive 9 year old hopefully would not catch on to what I was trying to do. The Dad looked rather alarmed at first but after I managed to palm him the golf ball everything I was doing suddenly made sense. I have some idiot in my neighborhood who likes to hit golf balls on my lawn and they are always getting lost in my flower gardens so I have a surplus of golf balls. Many times I have been told that I have a lot of balls and I never disagree, I just never get specific about exactly what kind I have.







The reason that Dee's photo did not show up on Space ship earth is that SECURITY was after her for attacking the Sunshine Seasons menu with a plastic knife in protest of the deletion of that Goat Beet contraption that she is obsessed with. When she realized that a picture would be taken on SSE she dived over to my side of the car and hid from the camera. I thought either of the 2 women in the car in front of us must have farted and I started to exit the ride vehicle to save myself from a dasterdly gassing, but at the last minute Dee pulled me back in and we continued along on the ride.

I know you people think I make all this stuff up but Look at that picture of Dee stabbing the menu. SEE!!! I am the one telling the truth and I do not embellish my statements to jazz up a trip report. I'd also like to state that I was coerced into any and all shenanigans written about in these reports and elsewhere on the internet (See the great Pretzel roll heist of August 2014). I am an upstanding fine (young) woman who always behaves properly. Please know that these trip reports are carefully crafted to make me out as a hooligan and a law breaker. It's simply not true.



Oops. I forgot about this picture. Well... let me see how I can explain away this one. You see it is actually perfectly "Legal" to fill your own container using a paper cup. If you ask 57,133 cast members eventually you will find a poorly trained one who is on the verge of being fired and says "What the hell do I care! lady, you could fill a swimming pool because as soon as my manager clocks in and gets a hold of me I'm turning in my name tag and I'm headed to Sea World to pick up an application".

Actually you really can fill up your own container. They just don't publize it. The paper cups are provided because must people would not bring in a container and they would probably resort to sticking their heads under the spigot to load up on Vegi-beeta-Goat-Cheese or what ever the heck Dee is obsessed with now. I'm sure after working a shift or two at WDW most CM's have seen it all, so the sight of good ol' Ninja Mom filling her bottle in a sanitary fashion by using a paper cup is not even going to make the list of "Gross things I saw a guest do today".

But honestly, it's all you care to drink at Club Cool so load up!



Oh it's different all right. Most people think of Dee and this law abiding super "Volunteer Mom" but have you seen her party outfit? She goes out at night wearing her flower cap and sunglasses and dragging along her little bags of resort shampoos. Nannette, Rebecca and I went down to the Beach Club Marketplace to get a chocolate croissont and when we came back Dee was gone. After a couple of hours of her not answering her phone we went out to look for her and when we finally got back to the room we found her in bed surrounded by all those liquor bottles and a note that said "We had to drag her back from Jelly Rolls. She would not stop trying to dance on top of the pianos."



Hmph!

~NM

I've been Dark Side for two days with my four kids and just finished a largish glass of Chianti, so all I can think to post is that you did not disappoint, my friend.
 
I am an upstanding fine (young) woman who always behaves properly. Please know that these trip reports are carefully crafted to make me out as a hooligan and a law breaker. It's simply not true.

Most people think of Dee as this law abiding super "Volunteer Mom" but have you seen her party outfit?

As an unbiased witness to the above mentioned law breaking and shenanigans, I will agree with NM that she is a law abiding citizen whose activities get embellished, mostly by herself ;), and that Dee is often the instigator of many of the shenanigans. Our time in Epcot was an eye-opening experience, that's for sure. And we had a great time, too. :)

By the way, it was Ninja Mom yelling at the Pirate Cruise kids that gave me the idea to send my grandkids on the Pirate Cruise in October. They needed NM there to give them a little more excitement, though. ;)
 
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As an unbiased witness to the above mentioned law breaking and shenanigans, I will agree with NM that she is a law abiding citizen whose activities get embellished, mostly by herself ;), and that Dee is often the instigator of many of the shenanigans. Our time in Epcot was an eye-opening experience, that's for sure. And we had a great time, too. :)

By the way, it was Ninja Mom yelling at the Pirate Cruise kids that gave me the idea to send my grandkids on the Pirate Cruise in October. They needed NM there to give them a little more excitement, though. ;)

Sing it Sistah! The baby Pirates on that boat were thoroughly entertained by the lunatic on shore yelling at them. There is nothing like the threat of an under caffeinated, over medicated Pirate Mom trying to hop a railing and hijack your pillaging pontoon. Personally speaking I'll do anything for a chest of that Oriental Trading bling.

~NM
 

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