Better Late Than Never/"How I Learned 2 Love Myself" - May 2007 Trip Report

[loribell]

So I am wondering if you actually killed her before this trip was over!

 

[Villainess]

*Note to self* Never vacation w/ Nan!

 

[walkerag]

 

[emmaleigh47]

Good evening! Time for another (well overdue) installment of the trip report. Sorry for the delay, but I am preparing for another Disney trip next week and trying to wrap things up at work. I have not taken more than one day of vacation since I started, so people are kinda freaking out …. Anyways….

Tuesday AM we woke up bright and early with plans for MGM and Fantasmic that day. I was super excited because MGM is one of my favorite parks and Fantasmic is my favorite show. Call me crazy, but I was looking forward to sharing it with Nan.

So I woke up, got in the shower and thankfully when I got out of the shower Nan was ready to go. So I finished getting ready and we got into the car to head to 1900 Park Fair for breakfast. I had never been there before, so I had no idea what to expect. We pull out of the parking lot and Nan announces “I don’t feel well this morning.” I actually felt bad. She then proceeded to inform me that she had been up all night. Hmmm I am the worlds LIGHTEST sleeper….. furthermore she not only was up all evening, but she was throwing up all night and was sick she even had to lay on the bathroom floor. I was *pardon the pun* floored…. I asked her why she didn’t wake me up. I mean I was really worried about her, but she said she was ok….. she was just hoping I would wake up and help her. SERIOUSLY, if you want me to wake up – wake me up…. But part of me was wicked skeptical because light I said… I am the lightest sleeper. I wake up when it starts raining, when the train goes by, etc.

Alas, we made it to breakfast. She parked the car, and then proceeded to complain about the walk to the hotel. We arrive at breakfast and she is like a kid in a candy store. Honestly, I think she had double the food I did, and at least 3 or 4 plates. The Mad Hatter came around with Alice and god love her, she was rude to the characters. She tells them “don’t bother us, just spend time with the kids where you belong.” Dear lord I wanted to kill her at that point! Shortly after her third plate of food, she announces that she doesn’t feel good and she is going to the bathroom… about 10 minutes later she has not come back so being the good friend I am, I go and check on her. She is ok, just threw up the whole breakfast she says. Wonderful! She really wants to go…. Can I hurry up and finish. Well geez, at this rate I am no longer hungry…. Forget it I just leave with her.

So she decided she was not going to go to MGM she just needed a nap to try and feel better, since she didn’t sleep at all last night. This was the turning point of the whole trip – little ole me made a bold and brave decision. Since we only had one day for each park and I didn’t want to miss MGM, I asked her to drop me off at the park. Honestly, I felt bad – like I seriously felt like a selfish person, but geez it was Disney and couldn’t miss out. Besides, I rationalized to myself that if I went back to the hotel what was I going to do and I would probably keep her up. I reminded Nan that we had dinner reservations at Hollywood and Vine at 5:10pm and she promised to be there and away I went.

Walking into MGM all by myself was actually kinda scary, but I headed straight to the ToT my favorite ride. I rode it once, GODI LOVE THIS RIDE and then the lines were long so I rode it like 4 more times. No RnR for me though, that ride just scares the dickens out of me. After ToT I watched the HSM show in the center of the park (and to this point I had never seen or heard any of HSM) thus starting my obsession with all of the HSM music. I traversed through the park, going on whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted to – totally cool. By about 2pm, I was really starting to get lonely though. Its kinda weird to be in the park by yourself, no one to talk to unless you want to be one of those weird people who talk ackwardly to strangers. I did meet some nice people though… but I was lonely…

Will Nan show up for dinner? Will the loneliness get better? Will Em enjoy her H&V dinner and get to see Fantasmic – stay tuned to find out!

 

[addicted2dizney]

Hi,
Great installment! Yea, I'm thinking that the sounds of wretching and puking coming from 10 feet away in a little disney hotel room may have woken you up!


When are you leaving for Dis? I'm leaving Tuesday! Staying at Pop and I AM leaving my husband and kids behind however I have done the research and my friend I'm taking with me is just like me in Disney so I think we will do fine!

 

[emmaleigh47]

Hi,
Great installment! Yea, I'm thinking that the sounds of wretching and puking coming from 10 feet away in a little disney hotel room may have woken you up!


When are you leaving for Dis? I'm leaving Tuesday! Staying at Pop and I AM leaving my husband and kids behind however I have done the research and my friend I'm taking with me is just like me in Disney so I think we will do fine!

We are leaving for the night-before hotel on Wednesday and our plan lands on Thursday morning. This will be my third trip to WDW and my first with just my husband. My pre-trip report is posted -- the schedule is crazy and the dining choices are plentiful, but I am predicting that hubby wont be able to keep up with my planned pace for too long!

I cannot wait though, last minute plans being made this weekend along with packing -- gosh I hate packing!

 

[loribell]

Thanks for the update. I truly hope you have a magical trip with your hubby to come back to tell us about. Our very best trip ever came after our worst trip ever thanks to inviting extended family along. Maybe you will have the same luck.

 

[emmaleigh47]

So at about 2:30pm I had seen most of the MGM Studios including being on ToT for at least 6 times. I was still rather lonely, so I checked my messages and no Nan. Hmmm wonder what that girl was doing? So I called my then fiancé (now husband) who had just left work and talked to him for a bit. Then I went back to touring… and it was hot… very hot! I had been saving a few rides for when Nan came back like a good friend and decided to just give up and do it. So I did the GMR and the Backlot tours. At about 3:45pm my cell phone rang – it was Nan. SO, she WAS alive! She had continued to have abdominal pain and thus she went to the Celebration ER. Now, ok I have to digress here – as I stated before we are both nurse practitioners, so pretty knowledgeable about medical stuff. Now me personally I avoid doctors and ERs like the plague because I can diagnose most things on my own. Anyways --- according to Nan she was severely dehydrated (hmm how is that possible in half a day) and its her gallbladder acting up so she should “take it easy” but they aren’t going to keep her. She then proceeds to tell me that she is not going to make it to the park or to dinner --- and oh yeah she is just too sick to pick me up either so can I take a cab home. OMG, I was not amused, here I am stranded in MGM (unfortunately we were staying at a non-Disney hotel so no buses for me) and I am going to have to take a taxi home BY MYSELF. I am a small city girl – never taken a taxi by myself in my life.

Anyways, I got off the phone with her and decided to finish touring MGM. Went to the Little Mermaid show and then it was time for dinner at Hollywood and Vine. I showed up and checked in for my ADR and the lady says – well when your whole party is here we will seat you. No listen lady, this is my party, one of the members is ill. OMG this lady just made me feel like awful but after about 30 minutes I got seated. Now, I had NEVER eaten a meal by myself in a restaurant in my life. Heck, I have never even eaten a meal in the cafeteria by myself. Luckily my server was a gem and made me feel ok – but I was kinda lonely. Remember when I said it was hot – well I hadn’t had anything to drink all day and I must have been dehydrated too – I drank 8 full glasses of water with my meal… poor waitress couldn’t believe it. You know, for all of the bad reviews I thought that the food was pretty good – not outstanding but pretty good. Dessert was lame with the exception of these little dark chocolate mouse tarts – LOL I ate as many as I could stand before I exploded!

Following the meal I realized that I had no one slowing me down --- so I went BACK down to the ToT and rode that a few more times. Then back to the GMR and then it was time for Fantasmic. Gosh I love that show… I mean like it is my favorite show in all of Disney. I struck up a conversation with some people from England sitting next to me and before I knew it, it was time to see the show. Like a little kid, I sat on the edge of my seat and loved every minute of it. After the show, I walked to the parking lot and found the taxi. Ooops one problem though, I didn’t know the full name of the hotel – but thankfully the taxi driver knew it and I made it without drama. Upon arriving at home, Nan was already asleep, so I quietly changed and off to bed I went!

Coming up --- Day Three: A Sea World Excursion and Dinner with Shamu

 

[addicted2dizney]

oh gosh... great installment. You are brave to eat alone. I wish I could do that. I am sooo selfish about the way I like to tour Disney that I would be a perfect candidate for a solo trip! lol.. I still can't believe that Nan left you there! After all, she felt well enough to drive herself to the ER! Good for you for not letting her make you miss out on the part of Disney you love!

 

[Villainess]

I'm glad you enjoyed the parks by yourself! Not to sound mean - I'm sorry Nan was sick but she sounds like a bit of a hypocondriate to me.

BK (before kids) I always went to the parks by myself for at least a day each trip - it was always so much fun, talking to CMs, going atyour own pace, etc.

 

[loribell]

It just keeps getting better.

 

[emmaleigh47]

thanks all for tuning in-- tomorrow I am leaving for the WDW and soon I will have a whole nother trip to write about. But I promise when I come back that I will finish this one too -- you wont believe how it ends.

I will be home on 9/26 Take care everyone!

 

[loribell]

Have a great trip!

 

[Villainess]

Have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[emmaleigh47]

I'm BAAAAAACK! Gosh it feel surreal to be home and sad to not be surrounded by the Disney magic...... and I promise an awesome trip report....but first things first.... I have to finish this one...

Expect a new installment soon!
Hope everyone else had magical trips too!

 

[emmaleigh47]

The next morning, I rise and shine and when I get out of the shower I am surprised to see that Nan is awake and ready to get into the shower. She states that she “feels a lot better today, although she will still have to be take it easy” okay whatever! I remind her that it is Sea World Day and that we have to be to the buses within with the next 30 or 60 minutes to be on time. The original plan was to eat breakfast at the hotel’s buffet, but Nan says that her stomach doesn’t quite feel up to it, so we decide to change plans and just get a snack in the park. I was trying to be accommodating, and I didn’t want to eat by myself again.

A few minutes later, we were on the bus to Sea World. Well if I thought yesterday was hot, today was scorching. I was super uncomfortable – and weird enough I was wearing rolled up capris and they just felt super heavy. I was not just glistening, nope I was sweating buckets. And to add to my misery, Nan insisted on telling me every about 20 minutes “it’s really hot today, gosh its hot today, im really hot.” Seriously…. Like I didn’t notice the heat. I tried to plan to tour the park in an orderly fashion, but she kept wanting to see things out of order which did involve us walking the length of the park about ten times and criss-crossing to see rides and attractions. Then, she suprises me by deciding that she will just die if she doesn’t go on the Atlantis ride. Nan, the girl who won’t ride anything wants to go on the water log ride --- I don’t even want to go on that one. So I wait for her ---- and wait ---- and wait – and then I finally see her come down on the log, and then I don’t see her again --- so I wait….. And wait…. And then I magically see her come down on the log again. Either she has a twin, or that little rat just went twice on the ride. Overall, I waited for the better part of an hour… in the heat…. Without a bench. I did get to chat up some nice people though which did make some of the time go by.

The rest of Sea World was uneventful, but the whining and complaining did continue. Yes, I was hot too…but stating it 100 times did not make me any cooler either. Dinner that night was the Dinner with Shamu buffet which is less about the food and more about the entertainment. It did not disappoint, food was decent and the show and trainers were great! Nan was feeling better as evidenced by her buffet choices. For someone who just had a supposed gallbladder attack she drank 4 glasses of coca cola and had barbecue meatballs. Hmmm, somehow I don’t think that is on the “bland diet” instructions that she was told to follow. Alas, I am just too nice to say anything. After the dinner, it was time for Believe with Shamu which was totally cool. Park closed at 7pm…. As we got in the car I asked Nan what else she wanted to do that night… her reply….. Well nothing of course. She wanted to go to bed --- AT 7:30pm? Thankfully the hotel had internet (although she complained the clicking was keeping her awake, lol) so I surfed the internet and checked my email until 9pm and then forced myself to go to bed. Another day down…..

Coming up: a day trip to AK, a magical Wishes event enjoyed by one person (I’ll let you guess which one), and a special dinner thanks to a great chef.

 

[emmaleigh47]

The plan for today was AK during the day and then MK for a bit in the evening. I was excited because aside from the constant complaining, Nan had actually held up pretty good yesterday so I was thinking today would be fun. I love AK. Rides and shows are nice, but sometimes I like the just “lay back and enjoy moments” or those little moments that happen and you aren’t expecting them. I always say that other parks happen TO me, but I happen TO AK. In other words, in other parks things are done to me, but in AK I control the fun --- can be wild and ride heavy or relaxing and just go with the flow.

The morning started off with one of my favorite breakfasts, Donald Duckasaurus (or whatever it is officially called, but that is what I call it) for a pre-park opening ADR. When I went many years ago, this was my favorite breakfast. It did not disappoint – food was great; hot and steamy, good variety. Characters were great – and best yet Nan was enjoyable! After the meal, we headed straight for the KS which Nan exclaimed was “super cool, can we do it again” of course we can silly and 30 minutes later we were back on the ride. As we were walking off the ride, these happy smiley Disney looking people came up to us and had the weirdest conversation ever which went something like this

** super perky CM**
“Hi, I see you just got off the Safari. Did you see the lions?”
-- Yep they are cool
“Would you like to see the lions real close – up close?”
-- Hmmm, what exactly are you asking me… I don’t want to be fed to the lions
“We would like to take you backstage to meet the lions”
-- What….. whoa, Im not sure how close I want to get to the lions
**LOL at this point I amazed that the Dream Team did not give up on us, since I was obviously clueless they were trying to offer us something cool **
“Would you like to go backstage and meet the lion trainers and learn about the lions?”
-- Um, sure….sounds like fun (and at this point Nan points out that if we go with the CM that we will miss the Lion King show – I just glared in her direction and she shut up quickly)

So the Dream Team took us and another couple offstage – and to a big green van which honestly looked like a kidnappers van. They open the back down and invite us to get inside – the seats fold down. LOL. We get into the van and as we drive off the other couple notes that this could be dangerous (do we really know that these people are CM’s). But soon we are at the lions cage. OMG the experience was awesome. Listening to the lion trainers and all of the secrets of how they take care of the lions was sooo cool. One of my best experiences ever……

After the backstage tour, we walked towards EE. I naturally assumed that Nan would refuse to ride it since she hated roller coasters, rides, and well generally anything fun. Nope, she has decided she would like to risk it – I remind her that this might not be wise, etc. She gets mad and says – well you’re not my mother – I said no, but I am sure I will be taking care of you if you don’t feel good. Alas, we get on the ride. Honestly I am nervous about myself too, I don’t do roller coasters but my niece did this one and she liked it, so I thought I could handle it. I was right – ride was super cool and totally worth it. WE got off the ride and I checked on Nan, she said she is doing okay. I asked if she wanted to ride it again and she decided it is too intense but I can ride it again if I want to. Since there was no wait, I took her up on her offer. After I got off the second time I found Nan on the bench – she has suddenly gotten much sicker and now thinks that she might need to go home and rest. SERIOUSLY --- okay I am trying to be a good friend (and we have plans for the evening that she is not going to ruin) so I am like okay, lets go. As we were walking back to the car, we run right into the Nemo show which she decides she just HAS to see (okay with me I was dying to see the show) and thankfully after the show she is feeling better. The rest of AK was fun – until it started raining at about 5pm. Nan, really wanted to go home then (evidently she melts in the rain) but I decided that I was going to run through the park and go on the rides one more time. I went on Everest 3 or 4 more times – LOL and then I was feeling kinda sick… and then I got on the last Safari of the day which was great because ALL the animals were out and looking for food. It was also the last safari ever for our driver because she was leaving, so that was cool too. She stayed extra long and answered questions.

I got back from my long trek across the park to find Nan right where I left her. At Dino McD’s eating French fries --- hmm somehow don’t think that is on the bland diet either. After that we walked out of the park with the original plan to go to MK for the evening, but Nan informs me she cannot possibly do that because she has …….. a blister!
I am fuming, but she is only one who can drive the car – so I just remind her that we have dinner reservations at Ohana at 9pm and she says “she will see how she feels” I think my BP went up to 200 at that point.

So back to the hotel we go…. Nan takes a nap; I stare at the wall. I am afraid to do anything else because it might wake her and then she wont go to dinner --- and the shuttle only runs so late so if she doesn’t go to dinner there is NO way I can go alone without paying for a taxi both ways. Thankfully, after a 2 hour nap, she woke up and decided that she would “try this Ohana place, but I am sure that I wont like it.”

I originally heard/read about Ohana from the Disboards and everyone talking so highly about it so I was super excited to finally experience it for myself. After arriving within 5 minutes we are seated --- right at a GORGEOUS window seat. I instantly get excited and explain to Nan that we can see Wishes from this point and how awesome it is. Her response “so what, we will see Wishes when we are in MK what does it matter.” OMG, I thought I was going to die at that point. Then our waiter comes over and announces that we need to see the chef – severe coconut allergies for me (which I was afraid would be a problem at a Hawaiian Polynesian place) and Nan is allergic to shrimp. The waiter informs me that he knows for sure that I cannot have the dessert and I am totally bummed after reading about it for so long. The waiter informs me that I can have pineapple (he will ever bring me extra) and vanilla ice cream. I am totally upset now… what a sad dessert, but I guess I understand. Out comes the chef, Chef Kim – who tells us about the menu and what to avoid – mentions the dessert that I cannot have and says “well I will see what I can whip up for you.” Ohana did not disappoint – the food and it just kept coming and coming. About 9:45pm and I start to get excited for Wishes – Nan is still just not impressed. 9:55pm she gets up and says she is going to the bathroom --- I remind her that Wishes is going to start in 5 minutes. Wishes starts – OMG it was so perfect I was almost in tears such a serene and lovely Disney moment – where was Nan? Yep, in the bathroom… she came back for the end of Wishes and even then did not really watch them. She was so flippant of it that I almost got mad, but being a nice person I just stuffed it in (the imaginary bag I was stuffing all of this irritatedness was getting quite big by this point in the trip). Out comes dessert for Nan – I was salivating over it but knew that I couldn’t have it. No dessert for me…. Sigh I tried to be happy with my pineapple (although it was super good pineapple) and then out comes Chef Kim with this amazing looking chocolate volcano looking thing (now I know it is the Kaluea Torte). One bite and I was in heaven with the dripping chocolate lava, only problem was that I was just so stuffed I couldn’t handle the whole dessert. The funniest thing was little kids crying to their parents because they wanted my dessert – I even heard one kid say “they didn’t sing to her, so it’s not her birthday, how come I can’t have that too.” LOL, made my night --- off to bed with dreams of Ohana in my head (and chocolate lava cake in my fridge).

Up next: Magic Kingdom day --- or was it?

 

[OhMari]

Hi,
I actually followed your link from the Theme Park Boards. And I am actually the moderator on this Board.

Anyways, I am from WI too. I live in a small town, and you said the train can wake you up. A train runs through my town.

Where do you live in WI, if you don't want to post, just give me a PM.

I'm surprised Nan isn't strangled.

P.S. I love my NP.

 

[addicted2dizney]

Great posts! I loved the updates! I'm so glad you had a great recent trip. Did your DH like WDW? I had a great Mom's trip last week.. so sad it's over but these TR's really do help me feel the "magic" in my times of need!

 

[emmaleigh47]

Hi,
I actually followed your link from the Theme Park Boards. And I am actually the moderator on this Board.

Anyways, I am from WI too. I live in a small town, and you said the train can wake you up. A train runs through my town.

Where do you live in WI, if you don't want to post, just give me a PM.

I'm surprised Nan isn't strangled.

P.S. I love my NP.

There is still time for her to be strangled, you havent read the end of the trip report yet ... hehe!

I am from a small town just outside of Appleton -- originally I am from Marinette which is right by the UP border.

Great posts! I loved the updates! I'm so glad you had a great recent trip. Did your DH like WDW? I had a great Mom's trip last week.. so sad it's over but these TR's really do help me feel the "magic" in my times of need!

I think these trip reports are hysterical. I have spent so much time reading other people's reports and I have enjoyed them. LOL, I even had thoughts during the trip ...hmm Ill have to make sure to comment on that in the trip report. After DH and I got home, the next day I made lunch and before he took a bite he says to me "Are you sure you dont need a picture of this" I think he was a convert.

Soon to come will be my dining report and my new trip report. Oh yeah, and I suckered him into a bounceback offer -- well at least I think I did. We put the money down and are already talking about what we will do. One thing though, DH cannot figure out why I am still on the Disboards... hehe