Biscuit's Grand Adventure | An epic tale three decades in the making!

[AshClan]

Thanks for the update/pics GB! I love that last one the best

As I already said in my PM, praying for you and yours and the whole Ft. Hood Community.

Still anxiously awaiting the scoop on WCC. It's a real love it or hate it kind of place, so I'm interested to see what the verdict was from the Biscuit clan. (I suspect I know the answer.....)

 

[MKBekka]

hey! I'm still here...just lurking. got your PM, I'll be praying for you guys! I love your pix!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Thanks much for the PM, and the other info. Ya'll (had to!) down there are in my prayers.

Love the "lost photos". Speaking of "lost"...when does this season start?

 

[GreatBiscuit]

I agree with Cynthia, those shots were 'out of the ordinary'. Great Job!

I also agree that getting on here to "ramble" is just the ticket for getting thoughts out and unravelled. I sometimes even keep a piece of paper by the bed to make sure I don't forget what I"ve come up with during my night time musings. (Can I add, that it's not always about Disney )

Just PMd you...

Thanks. Rambling is certainly good for the soul. Though some would call it cathartic.

After 3 days of Great Bisquit carb overloading and 25 pages I am finally caught back up!

Just goes to show its a mistake to get engrossed in others TR's while in the middle of taking your own!

Loved all the updates GB, cant wait to see how everything wrapped up!

Woohoo! Back! (Cue "Welcome Back Carter" theme song.)

Subbing. Love the TR so far! (well, as far as I have gotten in it, that is!)

P.S. I'm in Cen. TX, too. Praying for all of you guys up there near and in Ft. Hood.

Howdy and ! Glad to have you aboard! Thanks for the prayers and well wishes. They are deeply appreciated.

Awesome Fantasmic pics! That was a roll worth finding.

I'm praying for all of you.

Thanks! I appreciate it so much.

Thanks for the update/pics GB! I love that last one the best

As I already said in my PM, praying for you and yours and the whole Ft. Hood Community.

Still anxiously awaiting the scoop on WCC. It's a real love it or hate it kind of place, so I'm interested to see what the verdict was from the Biscuit clan. (I suspect I know the answer.....)

Thanks AC! WCC is on tap for the next episode. The photos are ready to upload. Hopefully Photobucket will play nice.

hey! I'm still here...just lurking. got your PM, I'll be praying for you guys! I love your pix!

Howdy! Glad to have my lurkers too! Given the page reads, there's lots of them out there!

Thanks much for the PM, and the other info. Ya'll (had to!) down there are in my prayers.

Love the "lost photos". Speaking of "lost"...when does this season start?

Hey BE! Nice use of the lingo! I can't WAIT for the final season of Lost. Will there be or A-Bombs or Smoke monters? One can only dream.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Subbing. Love the TR so far! (well, as far as I have gotten in it, that is!)

P.S. I'm in Cen. TX, too. Praying for all of you guys up there near and in Ft. Hood.

So I just realized, because apparently I'm an official nerd (thanks eandesmom for hepling me see the light on that one) and thus I track these sorts of things, that you are officially the 100'th DIS'er to Post a reply on this here TR. Please select a prize from the treasure chest. I recommend the Smarties.

 

[PurpleTurtle]

So I just realized, because apparently I'm an official nerd (thanks eandesmom for hepling me see the light on that one) and thus I track these sorts of things, that you are officially the 100'th DIS'er to Post a reply on this here TR. Please select a prize from the treasure chest. I recommend the Smarties.

Whoot! Pass the Smarties - I LOVE 'em! Secondarily how do you know that 100 different people have responded? I'm a nerd, too (no disrespect intended ) and find such statistical minutiae interesting.

 

[Connie96]

Secondarily how do you know that 100 different people have responded? I'm a nerd, too (no disrespect intended ) and find such statistical minutiae interesting.

I'm guessing that our Biscuit has an Excel spreadsheet just for keeping track of things such as unique responders...

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Whoot! Pass the Smarties - I LOVE 'em! Secondarily how do you know that 100 different people have responded? I'm a nerd, too (no disrespect intended ) and find such statistical minutiae interesting.

I'm guessing that our Biscuit has an Excel spreadsheet just for keeping track of things such as unique responders...

So CLOSE!

Actually it's nerdier that that.

Part my job duties include building and maintaining databases. So....it's in Access. Which is kind of like using a freight train to ship a loaf of bread, but it works. Mrs. The King gave me an awesome idea with her final "thank you to my readers" post so I needed to be able to 1. Keep list of all my readers & 2. Know how any times they had posted. It also helps me know when I need to give a new poster an official

So there you go. A deeper glimpse into the odd world of yours truly.

 

[shebaxric]

Hi Biscuit!

I finally got caught up, and wanted to let you know that everyone in the Ft. Hood area has been in my prayers.

Lost pictures from Biscuit! I love the pictures of the girls and First Lady Biscuit with their snacks and drinks. They look like they are holding onto them for dear life!

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Hi Biscuit!

I finally got caught up, and wanted to let you know that everyone in the Ft. Hood area has been in my prayers.

Lost pictures from Biscuit! I love the pictures of the girls and First Lady Biscuit with their snacks and drinks. They look like they are holding onto them for dear life!

Thanks so much! I truly appreciate it! Another update coming, well....now.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Episode 69 - The Biscuit's Get Rocked

Previously on Biscuit's Grand Adventure, pretzels were absent, ice cream was served and I had a most unsettling encounter with a mad woman in the laundry room. (Bonus geek points if you can name the source from which that last phrase was borrowed.)

When last we left our clan, a family reunion was in full swing. Tracy's Uncle and Cousin #1 were heading back to their motel. Her Aunt and Cousin # 2 were staying in the parks. After a few more moments of browsing in the Rock N Rollercoaster gift shop, a ride which we had NOT been on, we headed out towards our next destination.

We took in the sights, sounds and dare I say smells of Sunset Blvd while catching up. As we were heading back towards the Animation Courtyard, I saw a parade going down Hollywood Boulevard. We didn't have time to stop and watch (plus the crowd was about 5-6 people deep, BUT I did have my handy tele-zoom hanging around my neck and took a few shots while we were walking along.





We rounded the corner and soon were standing in front of our next attraction.



Yep. That's right my friends. It was time to get our Playhouse Disney on. We wound up in the back left corner of the place and only had about a 5 min wait for the show. I entertained myself by checking out all the cool techno gear.

(Hard to see in that photo, but on the lower tier of the catwalk in the back corner, you can see the AV booth.)


As to the show itself, well, they got bubble machines and I suppose that counts for something. More importantly though, it was loud, it was rocking, it was entertaining if you're a young child. Which my girls were; so of course they loved it. And since they loved it, I loved it.

After the show was over, Tracy's cousin was ready to get some eating on. Fortunately I had my handy dandy All Ears Dining Menu Bookmark saved on my phone and allowed him to peruse the menus. We then walked them to their restaurant. (Which for some odd reason I can't recall. I think it was either Backlot Express, or ABC Commissary. I know I pointed out the location of Star Tours before hand.) We had an ADR at Whispering Canyon to get to so we bid them a fond farewell and headed towards the park gate.

The girls needed to take a facilities time out, so I once again occupied my time by playing with cameras.

First there were these guys who happened to be coming out from backstage.





Then some general shots.








Continued in Next Post.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

After crashing through the turnstiles (well, actually I was the only crasher and it was more of a snagged backpack resulting in a sideward lurch, than a full fledged crashing) we made our way to the bus stop. We were all by ourselves for several minutes, before another family joined us. We wound up with the back row of the bus to ourselves (Which is where the girls ALWAYS wanted to sit.) During the ride I got bored and of course entertained myself in the usual manner.



Not sure what Hailee was thinking at that point, but it appears to have been serious.

We soon arrived at the Wilderness Lodge and I got my first glimpse of the place in person.

Upon exiting the bus, we were presented with two choices. We could go straight along a covered walkway that seemed to run to the side of the place or we could climb the hill and go in the front door. I wasn't sure which was the most expedient route, but I decided that I wanted my first impression of the place to be walking through the main door into the lobby. As it turned it out it was faster. We beat the other family on the bus to WCC by a good four minutes.

What was my first impression? Wow. This place was incredible! The layout was different than what I expected. I speculated before that it's funny how you can look at photos of a place and get an idea of what to expect, but it is never quite what you thought it would be. In this case, it was better. We quickly located Whispering Canyon Café and got ourselves all nice and checked in. It was a quarter till 5 at this point and our ADR was not until 5:05. I still wasn't sure about my choice to dine here. I had heard mixed reviews and this meal had gone through four changes before I settled on Whispering Canyon. We spent some time exploring and I'm glad we were early. Since WCC doesn't open for dinner until five, the lobby was practically deserted.

By that time, a crowd was gathering and right at 5 PM our buzzer went off. We were the second family seated that night and wound up with a table right next to the window. Our server was great and was already deadpanning. He had a very dry humor which I love. (Once again I don't have the receipts with me to check the names, but I'll give him a proper shout out in the dining follow up.) He asked us if this was our first time eating at Whispering Canyon and gave us the skinny on the menu.

The girls wound up going with the kids BBQ plate (both with ribs I think) and Tracy and I split a Canyon Skillet. Once the orders were placed, it was time to settle in and enjoy the meal.

Before long, I noticed it was getting dark outside awfully quickly. I wondered if perhaps that meant we had some rain in our future.

The first thing to arrive was the salad.


It was fresh and tasty and made me realize just how hungry I was. (Popcorn does not an adequate lunch make.)



Following quickly on the heels of the salad boat was a tray of hot cornbread.



As I was buttering up some bread for the girls, I heard a noise behind me and looked to see raindrops pelting the window. I was now VERY thankful that I had taken the earliest available dinner reservation.

As we were waiting on our main courses, I heard the telltale crash of a fork on the other side of the table. Having read enough TR's describing the particular shenanigans of this establishment, I immediately flagged down a server alerted him of the transgression that had just occurred. No one at the table knew why I was giggling until he returned with this.

Tahlia wasn't sure how serious he was when he brought it out for her to eat with.

By this time, it was not only raining outside, but there were flashes of lighting and rumbles of thunder as well. We noticed several folks coming into the restaurant who were completely drenched.

Finally, the canyon skillet arrived, and it was time to commence eating.



Now if there's one thing yours truly takes seriously, it's Bar-B-Que. (Also known as barbeque for those who don't live in the South.) And since I was not in an officially recognized Southern state, I wasn't sure what to expect. (If you missed the BBQ song link in post 1130 which explains all this, you'll want to click here.)

My favorite BBQ joints in these parts (should you ever head this way) are as follows: for Brisket (my all time favorite BBQ meat) Schoepf's in Belton. For smoked sausage, I have to go with Fat Boys in Temple. For ribs, I like Tony Romas in Austin/San Antonio, and Cheddars in Harker Heights/Austin. For Chicken, I like Fat Boys in Temple or Clem Mikeska in Temple/Killeen. When we visit the in-laws I enjoy a visit to Famous Dave's in Minneapolis, and when we are back in Kansas City, KC Masterpiece is my restaurant of choice. In short, I LOVE me some Bar-B-Que and have found that most restaurants seem to excel at one particular cut of meat. As to sauce, I prefer mine sweet with a bit of a kick. (Molasses based with a hint of chili peppers.) Why tell you all that? There is a point and I'm getting there.

The skillet was very good. There was nothing on it that I didn't like. There were however some things that were better than others. The brisket was sliced VERY thin, which isn't quite how we do it in these parts. It was good, but not quite as flavorful as what we have in Texas. The ribs were also very good, and certainly tender, but I've had better. We don't have pulled pork around here, so I had nothing to compare it to, but I enjoyed and ranked it second among the meat offerings. But my favorite meat on the platter was hands down the chicken. It was moist, tender, and extremely flavorful. Knowing how hard it is to grill a good bird, I was impressed.

Tracy's favorite was the brisket and ribs. Which goes to show you one thing. Two people eating the same food at the same table out of the same skillet had two different opinions. The moral of that story is "Don't put a lot of stock in online reviews!" Look at the menus, compare it to food you know you like and go from there. The other skillet items were also very good. I wound up getting the beans all to myself. (Prompting Hailee to proclaim in a voice that was much too loud for my liking "Daddy, you better not be farting tonight!") Yep. My girls know me.

During our meal we noticed quite a few antics going on around us. Ketchup shouts, potty brigades, and at one point we had to stand up and sing the Hokey Pokey. But the girls' favorite part of the meal was the stick horse race.

They still talk about that whenever we bring up the trip. Soon dessert came out and while I can't say for sure, I'm pretty sure everyone enjoyed it.

As for me and myself, I went with pie.



Now I have to say, my momma (our very own Nana Biscuit) makes a MEAN apple pie. Every year on the birthday, I request this pie in lieu of cake. It's that good. This one was not my momma's pie, but I gotta say it came as close as any I've ever tasted.

How would I rate our meal overall? We loved the place. In fact this wound up being Tracy's favorite meal of the trip. I was so happy that I decided to stick with Whispering Canyon.

After we ate, we stopped in the Wilderness Lodge Mercantile for some shopping. The girls had their spending money which they had not yet used. While they were shopping, I realized that popcorn + gorging on BBQ does not a happy combo make. I advised Tracy that I was going to step out for bit while she helped the girls finish shopping.

My wife then gave me “the look” and asked the most dreaded of questions. “Are you going to the bathroom or are your going to the BATHROOM?” While this may sound to be a bit cyclical, believe me, I understood her meaning loud and clear. You see, we have a slightly different view on the time requirements related to the performance of one’s digestive finale.

She is of the opinion that if I really wanted to, I could simply enter, then stop drop and roll so to speak. After years of careful analysis, I have determined that when one tries to rush this particular process, it is done so at one’s peril.
When I am doing paperwork, I need time to focus; time to concentrate on the task at hand. You must be one with your hindquarters. Otherwise, if you head out too soon, what would have been a harmless whistler later in the evening can turn into a package of doom.


After dealing with dinner and updating my live TR (yeah...I updated in there and I'm proud of it dangit,) I returned to the store and took a couple of shots on my way in.

I soon found the girls ready to checkout. They had picked up some of the Kooky pens, a couple of charms, and Tahli had selected a very special souvenir. It wasn't a princess shirt, or a toy, or something that screamed Disney. Nope, not my daughter. The item she chose for herself was a rock. Yep. That's what she picked out alright. And no amount of convincing was going to talk her out of it. I reminded her that once she spent all her money, she wasn't going to get anymore. But this is what she wanted. A blue rock with grey edges which now lives on her dresser. I took a picture later that evening which I'll post next time.

Well, I had better start winding this down as I believe it is about to win the award for longest episode yet. But a couple of quick things before we wrap it up. Although both girls bought Kooky pens, only Hailee bought the Kooky lanyard. This would lead to a personal adventure on day 7.

After we paid, we headed back out to the lobby and decided how to spend the rest of the evening. We took a final look around and Tracy then gave me a near heart attack. She grabbed my hand, gave me hug and said "Next time, I want us to stay here."

Coming up on Episode 70 - Galloping Hoops & Ponchos!

 

[vamassey1]

I absolutely loved this update. Although I really enjoyed Disney Live when Danielle was little, I also glad we can skip this one now. Like I've said before you take the best pictures. We did the covered walk, but after reading this I wish we had taken the walk through the front door. I loved WL and if I could would stay there in a heartbeat. I'm so glad you enjoyed your meal. We loved it and it was our favorite meal as far as fun. Tena and I shared the skillet too. Please explain about the fork thing. I haven't read anything about it and didn't see this while we were there. No hokey pokey for us but we did "If Your Happy and You Know it". Don't feel too bad Dennis has the same reputation with potty problems. I'm more like Tracy, quick in and out where as Dennis will disappear for a while and the females in the family don't let him live it down.

 

[pipersmom]

What an awesome day! And I (unlike my dial-up connection) love your pictures! Can't wait to read more

 

[jordanyosh]

Did you know there used to be a bar above Playhouse Disney? Playhouse used to be a food court of sorts and there was a bar. i think you could even access from the Brown Derby. It was called the Catwalk....and yes, we had drinks up there. I think it was inn 1991.

WCC...BBQ.....check. I'll have to come down to TX and you can take me on the mother of all BBQ joint tours.

 

[Connie96]

Part my job duties include building and maintaining databases. So....it's in Access.

Dude! I'm a database administrator. I am so right there with ya!

My favorite BBQ joints in these parts (should you ever head this way) are as follows: for Brisket (my all time favorite BBQ meat) – Rudy’s. (Unfortunately the closest one is in Georgetown.) For smoked sausage, I have to go with Fat Boys in Temple. For ribs, I like Smoky Bones in Waco, Tony Romas in Austin/San Antonio, and Cheddars in Harker Heights/Austin. For Chicken, I like Fat Boys in Temple or Clem Mikeska in Temple/Killeen. When we visit the in-laws I enjoy a visit to Famous Dave’s in Minneapolis, and when we are back in Kansas City, KC Masterpiece is my restaurant of choice. In short, I LOVE me some Bar-B-Que and have found that most restaurants seem to excel at one particular cut of meat. As to sauce, I prefer mine sweet with a bit of a kick. (Molasses based with a hint of chili peppers.) Why tell you all that? There is a point and I’m getting there.

I don't know if you're aware, but Smokey Bones in Waco is long gone. I ate there once, but wasn't impressed. I don't even remember what I ordered, but I'll assume it wasn't the ribs. The problem with BBQ is that it seems that people love what they grew up on and everything else is... okay. Well, I grew up in Mexia, TX and my favorite BBQ, as uncouth as it sounds, is just a plain old chipped beef sandwich from Wright's. It has even become something of a tradition in my family that we make a special trip to Mexia just to bring back beef to make sandwiches for our Christmas dinner. We love it! Even DH, who did NOT grow up on Wright's, really loves it.

The item she chose for herself was……a rock. Yep. That’s what she picked out alright. And no amount of convincing was going to talk her out of it. I reminded her that once she spent all her money, she wasn’t going to get anymore. But this is what she wanted. A blue rock with grey edges which now lives on her dresser.

I know. My nieces have done the same thing at gift shops. DD hasn't yet, but only for a lack of opportunity, I'm sure. My mom and dad even brought rocks back from their vacation for each of the girls - which they all completetly LOVED. Go figure!

Coming up on Episode 70 – Galloping Hoops & Ponchos!

 

[eandesmom]

What a great update!

I know my kids would LOVE the food at WCC. I like me some BBQ here too but it is not a NW thing. Thankfully I lived in Chicago for 10 years and while it isn't the south, I'm far more up on my brisket and ribs than most of my peers.

To the point where I wouldn't attempt ribs as I didn't want them to be less than stellar. I'm over that now.

I worry about the antics with the older kids but it's on the maybe list for our trip.

After we paid, we headed back out to the lobby and decided how to spend the rest of the evening. We took a final look around and Tracy then gave me a near heart attack. She grabbed my hand, gave me hug and said “Next time, I want us to stay here.”

Well well well....Great Lady Biscuit! Wow.

Your bathroom soliloquies kill me!

And I mean that in the nicest most possible way.

 

[winkers]

I'm dying for some bbq ribs now!
Whispering Canyon is one of the places I want to try.


Is there a man who can just enter the bathroom and "stop, drop, and roll"?

That's like expecting a woman who is trying on pants to not ask "do these make my butt look big?".

 

[Millie12591]

click here[/URL].)

My favorite BBQ joints in these parts (should you ever head this way) are as follows: for Brisket (my all time favorite BBQ meat) – Rudy’s. (Unfortunately the closest one is in Georgetown.) For smoked sausage, I have to go with Fat Boys in Temple. For ribs, I like Smoky Bones in Waco, Tony Romas in Austin/San Antonio, and Cheddars in Harker Heights/Austin. For Chicken, I like Fat Boys in Temple or Clem Mikeska in Temple/Killeen. When we visit the in-laws I enjoy a visit to Famous Dave’s in Minneapolis, and when we are back in Kansas City, KC Masterpiece is my restaurant of choice. In short, I LOVE me some Bar-B-Que and have found that most restaurants seem to excel at one particular cut of meat. As to sauce, I prefer mine sweet with a bit of a kick. (Molasses based with a hint of chili peppers.) Why tell you all that? There is a point and I’m getting there.

Yeaaaah Buddy!!! Major Props for Texas B.B.Q!!

I'll add a couple for you GB. J&J's in Cedar Park Texas, they have the pulled pork you mentioned missing here, I like em better than Rudy's, no joke. My favorite at J&J's is actually the jalapeno sausage links and their turkey, mmmm. Their sauce...well, I could drink it by it's self, it's on the tangy side, not sweet (which I like too) but soooo good. If you, Tracey and girls come out this way you better give me a shout so John, the kids and I can treat you all to some B.B.Q!
I will be printing these out and trying the other places you've mentioned here.
Also another great place in Cedar Park (C.P. is just a little bit further down 35 from Georgetown and make a right on 1431, come straight and it's in the parking lot of HEB at 183 and 1431) is Smokey Moe's, just a stone's throw away from J&J's (which is on 1431 just past 183 on the left), my fav here is there chopped beef sandwiches and chopped beef topped baked potatoe.
Thanks for the update about WCC, I've put off wanting to eat here not knowing how I would compare the B.B.Q with what we're use to in Texas, now I'll give it a second thought.

 

[MrsSpratt]

GB!

I don't know if you were aware of what you were starting...

Next time y'all fly out of Houston, you need to go to Thelma's. (Currently closed due to a fire - coming back soon!) It is in a terrible neighborhood, is run down, and is considered to be (by Bobby Flay, for what it is worth) THE BEST IN AMERICA. Now I don't take his opinion on it, but I can tell you if you don't get there early, they run out! We like to refer to going to Thelma's as getting our beef drunk on. (That sentence is a grammatical nightmare I can't bother to fix!)

THere is also a place in the Hill Country (I'll have to ask Ferris for the name/location) that is only open on Saturday's, starting at 7am. If you're not there by 10, the ribs will be GONE. Cash, by the pound only.

I think I'll have to go to Baker's Ribs for a stuffed potato for lunch - they have a tangy sweet spicy sauce that is just yummy - Jim Goode's for Jalapeno Cheese bread, mmmmmmh.

I LOVE BEING A TEXAN! Thanks for the reminder!

Well, you've sold me on WCC, and all hail First Lady Biscuit! Sounds like another trip is being planned....

I hope y'all are doing well - as always, you are in my prayers!

Jaime