jsmla
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2001
- Messages
- 4,498
Who: Me, 45, at Disney solo and very out of shape.
Where: Disney MGM Studios
When: January 27, 2006
I've always depended on the kindness of strangers.
Blanche Dubois in Tennessee Williams' A Street Car Named Desire
Really there's nothing like a good nap is there? I never nap at home. At home I need to keep my wits about me. Somebody does. You see I'm one of those dreary people who takes care of an elderly parent. In this case my DFIL. He has Alzheimer's and a tendency to wander both in mind and on foot. It's not so bad as it sounds. DFIL the Alzheimer's patient is much more pleasant than DFIL in his right mind. When he was younger he was quite the jerk. It's just that he has these spells. Yesterday he absolutely demanded that we leave his home of 35 years to go....home. Years of experience have taught me that it's easier just to bundle him into the car, drive around a while and return to the house. Yesterday we went for ice cream. He's happy and it doesn't cost me anything. It's way better than when he gets on the phone and dials 911. (looking for that fellow John he used to know.) We're on notice with the 911 people.
Anyway back at Pop I woke up around 4, showered and had a few mugs of Diet Coke before I left for the Studios. In the car this time. On the bus I felt just terrible, in the car I can roll down the windows and listen to the 70's station on the radio. Much better.
I park in Film 30, a great accomplishment for me. Not the parking part, the remembering Film 30 part. I'm not very good at details and my loving family is betting on how many times I'll lose the car this trip. I could have parked closer up but the parking guys were still out. Scott either ignores the parking guys or convinces them to let him up front. I just do as I'm told. Film 30 is tram-ride distant from the park.
It's another beautiful afternoon with just a few wispy clouds floating across the blue, blue sky. The temps are hovering in the low seventies. I'm from south Louisiana and the low seventies is jeans weather but there's lots of folks out in shorts and those awful wife-beaterish tank tops. Call me prudish but I'm not a big fan of exposed underarm hair.
Down Sunset Boulevard to the Tower of Terror. This is perhaps, maybe, my absolute top ride in WDW. I love the whole 30's Hollywood theme and free-fall is my favorite kind of thrill ride. The wait is 20 minutes, not bad, but I opt for a FastPass and the last performance of the Beauty and the Beast Stageshow instead. I love live shows and I adore Beauty and the Beast. It's my all time favorite Disney movie. Since I'm a single it's very easy to get a good seat at the end of a row. Watched a great show and wept a bit. Fortunately the family next to me was too busy to notice. A mom and two kids, 6 and 9 I'd say. Mom sure had her hands full. The daughter was enjoying the show but her brother had exactly zero interest in Beauty and the Beast. Mainly he was interested in making sure no one near him got to enjoy it either. Poor Mom. Been there. About 5 minutes before the end Dad turned up with popcorn and something blue to drink. Who's he kidding? He didn't really want popcorn. He wanted to skip out on B&B. Years ago DH left The Producers at intermission to use the restroom. He never came back. His story was that the restrooms were packed. Since DH really, really ("Truly, honey") wanted to make it back to his seat for the second act he decided to duck out and use the bathroom in the place next door. Wouldn't you know it but the establishment next door to the theater just happens to be a bar. He could hardly have used their facilities without making a purchase (or two) could he? That would have been so rude.
This trip report seems to be full of people who didn't come along. Sorry, it's just that I really missed them.
On to Rock 'n' Rollercoaster. It had a 20 minute wait posted but was more like 10. I could have gotten on even quicker but I was too timid to take a single rider spot when they called for one. Waving my hand in the air and shouting Hey, yeah! Look at me! I'm all alone! would have set the huge neon BIG LOSER sign over my head flashing again. Pathetic and stupid I know, but the truth. I like RnR okay. I came late in life to coaster riding. After years of big chickendom I had to learn to ride them for my kids. DH doesn't do most thrill rides The theming here is good but compared to IOA's Hulk or Dueling Dragons RnR is really a pretty mild coaster. It doesn't even make Scott sick.
Time for Tower of Terror. Yay! I love Tower of Terror. I think it's just swell. A 10 minute standby line, no wait at all with a FastPass. Instead of watching the pre-show (seen it dozens of times) I have a good look around the library. It's so well done. DS Sam is a Twilight Zone fan and knows all the props and references to old episodes of the show in the library. I just like the atmosphere. Time to board. Next to no line in the mechanical room and, best of all, my elevator is full of newbies and generally fun folk. For someone who's usually very quiet I'm quite the screamer on rides. I hate riding TOT with a bunch of people who act like they've come for a tax audit. I mean, what's the point? This time we're all screamers.
Here's a great solo part. It's almost Fantasmic time. I walk up to the theater, buy a drink and have a seat. A great seat, middle section just outside the splash zone. Being alone definitely has its advantages. So does January. I love Fantasmic but it's a bit of an ordeal to get to on a summer evening with a family in tow. We usually wait in a 90 minute line or spend way more $$$ than I'd like on a Fantasmic dinner. Then we often have to sweat out the threat of a summer thunderstorm and possible cancellation of Fantasmic. $100 on a mediocre dinner or an hour and a half out of our vacation wasted. Either way if Fantasmic doesn't go we're gonna feel sc***ed. Makes for a fairly tense evening. Alone, I'm able to stroll up to the theater and have the lights go down just as my backside hits the seat. Aren't you jealous? Fantasmic was wonderful. I cried a bit but it was too dark for anyone to notice.
There's got to be a better way to leave Fantasmic. I have to admit though that it's a lot easier to get through the crowd when you're alone. A tram is waiting for me too and I even know where the car is. This is just too good to be true. I found the car easily, found the car keys too. Found them dangling from the ignition. Goody. Race back to the park (Film 30 is a looong way from the front), wait in the epic line for a Pop Century bus, run back to the room for my spare key and back to the bus stop. Let me give you a idea of what this looked like. I'm middle aged, fairly fluffy and never, ever run without an extremely good reason. Like a bear. When I run parts of me flap and bounce around in a very unattractive manner. Imagine jello jogging. A bus pulls up pretty quickly. The driver is a little surprised that anyone would be heading to MGM at 9:15 pm. The park has officially been cleared and the buses have quit for the evening. He's really not supposed to take anyone back there. With my last gasping breath I beg him please, please, please, please take me, I'm all alone and my husband's gonna kill me if the car gets towed and I'll lose what little respect my children still have for me. Thankfully this sweet, sweet man takes pity and agrees to take me back to MGM. I love you Mr. Bus Driver Man. If I thought he would have enjoyed it I would have kissed him on the lips.
Back to MGM. Walk (no point in running now, and besides I think it would kill me) to the car with the spare keys and drive back to Pop. Bath and bed after a short call home Didn't mention the car keys incident.
Good things:
More glorious weather
Tower of Terror
Great last second seats at Beauty and the Beast and Fantasmic
Mr. Bus Driver Man
Not so good things:
The dadgum car keys
Where: Disney MGM Studios
When: January 27, 2006
I've always depended on the kindness of strangers.
Blanche Dubois in Tennessee Williams' A Street Car Named Desire
Really there's nothing like a good nap is there? I never nap at home. At home I need to keep my wits about me. Somebody does. You see I'm one of those dreary people who takes care of an elderly parent. In this case my DFIL. He has Alzheimer's and a tendency to wander both in mind and on foot. It's not so bad as it sounds. DFIL the Alzheimer's patient is much more pleasant than DFIL in his right mind. When he was younger he was quite the jerk. It's just that he has these spells. Yesterday he absolutely demanded that we leave his home of 35 years to go....home. Years of experience have taught me that it's easier just to bundle him into the car, drive around a while and return to the house. Yesterday we went for ice cream. He's happy and it doesn't cost me anything. It's way better than when he gets on the phone and dials 911. (looking for that fellow John he used to know.) We're on notice with the 911 people.
Anyway back at Pop I woke up around 4, showered and had a few mugs of Diet Coke before I left for the Studios. In the car this time. On the bus I felt just terrible, in the car I can roll down the windows and listen to the 70's station on the radio. Much better.
I park in Film 30, a great accomplishment for me. Not the parking part, the remembering Film 30 part. I'm not very good at details and my loving family is betting on how many times I'll lose the car this trip. I could have parked closer up but the parking guys were still out. Scott either ignores the parking guys or convinces them to let him up front. I just do as I'm told. Film 30 is tram-ride distant from the park.
It's another beautiful afternoon with just a few wispy clouds floating across the blue, blue sky. The temps are hovering in the low seventies. I'm from south Louisiana and the low seventies is jeans weather but there's lots of folks out in shorts and those awful wife-beaterish tank tops. Call me prudish but I'm not a big fan of exposed underarm hair.
Down Sunset Boulevard to the Tower of Terror. This is perhaps, maybe, my absolute top ride in WDW. I love the whole 30's Hollywood theme and free-fall is my favorite kind of thrill ride. The wait is 20 minutes, not bad, but I opt for a FastPass and the last performance of the Beauty and the Beast Stageshow instead. I love live shows and I adore Beauty and the Beast. It's my all time favorite Disney movie. Since I'm a single it's very easy to get a good seat at the end of a row. Watched a great show and wept a bit. Fortunately the family next to me was too busy to notice. A mom and two kids, 6 and 9 I'd say. Mom sure had her hands full. The daughter was enjoying the show but her brother had exactly zero interest in Beauty and the Beast. Mainly he was interested in making sure no one near him got to enjoy it either. Poor Mom. Been there. About 5 minutes before the end Dad turned up with popcorn and something blue to drink. Who's he kidding? He didn't really want popcorn. He wanted to skip out on B&B. Years ago DH left The Producers at intermission to use the restroom. He never came back. His story was that the restrooms were packed. Since DH really, really ("Truly, honey") wanted to make it back to his seat for the second act he decided to duck out and use the bathroom in the place next door. Wouldn't you know it but the establishment next door to the theater just happens to be a bar. He could hardly have used their facilities without making a purchase (or two) could he? That would have been so rude.
This trip report seems to be full of people who didn't come along. Sorry, it's just that I really missed them.
On to Rock 'n' Rollercoaster. It had a 20 minute wait posted but was more like 10. I could have gotten on even quicker but I was too timid to take a single rider spot when they called for one. Waving my hand in the air and shouting Hey, yeah! Look at me! I'm all alone! would have set the huge neon BIG LOSER sign over my head flashing again. Pathetic and stupid I know, but the truth. I like RnR okay. I came late in life to coaster riding. After years of big chickendom I had to learn to ride them for my kids. DH doesn't do most thrill rides The theming here is good but compared to IOA's Hulk or Dueling Dragons RnR is really a pretty mild coaster. It doesn't even make Scott sick.
Time for Tower of Terror. Yay! I love Tower of Terror. I think it's just swell. A 10 minute standby line, no wait at all with a FastPass. Instead of watching the pre-show (seen it dozens of times) I have a good look around the library. It's so well done. DS Sam is a Twilight Zone fan and knows all the props and references to old episodes of the show in the library. I just like the atmosphere. Time to board. Next to no line in the mechanical room and, best of all, my elevator is full of newbies and generally fun folk. For someone who's usually very quiet I'm quite the screamer on rides. I hate riding TOT with a bunch of people who act like they've come for a tax audit. I mean, what's the point? This time we're all screamers.
Here's a great solo part. It's almost Fantasmic time. I walk up to the theater, buy a drink and have a seat. A great seat, middle section just outside the splash zone. Being alone definitely has its advantages. So does January. I love Fantasmic but it's a bit of an ordeal to get to on a summer evening with a family in tow. We usually wait in a 90 minute line or spend way more $$$ than I'd like on a Fantasmic dinner. Then we often have to sweat out the threat of a summer thunderstorm and possible cancellation of Fantasmic. $100 on a mediocre dinner or an hour and a half out of our vacation wasted. Either way if Fantasmic doesn't go we're gonna feel sc***ed. Makes for a fairly tense evening. Alone, I'm able to stroll up to the theater and have the lights go down just as my backside hits the seat. Aren't you jealous? Fantasmic was wonderful. I cried a bit but it was too dark for anyone to notice.
There's got to be a better way to leave Fantasmic. I have to admit though that it's a lot easier to get through the crowd when you're alone. A tram is waiting for me too and I even know where the car is. This is just too good to be true. I found the car easily, found the car keys too. Found them dangling from the ignition. Goody. Race back to the park (Film 30 is a looong way from the front), wait in the epic line for a Pop Century bus, run back to the room for my spare key and back to the bus stop. Let me give you a idea of what this looked like. I'm middle aged, fairly fluffy and never, ever run without an extremely good reason. Like a bear. When I run parts of me flap and bounce around in a very unattractive manner. Imagine jello jogging. A bus pulls up pretty quickly. The driver is a little surprised that anyone would be heading to MGM at 9:15 pm. The park has officially been cleared and the buses have quit for the evening. He's really not supposed to take anyone back there. With my last gasping breath I beg him please, please, please, please take me, I'm all alone and my husband's gonna kill me if the car gets towed and I'll lose what little respect my children still have for me. Thankfully this sweet, sweet man takes pity and agrees to take me back to MGM. I love you Mr. Bus Driver Man. If I thought he would have enjoyed it I would have kissed him on the lips.
Back to MGM. Walk (no point in running now, and besides I think it would kill me) to the car with the spare keys and drive back to Pop. Bath and bed after a short call home Didn't mention the car keys incident.
Good things:
More glorious weather
Tower of Terror
Great last second seats at Beauty and the Beast and Fantasmic
Mr. Bus Driver Man
Not so good things:
The dadgum car keys
I look forward to hearing about the rest of your trip!
- your solo trip reminds me of what I'd be like if I were alone. All kidding aside, what a jolt it must have to see your keys in the ignition but kudos to the nice bus driver!! 
