Canadian Buffoon's Disney With a Teen Vacation - 08/13 - The Wrap

[MHSweb79]

I am heading down in two weeks- I can ask at Tony's if you like.

As far as pizza goes, the best is at Pizzeria Regina in Boston's North End. A favorite of Paul Revere, Ben Franklin and all those other guys back in the day. What's better after a long day of rowsing rabble and overthrowing the government than a hot, gooey slice of pie?

 

[pkondz]

Trust me I would

Of course you would.
It was more an observation than a question.

Yes. Yes you should!

Of course you look cute.
Silly girl.

Only if you get caught.

One day I will be banned from the DIS

Of this, I have no doubt.
We'll miss you, though!

 

[pkondz]

Yikes. That's a lot of meat. Of a sort that doesn't belong on a pizza, imnsho. (Yes, I am a pizza snob!) Granted, I'm also not a big fan of Lou Malnati's, which is famous for basically having a solid slab of sausage as one of the layers. (Favorite Chicago Style pizza - Pizzeria Uno or Due, the originals, not the chain. Favorite stuffed pizza: Edwardo's, especially spinach. Favorite everyday can get in the far north suburbs pizza: Rosati's. Favorite by-the-slice-in-the-mall pizza: Sbarro, esp spinach and mushroom)

I like pizza snobs! I'm always looking for good pizza
(and burgers... but that's a whole other topic.)

When I first went to Chicago by myself
(i.e. I didn't have to eat at American Girl... )
I did some research and opinion seemed split
between Lou Malnati's and Uno.

You've convinced me that next time I have to try Uno.

I'm not a fan of stuffed pizza and even less so of spinach.

And perhaps I'm a bigger snob than you are.
I don't do mall pizza!

Lol, I figured out that part!

Smarty pants!

If I had been thinking, I would've realized that. Put it down to never using hoppers.

Never?
We used to do that.

Well... first it was because there was only 1 or 2 parks.
But lately, I love hopping.

And you were.

Yep. I couldn't believe our luck.
Maybe not as much as the busses... but still.

Strangely, I can't believe it either, but I really don't associate churro with Disney. I think I had my first at Taste of Chicago as a kid?

And I only associate it with Disney.
We don't have it up here (that I've ever seen, at least.)

I should've remembered from your solo trip...

Well, that's why I didn't ask people to guess where the ADR was.
Too many choices.
So guessing we'd go to Tony's for paw prints would've been a
pretty darned good guess!

Oh, no. My dd would've made me go back. She made me go back to CPK (ironically, already mentioned in this TR) when we forgot her Pokemon Worlds insulated acrylic souvenir water cup from her swag bag. But we were only a few minutes away at that point. They had cleared our table, but were able to rescue it from the dishroom, thankfully.

I thought she was going to make me go back.
But I was beat too.
And (at the time) I was glad she didn't.

I regret it now.

Hopefully one of my readers will get it for her.

I have to guess shorter, because otherwise it's over my guess for the total!

1. 2 am so Kay can pack
2. Kay - yes, You - no
3. No
4. Security
5. Ruby

Noted.

Good luck to everyone who is actually in contention for winning!

Get all your guesses right and who knows?
(But it's a long shot...)

 

[pkondz]

Gotta run pick up the rug-rat from school.
Back later with more shout-outs!

 

[pkondz]

I still can't believe the luck you have had with the buses and the weather! Seriously. Can I go with you next time? We never have that kind of luck!

A line from a Nazareth song comes to mind
"My services don't come cheap but I help out when I can."

I really need to look into marketing my abilities.

I can't believe you have never had a churro. Except, I can. Because I have never had one either.

Sheesh! Here I thought I was the only one.
It turns out no one's had one!

It doesn't contain chocolate, so it isn't exactly on the top of my must have snack list!

Now that's a very good point!

I don't know that I would have thought about taking the boat from Epcot to HS either. I guess I like the scenic route too?

Except the boat is the scenic route!

The Castle and Wishes are a must to end a trip. There is no better way to say goodbye.

It was perfect.

Gut wrenching... but perfect.

I actually held a sleeping 2 year old in the pouring rain to see it as the last thing one trip. No the smartest, but it worked!

Holy cow!

Now that's dedication!

Thanks for the bonus point to help my score. Though, I don't think I'll be winning at this point!

I'll be honest.... it's not looking too good for you at this point.

And for my guesses:
1. 2am
2. Kay sleeps on you during the flight. You stay up to keep watch, obviously.
3. No problems. You have enough Customs scares this trip.
4. Security takes longer.
5. Ruby will make it there first.

Noted.

 

[pkondz]

Oh, I thought the pizza was made by the female chef you mentioned.

Yes! No! I don't know!
The picture is from Vern's.

Diana owns her own restaurant and makes award winning pizzas.
She didn't make the pizza pictured.

That you're nice, of course.

Reading comprehension FAIL on my part. 2:15?

Noted.

 

[pkondz]

Back later!

 

[Mrs T 2009]

That's good (about the nice weather, not that it got colder).
I would think that in winter, you're really taking a gamble on the weather in NY.

Yeah, I was nervous about the weather. I was prepared, but in the end, it wasn't too bad and didn't blizzard until after we were back home! AND it had snowed while we were gone back in OH, so we came home to snow, but no blizzard or snowing.

Any stand outs? Favourite things you did?
Things you wish you hadn't?

We did SO MANY THINGS on our last trip in August: I should make you a list.....
Anyways, this trip we saw Aladdin on Broadway ( !!!AMAZING!!!), went to the Natural History Museum, Macy's at Herald Square (again for me, but my husband didn't get to go last trip), and we ate at this wonderful little place ( and little is an understatement because this place was crammed with tables, we sat at the 4 stooled "bar") called Friedman's. It is close to Herald Square area. It is wonderful food. Best we had this trip!
We took this trip low-key and relaxed compared to August.

I've never been a huge Elvis fan. Don't mind his music, but...

But between those two, I'd be tempted to pick Graceland anyway
since I've been to Chicago a few times.

And your May sounds like our October with both Ruby's and my bdays and anni.

I have actually ended up choosing Milwaukee...
Now, before you say "MILWAUKEE??" ( you probably already did, though) I have never been to Wisconsin, and I have a cousin who lives there, and is roughly 2hrs from O'Hare. So I will most likely fly into Chicago, then go to Milwaukee.
I am excited! She's a fun time, and I look forward to seeing the sites, and probably mall of America, of course! ( if we can)

Noted.
(And yes I did see what you did there. )

Thanks

I will be writing about it...
But.. well... uh...

I think I'll just shut up and leave it for the Maui... mini-TR?

I've actually written a TR about our last Hawaii trip.
And, trust me on this, it's a whole lot better
than what I'm going to write about this one coming up.

Link in my siggie if you're interested.
Or just click here: Just a silly little TR - Run away!
(Warning. Links are broken, you'll have to do some scrollin' & huntin')

I will look into it! If I had time and took time, I could probably have written some funny TR's, but no time and didn't take notes, so no TR's.

 

[pkondz]

I don't know what that is, but it's definitely not pizza.

To paraphrase Teri Hatcher.
It's pizza... and it's spectacular.

I HATE that I fell for this.

My evilness knows no bounds.

(But I'm still not annoyed).

Which is really quite remarkable.
I'm the most annoying person I know.

You did it all on purpose just to trick your readers. Everything that goes wrong with your trip from this moment on is a direct consequence of this. Karma!!!!!

Whoa! The nails are coming out now!

Did the front of the bus say "Hollywood Studios" or "Why do I exist?".... It just seems crazy that with all their budget cuts they would keep running something that seems entirely redundant.

It wasn't that long ago that I was taken by surprise
that park to park busses even existed.
You had to go from park, to resort, to park.

This is where this guy I posted earlier was supposed to go....

He fits in so much better there.

Also note that if you hadn't backtracked all the way to the front of the park but just walked to the studios, you would have had time for at least two extra rides on Rock n rollercoaster. You chose a bus over a roller coaster.

I know... I know!!!
I'm still at that.

No comment

Are you sure?
That's a perfect spot to comment, actually.

Karma!!!

Would you stop sicing' Karma on me!!!

Those were just the Line Inspectors. It's their job to monitor and patrol the line at all times to make sure it's functioning the way it's supposed to. Don't worry, they weren't getting on the ride, they were just walking up and down to make sure there were no problems. They really do have a difficult job, being hated so much.

Oh. Well, I don't feel so bad about it now.
Thanks!

Karma

That poor line inspector was fired because of you!

He had it coming.
Anyone who's taller than me...
...had it coming.

You're actually pretty lucky! I've witnessed fights in line for BTM.

You did??
Do tell!

I see nobody has done the obvious picture switch....

Her hands are wayyyyyy too far apart for that.
Like about two feet too far apart.
(At least it looks like they're about 26" apart.)

Why did you cheap out on this? Didn't you think of Kay's poor feet???

Didn't read the fine print.
Otherwise I definitely would've gotten it.

I didn't know we were there at the same time!

That was you?

I should've said Hi.
The timing would've been perfect.

Of course I thought you were asking if it rained, and it did.
I apologize profusely for doubting your luck. I promise I'll never again question your ability to get lucky.

LOVE that picture comparison.... Adorable.

Thanks!

I can't believe it!!!!

I know!

Can you believe I'm Canadian and I've never had a beaver tail??? Say you can't believe it.

I can't believe it!
I would never have questioned your ability with....

Maybe I'll just leave that sentence unfinished.

Yeah, there's a reason for that....

I know.
But I've eaten there twice now and enjoyed it both times.
It's not "Wow this is great!"
But it's hard to screw up spaghetti Bolognese.

Occasionally, when I read comments, I laugh out loud.

This was one of those times.

(just kidding, I couldn't resist that... your meal looked at least somewhat fit for human consumption)

It was... And I'm glad you couldn't resist!

But didn't you say you were against a railing? How did people get in front of you?

We were leaning against a railing.
It was behind us.

So badly want to comment but shouldn't .... can't resist.... YES IT IS!!!!!!

And.... not surprised!

Awesome! Great way to end the trip.

I can't think of a better way.

And yes... it is followed by that.

I still couldn't find it even with that.

Not surprised. It's practically invisible.
Thanks waitress for camouflaging it so effectively!

Awwww

Hopefully someone will help her out!

Well you've had about 20 offers but if everyone else bails on you I might be there in September. Are you keeping a list?

Indeed I am!

Karma (am I annoying yet?)

You're too pretty to be annoying.

By the way, what's cruelty cake? I've never had it, it sounds delicious.

It depends on how you slice it.
It can be very satisfying but usually later you regret it,
or very painful but you get over it and feel stronger after.

You should ask for your money back.

I did.
They said the cheque's in the mail.

Haven't gotten it yet, though.

Well I hope it's either one minute or that the bus is already there when you get there. I guess theoretically that could happen if you sleep in and have to run for it. Improbable but not impossible. It's more likely you'll wait 4 minutes since that seems to be the longest you've waited all trip. YAY Congrats to @GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes !!!

You'll soon see.

Wouldn't it be hilarious if Susan won? Your bus actually leaves the NEXT day and you spend the whole day sitting there.. just to throw us all off on guesses. Susan R was actually you posting under a fake account. The amount of effort you put into this is impressive!

We set it up even before I left, actually.

Also noticed that you haven't put your guesses in yet.
Pondering your options?

 

[pkondz]

And yet another of my middle names. (It's a very long list.)

And before you use it, I'll beat you to the punchline. I was referring to "Astute" not crap.

Oh! Okay. Well. Ahem...

Actually, Ruby uses that name on me all the time.
"Astute", I mean, of course.

Well... she leaves off the "tute" part, but I'm sure that's what she means.

 

[pkondz]

I am heading fown in two weeks- I can ask at Tony's if you like.

Oh that would be awesome!!
I'll PM you, okay?

As far as pizza goes, the best is at Pizzeria Regina in Boston's North End. A favorite of Paul Revere, Ben Franklin and all those other guys back in the day. What's better after a long day of rowsing rabble and overthrowing the government than a hot, gooey slice of pie?

But wouldn't it be pretty stale by now?
I mean if it's been around since the late 1700s or early 1800s,
it's gotta be kinda gross by now.

Seriously though, I don't know if/when I'll ever get to Boston,
but I'll keep that in mind. Thanks!

 

[pkondz]

Yeah, I was nervous about the weather. I was prepared, but in the end, it wasn't too bad and didn't blizzard until after we were back home!

Good timing!

AND it had snowed while we were gone back in OH, so we came home to snow, but no blizzard or snowing.

Personally I'd rather come home to no snow and warm weather...
But that's just me.

We did SO MANY THINGS on our last trip in August: I should make you a list.....
Anyways, this trip we saw Aladdin on Broadway ( !!!AMAZING!!!), went to the Natural History Museum, Macy's at Herald Square (again for me, but my husband didn't get to go last trip), and we ate at this wonderful little place ( and little is an understatement because this place was crammed with tables, we sat at the 4 stooled "bar") called Friedman's. It is close to Herald Square area. It is wonderful food. Best we had this trip!
We took this trip low-key and relaxed compared to August.

Wow. Sounds like a really great time!
The Natural History Museum and Macy's are two of the NYC spots on my list.

I have actually ended up choosing Milwaukee...

MILWAUKEE??

Sure. Sure. Makes total sense.
"Graceland or Chicago... Milwaukee it is."

Now, before you say "MILWAUKEE??" ( you probably already did, though)

Yep.

I have never been to Wisconsin, and I have a cousin who lives there, and is roughly 2hrs from O'Hare. So I will most likely fly into Chicago, then go to Milwaukee.
I am excited! She's a fun time, and I look forward to seeing the sites, and probably mall of America, of course! ( if we can)

Okay. That makes sense.
Actually, I'd like to go to Milwaukee too.
But for different reasons.
I'd love to see an Indy car race at the famous Milwaukee Mile.
And Milwaukee is home to Harley Davidson.

I will look into it! If I had time and took time, I could probably have written some funny TR's, but no time and didn't take notes, so no TR's.

I find notes are a must!
Otherwise the TR looks like this.
Day 1
What a great day! We did this and this and this and this and...
Day 2
Another good day! We did this and this and I think, this.
Day 3
Pretty sure this was a good day. I remember this... and I think, maybe this.
Day 4
I don't remember too much. But think we might've done this.
Day 5

 

[afwdwfan]

So... I'm an idiot.

This just begged to be quoted.

I'm an idiot.

And if you're gonna say it again...

"Why Winnipeg."

Looks like you just came up with a new catch phrase for the Chamber of Commerce!

Here she is, in the photo below, competing in Vegas a few years back.

Definitely representing Canada with that flag on her arm. The pizza definitely looks awesome! The more stuff you can pile on, the better!

The question was obvious... not the answer!
We're at the bus stop going somewhere,
so the obvious question to ask is "Where are we going?"


See? It's obvious now isn't it?

For the record... I totally got what you meant.

And some of you further concluded that if we were going to DHS
we would've taken the boat, instead of making our way
all the way back to the bus stop.

Or walk...

The reason we took a boat from one end of World Showcase
and then walked across the bridge
and then the length of Future World
and then all the way out to the bus stops
instead of strolling over and taking a leisurely boat trip to DHS is....


Ready?



I forgot.

See? Obvious.

I figured it was just because having taken the boat on a previous trip between the 2 parks, you realized how freaking long it can take and you were hoping the bus might be faster.

Two of her top four favourite rides were here.
RNRC and TOT, of course.

Of course!

So here we were, standing just inside the loading area,
when I felt a light tap on my shoulder
accompanied by an "Excuse me."

My natural reaction... heck, my instincts took over
and without even looking, I immediately stepped to the side.
Not one, not two, but three young teens zipped by us.

It happened so quickly, they were by us (and others) in a flash.
Wait... Oh, for the love of Pete!
This is the single rider line!
There's no "joining" people.
There shouldn't be any people to join!

I must admit. I was a little ticked.

Kay asked "Why did you let those people cut in front of us?
You were the one who told me you wouldn't let people do that."
I didn't really have an answer except to say that I got taken by surprise.

I'm still annoyed.

Yep... no reason to join someone in single rider. That's one of my biggest pet peeves at the parks. If a parent has to take a kid out of line for a restroom or something like that and come back... I get it. Ok. But when you have 5 people trying to push to the front to join the one person they sent ahead... "F" that!

There was no one there.


The rain had sent everyone running for cover,
and they hadn't made it back here yet!

Woohoo!!!

We got back to RNRC and the wait time
was posted at 30 minutes.

Why do I never have this kind of luck?

The words were no sooner out of his mouth
when I replied: "Don't worry. They'll wait for you."
And with that, I turned my back on him,
effectively blocking his way.

Well done!

I whipped out my VIP bus package contract,
but unfortunately, it just guarantees a bus
will always be there within a minute or so.
It does not guarantee a seat.
Maybe that's extra.

Ok... true story here.

I decided that I'd time my waits for Disney Transportation just to see what I ended up with for wait times. Kind of for comparison to your TR.

After about my second wait I stopped. I'd already passed your time.

You suck!

Oh. Did I happen to mention the weather?
About 30 seconds after we sat down under cover,
the heavens opened up and a deluge poured out of the sky.

Couldn't have timed that any better.

Really, the VIP weather package is a must.

So you're the one who controls the dome over Disney World?

Go ahead! Tell me you can't believe it either!
I'll even give you bonus points for it.

I can't believe it.

I really didn't know quite what to expect.
Did I like it?
Oh, yes!
What's not to like? Sugar! Hello!

You sum it up well!

No. A bit too dry.
Good... but not perfect.

They are a bit dry. I like elephant ears a bit better (which by appearance must be the same thing as a beaver tail but with a different name?)

Ahhhh.... One last ride on HM.
Life is good.

It would be better if we could stay for another week,
but beggars can't be Disney guests forever.
Or something like that.

I feel your pain. I have that fresh wound.

A few minutes later, our food arrived as well as...
Well, it wasn't a napkin, it was a birthday card.
"I know it's not your birthday." She explained.
"But it's your birthday someday, so we thought this would do."

Hey, it works. I appreciate their effort!

Kay and I began to eat... right about the time MSEP started.
Perfect timing.

Yeah, yeah... perfect timing, as always.

Hmmm... I'm sure the meatballs are in there somewhere.

Are you sure you didn't get ripped off?

Plus... I like spaghetti and meatballs!

Reason enough for me!

Is it the best I've had? Well... no.

But it is also a pretty difficult dish to screw up. So it can't be bad.

After Celebrate... well, there's Wishes of course.
I'm not a big fan of Wishes.
It's no big thing. A few firecrackers. A cricket. Some tunes...

I'm done with this TR

Yeah... right.

Wishes is the best thing in all of Disney.
My God. What a way to end a vacation!
It's sooooo good!
They really know how to pull at those heart strings!

Whew, that's a relief. I thought you'd really lost it.

The last few fireworks crackled overhead
and we knew our vacation was over.


<pause. let that sink in. sob quietly. continue.>

Again... I feel your pain.

If anyone's going to the World in the next little bit,
would it be too much to ask one of you to pick
up a napkin from Tony's with Lady & The Tramp's
paw prints on it?

Well, if you could have posted this update about a week and a half ago...

Luckily, when we boarded, there was one open seat left,
so Kay got to sit.

I'd rather stay up a few minutes and pack
and sleep a little later in the morning.
Kay would rather leave it, sleep in,
and ask me in the morning to pack for her.

Sounds like Kay is doing it right!

Only one more bus to go.
Last time I waited 22 minutes.
How long will it be this time?
Longer? Shorter?

For the purpose of me getting a lot of points, I really think it will be longer. 3.5 minutes longer to be exact.

afwdwfan - Doesn't let me get away with crap

That's right!

1. What time do we get up?

2 am

2. Do we sleep on the plane?
Me? Kay? Both? Neither?

Both... At least I certainly hope you both get a little bit of a nap!

3. Do we have issues at customs?

Um... no.

4. Which takes longer in Toronto (our connection.)
Security? Or customs?

Connection

5. Which came first. Our bags or Ruby to pick us up?

Ruby

I don't have time to comment now but I just wanted to say....



Who takes a bus from Epcot to the Studios???

Love it!

And I agree... Walking is the way to go!

The only logic I can come up with is that they determined that the boat would take too long and they were too tired to walk. Hence a boat ride to the edge of FW... all they had to do was walk through FW and get on a bus. If they don't wait long for the bus, it will be faster than the boat and it will save them some walking.

See, @pkondz , I can be on your side once in a while too!

Also note that if you hadn't backtracked all the way to the front of the park but just walked to the studios, you would have had time for at least two extra rides on Rock n rollercoaster. You chose a bus over a roller coaster.

Even worse, he chose a bus over a super stretch limo.

 

[irene_dsc]

And perhaps I'm a bigger snob than you are.
I don't do mall pizza!

Ok, you got me. Maybe I'm just a pizza regionalist or something? Because I still really don't like East Coast thin crust, but I'm fairly flexible about Chicago area pizza. But then, we *do* have better pizza than most places - maybe that's why even the mall pizza is pretty good!

When I first went to Chicago by myself
(i.e. I didn't have to eat at American Girl... )

Lol. Now, that's an experience!

I'm not a fan of stuffed pizza and even less so of spinach.

Edwardo's stuffed spinach pizza has the spinach chopped up into tiny pieces, spread out in the cheesy goodness. It was my introduction to both spinach and stuffed pizza, back in high school. No one else makes it quite the same. It is a bit too far for convenience from where I currently live, which is probably a good thing for me, but now I'm missing it.

Never?
We used to do that.

Well... first it was because there was only 1 or 2 parks.
But lately, I love hopping.

Well, we bought hoppers for our first trip, and never used them. So, I didn't bother for our second trip. Well, except that I sorta did - for the Dark Side. You can't ride the Hogwarts Express unless you get their version of hoppers, sadly.

I have actually ended up choosing Milwaukee...
Now, before you say "MILWAUKEE??" ( you probably already did, though) I have never been to Wisconsin, and I have a cousin who lives there, and is roughly 2hrs from O'Hare. So I will most likely fly into Chicago, then go to Milwaukee.
I am excited! She's a fun time, and I look forward to seeing the sites, and probably mall of America, of course! ( if we can)

Isn't the Mall of America in Minneapolis??? That's not exactly a day trip from Milwaukee...

And Milwaukee is home to Harley Davidson.

The infamous Bar Mitzvah with the brussel sprouts was at the Harley Davidson Museum, believe it or not.[GALLERY=] [/GALLERY]

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

We have crappy pizza too, just like every city.

But you know what they say about pizza...even when it's bad, it's good.

Sold! I think I need to add Winnipeg to my summer itinerary.

We also have a little one-of-a-kind-pizzeria called Diana's Cucina.

Diana Cline opened up a little pizzeria a few years back.
Since then, she's competed (and won!)
in several International Pizza competitions.
A couple of years ago, Reader's Digest (Canada)
featured a "Best Of" series.
They listed the best in Canada in several categories.
(Best view. Best park. Best sandwich... etc.)
Diana's was tagged for best pizza in Canada.

Seriously, I'm in! I might just have to cut the Black Hills out, is all.

How can you not love a pizza when the crust has beer
as one of its ingredients.
(And I'm not a beer drinker, but that crust is by far
the best I've ever tasted.)

That sounds really interesting.

"Wait! Wait! You said the park you were going to was obvious!
You took the bus and not the boat or monorail!
So AK was the obvious choice."

The only thing obvious about it was that I was going to get it wrong.

Once I explain why we took the bus instead of the boat,
you'll never look at the boat in the same way ever again.
You'll gaze upon it and think to yourself
"Remember when pkondz didn't take this?"

This is a lot of build up. Something is fishy here.

The reason we took a boat from one end of World Showcase
and then walked across the bridge
and then the length of Future World
and then all the way out to the bus stops
instead of strolling over and taking a leisurely boat trip to DHS is....


Ready?



I forgot.

See? Obvious.

And she said yes!
I almost stopped walking I was so surprised.

Whoa. Wonders never cease!

Earlier in the trip, while we were in line for something,
a woman with a little girl moved through the line towards the front.
I mentioned to Kay that she might... might have some trouble.
"Why?" She asked.
I told her that line cutting was something that some people did at Disney.
And some people didn't take too kindly to it.

People with scruples. They don't take kindly to it.

My natural reaction... heck, my instincts took over
and without even looking, I immediately stepped to the side.
Not one, not two, but three young teens zipped by us.

It happened so quickly, they were by us (and others) in a flash.
Wait... Oh, for the love of Pete!
This is the single rider line!
There's no "joining" people.
There shouldn't be any people to join!

Grrr...

Urge to kill...rising...

There was no one there.


The rain had sent everyone running for cover,
and they hadn't made it back here yet!

Beautiful!

As we left TOT, we passed by the now huge
line of people that stretched all the way past
the entrance gate and down the hill.
I figured the wait was probably around an hour
to an hour and a half.

Ain't got no time for that.

Heh. Suckers.

I looked behind me... and up.
A tall young man (maybe 20?) was standing directly behind me.
He hadn't been there a moment ago.
"Excuse me." He said. "My family is waiting for me up ahead."

I didn't even think about it.
I didn't even hesitate.

The words were no sooner out of his mouth
when I replied: "Don't worry. They'll wait for you."
And with that, I turned my back on him,
effectively blocking his way.

Wow! Nice work! And here everybody thought Canadians were supposed to be overly nice and polite. Good work!

Plus, I impressed Kay.
So, win win win!

Impressing your teenage daughter?? Dude, that's the Holy Grail of fatherhood!

I whipped out my VIP bus package contract,
but unfortunately, it just guarantees a bus
will always be there within a minute or so.
It does not guarantee a seat.
Maybe that's extra.

There's always a catch.

By the time we were about two thirds of the way there,
I could tell that Kay's feet were really starting to bother her.

That's something I always forget about Disney trips. How much your feet hurt at the end of each day.

Eventually, her feet stopped hurting and she said she was ready to go.
We had been sitting there for about an hour.
It was probably the most peaceful part of the whole trip!

Sounds like it. Nice to be willing and able to take the time and just rest.

Of course, as we got ready to go, the rain slackened.
And while Kay put her shoes back on, it stopped completely.


Really, the VIP weather package is a must.

How long do the batteries last on that horseshoe?

And believe it or not, even though it's my fave,
it was Kay who picked it.

Well... she might have been coerced a little.
"Dad. How about Space Mountain?"
Nope.
"Okay, how about Splash?"
Nope.
She kept calling out rides and I kept vetoing.

The illusion of democracy is important in any family. Keeps the kids from full-on revolt.

(Actually, HM really was her first choice for a ride.)

Surrrrrre it was.

I had never had a...

Churro.

Go ahead! Tell me you can't believe it either!
I'll even give you bonus points for it.

I CANNOT BELIEVE IT! I mean, I actually got one right!

Oh, I mean, I can't believe you've never had one!

Oh, stop being an idiot and eat the darned thing!

We're dads. Idiocy is what we do.

It would be better if we could stay for another week,
but beggars can't be Disney guests forever.
Or something like that.

And Canadians weren't eligible for the Powerball.

We didn't wait very long before we were seated.
I hadn't specified a table, but I was keeping my fingers crossed.
MSEP would be starting soon and I hoped for a table with a view.

We didn't get the best table for viewing,
but we certainly didn't get the worst, either.

I tried the exact same thing when I ate there. Got about the same result, too. It's a nice idea, but hard to make it work just right.

A few minutes later, our food arrived as well as...
Well, it wasn't a napkin, it was a birthday card.
"I know it's not your birthday." She explained.
"But it's your birthday someday, so we thought this would do."

Odd... but Kay seemed happy, so I was happy too.
The waitress then slipped the card into an envelope
and placed it on the table.

That was nice of her.

What wasn't so perfect though, was that a family sat at the table
directly opposite ours on the verandah, blocking our view.
Plus people were standing just outside blocking our view as well.
We could see the top half of the floats as they went by,
but Kay was disappointed that she couldn't see more.
I wish I'd known, I would've changed our ADR for a bit earlier.

There are so few tables on the front porch, it's hard to get it timed just right.

Hmmm... I'm sure the meatballs are in there somewhere.

I was thinking the same thing.

I like to have the same thing that Lady & The Tramp had.
It just makes me happy.
Plus... I like spaghetti and meatballs!
Is it the best I've had? Well... no.
But it's hard to beat the ambiance.

I think Tony's gets a bad rap. It's not earth-shattering. But I still will tell anyone who will listen that I've never had a bad meal at Disney.

Every once in a while,
a tall man would come and stand in front of us.
We'd move a bit... okay we can see.
He'd move.
We'd move some more.
He'd move again.

This is when I wish Disney would let me bring my taser into the park.

Except.

We'd watch and... a Dad would grab his kid
and hoist him or her on his shoulders.

Right in front of us.

Of course.

Ah, to be that clueless.
It must be very restful, not having to think of others.

Well said. I don't understand people sometimes.

The last few fireworks crackled overhead
and we knew our vacation was over.

Ugh. Even when I know it's coming, that sentence always hurts.

We trudged wearily towards the bus stop.
"Dad!" Kay suddenly blurts out. "We forgot my paw prints!"

If anyone's going to the World in the next little bit,
would it be too much to ask one of you to pick
up a napkin from Tony's with Lady & The Tramp's
paw prints on it?
I'd be more than happy to pay for the postage.

Darn. I wish I'd known when I was there in December.

I do know that to make things a little easier,
I packed most of my things before crashing.
Kay... did not.

Sigh.

Kay would rather leave it, sleep in,
and ask me in the morning to pack for her.

Double sigh.

1. What time do we get up?

4:30 a.m. Or at least, you do. She gets up closer to 5.

2. Do we sleep on the plane?
Me? Kay? Both? Neither?

If you're like me, you can't sleep on a plane. So, I say neither one of you.

3. Do we have issues at customs?

No. You're done with customs issues. Also, horsehoe.

4. Which takes longer in Toronto (our connection.)
Security? Or customs?

Security. I pray you didn't have the experience we did with Orlando security. Maybe they have their act together in Toronto.

5. Which came first. Our bags or Ruby to pick us up?

Ruby was first! Because she was eager to see you. And the baggage is never fast.

 

[pkondz]

This just begged to be quoted.

And of course you're the one who's gonna do it.

And if you're gonna say it again...

...you're gonna quote it again.

Looks like you just came up with a new catch phrase for the Chamber of Commerce!

It's better than some of the ones they've come up with recently.

The pizza definitely looks awesome! The more stuff you can pile on, the better!

For the record... I totally got what you meant.

Gloating? Is that what this has come to?

Or walk...

Nope.
I did the math.

Walking to the bus from Germany 0.8 miles
Walking to DHS 1.7 miles

But walking to the ferry... 0.5 miles.

Definitely should've done the ferry.
I mean there's never a wait for it or anything.

I figured it was just because having taken the boat on a previous trip between the 2 parks, you realized how freaking long it can take and you were hoping the bus might be faster.

Uh... Yeah! Sure! That's what I meant. Yup.

Yep... no reason to join someone in single rider. That's one of my biggest pet peeves at the parks. If a parent has to take a kid out of line for a restroom or something like that and come back... I get it. Ok. But when you have 5 people trying to push to the front to join the one person they sent ahead... "F" that!

Agree 100%.

Why do I never have this kind of luck?

You forgot to get the VIP package.

Well done!

Thanks!

Ok... true story here.

I decided that I'd time my waits for Disney Transportation just to see what I ended up with for wait times. Kind of for comparison to your TR.

After about my second wait I stopped. I'd already passed your time.

You suck!

You mentioned that on your TR, I believe... or was it the DDC? Whatever.

I'm telling you.
Get the VIP bus package.

Totally worth it.

Couldn't have timed that any better.

So you're the one who controls the dome over Disney World?

Well someone has to.
Might as well be me.

I can't believe it.

You too?

They are a bit dry. I like elephant ears a bit better (which by appearance must be the same thing as a beaver tail but with a different name?)

I think they are. Just a regional name thing I guess.

I feel your pain. I have that fresh wound.

I bet!

Yeah, yeah... perfect timing, as always.

Travel with me dude. Never suffer again.

Are you sure you didn't get ripped off?

Well.... I posted that picture and thought
"Why don't I see any meatballs? There were some weren't there?"

But it is also a pretty difficult dish to screw up. So it can't be bad.

Yep. Mentioned that a bit earlier.

I'm done with this TR

er... uh.. I mean, oh that's too bad.

Whew, that's a relief. I thought you'd really lost it.

No way!

Well, yes... but not about that.

Again... I feel your pain.

Again... I bet!

Well, if you could have posted this update about a week and a half ago...

I know. Stupid of me.
And you can quote me.

Sounds like Kay is doing it right!

For the purpose of me getting a lot of points, I really think it will be longer. 3.5 minutes longer to be exact.

2 am

Both... At least I certainly hope you both get a little bit of a nap!

Um... no.

Connection

Ruby

Noted.

See, @pkondz , I can be on your side once in a while too!

Was there a blue moon out last night?

Even worse, he chose a bus over a super stretch limo.

I totally failed. I must revoke me DIS card now.

 

[pkondz]

Ok, you got me. Maybe I'm just a pizza regionalist or something? Because I still really don't like East Coast thin crust, but I'm fairly flexible about Chicago area pizza. But then, we *do* have better pizza than most places - maybe that's why even the mall pizza is pretty good!

Thick crust is infinitely better than thin crust.
If I want pizza toppings on a thin crust... why have the crust at all???

Lol. Now, that's an experience!

I am so pleased you didn't say it was a "good" experience.

Edwardo's stuffed spinach pizza has the spinach chopped up into tiny pieces, spread out in the cheesy goodness. It was my introduction to both spinach and stuffed pizza, back in high school. No one else makes it quite the same. It is a bit too far for convenience from where I currently live, which is probably a good thing for me, but now I'm missing it.

pkondz the soothsayer foresees a trip to Edwardo's in your near future.

Well, we bought hoppers for our first trip, and never used them. So, I didn't bother for our second trip. Well, except that I sorta did - for the Dark Side. You can't ride the Hogwarts Express unless you get their version of hoppers, sadly.

Didn't know that about Uni.

Learn sumptin' every day.

Isn't the Mall of America in Minneapolis??? That's not exactly a day trip from Milwaukee...

Meh. It's a mere 5 hours away.

The infamous Bar Mitzvah with the brussel sprouts was at the Harley Davidson Museum, believe it or not.[GALLERY=]

[/GALLERY]

Cool!!

 

[Mrs T 2009]

Personally I'd rather come home to no snow and warm weather...
But that's just me.

.. I would as well, but Beggars can't be choosers!

Wow. Sounds like a really great time!
The Natural History Museum and Macy's are two of the NYC spots on my list.

The last trip, we walked all over Central Park, went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I took a tour of the New York Public Library, saw Finding Neverland on Broadway, walked through Times Square and a few stores, Empire State Building, Took the Staten Island Ferry back and forth, walked over to the 9/11 memorial, went to Chelsea Market, and ate at a couple places: only ones worth sharing are: Morimotos in Chelsea Market was amazing, and Shake Shack lol
We have stayed at the Grand Hyatt at Grand Central both trips. It's very nice and great location being next to Grand Central, and not too far cab ride from LaGuardia.

MILWAUKEE??

Sure. Sure. Makes total sense.
"Graceland or Chicago... Milwaukee it is."

Yeah, yeah, I know....

Yep.

I figured you would! haha

Okay. That makes sense.
Actually, I'd like to go to Milwaukee too.
But for different reasons.
I'd love to see an Indy car race at the famous Milwaukee Mile.
And Milwaukee is home to Harley Davidson.

Thanks! lol
I am excited and it will be fun! I am sure my cousin will have things planned for us to do And my husband has been there for work, so he said there are a couple places I need to go see. haha

I find notes are a must!
Otherwise the TR looks like this.
Day 1
What a great day! We did this and this and this and this and...
Day 2
Another good day! We did this and this and I think, this.
Day 3
Pretty sure this was a good day. I remember this... and I think, maybe this.
Day 4
I don't remember too much. But think we might've done this.
Day 5

YEAH.... sounds like me on my last few trips! and didn't take tons of photos either! Some trips it's nice to just relax and take minimal photos. Though I still tend to take photos of things I usually ALWAYS do haha

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Not Singin' in the Rain

What? Wrong film?
how about we watch this one then...

My goodness.
So many people said I was gracious.
Completely unsolicited too!

Unsolicited?

Thank you to all.

No trouble…
We were fairly well compensated.

In the last update, I confessed to not being overly
impressed with the pizza at Via Napoli.

And I for one didn’t really bat an eye…

A few of you asked, "Why Winnipeg."

Now, I was among the curious though…

Well I'll tell you.

But if you're feeling hungry, you might want to try Vern's.

Interesting take on the concept…
It seems to be more a sub on flatbread then Za.
But if it’s a “meatzzia” ya’s want’s, then I can see this place fitting the bill nicely.

We also have a little one-of-a-kind-pizzeria called Diana's Cucina.

Now those look a bit more enticing.
I’ve seen beer used in batters and doughs and I generally like the effect on texture and flavor.
I’d be trying one if I were to get up that way.

You took the bus and not the boat or monorail!
So AK was the obvious choice."

Well, it was one of the reasons I chose what I chose, but not the only one…
So, one quarter misdirection on your part, and three quarters: I was just plain wrong.

You all misunderstood what the obvious part was.

I’m blaming Google Translate here…
That there newfangled Canadian to American option they added don’t work worth a dang!

See? It's obvious now isn't it?

In about the same way that the answer would be obvious if you asked:
“How many of each animal did Moses gather into the Ark?”



Those that ain’t payin’ attention won’t be getting that bonus point either.

Now some of you concluded that if we were going to MK
we would have taken the monorail.
And some of you further concluded that if we were going to DHS
we would've taken the boat, instead of making our way
all the way back to the bus stop.

The thought did occur…

I'm rather full of myself, am I not?

http://www.geekscape.net/the-top-10-best-comedy-straight-men

(Don't call me Shirley)

My name isn't Shirley either, but that’s not important right now…

I forgot.

I took one last stab at getting her to try the single rider line...

And she said yes!

But then I told her how some people would send up a youngster
and then cut through to join them, one by one,
until the whole family was at the front.

Now that is just pure evil…
I generally think badly of “people” (an untrustworthy lot, the bunch of them), but that’s not even something that ever occurred to me. Now I’m going to have to lower my expectations of “people” even farther. Guess I better go get a shovel…

While we were inside RNRC, it had rained out.
And judging by the wet conditions,
it must've poured!

It did rain…
Just not on y’all.
Was that part of that VIP Transportation package as well?

when I replied: "Don't worry. They'll wait for you."
And with that, I turned my back on him,
effectively blocking his way.

How un-Canadian of you.
Absolutely brilliant!
But decidedly not terribly Canadian.
If word of that got back to the authorities, you might encounter trouble getting back into the country.

I whipped out my... settle down ladies.

Sheesh.

I know, I know…
That was cliché, but it’s the most appropriate cliché.

"Can I take my shoes off?" Kay asked.
"Sure. We have plenty of time." I said. "Do you want me to rub your feet?"
She nodded. So I did.

‘Cause, as a daddy, that’s what you do.

Oh. Did I happen to mention the weather?
About 30 seconds after we sat down under cover,
the heavens opened up and a deluge poured out of the sky.

Yep…
There must be a clause buried somewhere in that VIP Package that is sparing y’all a great deal of sogginess.

I had never had a...

Churro.

Go ahead! Tell me you can't believe it either!
I'll even give you bonus points for it.

“you can't believe it either!”

Well, that’s what you said I should tell you (and it’s merely for the points, ‘cause I’ll likely need ‘em).
I, on the other hand, am not all that surprised - and truth be told – I find that they’re really not all that amazing.

Is it as good as a beaver tail?

There you go playing the straight man again…

Of course not. Everything is better (and rather more fun) when it just a bit more slippery.



(well… almost everything)

Now.... where were we?

Falling head long into an inescapable den of innuendo and double entendre, do believe.

Right! Our last ride!

Oh, you mean in relation to the actual story line…

We rode HM.
And it was merely awesometastic.

Tanfastic!

Hmmm... I'm sure the meatballs are in there somewhere.

I don’t know…
The Tramp may have picked them out for his gal.
He’s been known to do such.

while I chose the less heavy Chef's Selection
which was a raspberry sorbet, I believe.

Mmmmmmm… Rasberry.

Every once in a while,
a tall man would come and stand in front of us.
We'd move a bit... okay we can see.
He'd move.
We'd move some more.
He'd move again.

Gaaaaa!
I hate it when folks do that.
Drives me absolutely batty!

Ah, to be that clueless.
It must be very restful, not having to think of others.

Well then most of humanity must be quite well rested indeed.

The last few fireworks crackled overhead

and we knew our vacation was over.

"Dad!" Kay suddenly blurts out. "We forgot my paw prints!"

Oh... shoot!

“Except, I didn’t say ‘shoot’…”

If anyone's going to the World in the next little bit,
would it be too much to ask one of you to pick
up a napkin from Tony's with Lady & The Tramp's
paw prints on it?
I'd be more than happy to pay for the postage.

I’ll check with you before we next head down that way to see if you still need one.

we climbed the stairs one last time...
Ha. No.
She climbed the stairs one last time.

Well that will be 8 for her, then.
We’ll just see about your final tally.

We got to our room and I returned to the food court
to refill our mugs.
Then I climbed the stairs one last time.

17

Kay would rather leave it, sleep in,
and ask me in the morning to pack for her.

Well, if the strategy has worked in the past, there’s no reason not to implement it now.

Bonus questions, round 11!

1. 2:00am
2. Kay sleeps… You, not so much
3. Y’all Breeze through customs
4. Therefore: Security is worse this time
5. Ruby gets there first (to see her young’en of course, your’ just lucky she even lets you in the car)

 

[franandaj]

But if you're feeling hungry, you might want to try Vern's.
(7 locations in Central Canada. One in Winnipeg.)
They take a pizza and pile it higher than any other that I've seen.
Here's a pic I found on Google.
(And no. It's not for the meek. Or if you have a heart condition.)

Wow! The only way that I have been able to keep up with the chatter on everyone's threads is to read on my phone when I have a spare moment. And you don't really want to know where that is most of the time!

But on the tiny screen, I could not see just how much meat was actually on that pizza! I would only need one slice, if I could even eat that.

The question was obvious... not the answer!
We're at the bus stop going somewhere,
so the obvious question to ask is "Where are we going?"

I need to remember that you are always trying to trick us.

See? It's obvious now isn't it?

I'm rather full of myself, am I not?

Very much so!

I forgot.

figures.

Well, there's two reasons why we came back to DHS.
Indeed, it was at Kay's insistence.
Two of her top four favourite rides were here.
RNRC and TOT, of course.

Those are good reasons.

"But wasn't she just trying to get up to her family?"
I told her that was probably the case.

I try to believe that and not other.

This is the single rider line!
There's no "joining" people.
There shouldn't be any people to join!

That never occurred to me, but you're right.

We walked out and...
Everything was soaking wet!
While we were inside RNRC, it had rained out.
And judging by the wet conditions,
it must've poured!

That's happened to us before.

No single rider line there.
I shuddered at the thought of the massive line
we were about to encounter.


There was no one there.

How do you have so much luck?

The rain had sent everyone running for cover,
and they hadn't made it back here yet!

Oh, I guess that's how.

We had so much fun that we decided to do it again.
There still was next to no line.
We had about a five minute wait this time,

You're having all the luck.

As we left TOT, we passed by the now huge
line of people that stretched all the way past
the entrance gate and down the hill.
I figured the wait was probably around an hour
to an hour and a half.

Wow!

30 minutes? No sweat!
Who needs single rider?

We walked in and part way up the first ramp.
We stopped there at the end of the queue.
A few seconds or so later, I glanced behind us
and the line now stretched out past the FP entrance.

More excellent timing by us, if I do say so myself.

I rarely get in lines longer than 20 minutes, but then again I can always do the single rider line. I also ride Disney rides a lot more often than you.

I whipped out my VIP bus package contract,
but unfortunately, it just guarantees a bus
will always be there within a minute or so.
It does not guarantee a seat.
Maybe that's extra.

I've really got to figure out how to add this to my trip in April.

"Can I take my shoes off?" Kay asked.
"Sure. We have plenty of time." I said. "Do you want me to rub your feet?"
She nodded. So I did.

Wow! Never in a million years would my Dad consider doing this. Not even for my mom.

We just sat quietly, me rubbing Kay's feet, in our little oasis.

Eventually, her feet stopped hurting and she said she was ready to go.

We had been sitting there for about an hour.
It was probably the most peaceful part of the whole trip!

That's so sweet.

Really, the VIP weather package is a must.

Now you tell us about this!

It did rain... twice!
But we were lucky with the weather.
It didn't affect us at all.
Indeed, if anything, it helped!
(Remember the zero wait at TOT?
Probably helped empty out MK a bit, too.)
So you get points if you said we were lucky,
but none if you just said it rained.
Judge's decisions are final.

Again. Tricky.

I really wasn't all that worried that eventually she'd pick the right one.
After all, it's not like she was going anywhere.

"Haunted Mansion?"
There ya go!
So I let her out.

I had never had a...

Churro.

Go ahead! Tell me you can't believe it either!
I'll even give you bonus points for it.

I can't believe you've never one!

They sell them on street corners out of little carts where I live. Well not in my neighborhood, but around the area. There's also a fast food chain El Pollo Loco where they are one of the desserts that they sell. Fran gets 'em all the time.

Oh, stop being an idiot and eat the darned thing!

You really hold that thing like you're going to play it.

It would be better if we could stay for another week,
but beggars can't be Disney guests forever.
Or something like that.

Something.

Tony's!

Now I know Tony's doesn't get a lot of love,
but I had a reason for coming here.
And Kay had actually requested it.

So Tony's it was.

Well if Kay requested it, that's as good a reason as any.

We didn't get the best table for viewing,
but we certainly didn't get the worst, either.

That works.

Kay and I began to eat... right about the time MSEP started.
Perfect timing.

What wasn't so perfect though, was that a family sat at the table
directly opposite ours on the verandah, blocking our view.

Dang people.

Hmmm... I'm sure the meatballs are in there somewhere.

They must be pretty small, or something.

She loved it.
She was standing there, rapt the whole time.

That's so sweet.

I tapped him on the shoulder.
When he turned I gestured towards Kay.
He looked a little nonplussed, but moved aside.

Wow. You're really bold.

Yeah... right.

Wishes is the best thing in all of Disney.
My God. What a way to end a vacation!
It's sooooo good!
They really know how to pull at those heart strings!

Except.

We'd watch and... a Dad would grab his kid
and hoist him or her on his shoulders.

Right in front of us.

Nothing like watching fireworks burst in the air around the outline of a kid on a Dad's shoulders.

Ah, to be that clueless.
It must be very restful, not having to think of others.

They say, ignorance is bliss.

Yep.
One dad would move out of the way
and another would step into the vacated position.

Tap. Tap. Tap.
Look. Apologetic grimace. Move to the side.

This happened about four times.

I can't believe how ignorant and oblivious people are.

The last few fireworks crackled overhead
and we knew our vacation was over.

<pause. let that sink in. sob quietly. continue.>

Even worse it means the story is almost over.

We trudged wearily towards the bus stop.
"Dad!" Kay suddenly blurts out. "We forgot my paw prints!"

Oh no!

If anyone's going to the World in the next little bit,
would it be too much to ask one of you to pick
up a napkin from Tony's with Lady & The Tramp's
paw prints on it?
I'd be more than happy to pay for the postage.

Until yesterday, I had the soonest trip coming up, but I see you have a promise of someone going in two weeks. If that doesn't pan out, I can always try in May.

After a quiet bus ride back to the resort,
we climbed the stairs one last time...
Ha. No.
She climbed the stairs one last time.
We got to our room and I returned to the food court
to refill our mugs.
Then I climbed the stairs one last time.

I'd rather stay up a few minutes and pack
and sleep a little later in the morning.

I try to do that, but I'm usually too tired to d it. However, with your wake up time, I would have packed the day before!

Kay would rather leave it, sleep in,
and ask me in the morning to pack for her.

jandlinz – 197 points
Saturn23 – 197 points
DISNEYMOON10121991 – 194 points
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes – 189 points
SnowWhiteOz – 186 points
DizzneyDi – 171 points
franandaj - 171 points

Boy have I dropped in the contest!

1. What time do we get up?

2:15

2. Do we sleep on the plane?
Me? Kay? Both? Neither?

I'm going to say that you don't, but Kay does.

3. Do we have issues at customs?

No

4. Which takes longer in Toronto (our connection.)
Security? Or customs?

Security.

5. Which came first. Our bags or Ruby to pick us up?

Ruby.