crcormier
<font color=green>We laughed, as it was quite appr
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2003
- Messages
- 7,862
Or... Why aren't you relaxing yet?
All right, so it's really day three while I'm writing this, but I got home late last night and was to be up early today, so, hey, it's my trip report, I'll be late if I want to.
So back to the report. As I said on day one, this trip was largely without an itinerary, meant to sit back and relax, not go go go. I've discovered something. That is just hard to do.
First of all I kept waking up during the night. I think it was my mind fighting with my body, the former knowing it's at Disney and needing to get its money's worth, the latter wanting to lay down and toss back a few. This can be quite disconcerting. Mind and body tend to cuss a lot. Much like a Jerry Springer episode. (Not that I've ever seen one.)
Well, body won out to a point and I did manage to sleep in until about 9:30 after an early flight and a late night at MVMCP the day before. So I mosied out of bed. (How does one know how to mosey? Is it a natural instinct or something you need to be trained on? And does anyone know the proper spelling for the past tense of mosey?)
Anyway, I'm up now, hopped online to check e-mail quick (personal only, no checking of work e-mail. Took me a long time to learn that skill.) Chatted with a friend about what to do today. Then I noticed as I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do that I was starting to stress about it. Four letter words flew between mind and body causing both to be tense. A few deep breaths and a shower later they both retreated to their corners.
I decided that I wanted to go to the Belz outlet mall. They have a discount Disney store there with discontinued park merchandise, and I had wanted to see it last year but never got the chance. Determined to remain relaxed I mosied out to my car and mosied it out onto the I4. I decided to stop mosey-ing, seeing as everyone else on the I4 was travelling at 80MPH and I felt mosey-ing may be life endangering.
The website for the Belz outlet stated it was on International Boulevard. This was correct. It also stated it was exit 70A. This was incorrect. There is no exit 70A. (Or else the non-moseying pace of I4 made me miss it.) Neither hear nor there so I took the next exit for International Boulevard.
Now I remember staying in hotels (see Wally World in sig) on Int. Boul. when I was a kid, and they were all pretty much the same, nothing fancy. Since when did every building in Orlando become themed? There's a World Of Wonders store that is built like it is upside-down and crashed into the pavement. There's a huge FAO Schwartz. There's Skull Mountain haunted attraction. (Okay, that one was just odd.) There's a GIGANTIC convention center. Though as I mosey-ed further down Int. Boul., it does retreat to it's earlier days of plain box 80s 't-shirts for a dollar' essence.
Finally found Belz at the end of Int. Bouv, and it's quite expansive, and confusing. There are 'fashion' outlets, which are the nice buildings, and then the 'bargain outlets', which aren't so fancy. This is where the Disney Outlet stores were. There's one in each of two buildings (but they are identical, so if you see one you've seen both.) There really is quite a bit of clothing and other merchandise there, all at a great discount. I got 6 "Merriest Place on Earth" ornaments for $5 a piece, plus a retired toy for my niece. Oh, and anyone collecting the Monorail set, they have the Dumbo and Haunted Mansion pieces there still for $12 each.
My shopping concluded, I decided to stop for some lunch since I was off property and didn't need a credit check to eat. I went to a place called Lucy Ho's in the outlet. Apparently the food outlets are bargain outlets as well, as the food tasted day old and had three pieces of beef and pork in my beef & vegetables and spicy pork. Lucy certainly is a... nevermind.
Well, I moseyed back to I4 and careened back to WDW, with my master plan for the week happily missing, tossing between going to MGM and AK in my head. I decided on MGM until I got in the parking lot, parked and then changed my mind, wanting to see the Jungle Parade instead at AK. Got back in my car and headed over there. (I guess this is an argument for having at least a little bit of an itinerary.)
After parking 3 miles away I headed into the park and over to Rafiki's Planet Watch. This is one of the few places in the AK that I had yet to go to, since every other time I came I was with someone who didn't want to see it. Ha, I'm by myself, so I can do whatever lame stuff I want! Actually, I thought it was really neat, but I am a bit of a science wonk. I do recommend visiting it at least once, it's educational in a fun way. Though I was annoyed at the family that thought class was walking right in front of me everytime I was trying to read something displayed in one of the veteranarian's displays. I think I recognized them from Springer. Oh wait, I've never watched that.
At this point I guess I need to disclaim that my solo trip is only 95 percent solo, truthfully. I have an uncle who lives in St. Pete with his partner and I wanted to get together with him since I wouldn't see him at the holidays, so I gave him a call as I moseyed, (I'll keep trying different variations of this spelling, one of them must be right,) over to Asia to look at how work was going on Expedition Everest. Being a retailer, work is busy for him at the moment and though it was his day off, he didn't sound too keen on travelling during it, so I offered to drive out to St. Pete instead. That was finalized and I finished my viewing of Everest. (Which will be exciting when complete!)
Moved to Dinoland next while waiting for the parade and enjoyed the Triceratops Spin and Dinosaur. How is that I've been on Dinosaur multiple times but can still be afraid that Dinosaur is going to eat me? Perhaps I just feel like I'd be tasty. Like a cookie. Dinosaurs must need to eat hugs too.
That sounds good, I think to myself that I must find one now. (I'd have thought it to somone else, but I don't have that ability.) I got sidetracked by a band at the entrance to Dinoland, can't remember their name at the moment, but they were great. It amazes me how many people never stop to listen to these groups though. When people ask how I can keep going back there, those are the people that never stop to listen, I think. That sidetrack finished I decided to be sidetracked further by getting my photo taken with Tigger and Eeyore. Off again to claim my cookie.
Cookie in hand the parade just started heading by. I watched most of it and then turned and headed for the parking lot, since I had at least an hour and a half drive ahead of me if traffic was good on I4 which is an oxymoron. Though my non-mosey-ing movement slowed when I came across Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy all outside the entrance with no lines for pictures. So of course another Donald had to be added to the library, as well as Santa Goofy. I tried with Mickey, but there was no one to take the photo!
Back to the hotel to change and head out towards St. Petersburg. Actually, it didn't turn out to be too bad, though I think there was only 3 miles of it not under construction.
There's also a radio station here called Magic 107.7 that's playing Christmas music until Christmas, which is nice. Though for those from my neck of the woods, you would probably understand how it can be odd to hear it not called Magic 106.7, since the jingle is almost identical.
Spent several hours visiting and going out to dinner with my uncle. I like him a lot, we get along well and always have great conversations. and I headed back, getting in just after midnight. We wouldn't do well on Springer. (Not that I have ever seen who would.)
Off to bed, my body tired, and still not feeling like I've done much relaxing. Perhaps tomorrow...
Still here? Well, read on MacDuff... Day 3 is here...
All right, so it's really day three while I'm writing this, but I got home late last night and was to be up early today, so, hey, it's my trip report, I'll be late if I want to.
So back to the report. As I said on day one, this trip was largely without an itinerary, meant to sit back and relax, not go go go. I've discovered something. That is just hard to do.
First of all I kept waking up during the night. I think it was my mind fighting with my body, the former knowing it's at Disney and needing to get its money's worth, the latter wanting to lay down and toss back a few. This can be quite disconcerting. Mind and body tend to cuss a lot. Much like a Jerry Springer episode. (Not that I've ever seen one.)
Well, body won out to a point and I did manage to sleep in until about 9:30 after an early flight and a late night at MVMCP the day before. So I mosied out of bed. (How does one know how to mosey? Is it a natural instinct or something you need to be trained on? And does anyone know the proper spelling for the past tense of mosey?)
Anyway, I'm up now, hopped online to check e-mail quick (personal only, no checking of work e-mail. Took me a long time to learn that skill.) Chatted with a friend about what to do today. Then I noticed as I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do that I was starting to stress about it. Four letter words flew between mind and body causing both to be tense. A few deep breaths and a shower later they both retreated to their corners.
I decided that I wanted to go to the Belz outlet mall. They have a discount Disney store there with discontinued park merchandise, and I had wanted to see it last year but never got the chance. Determined to remain relaxed I mosied out to my car and mosied it out onto the I4. I decided to stop mosey-ing, seeing as everyone else on the I4 was travelling at 80MPH and I felt mosey-ing may be life endangering.
The website for the Belz outlet stated it was on International Boulevard. This was correct. It also stated it was exit 70A. This was incorrect. There is no exit 70A. (Or else the non-moseying pace of I4 made me miss it.) Neither hear nor there so I took the next exit for International Boulevard.
Now I remember staying in hotels (see Wally World in sig) on Int. Boul. when I was a kid, and they were all pretty much the same, nothing fancy. Since when did every building in Orlando become themed? There's a World Of Wonders store that is built like it is upside-down and crashed into the pavement. There's a huge FAO Schwartz. There's Skull Mountain haunted attraction. (Okay, that one was just odd.) There's a GIGANTIC convention center. Though as I mosey-ed further down Int. Boul., it does retreat to it's earlier days of plain box 80s 't-shirts for a dollar' essence.
Finally found Belz at the end of Int. Bouv, and it's quite expansive, and confusing. There are 'fashion' outlets, which are the nice buildings, and then the 'bargain outlets', which aren't so fancy. This is where the Disney Outlet stores were. There's one in each of two buildings (but they are identical, so if you see one you've seen both.) There really is quite a bit of clothing and other merchandise there, all at a great discount. I got 6 "Merriest Place on Earth" ornaments for $5 a piece, plus a retired toy for my niece. Oh, and anyone collecting the Monorail set, they have the Dumbo and Haunted Mansion pieces there still for $12 each.
My shopping concluded, I decided to stop for some lunch since I was off property and didn't need a credit check to eat. I went to a place called Lucy Ho's in the outlet. Apparently the food outlets are bargain outlets as well, as the food tasted day old and had three pieces of beef and pork in my beef & vegetables and spicy pork. Lucy certainly is a... nevermind.
Well, I moseyed back to I4 and careened back to WDW, with my master plan for the week happily missing, tossing between going to MGM and AK in my head. I decided on MGM until I got in the parking lot, parked and then changed my mind, wanting to see the Jungle Parade instead at AK. Got back in my car and headed over there. (I guess this is an argument for having at least a little bit of an itinerary.)
After parking 3 miles away I headed into the park and over to Rafiki's Planet Watch. This is one of the few places in the AK that I had yet to go to, since every other time I came I was with someone who didn't want to see it. Ha, I'm by myself, so I can do whatever lame stuff I want! Actually, I thought it was really neat, but I am a bit of a science wonk. I do recommend visiting it at least once, it's educational in a fun way. Though I was annoyed at the family that thought class was walking right in front of me everytime I was trying to read something displayed in one of the veteranarian's displays. I think I recognized them from Springer. Oh wait, I've never watched that.
At this point I guess I need to disclaim that my solo trip is only 95 percent solo, truthfully. I have an uncle who lives in St. Pete with his partner and I wanted to get together with him since I wouldn't see him at the holidays, so I gave him a call as I moseyed, (I'll keep trying different variations of this spelling, one of them must be right,) over to Asia to look at how work was going on Expedition Everest. Being a retailer, work is busy for him at the moment and though it was his day off, he didn't sound too keen on travelling during it, so I offered to drive out to St. Pete instead. That was finalized and I finished my viewing of Everest. (Which will be exciting when complete!)
Moved to Dinoland next while waiting for the parade and enjoyed the Triceratops Spin and Dinosaur. How is that I've been on Dinosaur multiple times but can still be afraid that Dinosaur is going to eat me? Perhaps I just feel like I'd be tasty. Like a cookie. Dinosaurs must need to eat hugs too.
That sounds good, I think to myself that I must find one now. (I'd have thought it to somone else, but I don't have that ability.) I got sidetracked by a band at the entrance to Dinoland, can't remember their name at the moment, but they were great. It amazes me how many people never stop to listen to these groups though. When people ask how I can keep going back there, those are the people that never stop to listen, I think. That sidetrack finished I decided to be sidetracked further by getting my photo taken with Tigger and Eeyore. Off again to claim my cookie.
Cookie in hand the parade just started heading by. I watched most of it and then turned and headed for the parking lot, since I had at least an hour and a half drive ahead of me if traffic was good on I4 which is an oxymoron. Though my non-mosey-ing movement slowed when I came across Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy all outside the entrance with no lines for pictures. So of course another Donald had to be added to the library, as well as Santa Goofy. I tried with Mickey, but there was no one to take the photo!
Back to the hotel to change and head out towards St. Petersburg. Actually, it didn't turn out to be too bad, though I think there was only 3 miles of it not under construction.
There's also a radio station here called Magic 107.7 that's playing Christmas music until Christmas, which is nice. Though for those from my neck of the woods, you would probably understand how it can be odd to hear it not called Magic 106.7, since the jingle is almost identical.
Spent several hours visiting and going out to dinner with my uncle. I like him a lot, we get along well and always have great conversations. and I headed back, getting in just after midnight. We wouldn't do well on Springer. (Not that I have ever seen who would.)
Off to bed, my body tired, and still not feeling like I've done much relaxing. Perhaps tomorrow...
Still here? Well, read on MacDuff... Day 3 is here...
But glad that I can offer you some happy entertainment in its place.
