Part 2 - Day 1 (2nd half) Give me Liberty (and give me more mashed potatoes)
.and the nose fetish is revealed.
After some relaxing in our super duper room at WL, its time to head off to the Magic Kingdom. This evenings plan is a leisurely walk around the grounds and dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern. This is our first chance to take the boat from WL to MK. We were spoiled right off the bat. As we walk onto the dock the boat arrives. I dont even think we broke stride, walking right onto the boat. This circuit included a stop at Ft. Wilderness for a drop off/pick up. We were comfortably seated in the back, with a lovely evening sky, and little threat of rain (a comment you wont hear much more of in these reports). The trip takes us past the construction at the Contemporary and over the water bridge. As we begin to dock at the MK, tears begin to well up in my eyes, as I realize that were really here. The vacation I had planned for nearly a year is happening, and it is very cool !!! Now watching a 62 and 280 lb ex-football player cry, is a sight to behold. I held it mostly together, but Da Wife was kind enough to give me a big hug, to calm me. We pass through the bag check and biometric scanners without problems. The finger check thing was actually kind of cool, and caused no issue throughout the vacation.
Our timing was pretty good and we had a comfortable 15-20 minutes to get to LTT. We were going to get a FP for the Haunted House along the way but the kiosks were closed already, so onto LTT. From check in to seating it was only ~ 5 minutes. Our table was in the center, sort of right behind the check in waiting area. Characters were very active, and I looked forward to seeing Goofy, as he is my fav. Da Wife is a big Chip & Dale fan, and was excited to see them milling about. Wont go into the details of the meal, but the server was excellent and all the food wad great. The turkey and beef were particularly juicy. Character interaction was super. The first to arrive was Minnie. She immediately feigned getting the vapors as she looked at Mongo. I must admit, I wish I looked like Mongo when I was 16. She proceeded to lay a kiss on him with an audible SMACK when she did it. Mongo was sufficiently embarrassed. Minnie then laid a kiss on me, which made the day. Next to the table was Chip. Da Wife taught us before hand that we know its Chip because he has a chocolate chip nose. Did I say nose ???? Well Da Wife and Chip line up for the obligatory picture, and right before the snap, Da Wife turns to Chip and plants a sweet kiss on his (is it a he ??) nose. The picture turned out great, and was the set up for things to come. Goofy shows up and I get my pic with him. Then its Dales turn. When he arrives at the table Taz is quick to note that Chip got a kiss from Da Wife. Dale plays jealous and insists on a nose kiss as well. Dale Kiss Then Dale runs over to Chip, who was near by to let him know he got a kiss too. They bicker with each other over Da Wifes affections right in the middle of the restaurant. It was precious.
With a pleasantly full belly, we head out into the park. This is a casual evening, as this was our travel day. We head off and walk right onto the Haunted House. It remains a wonderfully nostalgic ride. I looked for the engagement ring in the concrete, but forgot where exactly to look. Oh well. We stayed with the nostalgic theme and did IASW, The WEDWAY (Ill never call it by its new name !!), and CoP. Mongo and Taz almost pulled their ears off on IASW, really enjoyed WEDWAY, and found the CoP funny and amusing. As we exited CoP a light drizzle began, so we decided to head for the boat. Along the way, we walked onto Buzz Lightyear and Stitchs Great Escape, since the waits were only 10 minutes. Buzz was fun, but not a huge hit. Stitch was a hoot. Da Wife was laughing hysterically at the water and unsavory smells. When asked what she found so funny, she replied Now you know whats its like living with three men !! A few other wives and moms in the area heard the comment and joined in the laughter. Upon further reflection, I understood that she was talking about Mongo and Taz, and not me, as I am the perfect gentleman.
We made our way down Main Street just as the 9 oclock parade was moving through and the rains started to come. The parade continued, but we still made our way to the exit, thinking the fireworks would surely be cancelled. We arrive at the boat dock and must endure a 10-minute wait (tic) for a boat to arrive. We load on and its back to WL. What a great way to end a great first day ..but it wasnt over. As we dock at WL, the rain has ended, and much to our surprise, the MK fireworks begin. We can see them clearly over the treetops while standing on the dock. We have a family group hug, watch the fireworks, and then make our way to the room. We put on our pajamas, inflate our two aerobeds (everyone wanted their own bed), and close our eyes on a perfect beginning to what will be a perfect week.
Coming in Part 3 Pancakes with ears (manually assembled), sleeping on a ride, and addressing my fear of heights.
Part 1
Part 3
After some relaxing in our super duper room at WL, its time to head off to the Magic Kingdom. This evenings plan is a leisurely walk around the grounds and dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern. This is our first chance to take the boat from WL to MK. We were spoiled right off the bat. As we walk onto the dock the boat arrives. I dont even think we broke stride, walking right onto the boat. This circuit included a stop at Ft. Wilderness for a drop off/pick up. We were comfortably seated in the back, with a lovely evening sky, and little threat of rain (a comment you wont hear much more of in these reports). The trip takes us past the construction at the Contemporary and over the water bridge. As we begin to dock at the MK, tears begin to well up in my eyes, as I realize that were really here. The vacation I had planned for nearly a year is happening, and it is very cool !!! Now watching a 62 and 280 lb ex-football player cry, is a sight to behold. I held it mostly together, but Da Wife was kind enough to give me a big hug, to calm me. We pass through the bag check and biometric scanners without problems. The finger check thing was actually kind of cool, and caused no issue throughout the vacation.
Our timing was pretty good and we had a comfortable 15-20 minutes to get to LTT. We were going to get a FP for the Haunted House along the way but the kiosks were closed already, so onto LTT. From check in to seating it was only ~ 5 minutes. Our table was in the center, sort of right behind the check in waiting area. Characters were very active, and I looked forward to seeing Goofy, as he is my fav. Da Wife is a big Chip & Dale fan, and was excited to see them milling about. Wont go into the details of the meal, but the server was excellent and all the food wad great. The turkey and beef were particularly juicy. Character interaction was super. The first to arrive was Minnie. She immediately feigned getting the vapors as she looked at Mongo. I must admit, I wish I looked like Mongo when I was 16. She proceeded to lay a kiss on him with an audible SMACK when she did it. Mongo was sufficiently embarrassed. Minnie then laid a kiss on me, which made the day. Next to the table was Chip. Da Wife taught us before hand that we know its Chip because he has a chocolate chip nose. Did I say nose ???? Well Da Wife and Chip line up for the obligatory picture, and right before the snap, Da Wife turns to Chip and plants a sweet kiss on his (is it a he ??) nose. The picture turned out great, and was the set up for things to come. Goofy shows up and I get my pic with him. Then its Dales turn. When he arrives at the table Taz is quick to note that Chip got a kiss from Da Wife. Dale plays jealous and insists on a nose kiss as well. Dale Kiss Then Dale runs over to Chip, who was near by to let him know he got a kiss too. They bicker with each other over Da Wifes affections right in the middle of the restaurant. It was precious.
With a pleasantly full belly, we head out into the park. This is a casual evening, as this was our travel day. We head off and walk right onto the Haunted House. It remains a wonderfully nostalgic ride. I looked for the engagement ring in the concrete, but forgot where exactly to look. Oh well. We stayed with the nostalgic theme and did IASW, The WEDWAY (Ill never call it by its new name !!), and CoP. Mongo and Taz almost pulled their ears off on IASW, really enjoyed WEDWAY, and found the CoP funny and amusing. As we exited CoP a light drizzle began, so we decided to head for the boat. Along the way, we walked onto Buzz Lightyear and Stitchs Great Escape, since the waits were only 10 minutes. Buzz was fun, but not a huge hit. Stitch was a hoot. Da Wife was laughing hysterically at the water and unsavory smells. When asked what she found so funny, she replied Now you know whats its like living with three men !! A few other wives and moms in the area heard the comment and joined in the laughter. Upon further reflection, I understood that she was talking about Mongo and Taz, and not me, as I am the perfect gentleman.
We made our way down Main Street just as the 9 oclock parade was moving through and the rains started to come. The parade continued, but we still made our way to the exit, thinking the fireworks would surely be cancelled. We arrive at the boat dock and must endure a 10-minute wait (tic) for a boat to arrive. We load on and its back to WL. What a great way to end a great first day ..but it wasnt over. As we dock at WL, the rain has ended, and much to our surprise, the MK fireworks begin. We can see them clearly over the treetops while standing on the dock. We have a family group hug, watch the fireworks, and then make our way to the room. We put on our pajamas, inflate our two aerobeds (everyone wanted their own bed), and close our eyes on a perfect beginning to what will be a perfect week.
Coming in Part 3 Pancakes with ears (manually assembled), sleeping on a ride, and addressing my fear of heights.
Part 1
Part 3
) and know exactly where your wife is coming from!
