Day 4 6/9/04 Oh Shirley!
The Cast:
DH 45 - seriously allergic to theme park thrills, easy going all around good guy.
DD 11 middle of the road theme park thrill seeker, drama queen, stuffed animal lover, artsy & sensitive kind of girl.
DS 11 extreme thrill seeker, slightly mischievous, reason why Im on a first name basis with the principal, always has a hug for mom kind of boy.
Myself 40 all time extreme thrill seeker, roller coaster junkie, seeker of missing socks, practical joker, always ruins the punch-line kind of gal.
We awoke on Day 4 knowing this would be our last day of FOTL as we were checking out of the RPR this morning.
Checked out via the television option, all charges were correct & we headed off to the parks. The kids wanted to go to MIB again to start our day (no complaints from me as I LOVED this attraction!) & we were on & off 4 times in a row with no wait in express. Ive heard the regular queue here is interesting & will have to be sure to hit it at least once on our next trip. You all may remember previously that I mentioned printing the MIB tips from phamtons (Bev) sons website & bringing them with me. Well, guilt had the best of me & Id let the family look over them so we could all be on equal ground. Only problem was, my DS left them at Nascar Café one night & now we were all basically shooting in the dark. I could have used them at this point because I was finally starting to recognize the aliens he was talking about in the tips! No matter, I was still annihilating DS & DH, but wanted to score better than my 519,000 high. It was at that point I realized that my goal in life was to max out on MIB
..I was addicted & would no doubt be attending 12 step MIB addiction meetings somewhere down the road! 
But for now, we bought a MIB souvenir cup & moved on.
We were all hungry & opted for an early lunch at Finnegans. For the life of me, I cant remember what we all had, but I do remember the service was good & the atmosphere was lively. The kids ran across the street to get their fill of their free racing game in the arcade while we waited on the food. DH & I enjoyed listening to a Blues Bros. Show which was going on outside.
We hadnt seen any shows up to this point, so decided to hit T-2 & the Horror Makeup Show. Waited about 10 minutes in express for the next T-2 show to begin. We expected a 3-D show for T-2, but really enjoyed the mix of 3-D & live actors. My DD asked how they had managed to get Arnold S. to come perform if he was the governor now. (Unfortunately she gets her common sense from me!
) Off to the Horror Makeup Show, next show was to start in 5 minutes & we were a little confused by the express vs. regular line, but did finally manage to get herded to the right of the room for express. We were seated in the second row, last 4 seats on the far right side near the exit door. DS had reservations about this show
.doesnt do well with scary movies, haunted houses etc. I tried to explain what the show would probably be about & he half listened with wide eyes that kept staring at the props on stage. I knew he wasnt convinced when he asked to have the end seat & sat there with one leg in the aisle ready to bolt if necessary!
The show was both interesting & hilarious. They talked about the work of Tom Savini, who actually teaches special effects makeup at a local school near my home & whos work is showcased in a haunted attraction called TerrorMania, which is just a few miles from where I live. Check Out TerrorMania After the first few minutes, DS informed me that I could let go of his arm now, he wasnt bolting off! They chose their volunteer from the row & seat directly behind us. A 50ish woman named Shirley from Cleveland who of course needed a lot of encouragement to get up on the stage. Her husband was loving every minute of it & got it all on video tape. She ended up being a great sport & had one of the best screams Ive ever heard. Somebody sign that woman up for a movie contract! And each time they needed her up on stage, theyd turn to her & in their best sing-song voice say Oh Shirley! Wonderful show & would definitely see it again & again.
Although the kids loved the shows, by this time they were ready for some thrills, so off to IOA we went. DH sat out while the 3 of us lined up for the Hulk. At the top of the express steps, the heavens let loose & we had our usual afternoon thunderstorm. This one didnt look like it would last long, so we kept our places & after about a half hour they opened the ride again. Not front seat, but a rush nonetheless. DH wanted to ride Spiderman, walk on for express, so of course we hit the queue again while we were there for a second ride. The second time through, after the ride was done, a group in the last row complained to the ride op that the special effects werent all working on the ride, so the ride op motioned them through the hallway to the re-ride area. I turned to DH (out of earshot of the kids) and said Thats funny, we were all in the same car & it worked fine for us! The kids, not missing a beat, said to me outside, Mom, those people lied just to get another ride! How rude! Time for another of those life lessons I told them People like that who find telling little lies so easy, become used to it & before they know it theyre lying about the big things. A lies a lie no matter what the size.
Sooner or later some of this advice has to hit home with them, right?!
By now its sweltering again after that thunderstorm & we decide to head off to Toon Lagoon to get some water rides in. On the way, DD stops at a hair wrap kiosk & inquires about price. Shes told itll be around $20 plus beads (which she of course wants) & shell have to have it done on the side but near the back & not from the top of her head. She passes, as she had very specific plans for where she wanted the wrap & thinks $20 plus beads is highway robbery. Atta girl!
She gets her frugalness from me too! Unfortunately, DS spots the games in Toon Lagoon (was hoping to avoid these the whole trip), but agrees to use his money to play with. Plops down $3 at the water shooting game & wins on his first try. Comes away with a pretty large Spongebob. (Thankfully not large enough that we would have had to check it as luggage for our return flight!) Hands it over to his sister & says Here, I won this for you. Ahhh! A sibling moment that didnt involve the words weird-do, lame-o, get a life, get out of my room, or my daughters personal favorite Cry me a river, build me a bridge, and get O-VER it! DD hugs DS (who is looking quite smug at the moment) & he actually goes an extra step by asking her if shed rather have had the Carebear. She says she would & he goes back to get his sister the Carebear.
It was almost a Brady Bunch moment
, and I found myself wanting to call them Cindy & Bobby for a short time after that! After getting a bag in a gift shop so Carebear wouldnt get wet, its off to Dudleys Ripsaw Falls. True to fashion, we all get off soaked except for Carebear. Next stop, Popeye. I was a little worried that we would have to fend for ourselves in merging in with the regular queue here, but then saw a ride op stationed there allowing express guests in every so often. Only about a 5 minute wait & were stowing our socks & shoes in the center (love this feature, wish our local amusement parks raft ride had this!) & were off down the river. Hands down, this is by far the best raft ride Ive ever ridden. Great theming, fast raft, & the water
.oh yeah the water! Is there anyone who hasnt gotten completely drenched on this ride?! DH takes the kids on again, while I ring my shirt out & find a phone to call the Sheraton & confirm our late check-in for that evening. After their second ride, we let the kids play on Me Ship, The Olive while DH & I try to dry ourselves out in the sun. The kids want to talk to their old pal the Mystic Fountain again, so we stroll over to the Lost Continent. When we arrive, there is a group of kids there acting goofy, crawling on the fountain, answering with smart remarks & throwing ice at it.
The fountain is trying to tell them not to do this, not to do that, but obviously its outnumbered. My kids are staring at them & I can almost read whats going through their minds Man
.if that was me doing that, Id be grounded for life! Of course, the parents of these darling children are standing right there watching & laughing. Finally, the fountain goes silent in order to rid itself of its tormentors & the whole crew thankfully heads off. The kids spend a few minutes chatting with the fountain, but he seems exhausted at this point so we move on to ride The Cat In The Hat. Such a cute ride. No wait in express and after the ride I tease DH that he probably holds the record as the only adult to ever clutch the handlebar in such a death grip on a basically kiddie ride! The first spin surprised him & after that, it would have taken a crow bar to get his hands off the handlebar. 
We played around a little in the gift shop & I tried a new look with a Thing 1 wig
.or was it a Thing 2 wig? I got the Mother! look from DD & realized that the teen years were right around the corner
.God help me. 
We should have been hungry by now, but the kids didnt want to stop to eat so we hit the Hulk again for 2 rides & decided to end the night with ROTM & MIB. Only a 5 minute wait in express for ROTM (every ride is as good as my first) & we hurry to get a few rounds of MIB in. Walk on twice, & DH almost beats my high score with his 439,000, but misses the bonus.
I have yet to see the fire hydrant alien talked about in the tips & realize the next day that its easier to see from the other track.
We enjoy our last trip on the water taxi back to the RPR & the kids say good-bye to everything as we pass it good-bye pretty lights outside Tchoup Chop, good-bye swimming pool, game room, lobby
our stay at RP was a good one and we were already missing it. Our drive to the Sheraton Studio City was a short one, just a few minutes away & check-in was a breeze. Desk clerk was friendly & helpful & looking back now, Id say we received great personal service from every employee we encountered at the Sheraton. We had reserved through Priceline for $42/night & contrary to what some people have experienced because theyre Priceline customers, the Sheraton staff was always wonderful. We were given a 19th floor room, no view of US/IOA or Wet N Wild, but we were too tired to care anyway. The room was clean & the beds looked comfy with tons of fluffy pillows on them. Since we had only eaten once that day, we were famished by now. Walked across the street to Red Lobster, thrilled to find that the prices were comparable to the Red Lobsters in our area & not inflated due to being in a resort area. After dinner, stopped at the 7-11 next door for a few snacks & headed back to the Sheraton to get some much needed sleep. Tomorrow would be our final day of our 5 day pass & we would have no FOTL. Could we live without FOTL? 
Tune in for Day 5 to find out!
Appearing soon Day 5 6/10/04 GeminiMom meets phamton!
The Cast:
DH 45 - seriously allergic to theme park thrills, easy going all around good guy.
DD 11 middle of the road theme park thrill seeker, drama queen, stuffed animal lover, artsy & sensitive kind of girl.
DS 11 extreme thrill seeker, slightly mischievous, reason why Im on a first name basis with the principal, always has a hug for mom kind of boy.
Myself 40 all time extreme thrill seeker, roller coaster junkie, seeker of missing socks, practical joker, always ruins the punch-line kind of gal.
We awoke on Day 4 knowing this would be our last day of FOTL as we were checking out of the RPR this morning.
Checked out via the television option, all charges were correct & we headed off to the parks. The kids wanted to go to MIB again to start our day (no complaints from me as I LOVED this attraction!) & we were on & off 4 times in a row with no wait in express. Ive heard the regular queue here is interesting & will have to be sure to hit it at least once on our next trip. You all may remember previously that I mentioned printing the MIB tips from phamtons (Bev) sons website & bringing them with me. Well, guilt had the best of me & Id let the family look over them so we could all be on equal ground. Only problem was, my DS left them at Nascar Café one night & now we were all basically shooting in the dark. I could have used them at this point because I was finally starting to recognize the aliens he was talking about in the tips! No matter, I was still annihilating DS & DH, but wanted to score better than my 519,000 high. It was at that point I realized that my goal in life was to max out on MIB
..I was addicted & would no doubt be attending 12 step MIB addiction meetings somewhere down the road! But for now, we bought a MIB souvenir cup & moved on. We were all hungry & opted for an early lunch at Finnegans. For the life of me, I cant remember what we all had, but I do remember the service was good & the atmosphere was lively. The kids ran across the street to get their fill of their free racing game in the arcade while we waited on the food. DH & I enjoyed listening to a Blues Bros. Show which was going on outside.
We hadnt seen any shows up to this point, so decided to hit T-2 & the Horror Makeup Show. Waited about 10 minutes in express for the next T-2 show to begin. We expected a 3-D show for T-2, but really enjoyed the mix of 3-D & live actors. My DD asked how they had managed to get Arnold S. to come perform if he was the governor now. (Unfortunately she gets her common sense from me!
) Off to the Horror Makeup Show, next show was to start in 5 minutes & we were a little confused by the express vs. regular line, but did finally manage to get herded to the right of the room for express. We were seated in the second row, last 4 seats on the far right side near the exit door. DS had reservations about this show
.doesnt do well with scary movies, haunted houses etc. I tried to explain what the show would probably be about & he half listened with wide eyes that kept staring at the props on stage. I knew he wasnt convinced when he asked to have the end seat & sat there with one leg in the aisle ready to bolt if necessary! The show was both interesting & hilarious. They talked about the work of Tom Savini, who actually teaches special effects makeup at a local school near my home & whos work is showcased in a haunted attraction called TerrorMania, which is just a few miles from where I live. Check Out TerrorMania After the first few minutes, DS informed me that I could let go of his arm now, he wasnt bolting off! They chose their volunteer from the row & seat directly behind us. A 50ish woman named Shirley from Cleveland who of course needed a lot of encouragement to get up on the stage. Her husband was loving every minute of it & got it all on video tape. She ended up being a great sport & had one of the best screams Ive ever heard. Somebody sign that woman up for a movie contract! And each time they needed her up on stage, theyd turn to her & in their best sing-song voice say Oh Shirley! Wonderful show & would definitely see it again & again. Although the kids loved the shows, by this time they were ready for some thrills, so off to IOA we went. DH sat out while the 3 of us lined up for the Hulk. At the top of the express steps, the heavens let loose & we had our usual afternoon thunderstorm. This one didnt look like it would last long, so we kept our places & after about a half hour they opened the ride again. Not front seat, but a rush nonetheless. DH wanted to ride Spiderman, walk on for express, so of course we hit the queue again while we were there for a second ride. The second time through, after the ride was done, a group in the last row complained to the ride op that the special effects werent all working on the ride, so the ride op motioned them through the hallway to the re-ride area. I turned to DH (out of earshot of the kids) and said Thats funny, we were all in the same car & it worked fine for us! The kids, not missing a beat, said to me outside, Mom, those people lied just to get another ride! How rude! Time for another of those life lessons I told them People like that who find telling little lies so easy, become used to it & before they know it theyre lying about the big things. A lies a lie no matter what the size.
Sooner or later some of this advice has to hit home with them, right?! By now its sweltering again after that thunderstorm & we decide to head off to Toon Lagoon to get some water rides in. On the way, DD stops at a hair wrap kiosk & inquires about price. Shes told itll be around $20 plus beads (which she of course wants) & shell have to have it done on the side but near the back & not from the top of her head. She passes, as she had very specific plans for where she wanted the wrap & thinks $20 plus beads is highway robbery. Atta girl!
She gets her frugalness from me too! Unfortunately, DS spots the games in Toon Lagoon (was hoping to avoid these the whole trip), but agrees to use his money to play with. Plops down $3 at the water shooting game & wins on his first try. Comes away with a pretty large Spongebob. (Thankfully not large enough that we would have had to check it as luggage for our return flight!) Hands it over to his sister & says Here, I won this for you. Ahhh! A sibling moment that didnt involve the words weird-do, lame-o, get a life, get out of my room, or my daughters personal favorite Cry me a river, build me a bridge, and get O-VER it! DD hugs DS (who is looking quite smug at the moment) & he actually goes an extra step by asking her if shed rather have had the Carebear. She says she would & he goes back to get his sister the Carebear.It was almost a Brady Bunch moment
, and I found myself wanting to call them Cindy & Bobby for a short time after that! After getting a bag in a gift shop so Carebear wouldnt get wet, its off to Dudleys Ripsaw Falls. True to fashion, we all get off soaked except for Carebear. Next stop, Popeye. I was a little worried that we would have to fend for ourselves in merging in with the regular queue here, but then saw a ride op stationed there allowing express guests in every so often. Only about a 5 minute wait & were stowing our socks & shoes in the center (love this feature, wish our local amusement parks raft ride had this!) & were off down the river. Hands down, this is by far the best raft ride Ive ever ridden. Great theming, fast raft, & the water
.oh yeah the water! Is there anyone who hasnt gotten completely drenched on this ride?! DH takes the kids on again, while I ring my shirt out & find a phone to call the Sheraton & confirm our late check-in for that evening. After their second ride, we let the kids play on Me Ship, The Olive while DH & I try to dry ourselves out in the sun. The kids want to talk to their old pal the Mystic Fountain again, so we stroll over to the Lost Continent. When we arrive, there is a group of kids there acting goofy, crawling on the fountain, answering with smart remarks & throwing ice at it. The fountain is trying to tell them not to do this, not to do that, but obviously its outnumbered. My kids are staring at them & I can almost read whats going through their minds Man
.if that was me doing that, Id be grounded for life! Of course, the parents of these darling children are standing right there watching & laughing. Finally, the fountain goes silent in order to rid itself of its tormentors & the whole crew thankfully heads off. The kids spend a few minutes chatting with the fountain, but he seems exhausted at this point so we move on to ride The Cat In The Hat. Such a cute ride. No wait in express and after the ride I tease DH that he probably holds the record as the only adult to ever clutch the handlebar in such a death grip on a basically kiddie ride! The first spin surprised him & after that, it would have taken a crow bar to get his hands off the handlebar. We played around a little in the gift shop & I tried a new look with a Thing 1 wig
.or was it a Thing 2 wig? I got the Mother! look from DD & realized that the teen years were right around the corner
.God help me. We should have been hungry by now, but the kids didnt want to stop to eat so we hit the Hulk again for 2 rides & decided to end the night with ROTM & MIB. Only a 5 minute wait in express for ROTM (every ride is as good as my first) & we hurry to get a few rounds of MIB in. Walk on twice, & DH almost beats my high score with his 439,000, but misses the bonus.
I have yet to see the fire hydrant alien talked about in the tips & realize the next day that its easier to see from the other track. We enjoy our last trip on the water taxi back to the RPR & the kids say good-bye to everything as we pass it good-bye pretty lights outside Tchoup Chop, good-bye swimming pool, game room, lobby
our stay at RP was a good one and we were already missing it. Our drive to the Sheraton Studio City was a short one, just a few minutes away & check-in was a breeze. Desk clerk was friendly & helpful & looking back now, Id say we received great personal service from every employee we encountered at the Sheraton. We had reserved through Priceline for $42/night & contrary to what some people have experienced because theyre Priceline customers, the Sheraton staff was always wonderful. We were given a 19th floor room, no view of US/IOA or Wet N Wild, but we were too tired to care anyway. The room was clean & the beds looked comfy with tons of fluffy pillows on them. Since we had only eaten once that day, we were famished by now. Walked across the street to Red Lobster, thrilled to find that the prices were comparable to the Red Lobsters in our area & not inflated due to being in a resort area. After dinner, stopped at the 7-11 next door for a few snacks & headed back to the Sheraton to get some much needed sleep. Tomorrow would be our final day of our 5 day pass & we would have no FOTL. Could we live without FOTL? Tune in for Day 5 to find out!Appearing soon Day 5 6/10/04 GeminiMom meets phamton!
