Cindeegyrl
Mouseketeer
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Great trip report so far! Can't wait to read more! 
DDF & SP Conquer the World...And Want to Live There..Updated 10/16
- Thread starter scooby9932
- Start date
scooby9932
I Loves Me Some Disney!
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Great trip report so far! Can't wait to read more!
Thanks! I'm posting the Day 2 Part 2 now. I'll probably not be able to post more until Thursday night as I've got all day meetings tomorrow. Darn work, getting in the way of my trip report. Sheesh.
scooby9932
I Loves Me Some Disney!
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2007
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Day 2: Friday, May 2 - DTD & Pleasure Island
Well, let’s see…check in, de-germ, unpack, shower, dress…Oh, yes – we were on our way to DTD to party like rock stars! That is, if rock stars enjoy stuffing themselves full of tasty pasta and then laughing ‘til their sides hurt.
So, I decided that it would be too difficult to try to navigate DTD and PI on my scooter, so I left it behind. Also, I knew I wanted to try one of the signature drinks at the Adventurer’s Club and I didn’t trust my ability to drive even a scooter afterwards!
After showering, primping, and changing into some fresh clothes, we headed over to the POR boat dock where we caught the boat to DTD. We sat in front of a couple who had never been to DTD and they were going to see some friends play at The House of Blues. When I asked the name of the band, they said The Little River Band. Oh, my gosh – I remember listening to them back when. I had no idea they were still playing. We talked a bit about DTD and the different places to eat. We soon found out the gentleman had family in Hammond, Louisiana and loved the food in our state. We hear that a lot!
After about 20 minutes, we pulled up to the Marketplace marina. SP & I had read over menus and she really wanted to try Rainforest Café, so that’s where we headed. We were in a long line to get in & it looked like there was going to be a long wait, but a CM approached us & asked if we’d like to sit out on the back porch instead of inside. SP & I quickly decided that at 7:30 p.m. we really needed to eat soon, so we passed the long line & got a nice table overlooking the river.
We figured we could just do a walk through of the restaurant on our way out to get an idea of the theme.
Our waitress, Tina, was super bubbly and lots of fun. She took our drink orders (SP & I both ordered Cokes) & recommended an appetizer – I believe it was the Blue Crab dip (not sure of the name) & boy was it good! SP had originally decided on something called the Monsoon Grill because crab cakes were included. I had decided on the Mogambo Shrimp. She read the description & changed her mind.
So, we both had the Mogambo Shrimp (SP’s minus the mushrooms). It was penne pasta, sundried tomatoes, grilled jumbo shrimp, peas, and mushrooms in an alfredo sauce. Yummm! When they say the servings are big at Rainforest Café – believe it. Still, we managed to somehow eat most of our dinner! It was delicious.
Here's a night time pic of RC:
After declining dessert – we have some restraint, doncha know
– we went through the restaurant to view the décor & use the restroom. Wow – the place was LOUD! I have super sensitive hearing (side effect of meds & Lupus), so I was really happy we’d taken the porch seating. It did look like it would be a ton of fun for little kids, though.
After using the restroom, we looked through the gift shop & had fun playing with all the stuffed frogs, etc. We didn’t buy anything, but had fun just browsing. SP found a pressed penny machine & got her first “smushed penny” of the trip. Then we wandered outside & looked through a few of the shops before heading over to Pleasure Island. It was 9 p.m. by this time and I figured it would be a good time to go into the Adventurer’s Club.
I got us passes at the kiosk in PI (wow – AC won’t take the 1 club ticket, so we had to buy the multi-club ticket (way more expensive) even though SP is 19 and can’t get into any other club except the Comedy Warehouse.
Ah, well. We splurged a little.) We’d never tried the clubs & SP was really excited about going. It was nice to have a more grown-up Mom/DD adventure!
I had read up on the AC a bit (surprise, surprise) and knew what to expect, but SP was taken in immediately by the detailed theming. At the door, they took our tickets and gave SP her wrist a stamp (under 21 gets a stamp) and me an arm bracelet. Then we made our way slowly downstairs to the Main Salon where it was CROWDED.
We squished our way through the hordes of people to the bar, where I had hoped to find a menu with drink choices (no such luck). Well, just then one of the actors (Samantha Sterling) got on the little stage with a microphone and started talking. We were right up front, which was cool.
A warning to people who read that you can bring your children into this club – it’s probably better to wait until they’re in their teens before doing so. The humor here is raucous and alludes to very adult themes even with keeping it “Disney clean.” It got a little rowdy when a party of about 8 women on a Bachelorette scavenger hunt started to join in the fun. Let’s just say they’d been partying for awhile!
Soon, Hathaway Browne joined Samantha & they led us all through the Initiation Ceremony where we became honorary AC members & learned the secret club signal (Kungaloosh) and the song. The bachelorette party girls had a lot of fun with the actors & the Colonel (a fixture in the Salon).
Soon after, we were led into the library to watch the Balderdash Cup Competition. Fletcher Hodges, Emil Bleehall, and Hathaway Browne all told us of their grand adventures. It was really cute. SP & I managed to score a table in the small, overcrowded room and then a CM came by taking drink orders. I had the Bongo's Jungle Juice. (Here’s the description: “Enough to make any sane man go ape! The tongue tingling flavors of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, 151 and Cruzan Banana Rum along with orange, strawberry, cranberry and pineapple juices. This rare specialty drink can only be dared by the bravest of adventurers!”) It was POTENT!
And I don’t drink on a normal basis, so I was a bit leery of this concoction. 
Not to worry, however, I only ever got a little giggly and mellow. I attribute that to the vast amounts of pasta lining my stomach! 
SP had the Babylonia’s Brew (A refreshing mixture of pineapple juice, orange juice, Sprite and a splash of sour mix.). She was ready for me to be more than just a bit silly, too. She commented that I was surprisingly less intoxicated than she would have guessed considering the amount of alcohol in my drink. Ah, well. Remember – eat pasta before imbibing! Works like a charm for even a lightweight like me.
After the show was over, we wandered around a bit & decided that it was a bit too crowded for us in the AC. So, we went outside & sat at a table and took in the sights while I finished my drink. SP took a picture of me doing the Kungaloosh sign (slightly embarrassing pic forthcoming
).
Kungaloosh!
Then we decided to try to catch the next Comedy Warehouse show. We got in line about 15 minutes beforehand. A few minutes later a young man got in line behind us & told us he’d seen us in the AC. He started chatting & giving us tips about WDW. His name was Cameron, and he was an intern working in the character department. He told us some stories of working as Clarabelle and Eeyore. He had a lot to say about people’s confusion over the characters’ hand motions to people. It must be a sore point for him. He challenged SP to figure out his various signals & she got them all correct! Yeah, SP!
Well, soon after we entered the Comedy Warehouse & had seats on the first row, center. The show was great! I declined getting a drink here as I was sure the one I’d imbibed was enough for me for oh, the next year or so! If you’ve ever seen “Whose Line Is It Anyway” then you’ll be familiar with the way this show works. That show just happens to be me & SP’s favorite comedy act ever – I’ll have to tell you about her Wayne Brady crush some day.
Anyhoo, the audience is asked for information & then the cast improvs a comedic act from there. For the 1st act, SP was picked to answer a question. The CM asked her name & when she told them the CM said, oh, that starts with Su, right? No, SP says, it starts with So. S o? Well, that’s unusual! (Her name is Somer – sounds like summer, but it’s the Old English word meaning beautiful – like Somerset means “beautiful (Somer) city (set)”. Can you tell her mom’s an English teacher?) Okay, guys, we’re going to sing a rap song based on a word that begins with So. What should we use? “Soap Opera” was chosen & then they started singing the funniest Rap song! We were in stitches!
After the show, we both decided to call it a night & headed toward the buses by Planet Hollywood. The boats back to the resort stop running at 11:30 p.m. and it was close to 1:30 a.m. by the time we caught the bus back. We got back to our room around 2 a.m. I took a quick shower & got ready for sleepybye, while SP called her fiancée to tell him goodnight. I slept very peacefully that night!
Next up: Day 3 – Our 1st park day – Animal Kingdom & The Giant Cookie
Well, let’s see…check in, de-germ, unpack, shower, dress…Oh, yes – we were on our way to DTD to party like rock stars! That is, if rock stars enjoy stuffing themselves full of tasty pasta and then laughing ‘til their sides hurt.
So, I decided that it would be too difficult to try to navigate DTD and PI on my scooter, so I left it behind. Also, I knew I wanted to try one of the signature drinks at the Adventurer’s Club and I didn’t trust my ability to drive even a scooter afterwards!
After showering, primping, and changing into some fresh clothes, we headed over to the POR boat dock where we caught the boat to DTD. We sat in front of a couple who had never been to DTD and they were going to see some friends play at The House of Blues. When I asked the name of the band, they said The Little River Band. Oh, my gosh – I remember listening to them back when. I had no idea they were still playing. We talked a bit about DTD and the different places to eat. We soon found out the gentleman had family in Hammond, Louisiana and loved the food in our state. We hear that a lot!
After about 20 minutes, we pulled up to the Marketplace marina. SP & I had read over menus and she really wanted to try Rainforest Café, so that’s where we headed. We were in a long line to get in & it looked like there was going to be a long wait, but a CM approached us & asked if we’d like to sit out on the back porch instead of inside. SP & I quickly decided that at 7:30 p.m. we really needed to eat soon, so we passed the long line & got a nice table overlooking the river.
We figured we could just do a walk through of the restaurant on our way out to get an idea of the theme. Our waitress, Tina, was super bubbly and lots of fun. She took our drink orders (SP & I both ordered Cokes) & recommended an appetizer – I believe it was the Blue Crab dip (not sure of the name) & boy was it good! SP had originally decided on something called the Monsoon Grill because crab cakes were included. I had decided on the Mogambo Shrimp. She read the description & changed her mind.
So, we both had the Mogambo Shrimp (SP’s minus the mushrooms). It was penne pasta, sundried tomatoes, grilled jumbo shrimp, peas, and mushrooms in an alfredo sauce. Yummm! When they say the servings are big at Rainforest Café – believe it. Still, we managed to somehow eat most of our dinner! It was delicious. Here's a night time pic of RC:
After declining dessert – we have some restraint, doncha know
– we went through the restaurant to view the décor & use the restroom. Wow – the place was LOUD! I have super sensitive hearing (side effect of meds & Lupus), so I was really happy we’d taken the porch seating. It did look like it would be a ton of fun for little kids, though. After using the restroom, we looked through the gift shop & had fun playing with all the stuffed frogs, etc. We didn’t buy anything, but had fun just browsing. SP found a pressed penny machine & got her first “smushed penny” of the trip. Then we wandered outside & looked through a few of the shops before heading over to Pleasure Island. It was 9 p.m. by this time and I figured it would be a good time to go into the Adventurer’s Club.
I got us passes at the kiosk in PI (wow – AC won’t take the 1 club ticket, so we had to buy the multi-club ticket (way more expensive) even though SP is 19 and can’t get into any other club except the Comedy Warehouse.
Ah, well. We splurged a little.) We’d never tried the clubs & SP was really excited about going. It was nice to have a more grown-up Mom/DD adventure! I had read up on the AC a bit (surprise, surprise) and knew what to expect, but SP was taken in immediately by the detailed theming. At the door, they took our tickets and gave SP her wrist a stamp (under 21 gets a stamp) and me an arm bracelet. Then we made our way slowly downstairs to the Main Salon where it was CROWDED.
We squished our way through the hordes of people to the bar, where I had hoped to find a menu with drink choices (no such luck). Well, just then one of the actors (Samantha Sterling) got on the little stage with a microphone and started talking. We were right up front, which was cool. A warning to people who read that you can bring your children into this club – it’s probably better to wait until they’re in their teens before doing so. The humor here is raucous and alludes to very adult themes even with keeping it “Disney clean.” It got a little rowdy when a party of about 8 women on a Bachelorette scavenger hunt started to join in the fun. Let’s just say they’d been partying for awhile!Soon, Hathaway Browne joined Samantha & they led us all through the Initiation Ceremony where we became honorary AC members & learned the secret club signal (Kungaloosh) and the song. The bachelorette party girls had a lot of fun with the actors & the Colonel (a fixture in the Salon).
Soon after, we were led into the library to watch the Balderdash Cup Competition. Fletcher Hodges, Emil Bleehall, and Hathaway Browne all told us of their grand adventures. It was really cute. SP & I managed to score a table in the small, overcrowded room and then a CM came by taking drink orders. I had the Bongo's Jungle Juice. (Here’s the description: “Enough to make any sane man go ape! The tongue tingling flavors of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, 151 and Cruzan Banana Rum along with orange, strawberry, cranberry and pineapple juices. This rare specialty drink can only be dared by the bravest of adventurers!”) It was POTENT!
And I don’t drink on a normal basis, so I was a bit leery of this concoction. Not to worry, however, I only ever got a little giggly and mellow. I attribute that to the vast amounts of pasta lining my stomach! SP had the Babylonia’s Brew (A refreshing mixture of pineapple juice, orange juice, Sprite and a splash of sour mix.). She was ready for me to be more than just a bit silly, too. She commented that I was surprisingly less intoxicated than she would have guessed considering the amount of alcohol in my drink. Ah, well. Remember – eat pasta before imbibing! Works like a charm for even a lightweight like me.
After the show was over, we wandered around a bit & decided that it was a bit too crowded for us in the AC. So, we went outside & sat at a table and took in the sights while I finished my drink. SP took a picture of me doing the Kungaloosh sign (slightly embarrassing pic forthcoming
). Kungaloosh!
Then we decided to try to catch the next Comedy Warehouse show. We got in line about 15 minutes beforehand. A few minutes later a young man got in line behind us & told us he’d seen us in the AC. He started chatting & giving us tips about WDW. His name was Cameron, and he was an intern working in the character department. He told us some stories of working as Clarabelle and Eeyore. He had a lot to say about people’s confusion over the characters’ hand motions to people. It must be a sore point for him. He challenged SP to figure out his various signals & she got them all correct! Yeah, SP!
Well, soon after we entered the Comedy Warehouse & had seats on the first row, center. The show was great! I declined getting a drink here as I was sure the one I’d imbibed was enough for me for oh, the next year or so! If you’ve ever seen “Whose Line Is It Anyway” then you’ll be familiar with the way this show works. That show just happens to be me & SP’s favorite comedy act ever – I’ll have to tell you about her Wayne Brady crush some day.
Anyhoo, the audience is asked for information & then the cast improvs a comedic act from there. For the 1st act, SP was picked to answer a question. The CM asked her name & when she told them the CM said, oh, that starts with Su, right? No, SP says, it starts with So. S o? Well, that’s unusual! (Her name is Somer – sounds like summer, but it’s the Old English word meaning beautiful – like Somerset means “beautiful (Somer) city (set)”. Can you tell her mom’s an English teacher?) Okay, guys, we’re going to sing a rap song based on a word that begins with So. What should we use? “Soap Opera” was chosen & then they started singing the funniest Rap song! We were in stitches!
After the show, we both decided to call it a night & headed toward the buses by Planet Hollywood. The boats back to the resort stop running at 11:30 p.m. and it was close to 1:30 a.m. by the time we caught the bus back. We got back to our room around 2 a.m. I took a quick shower & got ready for sleepybye, while SP called her fiancée to tell him goodnight. I slept very peacefully that night!
Next up: Day 3 – Our 1st park day – Animal Kingdom & The Giant Cookie
Msslaydbug
<font color=green>Can't wait to get back !!<br><fo
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We love the AC ! It's our favorite. On our first trip we went to Pleasure Island with my brother. We first went to the comedy club and then over to the AC. We didn't go anywhere else the entire night !! We loved every second of it.
We used to have a Rainforest Cafe here in Denver that we would take our son to every once in ahile. It has been closed now for a few years but we have never felt the need to go to the one in Disney.
Can't wait to hear more !
We used to have a Rainforest Cafe here in Denver that we would take our son to every once in ahile. It has been closed now for a few years but we have never felt the need to go to the one in Disney.
Can't wait to hear more !
MomsOf2boys
<font color= deeppink ><marquee>Has obsessive fing
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You should definitely go for it!
How's the newest post size? I changed it just for you - and your computer screen, of course!
Oh you shouldn't have.... nothing like a complainer in the midst of your trip report right?????????????/
MomsOf2boys
<font color= deeppink ><marquee>Has obsessive fing
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Hooray!! I only went to Pleasure Island one time. I was with my ex husband who wasn't ex at that time and all his co-workers so I felt very out of place and didn't enjoy it like I normally would. Good to hear you two had a great time!
gbpackfan9
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We've gone to the AC and the CW a couple of times. Really enjoyed them both. Looking forward to going back in October. We also enjoy the RFC, and yes, the portions are large........
DisneyDreamnDeb
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The AC sounds like a blast we will have to check that out while we are there. I think we should brush-up on our hand signals before we go, don't want to upset the characters!
scooby9932
I Loves Me Some Disney!
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Ack! Thanks for sticking in there with me! I'm not usually this slow (at least in the posting department ). I managed to get all the way through our vacation without even one whiff of a cold, but wouldn't you know I caught a doozy last Wednesday? I thought my allergies were just acting up, but NOOO! I caught some bug that turned into bronchitis and I've been flat on my back for 5 days!
My fever's finally down from the 102 range, so I'm feeling much better today. I had another round of IV antibiotics at the doctor's office this morning, so that should help kick this bug! I still sound a bit like Suzanne Plechett (I wish!) with my hoarse voice and I'm super tired, but I think the worst has passed. Bleck! Now, to get back on track with my TR! I've got my priorities, doncha know?
Anyhoo, enough of the pity party!
I will be working on the next stage of the TR & hope to have it posted soon.
). I managed to get all the way through our vacation without even one whiff of a cold, but wouldn't you know I caught a doozy last Wednesday? I thought my allergies were just acting up, but NOOO! I caught some bug that turned into bronchitis and I've been flat on my back for 5 days! My fever's finally down from the 102 range, so I'm feeling much better today. I had another round of IV antibiotics at the doctor's office this morning, so that should help kick this bug! I still sound a bit like Suzanne Plechett (I wish!) with my hoarse voice and I'm super tired, but I think the worst has passed. Bleck! Now, to get back on track with my TR! I've got my priorities, doncha know? Anyhoo, enough of the pity party!
I will be working on the next stage of the TR & hope to have it posted soon.
scooby9932
I Loves Me Some Disney!
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Nah, I don't think of them as complaints - merely suggestions from my esteemed readers!Oh you shouldn't have.... nothing like a complainer in the midst of your trip report right?????????????/
You should try it again with some friends! It can be a lot of fun. But I know what you mean about being out of place in a group. I've had that unfortunate experience & I don't relish doing it again.
Oooh, you get to go in October! Are you going to the MNSSHP? I wish I could go then. Halloween's my absolute FAVORITE holiday!
You should definitely try it out! And don't worry about the hand signals, the characters will pretty much pick on you no matter what!The AC sounds like a blast we will have to check that out while we are there. I think we should brush-up on our hand signals before we go, don't want to upset the characters!
Thanks for jumping on board! I think your Mom/DD trip sounds like a Fantastic idea! My DD wants a repeat trip every year, now! Then again, so do I! And I can't wait to take all my future grandbabies to the world. Spread the love, I say! DisneyDreamnDeb
Mouseketeer
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Sorry your under the weather, hope your have a speedy recovery
MomsOf2boys
<font color= deeppink ><marquee>Has obsessive fing
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Ack! Thanks for sticking in there with me! I'm not usually this slow (at least in the posting department
Anyhoo, enough of the pity party!
Oh no.... I hope you are feeling better today. I am glad you were healthy during the trip!
scooby9932
I Loves Me Some Disney!
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Sorry your under the weather, hope your have a speedy recovery
Thanks! I'm feeling much better today. Hopefully be back to normal by week's end. And, yep - being sick ON the trip would have been MUCH worse!
scooby9932
I Loves Me Some Disney!
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Day 3: Saturday, May 3, 2008 – Animal Kingdom
Buzz Buzz – “wha?”
Buzz Buzz – “Ooof.” Click. – that’s the sound of our alarm clock going off at 7:30 a.m. & my response. Repeat 4 times. That’s right … I’m a 4 time snooze button hitter! After our post 2 a.m. bed time of the night before, I had no shame in abusing poor Mr. Snooze button. 
SP didn’t even stir when the alarm sounded.
Finally, I sat up & shuffled to the bathroom stopping to nudge SP on the way. Within 15 minutes or so, we were both up, dressed, and noshing on some Pop Tarts & OJ before heading out to the parks. Luckily, I had packed the backpack & my fanny pack the day before, so that didn’t slow us down.
I blew a kiss to my widdle bunny fwend on the way to the bus stop. We made a stop in the main building so SP could mail her daily letter to David and then went by the food court to fill up our refillable mugs with some tasty lemonade. The food court in the morning is CRAZY! Thank goodness for pop tarts & mini fridges! Then we scooted over to the South Depot to catch the bus to Animal Kingdom.
SP & I were both giddy with excitement.
Our first real day at Walt Disney World! Woo Hoo! After waiting for about 15 minutes, our bus pulled up. Now, you know what they say about the wait times for POR buses! This was a nice surprise. We would continue to be surprised by how quickly buses came along to the South Depot. The only problem we experienced was getting them at the different parks (more on that in a later post).
Anyhoo, the bus pulled up & I nodded to the driver so he’d know I was loading onto his bus. This was one of the older buses, so I had to back onto the ramp that then lifts you up to the bus. Yech. I much prefer the newer ones that lower the bus & a ramp you then just drive onto. Going in backwards makes parking the scooter much more difficult as you have to cut your wheel so hard in a tee tiny space. Being the scooter pro that I am, however, I had no trouble getting it parked. Soon after the rest of the people could board.
The greatest part was the bus driver. I forget his name now, but was hoping to give a personal shout out to this guy. He was fantastic! He was so funny – told the parents that they had a special program for kids who don’t behave themselves…they’d be able to clean the buses (with a toothbrush) at midnight (no food or recompense, mind you). He went with this spiel for quite awhile and the kids & parents were getting such a kick out of it! He was the only driver our entire trip who interacted with the riders instead of using that voice over loudspeaker system. I just wish I’d written his name down, now. He was such a hoot.
When we got to AK, all the other riders got off & SP waited for me by the railing. As I was driving off the driver called SP by name (which still confuses her as the only place she had her name was on her KTW card in a lanyard around her neck – not easily read) and asked her if she knew what the red marks on the pavements at the parks was. SP said no. He said, “Blood spatters from where people sitting on railings fall off.” She promptly jumped down from the railing! He said it in such a sweet way that she was charmed & still talks about him, saying he’d make a wonderful Paw-Paw. Side note: SP LOVES older, grandfather types – it’s a running joke that she flirts so much with them that she actually fans them with her eyelashes when talking to them! It’s really sweet, though, and not at all in a creepy way. She just sweet talks them. Little old men just adore her (except for one grumpy old guy who’ll be featured later in this TR!)
We sailed through our first bag check station & then went through the turnstiles. The day was beautiful – very sunny with some clouds. It was hot, but not at all muggy like usual. Orlando was experiencing strange low humidity while we were there. Yippee! We took a few pics along the Oasis trail, but didn’t linger this year as we always end up spending more time here on the way out.
We had decided our plan of attack before going, so we headed straight for Africa to get our fast passes to Kilamanjaro Safari. There was a return time of 12:05-1:05 p.m., so we decided to head back toward Discovery Island & then eat lunch at Pizzafari before going back to KS.
On the way back, we stopped so SP could get a temporary tattoo – this has become a tradition on every vacation – she has to get a temp tattoo the 1st day out. She picked out one with the MK castle and the Fave 5 characters in front. It was, you guessed it – very sparkly!
Then we looked through some of the shops, took a bathroom break, took some pictures, and then headed into Pizzafari right at 11 a.m. This place is usually swamped, so we’d decided to eat early to avoid the crowds & manage to get a table my scooter could actually get to. There was only one cashier open it was so slow! SP got into the queue (scooters don’t do so well in the lines at CS restaurants so SP did all the food ordering/fetching this trip). SP ordered the chicken caesar salad and I got the chicken parmesan sandwich with a side of grapes. We still had our lemonade from the resort, so that saved us some $.
We found a table in the Upside Down Room – could have chosen any room there were so few people about. The food was delicious and I gave ½ my grapes to SP for her salad. We both left refreshed and full.
We headed back to Africa (haven’t we been this way before?) and SP made a pit stop while I watched the African dancers outside of Tusker House. They were really good – very athletic! We got to KS just as the clock turned 12, so we had to loiter a bit until we could get in the fast pass line. There was a family behind us with a boy ~8 and a girl ~4. The mom kept telling him, “Derek, stop that. Derek, no. Derek, I mean it, stop that. That’s not yours.” On and on it went. I couldn’t tell what he was doing, but just figured he was picking on his sister. When we got to the ride, I had to park my scooter to get on the ride vehicle. When I got off, I noticed that my 2 hitchhikers had been mostly pulled out of the pocket on my chair cover and the Velcro strip I’d sewn on to form the pocket had been pulled loose. I guess now I know what young Derek was doing back there.
Since we were in WDW, I didn’t let it bother me too much. We had quite a few “Dereks” on this trip. *sigh*
We got the handicapped seating (more leg room for me!) just behind the driver. SP rode on the outside to the left & I was on the right. We decided after a few minutes that it would work better if she took pics of stuff on the left and I took pics of stuff on the right. Duh! The first few pics I’d taken all had her hand holding her camera in them. We didn’t see nearly as many animals this time as last year, but I was glad we saw any at all with it being midday & nap time. After KS, we took the Pangani Forest Trail & enjoyed taking some pics of the beautiful birds, fish, and of course, gorillas. When we’d finished the trail, we decided to find me a hat since I’d forgotten to pack my hat & the sun was unforgiving. Without my canopy this year was great – the sun exposure, not so much. Anyway, we stopped into the shop in Africa & I tried on several hats before deciding on a large brimmed straw hat decorated with a coconut tree, tiny monkey button, and trimmed with brown mickey head buttons. It was such a relief from the sun – and cute, too!
Embarrassing Moment Alert:
Next I decided I needed a pit stop, so we stopped to use the companion restroom in Africa. SP got the door & I drove in & then she closed it. I said, you got the door? She said, yep. Well, just as I was doing my business, the door opens wide & this guy is standing there. He quickly closes it, but not before I see several people look to see why SP had gasped. Yes, folks, if you were in Africa on May 3, you might have been subjected to a view you wish you hadn’t. I wish you hadn’t as well. SP then realized that the “lock” she turned was a false lock & she needed to turn a dial to show “Occupied” on the outside. Lemme tell ya – she didn’t make that mistake again, nor will she ever..
Ahem. Moving on…
Next up, we hit Bug in a Tree. Or as AK calls it, It’s Tough to be a Bug. We took the requisite “Bug Face” picture and then sailed right on through to the show. We went through the line so fast we barely had time to appreciate the tree carvings this time! This is a recurring theme throughout most of our trip, btw. Great planning at work! Bug in a Tree was cute as usual, but a few kiddos got scared. One kid in particular was screaming pretty loudly. I felt bad, since I understood how a dark room filled with big 3-D bugs shooting stuff at you might scare a kid.
Our Bootiful Bug Faces 08:
After the Bug, we traveled to Dinoland. SP didn’t want to ride Dinosaur last year, but I convinced her to ride this time. I had never been on the ride before & I have this little secret – dinosaurs scare the bejesus out of me. Yep – I can handle just about anything else. But dinosaurs (and deep sea creatures) make me cringe. Jurassic Park is one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen! I still wanted to ride since I’d read on the boards that it wasn’t too scary – as long as you weren’t in the front right seat. Well, guess what? I was in the front, right seat. And I had myself so worked up to be scared that when that big evil red thing jumped out at me – yeah, I screamed like a baby. Geesh.
Here's my scary Dinosaur face:
SP won't allow hers on here, but suffice it to say, it's hilarious! Very scary.
After Dinosaur, we decided to watch the Nemo show since we didn’t catch it last time. SP pleaded to get in one phone call to her dearly beloved, so I said sure. She went to sit on a bench where it was quiet & I wandered over to catch the steel drum band. Just as she was walking over to join me, they closed the queue to Nemo & said we’d have to come back later for the 4:15 showing. Ah, well.
SP then tells me that she requires something chocolate. Well, I don’t carry chocolate snacks as they tend to melt, ya know? Since this appeared to be a chocolate emergency, we headed out in search of something that would do the trick. AK is not known for their variety of eateries, that’s for sure.
We finally wandered into a store in Asia & after finding my little green mickeyhead memo/picture holder (how cool is that?!), we found what is now known as “the best chocolate chip cookie in the world (BCCCITW).” This thing is HUGE! It could feed 4 people. SP grabbed it up (I think she got the white & milk chocolate variety). We paid for it & then headed out.
Since SP also needed something cold to drink & was fantasizing about the coke slushy we got last year, we were on a mission. She really enjoyed her slushy with the Goofy straw/spoon (stroon?). Anyway, we found the same place & they did have slushies, but alas, no Goofy stroon. Ah, well. She had a mix of Blue Raspberry & Coke and I had a Coke slushy. Yum! She sat in the little Buddhist temple overlooking the lake & I sat in the shade just outside on my scooter. She dove into her BCCCITW & made a lot of mmmm and aahh noises while munching & slurping. No more mid day slump for SP! I asked if I might try a bite of this inimitable cookie & like a preschooler, she pulled it toward her chest & gave me a “are you kidding” look, before quickly coming to her senses & offering me a teeny tiny bite. I had to agree that it was one fine cookie, what little bit I could taste of it anyway.
Here's SP enjoying her cookie & slushie:
Then we noticed the CMs getting the parade line roped out & decided to skedaddle out of there. We love the Jammin Jungle Parade – we love it so much that we’ve videotaped it 3 times. And we didn’t really want to fight the crowds knowing we could just go home & watch the video. We had the Nemo show to catch, anyway, so we headed over to queue up for that.
Now, this show is kind of hokey. It’s very cheesy. It’s PERFECT! I love hokey, cheesy things! That’s one of the reasons I love Disney so much. If you haven’t seen the show, you definitely should. The ampitheater is shaded, if that’s any enticement. We sat in the handicapped seating (1st row of 2nd tier behind the orchestra) which turned out to be a great place to watch. Go, Nemo!
Here's our fishy Nemo faces (Oh, we're a beautiful bunch, aren't we?):
Here's the first of many "feet" pics (you'll get the deets on this particular occupation of SP's later):
Afterwards, SP made a final pit stop before we headed to the buses for the ride back to POR. We stopped in a store on the way out so SP could get a little more shopping done. Seeing nothing we wanted to buy that day, we headed on to the buses. Luckily most of the crowd had moved on by now, so we had a wait of about 20 minutes for our bus – not bad. This one was a new one & I was on & out of there in not time.
When we got back to POR we decided to grab dinner in the food court. SP & I both got the “Create your own Pasta” dinner. Word to the wise – this is a lot of food. You’d do better to agree on ingredients & split one of these – saves you $ and fills you up. We took ½ of each of ours back to the room with the good intentions of one day eating it (didn’t happen, of course).
After dinner, we did a bit of browsing in Fulton’s General Store to check on what we wanted to get just before checking out on our last day. We saw a white board with quiz questions & I started to answer them. A CM came over & listened to our answers & quizzed us some more. Then since we’d gotten all but one correct, he gave SP & I magical moment certificates. Magic moments – that’s what makes Disney so special!
Then we took a leisurely stroll back to our room where we both got showers & felt much better. SP went to the courtyard to call David again and I cleaned out our packs & repacked for our next day’s adventures & did a bit of spot cleaning in our room. Then I gathered the day’s receipts & filled out my log to track expenses. Yeah, I know, I’m anal! At least I always know how to budget since I know where every penny goes while on vacation.
Everything in order, I sank into my bed & watched a few minutes of Stacy which is about all I can handle. I love Disney World – I don’t love Stacy shouting about Disney World. I soon found some repeats of Will & Grace & watched them until SP came back in. Once I knew she was safely inside, I rolled over & visited Dream Land.
Coming Up: Day 4 – Epcot Future World/Magic Kingdom Extra Magic Hours – The Search for A Stuffy
PS - SP was supposed to go to DFiancee's house today to upload my photos - let's keep our fingers crossed it worked!
Buzz Buzz – “wha?”
Buzz Buzz – “Ooof.” Click. – that’s the sound of our alarm clock going off at 7:30 a.m. & my response. Repeat 4 times. That’s right … I’m a 4 time snooze button hitter! After our post 2 a.m. bed time of the night before, I had no shame in abusing poor Mr. Snooze button. SP didn’t even stir when the alarm sounded. Finally, I sat up & shuffled to the bathroom stopping to nudge SP on the way. Within 15 minutes or so, we were both up, dressed, and noshing on some Pop Tarts & OJ before heading out to the parks. Luckily, I had packed the backpack & my fanny pack the day before, so that didn’t slow us down.
I blew a kiss to my widdle bunny fwend on the way to the bus stop. We made a stop in the main building so SP could mail her daily letter to David and then went by the food court to fill up our refillable mugs with some tasty lemonade. The food court in the morning is CRAZY! Thank goodness for pop tarts & mini fridges! Then we scooted over to the South Depot to catch the bus to Animal Kingdom.
SP & I were both giddy with excitement.
Our first real day at Walt Disney World! Woo Hoo! After waiting for about 15 minutes, our bus pulled up. Now, you know what they say about the wait times for POR buses! This was a nice surprise. We would continue to be surprised by how quickly buses came along to the South Depot. The only problem we experienced was getting them at the different parks (more on that in a later post).
Anyhoo, the bus pulled up & I nodded to the driver so he’d know I was loading onto his bus. This was one of the older buses, so I had to back onto the ramp that then lifts you up to the bus. Yech. I much prefer the newer ones that lower the bus & a ramp you then just drive onto. Going in backwards makes parking the scooter much more difficult as you have to cut your wheel so hard in a tee tiny space. Being the scooter pro that I am, however, I had no trouble getting it parked. Soon after the rest of the people could board.
The greatest part was the bus driver. I forget his name now, but was hoping to give a personal shout out to this guy. He was fantastic! He was so funny – told the parents that they had a special program for kids who don’t behave themselves…they’d be able to clean the buses (with a toothbrush) at midnight (no food or recompense, mind you). He went with this spiel for quite awhile and the kids & parents were getting such a kick out of it! He was the only driver our entire trip who interacted with the riders instead of using that voice over loudspeaker system. I just wish I’d written his name down, now. He was such a hoot.
When we got to AK, all the other riders got off & SP waited for me by the railing. As I was driving off the driver called SP by name (which still confuses her as the only place she had her name was on her KTW card in a lanyard around her neck – not easily read) and asked her if she knew what the red marks on the pavements at the parks was. SP said no. He said, “Blood spatters from where people sitting on railings fall off.” She promptly jumped down from the railing!
He said it in such a sweet way that she was charmed & still talks about him, saying he’d make a wonderful Paw-Paw. Side note: SP LOVES older, grandfather types – it’s a running joke that she flirts so much with them that she actually fans them with her eyelashes when talking to them! It’s really sweet, though, and not at all in a creepy way. She just sweet talks them. Little old men just adore her (except for one grumpy old guy who’ll be featured later in this TR!) We sailed through our first bag check station & then went through the turnstiles. The day was beautiful – very sunny with some clouds. It was hot, but not at all muggy like usual. Orlando was experiencing strange low humidity while we were there. Yippee! We took a few pics along the Oasis trail, but didn’t linger this year as we always end up spending more time here on the way out.
We had decided our plan of attack before going, so we headed straight for Africa to get our fast passes to Kilamanjaro Safari. There was a return time of 12:05-1:05 p.m., so we decided to head back toward Discovery Island & then eat lunch at Pizzafari before going back to KS.
On the way back, we stopped so SP could get a temporary tattoo – this has become a tradition on every vacation – she has to get a temp tattoo the 1st day out. She picked out one with the MK castle and the Fave 5 characters in front. It was, you guessed it – very sparkly!
Then we looked through some of the shops, took a bathroom break, took some pictures, and then headed into Pizzafari right at 11 a.m. This place is usually swamped, so we’d decided to eat early to avoid the crowds & manage to get a table my scooter could actually get to. There was only one cashier open it was so slow! SP got into the queue (scooters don’t do so well in the lines at CS restaurants so SP did all the food ordering/fetching this trip). SP ordered the chicken caesar salad and I got the chicken parmesan sandwich with a side of grapes. We still had our lemonade from the resort, so that saved us some $.
We found a table in the Upside Down Room – could have chosen any room there were so few people about. The food was delicious and I gave ½ my grapes to SP for her salad. We both left refreshed and full.
We headed back to Africa (haven’t we been this way before?) and SP made a pit stop while I watched the African dancers outside of Tusker House. They were really good – very athletic! We got to KS just as the clock turned 12, so we had to loiter a bit until we could get in the fast pass line. There was a family behind us with a boy ~8 and a girl ~4. The mom kept telling him, “Derek, stop that. Derek, no. Derek, I mean it, stop that. That’s not yours.” On and on it went. I couldn’t tell what he was doing, but just figured he was picking on his sister. When we got to the ride, I had to park my scooter to get on the ride vehicle. When I got off, I noticed that my 2 hitchhikers had been mostly pulled out of the pocket on my chair cover and the Velcro strip I’d sewn on to form the pocket had been pulled loose. I guess now I know what young Derek was doing back there.
Since we were in WDW, I didn’t let it bother me too much. We had quite a few “Dereks” on this trip. *sigh*
We got the handicapped seating (more leg room for me!) just behind the driver. SP rode on the outside to the left & I was on the right. We decided after a few minutes that it would work better if she took pics of stuff on the left and I took pics of stuff on the right. Duh!
The first few pics I’d taken all had her hand holding her camera in them. We didn’t see nearly as many animals this time as last year, but I was glad we saw any at all with it being midday & nap time. After KS, we took the Pangani Forest Trail & enjoyed taking some pics of the beautiful birds, fish, and of course, gorillas. When we’d finished the trail, we decided to find me a hat since I’d forgotten to pack my hat & the sun was unforgiving. Without my canopy this year was great – the sun exposure, not so much. Anyway, we stopped into the shop in Africa & I tried on several hats before deciding on a large brimmed straw hat decorated with a coconut tree, tiny monkey button, and trimmed with brown mickey head buttons. It was such a relief from the sun – and cute, too! Embarrassing Moment Alert:
Next I decided I needed a pit stop, so we stopped to use the companion restroom in Africa. SP got the door & I drove in & then she closed it. I said, you got the door? She said, yep. Well, just as I was doing my business, the door opens wide & this guy is standing there. He quickly closes it, but not before I see several people look to see why SP had gasped. Yes, folks, if you were in Africa on May 3, you might have been subjected to a view you wish you hadn’t. I wish you hadn’t as well. SP then realized that the “lock” she turned was a false lock & she needed to turn a dial to show “Occupied” on the outside. Lemme tell ya – she didn’t make that mistake again, nor will she ever..
Ahem. Moving on…Next up, we hit Bug in a Tree. Or as AK calls it, It’s Tough to be a Bug. We took the requisite “Bug Face” picture and then sailed right on through to the show. We went through the line so fast we barely had time to appreciate the tree carvings this time! This is a recurring theme throughout most of our trip, btw. Great planning at work! Bug in a Tree was cute as usual, but a few kiddos got scared. One kid in particular was screaming pretty loudly. I felt bad, since I understood how a dark room filled with big 3-D bugs shooting stuff at you might scare a kid.
Our Bootiful Bug Faces 08:
After the Bug, we traveled to Dinoland. SP didn’t want to ride Dinosaur last year, but I convinced her to ride this time. I had never been on the ride before & I have this little secret – dinosaurs scare the bejesus out of me. Yep – I can handle just about anything else. But dinosaurs (and deep sea creatures) make me cringe. Jurassic Park is one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen! I still wanted to ride since I’d read on the boards that it wasn’t too scary – as long as you weren’t in the front right seat. Well, guess what? I was in the front, right seat. And I had myself so worked up to be scared that when that big evil red thing jumped out at me – yeah, I screamed like a baby. Geesh.
Here's my scary Dinosaur face:
SP won't allow hers on here, but suffice it to say, it's hilarious! Very scary.
After Dinosaur, we decided to watch the Nemo show since we didn’t catch it last time. SP pleaded to get in one phone call to her dearly beloved, so I said sure. She went to sit on a bench where it was quiet & I wandered over to catch the steel drum band. Just as she was walking over to join me, they closed the queue to Nemo & said we’d have to come back later for the 4:15 showing. Ah, well.
SP then tells me that she requires something chocolate. Well, I don’t carry chocolate snacks as they tend to melt, ya know? Since this appeared to be a chocolate emergency, we headed out in search of something that would do the trick. AK is not known for their variety of eateries, that’s for sure.
We finally wandered into a store in Asia & after finding my little green mickeyhead memo/picture holder (how cool is that?!), we found what is now known as “the best chocolate chip cookie in the world (BCCCITW).” This thing is HUGE! It could feed 4 people. SP grabbed it up (I think she got the white & milk chocolate variety). We paid for it & then headed out.
Since SP also needed something cold to drink & was fantasizing about the coke slushy we got last year, we were on a mission. She really enjoyed her slushy with the Goofy straw/spoon (stroon?). Anyway, we found the same place & they did have slushies, but alas, no Goofy stroon. Ah, well. She had a mix of Blue Raspberry & Coke and I had a Coke slushy. Yum! She sat in the little Buddhist temple overlooking the lake & I sat in the shade just outside on my scooter. She dove into her BCCCITW & made a lot of mmmm and aahh noises while munching & slurping.
No more mid day slump for SP! I asked if I might try a bite of this inimitable cookie & like a preschooler, she pulled it toward her chest & gave me a “are you kidding” look, before quickly coming to her senses & offering me a teeny tiny bite. I had to agree that it was one fine cookie, what little bit I could taste of it anyway. Here's SP enjoying her cookie & slushie:
Then we noticed the CMs getting the parade line roped out & decided to skedaddle out of there. We love the Jammin Jungle Parade – we love it so much that we’ve videotaped it 3 times. And we didn’t really want to fight the crowds knowing we could just go home & watch the video. We had the Nemo show to catch, anyway, so we headed over to queue up for that.
Now, this show is kind of hokey. It’s very cheesy. It’s PERFECT!
I love hokey, cheesy things! That’s one of the reasons I love Disney so much. If you haven’t seen the show, you definitely should. The ampitheater is shaded, if that’s any enticement. We sat in the handicapped seating (1st row of 2nd tier behind the orchestra) which turned out to be a great place to watch. Go, Nemo!Here's our fishy Nemo faces (Oh, we're a beautiful bunch, aren't we?):
Here's the first of many "feet" pics (you'll get the deets on this particular occupation of SP's later):
Afterwards, SP made a final pit stop before we headed to the buses for the ride back to POR. We stopped in a store on the way out so SP could get a little more shopping done. Seeing nothing we wanted to buy that day, we headed on to the buses. Luckily most of the crowd had moved on by now, so we had a wait of about 20 minutes for our bus – not bad. This one was a new one & I was on & out of there in not time.
When we got back to POR we decided to grab dinner in the food court. SP & I both got the “Create your own Pasta” dinner. Word to the wise – this is a lot of food. You’d do better to agree on ingredients & split one of these – saves you $ and fills you up. We took ½ of each of ours back to the room with the good intentions of one day eating it (didn’t happen, of course).
After dinner, we did a bit of browsing in Fulton’s General Store to check on what we wanted to get just before checking out on our last day. We saw a white board with quiz questions & I started to answer them. A CM came over & listened to our answers & quizzed us some more. Then since we’d gotten all but one correct, he gave SP & I magical moment certificates. Magic moments – that’s what makes Disney so special!
Then we took a leisurely stroll back to our room where we both got showers & felt much better. SP went to the courtyard to call David again and I cleaned out our packs & repacked for our next day’s adventures & did a bit of spot cleaning in our room. Then I gathered the day’s receipts & filled out my log to track expenses. Yeah, I know, I’m anal! At least I always know how to budget since I know where every penny goes while on vacation.
Everything in order, I sank into my bed & watched a few minutes of Stacy which is about all I can handle. I love Disney World – I don’t love Stacy shouting about Disney World. I soon found some repeats of Will & Grace & watched them until SP came back in. Once I knew she was safely inside, I rolled over & visited Dream Land.
Coming Up: Day 4 – Epcot Future World/Magic Kingdom Extra Magic Hours – The Search for A Stuffy
PS - SP was supposed to go to DFiancee's house today to upload my photos - let's keep our fingers crossed it worked!
scooby9932
I Loves Me Some Disney!
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2007
- Messages
- 520
Well, finally I have some pictures uploaded, so check out the TR & you'll now see some pics! Woo Hoo!
Here are a few from AK that I didn't put in the earlier post:
Africa - Land of my Shame :
A coy gorilla:
Baobob Tree (my side of the car):
Frog in learning hut on Pangani Trail:
My nifty new hat:
Parrots in the Oasis:
Artsy Pic of waterfall in Oasis:
Wood ducks on Pangani Trail:
Elephant Pool on Kilamanjaro Safari:
Here are a few from AK that I didn't put in the earlier post:
Africa - Land of my Shame
:
A coy gorilla:
Baobob Tree (my side of the car):
Frog in learning hut on Pangani Trail:
My nifty new hat:
Parrots in the Oasis:
Artsy Pic of waterfall in Oasis:
Wood ducks on Pangani Trail:
Elephant Pool on Kilamanjaro Safari:
scooby9932
I Loves Me Some Disney!
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2007
- Messages
- 520
Day 4 Sunday, May 4 Part One: EPCOT Future World
Today we were able to hop out of bed a bit easier. Amazing what a good nights sleep can do for you. Plus, SPs favorite place in the whole world is EPCOT, so she was psyched to get going. We dressed, checked our packs, and SP ate some Donut Sticks while I had a bowl of Apple Jacks.
We made our daily stop by the mailbox for SP, then filled our mugs up again in the food court before heading over to the bus stop. Most of the people were going to Magic Kingdom and the water parks today, so it looked like wed planned correctly.
The EPCOT bus pulled up around 9 a.m. and it was a newer model! Yeah. There was one other scooter that needed to load, so it took a few minutes to get everything settled & then we were off! The bus was less than half full this morning. SP & I had some nice conversations with the others on the bus and we were at the park in no time.
SP had decided to wear her tennis outfit this day. She said she thought it looked future worldy. I said I thought it looked like she got lost on the way to the tennis court. Still, she really loves this outfit & she looked cute. Later on in the day as we were enjoying ice cream, we saw a couple of other women in tennis outfits. At the first sighting, I told SP, Hey, look theres your tennis partner. Looks like she got lost, too. SP: Ha. Ha. Then a few minutes later, 2 more women go by in tennis outfits. I said, Hey, SP! You didnt tell me it was supposed to be doubles! SP: Geez. But the smile on her face showed she felt vindicated in her outfit choice!
The lines for bag check were huge as usual. Why is EPCOT the only park that has this problem? SP & I tried to figure this out on this trip, but couldnt find any obvious answer. There were just as many tables & security people. Our guess was that the monorail drops off right there, so maybe the confluence of the crowd gets backed up? Who knows. Anyway, we got through bag check & went on to the turnstiles. I had to scoot around to a different turnstile because some guy got his kids stroller stuck in the gate. Then, we were finally there! The Flower & Garden Festival was in full swing with lots of beautiful topiaries and flower plantings. SP & Minnie posed for a pic with topiary Minnie.
Afterwards, we took a minute to get our Psi Bands on. SP got pretty bad motion sickness last year since shes sensitive to the screened images & lights.
Next up Spaceship Earth. Now, I know thats where everyone heads first thing. We know this, we just cant help ourselves. We have to do this 1st. We scooted around the side of the building & entered in through the handicapped entrance. SP parked my scooter while I took a seat in the handicapped waiting area. About 5 minutes later, we were escorted onto the ride. This is the first time weve ridden since the update. We both thought it was wonderful!
This is us giving our "Oooh, Spaceship Earth" faces:
We had no motion sickness issues like wed been warned we might. I dont know if it was the Psi bands or the changes just didnt affect us. We loved the touchscreen feature SP called dibs to touch the buttons & make the choices (that girl loves her buttons). The only part that I didnt enjoy was someone behind us taking flash photos as we went through the space night sky part it lit up the shell of the geodesic dome & ruined the effect for everyone around them. Why cant people listen & not take flash pictures when asked not to?
Anyway, our little cartoon had us both giggling. When we got off, I went to get my scooter & SP went to one of the games a memory game sort of like Simon Says. She had a good bit of fun, but we were both disappointed that we didnt know to go to the display in the center of the room so we could send out email postcards with our cartoon figures! By the time we wandered over & managed to get a spot at one of the terminals, our picture was no longer in the system. We decided wed have to definitely do the ride again later & then have SP quickly go to the terminal & send out our postcard. We looked around at the other games, but soon moved on as I wanted to get to Soarin!
When we got inside The Land, it was not really crowded, which was a big surprise its usually swamped in there. We were hopeful that this would continue to be the case. The Fastpasses for Soarin said the return time would be 45 minutes. The stand by line was 45 minutes. Since I wanted to try the new interactive games in the queue, I convinced SP to just wait in the stand-by line. Im so glad we did! We met some really nice people. One lady was there with her 4 year old daughter, Christine, for a day trip. They live in the area & take random trips to the world throughout the year! Wow! I wish I could do that! Anyway, SP & Christine had a nice conversation & her mom & I bonded over hurricane stories. We continued to see Christine and her mom (I forget her name, darn it!) throughout the day. Its nice when you can go somewhere as big as Disney World and still feel the warmth of new acquaintances.
The interactive games were a hoot! Everyone in line was having so much fun & it really made the time pass by. For once, the standby line time was accurate & 45 minutes later we were riding Soarin. We got the bottom (or 1st row) of seats, so this time I did notice peoples feet above my head. We were on the top row last time, so had nothing to distract us from the ride. A family from Kentucky wed me in line was in our row. Their 4 year old son got scared at first & huddled into his dad, but soon was laughing & enjoying it as much as his older brother. SP didnt feel motion sick this time & really enjoyed it. She didnt want to go again this year, but was humoring me. I guess the Psi Bands really work! She now wants to ride every year.
After Soarin, we made a quick pit stop in the companion restroom (no repeats from yesterday, thank goodness!) Then we made our way to Living with the Land. SP asked if we could just skip this ride. She called it her least favorite ride in all of Diseny World. She moaned & groaned the whole way, but I wouldnt give in. I LOVE this ride. The smell reminds me of Disney World. Actually, all the water rides do. Must be something in the water.
Anyway, my favorite part is the Mickey Head pumpkins. Yep, thats right I like this ride because I can always see some punkins! Im a huge pumpkin nut. I get giddy every Fall when its pumpkin time. My family has to curtail me on the gourd buying every since the Great Gourd Buyout of 2005. SP & I had gone on a road trip to Natchez & on the way back I found a roadside stand selling pumpkins & gourds. I couldnt make up my mind & ended up bringing home 21 of them in different shapes, sizes, and colors! Yep, 21 gourds for a family of 4. Hee Hee! Anyhoo, I noticed on the ride that SP was taking pictures and seemed to be enjoying herself. When we got off, she said, I dont know which ride I was thinking of before. I like that one! Me, being very mature: Hah! Told ya so.
Mickey Head Pumpkins!
Since it was then around 11 a.m., we decided to get lunch at Sunshine Seasons. SP went for her usual grilled salmon with smashed potatoes & green beans while I decided to try the Turkey and Meunster cheese on foccacia with chipotle mayo. I also picked up a tomato & mozzarella salad. We both wanted brownies, so SP got a regular brownie & I got the Rocky Road one.
We found a table (not easy in the Land) and managed to get my scooter through the maze of chairs & tables. Just as I was getting settled, a CM approached me & said he was sorry but they dont allow scooter & wheelchairs into the dining area. This was news to me. I asked if there were signs since I hadnt seen any & he said, no, we just tell people to leave them along the outside wall. Its a fire hazard to have them inside. Okey Dokey. He then told me hed move my scooter for me & return the key. I said okay. Then he proceeded to ask how to drive it. I showed him which lever for forward & reverse & he still had trouble with it. SP then walked with him as he drove it to help. Geez. He was really sweet about it, so I wasnt upset, but I do have to say they should have signs up. Also, if you CANT transfer out of your wheelchair, what then? You dont get to eat there? I think they need to work on this issue. Also, there were many double strollers inside the seating area & they take up just as much, if not more, room than scooters/wheelchairs. If its really a fire hazard, then they should be required to leave strollers out of the eating area as well. Just my 2 cents.
Anyhoo, we both really enjoyed our lunch. I entertained myself with people watching as SP was on the phone with David.
At lunch in Sunshine Seasons:
Once we were full & rested, we headed out to get my scooter & move on to the next ride on the agenda Journey into Imagination with Figment! SP LOVES Figment! After the ride we wandered around the Kodak lab area. SP was hoping to send an email to David, but alas, you cant do that anymore! You can take your picture and play around with it, but you no longer have the option of sending your pic in an email card. SP was very disappointed. Shed talked about doing this again since last years trip. I told her I thought there was a place in Innoventions to send emails so we then headed over there. On the way, we stopped to get SPs pic with Figment. She didnt want to buy the stuffed toy as it wasnt comfy.
Mugging with Figment:
We didnt care for Honey, I Shrunk the Audience last year, so we skipped it this year. I wanted to see the manatees, so we made a quick side trip to The Seas & went directly to the top floor to watch them. They were eating big hunks of lettuce & were so cute! We also decided that the Nemo ride wasnt our cup of tea & left the Seas.
We hit SPs all time favorite, Club Cool. Shes a HUGE Coca-Cola fanatic, so we usually come here several times in one trip. She bought a really cute top featuring Cherry Coke the shirt actually smells like Cherry Coke - and a Cherry Coke lip gloss.
Then we tried the different sodas. SP loves Vegitabeta! She drank about 3 little cups of the stuff and I suggested she fill her mug with it. She felt sneaky doing it, but after watching people fill their cups & dump them away, she felt better about it. With a full mug of Vegitabeta, we left. She had that mug emptied soon after. The stuff does stain, so watch out! The inside of her white mug as a neon orange color until after its 4th washing or so. I wouldnt want to spill that stuff on clothing just imagine! We still dont know how to buy the stuff the sales lady didnt know and internet searches have turned up nothing. Anyone know if you can purchase Vegitabeta soda from Japan? SP would be in heaven!
Next up was Innoventions to send an email. SP got her email sent & we both sent one home to Mom & Dad. Then she tried a few of the computer games & spent a long time with the Wii playing a dart game. I was itching to get to Test Track, so we finally left Innoventions. I think shed spend a good 2-3 hours here if left unchecked.
SP had agreed shed try Test Track with me this year. In all the years Id been going to EPCOT, Id never ridden it before since no one ever wanted to go with me or wait for me while I went. We decided not to get Fast Passes and come back later since the stand by line was only 15 minutes. SP was nervous about riding since she doesnt do thrill rides. I told her she could always take the chicken exit if she wanted to, but she was a trooper & decided to try it. Since it didnt have any loop-de-loops or big drops, she was sure shed be okay. Well, let me tell you! That girl was an instant convert. While zipping around the outside turn she yells out Im SO going to ride this AGAIN! And we did. Three more times before our trip was over. I can see what all the hoopla is about. That is one fun ride! I just wish it was longer. I love speed!
After the ride, we took some pics of the cars on display. SP wanted to see what riding in a Hummer was like, so we got this pic:
Shes only 54 and has really small hands & feet. She said it would take her plus one other person just to grip the gear shift. I think shes better off in her Honda Civic.
We looked through the gift shop hoping to find something for David. Hes a big car nut works on cars body work & electronics, etc. so we were hoping to find something hed like. Everything was just a bit too little kid or Disney-fied for his tastes, so we left empty handed. SP did find a license plate shed like for her car but decided against it at the last minute. I think she was hoping to find another one later.
By this time it was really hot out & we both decided it was Mickey Head ice cream time. We stopped & got some (SP had the ice cream sandwich, I had the ice cream bar) and headed over to the fountain area to enjoy our treats.
We wandered into Mouse Gears to see if they had the T-Shirt SP wanted for David. She was pulled between getting it in white or blue, but had decided on blue finally. Every store had the shirt, but none of them had the blue one in Large. Mouse Gears didnt have it in the right size, so we skedaddled. By this time, it was approaching 3 p.m. & I wanted to go back to the resort to rest, eat dinner, change & head back out to Magic Kingdoms Extra Magic Hours. We made our way slowly to the buses & after waiting quite a while (about an hour), finally caught a bus back to the resort.
Once back SP went out to the courtyard to call David. I reorganized our packs, took a shower, changed clothes and watched a little TV. I had just fixed us some tuna sandwiches and chips when SP came in. We watched most of Where the Heart Is and then SP had a shower, changed, and we were ready to head out to MK for EMH.
Stay Tuned for Day 4: Part Two: Magic Kingdom EMH & The Search for a Stuffy
Today we were able to hop out of bed a bit easier. Amazing what a good nights sleep can do for you. Plus, SPs favorite place in the whole world is EPCOT, so she was psyched to get going. We dressed, checked our packs, and SP ate some Donut Sticks while I had a bowl of Apple Jacks.
We made our daily stop by the mailbox for SP, then filled our mugs up again in the food court before heading over to the bus stop. Most of the people were going to Magic Kingdom and the water parks today, so it looked like wed planned correctly.
The EPCOT bus pulled up around 9 a.m. and it was a newer model! Yeah. There was one other scooter that needed to load, so it took a few minutes to get everything settled & then we were off! The bus was less than half full this morning. SP & I had some nice conversations with the others on the bus and we were at the park in no time.
SP had decided to wear her tennis outfit this day. She said she thought it looked future worldy. I said I thought it looked like she got lost on the way to the tennis court. Still, she really loves this outfit & she looked cute. Later on in the day as we were enjoying ice cream, we saw a couple of other women in tennis outfits. At the first sighting, I told SP, Hey, look theres your tennis partner. Looks like she got lost, too. SP: Ha. Ha. Then a few minutes later, 2 more women go by in tennis outfits. I said, Hey, SP! You didnt tell me it was supposed to be doubles! SP: Geez. But the smile on her face showed she felt vindicated in her outfit choice!
The lines for bag check were huge as usual. Why is EPCOT the only park that has this problem? SP & I tried to figure this out on this trip, but couldnt find any obvious answer. There were just as many tables & security people. Our guess was that the monorail drops off right there, so maybe the confluence of the crowd gets backed up? Who knows. Anyway, we got through bag check & went on to the turnstiles. I had to scoot around to a different turnstile because some guy got his kids stroller stuck in the gate. Then, we were finally there! The Flower & Garden Festival was in full swing with lots of beautiful topiaries and flower plantings. SP & Minnie posed for a pic with topiary Minnie.
Afterwards, we took a minute to get our Psi Bands on. SP got pretty bad motion sickness last year since shes sensitive to the screened images & lights.
Next up Spaceship Earth. Now, I know thats where everyone heads first thing. We know this, we just cant help ourselves. We have to do this 1st. We scooted around the side of the building & entered in through the handicapped entrance. SP parked my scooter while I took a seat in the handicapped waiting area. About 5 minutes later, we were escorted onto the ride. This is the first time weve ridden since the update. We both thought it was wonderful!
This is us giving our "Oooh, Spaceship Earth" faces:
We had no motion sickness issues like wed been warned we might. I dont know if it was the Psi bands or the changes just didnt affect us. We loved the touchscreen feature SP called dibs to touch the buttons & make the choices (that girl loves her buttons). The only part that I didnt enjoy was someone behind us taking flash photos as we went through the space night sky part it lit up the shell of the geodesic dome & ruined the effect for everyone around them. Why cant people listen & not take flash pictures when asked not to?
Anyway, our little cartoon had us both giggling. When we got off, I went to get my scooter & SP went to one of the games a memory game sort of like Simon Says. She had a good bit of fun, but we were both disappointed that we didnt know to go to the display in the center of the room so we could send out email postcards with our cartoon figures! By the time we wandered over & managed to get a spot at one of the terminals, our picture was no longer in the system. We decided wed have to definitely do the ride again later & then have SP quickly go to the terminal & send out our postcard. We looked around at the other games, but soon moved on as I wanted to get to Soarin!
When we got inside The Land, it was not really crowded, which was a big surprise its usually swamped in there. We were hopeful that this would continue to be the case. The Fastpasses for Soarin said the return time would be 45 minutes. The stand by line was 45 minutes. Since I wanted to try the new interactive games in the queue, I convinced SP to just wait in the stand-by line. Im so glad we did! We met some really nice people. One lady was there with her 4 year old daughter, Christine, for a day trip. They live in the area & take random trips to the world throughout the year! Wow! I wish I could do that! Anyway, SP & Christine had a nice conversation & her mom & I bonded over hurricane stories. We continued to see Christine and her mom (I forget her name, darn it!) throughout the day. Its nice when you can go somewhere as big as Disney World and still feel the warmth of new acquaintances.
The interactive games were a hoot! Everyone in line was having so much fun & it really made the time pass by. For once, the standby line time was accurate & 45 minutes later we were riding Soarin. We got the bottom (or 1st row) of seats, so this time I did notice peoples feet above my head. We were on the top row last time, so had nothing to distract us from the ride. A family from Kentucky wed me in line was in our row. Their 4 year old son got scared at first & huddled into his dad, but soon was laughing & enjoying it as much as his older brother. SP didnt feel motion sick this time & really enjoyed it. She didnt want to go again this year, but was humoring me. I guess the Psi Bands really work! She now wants to ride every year.
After Soarin, we made a quick pit stop in the companion restroom (no repeats from yesterday, thank goodness!) Then we made our way to Living with the Land. SP asked if we could just skip this ride. She called it her least favorite ride in all of Diseny World. She moaned & groaned the whole way, but I wouldnt give in. I LOVE this ride. The smell reminds me of Disney World. Actually, all the water rides do. Must be something in the water.
Anyway, my favorite part is the Mickey Head pumpkins. Yep, thats right I like this ride because I can always see some punkins! Im a huge pumpkin nut. I get giddy every Fall when its pumpkin time. My family has to curtail me on the gourd buying every since the Great Gourd Buyout of 2005. SP & I had gone on a road trip to Natchez & on the way back I found a roadside stand selling pumpkins & gourds. I couldnt make up my mind & ended up bringing home 21 of them in different shapes, sizes, and colors! Yep, 21 gourds for a family of 4. Hee Hee! Anyhoo, I noticed on the ride that SP was taking pictures and seemed to be enjoying herself. When we got off, she said, I dont know which ride I was thinking of before. I like that one! Me, being very mature: Hah! Told ya so.
Mickey Head Pumpkins!
Since it was then around 11 a.m., we decided to get lunch at Sunshine Seasons. SP went for her usual grilled salmon with smashed potatoes & green beans while I decided to try the Turkey and Meunster cheese on foccacia with chipotle mayo. I also picked up a tomato & mozzarella salad. We both wanted brownies, so SP got a regular brownie & I got the Rocky Road one.
We found a table (not easy in the Land) and managed to get my scooter through the maze of chairs & tables. Just as I was getting settled, a CM approached me & said he was sorry but they dont allow scooter & wheelchairs into the dining area. This was news to me. I asked if there were signs since I hadnt seen any & he said, no, we just tell people to leave them along the outside wall. Its a fire hazard to have them inside. Okey Dokey. He then told me hed move my scooter for me & return the key. I said okay. Then he proceeded to ask how to drive it. I showed him which lever for forward & reverse & he still had trouble with it. SP then walked with him as he drove it to help. Geez. He was really sweet about it, so I wasnt upset, but I do have to say they should have signs up. Also, if you CANT transfer out of your wheelchair, what then? You dont get to eat there? I think they need to work on this issue. Also, there were many double strollers inside the seating area & they take up just as much, if not more, room than scooters/wheelchairs. If its really a fire hazard, then they should be required to leave strollers out of the eating area as well. Just my 2 cents.
Anyhoo, we both really enjoyed our lunch. I entertained myself with people watching as SP was on the phone with David.
At lunch in Sunshine Seasons:
Once we were full & rested, we headed out to get my scooter & move on to the next ride on the agenda Journey into Imagination with Figment! SP LOVES Figment! After the ride we wandered around the Kodak lab area. SP was hoping to send an email to David, but alas, you cant do that anymore! You can take your picture and play around with it, but you no longer have the option of sending your pic in an email card. SP was very disappointed. Shed talked about doing this again since last years trip. I told her I thought there was a place in Innoventions to send emails so we then headed over there. On the way, we stopped to get SPs pic with Figment. She didnt want to buy the stuffed toy as it wasnt comfy.
Mugging with Figment:
We didnt care for Honey, I Shrunk the Audience last year, so we skipped it this year. I wanted to see the manatees, so we made a quick side trip to The Seas & went directly to the top floor to watch them. They were eating big hunks of lettuce & were so cute! We also decided that the Nemo ride wasnt our cup of tea & left the Seas.
We hit SPs all time favorite, Club Cool. Shes a HUGE Coca-Cola fanatic, so we usually come here several times in one trip. She bought a really cute top featuring Cherry Coke the shirt actually smells like Cherry Coke - and a Cherry Coke lip gloss.
Then we tried the different sodas. SP loves Vegitabeta! She drank about 3 little cups of the stuff and I suggested she fill her mug with it. She felt sneaky doing it, but after watching people fill their cups & dump them away, she felt better about it. With a full mug of Vegitabeta, we left. She had that mug emptied soon after. The stuff does stain, so watch out! The inside of her white mug as a neon orange color until after its 4th washing or so. I wouldnt want to spill that stuff on clothing just imagine! We still dont know how to buy the stuff the sales lady didnt know and internet searches have turned up nothing. Anyone know if you can purchase Vegitabeta soda from Japan? SP would be in heaven!
Next up was Innoventions to send an email. SP got her email sent & we both sent one home to Mom & Dad. Then she tried a few of the computer games & spent a long time with the Wii playing a dart game. I was itching to get to Test Track, so we finally left Innoventions. I think shed spend a good 2-3 hours here if left unchecked.
SP had agreed shed try Test Track with me this year. In all the years Id been going to EPCOT, Id never ridden it before since no one ever wanted to go with me or wait for me while I went. We decided not to get Fast Passes and come back later since the stand by line was only 15 minutes. SP was nervous about riding since she doesnt do thrill rides. I told her she could always take the chicken exit if she wanted to, but she was a trooper & decided to try it. Since it didnt have any loop-de-loops or big drops, she was sure shed be okay. Well, let me tell you! That girl was an instant convert. While zipping around the outside turn she yells out Im SO going to ride this AGAIN! And we did. Three more times before our trip was over. I can see what all the hoopla is about. That is one fun ride! I just wish it was longer. I love speed!
After the ride, we took some pics of the cars on display. SP wanted to see what riding in a Hummer was like, so we got this pic:
Shes only 54 and has really small hands & feet. She said it would take her plus one other person just to grip the gear shift. I think shes better off in her Honda Civic.
We looked through the gift shop hoping to find something for David. Hes a big car nut works on cars body work & electronics, etc. so we were hoping to find something hed like. Everything was just a bit too little kid or Disney-fied for his tastes, so we left empty handed. SP did find a license plate shed like for her car but decided against it at the last minute. I think she was hoping to find another one later.
By this time it was really hot out & we both decided it was Mickey Head ice cream time. We stopped & got some (SP had the ice cream sandwich, I had the ice cream bar) and headed over to the fountain area to enjoy our treats.
We wandered into Mouse Gears to see if they had the T-Shirt SP wanted for David. She was pulled between getting it in white or blue, but had decided on blue finally. Every store had the shirt, but none of them had the blue one in Large. Mouse Gears didnt have it in the right size, so we skedaddled. By this time, it was approaching 3 p.m. & I wanted to go back to the resort to rest, eat dinner, change & head back out to Magic Kingdoms Extra Magic Hours. We made our way slowly to the buses & after waiting quite a while (about an hour), finally caught a bus back to the resort.
Once back SP went out to the courtyard to call David. I reorganized our packs, took a shower, changed clothes and watched a little TV. I had just fixed us some tuna sandwiches and chips when SP came in. We watched most of Where the Heart Is and then SP had a shower, changed, and we were ready to head out to MK for EMH.
Stay Tuned for Day 4: Part Two: Magic Kingdom EMH & The Search for a Stuffy
DisneyDreamnDeb
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2008
- Messages
- 150
I Love all the pics. you really got some great shots! I don't know why but I thought your hitchhikers were going to be some kind of bug or live critter 
, glad that wasn't the case, I'd much rather have Mickey and Minnie along for the ride! and they look so cute on the back of your scooter!!
The bus driver story sounds like something out of an old twilight zone episode, that would freak me out! I wonder how he new her name?
I love your writing style, feel like I'm there with you! Keep up the good work
, glad that wasn't the case, I'd much rather have Mickey and Minnie along for the ride! and they look so cute on the back of your scooter!!The bus driver story sounds like something out of an old twilight zone episode, that would freak me out! I wonder how he new her name?
I love your writing style, feel like I'm there with you! Keep up the good work
DisneyDreamnDeb
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2008
- Messages
- 150
Just giving you a bump. Hope your feeling better and everything is alright.
scooby9932
I Loves Me Some Disney!
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2007
- Messages
- 520
Howdy, folks! I'm back to feeling somewhat normal. Thanks for all the well wishes.
I'll be posting some more of the trip report over the next few days, but I wanted to log on & at least let you all know I'm still alive and kicking. I'm sneaking onto my favorite obsession, er..pasttime, for just a few minutes before all the Memorial Day merrymaking begins. I hope you all have a great Memorial Day - enjoy all the hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon, etc.!
In the meantime, here are the "Hat" pics we took along the way. And to just to let you know ('cause I know some people have problems with this), we really were trying on to see if we wanted to buy them, not just for fun - even though it was fun! I bought 2 hats for sun shade, and we each made our own Mickey ear hats.
Jungle Minnie Ears in Animal Kingdom:
Princess Ears - Animal Kingdom:
Sombreros in Mexico:
Viking Princess in Norway:
Hats in China:
Our "Make Your Own Ears" from Magic Kingdom (we got LOTS of compliments on these - if you get the chance & have the budget, go for it - lots of fun):
My one green ear glows in the dark!
SP's had a patch on the front:
and the back:
And here's the one I got in Africa with the cute coconut tree:
Thanks for all the well wishes. I'll be posting some more of the trip report over the next few days, but I wanted to log on & at least let you all know I'm still alive and kicking. I'm sneaking onto my favorite obsession, er..pasttime, for just a few minutes before all the Memorial Day merrymaking begins. I hope you all have a great Memorial Day - enjoy all the hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon, etc.!
In the meantime, here are the "Hat" pics we took along the way. And to just to let you know ('cause I know some people have problems with this), we really were trying on to see if we wanted to buy them, not just for fun - even though it was fun! I bought 2 hats for sun shade, and we each made our own Mickey ear hats.
Jungle Minnie Ears in Animal Kingdom:
Princess Ears - Animal Kingdom:
Sombreros in Mexico:
Viking Princess in Norway:
Hats in China:
I ended up buying this one:
Our "Make Your Own Ears" from Magic Kingdom (we got LOTS of compliments on these - if you get the chance & have the budget, go for it - lots of fun):
My one green ear glows in the dark!
SP's had a patch on the front:
and the back:
And here's the one I got in Africa with the cute coconut tree:
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