Motherfletcher
<font color=red>Proud Redhead<br><font color=peach
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2003
- Messages
- 3,823
Sorry to all of you US/IOA purists, but you can't have a "Coaster Christmas" without going to Busch Gardens.
Players:
Me (Dad)
DS15
DD10
First I've got to say what a wonderful invention it was to put VCRs in vans. My kids often forget that they are supposed to fight when a movie is on. We arrived at Days Inn West of Busch Gardens about dusk and checked in to 2 rooms (1 for me & 1 for them). I purchased 6 certificates for stays at this motel in June from an Ebay auction for $18.60 per night and this was the last 2 stays. I would not recommend this motel. It is old and in need of total renovation.
In the morning the kids had breakfast at the motel's Denny's. We were given a 20% off coupon at check in. I gave my son $15 and never saw the change. We drove the short distance to BG and for the first time parked on the BG side of McKinley. We were the first ones at the turnstile (right side). We spent the entire 20 minute wait arguing over the first attraction of our touring plan. I finally won, after threats of abandonment, and at opening headed briskly toward Rhino Rally. This ride has the longest loading time and gets huge lines before 11.
The walk felt good in the 49 degree air which is pretty fresh for us Floridians and was witnessed by the 12'+ alligator laying motionless in the water of his little aquarium. DD10 thought he was froze. Another 300 feet they had RR roped off and said it would be a 20 minute wait because they were rounding up the vehicles? As we turned for Montu my kids had a glorious time reminding me that RR was my choice and that I totally threw their touring off for the day. I told them to go ahead and run to Montu, which they did, as I stopped to see if the alligator was alive. I walked through the Clydesdale Barn on the way. All the horses had Christmas stockings with names on them hung outside their stalls and along with some wreathes on the barn was about the extent of decorations in the whole park.
I made it to the exit of Montu in time to meet the kids and gave them the white flag to attack Gwazi. I got there and found a bench which I ended up sharing with 3 beer drinking Brits. I looked at my watch and noted that 10:25 a.m. had to be Happy Hour in England.
We returned to Rhino Rally which can be a very fun ride depending on your driver. Ours was about a 5 out of ten. He connected with my son though and was spitting game on a couple of girls in the vehicle.
The Skyride and Kumba were down so we headed to the next slowest loader the Ubanga-Banga Bumper Cars. This is nothing more than a cheap carnival ride that my kids wanted the most to go to. I think the reason is that it was the first ride that I would experience with them and they could gang up on Dad. The attendant was perfect for the job complete with facial tats, greasy hat that required the dirty Bucs cap. I think he was looking forward to losing teeth so he could take it on the road. We sat in the cars for a good 2 minutes waiting for others that weren't even in the queue before carny boy threw on the juice. The only regulatory signage posted were 4 one way signs. A non-English speaking party with us must have had problems reading as well. Carny boy helped direct traffic by cleaning his finger nails with his pocket knive. The ride was over long before it should have been since no one was in line. I wouldn't put this on the "Must see/do List".
The kids went on Python while I checked out the Desert Grill as a lunch candidate. They got off the Python at 11:30 when the "Jammin'" show started at DG. DD10 staked out a table right in front of the stage while we got in the cafeteria line. DS15 got spaghetti, DD10 got fries only and I had the baby back ribs. I paid over $40 and, lets just say, I wouldn't eat there again. When we finished eating the show was still going on and I wished that my daughter hadn't have got a table up front because I wanted to leave. The show is 3 guys mostly drumming and 2 girls, one dancing and one mainly playing the fiddle(not violin in this case). I could have walked and not felt I missed anything but I didn't want to offend them.
We went on to the Scorpion. My Christmas present to the kids was going to be that I would ride a coaster with them and thanks to all the Coaster Freak Dissers I had chosen Kraken for my first coaster ride. As I watched them on Scorpion. though, I was wondering why I didn't go on that. It only has one loop and is over in less than a minute.
We took the train around the park which is very similar to the one in MK. It was a nice rest.
I had to go to the to the Moroccan Palace Theater for World Rhythms on Ice. This show is history after the first of the year. I shouldn't rate it though since I fell asleep. My kids kind of liked it.
We went the Bird Show which is kind of nice except for the unnecessary cornball jokes. They do the same trick as Animal Planet Live sending a parrot to retrieve a dollar from an audience member. They use the exact same script as one another except BG says they are returning the money because "this ain't Orlando".
We staked out a table directly in front of the stage for the Hospitality House Entertainment. At the next table was a group of seven ladies in their late sixties to almost eighty drinking their free beer. The act consisted of 3 guys dressed like riverboat entertainers playing piano, drums and guitar. When the drummer got situated he addressed the ladies acknowledging their purple outfits and tiny Santa hats. When he said that he saw them at the last performance I had laugh to myself thinking there is a future for Flyfly as a groupie and it is so much closer to home.
It only got to 60 degrees so we blew off water rides with some opposition from the kids. When I suggested that we go to Orlando they were ready. Busch Gardens is a good park and worth going to. We had bought the 3 days at BG and/or SeaWorld for $70 each. Busch Gardens has come a long way since my first visit when they boasted having the world's tallest escalator, a couple of parrots and free beer if you took the brewery tour and NO rides.
Day 2 SeaWorld and my first coaster ride to follow...
Players:
Me (Dad)
DS15
DD10
First I've got to say what a wonderful invention it was to put VCRs in vans. My kids often forget that they are supposed to fight when a movie is on. We arrived at Days Inn West of Busch Gardens about dusk and checked in to 2 rooms (1 for me & 1 for them). I purchased 6 certificates for stays at this motel in June from an Ebay auction for $18.60 per night and this was the last 2 stays. I would not recommend this motel. It is old and in need of total renovation.
In the morning the kids had breakfast at the motel's Denny's. We were given a 20% off coupon at check in. I gave my son $15 and never saw the change. We drove the short distance to BG and for the first time parked on the BG side of McKinley. We were the first ones at the turnstile (right side). We spent the entire 20 minute wait arguing over the first attraction of our touring plan. I finally won, after threats of abandonment, and at opening headed briskly toward Rhino Rally. This ride has the longest loading time and gets huge lines before 11.
The walk felt good in the 49 degree air which is pretty fresh for us Floridians and was witnessed by the 12'+ alligator laying motionless in the water of his little aquarium. DD10 thought he was froze. Another 300 feet they had RR roped off and said it would be a 20 minute wait because they were rounding up the vehicles? As we turned for Montu my kids had a glorious time reminding me that RR was my choice and that I totally threw their touring off for the day. I told them to go ahead and run to Montu, which they did, as I stopped to see if the alligator was alive. I walked through the Clydesdale Barn on the way. All the horses had Christmas stockings with names on them hung outside their stalls and along with some wreathes on the barn was about the extent of decorations in the whole park.
I made it to the exit of Montu in time to meet the kids and gave them the white flag to attack Gwazi. I got there and found a bench which I ended up sharing with 3 beer drinking Brits. I looked at my watch and noted that 10:25 a.m. had to be Happy Hour in England.
We returned to Rhino Rally which can be a very fun ride depending on your driver. Ours was about a 5 out of ten. He connected with my son though and was spitting game on a couple of girls in the vehicle.
The Skyride and Kumba were down so we headed to the next slowest loader the Ubanga-Banga Bumper Cars. This is nothing more than a cheap carnival ride that my kids wanted the most to go to. I think the reason is that it was the first ride that I would experience with them and they could gang up on Dad. The attendant was perfect for the job complete with facial tats, greasy hat that required the dirty Bucs cap. I think he was looking forward to losing teeth so he could take it on the road. We sat in the cars for a good 2 minutes waiting for others that weren't even in the queue before carny boy threw on the juice. The only regulatory signage posted were 4 one way signs. A non-English speaking party with us must have had problems reading as well. Carny boy helped direct traffic by cleaning his finger nails with his pocket knive. The ride was over long before it should have been since no one was in line. I wouldn't put this on the "Must see/do List".
The kids went on Python while I checked out the Desert Grill as a lunch candidate. They got off the Python at 11:30 when the "Jammin'" show started at DG. DD10 staked out a table right in front of the stage while we got in the cafeteria line. DS15 got spaghetti, DD10 got fries only and I had the baby back ribs. I paid over $40 and, lets just say, I wouldn't eat there again. When we finished eating the show was still going on and I wished that my daughter hadn't have got a table up front because I wanted to leave. The show is 3 guys mostly drumming and 2 girls, one dancing and one mainly playing the fiddle(not violin in this case). I could have walked and not felt I missed anything but I didn't want to offend them.
We went on to the Scorpion. My Christmas present to the kids was going to be that I would ride a coaster with them and thanks to all the Coaster Freak Dissers I had chosen Kraken for my first coaster ride. As I watched them on Scorpion. though, I was wondering why I didn't go on that. It only has one loop and is over in less than a minute.
We took the train around the park which is very similar to the one in MK. It was a nice rest.
I had to go to the to the Moroccan Palace Theater for World Rhythms on Ice. This show is history after the first of the year. I shouldn't rate it though since I fell asleep. My kids kind of liked it.
We went the Bird Show which is kind of nice except for the unnecessary cornball jokes. They do the same trick as Animal Planet Live sending a parrot to retrieve a dollar from an audience member. They use the exact same script as one another except BG says they are returning the money because "this ain't Orlando".
We staked out a table directly in front of the stage for the Hospitality House Entertainment. At the next table was a group of seven ladies in their late sixties to almost eighty drinking their free beer. The act consisted of 3 guys dressed like riverboat entertainers playing piano, drums and guitar. When the drummer got situated he addressed the ladies acknowledging their purple outfits and tiny Santa hats. When he said that he saw them at the last performance I had laugh to myself thinking there is a future for Flyfly as a groupie and it is so much closer to home.
It only got to 60 degrees so we blew off water rides with some opposition from the kids. When I suggested that we go to Orlando they were ready. Busch Gardens is a good park and worth going to. We had bought the 3 days at BG and/or SeaWorld for $70 each. Busch Gardens has come a long way since my first visit when they boasted having the world's tallest escalator, a couple of parrots and free beer if you took the brewery tour and NO rides.
Day 2 SeaWorld and my first coaster ride to follow...
Yea but jimmy buffett said it best ! Its 5 clock some where!Sorry couldnt help my self!You know our yank sense of humor!!!!
