DIS-Functional Wonder Peeps 7/20 & 7/24, 2008 PART II

[Soccermom-Cheri]

This has been SO cool!

I have been editing/importing Disney video for the last few days; they're from our last 9 years worth of trips to WDW and on DCL. I installed a 1TB drive just for this purpose. Ah, the memories!

I am reliving some of my favorite moments of all time!

(I am doing this to incorporate these video clips into my DVD for this year's trip. Have an idea, I do!)

Anyway, it gave me the idea to post this question to all y'all:

What are your favorite, let's say... 5 moments/memories from your past Disney trips?



I'll start.

#5 - The first time I walked into Epcot and under Spaceship Earth with my family. Our first ever trip to WDW, Nov. 2000.

#4 - Seeing how excited the kids were at Donald's character breakfast (Animal Kingdom) when Mickey visited our table.

#3 - Walking through the doors at the entrance to the Polynesian and getting the first whiff of "that smell"!

#2 - Can't explain this one in too much detail. Let's just say it involved a birthday, a special Castmember, barbells and a great rack. Those who were present know precisely what I mean.

#1 - Meeting some very wonderful people who have become our greatest friends in the world. Yeah... That's been pretty cool.
Ok, your turn!

Pooh: think think think

 

[tarzanman]

Top 5 Disney Moments:

5) If you have ever wanted to do a marathon or a half-marathon before and thought that you might be bored doing it in a city or somewhere in a park, I suggest the Disney Marathon. You are constantly intrigued by your surroundings as you run down the roads. Getting to see the backlots of WDW is a site to behold as you usually don't have the pleasure. It is easier to keep going those extra miles as your scenery changes from EPCOT, to MK, to AK, to DHS. Always something new to look at. I know the road is long in between the parks but it is motivation to continue. Running with all of those people raising money for their charities, acheiving their lifelong goals for weightloss or mind over matter, is just overwhelming and something to appreciate. I can't wait to do it again.

4) 2003 Disney vacation with the Croutons - Consisted of a 4 night cruise, 2 nights at OKW, including Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, and then a crazy 7 night cruise. That was a crazy trip!!! Somehow we need to figure how to do something like that again. 2 week vacations are a moral imperative.

3) Winning a 7 night Disney Cruise for 4 people including airfare, transfers and shipboard credit, in 2002, via 93.1FM in Detroit, MI. I invited my two cousins to come along and due to school restraints, they could only go on a particular week. That week turned out to be the same week that BeanoC, RonnieJo, Bob, and Johnnie were going a 7 night Disney Cruise as well. Beano planned a cruise meet for everyone that was on the DIS for the sailaway party and then another one in his Cat 3 suite (can't believe you only had a Cat 3!!!). I think that from that party on, we were kind of attached at the hip. Thank you Nikki and Stacey for having your school tell you when you could go.

2) Disboards.com and DisMates.com hooking me up with a chick at UF, called Ophie (weird name isn't it?). First date at WDW, many other dates at WDW, Disney Cruise 2005 and getting engaged at Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom. Sarcasm: Disney hasn't really contributed much to my life. Just my wife, best friends, lots of relaxation, and fun in there. I may have even gotten hammered enough to throw up at Disney World (outside Mannequin's after too many liquid cocaine shots). Thanks for all your help Disney...

1) Getting married to Ophie at Disney's Vero Beach Resort, with all my family there (that includes The Croutons). The Croutons' awesome limo driver, the space shuttle launch, my brothers last minute travel arrangements courtesy of the US Navy, watermelon golf, nieces and nephew playing in the water, and making sure that all heck didn't break loose between my new in-laws and themselves just made it fun and exciting the whole time. And to conclude that awesome Disney experience, we got to go to WDW with even more friends.

There are so many memories to recall. I could have used more details or chosen specific moments but all in all I have to say that Disney has provided me a lifetimes worth of happy moments with my friends and family and continues to bless me with more. How lucky we all are to have eachother. I can't wait to party with all of you again. We will not let this time go to waste.

 

[ophie]

I suppose it's high time for me to change into nothing, slip on my gray overcoat, and give everyone a thrill....

For RJ, Cheri, & Bets...

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

Can I just TELL you...how AWESOME a Pina Colada is???? Frosty and big chunks of pineapple on a skewer!! Yum

Had a bit of a panic attack this afternoon when I thought I lost my thumb ring which is my dad's wedding ring...found it in the bottom of my purse...ACK!

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

WATERMELON GOLF!! that was the bomb!!

 

[CamColt]

So, my niece (and 17 other kids) just took this to her prom tonight. What do you say we all show up to the port in this baby? It's amazing!!!

 

[BeanoC]

(can't believe you only had a Cat 3!!!)

No kidding!! What WAS I thinking anyway?? It'll never happen again. Just wait until 2011... the new ships will have cat 1's that are 1500 sq. feet! (I'll take 2, please.)

Truth be told, I could easily list 500 moments as opposed to just 5. And yes! Watermelon golf!! OMG definitely one of the best. That was a friggin' blast. That whole party was a kick in the pants.



Watching 'Princess Bride' at Vero and then having RJ's homemade spaghetti.

Pancakes at Olivias at OKW.

Writing songs on deck 9. Funny songs.

Paying $100 (yes, really) for a case of beer. And being happy about it. Welcome to Disney.

Singing 'Happy Birthday' to She-She in Cartman voice.

Table 8. (Right Tim??)

Chocolate muffin day!! But don't touch the chain.

Running 'Head's Up' completely out of Coors Light! Chris and Beano are power-drinkin'!




Ok, most of that made no sense to anyone but Tim, Sarah, RJ, Chris and Cheri. But trust me y'all... great memories!!

 

[CamColt]

Ok, most of that made no sense to anyone but Tim, Sarah, RJ, Chris and Cheri. But trust me y'all... great memories!!

Just wait til 3 months from now....I'm sure we will have a long list that makes sense to us all.

 

[tarzanman]

Chocolate muffin day was towards the top of my list but just couldn't push out the others.

Table 8 taught us that we should always be on a team together!!!

All of those things you mentioned, especially the Deck 9 Songwriting, make me all the more excited to be going on vacation with the whole gang again.

 

[Anal Annie]

Cabin #6634 is still available on both cruises! grrrrrrr....I wish I wasn't unemployed (for more reasons than just this)! I am having shopping withdraw! I keep going out and buying things then returning them a few days later 'cuz I know I shouldn't buy them - but I can't stand not being able to shop... I'm a tad touched in the head!

So, Beano - how do you know how big the Cat 1's will be on the new ships? What other secrets do you know?! Please share!

 

[BeanoC]

Just wait til 3 months from now....I'm sure we will have a long list that makes sense to us all.

3 months? By my count, we sail in less than 2 months. But I guess you're referring to the memories we'll have after the vacation!

So yeah, what she said!!

(I am) all the more excited to be going on vacation with the whole gang again.

Me too buddy! Can't wait to do stupid things, say stupid stuff, and probably drink things that John Daly and Larry Hagman would turn away from.

So, Beano - how do you know how big the Cat 1's will be on the new ships? What other secrets do you know?!

(WWII Nazi accent) Ah my dear I have many ways of knowing these things!

 

[Anal Annie]

(WWII Nazi accent) Ah my dear I have many ways of knowing these things!

Hogan's Heroes 'eh?

 

[Anal Annie]

OK - I need some help interpreting these instructions! (DH doesn't know either!) Was reading the instructions on this seam sealer stuff I bought for the tent. It says: "Apply sealer to the coated side fo the seam (fabric). Always apply sealer to the inside of the seam." OK, so if I were to GUESS, I would guess that the "coated side" would the the outside of the tent. But then it turns around and says to put it on the INSIDE of the seam. I'm thinking "Huh"? Should we do BOTH inside and outside?! The other thing I'm wondering about is that it says it's a water based solution. Well. So is it gonna dissolve & wash off if it rains?

Who's got experience with sealing tents?

 

[RonnieJo66]

ok, so my 5 things.....although it is SO hard to limit myself to 5, but here it goes








--"Table 8"/Go Go's.....to those who understand, enough said

--stealing time to have a private drink with Beano in the quiet bar

--the first time we took our kids to DL: they were 5 and 7 yrs old and we entered Main Street just as The Lion King Parade was coming around....the smiles on their faces PRICELESS!

--Beano surprising us with our first trip to WDW in 2000 we weren't sure we'd ever be able to go....he made it all possible!

--meeting people with whom we've created lifelong friendships and think of as our family

 

[tarzanman]

Good job ASIMO!!!

 

[CamColt]

You got it, Beano...memories after the cruise. DH just went to the bank and was filling out all the stuff before he left. Then he realized 2 months from today he will be 40. So I of course had to throw in we will be getting off the ship, getting ready to get back on.

Sorry, Annie. I'm not good with anything remotely related to camping. Good Luck though!

 

[tarzanman]

Ok, the coating the seams instructions (found on the web via google):

Good tents and rain flies are designed with as few seams as possible to avoid leaking. However, since virtually any seam can allow water to enter, each and every critical seam must be sealed. Most new tents arrive with either factory taped seams or regular unsealed seams. You'll be able to recognize factory sealed seams by a material tape glued to the seams. If your seams are taped you don't need to apply a seam sealer. On the other hand, if your tent seams are of the untaped variety, you'll need to apply an after-market seam sealer. There are several seam sealers on the market, but the product is not as important as proper application.

If you decide to use seam sealer, you'll need to apply two coats to both sides of the seams, waiting until the sealer dries between each coat. If you apply sealer on only one side, apply it to the coated side of the material. Pay close attention to getting the sealer into the needle holes. After applying the seam sealer, don't use the tent or stuff it away for a day or so to let the sealer bind properly. If you've applied the seam sealer carefully your tent should be sealed for the season.

Unfortunately, most of the seam sealers I've tried quickly peel and delaminate, requiring periodic reapplications. There is, however, an alternative to the annual seam sealing ritual. It's a product known as Seam Grip and is rapidly becoming the sealer of choice. My experience with Seam Grip is that while application is not a fun experience, it has to be applied only once, works very well and appears to last. It's very slow drying, but when it dries, it forms a tough, thick, soft and flexible permanent bond to the seam. At about six dollars for a 1 oz. tube, Seam Grip is probably the most expensive seam sealer on the market, but don't settle for less. It's extremely durable and is good to take along on trips to make emergency repairs. Seam Grip can be purchased from your local outfitter as well as ordered from most of the outdoor catalog suppliers. It's the best sealer I know of and is what I've used for years.

Application of Seam Grip is a tedious but simple job. First, set up the tent, put the rain fly on upside down and stretch it out for an hour; then stretch it tight again. This allows the seams to stretch and the stitching to open as much as possible. Before applying the Seam Grip, wipe the seam with Seam Grip Pre-Cleaner or 90% Isopropyl Alcohol to be sure it's clean. Then, while pulling the seam apart to expose it to the Seam Grip, run a small bead of the sealer down the seam and work it in with the brush. Be sure to thoroughly coat the seam, but don't use more Seam Grip than you need. Keep in mind, Seam Grip is virtually permanent and if you accidentally let another part of the tent get into the sealer before it sets up, it may stay there forever. Take your time, and if you have to stop, rinse the brush thoroughly with Isopropyl Alcohol. Heating the tube of Seam Grip in hot water for about fifteen minutes will allow it to flow easier. Seam Grip generally takes twelve to twenty four hours to fully cure, but by using the optional Seam Grip Cure Accelerator you can reduce the curing time to about two hours.

Be sure to seal around the tent floor section, but sealing the seams above the waterproof bathtub floor section isn't necessary. Don't overlook areas like the cordura reinforcement that may be at the base of a pole. Sometimes it's not enough to seal just the stitching since water can run down between the cordura and the tent material and seep through that way. You may need to cover the edges, the stitching, and in some cases, the entire section of cordura.

After the Seam Grip has fully cured, and before you stuff it back in its stuff sack, lightly dust all of the fresh sealer with baby powder or talcum powder. Even though the Seam Grip has dried, it will still adhere permanently to itself.

Speaking of stuffing, the best method for carrying your freshly sealed tent on a trip is by stuffing it into its stuff sack. For long term storage at home, the tent should be loosely stuffed in a large, breathable sack. I don't recommend folding a tent since this can lead to accelerated wear at the creases.

Simply sealing the seams is no guarantee that your tent will stay dry. You should always use a ground cloth, since it takes only one small stone to make your seam sealing worthless. It's very important that your ground cloth be totally under the tent. If part of it is allowed to hang out beyond the floor of the tent it will act as a rain catcher and funnel water under the tent. Also make sure the rainfly is not touching the tent body or moisture will eventually be wicked through the interior walls of the tent.

With a little effort and preparation, you can ensure your tent stays dry no matter what the weather.

 

[Anal Annie]

HOLY MOLY TZM! Thanks for the Google search! DOH! (insert smiley slapping forehead here) OK, well, while I'm sure this super duper $6 tube of stuff is a miracle in a tube, what WE have is the Ozark Trail (aka Walmart brand) sealer. If I remember the darned tent correctly, the rainfly is sealed with taped seams, but the TENT body is not. I won't know until we get it out (tomorrows fun plan). I remember waking up REALLY EARLY on that rafting trip last summer and I was lying there looking at the corner of the tent right above my head and I could see daylight thru a few needle holes & I was thinking that IF IT WAS POURING DOWN RAIN right then it would be raining on my face and that I would be really mad at Coleman! OK, so last summer, all we did when we got it was use a spray can of waterproofing stuff all over it. We did not do anything to fill these minute little holes.

I bought 2 tubes of this stuff the other day and another can of the spray water repellent stuff - so I guess we'll try to see how far we can spread the stuff in the tubes and see if there's enough to do both inside and outside. I doubt there's enough to do 2 coats on each side tho. But that's the part of the instructions that had me confused. Why don't they just say to apply it to both inside and outside of the seams??? I will have to print these instructions out to show DH - or else he will give me a hard time over trying to be so thorough (cough cough read: he's too lazy to bother until HIS corner of the tent drips on HIS face! ). I was debating about this whole cleaning the seam with alcohol first thing tho since it's still a new tent and was only used twice?! We DID use that water repellent spray on them tho. Hummmm....nothing like trying to ignore instructions if it has the word cleaning in them is there?

Anyway, THANKS AGAIN!! I'm sure if it does rain whenever we go next month that he'll be glad I made him do this, right?!



OK, so I am calling today to arrange for the car service to pick us up...I was going to ask for them to pick us up at AKV at 10:00 to go to the port - does that sound about right??? CamColt - I called Albertson's liquor store....their price for a 750 ML (Fifth) of Kaluah is $13.99 - so no problem for me to pick one up for you - we will be stopping between the airport and WDW on our way in!! Sounds better than the $18 price I saw on the pint size bottle at VWL! They have Miller Lite in 18 packs for $11.99-14.99 she said (depending on the sale of the week). Guess we'll get two of those. They did not have my box of Angel Juice Pinot Grigio or the Beringer Pinot Grigio in the mini's...so I will probably pack / take some with me... GET THIS - they have a 750 ML bottle of my Captain Morgan in a PLASTIC travel bottle for $15.49!! I have NEVER seen it in plastic in Maryland! That's cool. She was like but our best deal is the BIG gallon bottle for $22 - I was like NO - NO!! I use the Big Jug at home but if I take that on vacation I'll end up on YouTube!!

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

Holy Macaroni!!

I just put together a spice rub and coated a boston butt (down, beano!) with it...gonna let it sit overnight and then cook real low all day tomorrow...BBQ pulled pork tomorrow!! This is my first attempt at pork...I have my fingers crossed but if it tastes as good as it smells right now...I think it is a winner!

 

[CamColt]

Gee, I hope you aren't talking about my butt, Betsy.

Well, thanks Annie. If you don't mind that would be great. Do you want me to send a check or will you accept COD.

Great news! I just found out I have a babysitter for DH and I to go to dinner(and drinks of course).