Disers--I need your help!(edited)

[TheOtherVillainess]

I've finally decided on a theme for this year's attempt at NaNoWriMoattempt. It's going to be a story based partly on my family's 1995 road trip cross country to WDW. I need to know where I can find out what parades, shows, etc were at WDW during that time period.

Any help, encouragement, etc is appreciated.

*Edited to Add--I found this great timeline with lots of details about WDW in 1995, but I'd still like experiences, etc if anybody feels like sharing.


*Edit#2--tried to fix the link. Tell me if it doesn't work now.*

TOV

 

[poohandwendy]

I will try to look through my old WDW stuff, we were there in 1995. I am pretty sure there was the Alladin parade and spectro magic...but I will have to check to be sure.

 

[poohandwendy]

After your ETA, I can tell you that we were caught in a tropic storm at the end of August, relentless rain for a week...just a sea of blue and yellow ponchos.

Also, your link doesn't work for me.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

I was thinking of setting it in either late June or early July. What is the avg temp in Orlando during that time period? I seem to remember it being very hot and very humid every single day.

Also--did the moderates exist back then and which ones did they have? We stayed in DXL, but I'd really like to set it (partially anyway) in one of the moderates, possibly ASMo or ASMu.

Thanks for whatever help you guys can give me.

TOV
TOV

 

[poohandwendy]

I was thinking of setting it in either late June or early July. What is the avg temp in Orlando during that time period? I seem to remember it being very hot and very humid every single day.

Also--did the moderates exist back then and which ones did they have? We stayed in DXL, but I'd really like to set it (partially anyway) in one of the moderates, possibly ASMo or ASMu.

Thanks for whatever help you guys can give me.

TOV
TOV

We stayed at the CBR, so it was there, for sure. ASmo and ASMu are value resorts, FWIW. For some reason, I am thinking that back then they were just the All Star Resorts. Maybe someone else knows?

 

[poohandwendy]

I am sure I have a 95 Birnbaums Guide to WDW, I will let you know if I can find it later.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Moderate-value--it all gets confused in my head.
If you find that copy of Birnbaum's let me know. I'd love to have it, if you care to part with it.

Also..what is the outdoor Hawai'in dinner show called? We were supposed to go to that, but a tree fell on the stage and they sent us to O'hana's instead.

What is O'hana's like anyway? I remember going, but except for the giant tiger prawns (I think that's what they are called), I don't recall much of what actually happened during that dinner.


*edited to add what I have so far..tell me what you think!

Prologue
It was the best of summers; it was the worst of summers. It was the summer of love and the summer of my discontent.
But most of all, it was the summer when my parents decided to take The Ultimate Road Trip. We were going to journey cross-country from Texas to Florida, finally making our pilgrimage to that one place that stands for all that is right, good and completely corporate-tized: Walt Disney World.
We, unlike many other families we knew, had never been. We had shrugged it off when they raved about the food, the rides, the amazing shows. An hour away, we had Six Flags Over Texas and I figured that Disney World was just going to be a bigger, sparklier version of that. I figured if you’d seen one amusement park (and we’d seen several) you’d seen them all. No stupid mouse, tiger or dog on two feet in a funny green hat was going to make it any more special than any other park we’d visited.

I figured this was just going to be another boring road trip taken in The Shuttlecraft (which is what we nicknamed my mother’s late model silver-gray Chevy Lumina, for it’s remarkable resemblance to a space shuttle without the wings). I figured we’d be dragged to every ridiculous tourist trap between Dallas and Orlando (which we were). It meant a week (at best) trapped in a van with my entire family, being forced (when the batteries on my Walkman died anyway) to listen to the really cheesy mariachi-style music my Latino stepfather preferred.

But little did I know what exactly was in store for me on that long, hot road trip.

TOV

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Bumping in case anybody can help.

Also bumping because I have part of Ch 1 done.

5:30 AM
“DAAAAAAAA-NEEESE! Get your butt outta bed so you can help me pack!” Khris bellowed at her oldest daughter. Denise blinked sleepily and groaned. Her younger sister Izzy barely stirred as she swung her feet out of bed and let them touch the rough carpet floor.
”Mooom! How come I have to help pack and THEY get to sleep?” the angsty teenage girl groaned, gesturing to her still sleeping siblings.
“Because you’re the oldest, that’s why. Now carry this out to the car and see where Dad wants it.” Khris said, slapping her upside the head. Denise rubbed the sore spot and dragged another suitcase out to the car, where her stepfather was packing and rearranging things so they’d all fit into the not entirely generous trunk area of the van.
“Denise..tell your mother she cannot bring more than one suitcase. We just don’t have the room.” Philippe, her stepfather instructed her as he shoved the suitcase into the space he had provided for it. Denise rolled her eyes.
“Don’t look at me in that tone of voice young lady.” He growled and she slouched back into the house.
“Mom, Dad said not to bring more than one suitcase or else..”Denise relayed the message to her mother who was putting ice in the cooler and stocking it with cheap store-brand sodas, eve cheaper store-brand lunch meats and little packets of condiments stolen from McDonald’s, Burger King and other fast food resteraunts. Khris raised one eyebrow.
“Oh he did, did he? Well you tell HIM that I HAVE to bring two suitcases. I just cannot fit ALL of my STUFF into one suitcase.” Khris finished filling the cooler and slammed the lid, shoving the entire thing at Denise. “Here take this outside. I have to get your brother and sister up.” She said, turning to leave. Denise rolled her eyes again and sighed, dragging the enormous blue cooler by the plastic handle.
“Mom..how come we’re going on this vacation?” asked Izzy, sleepily rubbing her eyes as she dressed.
“Yeah, how come?” echoed Rusty, the youngest of the three.
“Because you guys have never been to Disney World and your father and I thought it might be fun.” Khris answered, making sure that her two youngest children had their shoes and socks on.
“What’s Disney World?” Rusty asked. He was 10 and still didn’t know that much about what went on in the outside world, nor did he much care unless it involved one of his friends, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle or Batman.
“You are SUCH an idiot, Rus. Disney World is that place, um..kind of like Six Flags. You know..where Mickey Mouse lives.” Izzy answered, tying the laces on her pink Converse high tops.
“Oh yeah.” Rusty replied, smoothing down his errant cowlick with one spit-covered hand.
“Rus, that is so gross.” Denise muttered as she looked around her room, making sure that she had everything. She checked off her mental list.
1. Paperbacks—check
2. Favorite tapes—check
3. Walkman—check
4. Extra batteries—check
5. Latest issue of Goth Monthly—check
6. Latest issue of High Times—check
7. Cigarettes and lighter—check
8. Perfume and lotion to cover UP the smell of ciggies—check
9. Gum--check

She was ready to go. “C’mon let’s go. Let’s go so we can get this over with. “she said, practically shoving her brother and sister in front of her to get them out the door, which her mom locked behind her.
“I’m hungry!” Rusty groaned as he climbed into the middle row of seating in the van.
“We’re going to stop at McDonald’s and then we’re leaving.” Promised Phillipe, starting the car.

7:30 AM
After a hearty (although none too healthy) breakfast at McDonald’s, Phillipe and Khris herded the gang back into the van.
“Did everybody go to the bathroom before we left?”Khris asked, turning around in her seat to look at them.
Izzy was already asleep and Rus deeply involved in killing monsters on his Gameboy. Denise barely heard the question as she clicked on her Walkman, blasting her New Kids On the Block tape as she flipped open the cover of her copy of High Times. Khris shrugged. “Alright, let’s move this clunker.” Khris said with a smile to Phillipe who turned out of the parking lot and onto the highway.

10:30 am
“C’mon let’s stretch our legs, have a snack.” Phillipe said, turning the van into the parking lot of a seedy looking highway rest stop.
Why must these damn places always look like they’ve never been cleaned and smell like semen? Denise wondered, unfolding herself from her comfortable perch in the back seat. She blinked at the bright sunshine and ran a hand through her hair. “I’m gonna go use the bathroom.” She told her mother before following the well-beaten path through the grass to the women’s room.
Inside, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and ducked into a stall to smoke one. Road trips always made her uptight, but smoking calmed her down, so it sort of evened things out.
Just then, Izzy entered the restroom.
“Uhhhm! I’m telling Mom you’re SMOOOKING!” thirteen year old Izzy said in an accusatory tone as she bent down to look under the stall door where her older sister was hiding.
“Don’t you ****ing dare, Izzy.” Denise threatened from behind the locked door.
“I will. You’re gonna be in trouble..”her sister sang with a malicious grin on her face.
“No wait..” Denise opened the door and pulled Izzy inside, though there was barely room for her.
“Here..if I let you have a drag or two, will you promise not to tell?” Denise said, offering up the cigarette. Izzy snatched at it and took a drag.
“I promise.”
Between them, they finished off the cigarette and then doused themselves in perfume. To cover up the smell on their breath, Denise handed her a piece of gum as they washed their hands.
“Boy you guys STINK! What’d you do, bathe in perfume?” asked Rusty as his sisters eyed the dirty picnic bench and sat down gingerly.
“Shut up Rusty. Like you don’t douse yourself with a gallon of cologne every day before school so that you’ll smell good when you run into Sheryl Wiesenanner.” Izzy said, punching him on the arm. Rusty punched her back.
“Mom Rusty hit me!” she whined and Khris gave the two of them her most withering look.
“She punched me first.” Rusty said in defense, but Khris shook her head.
“I don’t care who punched who. Eat your sandwich and shut up.”Khris growled, slapping the slightly slimy bologna sandwiches down on paper plates (stolen from a Kentucky Fried Chicken) in front of them.
“Eeew gross. It looks like..”Denise started and Phillipe looked over the top of the map he was studying at her.
“I don’t care what it looks like, just eat it.”he said, retreating behind his map to study it further.

TOV

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

“Alright,everybody pee and then we are OUT of here.” Phillipe declared fifteen minutes later when he was sure he knew which direction he was supposed to go in. Denise bought a bag of Cheetos from the vending machine and crawled back into her space in the car. She settled in for the rest of the day’s drive and wondered why on earth she had to go on this trip in the first place..

Denise
Why couldn’t Mom and Dad have let me stay home? I could’ve spent the next two weeks hanging out with my friends at Java Jive, which is like the coolest coffee house in our godforsaken pithole of a town. I could’ve spent the next two weeks getting stoned off my *bleep*and writing some deep, meaningful poetry. *bleep*..I could’ve even been working on my college applications, because if I don’t get into UT I am going to be seriously *bleeped* off. But noooo..Mom insists I go on this road trip. “It could be our last one together as a family..”she said. Yeah like I give a rat’s rear. Give me a break. Whoever invented the family road trip must’ve been one sick son of a *bleep*.

Izzy
Man I so did NOT want to go on this stupid vacation. Mom always makes me go on these stupid things when I could be like, at home. Watching TV. Or something. Or hanging out at the mall,because HELLO! That guy who works at Denim Depot is so hot. He’s like, a high school SENIOR and he is ohmahgod SO YUMMY! I cannot WAIT till I get to high school next year so it’ll be like totally ok to ogle these most delish older guys. Amy said that this was really unfortunate timing, ya know? Because, like, Josh Rearedone is like totally hot for me. That’s what Amy said anyway. And Julia. And Terese. This is so unfair. At least Dee’s got ciggies. So maybe this won’t be too bad.

Rusty
Blam ba blam blam blam1 DIE YOU DOG EATING FATHEADS! Die die die! Hahaha.
I love this game. At least Mom said I could bring my Gameboy and all of my games. If I had to go two weeks without playing it, I would like totally die. Dead. Dead dead dead, afterlife kiss. Blam ba blam blam! Zrrroom! Eeeerrrk! Crash and BURN! Whop whop whop wooooo…game over. Oh well. That’s what the restart button is for. Heh heh heh….

Khris
*bleep* kids growing up so *bleeping* FAST. When did Dee get to be such a sullen little *bleep*? When did Iz grow bosoms? Rusty’s shootin’ up faster than a weed, I tell you what. This will probably be the last road trip we get to take as a family. My kids are growing up. Dee’ll be in COLLEGE next fall. Yikes. I am getting SO *bleeped* old..when did that happen?

Phillipe
Honkhonkhonk! Get the *bleep* out of my way you mothertruckers! Move it! Hey, I’m DRIVING here you morons. Get outta my way. Oh wait..*bleep*. MY EXIT! It’s ok..I’m ok. I made the exit. We’re not lost. We’re ok. There’s the motel. Alright. We’re ok. Just be cool. Cool and calm and collected because you’re supposed to be in charge of this trip, remember? Just be cool..chill out as Rusty would say

Would anybody care to give me any advice, or comments on how you think it's going so far?

TOV