Everything's Going to be Different This Time 8/20-8/25 (w/pix)

[solgent]

13. What was my next worry that didn't come true?

The whole time I had been worried about crowds. Was late August really better than the rest of the summer? Thankfully, I found that it was. We had enjoyed all the morning rides without waiting for any meaningful length of time. Now we were heading to lunch later than I had planned, but it proved to be no problem. At Columbia Harbor House, I discussed the menu with the girls, got their choices, and dispatched them to choose a table. It would be much harder for me to be in the parks with them without DH if they weren't old enough to do things like this!

We eat fish, dairy, eggs, vegetables, no meat. At Columbia Harbor House, we ordered a tuna sandwich for me and DD11b to share, fish and chips for DDs 7 and 11a to share, an extra order of fries for all three DDs, and milk (2 chocolate, 1 regular). Lunch for four for $20.55! I didn't think I was going to get away this cheaply, but everyone was satisfied with her meal. (Actually, that's the way they usually eat, sharing portions, but I thought that Disney touring might increase their appetites.) We didn't even open the bag of potato chips that came with the sandwich. Just kept it in the backpack for another time. They selected a nice big table next to a window and we had a very pleasant lunch.

I have never been to HoP, but I wouldn't pass up a chance to educate my children. When we got there, a show had just begun. Of course, we didn't want to wait, but now that I knew that the shows are on a schedule (the hour and the half hour), I figured we could fit it in another time.

We returned to Fantasyland to use our Wtp FPs. This ride was built since my childhood and I'm not the biggest Pooh fan, so it just doesn't grip me the way PP does. The kids loved it and wanted to go again, but the standby line was prohibitively long. The girls were really impressed at how we'd been able to bypass so many people with our FPs. "Thank you for getting those for us, Mom," they said. "How much did they cost?" I guess I could have passed myself of as uncharacteristically generous by pretending that I'd paid for them, but I told the truth!

We walked over to Toontown and toured Minne's and Mickey's houses. I thought they could cool off a bit at Donald's Boat while we waited for a train, but as we approached I noticed that DD11a was no longer with us. I left the others at the boat & backtracked to locate DD11a. She had not noticed us exit through Mickey's garage. She was in line at the Judge's Tent, watching the cartoons. I retrieved her and asked her to be more attentive.

We regrouped and boarded the train. I thought the girls would enjoy the Jungle Cruise (another childhood favorite of mine) so we formulated a plan. They would disembark at Main Street and browse in the shops, staying on the left hand side of the street and moving to the next area within connected shops together. I would go to Frontierland and pick up FPs for JC. As I watched them get off the train I wondered if this idea was irresponsible of me. But my kids are very sensible and reliable.

Unfortunately, the FP machines for JC were not operating. I walked back to Main Street and easily found the girls. They wanted to browse a bit more.

I had said they could each spend $10 on themselves and $10 on each sister for her upcoming birthday. I usually finance their birthday presents to each other, and by doing it at WDW, I essentially was giving them each $30, since I knew they would just dictate to the others what they wanted as their "gift." We chose some rubber bracelets for friends back home, a castle punch for me to use in scrapbooking, and DD11b used some of her money for the novelization of High School Musical.

We left the park at 2:30 and hopped on a monorail to the TTC, where a bus to MGM was waiting to deliver us there soon after 3:00. It was hot and they said they just wanted to sit somewhere with AC. I'm not nearly as familiar with the other parks as I am with MK, so I snagged a map and located the ABC Commissary, where I purchased a large lemonade. We used the restroom and chatted until I examined the Times Guide and realized that the Beauty and the Beast showtimes had changed since the previous week (which I had gotten from Steve Soares' website). I had not even mentioned this show because I didn't think we'd be able to fit it in! But it's one of my favorite things in all of WDW. I announced to the children that we had to go and promised that they'd love it. Actually it was 3:25 and the show was at 4:00, we didn't even have to go yet!

A few more minutes of AC and then we headed over to the theater. We got better seats than we usually enjoyed in the past. That crowd level thing again! We used the ice from the lemonade and the water fountain to fill our bottle with ice water. We misted each other and rubbed ice cubes on our skin. It wasn't AC but we felt fine. The show was great, of course.

It seemed to me that we had time for something quick and self-directed, either One Man's Dream or the Narnia exhibit. It seemed like there was some sort of line at Narnia, so we went into OMD. This interested the girls more than I expected, and we definitely needed more time, but we had to get to H&V for our 5:00 ADR.

We arrived at 4:55 and they were so busy they had run out of buzzers. They said to wait nearby and they'd call my name. The kids sat on a wall where they were able to get a view of the passing parade! That was lucky. Eventually the parade ended and DD11b said she needed to use the bathroom. We waited until a CM came outside and I asked if she could use the restroom. He said of course and told her how to find it and she set off. Then he took about 6 steps away and called out...our name! The wait was about 20 minutes. After he showed us the table I went over to the restroom to escort DD11b so she wouldn't go back outside to look for us.

I loved our table. One bad thing I'd heard about H&V was the noise level. We were all the way on the left hand side (as you enter) in a little nook! We had a window on one side of our table and walls on two other sides. It was secluded and calm.

The food was not great but it was fine. I first got little tastes of things, and then went back to get proper portions of the things I had liked. At the end of the line I noticed DD11a at the dessert table! I firmly informed her that it was not time for dessert. We were not rushing through the meal. This was a full park day with no return to the hotel. This dinner was a time to rest and cool off as well as eat. When she got back to the table and observed her sisters and me still in the middle of dinner, she decided to get some more dinner food! But she still managed to eat quite a bit of dessert-- we all did!

The ride I most wanted to do was the Great Movie Ride. (We are way too wimpy for ToT or RnRC!) I made a mistake here because the sign said "30 minute wait from this point," and I reasoned that the line didn't even begin until well past that sign, so the wait would be less than 30 minutes. But that was not what the sign meant. It meant the wait time, just like all the other signs. Maybe it didn't even say "from this point." Maybe I imagined that.

Well, so what? We hadn't done much waiting at all. We were indoors & we soon were in the movie room. We enjoyed the ride. The audio wasn't working well so we couldn't hear all the dialogue among the performers, but that was just as well because it might have upset DD7. Also we told her to close her eyes when we went into the spaceship from Alien, and she did just fine.

We tried to get resort wristbands near the entrance, but they weren't giving them out there. So we just headed to Fantasmic. The FDP worked out wonderfully as by the time we took our seats, the arena seemed completely full except for the FDP section, which was only half or a third full. So it was worth it to not have to get there earlier. But I would not eat at H&V without the FDP as a motivation.

Girls played with glow sticks (which they had leftover from camp, so we brought them from home)

In my next post, I will answer

14. What did I worry about while waiting for Fantasmic to start?

 

[mytwotinks]

Yay! You posted again !! I've been looking forward to reading more and I can't wait for your next installment.

 

[Belle's Mom Tink]

Subscribing!! Thanks for the great Trip Report, you tell your "story" so well.

 

[javamom]

Really enjoying your report

 

[Poohbear77]

What neat pictures!

Having such a good time reading this report.

Can't wait for more

 

[solgent]

Thanks mytwotinks, Belle's Mom, javamom, PB77 & anyone else who is reading!

By this point you may have begun to suspect that my desire for everything to go well combined with my extensive research about what can go wrong was causing me to worry about many things that weren't all that likely and didn't actually happen.

But as we sat in the arena waiting for Fantasmic, I had legitimate cause for concern.

14. What did I worry about while waiting for Fantasmic to start?

It was raining and I worried Fantasmic would be cancelled. We had carried our raingear around all day because afternoon showers had been forecast. Now three of us put them on. The rain was so light and warm that DD 11a didn't feel the need to cover up. The PA announcements didn't give any hint of a possible cancellation. So we just waited and...

The show began right on time. The light rain continued throughout, but I guess that doesn't stop them. We had only seen this once before. On that first viewing I had had no idea what to expect and I was blown away by the water effects and the whole spectacle. This time I didn't have the shock of the new and I didn't feel the same awe, but we all enjoyed it.

We had never gotten our resort wristbands, because the lines were long, and I figured that at this point we didn't need them. We slowly made our way out of the park, pausing to browse in some of the shops, and hopped on a waiting bus. It had been a long, fun-filled day.

Meanwhile, DH had visited the fitness center, lunched at Artist's Palette, and soaked in the hot tub. He was eager to hear about our day, and I think I told him most of it before falling asleep.

The next morning, the older girls woke up around 8:00 and I decided to wake up DD7 when it got to be 9:00. We ate breakfast and then walked to DTD. From our location at SSR it is easy to get to DTD's Westside. I thought we'd check out the Virgin Megastore, walk over to the Marketplace to shop there, and then catch a boat back for lunch in our room.

But my first mistake of the day foiled this plan. The Marketplace opens at 9:30 but shops on the Westside don't open until 10:30, and it was only 10:05. Well, now we know. We didn't want to hang around so we proceeded to the Marketplace. It was really hot. How can the pavement radiate that much heat so early in the day? This time, though, we had the mister fan AND a quart of icy lemonade in our Nalgene bottle. (We had ordered lemonade mix from Wegoshop. The girls drank the resort's Hi-C lemonade from their refillable mug, but we didn't decant that into our own bottle.) By spraying ourselves liberally, we managed to stagger through the heat as far as the Lego store. The girls revived themselves by standing in the big doorway where cool air was swirling out. They spent a long time playing.

Here is something DD11b built. Can you tell what it is?

It is a bus station.

Finally I persuaded them to move along to World of Disney. DD11b chose some Tink earrings to go along with her book and complete her souvenir purchases for herself, and some items for her twin sister. It was then that we learned that we had to spend $25 to get the 10% Disney Visa discount. Of course, we decided to wait until we had $25 of merchandise.

Next we checked out Basin. I'd read that they carry bath products, and I thought, so what? We've been to Bath and Body Works. Well, it is way cooler than that. They have a lot of unique products. We didn't buy anything this trip but it was fun to explore all the soap designs and scents.

My next mistake was revealed at the boat dock. I didn't realize that the boats were on a schedule, leaving at the hour and half hour. We had just missed one. DD11b sat down to write some postcards while DD11a drank some lemonade. I figured there was no point hanging around the dock, so I told the girls to go to Once Upon a Toy. I would drop the postcards in the mailbox next to WoD and then meet them. I found the girls playing at the Potato Head display, but before too long it was time to go. We were not going to miss the next boat!

We had lunch in the room and then were about to go to the pool when I discovered that the lemonade bottle was no longer in the backpack. Well, I'd go back to DTD and look for it while DH escorted the girls to the pool. He volunteered to go back instead. That makes no sense, I replied, because he wasn't there with us and he didn't know where we'd been. I figured she'd left it at the dock when we went back to the shops. But DD11b said that DD11a had it with her when we'd split up and they went to the shop. I wondered if DD11a had set it down to play with the Potato Head pieces and left it there. I called the shop and waited while the CM went to look. It was there and she'd hold it behind the counter for us to pick up later. So no harm done?

Except that DD11a kept saying that she had nothing to do with it. She said she didn't remember carrying it into the shop. She thought probably one of her sisters had it. She certainly hadn't lost it. Anyway it was just a water bottle (retail price $8.50), so why should anyone be concerned about it? DH and I were pretty steamed that she couldn't find it in herself to say a simple, "Oops, I guess I forgot it. Sorry." Particularly when we had actually managed to track the item down and there were no repercussions!

I took the other girls to the pool without her. After an interlude for reflection, she allowed that she probably had something to do with the missing bottle and she was sorry and she should have just said so. Were we too harsh? Did she just say what she knew she had to? Well, she sounded sincere and I just felt that even though we were on vacation, if you mess up, you should apologize for it. We all had fun at the pool, especially after DH and DD11a joined us.

I picked up a DVD from AP for later and we returned to the room about 4:00 to change and relax for an hour before the evening activity: dinner at Boma (6:20 ADR). The girls ate the Goofy's Candy Co fudge cookie we had bought the other day and the bag of potato chips left over from yesterday's lunch while watching TV.

On our walk to the Westside in the morning, I'd noticed the bus stops. My original plan had been to walk there and catch a bus to AKL. Now we decided to split up. DH and DDs 11a would take that route, while DDs 11b & 7 and I would take the boat to the Marketplace to pick up the bottle of lemonade and then walk over to the bus stop. I said that if a bus came they should get on, as it would be more pleasant to wait at AKL than at the bus stop.

But on the boat over, our group decided to add another twist to the plan. DH had been so great, not complaining about his injury and trying to do all he could to ensure that we had a wonderful time. I decided to surprise him with the Goofy Tshirt we'd seen the first day. (Also by now I'd been in enough shops to feel confident that this was the best gift for him.) Since it only cost $20, we'd purchase DD11b's Tink earrings at the same time to qualify for the discount. Of course, time was short because we were supposed to be on our way to Boma. I told the girls that I would retrieve the bottle from Once Upon a Toy. They should go to WoD and try to pick up the earrings and shirt so that when I got there, we could just pay and go. The plan worked, except that DD11b forgot to check for the size I had told her. I switched the shirt for the right size, paid, and we began to walk to the Westside.

But wait! Surely we don't have to walk all the way over there! Isn't there a bus stop closer to here? Good thing I told them not to wait for us but to just get on the bus when it came. I asked a CM and she said the bus stop was opposite Planet Hollywood. We walked over there and as we approached the correct bus shelter I could see some people were waiting. That's a good sign; we didn't just miss a bus. Let's ask them how long they've been waiting.

Hey, it's DH and DD11a! The bus stop on the Westside had been deserted with signs directing people to this stop. We presented DH with his shirt and he was very pleased. Things were looking good. We'd recovered our lost property; we were all together for the journey to AKL; we'd surprised DH with a gift he appreciated; they'd been waiting for a while so there should be a bus soon.

The trip to AKL was quite long. The lobby of AKL was gorgeous but we didn't have time to look around as I'd hoped. We checked in just at 6:20 and received a buzzer. The CM said she had no idea how long the wait would be. But as I walked away from the counter, the buzzer went off. We were taken to a nice, roomy table near the food stations.

Here are the girls at Boma. DD7 looks tired. I should have let her sleep later!

In my next post, I will answer

15. What was my favorite thing at Boma?

 

[disneylizzy]

I'm guessing Zebra Domes?? Or maybe one of the soups.

Subscribing so I can find out. Love your report.

 

[solgent]

15. What was my favorite thing at Boma?

Don't miss the restrooms. I loved this display of African baskets made with telephone wire.

And I loved the light fixtures and the tile inside.

OK, so you probably thought I was going to mention the food. That was pretty good too. DH and I enjoyed trying the unusual dishes. The butternut squash soup, the tamarind salmon and the chocolate mousse crunch were among the best things I have ever eaten. DH's favorite soup was the curried coconut seafood stew. Of course we sampled the famous zebra domes and I thought they were really good, but not as sublime as the mousse.

The kids pretty much confined themselves to the familiar. They ate pasta, French fries, fruit. I got them to try the butternut squash soup and one of them liked it and ate a small portion. Still, despite eating what seemed to me like very ordinary food, they said how much they loved the restaurant and wanted to come back! I guess it was the atmosphere. Possibly the chocolate mousse crunch was a factor as well.

Our waitress Barbi had been very welcoming in the beginning and described many of the dishes in mouth-watering detail. But when we were finished eating she seemed to forget about us. It was 20 minutes between DH's request for coffee and the arrival of same, and 20 minutes after that, following appeals to other CMs, before we got the check. We had another big day ahead and were eager to get the girls to bed, and we really didn't want to linger. Oh well. We decided to spring for a cab back to our resort, a practice which I'd read about on the DISboards.

As we made our way through the lobby, DH noticed that the pain in his leg was gone! Wow, I guess that African cooking is more powerful than we thought! Or was it pixie dust? Or the fact that he'd taken it easy for the past few days? No matter what the cause, that was a great thing to happen.

The cab cost $20, with tip, plus I gave $1 to the guy at AKL who waved his arm to motion the cab forward. I didn't have a real reason to expect a lower fare, but I hadn't expected to pay that much. Still, it was worth it to skip not just the longer transit time, but the walk back from DTD for DH and the kids. The girls were tired and I didn't think we should stress DH's newly recovered leg. Meanwhile, DH announced that instead of going to AP for one of his meals the following day while we were in the parks, as he'd done on Monday, he'd eat in the room, thereby using up more of the groceries we bought and reducing expenses, to offset the cab fare. He knows I'm such a cheapskate that saving money pleases me more than almost any gift!

In my next post, I will answer:

16. Did the girls get wet enough on Kali River Rapids?

 

[shyjade]

I love your trip report and can't wait for more!!

 

[solgent]

Dear disneylizzy, thanks! I hope my answer surprised you.

Dear shyjade, Ooh, you are going to have such a great time. I loved what we saw of AKL and I am thinking about staying there for part of our next visit.

16. Did the girls get wet enough on Kali River Rapids?

We woke up to another beautiful day. We decided to throw caution to the wind and leave our raingear behind. This way we'd have only one light backpack to share among the four of us. The bus trip to AK was smooth. We passed security and then had to wait before passing the turnstiles. Some of the lines extended way back and some were much, much shorter. I felt a little bit guilty about getting into a short line. But can I help being observant? I try to use my power only for good. The girls were entertained by chatter of the small talking palm tree that was mingling with the crowd.

As you might recall from our MK adventures, DD11b is a bit of a thrill-seeker and the rest of us, not so much. She wanted to go on ExEv and I was game. (Mostly because I didn't see how I could write a TR admitting that I had skipped this attraction. People from all over might make fun of me and I wouldn't blame them.) So, we were going to do that and the other two could pass the time on the Maharajah Trek.

We were admitted through the turnstiles and to Discovery Island. We were able to get a decent view of the Opening Show. Then we strolled over to Asia along with a few other folks. I parted from DDs 11a and 7 with instructions to stick together and remain in the Trek path. At ExEv, there was a frenzy at the FP machines. We got in line, which was full of people in high spirits and which moved along quickly. We rode in the second row of the train. I was glad because I know that the back of the train is faster, but I did not want to be in the very first row. The backpack did not fit in the pouch. I put it on the floor and stepped on it with one foot. And we were off!

The ride was both scarier and less scary than I thought it would be. We did go really fast at times, definitely faster than I would have liked. Also I figured that the bad part would be the intense roller coaster motion. I thought I was far too savvy to be afraid of the Yeti, when I knew perfectly well it was an audio-animatronic. But it was scary, when he-- Well, I won't tell, but I've really got to hand it to those Imagineers.

Going backwards was less frightening and sickening than I thought. I actually prefered the sensation of being pressed against the seat back than the leaning forward you experience going down hills. Maybe I could even handle an inversion coaster someday. In my next lifetime.

When we pulled into the unloading zone, I staggered off the train on the wrong side, causing the mother in front of us, who had reassured me as we walked through the queuing area, to ask if I was OK. Getting off on the wrong side was an honest mistake. Staggering was to amuse DD11b and make her feel that I'd just gone through heck for her sake. Then again, I did feel somewhat shaken up. I'm glad I did it, and I might do it again, but I just don't think I am built to handle riding more than once in a row.

On the way to the Maharajah Trek to reunite with the others, I got FPs for Kali River Rapids. This is one of my favorite rides in WDW. The standby wait was still 10 minutes, so I wanted to get the girls and get in that line! Hence we did not appreciate the animals much. DDs 11a and 7 had had a pleasant time, and now it was over. We had rapids to run!

My enthusiasm for the ride had filled the girls with anticipation. Also, DD11a had actually gone on it with me during our last visit, when she was 4 years old. She mainly remembers passing the artificial fire. On this particular trip, DDs 11a and 11b, who were seated together, did get drenched. They were happy about it because the day was so hot. We all enjoyed the ride, even DD7. They all wanted to go again. "Of course we can, darlings," I replied, knowing that I had 4 FPS stashed in my pocket. "Just not now." The standby wait had already climbed to 20 minutes and our FP return time had not arrived.

Instead we walked to Camp Minnie Mickey for the second showing of Festival of the Lion King. We had all loved this on our earlier visits. DH and I enjoyed the tumble monkeys, while DDs 11a and 11b were entranced by the "bird lady." I also enjoyed the dialogue, even though I could practically recite it along with the performers.

We got good seats in the elephant section. The theater never filled to capacity and we could have arrived later than we did. We enjoyed the show although I felt that it didn't go off the charts for me as it had in the past. Maybe because the audience was smaller? The energy just seemed a little bit lower. Still, it was a lot of fun. Later on, DD7 asked me why Simba had not gotten down from his platform. I was not sure how to answer. Puumba, after all, had explained that his legs were too short. Simba didn't really have an excuse. Figuring I had always been straight with them about everything, I told her, "He's just a statue." She burst into tears-- No, actually, she didn't say anything. I don't know what she was thinking.

We returned to Asia by way of Africa--

(This is totally off-topic, but it reminds me of a time when I was at an office holiday party and one colleague asked another whether she was going anywhere special over break, and she replied, "Oh, we're going back to the South Pacific." And I thought, will there ever come a time in my life when I can casually say something like that!? Very doubtful.)

OK, so we stopped in Africa to get FPs for the safari ride. In Asia, we used our FPs to ride KRR and had another fun trip. This time, because lunch was next on the agenda and we were not in a hurry, we paused on the bridge to share the love with other riders.

But, inexplicably, the girls had NOT gotten wet enough. Luckily WDW aims to please everyone. They had prepared for this eventuality by providing a small water play area.

Problem solved. The photo in my signature was taken after this little interlude.

We went to Pizzafari for lunch. I bought 2 cheese pizzas, 1 order of breadsticks, and 1 large lemonade ($18.71). This way we could each eat 1 breadstick and 2 slices of pizza (half of a pizza). However, the girls each ate only 1 slice of pizza. I ate an extra piece, but that still left two. I was not sure what to do about this, until I realized that I could put another plate upside down on top and slide this arrangement into a small WDW bag, which we happened to have. The plates fit snugly, safely trapping the pizza. We tucked it in the backpack. "Waste not, want not" is our motto. Along with, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or -------." (Once I recited this gem of frugal Yankee wisdom to DH and asked if he knew how it ends and he said, "Buy another one?" BZZZZ! The correct answer is "Do without.")

Before cashing in our FPs, I left the girls to browse in a shop and walked to Dinoland to get FPs for Dinosaur. I had never been on this, but the older girls and I had decided to try it.

Back in Africa, the FP line for KS moved fairly briskly, until just before it was our turn to board. The vehicles that had just loaded remained in place for 5 minutes? 10 minutes? It seemed like a really long time. I was glad that we were at the front where we could see that there was some sort of holdup and not way back just wondering why there was no progress.

Eventually the vehicles did move forward and we could board. The ride was good even though it was the middle of a hot day. Although I have yet to visit the South Pacific even once, I have the good fortune to have actually been on safari in Kenya. This ride is not the same. You could say the ride is better because your ratio of animals viewed per minute driving is much higher. On safari you have to spend a lot of time looking for the animals. (I wonder if people who go on safari after riding KS are disappointed by this. Also I've heard it has to do with how happy your driver and guide are. If they like your group, they take you from one animal encounter to another. If they don't, they spend a lot of time driving around and saying, "Hmm, no luck. Let's try another area.")

On the other hand, on safari you can see much farther across the plains. It is very clever how Disney prevents you from seeing more than your immediate surroundings while still hinting at a vast landscape. Also, when you do come across the animals, there are many more of them. Dozens of zebras in a herd surrounding your vehicle on all sides. Including the front, so that you can't move and eventually you're thinking, "I wish these darn zebras would get out of the way already!" Well, those were some unforgettable experiences, and I don't expect Disney to be able to replicate that, but I think they do an excellent job of conveying a flavor of what it's like. I especially like the moment when the song comes over the "radio."

Here are a couple of photos.

Last, we rode Dinosaur. (Not DD7, of course. She stayed in a shop. This was the only time she was on her own without even a sister and she did fine.) I thought Dinosaur was a pretty nasty experience. Dark, loud noises, violent motion. I don't see the fun part. So we've crossed that off our list.

DD7's favorite character is Stitch and she had indicated to her sisters that she wanted "something with Stitch" for her birthday gift from them. They and I agreed that a Tshirt would be nice, and we saw one with the slogan "Real Cool" showing Stitch on a KRR raft. Since we had all loved the ride, we thought it was a great choice. We purchased it and had it sent to the resort.

We left the park at 2:15. My clever plan was to take a bus to the Contemporary and then a monorail to MK. I had never been in this resort (except passing through while on the monorail) and it gets excellent reviews on the DISboards, so I wanted to get a closer look, and I thought the kids would find the monorail-through-building thing really cool. I second-guessed myself when a bus to the TTC came and went, but our bus came along soon after. I was glad to set foot in the CR because I didn't really like it. It reminded me of airports and hotels with atriums that I've been in. The location is good, but the ambiance just didn't do anything for me. A train arrived just as we got to the platform and we were walking onto Main Street at 3:15

In my next post, I will answer:

17. What made our trip on the Jungle Cruise so memorable?

 

[Poohbear77]

[/QUOTE]Except that DD11a kept saying that she had nothing to do with it. She said she didn't remember carrying it into the shop. She thought probably one of her sisters had it. She certainly hadn't lost it. Anyway it was just a water bottle (retail price $8.50), so why should anyone be concerned about it? DH and I were pretty steamed that she couldn't find it in herself to say a simple, "Oops, I guess I forgot it. Sorry." Particularly when we had actually managed to track the item down and there were no repercussions!

LOL This sounds exactly like my daughter. She always winds up getting in more trouble arguing(denying) after the fact then she would have if she just fessed up originally. Oh well one day maybe they will get that.

Pre-teens, gotta love em

 

[Libade]

Great report - thanks for sharing!

I love that the girls were able to stay together on their own for short periods of time. Mine are 8 and 9 and would NEVER EVER do that!

 

[Katy Belle]

Great Report! I love all the photos...I'm going to buy the book you mentioned!
Looking forward to more,
Katy

 

[solgent]

Hello everyone! Thanks for reading and thank you to PB77, Libade and KB for posting.

17. What made our trip on the Jungle Cruise so memorable?

On the way over, I asked the girls what we should get FPs for. They chose Peter Pan. I figured we'd get the FPs and then have an ice cream break until our return time came. But when we got to Main Street we saw that a parade was approaching, and the girls wanted to watch. By all means, let's watch, but I wasn't going to relax until I had those FPs in my hand. I found a good position at the bottom of Main Street. People were sitting along the curb and the girls could stand behind them for a clear view. I instructed them to remain there for the parade and to go into the shops if the parade ended before I got back. Then I took off for Fantasyland, making my way along the right hand side of the castle and congratulating myself on my familiarity with the layout of MK. I picked up FPs with a 4:55 return time and started walking back. As I came through the castle, the parade was in progress, but I was actually able to move faster than the floats, so I got back to the girls before the parade ended and was able to watch the last bit with them.

We went over to Liberty Square for ice cream.

The other two got those Iztkadoodle popsicles. I pressured them to finish so that we could make the 4:00 show at the HoP. The parade had required some energy (standing), but I figured that the trip from AK, the ice cream, and the HoP equalled a decent mid-day break for them. This was our first time seeing the show. It was OK. It fit well into the schedule, and the girls were very fascinated by the motions of the Presidents as they listened to one another. They were sure that it was real people.

Next we rode IASW. We were there at 4:30 to see the clock open up. I think I might have seen that once before but I had forgotten about it. We got into a pileup of about eight boats at the end. We watched Mickey's Philharmagic again. I got another set of FPs for PP, and then we rode using the first set.

It was time for dinner and the girls wanted to return to CHH. We left Fantasyland by going past (OK, through) Tinkerbelle's Treasures and along the side of the castle. We discovered that Cinderellabration had just started. I knew this was closing and had a mild desire to see it, so we stopped to watch. It was OK.

At CHH, we paid $20.18 for 1 fish & chips for DDs 11b & 7 to share, a clam chowder for DD11a, an extra French fries for all 3 of them, and 3 chocolate milks. I ate the chowder that DD didn't finish and the leftover pizza from lunch.

The girls had been intrigued by the lace-trimmed personalized umbrellas sold at a cart in Liberty Square. DD11a decided to use her souvenir money for a small umbrella for her American Girl doll. We ordered the umbrella inscribed with the doll's name and the vendor told us it would be ready at 8:30.

Again, I was feeling highly contented. We had done everything we wanted to do with minimal waits. We had FPs for a favorite attraction, we had the parade and fireworks to look forward to, and now we had a couple of hours to fill doing whatever we felt like. I thought we should try the Jungle Cruise. On our way there, though, was the Magic Carpets. I had always bypassed this, figuring it was as slow to load and as undistinguished as Dumbo. But there was practically no line, so why not? I noticed how the ride had been designed to improve on Dumbo-- each carpet held more people than each elephant, and you were preassigned to your carpet rather than having to search for elephant of a particular color or one that was unoccupied.

The JC was posting a 10 minute wait. The CM at the entrance gave us red tags, which I knew from the DISboards were meant to time the wait. It was only 5 minutes.

We were the first on our boat, and across from us was a family with two daughters in matching red dresses, ages about 4 and 5. My impression was that they were not English speakers. The younger girl didn't seem very engaged with the ride, but the older one was spellbound. And she was scared out of her wits. An elephant rose suddenly out of the water and she shrieked hysterically. Our boat was on a course for the waterfall and she pointed and shouted in alarm. When we entered the dark tunnel she was trembling with fear. Meanwhile the rest of the passengers were giggling at the driver's silly commentary. I have to say that I found it fascinating to ride with someone who believed whole-heartedly in the absurdities of the JC, but I also felt bad for her. Even the driver commented quietly to me, seeming bewildered, "She's absolutely terrified!" I wondered why her parents didn't do much to comfort or reassure her.

Well, my girls had a fun time. The older ones in particular are a good age for it because they understood some but not all of the jokes. Afterwards we repeated some of the monologue and they'd exclaim, "Oh, I get it now!" They felt proud of figuring out the puns.

The crowd levels seemed so low and the evening so pleasant that I thought we might even try the Speedway. I knew they'd like the ride; it was just that I didn't like the wait. But the sign said 30 minutes. Still too long. The girls were attracted to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. This ride had been closed on Monday and it's one I don't particularly care for, but they were keen to ride and the wait was very short.

They wanted to go again, but then DD11b decided she needed to find a bathroom. As we left her sisters to ride on their own, DD11b admonished her twin, "Listen to DD7! Respect her choices!" Then she told me that she had "cracked the code" of the Tea Cups. Very pleased with her "discovery," she explained to me how there are three circles, all spinning at once.

We checked the Speedway again. The wait had fallen to 20 minutes, which I decided was worth it. While we were in line, we saw a rainbow!

At the top of the steps, you turn right onto an overpass and the line divides into two sets of steps going down to the loading zone. If you choose the far line, you have an extra wait while you cross the overpass before you even get to the top of those stairs. I looked at the tracks feeding the ride and noticed that there was only one lane serving the far line, while the near line had cars boarding on both sides. The far line was clearly a much longer wait. So we chose the near line, but quite a few people behind us got into the other line. Pay attention, people! All lines are not created equal. The girls enjoyed the ride. DD7 was not tall enough to be on her own, but the other two were, and I requested that we be in different lanes, so that we could drive alongside one another. The CM was happy to oblige. The sun had set by the time we were on the track and it was a very pretty drive.

I thought it was about time to use our PP FPs and then find a spot for the parade. At this point we'd been three times and I'd ridden with each girl once. DD11b asked to ride with me this time, but then DD7 wanted to ride with me, and DD11b decided to give up her claim. That was very nice of her. However, on our way we passed Snow White with only a handful of people in line. DD7 and I had ridden this but the others had not. OK, with the crowd levels being low we'd probably be fine getting to the parade a bit later. As we entered the line, a man with a British accent rushed up to me and with the words, "Would you like these? We can't use them," handed me 4 FPs to.... Peter Pan! I thanked him as he dashed off. Hmm, so now we could ride 3 times today and I could sit with each girl one time.

With Snow White behind us, we joyfully skipped to PP to enjoy our FP bounty. Until we saw that the FP line was really long. The stand-by line said 40 minutes and the CM said he thought the FP line was only half that. I didn't see why that had to be the case. Let more FP holders through, I suggested. He said they were letting in 8 from the FP line for every 2 from the standby line. As we stood in line, I contemplated the fact that in that case, the FP wait should be one quarter of the standby wait, or 10 minutes. Whatever. At this rate, I didn't think we'd have time to use the second set of FPs. Easy come, easy go.

DD7 and I happened to be standing in front of DDs 11a and 11b as we got to the boarding zone. Just as we were about to board, DD11b asked if they could go before us, so as to get the upcoming ship with a certain color sail. Remembering that she had let DD7 ride with me even though she had the prior claim, I said sure. I held DD7 back and let the other two proceed us.

DD7 started crying. I knew she was tired, but I was also embarrassed and upset. Who cares about the color of the sail? You can't even see it while you're riding. People in line were looking at us as we rolled past in our ship and I read their thoughts as, "We're waiting 40 minutes and your daughter doesn't even want to ride!? Why are you here?" This was our last ride of the trip, on my favorite attraction, and I'm with a crying child. I tried to calm her down. I reminded her that DD11b had let her (DD7) ride with me. "That was her choice," she sobbed. "Well, this was my choice," I replied. I tried to distract her with the sights of the ride. She did stop crying but she was still sad when we got off. What can you do? Our last ride was not exactly magical but at least I could feel good that I didn't snap at her and make her feel worse.

At this point it was 8:50. Only ten minutes until parade time. We found a spot behind a family of four. The mother announced that when they had finished eating, the children would move to sit in front of their parents, opening up two spots at the rope for us to sit likewise. That was awfully nice of them! With the girls safely settled, I went to the umbrella cart to pick up DD11a's doll umbrella and I went back to PP to give away the British man's FPs. I gave them to a mother with three teenage daughters just entering the standby line. She seemed very surprised and thanked me. I returned to my own girls to admire the umbrella and wait for the parade.

In my next post, I will answer

18. How many packets of ketchup does WDW distribute in a year?

 

[Belle's Mom Tink]

Keep on reporting, your TR is great. I love reading about all your adventures. I was so upset after our last trip because I didn't get on Peter Pan at all and I love that ride. I don't understand why the lines are always the longest for it...in May you could wait 10 min for Space Mtn. but 45 for Peter Pan!!

 

[shyjade]

I have to ask...where did you get the zebra shirt your DD7 is wearing in the photos? My DD8 LOVES zebras and she would be tickled pink with a shirt like that!!

Also, do you remember how much the umbrellas were? I know this is something my DD8 will probably want to spend her money on.

 

[blue_river]

subscribing...very well written report..love the style and stories! Keep it up!

 

[teentoddlermom]

Solgent,
Thanks for your answer on DVC points...I'm often and always pondering a purchase...maybe time to hang out on the DVC boards. Enjoying your new posts. Right with you on the frugality mindset... Disney is our only splurge, even so, we've have had some good discounts and cheap airfare to make it worth the splurge!
.

 

[arizonacolbys]

Really enjoying your trip report! Can't wait to hear the rest

 

[solgent]

Dear shyjade

We got the tshirt (all 3 shirts) at the Bronx Zoo in October 2001. They still fit!

The umbrellas were $15.95 for small, child-size and $9.95 for doll-size. There were several colors for the umbrella fabric, and several flower and heart designs to choose from. You can pay $5 more to get a fancier design and there is a large selection of those. I'll try to take a picture of the umbrella to post.