Flat Brody takes a Pick-A-Number DISUnplugged Podcast Trip!! Update 7/15-Day 5 Finale

[mouseaddicts]

Yep - we are off & away today ...... in about 8.5 hrs!

We're already thinking of a title for that TR that I'm committed to ....... nothing like pressure!

Well, I'll be absent for a bit, but I will be back to continue reading ....... so keep writing!!!

TTFN!

 

[Tonya2426]

Yep - we are off & away today ...... in about 8.5 hrs!

We're already thinking of a title for that TR that I'm committed to ....... nothing like pressure!

Well, I'll be absent for a bit, but I will be back to continue reading ....... so keep writing!!!

TTFN!

Travel safely and have a magical trip!!!! And enjoy the 4th of July fireworks. I can't wait to see what title you come up with and read all about the adventures of the mouseaddicts family.

 

[Tonya2426]

Day 3, Part 5 – Smoke (Among Other Things) Gets In My Eyes!!!

After a quick refresh break at the Swan, Mom and I walked over to Epcot for the remainder of the evening. I love staying in a hotel that is close enough to walk to the Parks!!! And the walk gave us enough time to discuss where we wanted to eat for dinner - which can be a problem for Mom and me.

As we were leaving the Swan we noticed that there were lots of conventioneers around but we didn’t think too much about it. You can always tell people at Disney World for a meeting/convention - they are the people not wearing baseball hats and t-shirts and Crocs or having any fun. I’ve been to a meeting at Disney World and it was WAY too hard for me to go to the sessions when I knew that the Parks were so close. It was like showing a child their birthday cake and telling them they can’t have any cake until they sit still for 6 hours - sheer torture!!!!!

We made it to the International Gate of Epcot and realized that Mom had never gone in to Epcot through this gate - so we accomplished another first!!! After much deliberation, Mom and I decided to check out the Tangeirine Cafe in the Morocco pavilion for dinner. We had never eaten there before so it would be another first for both of us.

As we strolled through France towards our dinner of couscous and kabobs I spied the delightful little kiosk that sells those sumptuously yummy Grey Goose slushies. I looked longingly as we passed by and was tempted to stop but thought that it would be a nice after Illuminations drink so I’ll wait. And since the last time I had a Grey Goose slushie was on an empty stomach and it went immediately to my head so I knew that dinner should come first.

We arrived in Morocco and checked out the Tangeirine Cafe’s menu to make sure we both found something we wanted to eat. We both approved so we got in line - the line that way out the door and well into the courtyard. I don’t think I have ever seen the World Showcase so busy! It was as if all of the attractions were broken and everyone was milling around the Promenade with no place to go. One thing was certain, Spring Break certainly wasn’t over.

Finally at the point of almost ordering, Mom gave me instructions on what to order for her and she went to find us a table. She stalked tables while I navigated the ordering process. Actually the ordering process went smoothly but the pick up process was somewhat hampered by a man who just didn’t quite understand that his kids’ Disney Dining Plan children’s meal included both carrots and applesauce and that he didn’t have to choose. I think the Cast Member’s Moroccan accent was throwing the dad off because the poor Moroccan Cast Member was having a difficult time explaining it to him. Eventually the dad gave up understanding and just went along with it - which meant that I finally got our Moroccan feast.

Mom found us two chairs at the counter area which faces the kitchen. It took some squeezing around chairs for me to get to my seat since there was a table right behind us with an older couple waiting for their daughter to join them. Mom and I both ordered the Mediterranean Wrap. Mom got the lamb and I got the chicken and they were good - messy but good. The wraps were both served with couscous salad and lentil salad - both of these were surprisingly nice.

But the most "entertaining" thing about our meal was the table behind us. This was the table with the older couple and daughter. The daughter sat down with all the food shortly after I sat down. I was happily eating my Wrap and drinking my beer when I heard this chomping and snorting sound. I stopped and wondered what it was but didn’t hear it again so I went back to eating. But there was the noises again. So I put my fork down and looked around. And what I saw would make Emily Post come back from the grave and write another etiquette book. It was the daughter (about 50 years old) behind us laying on the table and shoveling the food into her mouth while making away grunts and groans. She didn’t just have her arm on the table, she had her head on the table next to her plate!!! It was the most horrific thing I have seen in a long time. It was like a car accident and I just had to keep looking. At some point I think I was actually staring because I was so amazed that someone could be so lacking in table manners. It was truly unappetizing so Mom and I quickly finished up and moved on.

Our goal was to find the Guest Relations Cast Member in front of Italy holding a clipboard with our names on it so we could be VIP’s again. Of course we decided to take a bathroom break - well because of my rule - so we stopped off at America by the Liberty Inn. There were lots of people in the facilities - lots of people in non-Disney like clothing and with name tags on. Hmmmm, what are these Convention People doing in Epcot? They are supposed to stay at the hotels!!! No mind though.

We fought our way through the ever increasing crowds to Italy. We located what appeared to be our Illuminations VIP viewing location. But there was no plaid vest clad Cast Member - only officious looking Cast Members in blue oxford shirts. Hmmmmm, no mind though. I approached the officious CM’s but before I could even get to them an overly zealous oxford clad CM came at me with the speed of a super hero asking if she could help me (in a rather nasty tone I might add.) I got the impression that she thought I was a terrorist who had an evil plan to get in a VIP area without authorization so I could spoil Illuminations for all of Epcot to make small children cry - an evil plan indeed.

I explained to her that we were trying to locate our VIP viewing area for the Undiscovered Future World Tour from earlier today. The overly zealous CM didn’t have any idea what I was talking about but thankfully a more peaceful loving CM overheard and said she thought that had been moved to the United Kingdom. HUH?!?!?! We had just come from there!!!!

Okay, change in plans. It was 8:47 p.m. at this point and we needed to get to the other side of World Showcase. It was time to let my inner Disney commando come out and play!!! Mom and I quickly got our butts in gear and got moving. But wait a minute - what is in front of us? There was a wall of conventioneers flooding the area in front of The American Adventure and each and everyone of them had on flashing Mickey ears. And they were tipsy from their dinner in America. Lord, help me!!!

Mom knows my plan without even having to ask - she has seen the look in my eye and knew I was in the zone and to let me work my magic. We had fireworks to see from a VIP location after all and I was not going to miss it just because of some drunk flashing eared conventioneers. So, I take the lead and Mom stealthy follows. I bob and weave like a ninja through the throngs of blinking ears and Mom keeps up like a trooper. It was mayhem. As we passed through France, I only had a moment to longingly look at the Grey Goose slushie booth with disappointment knowing that any chance of a frozen bit of heaven was now gone. But we made it to the UK in record time. My work was done.

We located the plaid clad Guest Relations CM with only minutes to spare. Our VIP viewing area was just before the Yorkshire County Fish Shop - basically on the other side of the Rose & Crown outside dining area. A nice location to view Illuminations. We were right next to Lower Terrace of the United Kingdom. And guess who was using the Lower Terrace? Nope, not the conventioneers - the wedding we saw earlier in the day at the Yacht Club. They were having an Illuminations Dessert Reception. It looked like a lovely wedding - although I questioned the bride’s choice in dress but if it made her happy then okay by me. But who was using the Upper Terrace of the United Kingdom you ask? Yep, the conventioneers with those silly blinking Mickey ears.

The wedding reception from earlier in the day.

Sorry I missed the bride and groom in the picture - I was still catching my breath after exercising my ninja skills to get to our new location in time.

Flat Brody enjoying the wedding festivities.

Another bad picture but it’s Flat Brody so I couldn't resist!!!

The poor bride and groom didn’t really get to enjoy any of Illuminations though because the photographer had them busy taking pictures the whole time. At least they have the memories saved for posterity sake.

Illuminations started and everything was going fine except that the wind was blowing the smoke right towards the United Kingdom. No problemo, right. It’s only a little bit of smoke. Well, it was no problem until a piece of fireworks debris got in my eye. And it hurt!!! It was singed pyrotechnics after all. After having no luck of getting the debris out of my eye I resorted to flushing my eye out with my bottled water. Ahhhh, sweet relief - except now my shirt was really wet and I had no more water to drink. Oh well, at least I could see enough to continue taking really bad digital pictures.

Illuminations pictures - I was experimenting with all of the different camera settings. Eventually I just went back to the automatic setting which seemed to work best.

Flat Brody enjoying his night at Epcot.

As soon as Illuminations finished I suggested that we go to Beaches & Cream for ice cream since we were right at the International Gate and we could probably beat some of the crowd. Mom concurred and off we went.

We were really in the mood for a No Way Jose so sitting inside seemed like the way to go. Except when we inquired about the wait, the Beaches & Cream Hostess said it would be 45 minutes - even though the restaurant was only half full. Hmmmm, must be a long list of people waiting for big tables. But 45 minutes was way too long to wait for ice cream so we decided to just get regular take our sundaes.

After figuring out the system for the take out line - one line is for ordering and one line is for picking up - we got in the ordering line. The ordering line was about 5 groups long - you can’t really say 5 people long because it is hard to tell how many people are actually with each group. (It’s complicated ordering ice cream these days, my friends!!) When we got to the cashier we were informed that there was no more hot fudge.

WHAT!?!?!?! Okay, on to Plan B. I wanted caramel but they only had butterscotch so I finally decided on chocolate sauce on vanilla ice cream and Mom ordered marshmallow cream on chocolate ice cream. And off to the pick up line I went while Mom went to find a table by the pool.
The pick up line was out the door but seemed to be moving a little. I finally made it inside the building while I occupied my waiting time by noticing that no one had been seated in the restaurant and the restaurant was now almost empty. I was confused but was too tired to figure out the absurdity of the situation.

After about another 5 minutes I got to the front of the pick up line where I could see the person making the sundaes. I saw her making a sundae with vanilla ice cream and marshmallow but I didn’t say anything because it could have been for someone else. I wasn’t privy to the inner workings of Beaches & Cream after all. And then she looked at the ticket and noticed it was supposed to be chocolate ice cream - so she threw the almost finished sundae away. I cringed. All of that good ice cream gone when all she had to do was ask me and I would have taken that one and she could have made another one for Mom. But it happened so fast that I just watched and thought of all the wonderfully empty calories just thrown away. ***sigh***

Finally I had our ice cream sundaes and I located Mom by the pool. Ahhhh, sweet frozen bliss. The sundaes were huge!!! And before I knew it I remembered Flat Brody and his love of ice cream.

Flat Brody enjoying some of my half eaten sundae from Beaches & Cream

And then the most amazing thing happened, Mom asked me more about DVC ownership. YES!!!! My evil unorganized plan was working. So I tried to explain about the points and all the different resorts and how it was different from ordinary timeshares and that you could buy resale points instead of points directly from DVC. She pretty much got it and just then Dad called and Mom even mentioned it to Dad. Who knew I was such a good salesperson. My little plan was working better than I could have imagined. I knew to bring my plan home all I needed to do was talk about how wonderful owning DVC points would be for the grandchildren. Mom loves to swim with her grandkids and since we were sitting right by Stormalong Bay I knew this would make a huge impact. (Wow, I am really good at this.)

With our ice cream finished, it was time to walk back to the Swan - which we did via the Boardwalk. As we strolled along we walked through ESPN Zone to check out the restaurant for future meal purposes. It is a really happening place - lots of people enjoying themselves. And of course we had to look at the ESPN gift shop. They had lots of great stuff to buy but we refrained from indulging. But I did press a penny for my collection. I’m such a big spender.

As we were walking by the bakery, I decided that we needed a little treat for breakfast and ordered 2 muffins for the morning. It was time to treat ourselves to more than yogurt parfaits after all. You can only be so good on vacation before you have to be a little bad.

Next Installment - TMI on a Bus

 

[jordanyosh]

Your Illuminations pictures came out better than most!!!

Your commando story is just too funny. I'm glad you made it.

Drunk conventioneers and not one drunk story....

Flat Brody and Ice cream...our dog loves Ice Cream...

That lady eating the food....maybe she was really really tired.

 

[Tonya2426]

Your Illuminations pictures came out better than most!!!

Your commando story is just too funny. I'm glad you made it.

Drunk conventioneers and not one drunk story....

Flat Brody and Ice cream...our dog loves Ice Cream...

That lady eating the food....maybe she was really really tired.

No drunk stories in my TR - I am leaving all the fun for yours. Although on my next trip I do want to go to ESPN Zone to see if I will have some drunk stories to add to the fun. (Hopefully other people being drunk and not me - but you never know.)

Sadly, I don't think the lady shoveling her food into her mouth was overly tired because if she was just tired she wouldn't have been making all of those barnyard noises. It was truly one of the most horrific dining experiences I have ever encountered.

 

[Tonya2426]

Day 4, Part 1 –TMI on the bus to the MK

After two non-stop days, Mom and I decided to sleep in and get a late start. It was a nice change of pace after two days of being up and at Parks before the rope dropped. And of course the Boardwalk Bakery muffin we picked up the night before was a nice addition to our yogurt parfaits.

I lazed about while Mom got ready and then she went and checked out the hotel and spa while I got ready. All in all, a very relaxing way to start the day. It was just what my tired feet needed - time propped up on a Heavenly Bed.

We left the room about 11:30 a.m. to catch the bus to the Magic Kingdom. It didn’t take long to arrive at the Swan but it was almost full when it arrived. I never really figured out the bus routes for the Epcot hotels since the buses we took never repeated the same pattern. I guess that just means I will have to return to investigate further. My curious mind needs to know!!!!

Since the bus was crowded, Mom and I were relegated to standing in between all the strollers crowding the aisle. I don’t know what the solution to the stroller/bus crowding problem is but I do know that strollers are cumbersome and aren’t fun for the stroller holder or the stroller neighbor.

Okay, so we are on the bus on the way to the Magic Kingdom and we’re standing next to this large Italian looking family that based upon their accents were probably from the New York area. From my perspective, it looked like a Mom and Dad had taken two of their adult daughters with their husbands and all of their children. But apparently one daughter and her family were not able to attend the family trip to Disney World.

As it turns out one of the son-in-laws was talking (loudly) with the patriarch of the family about one of the other son-in-laws and all of his business dealings. It seems that the SIL in attendance did not think that the absent SIL would be able to afford his mortgage payment since he over paid for the house and that the boat that was just purchased was stepping way above his means. I ended up knowing more about this family and their finances than I know about my own affairs. I don’t really understand why people need to discuss these types of things loudly amongst total strangers. It wasn’t like any of us were impressed or even cared. A little discretion goes a long way. This was definitely under the category of TMI - too much information.

We arrived at the Magic Kingdom at noon, so there were no lines at the security bag check. And the park didn’t seem all that crowded. Once again the Crowd Calendar at www.touringplans.com was correct and Saturday is a good day for visiting the Magic Kingdom.

As we walked through Town Square we saw Jiminy Cricket and had to snap a few pictures.

Of course our pin shopping wasn’t over so we stopped in at Uptown Jewelers to see if there were any pins we hadn’t seen yet. And actually we found a few we just couldn’t live without. But is our pin shopping over? Hmmmm, you can never be sure.

We had missed Adventureland earlier in our trip so we started our tour there. Don’t you just love the tropical drum music as you pass over the bridge - it just makes want to stop and do the hula. (Thankfully for the other guests I have not done any hulas - but you never know when I might.)

We didn’t really have any plans as we walked through Adventureland but when we saw that The Enchanted Tiki Room was just starting we took the opportunity to indulge ourselves. I know there is a lot of debate about the merits of the new version of the Tiki Room versus the original version but I enjoy the new version. It still has the charm of the original version but has the named characters that younger generations can relate to. And besides, it is a good way to get out of the sun for a few minutes. Besides, who doesn’t love a chanting tiki god amongst singing flowers.

Argggghhh! Of course Flat Brody wanted to see Pirates of the Carribean but we only took a picture this trip. Flat Brody will have to wait a few more days to see all of the pirate booty.

As we entered Frontierland, we caught the tale end of Woody’s Round Up.

We didn’t catch any of the performance but it looked it would have been cute. Maybe we will be lucky enough to catch it on our next visit.

Mom had never been to Tom Sawyer Island so we decided to check it off the list and take the raft over to explore. It always seems to be a classic Magic Kingdom thing to do since it has been around so long and often overlooked by those thrill seeking park guests. I had forgotten that the raft drivers really have to pilot the rafts - there is no ride track. Which made me wonder where the life jackets were? Does the Coast Guard check up on the Rivers of America vessels? My inquiring mind needs to know.

Flat Brody on the raft to Tom Sawyer Island.

Although only about 1 o’clock, I told Mom about the hidden paint brushes just in case we were lucky enough to spot one. You never know - there could have been one that was missed. But there weren’t any missed paint brushes this time.
We explored Fort Langhorn first and even shot the rifles from the turrets. You really need to be nimble though because some of the stairs wells were really tight and steep. After fighting off the "Injuns", we took a break to watch the action on the Rivers of America.

Flat Brody waving from Tom Sawyer Island to the passing Ferry Boat.

Flat Brody wishing he was riding on Big Thunder Mountain.

We then ventured on to explore the caves. I forgot how small those caves are. If you are the least bit claustrophobic you should avoid them at all costs because they are tight and narrow. I am getting a little panicky just thinking about it.

Mom and I also had a good time on the barrel bridge but I think we had a bit too much fun since our shoes got a little wet. I am glad I had on my quick drying Crocs. I don’t ever recall getting my feet wet before. Hmmmm. But since our feet were wet, we took the time to sit in a rocking chair at Aunt Polly’s to air dry our toesies. It is a great spot to sit and get a good glimpse of the river boats and a unique view of The Haunted Mansion.

After making the return raft trip we moseyed over to Liberty Square to get some American history at the Hall of Presidents. Alas, our timing was off since the doors to the theater had just closed as we walked up. But it was getting sort of late, so we decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants in Disney World, the Columbia Harbour House. Mmmmm, if I close my eyes I can taste the french fries right now.

Since it was a later lunch the lines to order weren’t very long but I had Mom go stake our our table. There were plenty of tables but I love the tables upstairs that overlook Fantasyland. Since there are only a couple of them you have to have your lucky panties on to get one. But today I must have had them on because when I walked upstairs with our food Mom was sitting at "my" table. I did a little inner dance of joy - since I was carrying a tray of food and drinks I thought it best to not dance with abandon.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures of our food. But I had the Chicken Breast Nuggets and Mom had the kid’s Garden Salad with Chicken. (I shared my fries with Mom.) I do have to say that I prefer the Chicken Strips better than the Nuggets - I like more chicken than breading. What can I say, I like to save room for the french fries.

After enjoying our lunch at our favorite restaurant at our favorite table, we ventured back to The Hall of Presidents. We still had our lucky panties on because we caught the very next show.

Flat Brody feeling presidential at the Hall of Presidents

I know some people don’t like The Hall of Presidents or just use it to go to take a nap but I find it very interesting and patriotic. I love history so it fills a need for me. I suppose most children are probably bored out of my mind when they get dragged into The Hall of Presidents but I recall always loving it as a child. And who doesn’t love an opportunity to buy a bunch of presidential pencils and dolls at the end of the show.

We ventured to Fantasyland next but still didn’t ride "it’s a small world". Not sure why we skipped over it because it is a ride that makes me happy. Call me crazy but I could be stuck on it for hours and still enjoy singing along. I know - call me crazy!!!

But we stopped in at Mickey’s PhilharMagic which was basically a walk on - guess our lucky panties were still working. Seeing PhilharMagic always makes me want to get out all of my Disney movies and watch them again - but they are all on VHS and I don’t even have a VCR hooked up anymore. I might have to invest in some Disney DVD’s - it would certainly be easier than trying to work a VCR.

After dutifully returning our 3-D glasses , we stopped in at Tinker Bell’s Treasures to browse all the cute and pretty girly stuff - every once in a while you have to satisfy the girly girl in you or she will explode. As we left the shop we ran in to Cinderella’s Step Sisters.

Of course we couldn’t be in the Magic Kingdom and not try our hands at Buzz again. Besides I had to regain the Mom and Me Buzz Champion title back from Mom after her win earlier in the trip. But when we arrived at Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin there was a 40 minute wait posted so we got Fastpasses with a return time at 3:05 p.m.

Since we had some time to kill we thought we would take another trip on the People Mover (a.k.a. Tomorrowland Transit Authority). So we walked over but there was a Cast Member roping off the escalator to the platform. It was broken!!!! UGH!!!! Thankfully Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress was right there or we might have had to resort to seeing Stitch’s Great Escape! - and that would have been tragic.

Carousel of Progress was as it usually is - outdated in the modern scene and charming as always with everything else. I love seeing all of the old kitchens. Mom felt very nostalgic to see the kitchen from the 50's.

Afterwards we still had a few minutes to burn before our Fastpass time for our Buzz Lightyear rematch so we decided to sit down in the Galaxy Palace Theater and listen to a high school choir that was singing The Lion King songs. They were very good and a very large choir. I can’t really remember where they were from though, since we missed their introduction. I felt bad for them though because the theater was practically empty and it was obvious they had worked very hard on their songs - and probably had a lot of carwashes to pay for the trip. At least they can always say they performed at Walt Disney World.

On our way to Buzz, Flat Brody decided to stalk the Tomorrowland ducks.

Although an upland bird dog and not a water fowl dog, Real Brody does like to point at any bird given the chance so I though I would indulge Flat Brody since I was missing Real Brody at this point in the trip.

We made it on to Buzz in no time flat with our trusty Fastpasses. And I am happy to report I am the reigning Mom and Me Buzz Champion once again. But I will say that Mom’s laser gun wasn’t working properly because she only scored 2700 points - which is was too low for even Mom on a bad day. I am sure a rematch will be called for later this week.

It was getting to be early evening so we decided to make our way out of the Magic Kingdom. But before we got out of the Park we were approached by one of the survey taker people. In all of my trips to Disney World (and I have lost count of my trips) I have never been asked to do one of the surveys, so of course I said yes. She ushered us to this little area of City Hall with a few laptops where I sat down and answered some questions about my dining experience in the Park that day. Overall I rated our meal as very good but did suggest that paying over $2 for a fountain soft drink was too much. And I also said they should bring back the chicken strips and the Monte Cristo sandwich. I miss that sandwich!!!!! I was the one thing I looked forward to eating at Disney World when I was a child. ***sigh*** Sometimes change just sucks.

Since we weren’t going back to our hotel but instead going to MGM we decided to take the Ferry Boat to the TTC. After many trips on the Ferry Boats when leaving the Magic Kingdom I have decided that if you see the Ferry Boat at the dock then you don’t need to rush because you won’t make it. Instead you should only rush to the loading dock if you see the Ferry Boat approaching the dock. (Those are my words of wisdom for the day.)

Flat Brody anticipating his first Ferry Boat ride.

Next Installment - Our Final Dining Decisions

 

[whogirl'smom]

I am finally caught up--it's been a very busy summer! The fw tour was very interesting and you got all the perks without paying VIP tour prices. Smart cookie! When you described that woman eating at Tangerine Cafe, I immediately thought of Ralphie from A Christmas Story!

The Swan looks heavenly with those beds. We always miss our bed on vacation b/c we bought a "Peabody bed" after staying there 2 years ago. I'm always so tired at the end of our Disney days that I don't even notice what we're sleeping on! I would love to try the Swan b/c it's location is great.

 

[Tonya2426]

I am finally caught up--it's been a very busy summer! The fw tour was very interesting and you got all the perks without paying VIP tour prices. Smart cookie! When you described that woman eating at Tangerine Cafe, I immediately thought of Ralphie from A Christmas Story!

The Swan looks heavenly with those beds. We always miss our bed on vacation b/c we bought a "Peabody bed" after staying there 2 years ago. I'm always so tired at the end of our Disney days that I don't even notice what we're sleeping on! I would love to try the Swan b/c it's location is great.

Glad you are all caught up! Don't you just hate it when life gets in the way of your DISsing.

If there had been a leg lamp in the window I would have thought that Ralfie was eating dinner at theTangeirine Cafe - but at least Ralphie was cute.

The Heavenly Beds were great. I love nice sheets. I'll let you know how the Grand Floridian compares after this week - although I think will be sleeping on the day bed this trip. (I need to be as far away from my sister's snoring as possible.)

And the Swan location can't be beat - we loved being close enough to walk to Epcot and MGM and not having to wait for buses or boats.

 

[Tonya2426]

Day 4, Part 2 –Our Final Dining Decisions

After our ferry ride to the TTC, we found the bus stop for MGM. There isn’t a formal queue and there weren’t many people waiting so we found a spot on a bench and relaxed as we waited for the bus. And then it happened. About 50 teenage cheerleaders showed up just as the bus pulled up. Of course they were the first ones on the bus and I began to worry that we wouldn’t even make it on the bus let alone find a seat. In a matter of seconds I went from not a care in the world to worrying if we were going to even get on the bus. It was sort of like being on Stitch’s Great Escape - sort of fun but not really.

We did make it on the bus and Mom actually got a seat and I stood next to her. Of course all of the cheerleaders were sitting while all of the elderly passengers were standing. Don’t parents teach their children about giving up seats to the elderly anymore? Maybe since public transportation isn’t the norm anymore and manners are a lost art - like eating Moroccan food in an upright position.

After settling in for our trip to MGM, I asked Mom the dreaded question "what are we going to do for dinner?" After mentally walking our way through the Park and thinking about our choices, Mom wondered if I thought we could get in to one of the table service restaurants. I didn’t see why not so I whipped out my mobile phone and dialed the number. Mom was perplexed that I knew the Disney World dining reservations phone number by heart. Do you think I spend too much time DISsing?

After getting through all of the phone prompts, I was speaking to a Reservationist without even being on hold. I asked her if there were any tables for 2 at MGM for around 6 p.m. At first she said Mamma Melrose’s and Hollywood & Vine and I relayed this information to Mom while explaining what type of food each restaurant served. When the Reservationist all of a sudden said there was an opening at 6:20 at The Hollywood Brown Derby. Wooohooo!!! I quickly exclaimed "we’ll take it!" My lucky panties were still working since we scored a 6:20 p.m. reservation at 5:20 p.m. Chalk one up for not making ADR’s at 180 days out.

The Reservationist took all of my relevant information and then wanted to give me the reservation number. I told her I couldn’t really write down the number since I was standing on a Disney bus on the way to MGM and didn’t have a pen handy. She laughed and said we didn’t really need it and to enjoy our meal. I assured her we would.

After entering MGM we still had forty minutes before our Brown Derby reservation so we thought we would try to do The Animation Academy before dinner. But my lucky panties failed me because the doors had just closed as we walked up. Hmmmm, guess we need to go to Plan B.

Always being on my toes, Plan B quickly became a tour of Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream. During our Future World tour, our tour guide Janet had told us some to look for Walt’s desk and the ash tray on it. This was the desk Walt used in his office at the Walt Disney Studios and just about the only place you will find any indication that Walt Disney smoked. It made me sad to think of all the people who have died a premature death because of smoking. And if you have never seen the movie at the end of One Man’s Dream you make sure you put it on your must do list - it is a great history lesson on Walt and gives you some insights to his genius.

It was about 6 o’clock by now so we decided to check in for our dinner a little early. And we were seated within a few minutes. We weren’t seated in one of the booths but had a nice table for two towards the back of the restaurant.

Flat Brody was impressed by all of the caricatures at The Hollywood Brown Derby

We studied the menu and the wine list. We wavered on the food choices a bit but quickly decided on our wine choices - Mom decided on the Eroica Reisling and I decided on the MacMurray Ranch Pinot Gris. Except they no longer had my wine choice. Now what do I do.? After drinking too much Chardonnay in the 90's I am not a fan of it much any more and there weren’t that many more white wines to choose from and red wine doesn’t like me anymore. But our wonderful waitress took matters in to her capable hands and brought a few bottles for me to sample. I eventually decided on one but I have no idea what it is now - the receipt abbreviates it as Kim Craw Svb. No idea what that stands for but it went well with my meal.

Mom and I decided to split the Market Greens Salad with asparagus, tomato grapes, candied pecans, Midnight Moon goat cheese and Cabernet vinaigrette. This is what is left of my salad when I remembered to take a picture.

Mom ordered the Pan-Fried Halibut with yellow squash, haricots verts, Roma tomato preserve, and citrus juices

Flat Brody enjoyed my Roasted Sterling Silver Pork Rib Chop with mustard spaetzle, white cheddar, rainbow chard, vinegar onions, and pan juices

Dinner was very nice and the service was great. I had hoped to have enough room to finally try the famous Grapefruit Cake but once again I had no room for dessert right after my meal. Some day I will just go to Disney World and only eat desserts. A girl can dream, can’t she?

After dinner we stopped by the bathroom and let me tell you that Playhouse Disney has ruined the Brown Derby bathroom. Smelly!!! It isn’t a large bathroom and it used to be a hidden oasis to freshen up in but not anymore!! Having diapers changed right where you walk in and you almost run into the changing table doesn’t make for a pleasant experience. They really need to add another bathroom in that area to handle all the smelly diaper changes. I am definitely going to have scope out a new bathroom oasis. I like a little peace and quiet when I tinkle, after all.

Since we missed The Animation Academy earlier we decided to try again. I was really excited that I converted Mom to being an amateur animator. It was hard to believe that she hadn’t even wanted to do it the other day and now she was asking to do it. We had a little wait before the next session so we took a seat on the padded benches where Mom promptly closed her eyes and went to sleep. (She is such a light weight when it comes to drinking wine - and we only had one glass with dinner.)

I woke Mom up when it was time to go in and we got to drawing right away. And once again we had a good time drawing - Goofy this time.

Flat Brody meets my version of Goofy. He was happy to meet a fellow canine.

Mom and I then strolled over to see Muppet Vision 3-D. I just love the Muppets so we try to always see my felt covered friends while at MGM. I think my love of the Muppets must stem from growing up watching Sesame Street. They should do another Muppet movie. I would pay to see Kermit singing another song about being green. But I digress - we liked Muppet Vision 3-D as much as the first time we saw it. I think Fozzy is my favorite but you have to love Sam Eagle too. Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't pick a favorite - it would be like picking one child over another.

On the way to Muppet Vision 3-D we noticed cheerleaders everywhere. It was like they had invaded MGM. We even saw a cheerleading squad from Japan. I know - who knew the Japanese were cheerleaders??? To be perfectly honest - there is nothing more irritating to me than large groups of cheerleaders who are pumped full of adrenaline and sugar after a competition. It almost makes me want to yell "WHO CARES!!! AND WIPE THAT GLITTER OFF YOUR FACE!!" I try to be understanding since my niece is a competitive cheerleader but I can only take a little bit of all of that frenzied energy at a time and this was putting me over the edge.

Actually I was probably just irritated because I was starting to feel poorly. I actually woke up this morning with a sore throat. It wasn’t all that bad and seemed to be under control with Tylenol. But as the evening went on my throat seemed to be getting worse. At this point I hadn’t really put two and two together but I seem to get sick every time I go to Disney World - more on that in the next installment.

Okay, back to our last evening at Disney World.

We still hadn’t ridden Tower of Terror and I still had the Fastpasses from the other day. I know there is a date on them but I have heard on more than several occasions that the Fastpass dates weren’t really enforced so I thought it was worth a shot. It’s not like they would hit me for trying.

So we walked back down Sunset Boulevard to finally ride a thrill ride this trip. As we approached the Hotel’s gate it was just like deja vu all over again - the Fastpass line AND the Standby line were all the way at the gate. UGH!!! It was just not in the cards for me to be thrill seeker this trip. I didn’t ride a single roller coaster or even Tower of Terror. I must be getting old because I didn’t really care though - although I did mind missing Tower of Terror because that is a Mom and Me trip tradition. Oh well, guess that means we just have to plan another trip.

After being disappointed, we walked back up Sunset Boulevard fighting our way through all of the cheerleaders - Fantasmic had just let out. It was definitely time to indulge in a Mickey Bar. It had been 4 days at Disney World and I needed a premium ice cream bar - and my throat was killing me. The Mickey Bar helped things immensely - physically and emotionally. Of course I had to sit down to eat the Mickey Bar or else I would have had chocolate all over my shirt.

On the way out of MGM we decided it was such a nice evening that we would walk back to the Swan - but only after I elicited a promise from Mom that she would basically stroll and not race walk . The evenings in April are nice because it cools down - unlike July and August. It is very dark at night on this path though. Not sure I would want to take this walk by myself at night since it isn’t a very busy path. And of course we played Beat the Boat. But this time it was a tie - the boat docked just as we arrived at the Swan. Guess all of my strolling slowed us down.

We straggled up to our room and settled in to our Heavenly Beds for one last night. Isn’t the last night of your trip so depressing? The worst part is having to pack - and realizing how much money you spent on "stuff".

Next Installment - One Last Chance at Shopping.

 

[whogirl'smom]

You're right, the last night is so sad, esp. since we have an 11 hour drive ahead of us. Your BD meal looked wonderful and your mom's fish looked HUGE in that picture!

Hopefully you'll get to ride ToT very, very soon!

 

[mouseaddicts]

Whew ........ we're back from our own 10 day adventure and now I'm all caught up on your TR!!! Yes, I took a ton of notes so I can write my very own report ... for the first time ever!

Seriously - the woman in Morocco?!? Really??? Head ON the table!?!?! I guess it makes me wonder if there is just something wrong with her ...... I mean, WHO DOES THAT!?!

We have never been to BD - dunno why. Your meals looked fantastic though. Maybe we should try that in December ....

 

[Tonya2426]

You're right, the last night is so sad, esp. since we have an 11 hour drive ahead of us. Your BD meal looked wonderful and your mom's fish looked HUGE in that picture!

Hopefully you'll get to ride ToT very, very soon!

Our meal at the Brown Derby was wonderful. And Mom's halibut was huge now that I look at the picture. She must have been hungry since she ate all of it - which is very unlike Mom to finish all of her food - the weight watchers thing.

And hopefully I will be riding ToT on Thursday afternoon - according to my spreadsheet!! I'm so excited that I will be at Disney World tomorrow!!!!! I just got off the phone with Mom and she and Dad were going to go to the Poly for lunch and then a swim before their anniversary dinner at Victoria & Albert's.

 

[Tonya2426]

Whew ........ we're back from our own 10 day adventure and now I'm all caught up on your TR!!! Yes, I took a ton of notes so I can write my very own report ... for the first time ever!

Seriously - the woman in Morocco?!? Really??? Head ON the table!?!?! I guess it makes me wonder if there is just something wrong with her ...... I mean, WHO DOES THAT!?!

We have never been to BD - dunno why. Your meals looked fantastic though. Maybe we should try that in December ....

I can't wait to read all about your 10 day Disney adventure!!! I know it is silly to ask, but did you have fun? (Of course I know you did. How can you not have fun at Disney World?) How was the weather? And the crowds?

I just printed out a new Flat Brody for my trip tomorrow. The old Flat Brody met an untimely demise - more on that later. I am going to be bold with my picture taking this time so I don't miss any of those Moroccan dining moments.

 

[Tonya2426]

Day 5 - One Last Chance To Shop!!

It was time to face reality that our time at Disney World was over. We reluctantly woke up and had the last of our yogurt parfaits. It didn’t take us long be ready to leave since we had pretty much packed the night before. I called down to the valet stand to retrieve the car and we made the dreaded walk to the elevators and through the lobby with our luggage dutifully rolling behind us.

We had the bill for our Swan stay under the door by the way. And the only thing we payed for was the valet. I thought at least we would need to pay the taxes on the room but we didn't. Thanks DIS Unplugged team!!!!

We gave the Swan lobby one more gaze as we left the building to find our car ready and waiting for us. With the car loaded, we got under way but not to I-4. I made a detour to Downtown Disney. Mom was still talking about the LEGO watch she had seen Soarin’ Joe wearing so I told her since it was only 9:00 a.m. and we were way ahead of schedule we were stopping to find that watch. And amazingly Mom agreed to my plan. Of course what could she do since I was driving.

Since it was so early, we got a front row parking place at DTD. We were walking to the LEGO Imagination Center when I couldn’t remember if I had locked the car. Don’t you hate it when that happens. It’s like when you can’t remember if you turned off the clothes iron. So I turned around and went back to make sure I had locked the car. I think I did actually lock it but I pressed the lock button on the key fob a good bit just to make sure - especially since the car was full of all of our luggage.

We finally made it to the LEGO Imagination Center where a nice lady asked us if she could help us. Mom said she was looking for a LEGO watch but the woman said they didn’t have any in stock right now but that she could order one for us. We both shrugged and said okay. The LEGO lady went online and ordered it for Mom and it arrived a few days later. They didn’t even charge for shipping and handling. Mom loves the watch and wears it all the time which I am sure drives Dad crazy since he just bought her a really expensive watch earlier this year.

This is the infamous watch:
http://shop.lego.com/product/?p=W341&LangId=2057&ShipTo=US

Flat Brody even got into the action when he took a walk with the LEGO dogs at Downtown Disney.

After our little detour we made our way to I-4 through Hotel Plaza. Whenever I see the Hotel Plaza hotels I am always amazed that I don’t try to stay at some of them - the hotel rates seem reasonable and if you already have a car it is probably more convenient than some of the Disney hotels. I need to make a mental note about this.

Another Mom and Me tradition is that we like to stop in at DSW Shoes while we are in Orlando. If I had to choose between Disney and shoes which I loved more, I might have to say shoes. I know - heresy!!! DSW is a shoe Mecca and we pass right by it on our way home. This trip I only bought a pair of sneakers but Mom bought a few pair of dress shoes. When I was working in an office I would have bought a few pair of black pumps along with my sneakers but since I work from home now I was good - especially since the last thing I need is ANOTHER pair of black pumps.

We had an uneventful trip home except for our lunch stop. We stopped at a Wendy’s in St. Mary’s, GA. As soon as we walked in Mom said I think we have been here before and I think this is restaurant I wrote to complain to Wendy’s headquarters about. I couldn’t remember if it was indeed the dreaded Wendy’s but we were already in line so we waited and waited and waited. It had been about 10 minutes and we hadn’t moved. We finally decided that we would never get those 10 minutes back and we should just cut bait and move on to the Burger King next door. All that agrivation for a cheeseburger and fries. I will definitely remember to bypass this Wendy’s the next time I am in St. Mary’s, GA.

We made it back to the Savannah airport parking garage where Mom and I said our good byes. We had a wonderful time and did a lot of things we hadn’t done before. It ended up being the trip with no thrill rides - not a single coaster. But I loved having Flat Brody along for the ride. It was so fun to all of a sudden think "this would be a great Flat Brody picture." It certainly added a new fun element to our Disney adventures.

Finishing up a Disney trip is always bitter sweet. I am sad to leave Disney World but I am always thrilled to be home and see Real Brody. I do miss him when I am gone - he is just so darn cute.

Flat Brody is glad to make it back home to his spot on the couch.

And I was glad to be home because I was getting really sick. My throat was killing me and I was starting to cough. And things got worse before they got better. But me being sick after a Disney World trip seems to be par for the course. After our October 2007 Mom and Me trip I was sick for about a two weeks with a dreadful sinus infection that took two courses of antibiotics to clear up and after my December 2007 solo trip I was sick for a week with a terrible flu like illness where I was so sick I was unable to pick up Brody from the kennel. Not sure why I keep getting sick because I am really careful to wash my hands a lot and use hand sanitizer. I think it has to do with not getting enough rest and staying in hotel rooms for too long. But I am determined not to get sick on my next trip - so say a pray for me.

What ever happened to Flat Brody you ask? Well, you remember in my first post when I said that Real Brody was a dog who liked to chew. Yep, you guessed it - Real Brody chewed on Flat Brody to entertain himself one evening. It is my own fault though because I had left Flat Brody on the coffee table for a few days and it was just too much for Real Brody to take and he had to give in to his inner chewer. I should have known better.

Real Brody causes injuries to Flat Brody.

So, I made a new Flat Brody tonight for my next trip to Disney World - which happens to start tomorrow. Woohooo!!! But the fact of the matter is I haven’t finished packing and it is already after midnight and I still have to break the news to Real Brody that he has to go to puppy camp tomorrow while his alter ego gets to go to Disney World. Life is so unfair!!!

Thanks so much for following along on Flat Brody’s DIS Unplugged Pick-A-Number Mom and Me Trip. I’ve enjoyed pretending to be a writer and hope I brought a little Disney fun to your life. And I can't wait to read all about everyone's next Disney adventures.