MGM & Fantasmic
Day 7 - Thursday 25th August
We are all up early today - despite the full day at KSC yesterday.
We had a reasonably early night and we're ready for MGM today.
Actually thats just a pack of lies!
I am up early and I'm ready for MGM.
If I let them - the rest of the gang would be happy to stay in bed for another couple of hours but I have to be the one that forces them all to have fun on this holiday so it's up to me to get them all up today.
There are many tried and tested methods that I use for this - there's the "cold flannel treatment" (effective but guaranteed to put them in a bad mood!).
Theres the "make as much noise as possible" method (not too effective with the elder party members unless fireworks are included!).
Theres the "false promises" method (more effective on the kids as they have yet to learn that I lie like a flat-fish!).
Finally theres the "threatening" method (most effective when coupled with the cattle prod and a not too tame Rottweiler).
Today we have an Advance Dining Reservation at the 50's Prime Time Diner booked for 12.40.
We haven't eaten here before but having read up about the waitresses and the atmosphere I am really looking forward to this meal. That's always assuming that we can find something without garlic, spices, gravy, salt, pepper or well flavour - for Joyce & Cyril!
We stop off at Regal Palms reception and realise that we havent been in here for a free breakfast yet - shocking!
So we put that right!
Ricky whips out his laptop and logs on to reply to all his emails while we scoff Danish pastries and muffins. It's certainly not the Ponderosa but hey! - Its free - so I'm happy! And so is Cyril as they are serving his favourite food.
We're at MGM by 9.15 and park Jaunty in a reasonably shaded spot in the car park. He looks a little aloof.
"What's aloof" asks Hannah.
"It's a pack of bread!" I reply sarcastically.
We head left at the entrance to the park straight on to Star Tours.
Unfortunately this is totally ruined by an inconsiderate parent who wishes to drag their traumatised child onto this ride even though the kid is screaming No! No! No! All the way through it!
I do feel that Disney should provide some means of retribution towards these types of parents - maybe the kids could watch while their parents are forced to spend the rest of the day chained to the front of a boat on It's a Small World!
As we are dealing with complete "Muppets" here - I figure we may as well go and see the real thing next! Muppets 3D.
This is an excellent 3D show and despite the lengthy "holding area" show - this is a firm family favourite of ours. Thats better! Back into Disney mode now!
After a quick coffee (and a Danish for Cyril!) we do the Backlot Tour - or at least - a shortened version of it!
There are technical difficulties with the first bit where they are unable to film members of the audience so we hop on the bus for the tour.
This is different to the last time we did this as the houses are no longer there - they have given way to the Lights Action Motors stadium.
Hannah is moaning that she's thirsty so I purchase a large coke - my - these portions are large aren't they!
We go to who wants to be a millionaire next - I would say that we "Played" this but we were awful so lets just say we "Watched" the show! (The questions were all in "American" and the language barrier was just too great!)
On to the Great Movie Ride which I find a little difficult to get in to as we have a female Gangster driving our car.
I mean - come on Disney - everyone knows that women gangsters can't drive!
Ooh!.............Can .Open Worms everywhere! (Heh! Heh!)
It's now time for our ADR at 50's Prime Time.
We book in and wait in the lounge for a few minutes before a very loud young lady called Stephanie comes and calls my name. I'm in trouble already - apparently I'm late "home" for dinner and should have been "back" an hour ago!
The themeing is brilliant in here - we are sat at a Formica table with an old TV playing excerpts from I love Lucy. There are calendars on the wall from the 1950s and all sorts of gadgets and nick-knacks from days gone by. (Its a bit like Joyces Kitchen!)
Stephanie takes our order and very quickly decides "who is who" from our party.
Me = Pops
Lena = Peggy Sue
Ricky = Scooter
Hannah = Princess
Joyce = Mum
Cyril = Dad
I can't seem to do anything right - first I get told off for wearing my hat "in the house" - then for having my elbows on the table (repeatedly) and finally, after going to the toilet I am quizzed as to whether or not I washed my hands and if so then what colour was the soap? BUSTED!
This is all great fun and the kids think it's a hoot. The food was very good too - I had a Chicken Caesar Salad, Peggy Sue had Chicken Pot Pie, Scooter had Home fried Chicken, Princess had the Kids Nuggetts and Fries, Dad had the Pot Roast and Mum - well - for fear of being poisoned again - asked for something without garlic - she was given an Ice Cream Sundae!
Between Stephanie and another waitress called Auntie Claire - we had a really good time.
Auntie Claire made the guy behind me wear a bib and she forced him to eat his peas by scooping them up on his fork and playing aeroplanes with them - she kept singing that well known John Lennon ballad "All we are saying.........is give pea's a chance"!
Cyril - sorry Dad - thoroughly enjoyed his Pot Roast and also the Apple Cobbler and Custard that he ordered for dessert. Me, Peggy Sue, Scooter and Princess all had an ice cream sundae too. Brilliant - thoroughly recommend this place we definitely will be back again.(one day)
We make our way out of MGM and back to the villa for a rest and swim as the afternoon heat is taking it's toll on the elder members of the party (Me and Peggy Sue!).
I guess that's the great thing about coming back here to Orlando again - the pressure to stay all day so that you can do ALL the rides is not there on your second or third visit - so you can "chill" a bit more and just pick your favourites.
The weather channel guy is now looking more concerned about a tropical depression which is "getting its act together" as he puts it.
De ja Vu from last year? I hope not!
We take turns to swim, nibble, snooze and watch a bit of TV. Ricky does three all at once!
We return to MGM at 6.00pm.
We walk to Lights Motors Action to watch this excellent show - a first for us all.
Then a leisurely stroll to Catalina Eddie's for some Fries and Coffee. Hannah has a kids meal which comes on a Mickey Mouse shaped plate. So cute - we kept it and brought it home.
I don't know why but Lena gets really cross at me insisting that all my meals are served on this!
Then - the highlight of the holiday - Fantasmic.
Now at this point - while I am videoing the show - Lena has a "go" with the digital camera.
Well I suppose she got the shot but......... well.....what do you think?.......
This show is just as good as the first time we saw it and it rounds off what has been another fantastic day. The setting is stunning and the show and the music are superb. We love this place - the family look suitably impressed and very happy.
We stroll back to Jaunty in the pleasant warm evening atmosphere.
Tomorrow we are going to have a "Universal" day. I'm looking forward to this - particularly as there are a some rides we have never done before - Spiderman, The Mummy and Shrek 3D are top of my list.
I have a light supper from my Mickey plate before bed.
It's been another lovely day today and I really feel relaxed now. I could do with about 6 weeks of this.
Oh well - maybe one day my balls will be selected!
Night all..........
Day 7 - Thursday 25th August
We are all up early today - despite the full day at KSC yesterday.
We had a reasonably early night and we're ready for MGM today.
Actually thats just a pack of lies!
I am up early and I'm ready for MGM.
If I let them - the rest of the gang would be happy to stay in bed for another couple of hours but I have to be the one that forces them all to have fun on this holiday so it's up to me to get them all up today.
There are many tried and tested methods that I use for this - there's the "cold flannel treatment" (effective but guaranteed to put them in a bad mood!).
Theres the "make as much noise as possible" method (not too effective with the elder party members unless fireworks are included!).
Theres the "false promises" method (more effective on the kids as they have yet to learn that I lie like a flat-fish!).
Finally theres the "threatening" method (most effective when coupled with the cattle prod and a not too tame Rottweiler).
Today we have an Advance Dining Reservation at the 50's Prime Time Diner booked for 12.40.
We haven't eaten here before but having read up about the waitresses and the atmosphere I am really looking forward to this meal. That's always assuming that we can find something without garlic, spices, gravy, salt, pepper or well flavour - for Joyce & Cyril!
We stop off at Regal Palms reception and realise that we havent been in here for a free breakfast yet - shocking!
So we put that right!
Ricky whips out his laptop and logs on to reply to all his emails while we scoff Danish pastries and muffins. It's certainly not the Ponderosa but hey! - Its free - so I'm happy! And so is Cyril as they are serving his favourite food.
We're at MGM by 9.15 and park Jaunty in a reasonably shaded spot in the car park. He looks a little aloof.
"What's aloof" asks Hannah.
"It's a pack of bread!" I reply sarcastically.
We head left at the entrance to the park straight on to Star Tours.
Unfortunately this is totally ruined by an inconsiderate parent who wishes to drag their traumatised child onto this ride even though the kid is screaming No! No! No! All the way through it!
I do feel that Disney should provide some means of retribution towards these types of parents - maybe the kids could watch while their parents are forced to spend the rest of the day chained to the front of a boat on It's a Small World!
As we are dealing with complete "Muppets" here - I figure we may as well go and see the real thing next! Muppets 3D.
This is an excellent 3D show and despite the lengthy "holding area" show - this is a firm family favourite of ours. Thats better! Back into Disney mode now!
After a quick coffee (and a Danish for Cyril!) we do the Backlot Tour - or at least - a shortened version of it!
There are technical difficulties with the first bit where they are unable to film members of the audience so we hop on the bus for the tour.
This is different to the last time we did this as the houses are no longer there - they have given way to the Lights Action Motors stadium.
Hannah is moaning that she's thirsty so I purchase a large coke - my - these portions are large aren't they!
We go to who wants to be a millionaire next - I would say that we "Played" this but we were awful so lets just say we "Watched" the show! (The questions were all in "American" and the language barrier was just too great!)
On to the Great Movie Ride which I find a little difficult to get in to as we have a female Gangster driving our car.
I mean - come on Disney - everyone knows that women gangsters can't drive!
Ooh!.............Can .Open Worms everywhere! (Heh! Heh!)
It's now time for our ADR at 50's Prime Time.
We book in and wait in the lounge for a few minutes before a very loud young lady called Stephanie comes and calls my name. I'm in trouble already - apparently I'm late "home" for dinner and should have been "back" an hour ago!
The themeing is brilliant in here - we are sat at a Formica table with an old TV playing excerpts from I love Lucy. There are calendars on the wall from the 1950s and all sorts of gadgets and nick-knacks from days gone by. (Its a bit like Joyces Kitchen!)
Stephanie takes our order and very quickly decides "who is who" from our party.
Me = Pops
Lena = Peggy Sue
Ricky = Scooter
Hannah = Princess
Joyce = Mum
Cyril = Dad
I can't seem to do anything right - first I get told off for wearing my hat "in the house" - then for having my elbows on the table (repeatedly) and finally, after going to the toilet I am quizzed as to whether or not I washed my hands and if so then what colour was the soap? BUSTED!
This is all great fun and the kids think it's a hoot. The food was very good too - I had a Chicken Caesar Salad, Peggy Sue had Chicken Pot Pie, Scooter had Home fried Chicken, Princess had the Kids Nuggetts and Fries, Dad had the Pot Roast and Mum - well - for fear of being poisoned again - asked for something without garlic - she was given an Ice Cream Sundae!
Between Stephanie and another waitress called Auntie Claire - we had a really good time.
Auntie Claire made the guy behind me wear a bib and she forced him to eat his peas by scooping them up on his fork and playing aeroplanes with them - she kept singing that well known John Lennon ballad "All we are saying.........is give pea's a chance"!
Cyril - sorry Dad - thoroughly enjoyed his Pot Roast and also the Apple Cobbler and Custard that he ordered for dessert. Me, Peggy Sue, Scooter and Princess all had an ice cream sundae too. Brilliant - thoroughly recommend this place we definitely will be back again.(one day)
We make our way out of MGM and back to the villa for a rest and swim as the afternoon heat is taking it's toll on the elder members of the party (Me and Peggy Sue!).
I guess that's the great thing about coming back here to Orlando again - the pressure to stay all day so that you can do ALL the rides is not there on your second or third visit - so you can "chill" a bit more and just pick your favourites.
The weather channel guy is now looking more concerned about a tropical depression which is "getting its act together" as he puts it.
De ja Vu from last year? I hope not!
We take turns to swim, nibble, snooze and watch a bit of TV. Ricky does three all at once!
We return to MGM at 6.00pm.
We walk to Lights Motors Action to watch this excellent show - a first for us all.
Then a leisurely stroll to Catalina Eddie's for some Fries and Coffee. Hannah has a kids meal which comes on a Mickey Mouse shaped plate. So cute - we kept it and brought it home.
I don't know why but Lena gets really cross at me insisting that all my meals are served on this!
Then - the highlight of the holiday - Fantasmic.
Now at this point - while I am videoing the show - Lena has a "go" with the digital camera.
Well I suppose she got the shot but......... well.....what do you think?.......
This show is just as good as the first time we saw it and it rounds off what has been another fantastic day. The setting is stunning and the show and the music are superb. We love this place - the family look suitably impressed and very happy.
We stroll back to Jaunty in the pleasant warm evening atmosphere.
Tomorrow we are going to have a "Universal" day. I'm looking forward to this - particularly as there are a some rides we have never done before - Spiderman, The Mummy and Shrek 3D are top of my list.
I have a light supper from my Mickey plate before bed.
It's been another lovely day today and I really feel relaxed now. I could do with about 6 weeks of this.
Oh well - maybe one day my balls will be selected!
Night all..........
