By the time we were on our 3rd cast member at Disney's Magical Depress, we were beginning to get the feeling that no matter how much we stamped our little feet, or how long I told Smidgy to hold her breath even if she turns purple, we are not going to win this arguement.
The last guy came out from behind the counter with us, mostly to get us out of the way of the "real" customers that have been accepted. He even made a point of calling someone, (TSA?) supposedly, wait, wait, have to spell that word this way cuz Diane likes it spelled this way so much: Supposably, he talked to the higher ups, but nothing anyone could do.
Then he told us it was a very short walk from the bus drop off to the baggage check in.
What a crock o' crap that turned out to be!
We walked forever, then after asking directions, (she did, my manlihood is still intact) we ended up at the way, way, back of this hugely long line that went, way, way, forward.
This wasn't the security check line, this was the baggage check line.
And right in front of us is a "family" of about 35 Mexicans, kids running everywhere and nobody speaking a word of English.
I came up with the one word I could think of then:
Pilegro", it's close, spelling might be off a letter.
This was a good half hour line; put the bags down, rest a minute, pick them up and move forward 6 feet, put them down again. My back was screaming.
I tried to slide them with my feet but that motion hurt too.
Luckily, they had lost a little weight on the trip, SunnyD and Whiskey and Vodka all gone, well most of it.
Never did finish that 18 pack of beer we bought at the Hess station though, I found that amazing but the cold had a lot to do with that.
I am going to just throw in some random pictures along the way here, some favorites of the castle and just some others that pique my interest from previous trips.
My best castle pics are from the first December trip I think, and probably from one of those throw away cameras.
The thing that worried me was that the group in front of us might be going to O'Hare also. I was so relieved when I heard them say, Miami.
Whew!
Once we were checked we went back outside for a last smoke. The sun was finally out now, but it was real windy outside there, so the cold was still felt in earnest.
Back inside, before we went through security, Smidgy went oup to a TSA guy overlooking the action and asked him why we would be denied the total use of Magical Express.
He said they wouldn't, they have nothing to do with it.
Smidgy told him no, we were just told that you pulled our name, probably at random forcing us to carry and check our own bags.
His only response, and then he wouldn't say anymore about it, was: "Disney told you that, huh?" with a little bit of a knowing smirk on his face.
Next time you get the details from your package reservation, check out the fine print concerning ME on the back, it is there but it's the first time it's happened to us.
Everything else went smooth, no gropage during security check, plane was only about 5 minutes late leaving.
I found something else to amuse me though in the takeoff;
When you are going a whopping top speed of 15 miles per hour across what seems like miles of smooth airport tarmacs and runways of pristine asphalt, you MUST have your seat belt on.
However, 30,000 feet in the air traveling at 425 miles per hour when a downdraft can bounce your head off the ceiling, no problem, no need for seatbelts, hey, take a walk if you want!
I am now left alone with my thoughts, kind of like this morning walking along the lake but now it was like the games mattered, the thoughts were more serious.
We knew the July trip was going to be different for us from the norm, not being able to do a lot of the usual stuff we're used to cuz of the crowds, and this trip was going to make up for it in a big way: light crowds, little rain, and we've been here in December so we knew what to expect.
Well, in those regards this trip didn't come close!
I'd place the blame: 60 percent cold, 40 percent back problems.
Let's see, we were barely at Animal Kingdom, the only highlight realyy was trying a new restaurant, Yak n Yeti, oh, and of course the meeting with the Arkansas folks. I was hoping to get them out of lurkdom by this time but no luck there, they are lurkers extraordinare!
We tried really hard to enjoy Epcot, again, the eating helped but it's the most wide open park, therefore the windiest and coldest.
At least I wasn't tempted to do the "make you feel like crap" rides, "Mission Spray" or "The Chum of all Fears"
But we never did check out the new restaurant in Mexico, nor did we even ride one of our least favorite Epcot rides, "Nordstrom's" , but it's still tradition to ride it anyway.
We also knew that StressfullMagic Parade was still be ing replaced by Main Street Electrical Parade, which we don't care for , but this is now two trips in a row with out Spectro that we do like a lot.
And once again, no Light's, Motors, Action, been years since we've seen that now, and no Aerosmith either, can't remember the last time I did that.
No Expedition EVerest, no Safari ride, I don't think we did Jungle Cruise, but the most unthinkable things in the world,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
this doesn't seem possible....
We never did Splash Mountain, and
the first night we were there, there was no Wishes because of the Christmas Party, and the second night my back was just too bad to last,,,,,,,along with the cold.
Did I mention that I also brought with our passes for the water parks, (we still have 8 days left a piece) just in case the weather was nicer than normal.
And, during the summer they had that other weird fireworks show instead of Wishes, so unbelievably this is two trips in a row without Wishes!
my favorite castle picture
So, the December trip did not in any way, shape or form come close to making things right again in our DisneyWorld personal theater. I know it sounds dumb, but it's like a wrong that hasn't been righted,
an itch that still needs to be scratched.
But I know 2011 is going to be a tough year, mainly, we have a wedding coming up, no, not another one of ours, two is enough, but our son is getting married in July.
Who knows how much that will eventually all cost.
But mainly too, we need to pay off these trips we've recently taken, the credit cards are way up there again.
But if there is a way, it would have to be later in the year, hmm, a value season but not too late where its a FROZEN novalue season trip.
But we are really pretty sick of POP now, don't want to go back there, and we stayed in Sports, (Brazilians) in July, along with a stay at Music,(water balloons) then too.
We also visited Movies but we aren't really looking to stay at any Values for a while.
And the Moderates really yank up the cost.
What to do? What to do?
Trivia time, who can tell me who this is?
That was when the idea of renting points came in again.
Let's pretend it's warm out.
When we returned home, I was al over the
points charts, and even in value season no matter where we chose it was cheaper to stay at a DVC renting from our lawyer friend than to use the 35 percent PIN we got in the mail while we were gone.
Everything went smooth the rest of the way, once we got our bags we called for the limo and had a 15 minute wait out in the cold, then got home to find piles of snow everywhere.
I went to the garage and punched in the code, then walked back to the limo and wound up flat on my back in a half second, falling on the driveway.
Damn, it's good to be home!
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No, it wasn't one of our best trips, but Smidgy did all she could to make it as fun as possible, I felt bad that I was part of the reason for the overall low grade. If I had brought a winter coat,,,, if I had brought a better back,,,,if I wasn't so anal about the cold.....
But she is really excited about the September trip now, we've never stayed at a Monorail resort, never stayed at the Contemporary, much less Bay Lake Towers. Only stayed 3 nights at Animal Kingdom 9 years ago, we'll have kitchenettes both places, the microwave comes in so handy and opens up your eating choices immensely. We'll walk to MK, take the Mono to Epcot and just go to those parks when we're at BLT. We still have many water park passes left, that will be nice, haven't been to Blizzard Beach since 07.
And we'll have a car again, not totally at the busses mercy.
Yes, I do so want to have a better trip this next time, Smidgy has been through a lot this last year too, things I haven't gone into about.
OH, and I promise not to hurt myself this next trip.
This chapter is about to get ridiculously long, so I will probablly write and epitaph after this one.
Wait a minute. Epitaph? Hmm, no, um,,OH! Epilogue! Yeah, I like that SO much better!
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Breaking News!
We interupt this trip report to bring you a most incredible story, one that you will have a hard time believing!
Well, maybe not incredible but certainly amazing.
Well, maybe not amazing, but definately falls into the "You gotta be kidding" area.
Well, maybe not........
You WILL definately be amused, and possibly frightened as well, as I myself was.
The events you are about to read are true, no names have been changed to protect the naive and gullible.
What you will read has happened and I will relay them to you in a truthful order of occurance, as implausible as they may seem.
So do not try to adjust your monitor, I will control the fonts and spacing but control will be returned to you upon completion of this breaking news event.
Some background datum may be helpful though, first.
Many years ago early in our marriage, I would always bring home the newspaper I would purchase on the way to work, which Diane would read either that night or early the next morning.
One April first, I bought 2 papers that day, one I brought home, the other I kept in a plastic bag in the drawer of my work bench.
For a year!
This paper I brought home the following April 1st!
That night after dinner I was on the couch reading a book, she was on the floor going through the newspaper from last year.
I kept glancing over at her, I'd see an occasional puzzled look on her face but she just kept on reading.
Finally she looked up and sain, "I thought Breznev was dead!?"
I busted up laughing, it still took her a bit to figure it out, then vowing revenge for all eternity!
She got it too.
A couple years later, we needed a new washing machine, and ended up getting a great deal on one from Montgomery Ward but had to order it, it wouldn't be in for a few days.
In the meantime April 1st rolled around again, and I wanted to see if lightnign could strike twice in the same place and redid the exact same prank.
But this time I had to work late, so she never got to the paper that evening.
The following day, I got an excited call at work:
"Steve, you won't be able to believe this, I just found an ad for the same washing machine we ordered for a hundred bucks less, so I cancelled the one on order and all we have to do is go and pick up this new one tonight. " "By the way, they said that the sale is over, there's no way we can get that price again now, but I just laughed because we will be saving over a hundred bucks!"
For me, the old newspaper joke was the furthest thing in my mind right then.
"Hey, that's great, where did you find out about it?"
"It was in the paper you brought home last night, I'm surprised you didn't notice it."
The nickel didn't just fall in for me, this was more like getting crushed by 1000 nickels.
"Oh, my, God." "I wonder if we can uncancel the cancel. "
She could have played me for more, but she was too anxious and delerious with joy for nailing me that she just went,,,
"Right back atcha!"
She got me.
Ever since then there has been a decidedly obvious lack of trust on April 1st, which now brings us to Friday, April 1, 2011.
I didn't do nuttin. Didn't have to.
She got up in the morning and immediately got online to check the Dis to see if there's any news on free dining yet.
Then she came down to tell me there's nothing new on the free dining front, but there's a 30 percent code out for deluxes for the summer.
Then,,,, she told me she just read that they are changing the way refillable mugs work. They will now be good for life, too many cast members have complained about trying to enforce the rules concerning the mugs.
And,,,,according to the DIS,,,there will be a chip in the mugs, if you are staying at a Deluxe resort, you will be allowed 5 refills per day, 4 at a Mod and only 3 at a Value.
The refill station wont' work once you have surpassed your day's quota.
Believe me, it's been a long time since I have guffawed, but I held my tongue, this was too good.
Nope, not so much as a little chortle from me.
And she kept talking about it:
"Does that mean you can still use the old mugs, or is this from now on with the new mugs that just came out?"
"I don't know honey, I'm guessing just the new ones, we'll still need to get new mugs."
"Boy," she said, not letting it go, "this sounds like it's just going to make things even more complicated, doesn't it?"
"Oh, I don't know, they always seem to know what they're doing."
Then she went and started reading her paper. A half hour later she mentioned that last week, her co worker at Wine and Roses said he's going to get her for April Fools Day, and whe better stary alert around him.
I bit my tongue a little bit longer.
THen she told me that
Disneyland is having to shut down Worlds of Color due to law suits from Knottsberry Farm or whatever.
By now, I'm done. Can't take any more.
"Diane, I wouldn't worry about Renee getting you tonight for April Fools, I'm pretty sure you've already been gotten today."
"Oh, you mean cuz he said he was going to so he doesn't really have to now because I'm already worried about it?"
"No, this isn't the Mash episode, I mean you have been gotten, fair and simple, you just haven't realized it cuz noone has yelled "April Fools" at you.
Now she's getting impatient, "What are you talking about?"
Wow.
"Ok, if I was to come up to you and on April Fool's Day and tell you that they are going to put a chip in the Disney Mugs now that will limit how many refills you can get depending on which resort you're at and,,,,,,,,,"
But she still wasn't completely convinced, I knew in ten minutes she'd be back upstairs checking it out on the computer, sure enough;
"I can't stand it, there's got to be a thread started on it by now, wouldn't you think?"
"Yeah, I think!"
Within 5 minutes I hear what I was expecting to hear come bellowing down the stairs: "Oh I hate you!"
Man, when she drinks that Disboard Kool Aid............
That was as good as if I'd done it myself. Sometimes she is so cute when she's that gullible.
. I know. 
Since he already threw out his back, I'll get my cousin's best friend, girlfriend, sister that works over at TSA to flag him; that way he'll have to try and carry his bags to check-in." (Insert evil laugh here).
You actually called it by it's name and not Magical Depress. Who are you what did you do with Nebo?
So, are you hiding the knives? I fell for the World of Color one, too. I am pitiful. 
. 
. Their version of "when you wish upon a star" would always give me goose bumps.
r even take a trip to "make up for" a not-so-good trip. 
