michygoomy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2003
- Messages
- 822
Thanks for your responses, kind folks, and keep them coming! Give me a little thrill, seeing those reponse numbers stack up! I'm sick, I know.
Previous days can be found here:
Day 1: It's Not Vacation Without the Weather Channel
Day 2: A Tropical Wave is a Future Tropical Storm
Day 3: How Can We Be On Earth if We Were Just on Mars?
Day 4: You Have 13 Boyfriends?
Our cast:
Me--excellent trip planner, bad traveler, 5th trip to the world
R--DH, ? trips to the world
JL--DS10, fourth trip, just like Momma, not a thrill-seeker
Saba--DD7, third trip, thrill seeker who is finally tall enough
Day 5: August 17, 2003: Oooh, They Have Pac-Man!
Today is our first EMH day of the trip, and its time to do all that stuff at MK that I had promised earlier in the trip! Getting up is getting harder and harder. We all sleep well, but I think Im going to get altitude sickness from the height of these beds! What is up with that?
Were out of bed, and the refillable mugs refilled. Im trying not to think about the fact that weve just been washing these out with hot water all week. It might have been wise to bring some dish soap.
We get on the bus and head to the MK. I have my Unofficial Guide touring plan in hand, which will turn out not to be very effective for three reasons: 1.) The attraction openings are so staggered during EHM, 2.) Weve done a number of attractions in our previous late afternoon trips and 3.) Were not so much interested in Fantasyland these days. I still love my UG, though!
We have a plan worked outR and Saba will head right for Space Mountain, and JL and I will take their tickets and try to get them FP for both BTMRR and Splash, before heading to Pirates of the Caribbean for another go-round. See, the small drop wouldve turned off JL if he hadnt tried it first, and now he loves it! Trust your Momma, boys and girls.
We split and JL I learn quickly that the master planner has failed! Adventureland and Frontierland are both closed! Boo, hiss! We make a quick stop to replace ANOTHER broken Misty Fan and head towards Fantasyland and then Tomorrowland. We get in line for the Speedway, not much of a wait there at all, and are paged by R & Saba who have finished Space in record time. They get in line about 20 people behind us, and JL loves driving the car on the Speedway. We head up to Buzz Lightyear SPACE RANGER Spin (say it right with me now, people) where we get in the standby line. R & Saba finish up their Speedway trip and meet up with us. I do worse than I did earlier in the trip, just pitiful.
The rest of the park is finally opening so R & Saba head off to the other two mountains while JL and I practically walk on Pirates. We head over to Jungle Cruise and find it isnt open yet. The CM directs us to the Tiki Room and says that it is open, but it isnt! Im getting really frustrated with the varying opening times, which doesnt work very well for JL and I who arent into the e-ticket attractions. Were still wandering looking for something open when R & Saba finish both mountains and meet up with us. Saba wants to do Aladdin, so JL and I walk off to Swiss Family Treehouse. We joke all the way up about what a horrible hotel it is, no AC, no cable, and mousekeeping looks spotty. At least there are no buses to get to MK!
We finish and try to get a couple pictures of R and Saba on Aladdin. We head off to the Haunted Mansion, which has a pretty short standby line. JL is really nervous waiting for this, which Im surprised because hes ridden this at age 4 and age 6 with no problems. We ride and enjoy it and later on he admits he would go on it again. We never get a chance, though, which is a shame.
I should mention that Saba was not too impressed with any of the MK mountains. Again, shes been spoiled by R&RRC. Im thinking were going to have to move up to the big rollercoasters at the parks back home to give her any kind of thrill now.
Every time we walk past Splash the family teases me about our previous trip. Ive learned my lesson, I wont go on again. If anyone would like to join my family in mocking me, you can read my cautionary tale here: A Cautionary Splash Mountain Tale for Scardy-Cats, go near the bottom of the page.
We head back to Jungle Cruise one more time and the wait is ridiculous. Not worth it, and its about time for our Chef Mickey PS. We get short Monorail trip over to the Contemporary and have a bit of a wait for our PS. This is our one favorite WDW trickgo to Chef Mickeys breakfast for one of the last seatings after spending a morning at MK. Since were up earlier, this is more of a lunch for us, and we can really load up on the buffet. I feel we get more character time, too, because most of the crowd has cleared out.
Were seated and hit that buffet hard. I forget everything Ive learned on weight watchers and eat bacon, cheese omelets, Mickey waffles, pancakes, a chocolate-covered doughnut, you name it-I ate it. Of course, I still pull from my Splenda stash for my coffee. It reminds me of the people who would come into the Dairy Queen and order a medium blizzard (21 points for a cookie one, for those that are curious!) and a Diet Pepsi. We get lots of character time and lots of pictures. Im surprised to find R getting in a lot of the pictures. He hates being in pictures so much that his mother hardly has any of him as a child. Disney must be getting to him.
Im not a big fan of The Chip or The Dale and dont understand why they are everywhere in the world. Is there a big fan following for the munks? Chip and Dale fans, please dont flame me!
Filled to the gills with carbs and fat, were ready to head off and do some shopping. Im determined to replace this darn disgusting camera bag. We find the Contemporary buses, and take our longest bus ride yet to DTD. We stop at the Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian. JL wanted to take the Monorail to the GF and pick up the bus there, and Im thinking at this point that that wouldve been quicker and more pleasant.
We finally arrive at DTD what seems like HOURS later and stop near the fountain for the obligatory potty breaks. Saba gave me a hard time at Epcot for not bringing a change of clothes so she could play in the fountains, so I promise her that well stop at this one on the way out and let her get wet. Some of our best memories from previous trips involve the funny fountains at Epcot and DTD, and I dont want to deny her that. JL reminds me of the time he rescued me in that fountainI was stuck somewhere in the concentric circles, unable to get out without getting doused, and he came through without getting hit and led me out.
We head toward the big Disney store to stock up on those souvenirs. We split up with lists for each. I find the camcorder bag I saw yesterday at Epcot and figure it is my best bet for a camera bag. Its only 25 bucks and I expect to spend more, so Im happy. Some more looking around and I dont have all my souvenirs bought, so R decides to take JL and Saba elsewhere and let me shop in peace. I finish off my list, and pick myself up a Disney tank top (childs size XL, thanks WW!). While checking out, Im notified that I have hit my limit on my card. 500 bucks on day 5, thats not too bad! In my head Im calculating how we got to 500 because last night we got a list from the front desk and we were only at about $350. Im forgetting all about Chef Mickeys already. The CM calls the resort and gets my limit upped, no problem. Yes, Ms. Galla, please spend some more money! I have everything but the camera bag and tank top sent back to the resort and head out to meet up with R and the kids.
JL has found a toy that is the shuttle from Star Tours, how cool is that! He doesnt want to have it sent to the resort because he wants to play with it tonight, so we have them hold it for us and hope well remember to pick it up on our way out.
We stop in the area outside the Lego store and let the kids let off some steam, then head in where I pick up a Darth Vader keychain for my friend. No Boba Fett left, darnnit.
One last stop at Ghiradelli's for some drinks, and I think my WW mentality is coming back because I sit in this fabulous ice cream shop sipping a Diet Coke.
We head down to Disney Quest, and I tell the others that we can walk through PI to get there. We get to the island only to find it closed off. R teases me that the expert planner is wrong again and he was right. Lets keep tabs here and see who was right more often, shall we?
At DQ the CM measures the kids and Saba is bummed that she is too short for a couple of rides for the first time this trip. Into DQ and the fancy elevator. This is definitely Disney. We head for the virtual Jungle Cruise, which is great fun, though we are terrible rowers and get stuck a couple of times. Off to the Pirates of the Caribbean, which is mighty cool right up until the point where we sink. Up a floor and R makes his own song, I make my face into something very odd and Saba puts a million dancing Mickeys on one page. JL tries to get on the animation lesson and his monitor isnt working.
We split up so R can make his own rollercoaster while the kids and I play a couple of rounds of human pinball. Saba and I wait in a long line for Dance, Dance Fever only to find out were terrible at it. R and JL do the Buzz bumpers and have a good time. It is while they are on this that I discover that they have Pac Man! The real kind, not the computer fakers. And Dig Dug! And Tempest! And Frogger! Its 30-something heaven! This room is filled with people my age, playing incessantly, and teens coming in, trying one game, and walking back out. I am quickly reminded that I suck at the games of my youth just as much as I suck at the newfangled games they have today. Saba takes a liking to Frogger. Good thing, it keeps her mind off the fact that shes too short to do Buzz.
R and the kids do one last Jungle Cruise and we decide its time to head out and make an early day of it. After consecutive nights of late shows, the kids are asking for one night in the room early. Imagine that.
Another really long bus ride back to the resort, and the kids and I change into our bathing suits and head down to the pool while R tries to get our internet connection working. Ive been developing a mighty bellyache that may be related to the Chef Mickeys binge-fest or may be related to the sausages at Biergarten last night. Either way, Im quite relieved when R comes down to the pool and tells me the laptop is ready for me, internet connection and all. I get up to the room, just in time, I might add, and in between breaks check into the weight watchers boards and DISboards. Ahh, this is relaxing, but dial-up is awful! I didnt think the one thing I would miss at home would be my broadband internet connection!
R and the kids come back up and we make it an early night. Another good day in the world: tummyache and all.
Stay tuned for Day 6: Please Get Under That Stone Shelter, Maam
Previous days can be found here:
Day 1: It's Not Vacation Without the Weather Channel
Day 2: A Tropical Wave is a Future Tropical Storm
Day 3: How Can We Be On Earth if We Were Just on Mars?
Day 4: You Have 13 Boyfriends?
Our cast:
Me--excellent trip planner, bad traveler, 5th trip to the world
R--DH, ? trips to the world
JL--DS10, fourth trip, just like Momma, not a thrill-seeker
Saba--DD7, third trip, thrill seeker who is finally tall enough
Day 5: August 17, 2003: Oooh, They Have Pac-Man!
Today is our first EMH day of the trip, and its time to do all that stuff at MK that I had promised earlier in the trip! Getting up is getting harder and harder. We all sleep well, but I think Im going to get altitude sickness from the height of these beds! What is up with that?
Were out of bed, and the refillable mugs refilled. Im trying not to think about the fact that weve just been washing these out with hot water all week. It might have been wise to bring some dish soap.
We get on the bus and head to the MK. I have my Unofficial Guide touring plan in hand, which will turn out not to be very effective for three reasons: 1.) The attraction openings are so staggered during EHM, 2.) Weve done a number of attractions in our previous late afternoon trips and 3.) Were not so much interested in Fantasyland these days. I still love my UG, though!
We have a plan worked outR and Saba will head right for Space Mountain, and JL and I will take their tickets and try to get them FP for both BTMRR and Splash, before heading to Pirates of the Caribbean for another go-round. See, the small drop wouldve turned off JL if he hadnt tried it first, and now he loves it! Trust your Momma, boys and girls.
We split and JL I learn quickly that the master planner has failed! Adventureland and Frontierland are both closed! Boo, hiss! We make a quick stop to replace ANOTHER broken Misty Fan and head towards Fantasyland and then Tomorrowland. We get in line for the Speedway, not much of a wait there at all, and are paged by R & Saba who have finished Space in record time. They get in line about 20 people behind us, and JL loves driving the car on the Speedway. We head up to Buzz Lightyear SPACE RANGER Spin (say it right with me now, people) where we get in the standby line. R & Saba finish up their Speedway trip and meet up with us. I do worse than I did earlier in the trip, just pitiful.
The rest of the park is finally opening so R & Saba head off to the other two mountains while JL and I practically walk on Pirates. We head over to Jungle Cruise and find it isnt open yet. The CM directs us to the Tiki Room and says that it is open, but it isnt! Im getting really frustrated with the varying opening times, which doesnt work very well for JL and I who arent into the e-ticket attractions. Were still wandering looking for something open when R & Saba finish both mountains and meet up with us. Saba wants to do Aladdin, so JL and I walk off to Swiss Family Treehouse. We joke all the way up about what a horrible hotel it is, no AC, no cable, and mousekeeping looks spotty. At least there are no buses to get to MK!
We finish and try to get a couple pictures of R and Saba on Aladdin. We head off to the Haunted Mansion, which has a pretty short standby line. JL is really nervous waiting for this, which Im surprised because hes ridden this at age 4 and age 6 with no problems. We ride and enjoy it and later on he admits he would go on it again. We never get a chance, though, which is a shame.
I should mention that Saba was not too impressed with any of the MK mountains. Again, shes been spoiled by R&RRC. Im thinking were going to have to move up to the big rollercoasters at the parks back home to give her any kind of thrill now.
Every time we walk past Splash the family teases me about our previous trip. Ive learned my lesson, I wont go on again. If anyone would like to join my family in mocking me, you can read my cautionary tale here: A Cautionary Splash Mountain Tale for Scardy-Cats, go near the bottom of the page.
We head back to Jungle Cruise one more time and the wait is ridiculous. Not worth it, and its about time for our Chef Mickey PS. We get short Monorail trip over to the Contemporary and have a bit of a wait for our PS. This is our one favorite WDW trickgo to Chef Mickeys breakfast for one of the last seatings after spending a morning at MK. Since were up earlier, this is more of a lunch for us, and we can really load up on the buffet. I feel we get more character time, too, because most of the crowd has cleared out.
Were seated and hit that buffet hard. I forget everything Ive learned on weight watchers and eat bacon, cheese omelets, Mickey waffles, pancakes, a chocolate-covered doughnut, you name it-I ate it. Of course, I still pull from my Splenda stash for my coffee. It reminds me of the people who would come into the Dairy Queen and order a medium blizzard (21 points for a cookie one, for those that are curious!) and a Diet Pepsi. We get lots of character time and lots of pictures. Im surprised to find R getting in a lot of the pictures. He hates being in pictures so much that his mother hardly has any of him as a child. Disney must be getting to him.
Im not a big fan of The Chip or The Dale and dont understand why they are everywhere in the world. Is there a big fan following for the munks? Chip and Dale fans, please dont flame me!
Filled to the gills with carbs and fat, were ready to head off and do some shopping. Im determined to replace this darn disgusting camera bag. We find the Contemporary buses, and take our longest bus ride yet to DTD. We stop at the Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian. JL wanted to take the Monorail to the GF and pick up the bus there, and Im thinking at this point that that wouldve been quicker and more pleasant.
We finally arrive at DTD what seems like HOURS later and stop near the fountain for the obligatory potty breaks. Saba gave me a hard time at Epcot for not bringing a change of clothes so she could play in the fountains, so I promise her that well stop at this one on the way out and let her get wet. Some of our best memories from previous trips involve the funny fountains at Epcot and DTD, and I dont want to deny her that. JL reminds me of the time he rescued me in that fountainI was stuck somewhere in the concentric circles, unable to get out without getting doused, and he came through without getting hit and led me out.
We head toward the big Disney store to stock up on those souvenirs. We split up with lists for each. I find the camcorder bag I saw yesterday at Epcot and figure it is my best bet for a camera bag. Its only 25 bucks and I expect to spend more, so Im happy. Some more looking around and I dont have all my souvenirs bought, so R decides to take JL and Saba elsewhere and let me shop in peace. I finish off my list, and pick myself up a Disney tank top (childs size XL, thanks WW!). While checking out, Im notified that I have hit my limit on my card. 500 bucks on day 5, thats not too bad! In my head Im calculating how we got to 500 because last night we got a list from the front desk and we were only at about $350. Im forgetting all about Chef Mickeys already. The CM calls the resort and gets my limit upped, no problem. Yes, Ms. Galla, please spend some more money! I have everything but the camera bag and tank top sent back to the resort and head out to meet up with R and the kids.
JL has found a toy that is the shuttle from Star Tours, how cool is that! He doesnt want to have it sent to the resort because he wants to play with it tonight, so we have them hold it for us and hope well remember to pick it up on our way out.
We stop in the area outside the Lego store and let the kids let off some steam, then head in where I pick up a Darth Vader keychain for my friend. No Boba Fett left, darnnit.
One last stop at Ghiradelli's for some drinks, and I think my WW mentality is coming back because I sit in this fabulous ice cream shop sipping a Diet Coke.
We head down to Disney Quest, and I tell the others that we can walk through PI to get there. We get to the island only to find it closed off. R teases me that the expert planner is wrong again and he was right. Lets keep tabs here and see who was right more often, shall we?
At DQ the CM measures the kids and Saba is bummed that she is too short for a couple of rides for the first time this trip. Into DQ and the fancy elevator. This is definitely Disney. We head for the virtual Jungle Cruise, which is great fun, though we are terrible rowers and get stuck a couple of times. Off to the Pirates of the Caribbean, which is mighty cool right up until the point where we sink. Up a floor and R makes his own song, I make my face into something very odd and Saba puts a million dancing Mickeys on one page. JL tries to get on the animation lesson and his monitor isnt working.
We split up so R can make his own rollercoaster while the kids and I play a couple of rounds of human pinball. Saba and I wait in a long line for Dance, Dance Fever only to find out were terrible at it. R and JL do the Buzz bumpers and have a good time. It is while they are on this that I discover that they have Pac Man! The real kind, not the computer fakers. And Dig Dug! And Tempest! And Frogger! Its 30-something heaven! This room is filled with people my age, playing incessantly, and teens coming in, trying one game, and walking back out. I am quickly reminded that I suck at the games of my youth just as much as I suck at the newfangled games they have today. Saba takes a liking to Frogger. Good thing, it keeps her mind off the fact that shes too short to do Buzz.
R and the kids do one last Jungle Cruise and we decide its time to head out and make an early day of it. After consecutive nights of late shows, the kids are asking for one night in the room early. Imagine that.
Another really long bus ride back to the resort, and the kids and I change into our bathing suits and head down to the pool while R tries to get our internet connection working. Ive been developing a mighty bellyache that may be related to the Chef Mickeys binge-fest or may be related to the sausages at Biergarten last night. Either way, Im quite relieved when R comes down to the pool and tells me the laptop is ready for me, internet connection and all. I get up to the room, just in time, I might add, and in between breaks check into the weight watchers boards and DISboards. Ahh, this is relaxing, but dial-up is awful! I didnt think the one thing I would miss at home would be my broadband internet connection!
R and the kids come back up and we make it an early night. Another good day in the world: tummyache and all.
Stay tuned for Day 6: Please Get Under That Stone Shelter, Maam
I read your Splash Mountain adventure! I'm glad you're able to laugh about it. I thought the funniest thing was your DH tossing his hat over for you to hold.
