Hi everyone! I'm seriously, seriously wanting another trip to The World this year, and my particular way of thinking leads me to believe that tying up the loose ends on our LAST trip will somehow make that more likely to happen. So here, at long last, is the continuation of our Halloween Adventure. This day is described in its entirety here, as I can't seem to get the blog to format the way I want to anymore.
The Cast:
Me Mom, (34), perpetually exhausted control freak, but Im working on it
Captain Planner Dad, (37), former naysayer who has embraced Disney wholeheartedly
Tinkerbell DD (15), moods are like the weather in Southwestern Ontario wait five minutes, itll change
Dory DD (13), a bit absentminded, but game for anything
Shopaholic DD (8), cant decide if her favourite attraction was Space Mountain or the gift shop
Previous days:
Halloween Adventure 2005 Pre-Trip
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=935349&referrerid=&highlight=Halloween+Adventure+2005
Halloween Adventure 2005 - Day 1 - Hoop Dee Doin' It
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=938849&referrerid=&highlight=Halloween+Adventure+2005
Halloween Adventure 2005 - Day 2
Who The Heck Is Tammy, And What Is She Doing On My Vacation?
I rarely sleep well when Im away from home, and Disney is no exception. Sometime in the tossing and turning of last night, the difference between this double bed and our queen-size at home became startlingly apparent simply put, theres no room for tossing and turning. I vaguely recall the phone ringing in the wee small hours. Tinkerbelle, who is unfamiliar with the concept of a wake-up call, answered it. I vaguely recall her saying What? What? Huh? Mom!
And then Captain left for his 7:56 a.m. tee time, and I slept soundly until ten.
Those who follow along will eventually note that we lugged a set of golf clubs several hundred miles for one game of golf. Captain has wanted to golf at WDW forever, but hes always been reluctant to lose touring time. Also, the cost. This time, I insisted that he make it important. Lugging the clubs was a cheaper alternative than renting them, and gave him a good excuse to go out and buy a travel case for them.
End of golf digression.
Were breaking every Disney rule in the book by sleeping in, but our bodies can only take so much. The first part of today (except for Captains golf) was planned as a respite, so we can tackle evening EMH at the MK. When I do wake up, Tinkerbelle is missing too. Theres a note tucked into the mirror frame from Captain, confirming our plans to meet up later. And a note on the table from Tinkerbelle, informing me shes gone to the food court to fill up my coffee mug.
I think today shell be my favourite child.
I rouse Dory and Shopaholic, just as Tinkerbelle returns. Shes also got plastic knives and jam packets to go with the bagels in the room. Good thinking! The girls sit down to a quick breakfast while I hit the shower.
While they get ready, I flip on the Weather Channel, just in time to hear Tropical Storm Tammy is about 100 miles east of Cape Canaveral. WHAT? Its only been 30 hours since I checked the NOAA website for the last time where did Tammy come from? Its no wonder were getting so much rain!
Its sunny when we leave the room though. Our rain gear is in our backpacks, we have water bottles, the tip envelope has been left for Mousekeeping. Shopaholic is mighty proud of those tip envelopes Im glad I took the trouble to make them, even though it was just one more thing to finish the night before we left.
We arrive at the bus stop at 11:45 a.m. plenty of time, I think, to get the bus to the MK and then the monorail to GF for Shopaholics Tea Party at 1:30 p.m. Sadly, I am mistaken three buses for Epcot come and go before one for MK finally arrives. And, of course, the resort monorail is just pulling out when we come racing up the ramp. We are the second last to arrive for the Wonderland Tea Party, with four minutes to spare.
The Wonderland Tea Party is advertised for kids aged 3-9, and most of the guests appear to be under five. Shopaholic and one other girl tower over their fellow tea drinkers. Four guests are dressed like Alice. We see her safely seated, snap a few pics and leave her to her tea. We hang around outside long enough to see Alice and the Mad Hatter and the slamming of the doors. This was apparently too much excitement for one little guy less than ten minutes after the party has started, Cast Members have the howling child at the desk, and theyre paging his parental unit. Crying is not allowed at the Wonderland Tea Party.
Tinkerbelle, Dory and I wander through the GF in search of the Gasparilla Grill, where weve decided to have lunch. They werent interested in High Tea, and theyve declined the boat rental Ive offered them Tinkerbelle doesnt want to be on that huge body of water we crossed yesterday afternoon. On the way through the lobby, we see a wedding party, complete with bride, heading towards the front door.
Dory is quite disturbed by the lizards, which are everywhere. Shes not afraid of them, but concerned about stepping on them, especially after we see at least two that have met that fate. I agree its kind of gross.
Gasparilla Grill turns out to be the GFs food court, and is much smaller than the one over at POR. The lines arent short, but theyre not awful. This is our first real experience with our Dining Plan Counter Service Credits, and we use three. We take our lunch outside, and enjoy the peace and quiet. Both girls express their desire to stay here one day, and I concur.
The hour passes quickly, and we retrieve Shopaholic right on time. Shes enjoyed herself, and has a souvenir photo, as well as a bunch of flowers to give me. We head upstairs to catch the monorail over to the MK.
Oh look, a gift shop. Cant pass that up, now can we? Look Mummy! Look at the pins! Shopaholic browses intently she hasnt caught on yet that its pretty much the same merchandise weve seen everywhere else. She may never catch on. Thirty minutes later, we finally board the monorail.
We arrive at MK just before the 3 oclock parade is starting. Its impossible to see through the wall of people lining Main Street, so we scoot up Main Street and manage to hop across the road to Adventureland. We visit Swiss Family Treehouse, which the girls havent seen since they were small, and dont remember. The waters not running, and somehow, this attraction doesnt seem as attractive as I remember it being. I wait while they ride Aladdins Magic Carpets the wait is surprisingly short. They only have to wait through two cycles before its their turn, and I get some good pictures. Then, we walk into Tiki Birds just as a show is starting.
When we come out, its pouring rain, so theres gridlock at the exit while people don rain ponchos. Were not ready for ponchos yet this cant last, right? We dodge from overhang to overhang, around the corner to Frontierland, where, oh look, its a gift shop. Look Mummy! Look at the pins!
Its time to meet Captain at City Hall. We park ourselves outside the door, and right on time, there he is. We head to Tomorrowland, meet Buzz, the Incredibles and Stitch, then Captain and Shopaholic try Stitchs Great Escape. The big girls and I ride the TTA, which Ill always think of as the Wedway People Mover. Captain and Shopaholic still havent come out, so we ride the TTA again. They STILL havent reappeared, so the girls go off to ride Astro Orbiter while I wait outside Stitch.
The big girls come back, and FINALLY, theres Captain and Shopaholic. Her backpack has been left behind, so we wait some more while the best CM in the world goes inside to search the theatre. DAYS later (ok, 20 minutes) they come out with her backpack. Yahoo! Weve lost many things at WDW over the years, but this is the first time somethings ever been FOUND.
Its raining again third time today and by now, Im not liking the name Tammy anymore. Its also time for dinner at Tonys Town Square. We navigate the slippery ramp of excitement through the Tomorrowland Terrace, and race down Main Street. A short wait in the lobby, and were seated in the section closest to the front of the building.
Tonys is a restaurant Ive always wanted to try, based on nothing more than the way it looks from the outside. On a regular WDW trip, we dont do a lot of table service meals feeding five adds up! But this is FREE DINING, so were making the most of it. Id hoped that our seats might afford us a good view of SpectroMagic.
Alas, I can no longer rave about Tonys. The food wasnt bad, but I wouldnt go out of my way to pay for it. The lasagne tasted no different than the lasagne you get on a paper plate at the POR food court. Any illusion of elegance I may have gotten from outside was simply that an illusion. Tonys is just another restaurant.
The view was also a disappointment. On a clear day, we might have had a nice view of the Hatter Shop. On this evening, all we can see is wet glass, as the rain continues to fall. However, using Disney Dining Math, we manage to feed five people with four table service credits, and we still turn down dessert. (except Shopaholic)
As we ate, I noticed that the fence to backstage appeared to be open, and Regular Guests seemed to be streaming through it. I knew this was backstage we took the Keys to the Kingdom your last year. I couldnt figure out what was going on, and kept saying, those people arent allowed back there, what are they doing?
I got my answer when we left the restaurant. On this night and later nights, wed come to discover CMs re-route guest traffic through this backstage area during SpectroMagic, so that guests not watching the parade arent tripping over those who are along Main Street. We were headed for Tomorrowland, so we joined the herd of people marching through the service area and parking lot.
It definitely took away from the magic Id seen it before, but that was on a tour, when they allow you to share the secret. This abrupt departure from Total Disney Immersion seemed un-natural, and the kids didnt like it either. Theres got to be a better way.
We hit the Speedway, and caught a couple of rides and the fireworks between rain showers later in Fantasyland. Its an EMH, but were done. Dory and Tinkerbelle were starting to fret about getting some school work done, and I was way more tired than I expected. Rain does that to me it saps my mental energy and I cant keep myself motivated to keep going.
Back to POR, with a couple of stops at gift shops along the way. Hustling Shopaholic down Main Street without letting her stop would have been cruel, but we kept her moving with the promise that we would do Main Street before leaving six days from now.
Our Mousekeeper, perhaps sensing our Canadian-ness, has arranged a window display, featuring the stuffed animals in a towel CANOE!! I think this is genius, and am tickled that even the teens are entertained by towel animals.
We get the big girls settled with their books, and take the little one down to the quiet pool, where she promptly strikes up a conversation with a dad and two little boys, sharing all of her Disney knowledge with them.
Animal Kingdom is the plan for morning - Tammy, Tammy, go away!
Stay tuned!
Shelley
http://movershakerbirthdaycakebaker.blogs.com/remember_the_magic
The Cast:
Me Mom, (34), perpetually exhausted control freak, but Im working on it
Captain Planner Dad, (37), former naysayer who has embraced Disney wholeheartedly
Tinkerbell DD (15), moods are like the weather in Southwestern Ontario wait five minutes, itll change
Dory DD (13), a bit absentminded, but game for anything
Shopaholic DD (8), cant decide if her favourite attraction was Space Mountain or the gift shop
Previous days:
Halloween Adventure 2005 Pre-Trip
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=935349&referrerid=&highlight=Halloween+Adventure+2005
Halloween Adventure 2005 - Day 1 - Hoop Dee Doin' It
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=938849&referrerid=&highlight=Halloween+Adventure+2005
Halloween Adventure 2005 - Day 2
Who The Heck Is Tammy, And What Is She Doing On My Vacation?
I rarely sleep well when Im away from home, and Disney is no exception. Sometime in the tossing and turning of last night, the difference between this double bed and our queen-size at home became startlingly apparent simply put, theres no room for tossing and turning. I vaguely recall the phone ringing in the wee small hours. Tinkerbelle, who is unfamiliar with the concept of a wake-up call, answered it. I vaguely recall her saying What? What? Huh? Mom!
And then Captain left for his 7:56 a.m. tee time, and I slept soundly until ten.
Those who follow along will eventually note that we lugged a set of golf clubs several hundred miles for one game of golf. Captain has wanted to golf at WDW forever, but hes always been reluctant to lose touring time. Also, the cost. This time, I insisted that he make it important. Lugging the clubs was a cheaper alternative than renting them, and gave him a good excuse to go out and buy a travel case for them.
End of golf digression.
Were breaking every Disney rule in the book by sleeping in, but our bodies can only take so much. The first part of today (except for Captains golf) was planned as a respite, so we can tackle evening EMH at the MK. When I do wake up, Tinkerbelle is missing too. Theres a note tucked into the mirror frame from Captain, confirming our plans to meet up later. And a note on the table from Tinkerbelle, informing me shes gone to the food court to fill up my coffee mug.
I think today shell be my favourite child.
I rouse Dory and Shopaholic, just as Tinkerbelle returns. Shes also got plastic knives and jam packets to go with the bagels in the room. Good thinking! The girls sit down to a quick breakfast while I hit the shower.
While they get ready, I flip on the Weather Channel, just in time to hear Tropical Storm Tammy is about 100 miles east of Cape Canaveral. WHAT? Its only been 30 hours since I checked the NOAA website for the last time where did Tammy come from? Its no wonder were getting so much rain!
Its sunny when we leave the room though. Our rain gear is in our backpacks, we have water bottles, the tip envelope has been left for Mousekeeping. Shopaholic is mighty proud of those tip envelopes Im glad I took the trouble to make them, even though it was just one more thing to finish the night before we left.
We arrive at the bus stop at 11:45 a.m. plenty of time, I think, to get the bus to the MK and then the monorail to GF for Shopaholics Tea Party at 1:30 p.m. Sadly, I am mistaken three buses for Epcot come and go before one for MK finally arrives. And, of course, the resort monorail is just pulling out when we come racing up the ramp. We are the second last to arrive for the Wonderland Tea Party, with four minutes to spare.
The Wonderland Tea Party is advertised for kids aged 3-9, and most of the guests appear to be under five. Shopaholic and one other girl tower over their fellow tea drinkers. Four guests are dressed like Alice. We see her safely seated, snap a few pics and leave her to her tea. We hang around outside long enough to see Alice and the Mad Hatter and the slamming of the doors. This was apparently too much excitement for one little guy less than ten minutes after the party has started, Cast Members have the howling child at the desk, and theyre paging his parental unit. Crying is not allowed at the Wonderland Tea Party.
Tinkerbelle, Dory and I wander through the GF in search of the Gasparilla Grill, where weve decided to have lunch. They werent interested in High Tea, and theyve declined the boat rental Ive offered them Tinkerbelle doesnt want to be on that huge body of water we crossed yesterday afternoon. On the way through the lobby, we see a wedding party, complete with bride, heading towards the front door.
Dory is quite disturbed by the lizards, which are everywhere. Shes not afraid of them, but concerned about stepping on them, especially after we see at least two that have met that fate. I agree its kind of gross.
Gasparilla Grill turns out to be the GFs food court, and is much smaller than the one over at POR. The lines arent short, but theyre not awful. This is our first real experience with our Dining Plan Counter Service Credits, and we use three. We take our lunch outside, and enjoy the peace and quiet. Both girls express their desire to stay here one day, and I concur.
The hour passes quickly, and we retrieve Shopaholic right on time. Shes enjoyed herself, and has a souvenir photo, as well as a bunch of flowers to give me. We head upstairs to catch the monorail over to the MK.
Oh look, a gift shop. Cant pass that up, now can we? Look Mummy! Look at the pins! Shopaholic browses intently she hasnt caught on yet that its pretty much the same merchandise weve seen everywhere else. She may never catch on. Thirty minutes later, we finally board the monorail.
We arrive at MK just before the 3 oclock parade is starting. Its impossible to see through the wall of people lining Main Street, so we scoot up Main Street and manage to hop across the road to Adventureland. We visit Swiss Family Treehouse, which the girls havent seen since they were small, and dont remember. The waters not running, and somehow, this attraction doesnt seem as attractive as I remember it being. I wait while they ride Aladdins Magic Carpets the wait is surprisingly short. They only have to wait through two cycles before its their turn, and I get some good pictures. Then, we walk into Tiki Birds just as a show is starting.
When we come out, its pouring rain, so theres gridlock at the exit while people don rain ponchos. Were not ready for ponchos yet this cant last, right? We dodge from overhang to overhang, around the corner to Frontierland, where, oh look, its a gift shop. Look Mummy! Look at the pins!
Its time to meet Captain at City Hall. We park ourselves outside the door, and right on time, there he is. We head to Tomorrowland, meet Buzz, the Incredibles and Stitch, then Captain and Shopaholic try Stitchs Great Escape. The big girls and I ride the TTA, which Ill always think of as the Wedway People Mover. Captain and Shopaholic still havent come out, so we ride the TTA again. They STILL havent reappeared, so the girls go off to ride Astro Orbiter while I wait outside Stitch.
The big girls come back, and FINALLY, theres Captain and Shopaholic. Her backpack has been left behind, so we wait some more while the best CM in the world goes inside to search the theatre. DAYS later (ok, 20 minutes) they come out with her backpack. Yahoo! Weve lost many things at WDW over the years, but this is the first time somethings ever been FOUND.
Its raining again third time today and by now, Im not liking the name Tammy anymore. Its also time for dinner at Tonys Town Square. We navigate the slippery ramp of excitement through the Tomorrowland Terrace, and race down Main Street. A short wait in the lobby, and were seated in the section closest to the front of the building.
Tonys is a restaurant Ive always wanted to try, based on nothing more than the way it looks from the outside. On a regular WDW trip, we dont do a lot of table service meals feeding five adds up! But this is FREE DINING, so were making the most of it. Id hoped that our seats might afford us a good view of SpectroMagic.
Alas, I can no longer rave about Tonys. The food wasnt bad, but I wouldnt go out of my way to pay for it. The lasagne tasted no different than the lasagne you get on a paper plate at the POR food court. Any illusion of elegance I may have gotten from outside was simply that an illusion. Tonys is just another restaurant.
The view was also a disappointment. On a clear day, we might have had a nice view of the Hatter Shop. On this evening, all we can see is wet glass, as the rain continues to fall. However, using Disney Dining Math, we manage to feed five people with four table service credits, and we still turn down dessert. (except Shopaholic)
As we ate, I noticed that the fence to backstage appeared to be open, and Regular Guests seemed to be streaming through it. I knew this was backstage we took the Keys to the Kingdom your last year. I couldnt figure out what was going on, and kept saying, those people arent allowed back there, what are they doing?
I got my answer when we left the restaurant. On this night and later nights, wed come to discover CMs re-route guest traffic through this backstage area during SpectroMagic, so that guests not watching the parade arent tripping over those who are along Main Street. We were headed for Tomorrowland, so we joined the herd of people marching through the service area and parking lot.
It definitely took away from the magic Id seen it before, but that was on a tour, when they allow you to share the secret. This abrupt departure from Total Disney Immersion seemed un-natural, and the kids didnt like it either. Theres got to be a better way.
We hit the Speedway, and caught a couple of rides and the fireworks between rain showers later in Fantasyland. Its an EMH, but were done. Dory and Tinkerbelle were starting to fret about getting some school work done, and I was way more tired than I expected. Rain does that to me it saps my mental energy and I cant keep myself motivated to keep going.
Back to POR, with a couple of stops at gift shops along the way. Hustling Shopaholic down Main Street without letting her stop would have been cruel, but we kept her moving with the promise that we would do Main Street before leaving six days from now.
Our Mousekeeper, perhaps sensing our Canadian-ness, has arranged a window display, featuring the stuffed animals in a towel CANOE!! I think this is genius, and am tickled that even the teens are entertained by towel animals.
We get the big girls settled with their books, and take the little one down to the quiet pool, where she promptly strikes up a conversation with a dad and two little boys, sharing all of her Disney knowledge with them.
Animal Kingdom is the plan for morning - Tammy, Tammy, go away!
Stay tuned!
Shelley
http://movershakerbirthdaycakebaker.blogs.com/remember_the_magic
