Help! My Husband Wants to go to Disney World!

[kaffinito]

No...not exactly...but close

We stayed at AKL this past August and, of course, we ate at Boma. I ate so many Domes that my DH and DS's left me in Boma and went swimming. When they got back to the room, I was propped up on the bed with a plate of domes next to me asleep.........true story

Too cute!

 

[kaffinito]

We explored AKL before going to dinner that night, and DH thought the resort was beautiful.

DH and I at AKL

We had dinner at Boma that night, and boy was it good! The deserts are excellent, and of course I love the food there. DH was really happy with dinner. We had a bit of everything, and the only thing I can remember clearly was the desserts. DH really liked the soup. It was a curried seafood chowder and he thought it was excellent. The desserts were a peach cobbler, some tarts, and a pile of zebra domes. The cobbler was very light and was not full of sugar – it was so good! My too full husband cleaned off half of the dessert plate I brought back.


After dinner we got on the bus and went to MK for EMH. I was a little nervous, after all, the day hadn’t started out great and DH was still a little grumbly, but I figured two rides then we’d see what happens. We got there just in time for the tail end of Spectromagic. Now that was a disaster! We had to play dodge the parade (he hates them) and cut through the shops to get to Tomorrowland. I was nervous he would just say to go back to the resort, but he didn’t. The crowds were horrible too with wall to wall people on the sidewalks. We managed to get through the crowds (and I caught him staring at the parade a few times) and we made it to the bridge to Tomorrowland. I was sorry to miss the parade, I try to catch it once each trip for nostalgic reasons (reminds me of the old Electic Light Parade) but at least I got to hear it.

We went straight to the TTA for DH’s first ride. Well, that ride went over big with him. He got to sit back and look around the park, and I got to point out all of the sights along the way.

(shot of Astro Orbiter from TTA) He said that if there were more rides like that at Disney he would like it there. We left TTA and went to CoP, and waited for the show to begin.

CoP was a nightmare to him! He kept begging me for Novocaine or "even better, cocaine" to make the pain of the song go away. He liked it though, but not enough to go back!

I was just having fun with my new camera despite the cold and the crowds, and DH was even walking around with a smile on his face asking questions about the rides. I was really happy that he was there with me, since it was the first time going with an adult and not the kids. It was nice having him there to hold hands with (we are still newlyweds) and to joke around with.

 

[stepdisney]

So glad your DH is warming up. Sounds like you are ready for a "great big beautiful tomorrow."

 

[jenseib]

Sounds fun. You DH cracks me up! LOL!

What kind of camera did you get/use? It takes nice pictures!
We are going tomorrow, I hope the weather is good. It's forcasted good so far!

 

[H20DogsNDisney]

 

[kaffinito]

Sounds fun. You DH cracks me up! LOL!

What kind of camera did you get/use? It takes nice pictures!
We are going tomorrow, I hope the weather is good. It's forcasted good so far!

I have the Nikon D60 and a bunch on lenses to use on it! I also have a Panasonic Lumix Tz5 that also takes great photos. The weather should be good for the weekend, but they were calling for another freeze for the following week. I hope the weather holds for you! Where are you staying? I've seen you on the POP thread - are you going back there?

 

[WeRblam]

So glad your DH is warming up. Sounds like you are ready for a "great big beautiful tomorrow."

waiting to hear more - sounds like fun!

 

[kaffinito]

AKL at night

Bench by Boma and Jiko

 

[kaffinito]

Bottom part of lobby

Fifth floor bridge

Victoria Falls

 

[jenseib]

I have the Nikon D60 and a bunch on lenses to use on it! I also have a Panasonic Lumix Tz5 that also takes great photos. The weather should be good for the weekend, but they were calling for another freeze for the following week. I hope the weather holds for you! Where are you staying? I've seen you on the POP thread - are you going back there?

Oh thats a great camera. I have a Canon rebel XTi, and I love it too. I wish I could afford both. LOL! I see some really nice pics from my friends that have nikons. I have a few lenses, but nothing that breaks the bank. That is my dream somday to have really nice ones.

yes we are staying at Pop. We like it there. it's cheaper for on, and DD loves the atmosphere too. We are usually on the go alot as well ,so we just need a spot to sleep. I do wish someday to take a more relaxing vacation and go to a deluxe.
I just checked our weather and it looks to be in the 80's all week. YAY! I hope it stays that way. (you know how weather men are. LOL)

Your resort photos are wonderful.

 

[kaffinito]

I hope you have a wonderful trip! Take lots of pics of that Claire! Love her faces

 

[kaffinito]

We left CoP and wandered around a bit.

DH wanted to see Mike and Sully’s comedy routine, but also wanted to walk a bit so we did, figuring we would go back to it. DH was getting really cold, since he insisted on wearing shorts that night. He liked it at MK, and we wandered around Tomorrowland a bit. Then he started getting tired and wanted to go back to the resort for an early bedtime. There were some cute kids on the bus on the way back, and he made faces at them for a while.

DH on the bus

He started talking about having grand kids and how nice it is for little kids to go to WDW. I agreed with him, and silently started saying “whoopee!” in my head. I was starting to think that WDW was getting to him in a positive way. We had been there all day and he didn’t say once about how he hated Disney or corporations in general.

Day 2 -EPCOT

After an early bedtime (well, 10:00 is early for me at Disney!) we got up the next morning and DH went straight to the gym for his daily workout. I wandered around the resort, smoked, and got our breakfast from Mara.

After breakfast, we went to EPCOT for the morning. We arrived shortly after rope drop – a first for me! I usually don’t get anywhere until 10 or 11 when I’m there with the kids! It was crowded, but being as EPCOT is so huge the crowds weren’t that bad. It’s worse at AK or MK. It hardly looks busy at all in our photos, and the weather did keep some crowds down. DH liked the way EPCOT looked, and I could tell he was excited to see some stuff by the way he was walking quickly. We passed by the Character Spot and I saw Goofy at the window!

Then I took DH to the Land pavilion, so I could book us on the Behind the Seeds Tour.

Everyone looks good in Vera Bradly!

We’re both avid gardeners and plan on growing grapes and vegetables this summer. Our new house has an acre of land, so we have plenty of room for gardening. We got the first tour, and then went on the Land boat ride. After the ride DH seemed pleased, and was smiling a lot more. We got a cup of coffee, and waited for the tour to start.

Squishy Ball

He was already pointing out “inappropriate footwear” for me to photograph, since it has always baffled me that some women wear heels to the parks. There is (or was) a thread on the Theme Parks Community board for such photos, and I was looking forward to posting there.

The tour started, and DH was really into it. He asked a lot of questions, and was fascinated by the growing methods used, the water system, and how the water was recycled. Chock up another one for me – the tour was perfect for a brainiac like him!

He’s been thinking of modified uses for what he learned on the tour for our garden, including putting in a pond with a drainage system to use the fish waste to fertilize the vegetables. Well, alrighty then! After the tour we wander around Innoventions and then left EPCOT to go back to the resort for lunch and a nap.

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Great update. Happy Shlomo enjoyed it.

 

[kaffinito]

Great update. Happy Shlomo enjoyed it.

Thank you!

 

[kaffinito]

We got back and went to Mara for lunch. DH ordered the vegetarian flatbread and I had the turkey ciabatta sandwich. It was good! Then DH said it. “You know, I think it would be great if WE brought my Mother, my sister and Goldie (his daughter) here. They would love it!” Yep – he said it. He really did say it. I played it cool and just said that the scheduling would be difficult, and that we’d see. But inside I was doing backflips! My self –styled “angry communist poet” husband wanted to come back and bring his family!

His family isn’t too bad, but we’d need three studios for that trip. My DMIL isn’t bad, she’s pretty easy to get along with, his sister is kind of strange, but his daughter Goldie, who is exactly like him, is really cool. I could definitely do a trip with the three of them in tow. We’d pay for DMIL and daughter, (points), but the sister could get her own studio since she’d want to bring her BF.

Planning aside, we took a much needed nap and then got ready to go to World Showcase that night. We had a 5:30 ADR at Rose and Crown for dinner.

DH did mention on several occasions that if one more person said “have a magical day!” he was going to start punching people. It got to be a bit much for him. That and the “welcome home” He stated loudly and often that unless his cat was there and he could walk around naked he wasn’t at home! “Have a magical day – have a magical fist!” he kept muttering. He says that they mean well, they’re just really annoying.

We napped and then went back to EPCOT to have dinner at the Rose and Crown. DH loves fish and chips, and I had read on the DIS that they had the best. On the way to World Showcase, we stopped at Club Cool for some samples. He tried the one from Israel (since he’s had it before) and then I casually suggested he try Beverly since it was the best flavor there.

All joking aside, we went on our way to WS to have dinner. There were a lot of seagulls flying around, and since I brought my good 50mm lens with me I was able to get some good shots.

We were a little early so we wondered around and took some goofy photos in England.

This is my “hooker” pose.

DH said for me to act like a hooker and this was the best I could do! When he laughed at me I retorted “Well, if you had wanted someone to act like a hooker you should have married one!” That shut him up!

Then we took pics with the phone booth.

We checked in to R&C and the buzzer went off less than a minute after they handed it to me. We had a pretty good meal at R&C. DH loved his fish and chips, and I had a lamb dish that was lamb chops and a mashed potato topped Shepard’s pie. It was good!

Then we went to see the sights.

I stopped for a smoke outside France.

And we went to Morocco.

Saw Mo’Rockin, and the belly dancer – which did not impress DH. He’s seen real belly dancers and he said that they couldn’t do a real belly dance at Disney – most of them are rated “R”.

In China – there are stairs leading up to the building that houses the movie and museum, and a ‘tween girl rushed past us exclaiming “Hey, look, there’s a ramp!” Well, the “ramp” was that nice bas relief sculpture that decorates the area between the staircases. DH remarked “that explains why the Chinese didn’t allow Westerners into the Forbidden City! They don’t know the difference between a ramp and art!”

We saw the Museum in China, which impressed DH.

And in Japan we toured the Tin Toy Museum, which DH loved. Then we went on to Mexico. I was getting geeked because it was almost time for fireworks and I had my tripod with me to take some good shots.

 

[kaffinito]

So I set up for the fireworks and a few people stopped by to ask if we were at the best spot. I told them honestly that I had no idea, since it was my first time shooting them. At MK I have an awesome spot to watch them from, but at EPCOT I still hadn’t found my magic spot. But I was across from American Pavilion, and near the exit, so I was happy with my choice. I was praying that at least three of the fireworks photos would turn out. It was my first time photographing them, and I was a little nervous. In hind sight I should have brought either my 18-55mm lens or my 10-20mm lens for the fireworks, but hey, photography has a learning curve!

Yep it was a good night for me, photo wise, and DH was happy with the fireworks, he said that he wouldn’t expect anything less than perfection from Disney. He was really getting it! We shopped for a while before heading home to let the crowds thin out a bit, and then back off to the resort. On the way to the bus he remarked that when we go back we should get matching t-shirts made with our names on them, and how cute the couples and families looked with their matching t-shirts!

I don’t know exactly when or how he drank the Kool Aid, but he did. I wisely kept my mouth shut and only said that he could pick out the character or picture he wanted and I would make one up for him.

DAY THREE – DHS

Next morning we got up bright and early and headed out to DHS.

Again we got there at rope drop. It was weird, being there so early! He liked the 50’s Prime Time Café sign.

We went straight for the Muppet Movie, since that’s a big thing for him.

We looked for the key under the mat, and he was very pleased that it was there. When we got to the queue area I can say that have never seen him so happy or so excited! When we got into the theater he actually teared up and kept whispering “We’re actually in the Muppet Theater!” When Stattler and Waldorf came on he was practically out of his seat. Of course he loved the movie!

After the movie I took him around the corner to the streets of New York so I could get a pic of him there. He’s originally from Brooklyn, so I thought it would be a good shot.

Then we wandered around a bit, and a nice CM wearing a business suit asked if we would like a picture together. She was very nice! Then we went to One Man’s Dream and then on to the Great Movie Ride. We saw some street theater, and then went to the Villains in Vogue shop to get a shirt for his daughter Goldie. We were helped by a nice man named Andy Ross. He was great! We bought Goldie an Evil Queen t-shirt, since she is one. LOL

Again we went back to the resort early for some much needed R and R and to get ready for our night at Cirque!

We got back to AKL and I went to smoke at the DSA by the pool. There was a lady I was sitting next to that I started talking with. Well, this falls under the small world category. Turns out that not only was she from Michigan, but was from the same (small) hometown that I am! What are the odds of bumping into someone at your resort who’s from Northville Michigan! Not only that, but she lives in the sub that was right behind ours. Too weird!

Night III – Cirque and DTD

So things with DH were going well, he had drunk the Kool Aid and the things he disliked about Disney were the same things I dislike about Disney. He doesn’t like wasting time on the buses, he doesn’t like the “magical day” thing every five seconds, and he also doesn’t like the limited choices at the Mara. He wants more food choices for CS, with a fitness center. Looks like I might have to take him to CSR. NOT. I did find out that as DVC members he can use whichever fitness center he wants to for free. That's a good perk for him!

Anyhow, we left the resort and headed to DTD. We got there in good time, and wandered around a bit.

We took some pics, since I have been trying to get some decent shots of DTD. Then we went to Cirque to pick up our tickets. We got in, went to our seats, and waited. Boy are those seats ever tiny! It’s really hard to get any kind of arm room or leg room in those seats.

Then the show started, and it was pretty good! The Chinese girls were fabulous, I liked the clown act, and the music was good too. Then we got to the part with the Flying Man. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the Flying Man blew me away. I started bawling like a baby! It was just so beautiful with the music, the red cloths, and this man soaring around through the air. I just loved that part. I cried through the whole act.

All in all, Cirque was a success. I’ll take my oldest boy there – he’ll love it, but my youngest can’t go – he would be confused and bored. Cirque isn’t concrete enough for him and he has a limited capacity for abstract thought. He’s the perfect historian, and wonderful artist, but things have to follow a linear and well defined path for him or he gets upset. Fun with Autism strikes again! Whilst the older boy is a lot more autistic than the youngest, he loves that kind of abstract performance art.

After Cirque we went to Raglan Road for dinner. I had the Salmon of Knowledge – what else- and DH had the fish and chips. He liked the Fish and chips, no surprise there, and my salmon was as usual, fantastic.

We headed back to the resort for bedtime, since the next day was Animal Kingdom. I warned him that there would be no naps that day! I figured that if we got there early again we would be out of there – including lunch – by around 3:00. But I didn’t tell him that!

 

[jenseib]

great update!
DH and Claire went on the seeds tour this past week and enjoyed it. Claire was so proud of herself because she was a "good girl" LOL!
DH said it was pretty cool, but I really will never get much reaction out of him for anything. And he doesn't take pictures, so I can't even see what they did. He told me Claire took a bite of cucumber and did not like it. I think I got most of the info about it from Claire. LOL!

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Great update. Glad DH drank the Kool-Aid.

 

[MinnieVanMom]

Great trip report so far. Check out the Disigner for custom designs in your names.

What is the key thing under the mat?

 

[jenseib]

We need another update!