Hucifer and Dan's flipping huge trip report *Last 3 days/Epilogue! 10/9, pgs 36-38*
- Thread starter hucifer
- Start date
Maleficent13
<font color=blue>Heh Heh, you're all gonna die<br>
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2003
Yay! hucifer, you have another secret fan...me! (Now don't you feel special?)
Beauty and the Beast is the only thing we have time for. After the show, we start walking toward Mama Melrose. Dan knows we have a 4:20 ADR, but he doesnt know where, or that its for the Fantasmic Dinner Package. I mean, how can we not start our wonderful week here on a bang? Another thing he doesnt know is that tonight's dinner includes special guests, my mom and aunt. They happened to be here this week (today being the last day), and Mom and I planned way in advance to surprise Dan and Aunt Dottie, neither knowing about our secret and diabolical plans to reunite for the evening.
Dan says he needs to smoke before dinner, which proved to be a big benefit. He went off to the Muppet area and I walked into Mama Melrose. My mom was at the hostess table, grinning at me. Wheres Aunt Dot? I giggle, and she points behind her. My aunt has her back to us. How perfect is that?
Wheres Dan? my mom asks. I tell her hes around the corner. We tiptoe away in opposite directions. I walked around my Aunt Dottie and stood next to her, grinning like a mad woman. When she looked up at me, it took her a full second to realize who I was and why I was standing there. Surprise! I said. She about fell off her chair.
My Aunt Dottie is an amazing woman with a big heart. She just lost her husband last July to cancer they had a strong and very loving marriage. He was so loved by our family! It was the saddest funeral Ive been to in a long, long time. She was taking this trip with my mom to reconnect with family in Florida, as well as taking a few days to unwind in Disney World. So it seemed only appropriate that she should meet up with me and Dan before they headed home. Lucky them!
Aunt Dottie gives me a hug. My mom and Dan enter the waiting area just then. My mom is beaming. Dan looks so casual about it, like meeting family for dinner in Disney World was an everyday event.
Mom and I both order the eggplant parmesan. Dan orders a chicken pasta dish. Aunt Dot orders a seafood pasta dinner. Last time, Dan and I were extremely fortunate to have Kevin as a server. Brian was the chef at the time (dont know if he still is), and the two of them went off the menu and whipped up an unbelievable pasta dish for me that turned out to be my favorite dinner of the whole trip. I am a vegetarian, at the time heavily leaning toward vegan, and they really went out of their way to accommodate me. Unfortunately, we didnt have him as a server this time.
Before the food arrives, Aunt Dot tells my mom to talk about the Great Hunt. This has my curiosity peaked. I want to hear the Great Hunt story! I say.
Before she embarked on the Florida trip with her sister, my mom asked her granddaughters what they wanted from Disney World. Taylor (5) immediately requested an Aristocat stuffed animal, but Jordan (7) didnt have an answer for her grandmother. After a little coaxing, Jordan finally said, a Roo pin.
Good luck, my sister told my mom.
Unbeknownst to my mom, thats exactly what she needed along with persistence and a very patient sister.
We looked everywhere for Roo, she tells me. hes impossible to find. I asked her if she tried the Pooh ride. Yep, she says. And the Pooh store in Downtown Disney. AND that huge pin store in DD. And what a trooper Aunt Dottie is! Every time we passed by pins she stopped with me and looked. She even went out of her way to help me look. She has the patience of an angel. I must have asked a thousand cast members with lanyards if they had a Roo pin, but no one did or even knew if it existed. We went to all the places you would think Roo would be. We couldnt find him. Endless store after store, CM after CM, this pin was nowhere.
I knew my mom would never give up on this quest as long as her granddaughter was back home waiting for her Roo pin. The Great Hunt started as an objective, became an obsession, and ended up being the raison detre, if you will.
On one of the last days of their trip, she told Aunt Dottie as they were walking past a shop near the Aladdin Carpets, Im just going to stop in here. Exhausted, she circled the store looking at the cast members lanyards. Then she spotted it. She said she was so shocked that she looked twice. There he was, hanging around a CMs neck in all his glory. Roo. With a shaky voice she asked if she could please trade for the Roo pin. The CM was more than happy to trade. My mom became overwhelmed with emotion. May I hug you? she asked the CM. Ive been looking forever for this pin for my granddaughter! The CM laughed and said yes. After they hugged, my mom asked if she could hug her again. You have no idea how happy youve made me. She squeaked. Yes, my mother really does squeak when shes giddy. The CM obliged my mom and they hugged again. Im sure my mom thanked the woman as many times as I thanked the man in Guest Services who let me print out my LES the only difference being I never wrapped my arms around the Guest Services dude.
Beaming, my mom reached into her purse and presented the Great Hunt trophy to us. We oohed and ahhed at little metal object in her hand. The $6.95 Roo pin had become the most priceless object in the whole world.
This inspired Dan. Im going to look for a Roo pin he says. Ill bet you I can find him too.
Oh crap, I think. Dan has the persistence of my mom. I dont have the patience of an Aunt Dottie.
I got up to use the restroom. On my way back, I run into Kevin! I say hello but he doesnt remember me (if you can believe that). No matter, I tell him that he served DH and me two years ago and that he was our favorite waiter and that I wrote about him on the DISboards. He seems genuinely touched by this. You made my day, he tells me. I was just happy to see him again!
The food comes. Eh. It certainly isnt the phenomenal food we experienced last time. My eggplant parmesan is practically tasteless. Dan isnt really enjoying his food, either. My Aunt Dottie, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying her seafood pasta.
After dinner, the four of us head to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. We are waiting outside for the next show to start and Dan says, Ill be right back. I know what hes doing. Hes already on the hunt for Roo. He came back several minutes later, empty-handed but not defeated. He still had 10 more days of searching.
The Millionaire theatre was about half-full. My mom and aunt admitted that this past week was smooth-sailing. We were able to walk on to Soarin right after we got off of it. The most we saw was a 10-minute wait. I drooled at the thought. (Not literally, though. I only drool when Im unconscious, which explains the yellow stains on my pillow but I digress.) I love this time of year at the World! And add Halloween and the Food and Wine Festival to the list, and you got one deliriously happy Wendy. However, my mom said, they were staying at Pop Century, and the bus line was always ridiculously long. She took pictures of the lines just to prove how flippin awful they were.
Mom, who I thought wasnt particularly good at trivia, makes it to #3 on the top ten list. None of us other clowns came close.
7:30 pm. We meander to the Fantasmic VIP entrance and give the security guard the password and secret handshake. My aunt has never seen Fantasmic, so I was curious to hear her reaction to it. Dan and I love it. Mickey is our favorite!
Me, Mom, and Aunt Dot
The weather started to look a bit ominous, and we were warned that tonights presentation might be cancelled, but the most it did was sprinkle. Shoot, we get wetter during the waterspray scenes. When it was over (and I was choking back my tears), my aunt declared that it was a wonderful show, and she was very impressed with its creativity.
8:40 pm. We hug good-bye at the park exit. Dan and I wish them a safe journey home the next day. They wish us a happy 10 days in Disney World.
I had no doubt it would be!
Next installment: Day 2. Harry Potter and the Amish Caveman Hit the Town
Dan says he needs to smoke before dinner, which proved to be a big benefit. He went off to the Muppet area and I walked into Mama Melrose. My mom was at the hostess table, grinning at me. Wheres Aunt Dot? I giggle, and she points behind her. My aunt has her back to us. How perfect is that?
Wheres Dan? my mom asks. I tell her hes around the corner. We tiptoe away in opposite directions. I walked around my Aunt Dottie and stood next to her, grinning like a mad woman. When she looked up at me, it took her a full second to realize who I was and why I was standing there. Surprise! I said. She about fell off her chair.
My Aunt Dottie is an amazing woman with a big heart. She just lost her husband last July to cancer they had a strong and very loving marriage. He was so loved by our family! It was the saddest funeral Ive been to in a long, long time. She was taking this trip with my mom to reconnect with family in Florida, as well as taking a few days to unwind in Disney World. So it seemed only appropriate that she should meet up with me and Dan before they headed home. Lucky them!
Aunt Dottie gives me a hug. My mom and Dan enter the waiting area just then. My mom is beaming. Dan looks so casual about it, like meeting family for dinner in Disney World was an everyday event.
Mom and I both order the eggplant parmesan. Dan orders a chicken pasta dish. Aunt Dot orders a seafood pasta dinner. Last time, Dan and I were extremely fortunate to have Kevin as a server. Brian was the chef at the time (dont know if he still is), and the two of them went off the menu and whipped up an unbelievable pasta dish for me that turned out to be my favorite dinner of the whole trip. I am a vegetarian, at the time heavily leaning toward vegan, and they really went out of their way to accommodate me. Unfortunately, we didnt have him as a server this time.
Before the food arrives, Aunt Dot tells my mom to talk about the Great Hunt. This has my curiosity peaked. I want to hear the Great Hunt story! I say.
Before she embarked on the Florida trip with her sister, my mom asked her granddaughters what they wanted from Disney World. Taylor (5) immediately requested an Aristocat stuffed animal, but Jordan (7) didnt have an answer for her grandmother. After a little coaxing, Jordan finally said, a Roo pin.
Good luck, my sister told my mom.
Unbeknownst to my mom, thats exactly what she needed along with persistence and a very patient sister.
We looked everywhere for Roo, she tells me. hes impossible to find. I asked her if she tried the Pooh ride. Yep, she says. And the Pooh store in Downtown Disney. AND that huge pin store in DD. And what a trooper Aunt Dottie is! Every time we passed by pins she stopped with me and looked. She even went out of her way to help me look. She has the patience of an angel. I must have asked a thousand cast members with lanyards if they had a Roo pin, but no one did or even knew if it existed. We went to all the places you would think Roo would be. We couldnt find him. Endless store after store, CM after CM, this pin was nowhere.
I knew my mom would never give up on this quest as long as her granddaughter was back home waiting for her Roo pin. The Great Hunt started as an objective, became an obsession, and ended up being the raison detre, if you will.
On one of the last days of their trip, she told Aunt Dottie as they were walking past a shop near the Aladdin Carpets, Im just going to stop in here. Exhausted, she circled the store looking at the cast members lanyards. Then she spotted it. She said she was so shocked that she looked twice. There he was, hanging around a CMs neck in all his glory. Roo. With a shaky voice she asked if she could please trade for the Roo pin. The CM was more than happy to trade. My mom became overwhelmed with emotion. May I hug you? she asked the CM. Ive been looking forever for this pin for my granddaughter! The CM laughed and said yes. After they hugged, my mom asked if she could hug her again. You have no idea how happy youve made me. She squeaked. Yes, my mother really does squeak when shes giddy. The CM obliged my mom and they hugged again. Im sure my mom thanked the woman as many times as I thanked the man in Guest Services who let me print out my LES the only difference being I never wrapped my arms around the Guest Services dude.
Beaming, my mom reached into her purse and presented the Great Hunt trophy to us. We oohed and ahhed at little metal object in her hand. The $6.95 Roo pin had become the most priceless object in the whole world.
This inspired Dan. Im going to look for a Roo pin he says. Ill bet you I can find him too.
Oh crap, I think. Dan has the persistence of my mom. I dont have the patience of an Aunt Dottie.
I got up to use the restroom. On my way back, I run into Kevin! I say hello but he doesnt remember me (if you can believe that). No matter, I tell him that he served DH and me two years ago and that he was our favorite waiter and that I wrote about him on the DISboards. He seems genuinely touched by this. You made my day, he tells me. I was just happy to see him again!
The food comes. Eh. It certainly isnt the phenomenal food we experienced last time. My eggplant parmesan is practically tasteless. Dan isnt really enjoying his food, either. My Aunt Dottie, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying her seafood pasta.
After dinner, the four of us head to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. We are waiting outside for the next show to start and Dan says, Ill be right back. I know what hes doing. Hes already on the hunt for Roo. He came back several minutes later, empty-handed but not defeated. He still had 10 more days of searching.
The Millionaire theatre was about half-full. My mom and aunt admitted that this past week was smooth-sailing. We were able to walk on to Soarin right after we got off of it. The most we saw was a 10-minute wait. I drooled at the thought. (Not literally, though. I only drool when Im unconscious, which explains the yellow stains on my pillow but I digress.) I love this time of year at the World! And add Halloween and the Food and Wine Festival to the list, and you got one deliriously happy Wendy. However, my mom said, they were staying at Pop Century, and the bus line was always ridiculously long. She took pictures of the lines just to prove how flippin awful they were.
Mom, who I thought wasnt particularly good at trivia, makes it to #3 on the top ten list. None of us other clowns came close.
7:30 pm. We meander to the Fantasmic VIP entrance and give the security guard the password and secret handshake. My aunt has never seen Fantasmic, so I was curious to hear her reaction to it. Dan and I love it. Mickey is our favorite!
Me, Mom, and Aunt Dot
The weather started to look a bit ominous, and we were warned that tonights presentation might be cancelled, but the most it did was sprinkle. Shoot, we get wetter during the waterspray scenes. When it was over (and I was choking back my tears), my aunt declared that it was a wonderful show, and she was very impressed with its creativity.
8:40 pm. We hug good-bye at the park exit. Dan and I wish them a safe journey home the next day. They wish us a happy 10 days in Disney World.
I had no doubt it would be!
Next installment: Day 2. Harry Potter and the Amish Caveman Hit the Town
and I must say a couple of things.
First, Dan looks terrific with his new hair color and slimmer self. And I just love the picture of you, mom and your aunt. So sorry to hear of the loss of her dear husband. She looks much too young to be a widow. My MIL lost her husband at just 54 years old and we lost my dad when my mom was just 63. What a wonderful trip for them to get back to enjoying life again.
We have booked the Fantasmic dinner package at MM for our trip in September. Your review of your meal is distressing to say the least. DH doesn't particularly care for buffets so we nixed H&V and I don't want to spent 2 credits on BD. Perhaps an off night when you were there?
Looking forward to your next installment and updates on the new Hunt for Roo.
First, Dan looks terrific with his new hair color and slimmer self. And I just love the picture of you, mom and your aunt. So sorry to hear of the loss of her dear husband. She looks much too young to be a widow. My MIL lost her husband at just 54 years old and we lost my dad when my mom was just 63. What a wonderful trip for them to get back to enjoying life again.
We have booked the Fantasmic dinner package at MM for our trip in September. Your review of your meal is distressing to say the least. DH doesn't particularly care for buffets so we nixed H&V and I don't want to spent 2 credits on BD. Perhaps an off night when you were there?
Looking forward to your next installment and updates on the new Hunt for Roo.
GinaGrumpyDwarf
<font color=deeppink>Preferrs a BUZZ but will sett
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2004
Hi I love your TR so far. I just wanted to let you know that Brian is no longer at Mama's. He left last summer and he is now the chef at ESPN club. He is my cousin and also a very close friend of mine. If you ever meet up with him again ask him to make you Chicken Pepperoni. And tell him Love from Cousin Doug
Loubon
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2003
DISUNC said:Great report! I cant wait to read more. Now I have to go back and find your other reports.
the part getting lost in SOG!
Thanks
Your new Fan!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=804987
Hey Janets.janets said:
Thank you for the compliments! Dan will especially like that women are finding him more attractive. Not that he needs to be told that.
I just read all the comments and see that Brian left MM and maybe that's why the food was different. But hey, we didn't all dislike our meals...my aunt loved hers. I wouldn't worry about it (the flatbreads are awesome). Try to get seated in Kevin's section. He's the bomb.
Oh......my.....god.....Loubon said:I love when you speak French.....
(Okay so I got over being mad at you.)
I had a really, really good laugh at that one.
(I knew you were easy...I just figured the private pic of me would work)
GinaGrumpyDwarf - thanks for the info! Might explain why the food was sub-par that night. But I won't be ordering chicken any time soon.
swillis - Yep, Roo is one difficult puppy to find. But with enough will power, time, and energy...maybe...
Everyone, thanks again for all of your replies! It's nice to know that your TR (which you've spent 6 months preparing) is actually getting read.
But I won't be ordering chicken any time soon. swillis - Yep, Roo is one difficult puppy to find. But with enough will power, time, and energy...maybe...
Everyone, thanks again for all of your replies! It's nice to know that your TR (which you've spent 6 months preparing) is actually getting read.
Maleficent13
<font color=blue>Heh Heh, you're all gonna die<br>
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2003
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