If only Tinker Bell was related to the tooth fairy... (FINISHED 4/26)

[afwdwfan]

After the FOUR hour tour ended (the ride broke down for an hour), Emma said she wanted to go see Ariel. As they were standing in line, Don's wife noticed him winking at the Mermaid Princess and slapped him silly. Don had to then explain that he wasn't in fact winking, but he'd developed a nervous twitch in his eye as a result of his recent traumatic experience. Emma got her picture and autograph with Ariel and they then decided that it was time to find some nourishment. They proceeded to their ADR at Crystal Palace and had lunch with Pooh and friends. They met the characters and ate a delicious meal, then the server brought out the check. Don reached into his pocket to pull out his KTTW card and... hmmmm... not that pocket, maybe it is in this pocket.... hmmmmmm.... it couldn't have happened again could it????

Stay tuned for the next update!

 

[trennr]

OK...Back to Day 3...we left our hero in the Ultra Secret Disdads Layer at the MK...Don had just arrived via the zippline. Link

The Barkeep notices that Don is a little wet from taking the non-express entrance...he says...Don...wanna put on you old Navy uniform...we had it cleaned for you since your last visit. So Don accepts the package and goes to the restroom to change.

The restroom attendant ask if Don wanted to use the Whirlpool or Steam room...Don say not right now...just need to change before the next match. The attendant say...oooo Jasmine and Angelica...should be a good one. Just leave your clothes in the hamper and we will take care of it for you sir.

Don comes out in his dress whites from the Navy and takes his ringside table between some guy dressed as a Cop and another guy dressed as a Indian. (Note: we really need to get the word out about the express entrance).

Don's Waitress comes up and ask "what do you wan hon?" Don orders the Hard stuff..."Dole Whip...make it a Float!"

The announcer comes to the ring...Sorry Folks...there's been a slight change to the ticket for this event...Jasmine was needed over at Cinderella's since Aurora was knocked out in our last match...and you all know how hard she is to revive. So filling in for Jasmine...painting with all the colors of the wind it is Pocahantas. The guy in the Indian costume went wild. Pocahantas led him to the ring with her. And facing our Sqaw of Fury... is Captain Angelica...Empress of the Seas!!!

She takes note of Don in his sailor outfit. Hey Sailor...care to help your Captain out???

Folks...looks like we have a tag team. Says the announcer.

Don't want to bore you with all the details of the match...but Pocahantas and the Indian Guy had to be helped to the locker rooms...and Captain Angelica and her new First Mate Don had a round of Dole Whip for everyone.

Angelica gave Don a hug and told him he could help her anytime...but she had to be off to look for someone named Jake Swallow or something like that.

Don feeling quite good about himself decided to relax in the DDC Whirlpool...When he was done there his original clothes were al ready for him...so he bid the DDC Layer Farewell and left via the new Express entrance/Exit. He called up his ladies and said...How are you all doing. We've just Finished our Tea...and the Spa was magnificent...you?

Oh...nothing Special...met Pocahantas and Captain Angelica earlier. Had some Dole Whip...and some Pudding...Do y'all wanna come into the MK or meet back at the resort? They opted to go back to the resort and relax by the pool and think about their day.

Don's wife later asked him...why he kept humming YMCA? Oh no reason.

End of Day 3

 

[trennr]

​

I hope you know I was just kidding Don.

I was just feeling a little creative yesterday.

 

[Emma's Dad]

DW was wondering how you knew everything that happened! Actually, she was laughing hysterically when she read through the updates

 

[afwdwfan]

To continue Day 4 after lunch...
As Don frantically reaches into every pocket he has, his wife starts laughing at him. He'd clearly forgotten that she had taken all their KTTW cards to Buzz to obtain FP's earlier that morning. The bill was settled at CP and they were off to the next adventure. Since Don was forced to suffer though IASW earlier in the day, the ladies decided to let him pick their next adventure. He still hadn't recovered from the morning's activities and his eye was still twitching, so although he wanted to see Mickey's Philharmagic he thought the 3D glasses might not be the best idea. He thought about it for a moment and told them he wanted to ride 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. His wife tried to tell him that it was gone, but sadly, so was Don. He was tearing across the hub like Lighning McQueen on that fateful night in Radiator Springs . By the time they caught up with him, he had changed into his Navy uniform once again, and was wandering around Fantasyland yelling something about Captain Nemo. A young boy, probably about 4, approached and tugged on the leg of his pants. Don leaned down and the little boy told him the Nemo ride is in EPCOT. With that, Don turned and grabbed his wife and daughter by the hands and told them they needed to get to EPCOT and board the Nautilus before it leaves port.
To be continued...

 

[afwdwfan]

First of all, I want to apologize for calling Kathleen "Don's wife" last week and not using her name. I couldn't remember if Don ever gave us her name, but in my defense I have read a lot of other updates in other TR's since Don's last post, not to mention his introduction was several months ago. I decided to go back and look before this update.

They boarded the monorail and Don, in accordance with the MAN LAWS (which also say something about finishing a TR before the next trip), gave up his seat to a pregnant woman who was boarding. Unfortunately, after fully inserting his foot into his mouth, he found out she wasn't actually pregnant. After spending the remainder of the ride staring out the window in an awkward silence, Don led the way over to the Seas with Nemo and Friends, excited to meet up with his beloved captain. The CM directed him to his Clammobile and he had a bit of a curious look on his face as he climbed on board. He met Marlin and Mr. Ray and the rest of the marine life and was excited to be setting off on an excursion with them to look for Captain Nemo. It didn't take long before Don started to become upset. He quickly realized that this clown fish, was not his beloved captain. He was disappointed, but once Kathleen convinced him that they were too late and the Nautilus had already set sail, he calmed down. He wasn't happy about missing out on the adventure, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it. He decided that since he wasn't going to be sailing in the Nautilus, it was time to change back into his civilian clothes for the remainder of the afternoon. While he left to change, Kathleen and Emma went to see Turtle Talk. After the show they met up in the exit gift shop to make plans for the rest of the afternoon. What kind of adventure will Don embark on next? The possibilities are endless.

 

[KatMark]

Hello! Hello! Is anyone home?

 

[Emma's Dad]

Guess not

 

[Emma's Dad]

April 29, 2010

The original plans for this day called for us to get up and make rope drop for Hollywood Studios. Oops... plans got changed. We all ended up sleeping in and even took our time getting ready. It was also during this subdued time in which DW came to a stark discovery that she was NOT happy with her hair. She supposedly broke the unwritten vacation rule which states no female shall receive a haircut less than 7 days from the departure date of a vacation. Apparently haircuts need time to "sink in" or something. Regardless... if the momma is not having a good morning, no one is having a good morning. So... I picked up the phone and started making some calls. CSR has it's own salon... but the haircut is a little pricey. Since when does happiness come at a price? Off to the salon we go!

The location of the salon is basically straight across the lagoon. Too bad there aren't little row boats available for a nice ride across the water. In any case, we figured why not take the opposite direction around the lagoon to get there. We've never traveled that way in all the time we've been to CSR. Here are few pictures on the walk over:





Volleyball court






We arrived at the salon in about 10 minutes with a leisurely stroll. It's interesting to see the different architecture between the cabanas, ranchos and casitas buildings. Even the landscaping is different (although for some reason I did not take any pics of these). While the girls got done in the salon, I actually headed back to the room to get something that I forgot in the room. I cannot recall what that was, but it must have been important if I did the 20 minute round trip walk.

Now that my precious ladies have been updated with new do's it was time to go show them off for lunch. Now, I think I need to take a moment to preface this lunch decision. Prior to the trip we sat down and figured out all the lunches and dinners. For this trip, DW really wanted to check out places at the other resorts. Fine by me... I just want to eat! LOL! The place of choice for this day is... drum roll... The Artist's Palette. Do you know where that place is? I hadn't heard of it prior to this year. But if you stay at Saratoga Springs Resort, you would probably have used this as one of your quick service meals.

The pick sounded good sitting in our cozy house in Virginia Beach. Especially since we were going to already be in DHS and we chose the place for lunch. Problem is... we don't have a car. Disney transportation does not go from one resort to another. Oh how are we going to get there? We rolled the dice and came up with Hollywood Studios first since it was closest. So to bus stop 1 we go! The trip to DHS was a breeze... once the bus arrived. It took quite a while and several other park buses to roll through before we saw our bus coming. But one arrived... and it took us to DHS. Once there we disembarked and sauntered over to the bus stop to take us to SSR. We wait. And wait. OK.... who's idea was this? Finally the bus arrives and we breathe a sigh of relief as we get into the ice cold A/C. Bellies are grumbling now. Uh oh. This is not good when DW is hungry. Hopefully the trip will go quickly from here. Ummm... what's that up ahead? Why is there a guy in the road with a flag in his hand? No. It can't be! Road construction? in the middle of the day? At Disney World?? Wahhhhhhhh!! We sit in a line of cars as what seems to be a funeral procession passes us by coming from the other direction. After what seemed to be an eternity we finally get our ok to proceed. PLEASE get us there quickly! OK... whew... only 5 minutes to the bus stop at SSR. Tragedy averted.

Now that we are at the bus stop, where do we go from here? Uh oh. I forgot to check to see where exactly we had to go to get to the restaurant. So now I have a hungry DW who is irritated with the fact that I am not sure which way to go. I was able to flag down a CM and ask for directions... and was able to get the finger... for the correct pathway to take. A few minutes later and we at standing in the entrance for the restaurant. Take deep breath here. Picture time:

Generic shot of SSR building:


Pool area:






Characters In Flight - DTD:


Restaurant entrance:


"Where's my food?"


If you have never visited this place, is really is interesting. The decor is something different that I have not yet seen at Disney World. The food was ok and pretty much standard fare for a Quick Service restaurant. DW took many pictures here, so I'll just stop with the talking and let you see the pretty:













Here is DD drawing up a fantastic sketch:




Love the tongue here:


And yes... I'm the slow eater of the family:



Wow. What a day already. Didn't get much accomplished at all... and we still had not set foot in a park. OH well... the girls are now happy inside and out and it's time to get ourselves moving towards a park. As for Artist's Palette... I would eat there again. Although I certainly would not attempt to use Disney transportation from one resort to another... or would I? Hmmmm.

Next up: Day 3, Part 2: "Almost got a Buzz"

 

[KatMark]

It's an update!

Great update, Don. I LOVE your pics of Coronado (only 69 more days until I'm "home").

Where are the pictures of the new "hairdo's"?

We've visited Saratoga Springs once (boy, and they say the CSR is spread out!), and we stopped in Artist's Palette and shared something (can't remember what it was).

Looking forward to another update soon.

 

[afwdwfan]

An update???? A REAL update????

It's interesting to see the different architecture between the cabanas, ranchos and casitas buildings. Even the landscaping is different (although for some reason I did not take any pics of these). While the girls got done in the salon, I actually headed back to the room to get something that I forgot in the room. I cannot recall what that was, but it must have been important if I did the 20 minute round trip walk.

Cool pictures! I always enjoy seeing the resorts that I've never been to. I can't imagine how you could have forgotten what it was that you had to walk 20 minutes to go back and get. I mean it was only about 14 or 15 months ago now.

The pick sounded good sitting in our cozy house in Virginia Beach. Especially since we were going to already be in DHS and we chose the place for lunch. Problem is... we don't have a car. Disney transportation does not go from one resort to another.

I've thought of doing something similar and grabbing meals at different resorts just as an excuse to go check them out. I'm lazy though and while we have a vehicle on property, I don't like driving once we get there and haven't ever gone through with that plan. Artists Palette looks like a nice place to eat.

And yes... I'm the slow eater of the family:

That's ok, at least you're quick with TR updates.

 

[Emma's Dad]

It's an update!

Great update, Don. I LOVE your pics of Coronado (only 69 more days until I'm "home").

Where are the pictures of the new "hairdo's"?

We've visited Saratoga Springs once (boy, and they say the CSR is spread out!), and we stopped in Artist's Palette and shared something (can't remember what it was).

Looking forward to another update soon.

Thanks, Kat! You know... for some reason I did not take a pic of the new hairdo's. I think at the time I didn't want to jinx anything!

Although we did not spend much time there, SSR looked very nice. We thought about taking a DVC tour... but we were already out a 1/2 day from the parks. Maybe next time

 

[Emma's Dad]

An update???? A REAL update????

Muahahahaha! The DON is back... and I'm ready to take over again! BTW... my DW has really enjoyed the updates while I was gone!

Cool pictures! I always enjoy seeing the resorts that I've never been to. I can't imagine how you could have forgotten what it was that you had to walk 20 minutes to go back and get. I mean it was only about 14 or 15 months ago now.

True... SO true.

I've thought of doing something similar and grabbing meals at different resorts just as an excuse to go check them out. I'm lazy though and while we have a vehicle on property, I don't like driving once we get there and haven't ever gone through with that plan. Artists Palette looks like a nice place to eat.

Although it was a pain to get there, we really did enjoy the experience. Would have worked out a LOT better had we actually made it to DHS in the morning. You should try resort crashing sometime

That's ok, at least you're quick with TR updates.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Cool! An update! I'll come back later to read and comment. I figure I've got time.

 

[trennr]

Girls get new "hair doos"...Don went back to the room...sounds familiar...see my update for what really happened.



Glad you're back Don.

 

[dvczerfs]

UPDATE!!!!!! great update and pics don!!! your a brave man putting some things in writting. how to do remember what you did in april 2010??? i have a hard time remembering what i did last month at wdw. im leaving in 70 days for wdw,
that will be my 3rd trip since you statred this tr!!!

 

[Emma's Dad]

Cool! An update! I'll come back later to read and comment. I figure I've got time.

Hmmm... sounds like a challenge...

Girls get new "hair doos"...Don went back to the room...sounds familiar...see my update for what really happened.



Glad you're back Don.

Nice, Nate! It's good to be back!

UPDATE!!!!!! great update and pics don!!! your a brave man putting some things in writting. how to do remember what you did in april 2010??? i have a hard time remembering what i did last month at wdw. im leaving in 70 days for wdw,
that will be my 3rd trip since you statred this tr!!!

I once heard there is a thin line that separated brave from stupid!
Let's see... the difference is I've only been back to WDW once since then! Plus I have lot's of pictures to help the memory
I think I'm in the wrong business. Want to train me how to do A/C stuff?

 

[pooksma]

I am one of those people who tries to avoid TRs until we are close to our departure date-then I read as many as I can I am really enjoying yours. We have always wondered about CSR and apperciate your pics.

I will keep following along for sure

 

[Emma's Dad]

I am one of those people who tries to avoid TRs until we are close to our departure date-then I read as many as I can I am really enjoying yours. We have always wondered about CSR and apperciate your pics.

I will keep following along for sure

Hi! Glad you tuned in here! Well... you've got 29 days left... I guess I have to see how many updates I can squeeze in here

Also... be sure to check out my first TR... which has more pictures

 

[Emma's Dad]

April 29, 2010

So we have just finished our tasty lunch at The Artist's Palette and need to get a ride to DHS. Time to try out the bus system from SSR. I have managed to slyly approach a CM without DW's knowledge and gain information on how to get to the bus stop. Figured it would help offset the embarrassing moment spent when trying to get my bearings when arriving at SSR. So here are a few pictures along the way to the bus stop:

By the lobby area:


Main pool:






Views from the bus stop:




Took quite a while once again to get a bus to where we wanted to go. Apparently, the buses going to SSR are now quite as timely as other resorts. Oh... maybe it's just ME that isn't very timely! HAHA! Either way, a bus did finally arrive and we were whisked away to DHS.

Seemed like a pretty light crowd at DHS even at 1:30pm. I really like coming here at this time of the year. Here's the view down Hollywood Boulevard:



The first thing we did was run over to TSM and see about getting a FP. We knew the chances were going to be pretty slim... but worth a try. It's a swing and a miss... all FPs were gone But that's OK... cause we figured we'd wait in line to see Buzz in the place across from TSM. Here we are getting all goofy while waiting in line:







After waiting for about 10 minutes, we realized the line was not moving. We had better things to do than waiting in a long line to get a picture and a signature... even though Buzz is one of my favorites. Oh well. Out of the line we go.

We roamed around for a little while trying to figure out what to do next. As we "roamed", we somehow ended up in front of Star Tours (gee... wonder how that happened?). It's still one of my most memorable rides at DHS. The first time I rode it (many years ago) I remember having to actually wait in the queue. I loved how the little packages of stuff was transferred above me in the moving track. Or watch C3PO moving around. Good times... good memories. My DD likes the ride, but she still has an issue with 4D rides ever since the incident at Busch Gardens several years earlier. She finds the "pilot" to be funny. (me, too)

With ST1.0 out of the way, we mosey on over to the Indiana Jones set to get settled in for the upcoming show. DD has been looking forward to seeing this show. Here are a few shots while we wait:



The white stuff around DD's mouth was from a lollipop she had been working on for quite a while:



OK.... so the "do" isn't quite as... ummm... how should I say it... pretty?



And here are some shots from the show:









I thought I had a few shots of the action scene, but I was wrong. No matter how many times I prepare for when he comes out of the ceiling, it always makes me jump a little! I think this is one of those must-dos for the park now. DD really enjoyed it. I thought she was going to get scared when the fire came out but she was totally mesmerized.

We didn't stick around too much longer at DHS. We agreed that the afternoon would be spent at CSR's pool, then head to DTD for dinner. It was really nice to head back to the resort for a few hours.

We did end up at DTD for dinner... Wolfgang Puck Express more specifically. DW got the Margherita pizza... and I went with the Chicken Alfredo. Really delicious stuff here! Glad the place is on the QSDP!

We wandered quite a bit after we ate. There were a few high school bands/show choirs playing right by the end of the water. Cool night entertainment. And no trip to DTD is complete without a stop in Goofy's Candy Store. Had to get my favorite... the taffy. Y U M M Y! Here are some shots in the store:

Think she likes lollipops?


Here's an interesting fact... you can rent a small portion at the back of the store for parties! Had no idea! I told DD we'd come back and bring all her friends for her next b-day. OK... so I DIDN'T really say that... but I was thinking it... if we won the lottery







So that's the end of our third day at WDW. We made it back to CSR safely and made it an early night in the room. Our 4th day involves the most magical place on Earth

Up next: Day 4, Part 1: "Magic Kingdom: Taking in the sights"