Jaime on Vacation! (9/2/06 - 9/10/06) COMPLETED: Page 14, Post #210

[DisneyObsession]

The girls and I are right up front. Some cast members are talking to some of the people waiting. Meg is in full birthday regalia, so a CM comes over and starts talking to us. He is spending a lot of time with us – asking where we’re from, how was our stay, etc. I mention today’s our last day. He sort of perked up a little; it’s hard to describe.

I told him we were flying home today and could not spend all day in MGM. He asked what time we had to leave and I told him 2. He seemed disappointed. He said, “Aw, too bad.” Now, if I was reading him right, and I really think I was… well, I think he was going to pick us for the parade. What do you guys think?

Sounds like a "Magical-Moment-that-could-have-been"!

 

[tinkgurl]

I'm so sad it's already the last day of the trip! I loved reading this report and looking at the pics!

 

[tiggerbell]

If anyone wants to fund an upcoming trip, I can keep writing trip reports!

 

[Disney_1984]

its been fun reading your report, have to find another one to leech off now take care

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoyed reading your reports ~ Thanx for sharing.

 

[tiggerbell]

It’s really close to rope drop now. A couple of CMs in Tower of Terror outfits come down the street and join the cast member talking to us. They wish Meg a happy birthday, then one of them, Jasmine, whispers to the CM we had originally if they can sing for Meg for the rope drop (have I mentioned I have Super Hearing?). Jasmine asks Meg’s name and announces to the crowd that it’s Meg’s birthday. They all sang to her. At the end, my shy, retiring child turned around and gave a regal wave to the crowd – which caused a lot of laughter!

Oh, forgot to mention something! During all these conversations that were going on during the rope drop, I dry swallowed 3 Valium…

 

[tiggerbell]

I don't mean to leave you hanging right here for so long, but Meg has my camera cord and there's a picture in the camera that needs to be uploaded for the next post and she's at school and I can't find the cord so I can't post it yet!!!

Nebo - now THAT's a run-on sentance!

 

[NMAmy]

I've really been enjoying your TR! I can really relate--I took my 15 yo dd and her friend last February. We had a few of those "Silent Times," too. It really bothered me because, well, my dd certainly doesn't have a problem telling someone if they've annoyed her. Her friend was one of those folks who just get quiet and won't tell you what's wrong. I felt for her--I know it can be hard to go on vacation with another family. We did have a lot of fun, though.

Oh, and Bobby the Kid is great at knowing what you want to order. At the beginning of our meal, he told me I was going to want the apple dessert--it was his favorite. He was right--I DID want that.

Thanks so much for the great report!

 

[tiggerbell]

We wander a bit;

getting some PhotoPass pictures taken, shop a little, and then head over to Rock ‘n Roller Coaster.

Yes.

I’m going to attempt to ride this. Again. But this time, I have Mother’s Little Helpers on my side. Or in my bloodstream. I figure I’d start with RnRC because I’ve ridden it once (the better known evil).

The only reason I didn’t like this ride the last time was because of the launch – which went on FOREVER! If it had lasted another second, I would have burst into tears! But that was stone cold sober.

This time, the launch was pretty fast (no pun intended!) and we were looping through the good parts! I loved it.

Time to go check in.

At this point I’m still trying to figure the Valium out – I haven’t decided completely what it does. I think it gets rid of the fear AND reduces the motion sickness.

Case in point: Expedition Everest. In May, I rode it twice with the Valium and once without. No losing my stomach or motion sickness the first 2 rides, but both symptoms the 3rd ride…. But, we were in the BACK the last ride – was that the cause? This trip – no Valium, front and middle of cars – lost stomach (not too bad) and motion sickness both times.

RnRC does not cause motion sickness in me; I just hate losing my stomach, so the launch was bad last September, but fine today.

We head up to the Hollywood Hotel. There’s really no line. Right before you go into the library, you pass these curtains hanging over a “window”. I snap a flash picture of the curtains.

I then realize there are other people around us and announce to the world that those are my bedroom curtains! 20 people behind me laugh. So of course, I have to explain that I didn’t have the WHOLE set up, not the valance or anything, but that the pattern of the curtains is the same! By this point, the doors have opened and we’ve all moved into the library. I turn around in the library to discover all 20 people, INCLUDING MEG AND ASHLEY, are standing as far from me as possible!

When we got home that night, and I went in my room, I announced, “Those weren’t my curtains!”

I’ll let you be the judges – but I was really wrong the first time!

TOWER CURTAINS:

JAIME'S CURTAINS:

 

[tiggerbell]

After the library, we walk through the boiler room – I have walked through here many times, but never on Valium, and never with this destination actually in mind. We get to the bellman assigning rows, and I proudly announce…..


Wait for it………….


Wait for it……………


Oh,. Yeah, it’s THAT good………….


Wait for it………………


“3, and it’s my first time!”

And he seated us in row one.

AND I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I RODE TOWER OF TERROR!!!!!!!!!!!!! VALIUM IS A BEAUTIFUL THING!

Here’s the weird part – I liked it. I wasn’t supposed to like it, I was supposed to ride it once and never have to do it again. But I liked it, just like I liked the beginning of Rock ‘n Roller Coaster this time.

The drops were fine, I even liked being lifted out of my seat. The swooping back up part was a little weird, kind of like the backward part on Everest, but not bad.

We get off the ride and are greeted by none other than Jasmine from the rope drop! She asks if we want to ride again, she’ll send us up the elevator. Cool! Can I run and write down my photo number though, it was my first time? Yup! Great, number in hand, Jasmine places us in front of the chicken exit. And then kind of wanders off…

We stand there for awhile (I figure we could have gone around the building faster, seeing as there was no line), when it occurs to me that it’s an elevator, and thusly, must have a call button. Sure enough! I press it and the elevator comes! There’s a dude in it who brings us upstairs and gets us back on the ride – in the back row this time.

I’m feeling NO PAIN and ride the entire time with my hands up! I want this picture too!

Time for a couple of pictures outside the hotel (how relaxed am I???) and I have to buy the Tower of Terror pin. I never bought pins until last September when I went on RnRC for the first time. Since then I’ve been buying the ones I really like. I even bought a display frame last week at The Container Store to put them in. I had an old Tigger T-shirt the kids brought me back from Disney years ago, it’s got holes in it, but it’s one of my favorite shirts. Every time I went to the closet to dump a few t-shirts, that one never got dumped! I couldn’t do it. So I used the shirt as my background for the pin display – it’s pretty cool!

I love this picture - it looks fake!

Anyway, it’s almost time for lunch. I had booked the Sci-Fi. We just love this place. I let the girls sit in the front of the car. I don’t think I ever saw their food! Meg had a root beer, onion rings, and the spinach/artichoke dip; Ashley had a chicken Cesar salad (but you knew that!) and a lemonade; and I had a burger and a coke.

Desserts were hot fudge sundaes for me and Meg and a shake for Ashley. There was another couple behind us and the waitress kept trying to get everyone to find Hidden Mickeys, but none of us really cared at that point.

It’s noon. We do a little more shopping – I got another pin and some folders. It’s 12:40 and I think we’re done with the PhotoPass pictures, so I head over to the Darkroom to buy the CD. It was very worth it to me to buy this. We had a lot of pictures taken, we had a blast doing it, and we got all those great Test Track pictures done! When they add more rides to this system, I can see their sales of these CDs really going up!

When I feel we’ve digested long enough, I want to go back to the Big Girl Rides. Yup! ME!!!

RnRC first – Ashley sits this one out. ToT next, again Ashley sits it out. I am NOT on Valium anymore. RnRC didn’t bother me at all. I have it totally conquered! Tower of Terror – well, not so much. The drops weren’t too bad, but that swooping back up! AWFUL!!! Really bothered me!

I’m going to need to research motion-sickness medicine for the next trip. EE and ToT are not quite “Valium” rides anymore, but I need SOMETHING!

I must have told every cast member in Disney that I rode ToT!

We sadly take the bus back to Pop. The girls have some credits at the arcade to spend and I head into the store to make sure I didn’t leave any merchandise IN Disney! A set of Mickey notebooks and some more earrings later, I’m done.

We had 1 snack and 5 counter services left!!! And I totally forgot about them until we were on the plane home! Not that it much mattered, we couldn't bring any liquids on the plane, and it's not like I was paying for the dining plan, but WOW!!!

It’s time to collect our bags and wait for the bus. I think I’ve already mentioned that Pop was the first drop off and last pick up for the Magical Express. Our flight was at 6pm, we were supposed to be picked up at 3:15 (which was nice, because with the heightened security at the airport, we had originally thought it would be 4 hours!). The bus actually left Pop at 3:30.

It was still plenty of time. We had a little trouble finding the Southwest desk, but soon we were through security and at the gate. I plopped down in the “A” line (there were just a couple people in line) and gave the girls money for dinner. They were gone long enough that I made a friend, sitting on the floor of the Orlando Airport! The guy who sat down behind me turned out to have moved from Chicago to Orlando a few years earlier and flew back and forth regularly because he made a lot more money as a consultant in Chicago!

We talked for at least ½ an hour before the girls came back. They had Sbarro’s. I went off and wasn’t really hungry, so I got a Happy Meal. I like the toys!

We board and the flight is fine. At some point, I pull out the Happy Meal toy. It’s a dinosaur and a ball. You place the ball on the stand and hit the dino’s tail, and the ball goes flying! So we play for awhile, until I angle the stupid thing funny, and send the ball flying into the row behind us!

Now I have 2 people behind us looking for the ball and Meg is on the floor under her seat trying to get it, too. I tell them not to bother, I’m sorry, it’s not a big deal.

A few minutes later, the lady behind me hands me the ball. So embarrassing!

We land at Midway and call home for a ride. Mia tells us Judi and Ron are coming instead. What have we learned? Don’t believe Mia ever again when she offers you a ride to the airport!

And it just occurred to me – next September, when Rhonda, Judi, Ron, Brooke, and I FLY – who’s left to get us to and from the airport??????

I’ve already told you about the Magical ride home with Judi and Ron and I’ve already told you about seeing my drapes… oh, crap! I’m done!


HIGHS: riding the Big Girl rides!, buying the PhotoPass CD

LOWS: leaving

MILES WALKED: 3??? - pedometer BROKEN!!! TOTAL FOR THE 9 DAYS = 66.01

Any questions? Better hurry before they close this thread!!!
Until the next trip:

 

[Kat in GA]

Jamie --
I have really enjoyed reading your trip report. I have been reading since you started and have finally decided to post. Now that I am writing my own trip report -- I completely see the value in a little feedback!

When do you go back?

 

[tiggerbell]

Jamie --
I have really enjoyed reading your trip report. I have been reading since you started and have finally decided to post. Now that I am writing my own trip report -- I completely see the value in a little feedback!

When do you go back?

The dates of the next trip are (I believe) April 28th, 2007, to May 5, 2007. (Saturday until the next Sunday)

It's the same week I went this year with Lauren, Rhonda, Ron, and Judi. The cast will be Rhonda, me, Sandy, and Ruth (from the Ladies' Trip of Sept., 2005). Their friend Elaine might join us, but she hasn't said for sure yet. We are booked at POFQ (my first time there!)

The trip after that will be the first week of September - Brooke's first trip. She turned to Judi at dinner the other night and said, "Can we go to Florida tonight?"

This is Brooke - this was taken at least a year ago! I don't have any recent ones of her right now.

 

[disneycutie84]

I loved your report and I am so glad you guys had such a great time!
Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[MomPlanner22]

Great report Jamie (or my former sister in law as I like to think of you, even though you weren't, you could be her twin!). I really enjoyed it and others you have written as well. I am a big chicken and absolutely won't do RNR but am thinking about TofT. Haven't decided for sure yet but your story is certainly encouraging!

 

[tiggerbell]

Great report Jamie (or my former sister in law as I like to think of you, even though you weren't, you could be her twin!). I really enjoyed it and others you have written as well. I am a big chicken and absolutely won't do RNR but am thinking about TofT. Haven't decided for sure yet but your story is certainly encouraging!

Between the 2 rides, RnRC is the easier one - depending on your fear, I guess. I don't mind upside down, I don't like dropping.

I saw Rhonda yesterday and told her the report was done. Then I told her to get her stuff, we were going back RIGHT NOW!!!

We're going to the Chickies' house today, that's what I call Lauren and Brooke. I'm giving them the ankle bracelets from my trip, and Rhonda's got something for them too, but I'm sure it won't compare to the ankle bracelets...

she bought them Princess dresses.

 

[tinkgurl]

After the library, we walk through the boiler room – I have walked through here many times, but never on Valium, and never with this destination actually in mind. We get to the bellman assigning rows, and I proudly announce…..


Wait for it………….


Wait for it……………


Oh,. Yeah, it’s THAT good………….


Wait for it………………


“3, and it’s my first time!”

And he seated us in row one.

AND I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I RODE TOWER OF TERROR!!!!!!!!!!!!! VALIUM IS A BEAUTIFUL THING!

Here’s the weird part – I liked it. I wasn’t supposed to like it, I was supposed to ride it once and never have to do it again. But I liked it, just like I liked the beginning of Rock ‘n Roller Coaster this time.

The drops were fine, I even liked being lifted out of my seat. The swooping back up part was a little weird, kind of like the backward part on Everest, but not bad.

We get off the ride and are greeted by none other than Jasmine from the rope drop! She asks if we want to ride again, she’ll send us up the elevator. Cool! Can I run and write down my photo number though, it was my first time? Yup! Great, number in hand, Jasmine places us in front of the chicken exit. And then kind of wanders off…

We stand there for awhile (I figure we could have gone around the building faster, seeing as there was no line), when it occurs to me that it’s an elevator, and thusly, must have a call button. Sure enough! I press it and the elevator comes! There’s a dude in it who brings us upstairs and gets us back on the ride – in the back row this time.

I’m feeling NO PAIN and ride the entire time with my hands up! I want this picture too!

Time for a couple of pictures outside the hotel (how relaxed am I???) and I have to buy the Tower of Terror pin. I never bought pins until last September when I went on RnRC for the first time. Since then I’ve been buying the ones I really like. I even bought a display frame last week at The Container Store to put them in. I had an old Tigger T-shirt the kids brought me back from Disney years ago, it’s got holes in it, but it’s one of my favorite shirts. Every time I went to the closet to dump a few t-shirts, that one never got dumped! I couldn’t do it. So I used the shirt as my background for the pin display – it’s pretty cool!

I love this picture - it looks fake!

Anyway, it’s almost time for lunch. I had booked the Sci-Fi. We just love this place. I let the girls sit in the front of the car. I don’t think I ever saw their food! Meg had a root beer, onion rings, and the spinach/artichoke dip; Ashley had a chicken Cesar salad (but you knew that!) and a lemonade; and I had a burger and a coke.

Desserts were hot fudge sundaes for me and Meg and a shake for Ashley. There was another couple behind us and the waitress kept trying to get everyone to find Hidden Mickeys, but none of us really cared at that point.

It’s noon. We do a little more shopping – I got another pin and some folders. It’s 12:40 and I think we’re done with the PhotoPass pictures, so I head over to the Darkroom to buy the CD. It was very worth it to me to buy this. We had a lot of pictures taken, we had a blast doing it, and we got all those great Test Track pictures done! When they add more rides to this system, I can see their sales of these CDs really going up!

When I feel we’ve digested long enough, I want to go back to the Big Girl Rides. Yup! ME!!!

RnRC first – Ashley sits this one out. ToT next, again Ashley sits it out. I am NOT on Valium anymore. RnRC didn’t bother me at all. I have it totally conquered! Tower of Terror – well, not so much. The drops weren’t too bad, but that swooping back up! AWFUL!!! Really bothered me!

I’m going to need to research motion-sickness medicine for the next trip. EE and ToT are not quite “Valium” rides anymore, but I need SOMETHING!

I must have told every cast member in Disney that I rode ToT!

We sadly take the bus back to Pop. The girls have some credits at the arcade to spend and I head into the store to make sure I didn’t leave any merchandise IN Disney! A set of Mickey notebooks and some more earrings later, I’m done.

We had 1 snack and 5 counter services left!!! And I totally forgot about them until we were on the plane home! Not that it much mattered, we couldn't bring any liquids on the plane, and it's not like I was paying for the dining plan, but WOW!!!

It’s time to collect our bags and wait for the bus. I think I’ve already mentioned that Pop was the first drop off and last pick up for the Magical Express. Our flight was at 6pm, we were supposed to be picked up at 3:15 (which was nice, because with the heightened security at the airport, we had originally thought it would be 4 hours!). The bus actually left Pop at 3:30.

It was still plenty of time. We had a little trouble finding the Southwest desk, but soon we were through security and at the gate. I plopped down in the “A” line (there were just a couple people in line) and gave the girls money for dinner. They were gone long enough that I made a friend, sitting on the floor of the Orlando Airport! The guy who sat down behind me turned out to have moved from Chicago to Orlando a few years earlier and flew back and forth regularly because he made a lot more money as a consultant in Chicago!

We talked for at least ½ an hour before the girls came back. They had Sbarro’s. I went off and wasn’t really hungry, so I got a Happy Meal. I like the toys!

We board and the flight is fine. At some point, I pull out the Happy Meal toy. It’s a dinosaur and a ball. You place the ball on the stand and hit the dino’s tail, and the ball goes flying! So we play for awhile, until I angle the stupid thing funny, and send the ball flying into the row behind us!

Now I have 2 people behind us looking for the ball and Meg is on the floor under her seat trying to get it, too. I tell them not to bother, I’m sorry, it’s not a big deal.

A few minutes later, the lady behind me hands me the ball. So embarrassing!

We land at Midway and call home for a ride. Mia tells us Judi and Ron are coming instead. What have we learned? Don’t believe Mia ever again when she offers you a ride to the airport!

And it just occurred to me – next September, when Rhonda, Judi, Ron, Brooke, and I FLY – who’s left to get us to and from the airport??????

I’ve already told you about the Magical ride home with Judi and Ron and I’ve already told you about seeing my drapes… oh, crap! I’m done!


HIGHS: riding the Big Girl rides!, buying the PhotoPass CD

LOWS: leaving

MILES WALKED: 3??? - pedometer BROKEN!!! TOTAL FOR THE 9 DAYS = 66.01

Any questions? Better hurry before they close this thread!!!
Until the next trip:

HEY! Where you were sitting for Tower of Terror is where we always get put!