Jaime's Flower Power Trip! NEW 7/05 CH. 62: The "Really" End **COMPLETED**

[RHONDALEE]

CHAPTER 49: Keys to the Kingdom, Part III– Still DAY 7: FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2007

I had the tuna sandwich and chips – oh, it was sooooo good! Rhonda had the Garden Galley Salad - mixed greens with chicken, pecans, pineapple and feta cheese. She loved it. Ruth had the chicken strips… and I can’t remember what Sandy ate…

Sandy had the tuna sandwich.

Rhonda

 

[RHONDALEE]

CHAPTER 49: Keys to the Kingdom, Part III– Still DAY 7: FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2007

After lunch, we headed over to the back entrance of the Haunted Mansion. As we got near, a couple of teenage girls came up and asked Rae where the "ring" was. There is supposed to be a wedding ring embedded in the cement at the exit of the Haunted Mansion. I have never seen it and had read numerous reports that the ring had been removed.

So no one was more surprised than me when Rae said, "Follow me, girls!" and led us all right to the ring! It’s a piece of an old gate that’s still embedded in the concrete, but it really does look like an engagement ring!

Question is, will I ever be able to find it again???

I'll show you where it is.
OK - I'm off to work now.

Rhonda

 

[KathyRN137]

So no one was more surprised than me when Rae said, "Follow me, girls!" and led us all right to the ring! It’s a piece of an old gate that’s still embedded in the concrete, but it really does look like an engagement ring!

Question is, will I ever be able to find it again???

On our last trip I looked and looked for the ring and couldn't find it! We did see it on the tour and I was so disappointed; I really wanted to show off, er, I mean show it to my kids! But, they were chomping at the bit to get to the next attraction, so I never did find it again. Next time, I will!!

Wasn't it fun to be backstage at the HM??

Kathy

 

[Panotchr]

I wanna go on a trip with you I think Ruth might have driven me over the edge.

We refer to Disney around here as the "Big D". Some of my family, dh and my sister and her son - in-law, all want to go to the Grand Canyon. Well, my niece and my girls and I want the "Big D" every year. We are down in Florida visiting our family now. My niece is due with baby boy #2 on August 20, right when we are scheduled to come from the "Big D", so she can't go this year . My family was debating this whole silly Grand Canyon thing and my youngest daughter, Lily, said, " What is the Grand Canyon?" We all died laughing because she can tell you so much about the "Big D" and NOTHING about the Grand Canyon. Her uncle told her it is a hole in the ground and she says, " I'll take the "Big D" please!"

Talk about hilarious!

 

[nebo]

You know, sometimes you think of things, and you just never get around to it.
I just saw your name, and then I re-remembered, (is that a word?), that there was something that I wanted to post on a few pages ago.
I have no idea why I'm being nice to you, and, on top of that, you are correct, "bookkeepper," is the only word with 3 double letters all next to each other.
And so, what I wanted to comment on, was,,,,,,

We’re a little early (9:46), so we decide to use the bathroom – help! Are we "sleighbelles" or "snowmen"?

Up at the Chain Of Lakes, where I used to keep my boat, the Marina, bar, was inventive there with bathroom names. They had a Poly them going on there, and the johns' doors were named "Wahini" and "Kane". I used to love watching newbies come in and stand there trying to figure out which one they were.

My favorite bathroom door titles though?,,,,,,

It's in a marina bar on lake Marie, that has the incredibly obvious titles on the doors,,,,,,, no, I"m not going to do the " Wait for it" thing,
It's "Inboards" and "Outboards".
ok, resume

 

[__disneygirl]

So it's not really a ring, it's just part of the gate? Aww, it would have been cool if it was really a ring planted there by the imagineers. I can forgive them though, the stuff they do is cool enough already!

 

[tiggerbell]

CHAPTER 50: Keys to the Kingdom, Part IV– Still DAY 7: FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2007

We take a back entrance into the Haunted Mansion and get to go straight into the stretching room. We ride the ride like normal. After that, we head back towards Main Street, stopping in a little grove by a bridge between Liberty Square and the Crystal Palace. The bridge was placed there to relieve congestion during parades – and the suggestion to do so was from a cast member, so the grove is named after that person… whose name totally escapes me. But good job!

Now we head over by the Crystal Palace and take a biological break in those restrooms next to the First Aid Station… before heading backstage AGAIN! We are now in a parking lot between Crystal Palace, Main Street, and the Jungle Cruise. There is a picnic table off to the side where a person in a Casey’s baseball uniform eats a sandwich.

Rae next takes us in the stairwell behind Main Street and we head down into the Utilidors! When I took the Backstage Magic tour (the big one), we were in the Utilidors for about 15 minutes. This time it had to have been at least ½ an hour! Rae told us tons and tons of facts… even got into the training for new cast members – she used to have that job. She rattled off the stats for what the "Disney Look" is – earrings cannot be bigger than – oh, nuts, was is a dime or a quarter? Men are now allowed mustaches, but they must be kept trimmed. Tattoos must be covered.

Rhonda has a tattoo – as do I. Rhonda’s is a Mickey Mouse… in fact, someone earlier in the trip asked where she had it done, something about infringement rights in Florida? I guess they can’t tattoo Mickey in that area (I mean Florida, not the area of Rhonda’s leg!)

I told Rhonda to show Rae the tattoo and ask if it’ll cause a problem when we move down there.

We head upstairs and Rae winds up the tour. We grab her afterwards and Rhonda asks her question. Turned out, depending on the costume you need to wear, a tattoo can be covered several ways. Shouldn’t be a problem for Rhonda to get hired. We both have a few questions for Rae and she gives us little cards that say, "You’ve been Discovered!" She told us to e-mail her when we get down there and she’d help in any way she could!

The tour was amazing – I loved every minute of it. Meg wants to do it and, if I can put her off a few years, I’ll do it with her.

It’s about 2pm…ish? We have a 7:30pm LeCellier ADR. I turn to the group and say, "Adios! I’ll meet you at dinner!"

This tour killed my feet! Like I said, I did not whine… but I moaned! I headed back to the room and my pillow stack and my Vicodin.


COMING UP - CHAPTER 51: Bus? I Don’t Think So! [POST=19375283]CLICK HERE[/post]

 

[apirateslife4evr]

This tour killed my feet! Like I said, I did not whine… but I moaned! I headed back to the room and my pillow stack and my Vicodin.

This is the MAIN reason I am budgeting to include ECV rentals in our spending money OUCH !!!

So glad you gave such a DETAILED description of this tour. We have the KTTK tour planned for the four of us in December, and even though I am a former CM, you've already listed stuff that even I didn't know.....now I am thrilled with the idea

 

[RHONDALEE]

CHAPTER 50: Keys to the Kingdom, Part IV– Still DAY 7: FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2007

After that, we head back towards Main Street, stopping in a little grove by a bridge between Liberty Square and the Crystal Palace. The bridge was placed there to relieve congestion during parades – and the suggestion to do so was from a cast member, so the grove is named after that person… whose name totally escapes me. But good job! [/SIZE]

Jaime it was (is) the Parker Bridge.

WOW I remembered something Jaime didn't??????

Rhonda

 

[KathyRN137]

Meg will love this tour! (But, how are you going to convince her to wait??)

Kathy

 

[tiggerbell]

CHAPTER 50: Keys to the Kingdom, Part IV– Still DAY 7: FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2007



Jaime it was (is) the Parker Bridge.

WOW I remembered something Jaime didn't??????

Rhonda

Good job - but I suppose the fact that the Parker Bridge is in the Magic kingdom, and not... oh, I don't know...

IN EPCOT'S JAPAN PAVILION

is what helped you, huh?

 

[StitchsEvilSister]

The tour was amazing – I loved every minute of it. Meg wants to do it and, if I can put her off a few years, I’ll do it with her.

Why Must I Wait?

 

[tiggerbell]

Meg will love this tour! (But, how are you going to convince her to wait??)

Kathy

Why Must I Wait?

Hey - Meg - LOOK!!! -----> Something Sparkly!!!

 

[tiggerwannabe]

Are you kidding?

I doubt Meg's gonna wanna wait~

Even *I* wanna do this tour now,

I'm gonna book this for the next time I'm in Orlando!
DS'll like it and I have a feeling DH will too~

 

[StitchsEvilSister]

Hey - Meg - LOOK!!! -----> Something Sparkly!!!

OOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, Wait, HEY!!!!!!!

Are you kidding?

I doubt Meg's gonna wanna wait

She's Right.

 

[Maddie2]

Continuing to love your TR, Jaime!

I've read a few TR's about the KTTK tour and saw something on TV - I think the Travel Channel -- about the Utilidors at MK. So, do they have something similar beneath the other parks?

With our kids only 10 and 13, we don't want to know all the secrets yet (I must admit I kind of enjoy the illusion of perfection) -- but we did happen to see a backstage area while waiting in line to see Chicken Little right by the entrance to Toontown (right in front of the sign). A garbage collector person wheeled a big trolley past us and through a large gate. Mostly just cherry-picker trucks back there. Even my son noticed and thought it was very un-Disneylike.

There is an age requirement for this tour, isn't there?

Also, we were in line for a root beer float in AK when a CM followed us in the line to close the line for the day. We got to visiting and he even said he couldn't wait to be done working at WDW! VERY un-Disneylike! I was a bit surprised he talked so much, but basically he said that working there ruins the "magic" and that the pay stunk. Thankfully my son wasn't paying much attention to the conversation!

 

[tiggerbell]

Continuing to love your TR, Jaime!

I've read a few TR's about the KTTK tour and saw something on TV - I think the Travel Channel -- about the Utilidors at MK. So, do they have something similar beneath the other parks?

Nope - only the MK. EPCOT's got a service road that leads all the way around it in a horseshoe for CMs and service vehicles. I saw that on the Behind the Magic tour.

There is an age requirement for this tour, isn't there?

16

Also, we were in line for a root beer float in AK when a CM followed us in the line to close the line for the day. We got to visiting and he even said he couldn't wait to be done working at WDW! VERY un-Disneylike! I was a bit surprised he talked so much, but basically he said that working there ruins the "magic" and that the pay stunk. Thankfully my son wasn't paying much attention to the conversation!

See, and I think part of the magic is GIVING OUT the magic! We were told on our tour that only 80% of people working at Disney GET Disney. Rhonda and I are looking to UP the statistics!

 

[dddisrunner]

Love the details about the Keys to the Kingdom tour! I was LOL about Ruth and the microphone! I never knew of the engagement "looking ring" at the Haunted Mansion will definitely be looking for that next time! I can totally sympathize with you and your injured foot! I was having terrible problems with my knee/leg while we were their although I unfortunately did not have strong pain meds with me! Great installments!

 

[tiggerbell]

CHAPTER 51: Bus? I Don’t Think So!– Still DAY 7: FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2007

After a nap – ahhhh….. – I headed to EPCOT from AKL about 5:30. We had a 7:30 ADR at LeCellier. Bus? I don’t think so! I grabbed a cab and asked for the Beach Club. The Vicodin is still working nicely, so my feet don’t hurt, and I’m very careful not to drool on the cab seats.

I walk from the Beach Club to International Drive, where I can hear the British Invasion. I head over to watch for a few minutes, then I meander towards Canada. I have a ton of time, so I just sit on a ledge, near the Off Kilter stage facing England, and people watch. I can see a huge crowd over by America and realize that we were supposed to have gone to the Petula Clark show at 5:45. Oops! Good thing I suggested Peter and Gordon the other night!

I think the ladies very well may be in that crowd, so I just sit and watch the people come streaming by (Friday evening in May during the Flower & Garden Festival/Concert Series is always really crowded – we saw that last year, too!). Eventually, as part of the Petula Clark crowd, here they come. They join me on my ledge and fill me in on their afternoon… of which, probably from the Vic, I have no recollection of at all!

I do know they only caught part of Petula Clark’s show. I think I remember hearing another British Invasion show start up and heading over there to watch for a while. Soon enough, it was time for dinner in Canada!


COMING UP - CHAPTER 52: Mo, What’s this Brown Stuff? [post=19390650]CLICK HERE[/POST]

 

[Maddie2]

Ohhhh!!! I can't wait to hear about LeCellier! We gave up (yes, GAVE UP) an ADR for LeCellier the day before we were supposed to go there -- one boy with Influenza B and the other saying "ewwwww, MEAT again? -- we had just eaten at the O'hana dinner the night before. We ended up using the TS for the Beach Club Goofy character breakfast a couple of days later.

I recall reading so much about LeCellier -- esp the cheese soup and the steaks. I was bummed to miss out, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do sometimes. I hope you loved it! Can't wait to hear the food report!