Kanga1
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2004
- Messages
- 1,470
Cast of Characters:
Jana (moi, 40, obsessive planner of this and all trips..think Chevy Chase in the Vacation movies.)
Eric (DH, 41, a big kid at heart, pretty much goes with the flow and can have a good time anywhere as long as theres good food.)
Anna Marie (4 year-old DD and true princess any princess...pick one.)
This castle this icon of magic and dreams coming true was so grand and so glorious that it was not enough to just walk up to it. I wanted to go through it to be Cinderella for a split second and waltz out the other side. So we did. DD and I, with clasped hands swinging them in a special rhythm that only mothers and daughters can feel -glided past the intricate murals and right out into Fantasyland. Suddenly, I could feel it wonder, magic, imagination. I was 6 years old. Now, DD, Im proud to say, holds more self-restraint than any 4 year-old I have ever encountered. You take her to the store and purposely take her down the toy aisle and she is perfectly fine with just looking, as long as you tell her in advance that there will be no buying. So, when she saw the beautiful carousel with gleaming lights and horses dressed in their finery, she was content just to watch. After all, we were only coming to see the castle we were not going to ride tonight. I, on the other hand, do not excel in the area of self-control and am sure I was incapable of just looking at the age of 6, so when I saw the carousel had NO LINE we jumped right on! Ohhhh that ride was magnificent DD on one horse and me on another spinning next to the castle and bobbing up and down to the music I couldnt BELIEVE we were at Disney! Besides, wouldnt Daddy be surprised when we tell him there were no lines and we actually got on a ride! After Cinderellas Golden Carousel, I looked at my watch hmmm only 8:10 and look theres Snow Whites Scary Adventures with NO LINE! DD and I had talked about this ride many times prior to our trip. She is a HUGE fan of Snow White (shes her favorite princess) and she really wanted to ride this ride. I knew it was dark and scary in some places with the witch popping out from all sides we had talked about this a lot. So, I asked DD if she was sure she wanted to ride it. Yes Ill try it. No time to back out, we get right in front of the Sneezy car and begin our journey through the forest. DD wants me to hold her close and she covers her eyes in a few places, but when all was said and done she loved it. We would ride this ride about 6 more times in the coming days. Ok time check 8:20. The line for Dumbo says 20 minutes. Now, any seasoned DISner knows that I should be getting back to DH and our viewing spot. But remember, I am now 6 years old and - for this brief period of time have lost any form of adult responsibility. Dumbo was on our schedule for first thing in the morning, and since it boasts the longest lines in Fantasyland, it might be a good idea to go ahead and cross this one off our list. Besides, a 20 minute wait wasnt bad. 20 minutes later, it is almost our turn when the adult in me begins to kick in. Maybe we have stayed too long; maybe we ought to be getting back; DH might be wondering what has happened to us. 8:40 its getting really late but were on the next ride we stay. We ride. Its wonderful. Ok hop to it gotta get back to DH. Oh no DD has to pee should have thought of that. Must take her she cant hold it through Spectro and Wishes. Find restroom go wash hands. Now..hurry. We run up to the castle entrance where we just waltzed through not an hour ago and its blocked off. What? Why? Maybe the parade goes by the other side or something. No problem Ive studied the map enough to know that if I go left toward Tomorrowland there is a bridge I can cross that will take me back to Main Street. Yes lets do that. So we go, and when we come around the side of the castle I cannot believe my eyes. WHERE DID ALL THESE PEOPLE COME FROM??? They werent there when we left and there was NOBODY in Fantasyland!! And here, folks, is where it all kicks in. I knew about this. Somewhere in the subconscious recesses of my mind, I knew why Fantasyland was empty why we could walk on the Carousel and Snow White. Because EVERYBODY WAS LINED UP FOR THE PARADE!! It was crowded scary crowded. People were lined up 5 and 6 deep from the street bodies pressed so close together that Tinkerbell herself could not fit through. I pick up DD (no way could she walk through this mass of flesh) and try to make my way to the road. If I could just get out into the street, I could walk down the short distance to where my DH was sitting on the curb. No go. Too many people vying for every inch of space around, probably thinking I was trying to cut in front of them for a better view. Panic sets in. I panic and almost start to cry. I weave my way through people saying, Ive got to find my husband got to find my husband. DD is feeling my stress and begins to cry too. I am praying that DH is still there. Surely he would not have left to try to find me in this sea of people. Im so stupid what a stupid thing Ive done. DH does not know the park at all; I have no cell phone or walkie talkie. First day here and not only will I have managed to miss the parade, but I will have lost my DH for hours on end. People are cheering a CM must be entertaining somewhere. 9:00 and I can hear the music from down the street. Ok, Jana, get a grip. Take a deep breath and think. Ill try to go behind the crowd. I can see the popcorn stand a few yards away almost there. Stepped on someones foot Im so sorry. Finally, I made it to the popcorn stand. I can barely see my DHs head still sitting on the curb. Try to get through to him still too many people. I shout his name. Eeerrriiicccc!!! He turns, and when the crowd sees that I really do belong up there, that there is a seat for me and Im not just going to pass and stand in front of them, they let me through. DD sits in her stroller and I apologize profusely to my DH for the horrible mistake I made that night. He was quite mad (a trait I rarely see in him) for a few seconds and then relief that we were alright washed all over his face. He knew me well enough to know that I had lost my senses in Fantasyland, but was deeply concerned about how I would ever find him in the crowd. We made a pact right then and there that we would never be apart without a phone or walkie talkie for the next 10 days. Crisis over. Lesson learned. Lets watch the parade here it comes. On this magic night, a million stars will play beside us
Needless to say, I did not enjoy the parade nearly as I should have. I sat on that curb, literally shaking, cursing myself for being so irresponsible and thanking God that I had found DH and we were together as a family once again. We were only going up to see the castle. Despite all this, we did have a couple of magic moments during the parade Minnie saw DDs dress and blew kisses at her from the float, and Snow White came over, shook DDs hand and told her what a pretty princess she was. We thought DD would faint right then and there wed been here less than 10 hours and already her favorite princess had picked her out of a crowd and complimented her! Spectro ended and we continued to discuss what had happened me apologizing and DH trying to calm my frayed nerves. We were safe and DH was excited to hear about all the fun wed had and all that we had ridden. Wishes began and I was so hoping that Tink would fly tonight. I had heard that she only flies in extremely perfect conditions (Id have that requirement too if I were catapulting out of a castle on a thin little wire) and the weather tonight seemed ideal. Finally, it begins and THERE SHE IS flying right in front of us! She looks in our direction and waitaminute shes WAVING at us right AT US!!! Ok, I know she was way way up and was only looking and waving in our vicinity, but when youre at Disney and Snow White has just kissed your hand, then yes, definitely Tink was waving AT US! Wishes continued and it was spectacular. I wanted to see it at least once more, but the opportunity never presented itself. I hope its there the next time we go I never even took one picture.
Now its time to exit with the masses. I know they say to hang back a bit, let the horde of people leave the park before you, enjoy the scenery but when you are sitting on a curb in the MIDDLE of all that chaos, well, then, your only choice is to move with them or be trampled to death. My heart starts racing again and I tell DH to keep a hand on me for dear life while I push the stroller (although we were smart enough to make a plan, that if we got separated we would meet at the entrance to the CR walkway.) [Stepping up to podium to make a speech] Ahem. I would like to take this time to discuss my theory on the great stroller hitting the ankles discussion. It has been talked about in great length on the DIS boards WHY some people constantly keep hitting the person in front of them with their stroller. I think I know the answer. Now I want to say that I never once the entire trip hit anyone with my stroller (nor did anyone hit me), but as we were making our way down Main Street, DH kept telling me, Watch you almost ran into that lady with the stroller. The reason this was happening was because I could not actually see the end of it. I am all of 52 and could not see beyond the canopy on the top of the stroller. Between that and the fact that our Jeep is much shorter (those park strollers are extremely long) I was constantly misjudging the distance. I took note of this and kept a safe distance from then on. So the next time someone hits you in the back of the leg, look at their height. If theyre short, they probably didnt hit you on purpose unless you came to a sudden stop or walked directly in front of them then its your fault.
Thanks for your attention and have a magical day. [Stepping down from podium]
DH returned the stroller and I stood in the short line to receive our Disney dollar. The CM must have seen my 10 days worth of stroller tickets, for he informed me that I did not have to claim my refund daily I could get all 10 dollars on the last day. Great! One less thing to worry about each evening and wed have a whole $10 to spend on our last day. DH and I discuss whether we should take the monorail back to CR or just walk. The amount of people heading for the monorail is many and besides, we could be halfway home (home did you hear me say that?) in the time it took us to get to the station. Its getting late (about 11:00) and weve all be up for 18 hours. DH asks DD if she wants him to carry her. No, Daddy Ill walk. Shes such a trooper. When we open the door to our room I see piles of luggage everywhere. Oh no we havent unpacked yet! Im a terrible neat freak and there was no way I was going to be able to go to bed with this mess all around me. Besides, I didnt really see any other time to do this. We had an early start tomorrow and the vacation cant really begin until I have a neat room to come home to. I tuck DD in bed and she falls to sleep immediately (big surprise.) I tell DH that he can go on to bed, Ill work quietly. No doing he wants to help (bless his heart) so we unpack and get everything in its place. Lights go off at 1:00am. I had been up for 20 hours. Now, youd think that Id be asleep before my head hit the pillow, right? WRONG! The adrenaline was just pumping through my body. Excitement for finally being here, panic still reeling in me from MK, trip reports running through my head, body fighting total exhaustion. My final look at the clock said 3:30am.
"Planning or Obsession...What's the Difference?"
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=857133
"Our Vacation Begins"
http://www.disboards.com/showthread...370#post9138370
Day 1 "Pixie Dust and Panic Attacks" (Part 1)
http://www.disboards.com/showthread...210#post9143210
Day 1 "Pixie Dust and Panic Attacks" (Part 2)
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=9143244#post9143244
Jana (moi, 40, obsessive planner of this and all trips..think Chevy Chase in the Vacation movies.)
Eric (DH, 41, a big kid at heart, pretty much goes with the flow and can have a good time anywhere as long as theres good food.)
Anna Marie (4 year-old DD and true princess any princess...pick one.)
This castle this icon of magic and dreams coming true was so grand and so glorious that it was not enough to just walk up to it. I wanted to go through it to be Cinderella for a split second and waltz out the other side. So we did. DD and I, with clasped hands swinging them in a special rhythm that only mothers and daughters can feel -glided past the intricate murals and right out into Fantasyland. Suddenly, I could feel it wonder, magic, imagination. I was 6 years old. Now, DD, Im proud to say, holds more self-restraint than any 4 year-old I have ever encountered. You take her to the store and purposely take her down the toy aisle and she is perfectly fine with just looking, as long as you tell her in advance that there will be no buying. So, when she saw the beautiful carousel with gleaming lights and horses dressed in their finery, she was content just to watch. After all, we were only coming to see the castle we were not going to ride tonight. I, on the other hand, do not excel in the area of self-control and am sure I was incapable of just looking at the age of 6, so when I saw the carousel had NO LINE we jumped right on! Ohhhh that ride was magnificent DD on one horse and me on another spinning next to the castle and bobbing up and down to the music I couldnt BELIEVE we were at Disney! Besides, wouldnt Daddy be surprised when we tell him there were no lines and we actually got on a ride! After Cinderellas Golden Carousel, I looked at my watch hmmm only 8:10 and look theres Snow Whites Scary Adventures with NO LINE! DD and I had talked about this ride many times prior to our trip. She is a HUGE fan of Snow White (shes her favorite princess) and she really wanted to ride this ride. I knew it was dark and scary in some places with the witch popping out from all sides we had talked about this a lot. So, I asked DD if she was sure she wanted to ride it. Yes Ill try it. No time to back out, we get right in front of the Sneezy car and begin our journey through the forest. DD wants me to hold her close and she covers her eyes in a few places, but when all was said and done she loved it. We would ride this ride about 6 more times in the coming days. Ok time check 8:20. The line for Dumbo says 20 minutes. Now, any seasoned DISner knows that I should be getting back to DH and our viewing spot. But remember, I am now 6 years old and - for this brief period of time have lost any form of adult responsibility. Dumbo was on our schedule for first thing in the morning, and since it boasts the longest lines in Fantasyland, it might be a good idea to go ahead and cross this one off our list. Besides, a 20 minute wait wasnt bad. 20 minutes later, it is almost our turn when the adult in me begins to kick in. Maybe we have stayed too long; maybe we ought to be getting back; DH might be wondering what has happened to us. 8:40 its getting really late but were on the next ride we stay. We ride. Its wonderful. Ok hop to it gotta get back to DH. Oh no DD has to pee should have thought of that. Must take her she cant hold it through Spectro and Wishes. Find restroom go wash hands. Now..hurry. We run up to the castle entrance where we just waltzed through not an hour ago and its blocked off. What? Why? Maybe the parade goes by the other side or something. No problem Ive studied the map enough to know that if I go left toward Tomorrowland there is a bridge I can cross that will take me back to Main Street. Yes lets do that. So we go, and when we come around the side of the castle I cannot believe my eyes. WHERE DID ALL THESE PEOPLE COME FROM??? They werent there when we left and there was NOBODY in Fantasyland!! And here, folks, is where it all kicks in. I knew about this. Somewhere in the subconscious recesses of my mind, I knew why Fantasyland was empty why we could walk on the Carousel and Snow White. Because EVERYBODY WAS LINED UP FOR THE PARADE!! It was crowded scary crowded. People were lined up 5 and 6 deep from the street bodies pressed so close together that Tinkerbell herself could not fit through. I pick up DD (no way could she walk through this mass of flesh) and try to make my way to the road. If I could just get out into the street, I could walk down the short distance to where my DH was sitting on the curb. No go. Too many people vying for every inch of space around, probably thinking I was trying to cut in front of them for a better view. Panic sets in. I panic and almost start to cry. I weave my way through people saying, Ive got to find my husband got to find my husband. DD is feeling my stress and begins to cry too. I am praying that DH is still there. Surely he would not have left to try to find me in this sea of people. Im so stupid what a stupid thing Ive done. DH does not know the park at all; I have no cell phone or walkie talkie. First day here and not only will I have managed to miss the parade, but I will have lost my DH for hours on end. People are cheering a CM must be entertaining somewhere. 9:00 and I can hear the music from down the street. Ok, Jana, get a grip. Take a deep breath and think. Ill try to go behind the crowd. I can see the popcorn stand a few yards away almost there. Stepped on someones foot Im so sorry. Finally, I made it to the popcorn stand. I can barely see my DHs head still sitting on the curb. Try to get through to him still too many people. I shout his name. Eeerrriiicccc!!! He turns, and when the crowd sees that I really do belong up there, that there is a seat for me and Im not just going to pass and stand in front of them, they let me through. DD sits in her stroller and I apologize profusely to my DH for the horrible mistake I made that night. He was quite mad (a trait I rarely see in him) for a few seconds and then relief that we were alright washed all over his face. He knew me well enough to know that I had lost my senses in Fantasyland, but was deeply concerned about how I would ever find him in the crowd. We made a pact right then and there that we would never be apart without a phone or walkie talkie for the next 10 days. Crisis over. Lesson learned. Lets watch the parade here it comes. On this magic night, a million stars will play beside us
Needless to say, I did not enjoy the parade nearly as I should have. I sat on that curb, literally shaking, cursing myself for being so irresponsible and thanking God that I had found DH and we were together as a family once again. We were only going up to see the castle. Despite all this, we did have a couple of magic moments during the parade Minnie saw DDs dress and blew kisses at her from the float, and Snow White came over, shook DDs hand and told her what a pretty princess she was. We thought DD would faint right then and there wed been here less than 10 hours and already her favorite princess had picked her out of a crowd and complimented her! Spectro ended and we continued to discuss what had happened me apologizing and DH trying to calm my frayed nerves. We were safe and DH was excited to hear about all the fun wed had and all that we had ridden. Wishes began and I was so hoping that Tink would fly tonight. I had heard that she only flies in extremely perfect conditions (Id have that requirement too if I were catapulting out of a castle on a thin little wire) and the weather tonight seemed ideal. Finally, it begins and THERE SHE IS flying right in front of us! She looks in our direction and waitaminute shes WAVING at us right AT US!!! Ok, I know she was way way up and was only looking and waving in our vicinity, but when youre at Disney and Snow White has just kissed your hand, then yes, definitely Tink was waving AT US! Wishes continued and it was spectacular. I wanted to see it at least once more, but the opportunity never presented itself. I hope its there the next time we go I never even took one picture.
Now its time to exit with the masses. I know they say to hang back a bit, let the horde of people leave the park before you, enjoy the scenery but when you are sitting on a curb in the MIDDLE of all that chaos, well, then, your only choice is to move with them or be trampled to death. My heart starts racing again and I tell DH to keep a hand on me for dear life while I push the stroller (although we were smart enough to make a plan, that if we got separated we would meet at the entrance to the CR walkway.) [Stepping up to podium to make a speech] Ahem. I would like to take this time to discuss my theory on the great stroller hitting the ankles discussion. It has been talked about in great length on the DIS boards WHY some people constantly keep hitting the person in front of them with their stroller. I think I know the answer. Now I want to say that I never once the entire trip hit anyone with my stroller (nor did anyone hit me), but as we were making our way down Main Street, DH kept telling me, Watch you almost ran into that lady with the stroller. The reason this was happening was because I could not actually see the end of it. I am all of 52 and could not see beyond the canopy on the top of the stroller. Between that and the fact that our Jeep is much shorter (those park strollers are extremely long) I was constantly misjudging the distance. I took note of this and kept a safe distance from then on. So the next time someone hits you in the back of the leg, look at their height. If theyre short, they probably didnt hit you on purpose unless you came to a sudden stop or walked directly in front of them then its your fault.
Thanks for your attention and have a magical day. [Stepping down from podium]DH returned the stroller and I stood in the short line to receive our Disney dollar. The CM must have seen my 10 days worth of stroller tickets, for he informed me that I did not have to claim my refund daily I could get all 10 dollars on the last day. Great! One less thing to worry about each evening and wed have a whole $10 to spend on our last day. DH and I discuss whether we should take the monorail back to CR or just walk. The amount of people heading for the monorail is many and besides, we could be halfway home (home did you hear me say that?) in the time it took us to get to the station. Its getting late (about 11:00) and weve all be up for 18 hours. DH asks DD if she wants him to carry her. No, Daddy Ill walk. Shes such a trooper. When we open the door to our room I see piles of luggage everywhere. Oh no we havent unpacked yet! Im a terrible neat freak and there was no way I was going to be able to go to bed with this mess all around me. Besides, I didnt really see any other time to do this. We had an early start tomorrow and the vacation cant really begin until I have a neat room to come home to. I tuck DD in bed and she falls to sleep immediately (big surprise.) I tell DH that he can go on to bed, Ill work quietly. No doing he wants to help (bless his heart) so we unpack and get everything in its place. Lights go off at 1:00am. I had been up for 20 hours. Now, youd think that Id be asleep before my head hit the pillow, right? WRONG! The adrenaline was just pumping through my body. Excitement for finally being here, panic still reeling in me from MK, trip reports running through my head, body fighting total exhaustion. My final look at the clock said 3:30am.
"Planning or Obsession...What's the Difference?"
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=857133
"Our Vacation Begins"
http://www.disboards.com/showthread...370#post9138370
Day 1 "Pixie Dust and Panic Attacks" (Part 1)
http://www.disboards.com/showthread...210#post9143210
Day 1 "Pixie Dust and Panic Attacks" (Part 2)
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=9143244#post9143244
