Jesse waited patiently as Grumpy snoozed her beer off in the sun. Around 2.30 they left for the Sandcaste Cabana, where they'd get to know all about their dolphin swim.
When we did it last summer, we were first given a little information on how the dolphin swim would go, then watched a video. Then everyone had to sign some kind of waiver, the group was divided into little groups and then we'd all gone to the Dolphin Cove to meet our trainer and our dolphin.
They'd left me at 2.20 and I waited for them to arrive. And waited. And waited. It was taking FOREVER, and because there were no more beach chairs in the sun, I was literally baking. Ready for Thanksgiving, just bring out the stuffing and the gravy. Three of the trainers were playing with a couple of the dolphins and at least it kept me busy while I waited.
After a little while I discovered that the Dolphin Cove is actually divided into several pools - and they could be anywhere. So I started going up & down the "beach" to check which pool they were in. No one anywhere. Finally I saw them - but by that time you could have cooked an egg on my head.
The girls met their dolphin, Jenny, and did the usual tricks, making her "speak", getting her to wave hello...
I tried staying to take pictures but couldn't last but a couple minutes 'til I had to rush to the shower rooms and get under the cold water.
Came back and decided to give it another try. When I got there, Jesse and Grumpy were swimming towards the dolphin - great, I hadn't missed their swim!!
Jesse went first.
When it was Grumpy's turn, she let go of the dolphin half way, and, she later admitted, had herself a little cup'o'dolphinwater as well. But she loved it
Is it me or is that dolphin cracking up and making fun of my poor Grumpy????
When their swim was over, we met up, and went to get a drink since, as lovely Grumpy put it, I was looking like a big red ball.
Then, I wanted to try the coral reef again. Jesse came with me but Grumpy was tired by then and she just wanted to lay down on the beach and try to tan.
So we go back in the freezing water, there were a lot less people as it was nearly 4 already. I tried to put on the tuba but couldn't figure how to breathe thru it so Jesse said nevermind, just wear the mask and come up for air every once in a while. I tried doing just that but somehow the mask filled up with water in a couple seconds, I couldn't see anything, panicked because I wouldn't see the evil fish if they came my way, and pretty much ran out of the pool again. Well, I did see the corals for a few seconds and it WAS very pretty. Didn't last long though. I'm hopeless.
Jesse can breathe with a tuba so I let her enjoy it a bit and waited for her in the lazy river. We went around it twice more, then collected our Grumpy and decided to call it a day. Not that we had a choice anyway, it was 5.15 and the place would be closing in 15mns.
We had to wait in line for the showers/changing rooms, which were not really clean by then. Lots of muddy sand on the floor so you couldn't put your shoes back on without getting sand in them. Yuck!!
When we were all reatively cleaned and somewhat dressed, we headed for the exit. Jesse thought they should have Magic Hours there so
she could stay an extra three hours with
her dolphin. I waited for them as they paid for their photos and Jesse went to buy a couple things in the store.
That reminded me of last summer, where we'd gone to that store searching for after-sun lotion as we we'd both sunburned like crazy, and the lady had asked us "Do you want the one with the aloe, or the one with the lidocaine?". Jesse & I had replied in unison : "THE ONE WITH THE DRUGS!".
We were soon in a cab on our way back to Coronado. Got off at El Centro so we could get our stuff back from the safe, and learn our room number. Then Jesse surprised me by going to Bell Services all by herself, asking if we could get someone to give us and our luggage a ride to our room. She usually sends me over whenever we need to ask for something, so that's why I was surprised. Anyway, a few minutes later we were on one of those little shuttles on our way to the Ranchos.
Our room was really nice, in a corner, and right above the pool. I think we may have been upgraded to water view because there definitely was an obstructed view. It was about 8pm by then and Grumpy was tired, but Jessi and I wanted to go to Downtown Disney. My mom said she didn't mind staying alone so after we showered (again!) and got dressed in clean, sandless clothes, Jesse and I were off.
When we got to the Marketplace we went through the Christmas shop and looked at all the ornaments. In the back of the store they have a section that is all Nightmare Before Christmas stuff. I wanted
everything.
We looked at the ornaments and Jesse took pics of everything. The stuffed character stockings. E-ve-ry-thing. I asked her why she was doing that, and when would she care to look at this again ? She said she looks at the pics at least once a week when she's home. So I let her take pics!
We didn't buy anything though - it's very pretty, but highly breakable and definitely not cheap in any way.
Our next stop was Earl of Sandwich. I'd never been there before, but Jesse lovvves sandwiches and I figured she'd like that place
She got the veggie sandwich and I got the "Best BLT". We were using our first
DDP credits and Jesse was a bit confused as to what she could or could not get, so I told her she could get either a side or a dessert. She got the brownie sandwich and I got a cute sprinkley cupcake. It was about 9pm and we had no problem getting a table outside. Usually the place is packed and the line's out the door.
OMG those sandwiches were heavenly. We both agreed we needed to come back at some point and bring Grumpy! We kept our desserts for later though, as we were full with the sandwiches.
After dinner Jesse wanted to go to the Toy Store. Okay. I was getting tired though and she got on my nerves a bit by taking pics of every darn thing, and walking two inches an hour, so I told her I'd wait for her outside by the fountain. While I was there, some lady who must have been even more drunk that Grumpy was sitting in the middle of the fountain jets and getting soaked over and over again. It was entertaining to watch
Next on the agenda : Walgreens. We got a cab and he took us to the nearest one, for about $10. He asked how long we'd be there and we said at least half an hour. At no time did we ask him to wait for us while we were in the store.
The Halloween makeup was right in front of the store. I'd just wanted some white foundation but all they had left were kits. So we got a couple of those, plus some silver and black hairsprays. Then Jesse wanted to get snacks and candy for Alex and I had a few other things to pick up myself.
$75 later I was done and told Jesse I'd wait for her outside. She'd loaded up her cart with candy, beef jerky and chips - Alex's favorite American food. Outside, I started chatting with one of the cashiers/stockers who was on her break. Since I'd worked in a supermarket we compared our lovely jobs. We finally agreed that they were just as crappy on one side of the Atlantic as the other
I'd noticed when I got outside that there was a cab waiting, but I figured it wasn't for us so I took my time chatting with the girl, and then Jesse joined in. The cab driver got out of the car and started looking at us. He said "Are you ready?"
Jesse recognized the driver and she said she hadn't realized he had been waiting for us - I added that we had not asked him to wait. He just said "okay".
We got in the cab and I saw the meter was showing $21. Holy crap, he had waited for us - with the meter on. I didn't know what to say to him. We asked him to driver us back to DTD, as we wanted to catch the Coronado bus there. Usually at CSR cabs drop you at the main building and then you have to walk all the way back to your room, and we had eight heavy Walgreens bags to carry.
So he puts the meter back to zero and drives us back to DTD. I was so relieved when he accepted the $10 I gave him, I had expected a confrontation and him demanding the "waiting money" - which we didn't have.
Big sigh of relief.
However he did drop us in the middle of nowhere, somewhere between the Marketplace and Pleasure Island. I spotted Planet Hollywood and remembered the bus stops are close to it so we walked towards there, which was a bit far and those bags were mighty heavy. We were both exhausted when we got to the bus stop and all we wanted was a bed.
I think we waited about 15mns for the Coronado bus. It was nearly 1am and there were only 3 other persons in it, sitting all the way in the back. The driver asked us which stop everyone was going to. We said four, but the 3 others didn't know what he was talking about, and got a bit nasty with the driver. "We're going to Coronado Springs!! CO-RO-NA-DO SPRINGS! We're on a CORONADO SPRINGS bus". He looked at us, rolled his eyes, and shrugged. I told him just drop em off at El Centro and let them walk all the way back to their room
Jesse spotted a Tron poster on the bus. She kept looking at it, saying how cool it was. She asked me how to say "affiche" in English - she got me there, I had no idea. Maybe just "poster"??? Why did she want to know that word anyway. We get inside Coronado, the driver turned the lights back on, and she gets up and goes to talk to him. I couldn't hear what she said but the driver laughed, and turned the lights back off. Then Jessi goes to that Tron poster and starts trying to pull it out! I was like, what the heck do you think you're doing??? Since the driver wasn't doing anything to stop her I figured that's what she'd gone to ask him so I tried to help her but the thing wouldn't budge. We got to stop 4 and the driver told her, maybe next time and that if they gave him any more of those he'd keep one for her.
So what she did was ask him if she could take the poster, and he said "Sure -as long as I can't see you!" and turned the lights back off so he wouldnt "see" her doing it
All the while driving as slowly as he could.
What can I say, Jesse loves Tron!!! I wasn't mad at her since she had asked the driver first. If she'd just gone up and tried to steal it I would have been mortified though.
Grumpy was asleep when we got back but woke up to hear about our "adventures". By the time we'd put away the stuff we'd bought it was once again almost 2am and we needed to be get up early the next day.
We had a date with Donald, plus a not so scary party. What we didn't know, was that the party would be a bit scarier once we got there.
This one sounds like you are off to a good start - if you don't all drop from exhaustion.
