Like a Bad Meal (V Keeps Coming Back) - THE END! 1/12/09

[askelton]

Just out of curiosity...what temperature is the water in your unheated pool?

I always think that the wdw pools are VERY warm. When my Dad had a pool in his yard, anything over 15C (59F) was considered warm enough for swimming and I swam at least once in 12C (53.5F) water.

(I do prefer swimming in water over 20C (68F), though.)

That's freezing! Our pool is only 62F. The days have been in the 80's but the nights haven't been that warm. Hopefully next month the water will get to 80F so I can swim.

 

[kykatt2]

Well... better late than never... I have read all six pages now...
You slam stuff together like we do... but them again you live MUCH MUCH CLOSER.

Good read.

 

[pajules]

Hey V!

Real quick before I head out your way. I can't remember if it was on my thread or yours where we were talking about suncscreen for your scalp....but I bought a new product. I was at the salon yesterday getting a pre-trippie haircut and asked my stylist if there was anything on the market I could use that would protect my head from burning and wouldn't make my hair greasy. Low and behold they had just gotten something in the day before....It's made by Biolage and is a "Protective Daily Mist." Yes, that's what it's called but it has sunscreen in it and is supposed to help protect hair from sun, pool, and seawater....

I am testing it out during my trip and hopefully will come back with rave reviews or at least not a burned part that leaves my scalp peeling....GAWD I hate that!

 

[sharkB8HooHaHa]

Low and behold they had just gotten something in the day before....It's made by Biolage and is a "Protective Daily Mist." Yes, that's what it's called but it has sunscreen in it and is supposed to help protect hair from sun, pool, and seawater....

This is fantastic! What is the SPF?

 

[jordanyosh]

I wonder if you can still show up and get a room for the night...

Oh the days of partying on Pleasure Island.....those were the days...Could you even do that now? I don't think I could do what I did now...no way.

As far as the packing.....it happens when you have kids....or get old...pick the one that is less horrifying.

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

How the heck did I not post?? I know I read the latest, as the first paragraph about punctuation scared me a little!

Hey, LL, I don't think that's a bedspread, it her tote bag!

I'm with S'late - I sure hope you grabbed a bottle of vino before heading out!

BTW, love the Cracken photo!

 

[PrincessV]

Great start! Isn't it amazing how much stuff you have to pack for one small child

Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket - it's all becuase of the kid!

I really like Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. It's the English teacher in me. I tried to get a student I was tutoring to read it last year, but he thought it was, and I quote, stupid. Ummm... okay.

"Stupid?!" I will say that I think the author could stand some medication, though. This seems a bit much:
2/29/08 calendar entry: Getting your itses mixed up is the greatest solecism in the world of punctuation. No matter what you have a PhD and have read all of Henry James twice. If you still persist in writing, "Good food at it's best", you deserve to be struck by lightning, hacked up on the spot and buried in an unmarked grave."

Somebody get her some Xanax, STAT!

I thought, "Wow, she's a light packer!" I'd likely have twice this. For just me.

Ooo, I feel better now! Enough so to admit that there were two(2) more bags brought not pictured.

Love Leo's impression of the Kracken...I think I have a couple of pictures of him doing that in January with Michael....hmmm...January...January....I had a trip report going for January...

Hmmmm....wonder if it's done yet....

Gee, I wonder? LY!

But V that's like bath temperature

UGH! Sorry Jo, my bath's in the 105 range.

I think you packed a normal amount...but most of us here have issues when it comes to that kind of thing...

Why do you think I ask here? I know where best to get my enabling.

Question for you - our DS is a year younger than Leo. Is Typhoon Lagoon better for little guys that are 5?

Well, we haven't yet made it to BB, so I can't really compare. But TL has been a BIG hit for Leo all year!

Did you grab a bottle or two of that wine before heading out?

I should have!!

Did you pack those 5lb dumbells again?

I forgot about that!

One suitcase families are *SO* uninformed.

Exactly!

It is much harder to pack for one night than one week!

Isn't it though?

I always think that the wdw pools are VERY warm. When my Dad had a pool in his yard, anything over 15C (59F) was considered warm enough for swimming and I swam at least once in 12C (53.5F) water.

AAAACCCCKKK!!!!! No way - that's why I live down here! I think my pool's up to about 70 right now. Still a ways to go.

You slam stuff together like we do... but them again you live MUCH MUCH CLOSER.

Gotta say - it used to be so much easier to slam a WDW trip together. Of course, we were also broke and sponging off of parents.

It's made by Biolage and is a "Protective Daily Mist." Yes, that's what it's called but it has sunscreen in it and is supposed to help protect hair from sun, pool, and seawater....

Cool! I don't get the part burn (no part, dark hair), but I sure could use some protection for my color. Let me know how it works out!

Oh the days of partying on Pleasure Island.....those were the days...Could you even do that now? I don't think I could do what I did now...no way.

No way. Uh-uh. Trust V. (Not that I've tried in recent years or anything. )

Hey, LL, I don't think that's a bedspread, it her tote bag!

You need a re-read T... she meant the down comforter I packed!

 

[LurrrvtheDuck]

V!!!

I'm subbed and welcome back (belatedly)!!

I'll catch up as soon as I can.

 

[askelton]

"Stupid?!" I will say that I think the author could stand some medication, though. This seems a bit much:
2/29/08 calendar entry: Getting your itses mixed up is the greatest solecism in the world of punctuation. No matter what you have a PhD and have read all of Henry James twice. If you still persist in writing, "Good food at it's best", you deserve to be struck by lightning, hacked up on the spot and buried in an unmarked grave."

Somebody get her some Xanax, STAT!

For some reason this year I have been bothered my (and others) use of a preposition at the end of a sentence and have been trying hard to correct myself. The incorrect use of you and I instead of you and me is also a pet peeve of mine. I have especially noticed this is radio ads and it makes my skin crawl. I know, why do I care, but it really bothers me. Not that I am an English wiz by any stretch but for some reason I've gotten old & crotchety!

 

[scottny]

Hi,
Just wanted to let you know I am un-subbing from all pre tr's. I have alot going on and am really busy and cannot keep up. I have the dates written down and will definitely be there for the tr. U can pm if u like.

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

Is it Tuesday yet???

 

[Sleeping*Beauty]

Yipppeee!!!!! another V trip report(s)!!!

 

[PrincessV]

V!!!

I'm subbed and welcome back (belatedly)!!

I'll catch up as soon as I can.

Hi Z! You'll soon notice that I've borrowed your year-long TR idea. Thanks for teh inspiration!

For some reason this year I have been bothered my (and others) use of a preposition at the end of a sentence and have been trying hard to correct myself. The incorrect use of you and I instead of you and me is also a pet peeve of mine. I have especially noticed this is radio ads and it makes my skin crawl. I know, why do I care, but it really bothers me. Not that I am an English wiz by any stretch but for some reason I've gotten old & crotchety!

OMG, don't even get me started on ending with a preposition! The funny thing is, I'm fine with it spoken that way, but in writing? Makes me crazy.

Is it Tuesday yet???

Indeed, it IS Tuesday!

Yipppeee!!!!! another V trip report(s)!!!

Welcome back!

 

[PrincessV]

Before I get started on the actual trip of this trip report segment, let’s take a moment to talk a bit more about our third character, my hair.

My hair isn’t curly, but it isn’t straight.
It isn’t glossy, but it isn’t flat, either.
It tends toward frizz and is extraordinarily pouffy.
Each strand is baby-fine, but there’s a ton of it.

Sounds fun, doesn’t it?

Basically, I have a few choices when it comes to styling:

1. Grow it long-ish so as to pull it back in ponytails, chignons, etc.
2. Keep it closer to shoulder length with just a couple layers and spend 45 minutes blow-drying and flat-ironing it each day.
3. Go up to chin-ish length with layers.

The common theme with any of these options is what I call the “flip-pouff factor.” Basically, the flip-pouff factor states that no matter how my hair is cut, it shall always become full, ensuring a bob-like shape, and it shall always flip upward.


Why is any of this important to a WDW TR? Because, traditionally, the hair styles that work best for work and everyday life do not work for WDW, and vice-versa. Sure, pulling long hair back into a bun is perfect for making rope drop, but it does not convey a serious, professional yet creative look at work (for me.) I don’t blow-dry at WDW. ‘Nuff said there. But what about shorter with layers? How might that carry over to the land of Mouse???


Aaaahhh, and here we are. About to set out for a weekend at WDW…. just after a new haircut.

A couple weeks prior, I chopped off a bunch of length and went for the “LuAnn” as seen on Bravo’s Real Housewives of NYC. Click here for some images. http://www.bravotv.com/Real_Housewives_NYC/season/1/gallery/index.php She's the one with shortish hair.

Okay, she’s got it all blown-out and fixed nice here, but it looked cute whilst playing tennis and gallivanting around the Hamptons, too. Trust V. The new ‘do was looking quite cute and I was VERY happy that it required 5 minutes of prep time in the morning. Could it also work for two(2) days of park touring? We shall see….




Back to Day One(1). After a decent night’s sleep and minimal time spent styling my new ‘do, Leo and I managed to get ourselves out the door – ON TIME!!! It was 7:15am Saturday morning and we enjoyed a quick, nearly traffic-free drive across I-4.

I had also envisioned our quick, nearly traffic-free drive as being quiet.
Not so much.

We were listening to the radio. And, with every new song, Leo would ask, “Mommy? Is this a ‘cool’ song?”

My answer was always “yes” because, frankly, if it weren’t a cool song, I’d have changed the station.

Leo was down with that. For a while. Then he started having opinions.

“Mommy – is THIS a cool song?”
“Yep, sure is.”
“I’m not so sure.”

“Mommy – is THIS a cool song?”
“Yep, sure is.”
“Maybe no.”

“Mommy – is THIS a cool song?”
“Yep, sure is.”
“No, this one is NOT cool.”

This went on, and on, and on, and on, and on.

Until this one.

Crazy Train started playing. Ozzy Osbourne? You know, those first few bars?

Leo didn’t even ask…

“Mommy?! THIS is the COOLEST song EVER!!!!!”





Anyway, long about the Mickey-shaped electrical pole, we went off the rails and exited I-4 bound for the AK. Where I paid $11 to park, since we hadn’t yet checked in. I’d just ask for a refund when we later got to CSR.

It was just about 9am, opening time. Car parked at the faaaaaar end of the row…

Wait a sec – can we talk? Am I the token DISer with end-of-row-itus? Truly, of the literally hundreds(100s) of times I’ve parked at a WDW theme park lot, only thrice do I recall parking nearer the tram lane than halfway down. Most of the time, I’m within 5 cars of the end. How can that be? What are the odds? I don’t even get upset anymore – I’ve just accepted that this is my lot in life. It's not a lot, but it's my lot... in the lot.

Car parked at the faaaaaar end of the row…… Leo and I walked up to the entrance. Yeah, end-of-row-itus aside, we were pretty close. Close enough to beat the tram full of our fellow parkers to the entrance.

But.

NOT close enough to beat the approximately 436 marching band and cheerleader teams streaming off the charter buses.

Yep. There were a whole lot of teenagers at the AK that morning. A whole lot.

Luckily, they were all heading for Expedition Everest, and not toward our mission, Kilimanjaro Safari.

Remember? Safari, tigers, bats and snake-in-the-glass-box-next-to-the-bats. That was our touring plan. (NOFTGM)

The standby time for the Safari was 20 minutes. Not bad at all, we took it. So Leo and I got in line and moved along at the slow pace dictated by that particular queue. We’re relatively small people, Leo and I. We don’t take up a lot of room in line. So, we apparently looked like a good opportunity for a family to shorten their wait in line.

First, a middle-aged man moved around and ahead of us.
A few paces later, a similarly-aged woman joined him.
After a length of queue followed by a turn, two elderly women moved ahead.
One of them turned and asked the other, “So-and-so’s falling behind.”
So-and-so moved up and around Leo on his right, asking “How many are we all together?”
The answer, provided by a younger woman coming up our left flank, was “Eight.”

So two(2) more to go, then.

A young boy gave Leo a small shove and moved ahead of him.
And then it happened.
A gentle touch on my shoulder, as an elderly man asked, “Mind if I pass you miss? My family’s up there.”
“Why not,” I responded, “they all did.”

At least he looked appropriately embarrassed. THEY shot me a dirty look. Remember that.

As we all approached the first CM at the end of the queue, we stopped for a moment and the CM engaged a boy behind us in conversation about his camouflage cap. He explained that he used it to go huntin’. An entire conversation then ensued about hunting all manner of critters and which ones they eat versus which ones are just for sport.

Entirely appropriate material just prior to an anti-poaching PSA cleverly disguised as a ride.

As we got up to the loading dock, the Line Cutter family announced their party size and were told to move into the corrals for rows 1 and 2. I then gave my party size, “Two please,” and was told…

“Oh, we have room for you on this one. Head up to the front row and watch your step.”

That’s right. Ha-ha-de-ha-di-ha-ha, we passed the Line Cutters and got on FIRST, baybee!!!


Not that I’m competitive.


The Safari was… meh. There was a surprising lack of animals on the “savanna” that morning. No lions. No cheetahs. No zebras. No ostrich. No warthogs. Here’s what we did see: one(1) wildebeest, five or six(5-6) elephants, including babies, half (1/2) a giraffe, and a big ol’ pile of rhinos resting. On their rears. In a most relaxed way. Heh heh. Who doesn’t love alliteration?


Post-safari, I started to head toward the Maharaja Jungle Trek. Remember? Tigers, bats and snake-in-the-glass-box-next-to-the-bats?

But Leo resisted.

In a whiny voice, he announced that he wanted to see the “animals in boxes” and not the “tiger, bats and snake-in-the-glass-box-next-to-the-bats.”

Animals in boxes, animals in boxes… Oh! The Pangani Forest Trail? With the nekkid mole rats?? Yep, that was the one. And, with the “big, fat, flat frog in-the-glass-box-next-to-the-nekkid-mole-rats.”

Of course.

So that’s what we saw. Not the gorillas – skipped them. Not the chimps – skipped them, too. Not the many and varied species of birds in the aviary – whisked through there. We spent 2 minutes looking at the big, fat, flat frog in-the-glass-box-next-to-the-nekkid-mole-rats. And also the small mice in-the-glass-box-next-to-the-nekkid-mole-rats.

And that was it! Leo as done with the AK. Which was cool with me – I was “done” with the AK about ten(10) years ago.


That’s right – I’m not an AK fan. I’ve given it more than its fair shot, but it has yet to endear itself to me. And I’m a flipping BIG animal lover! I’ve put a lot of thought into the situation and I think it comes to this:

I like a calm, relaxed, less-peopled atmosphere for animal viewing. Large, open spaces that afford cooling breezes on a hot day. A clear delineation between rides and animal gazing. The ability to sit or stand watching tigers sleep for an hour straight, if I should so wish.

Does Disney’s Animal Kingdom offer any of those things?

Nope.


But Busch Gardens Tampa Bay does.
And.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay happens to reside within 45 minutes of my house.
And.
For the price of a one-day ticket, I can return to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay any number of times for the rest of the calendar year.

Guess who’s getting Busch Gardens Tampa Bay passes soon?



Because this last AK trip put me over the edge. It was HOT. And it was CROWDED. And the place almost instantly puts Leo and I on our very worst behavior. Gramma, too. TFI.

True, my WDW FL seasonal pass includes entrance to the AK, but I’ve decided it’s worth another $100 a year to get the Busch Gardens passes and avoid AK at all costs.

THAT’s how lousy I felt as we left the AK in April.

And apparently Leo, too:

The only photo of that morning. Nice, huh?

I should mention that I also had a horrendous sinus headache and some major arthritic pain to go with it. Adding to the fun. I wasn’t at all sure our next stop, Typhoon Lagoon, would improve that situation. Plus, after seeing the AK crowds, particularly the teens en masse, I wasn’t sure TL would be fun for Leo. But he was adamant. We were GOING to TL.



Next: Do we make it to TL? Is it chaos and turmoil for the rest of the day? Stay tuned.

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

First.
I was first, but since I was at school and didn't have time for a nice long reply, I had to stake my claim and move on. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!


Now my reply:

So here's the funny thing, AK is growing on me. It's quickly becoming my #2 favorite park. It's still WAAAAAY behind Epcot. Now as for the MK, too much like DLR and you know how I feel about DHS! Blech!

Don't you just love karma? So glad The Cutter Family got their come uppin's!

Can't wait to read if you made it to TL - I think I'm making a huge mistake not going in August.

 

[Goofyluver]

Leo's "cool song" banter goes well with Jon's "Are we somewhere or are we nowhere banter!" Sing along...

"Hey mom...are we almost there?"

Me: Don't ask if we're almost there. I'll TELL you when we're almost there. I'll let ya' know. Plus...you may be tipped off by the large town we'll be driving into.

"Mom...I know I'm not supposed to ask if we're almost there. But...is it almost time for you to tell me that we're almost there?"

Me: Jonathon...I'll let ya know when we're somewhere...OKAY!

"Mom...is this a town. If there are three houses, would that be a town? Or is this nowhere? Or is it somewhere because there's more than one house?"

Same song...repeat first verse.

 

[PrincessV]

First.

Uh, not if there's no reply beyond "First!". Sorry T - you know the rules.


FIRST:

Leo's "cool song" banter goes well with Jon's "Are we somewhere or are we nowhere banter!" Sing along...

"Hey mom...are we almost there?"

Me: Don't ask if we're almost there. I'll TELL you when we're almost there. I'll let ya' know. Plus...you may be tipped off by the large town we'll be driving into.

"Mom...I know I'm not supposed to ask if we're almost there. But...is it almost time for you to tell me that we're almost there?"

Me: Jonathon...I'll let ya know when we're somewhere...OKAY!

"Mom...is this a town. If there are three houses, would that be a town? Or is this nowhere? Or is it somewhere because there's more than one house?"

Same song...repeat first verse.

OMG, that's hysterical! For me. I'm guessing less so for you.

 

[Goofyluver]

Uh, not if there's no reply beyond "First!". Sorry T - you know the rules.


FIRST:

OMG, that's hysterical! For me. I'm guessing less so for you.

I'm first!

 

[kykatt2]

Before I get started on the actual trip of this trip report segment, let’s take a moment to talk a bit more about our third character, my hair.

It does not matter what or who you are unless you cut it so short you can not do anything with it... HAIR is an issue espically at WDW.
I dread it this summer. Sara's hair is getting so long( and thick) I 'll be french braiding till we get the "Princess Updo" at the BBB"

Me.. I think I'll get a Buzz cut this year !!

Anyway, long about the Mickey-shaped electrical pole,

I know where that is

Wait a sec – can we talk? Am I the token DISer with end-of-row-itus? Truly, of the literally hundreds(100s) of times I’ve parked at a WDW theme park lot, only thrice do I recall parking nearer the tram lane than halfway down. Most of the time, I’m within 5 cars of the end. How can that be? What are the odds? I don’t even get upset anymore – I’ve just accepted that this is my lot in life. It's not a lot, but it's my lot... in the lot.

And at Animal Kingdom.. there is no good spaces.

Anybody know why Disney likes to put the EARLY GOERS the FARTHEST Parking spots they can ??

The standby time for the Safari was 20 minutes. Not bad at all, we took it. So Leo and I got in line and moved along at the slow pace dictated by that particular queue. We’re relatively small people, Leo and I. We don’t take up a lot of room in line. So, we apparently looked like a good opportunity for a family to shorten their wait in line.

First, a middle-aged man moved around and ahead of us.
A few paces later, a similarly-aged woman joined him.
After a length of queue followed by a turn, two elderly women moved ahead.
One of them turned and asked the other, “So-and-so’s falling behind.”
So-and-so moved up and around Leo on his right, asking “How many are we all together?”
The answer, provided by a younger woman coming up our left flank, was “Eight.”

So two(2) more to go, then.

A young boy gave Leo a small shove and moved ahead of him.
And then it happened.
A gentle touch on my shoulder, as an elderly man asked, “Mind if I pass you miss? My family’s up there.”
“Why not,” I responded, “they all did.”

At least he looked appropriately embarrassed. THEY shot me a dirty look. Remember that.

Remember ...dirty Look ...Got it... !! :

As we got up to the loading dock, the Line Cutter family announced their party size and were told to move into the corrals for rows 1 and 2. I then gave my party size, “Two please,” and was told…

“Oh, we have room for you on this one. Head up to the front row and watch your step.”

That’s right. Ha-ha-de-ha-di-ha-ha, we passed the Line Cutters and got on FIRST, baybee!!!

Not that I’m competitive.

Post-safari, I started to head toward the Maharaja Jungle Trek. Remember? Tigers, bats and snake-in-the-glass-box-next-to-the-bats?

But Leo resisted.

In a whiny voice, he announced that he wanted to see the “animals in boxes” and not the “tiger, bats and snake-in-the-glass-box-next-to-the-bats.”

Animals in boxes, animals in boxes… Oh! The Pangani Forest Trail? With the nekkid mole rats?? Yep, that was the one. And, with the “big, fat, flat frog in-the-glass-box-next-to-the-nekkid-mole-rats.”

Of course.

Best description I've ever heard

And that was it! Leo as done with the AK. Which was cool with me – I was “done” with the AK about ten(10) years ago.

That’s right – I’m not an AK fan. I’ve given it more than its fair shot, but it has yet to endear itself to me. And I’m a flipping BIG animal lover! I’ve put a lot of thought into the situation and I think it comes to this

We are not the big fans of AK either. We go ONE DAY.. ride Everest, Kali River, and Dinosaur and leave.. Oh and yes the Safari.

True, my WDW FL seasonal pass includes entrance to the AK, but I’ve decided it’s worth another $100 a year to get the Busch Gardens passes and avoid AK at all costs.

We have the "Annual Passes" for Busch here in Va.. are considering getting the Premium for next year that will be TWO years of Busch Parks.. and allow us to go to Sea World and Busch Tampa INCLUDED.

THAT’s how lousy I felt as we left the AK in April.

And apparently Leo, too:

The only photo of that morning. Nice, huh?

I should mention that I also had a horrendous sinus headache and some major arthritic pain to go with it. Adding to the fun. I wasn’t at all sure our next stop, Typhoon Lagoon, would improve that situation. Plus, after seeing the AK crowds, particularly the teens en masse, I wasn’t sure TL would be fun for Leo. But he was adamant. We were GOING to TL.

Next: Do we make it to TL? Is it chaos and turmoil for the rest of the day? Stay tuned.

Poor Leo... Poor V.. BAD DAY

I WAS FIRST !!!BUT I WAS REPLYING That takes longer

 

[puggymom]

I own a DVC membership, but my points are spoken for until March 2009.

The solution here is to buy more points.

Yes I too can be an enabler.

Here’s his answer, verbatim: “The animal ride, the tigers, the bats and the snake-in-the-glass-box-next-to-the-bats.”

Not sure how good it is that I knew what he was talking about without your translation

Plus, my DIS friend boysmom5150 was arriving at WDW that morning and I wanted to catch up with her.

YEAH

What would you do if you had to fly!!!!

Please tell me the dumbells don't make a repeat appearance!

For some reason this year I have been bothered my (and others) use of a preposition at the end of a sentence and have been trying hard to correct myself. The incorrect use of you and I instead of you and me is also a pet peeve of mine. I have especially noticed this is radio ads and it makes my skin crawl. I know, why do I care, but it really bothers me. Not that I am an English wiz by any stretch but for some reason I've gotten old & crotchety!

This thread is making me feel stupid. Now if you guys want to crunch some numbers I'm your Focker!