Me, a Tween, and a Teen. POP, Roadtrip Portapotties, and Fay! w/pics! 8/11-8/23

[*KeepMovingForward*]

I always love to see the ride photos-especially ToT, they are hysterical and yours is no exception! You guys are cracking me up so far.

 

[jadedbeauty14304]

OK, so after our nice little rest break at POP, we venture back to DHS for dinner at Mamma Melroses. I purchased the Fantasmic Dinner Package, which included a voucher for preferred seating at Fantasmic that same night, and we had to get to the special doorway near the front of the park by 8:30 pm or so. We ate dinner at about 4:30. We got seated right away. The server was an older lady who was very polite. We all got the breads and spreads appetizer, which featured numerous different breads and spreads (DUH!) and I got a steak which was cooked to perfection (YAY!) and Tiff got a flatbread which I tried and loved also. I had read mixed reviews at this place, so I was nervous at first, but it turned out to be one of our best meals. The only problem is that it is kind of forgettable. I don't remember what Tawney ate, and I don't remember what any of us had for dessert. I do remember that it was good though . lol

After dinner we went on the Backlot Tour, which had some interesting things in the little building you walk through after you get off the tram. I especially liked the Star Wars and Pirates props etc... they had.

After that we went over to Sounds Dangerously Starring Drew Carrey. I was curious because I had never done this before. It was... well.. I am glad I did it. I walked away understanding the point of it with all the sound technology, etc... But it was kind of... stupid. LOL If Tawney wanted to do it again I would.. but it was just.. well.. one time is enough for me on that one. LOL Then it was time for the Magic of Animation and that was really cool. We were going to take the Draw A Character class but a look at the watch showed it was time for getting our butts to Fantasmic!! So the Walt Museum and Draw a Character will be things to do next time for sure. It always seemed as though there was just not enough time in the day during this vacation. The walkway to Fantasmic was up by Oscars and it was very cool to have that section open to us, and we picked a seat just a couple rows down from the top. I wanted to be able to get out of there and to the bus stop before the crowd. The entire Amphitheater was pack full of people. It was insane. The CM at the entrance to the special section gave me a password to get back in so that I could go get some drinks, and we had a great time. I love Fantasmic, it is definitely my 2nd favorite WDW show. (Wishes is my first ) My plan for exit was perfect, as soon as the show was over we were up and out of there!!! We got on the first bus and actually got to sit down on the way home. This concluded a very busy and exhausting 2 days of almost park commando-ish behavior. And we slept like rocks!!!

 

[TCKK]

Sounds like a great time. I agree with you on the Drew Carey show. We did it on a previous trip, but didn't take time to do it this time. It's ok.

 

[swankybeth]

Enjoying your report so far. That crazy car pic is great! Sorry to hear about that harrowing driving experience, it sounded really scary.
Looking forward to more!

 

[~Mommy&MeLuvDisney~]

OMG!!! I'm love'n your trip report so far!!! More please!!!

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Sounds Dangerous is one of those attractions for us too where we did it once and that was way more than enough! Glad to hear that you had a good meal at Mama Melrose's-we've heard the same mixed reviews, people either love it or hate it. Thankfully you had a great meal there! Keep it all coming!

 

[jadedbeauty14304]

Thanks eveybody!! I am glad that people are actually reading this. LOL I only started writing it to feel better because I always get so depressed after leaving WDW. But now I also realize that maybe my therapy can be entertaining to others as well! LOL

 

[jadedbeauty14304]

After two days of crazy park touring, I decided not to set an alarm for Sunday morning. I decided we all just needed to sleep until we wake up. It is Sunday, and our itinerary (which I made up 6 months prior. you know the one I studied all the park times, EMH hours, best days predictions from TGM and from the touringplans websites? you know that one? Well, I forgot to mention it earlier, but that itinerary never made it to Florida. When we decided on the road trip, and I packed all of my important documents, I FORGOT TO PRINT OUT AND PACK MY FREAKING ITINERARY!!!!!!!!!! I didn't notice I forgot it until like Georgia, so it was just like ) ANYWAYS.. we had Sunday planned as a water park day, can't remember which one we had originally planned it to be, so I let the kids pick and they wanted to go to Typhoon Lagoon. So we rolled out of bed to a beautiful sunny Sunday morning (at this point we all know Fay is on her way, and have been watching the weather channel like crazy trying to figure how much of a damper she is going to put on our plans) and I mean hot and sunny. The first really nice, no clouds in the sky, sunny Florida day since we had arrived. And I woke up feeling like a big ball of nasty. i was still tired, miserable, and in a horrible mood.

So we grab a bite to eat at POP for breakfast at about 10:30 am and I am pleasantly surprised that the food court is not overrun with people. Actually, I cannot remember one single meal we ate at POP where it was overly crowded. It seems as though they have really learned how to manage the meal crowds really well. I had the french toast and it was wonderful. Tawney and Tiff both had the Adult breakfast platter and ate every last bite. I think they were tired too. None of us were really in any hurry to go anywhere that day, but we hopped on the next bus to TL.

OK, so we arrive at TL at about noon-1pm and I think to myself "SH%#, the entire state of Florida knows this is going to be the last sunny day before Fay comes, and the Fl kids go back to school this week, why the he!! did we come here?!?!?!?" The kids see the wave pool and get all excited so we decide to try to find a spot to drop our stuff, where I can be while they play in the water. Now, I am not a big waterpark fan, I don't really like waterslides, but I love a good lazy river and to sit on the beach and read a book. The entire beach was packed full of chairs, and every single chair had something or someone on it. The beach is huge, and I walked through every single part, and finally, there off in the distance, I see one. One lonely chair without a towel or a bag, and it called for me. So I sit down and start unpacking our things, I was starting to be in a better mood, told the girls I would be right here and to go have fun and check in frequently. So I settle in and get out my book, and start to relax when suddenly the guy about 23ish (not not hot) turns around says in a really cute Australian accent, "That is my father's bed". It was all I could do to keep myself from ripping off his head and shoving it up his ... nevermind. lol I replied "Well, you sat there, watched me tell my children I would be right here, and watched me get all my stuff out and NOW you tell me?". I said "well there was nothing on it, and now I am so I'm sorry but that is just too bad". He then proceeded to get up and kick sand into my bag as he stormed away. I hate sand. Right then here comes a crying Tawney "mom I almost drowned in the wave pool and I can't find Tiff". So I got her calmed down and Tiff ended up coming by in like 2 minutes and I just wanted to leave. The girls knew I was upset and they knew my love for lazy rivers so they talked me into going on it before we left. It was a nice lazy river, but there were so many people that I kept bumping into people, it was like rush hour on the highway! Finally I turned to the girls and said "lets just go back to the pool at POP" and we did. I think I would have enjoyed TL if there weren't so many people there. It was my bad idea of going the weekend before the local schools start and Ms. Tropical Storm Fay's timing that really made that a rough experience. We went back to POP and we all went swimming and Tiff fell asleep in the sun, resulting in a sunburn. This child is half American Indian and I am not sure if she has ever had a sunburn before. lol She looked really pink instead of her usual copper tone tan. We didn't even think about that as we all dressed for dinner that night, and it just so happened we all wore pink tops.lol

That evening we had an ADR for 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian at about 7 pm. The girls had never ridden the monorail, so we took the bus to MK and then got on the monorail to the GF. The girls really liked the ride there and we were seated directly after signing in at the podium. I liked the buffet, and the character interaction was great. One of the ugly stepsister's noticed Tawney was wearing crocs and said "Oh, I see you have on those chicken feeding shoes, you want be my new maid? You look like you have a strong back". LOL

And the stepmother asked "Oh, did you all wear pink to match this child's face?"

I didn't find the prince to be that handsome, but he was very polite to the girls, and Cinderella was sweet.

All in all we had a great meal, I love love loved the strawberry soup. The characters entertained us, and so we headed back to MK on the monorail for some fun at EMH that night. this is a whole new story... so I will write that one later...lol

 

[disneykip]

Thanks for the next installment Tracy.

Sorry the water park didn't turn out well for you. I don't care for them when they are so busy either.

I love character meals where they really get into character. Sounds like you experienced that. Did you have the sweet potato and red bliss mashed potatoes? I love those. I am not a fan of sweet potatoes (too sweet) but when you mix it with regular potatoes - yummy!!! So now I do that at home.

Keep the installments coming! Hope it is helping you get through your depression. Tell us all you want about your trip - we love reading it!! And we want to help with the depression because we can certainly relate to that.

 

[jadedbeauty14304]

Thanks for the next installment Tracy.

Sorry the water park didn't turn out well for you. I don't care for them when they are so busy either.

I love character meals where they really get into character. Sounds like you experienced that. Did you have the sweet potato and red bliss mashed potatoes? I love those. I am not a fan of sweet potatoes (too sweet) but when you mix it with regular potatoes - yummy!!! So now I do that at home.

Keep the installments coming! Hope it is helping you get through your depression. Tell us all you want about your trip - we love reading it!! And we want to help with the depression because we can certainly relate to that.

Oh yes the potatoes!!! I loved those!! I love eating good food so much and I always schedule Disney buffets because I just eat away!! LOL The only problem is that I gained a good 15 pounds on this trip!! lol I am in the process of taking it back off, thank God! LOL I am starting to feel better because I have the December adult somewhat solo trip planned so I have something to look forward to. But hey, December is such a long way away!! LOL

 

[jadedbeauty14304]

OK, so where were we? I believe we had just finished dinner at the Grand Floridian and hopped on the monorail back to Magic Kingdom.

We entered the park at about 9:00 pm and headed to Fantasyland to see Mickey's Philharmagic. I absolutely love this 3D movie. It makes me incredibly happy. When we finished, it was only about 9:30, and a lot of people had begun to gather for Wishes, so we walked over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to see if there was a long wait. I figured if it was only 10 minutes we could ride, but it was 70 so we headed back to Main Street to get my favorite spot for Wishes. I like to be on the bridge just before the hub, because it is just so perfectly beautiful there. It was a really sticky and hot night, and the sky had a lot of lightning, but no rain. There were an insane amount of people stuffed into Main Street that night but we got my spot about 10 minutes before 10pm.

Tawney was definitely overheated and upset about walking over to BTMRR and not riding it because of the "stupid" fireworks eek: ) so I told her to sit down and stop the blasphemy!!! lol

yeah.. that picture sums up the ten minutes before Wishes started...lol It was lol
Wishes was absolutely beautiful though, that is for sure.

Now, since it was an EMH night and open until 3am, not enough people actually headed out of the park, and it made for some pretty slow movements away from main Street after the fireworks...lol But we worked our way back over to BTMRR which now had only a 20 minute wait time. As we were about to cross the threshold and into the queue, Tiff needs a bathroom. So we walk back over to the restrooms and all the way back, and then Tiff says again, i feel sick, I need the bathroom.. so we walk alll the way back over to the bathrooms and then she's ok, so we walk all the way back... and as we are about to go on it she decides she really just wants to go back to the resort and lie down. By this time, Tawney is about to explode from wanting to go on BTMRR so bad, and my legs are starting to get sick and tired of walking constantly...lol I couldn't send her to the busstop by herself, so Tawney and I walked her to the POP busstop, I waited and made sure she got on the bus, and then Tawney and I decided to finally go on BTMRR! We were so excited, and the wait time when we got back was 30 minutes, but I didn't mind. We waited and waited, moved through the queue, and as soon as we were about to get in the ride, I realized I never gave Tiff her room key!!!
Now, it had been a while since sending her off on the bus, walking all the way back inside the park and over to BTMRR, and waiting in the queue. I really hoped she would use her brain (trust me, she doesn't have much of one) and go to the front desk and ask for a key. So as soon as Tawney and I got off the ride we headed to guest services to see if they could help me find out if everything was ok. So I called the resort and asked for my room, and no answer. Tawney was crushed, but we ended up leaving right then to go back to POP and find Tiff. I was so worried that she had maybe gotten back on a bus to find us at MK, or if something happened to her.... I was really worried. Like I said before, she is 15, but she is a McNugget or two short of a Happy Meal. We got off the bus, I checked the lobby, and started getting nervous, but as we walked out the back door towards the pool I spotted her walking my way. I was so relieved. Apparently she was smart enough to ask for a key, but the front desk said no because she was a minor!! She was just about to hop a bus back to MK to find us. I am so glad we got there when we did. I was about to go complain and ask about the policy crap with minors when I realized it was almost 2 am and I was tired. It just makes me kind of mad that she is considered an "adult" for the dining plan price, she is considered an "adult" for her ticket price, why the hell was she not considered an "adult" enough to get a room key! I was angry they left her with no place to go. But then I got to thinking... I was actually the one in the wrong..lol I am the one who forgot to give her her room key and I am the one who sent her to the resort alone. So I just went to bed thankful everything turned out all right, and Tawney went to bed very angry that we only got to go on 1 ride after spending 5 hours in MK. LOL We decided tomorrow will be a resort morning, and I didn't set an alarm.

 

[jadedbeauty14304]

Well I finally got my photopass Cd, and got them uploaded to my computer. I have picked out a couple to post, but only the ones that were taken through the Magic Kingdom night. I will post the others as I get to writing about them. OK, so here we go...

The photographer told us to act scared of the TOT... We may have overacted a bit. He told us we were the funniest group he had all day...lol

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Sounds like a crazy night at MK, but at least everything turned out well in the end. I love all the photos and your Photopass pics came out so great. The ones in front of the castle at night rock! Of course the one with Stitch at MGM was very cute too! I love your report!

 

[disneykip]

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Waiting patiently for the next installment though!!

 

[guitarob]

 

[jadedbeauty14304]

OK, so after a crazy night at MK, we slept in and then wanted to spend some down time at the resort. It was Monday, and Tiff and Tawney headed to the pool, where as I watched from a distance I saw some funny stuff. Tiff attracted the attention of some teenage boys and was flirting machine. Tawney had befriended a little 4 year old girl and it looked like she was helping to teach her how to swim or something. I was completely exhausted and it was an overcast rainy/sprinkle/mist/sprinkle/rainy type of day so I basically sat in the room watching the weather channel. I swear, it was like crack! I could not get enough of the hurricane coverage as they tracked Tropical Storm Fay from the Keys, to the Gulf, and then their projections as to where it was headed kept changing. There was flooding and tornado watches and they had people out on the coast getting hammered with wind and rain. It was crazy. I knew we had been to every park except AK (which has always been last on my list of favorite parks) so I was not too worried about Fay coming and us getting locked down or anything like that happening. At about 4 pm the message light on my phone came on, so I listened and it was POP front desk saying that they are tracking TS Fay and its projected path, and as of now they will not be modifying any park hours or resort hours, but watch the weather channel to be prepared, and the Disney resort and parks channels for any updates.

So, at about 6pm we hop on the bus to MK, to grab the monorail to the Contemporary resort (my dream resort, someday I will stay there!! lol) for our 7pm reservation at Chef Mickeys. I don't know exactly what was going on between the girls, but they were both in foul moods when we got on the bus. So, of course I did what any good parent would do, and got out the camera. lol They were driving me nuts so I said hey, SMILE! click. lol

It stopped the fighting for the time being until we got to the monorail where Tiff criticized Tawney for walking too slow up the ramp, and then yelled at her when she started to jog up it. And Tawney turned around said "WHAT>?!?!? Nothing I EVER do is good enough for you TIFF!" lol I almost got out the camera again, but it seemed they were now on dual silent treatments, where I heard nothing but deep sighs from either of them until we got to the Contemporary. We were really early for dinner so I decided I wanted to walk around the resort a bit. I told the girls to meet me back at the restaurant in 15 minutes and off we went. When I stepped out the doors, I saw Tiff headed towards the pool area, and this is what I saw as far as Tawney goes:

So, thinking that was a cute picture, I grabbed Tiff and made them both get in it for a picture.

OK, it was about time so we headed to the restaurant and there were two parties in front of us. I had overhead one of them say they were from Syracuse, NY and the other people said, "Hey, we are from Youngstown!" (which is about ten minutes from Niagara Falls) So I was like,"hey neighbors! we are from Niagara Falls!" and the guy at the podium working at Chef Mickeys overheard us and was like "Hey, I am from Rochester!" It was just the coolest of coincidences that all three of the parties for dinner, and the guy working the podium were all from Western or Central NYS. lol

So we moved on to get our picture taken, and the picture actually turned out really well so I bought the package of prints. I just took a picture of it so it is blurry but here it is (I was on a major picture trip this trip..lol I prepaid for Photopass, and I purchased a couple of photo's... very unusual for me. )

We got seated right away and I was really really impressed with Chef Mickeys. The food was excellent, the characters came by one right after another, and the dessert bar was awesome. Tawney and Tiff are really big fans of shrimp. They were barely speaking until they both sat down with a huge plate of peel and eat shrimp from the buffet. All of a sudden they both look at each other and almost in unison say "Oh MY God!! They have legs!"

It was the highlight of my day...lol Ya see, I don't eat anything that lives in water.. I just don't like em. I really don't. So both of them being well learned in how I feel about wastefulness, they each ate about half of their plate, freaking out every time they peeled one. lol Then I let them off the hook. It was really gross..lol but it lightened their moods. We took some pictures with the characters, and then headed back to POP in the rain. The girls were getting along much better on the monorail back to MK. lol

By this time all you heard people talking about was Fay. It was projected to run right over us on Tuesday, and the people who were scheduled to fly out were really nervous. I was actually thankful that I drove down at this point. LOL Even though I was not scheduled to leave until Thursday, I was thankful to have control over getting home.

So when we return to the room, I see the message light on the phone again. I listen to the message, and it says that all 4 theme parks will be opening at 8 am tomorrow because of the weather. Fay was due to hit us good in the afternoon. I think they opened early so that people can get some time in there at the morning, just in case they have to close early in the evening.
I was excited.

 

[GRUMPY D]

love the report the love the hate are you shore ther not sisters

 

[jadedbeauty14304]

love the report the love the hate are you shore ther not sisters

LOL They have been raised together most of their lives, so they are as close as two kids can be without being sisters....lol Tiff's mom and I are sisters...lol

 

[jadedbeauty14304]

OK, So we get up Tuesday morning bright and early, grab our ponchos and the bag I made up for today (towel, extra pair of shoes,etc... ) grab a quick breakfast at POP, and hop on the bus to Animal Kingdom by 7:40. We had just missed the rope drop, which was a little disappointing because we actually got to be there for it at DHS and Epcot, but hey, it was a rainy day and it is one thing to walk in the rain, but an entirely different thing to stand and wait in the rain....lol I could not believe how empty the park was. Fay was just to our southeast, and knowing it was coming must have made everyone decide to just stay home! I couldn't be more giddy about that!

So we realized we could do whatever we wanted for no wait anywhere and headed over to Expedition Everest!! Tiff decided she didn't want to ride (I think she was starting to get a little homesick, by now it had been over a week without her cell phone..lol ) So Tawney and I walked on, then asked Tiff again if she wanted to, she said no, we we walked on again but this time we requested the front row!!! That was awesome, I love the front row. Then we went on one more time because who knows when the next time will be that we will be able to walk right on Everest three times in a row with NO WAIT!!!????!? It was great.


After Everest, we realized we hadn't gone on Kilimajaro Safari since our first trip in 2005 because the waits were always too long for what I felt was a far inferior experience to Everest and Disnosaur. We walked right on and saw a bunch of animals out feeding!

This little guy even slowed us down for a minute because he decided it was time to cross the road...lol

So after the Safari, Tawney decided she wanted to do the Jungle Trek, and Tiff decided there was no way she was going to trek anywhere because her feet hurt. lol So Tawney and I went and saw the tigers and the bats and some beautiful flowers (I have this "thing" for taking pictures of flowers...lol )

After that we decided to hit Kali River Rapids! By this time we are all wet already so I changed into my flip flops and kept my sneakers and socks nice and dry in my bag before we got in line for the ride. Well, I should say before we walked right onto the ride....lol After that we headed over to DINOSAUR!!! DINOSAUR! is my favorite ride in all of the World!!! We stopped on the way for a Photopass rain picture...lol

LOL!

Yeah, I know.. we are a bunch of dorks! lol

Anyhow.. we head over to Dinosaur and ride twice in a row.
The first time we got seated in the front of the car :

So the second time we requested the back, because it is bumpier and whips you around more back there...lol It was so dead, lol.. well you can notice how empty the car is yourself...lol

Sorry for the poor quality, but hey when you just take pictures of the screen, it doesn't always work out for the best. LOL Tiff and Tawney decided to get Dinosaur hand puppets (they played with those things for HOURS on the way home ) so we decided to take a little walk over to It's Tough To Be a Bug! The sun was actually peaking through the clouds and the rain slowed to a slight drizzle. It started to get hot out, and I was still in amazement at the lack of people in the park!

We were ready to head out, but I wanted to go to Dinosaur just one more time....lol so we walked back over, and as we did, Goofy and Pluto showed up out of nowhere and we got grab a quick pic with them!

My DINOSAUR! addiction kicked into high gear... and my "one last time" turned into three last times!! lol

I didn't get a pic of the last time around...lol I figured I had enough DINOSAUR pics by then....lol

So we headed out and back to POP.. of course stopping for some more Photopass pics on the way to the bus...lol

This one looks like Tinkerbell is sticking her wand in my ear...lol

I just think this one is great... worst fake scared look ever! LOL

So we get back to the resort and it started raining much harder... the girls decided to join the other 25 or so weirdos swimming during the Tropical Storm in POP's main pool. The lifeguards were there, and there wasn't any lightning, so I said fine.. go for it!! By the time dinner time came, we were all pretty sick of the rain and tromping around outside in it, so the kids requested the Pizza Delivery instead of going over to the Poly for OHana's. I reluctantly agreed and it wasnt a bad deal. Two adult table service credits included a large pizza, a two liter of pop, and two individual desserts. Of course I ordered some breadsticks too, and paid OOP for those. They were really good! lol
The girls and I watched some Weather Channel and a whole lot of Wizards of Waverly Place, and Suite Life of Zach and Cody that evening. They are actually pretty funny shows! I never thought I would ever enjoy watching Hannah Montana, but I actually laughed a bit! LOL That night... Robin and I talk and decide we have to get to Jellyrolls again since I was going to be leaving in a couple of days....

 

[jadedbeauty14304]

I totally decided on a last minute trip next week and completely neglected to finish my trip report!!! LOL It is safe to say my Post-Disney Blues are gone!! OK, so when I left you I had spent the day at AK and had a blast. It was the day that Fay lingered right over central Florida and that evening it was getting windy but I knew I didn't have much time left! So I packed up my poncho and hailed a cab to Jellyrolls!

Notice that I wore my hair down. Now, there was a freaking Tropical Storm out.. and I wear my frizz-prone hair... down. I don't know what I was thinking...lol The taxi pulled up and I notice all his windows are down.. all I could think was "this is going to be fun" so I got in and told him where I was going. Now we take off resoundingly feeling like I had just boarded Rockin Roller Coaster, with the wind shooting through the cab, and I could feel the floor mat squishy squash under my feet. And Mr. Cabby decides to make small talk by mumbling questions to me as I look franticly for the window button while my hair flies across my face. LOL it was crazy. By the time I reached the Boardwalk, I was so ready for a drink! LOL It was a pretty night, with Fay causing the lake to be choppy, and I sat for a while taking pictures until Robin arrived to meet me.

I got my hair under control and we go in and grab a couple of beers (they had a special $1.50 splits) and sat towards the back. Robin and I are each neurotic in our own special way. There was a table open up front, but it was in front of the piano player we had sat in front of on our previous Jellyrolls night. Since the place was pretty dead, (Fay's fault, stupid stupid Fay!!!) we sat in the back and discussed grabbing the table. I didn't want people looking at me, and she didn't want the piano player to think we were stalking him. We were both being silly. LOL Well all the tables got filled before we made a decision..lol So we grabbed a high table and settled in. One of the pianomen, Scotty sings a great "Rainbow Connection" in Kermit the Frog voice, and the bouncer stared wistfully at him.. it was pretty funny. lol

Yeah so Robin and I document our drunkenness by taking self-portraits and then laugh as we watch ourselves get drunker and drunker. hey, it's fun, don't judge Well I was like "Lets make a funny face for this one," and she was like "yeah!" all into it and stuff. Well, yeah, this is what happened...

So we stumble out a little after 1 am and I realize it is raining yet again, so I get out my poncho and drunkly get it on before we start to walk... and two guys come out right then and start laughing, and inform me it is not even raining. I said "it was when I came out here! lol It really was!" Then I realized they were right... I couldn't help but wonder how long I actually took to get my poncho on! lol

Ahhhhh drunken fun...