Mixed Marriage 2: The Conversion Continues..... now complete

[TwinkieMama]

DznyLvr2005-Thank you for the supreme compliment... but would I have the dedication to write it without daily affirmations? I think not I love your siggie pics!
Fizban aka Mr. Fabulous- How right you are... in fact we had been there under 2 hrs and oohed and ahhed over the animals quite a bit... stay tuned for what will happen next
donaldduck1967-thank you! I love Harry Potter books.....
PrincessV-Thanks- it is so hard in real life to fine others who appreciate Bob's wit and wisdom. On your next trip remember WWBD?
novdisneydreams- thanks! It is nice to know that people relate to what I am thinking and feeling... enjoy your little boys- they don't stay little very long

 

[TwinkieMama]

This is probably partially my fault. We, meaning me, had made DS take swimming lessons both in the fall and in the spring of that school year. Remember how I said he had a tendency to sink like a rock? Swim lessons were not popular but there was much improvement. Also I, prior to marriage, had enjoyed white water rafting in the mountains… my whole family did but do not substitute the words “been good at” for enjoyed. We were more the type who went down the river yelling “Paddle for your lives” at the top of our lungs than the type that worked together to navigate the rapids with grace, ease and expertise. Anyway, I wanted to take my new family white water rafting some day (DS was too little) and I figured that the first step was to get him comfortable in water while teaching him to swim and talking a great deal about how much fun it is going to be Far Off in the Future when We All Go White Water Rafting. So DS rightfully had some distrust of my enthusiasm for water based activities.
DS was game for the ride when we got in line but by the time we reached the top he had read enough warning signs to remember that he really DID NOT want to go white water rafting. Now DH and I are not pushy parents (at least we don't think so) - we didn’t even attempt to ride certain rides when he was 4 but I knew he could handle this and we had waited in line a long time and it was hot and we had only been on one other ride… if we skipped Kali then it would have been a big waste to even come to AK in the morning. Besides, he wasn’t crying he had just decided he would rather not go.

We made him go. (If I lose you now because I am obviously a terrible parent- that is ok- you wouldn’t want to read what happens later in the day.)

We get strapped in and as DS is dubious about the whole thing we keep up a running commentary about how much fun we are going to have and look at how happy all the people getting off the ride are… why it must be so pleasant to get splashed on such a hot day. Another family of three fills the remaining seats and I am sure that they must think we are daft. It was a cheerful family with a son who was an older teen that were already sporting the drowned rat look of Kali vets. The son joked with DS about how he knew a trick to steer the boat such that only the moms would get wet. Well he spoke my son’s language! DS loves a competition, better yet if it involves the boys vs. the girls. And away we went- I got my laugh-scream on (credit to LaLa for coining the term, if you don’t know what I am talking about go read her trippies) and almost forgot to notice the lush scenery. Sure enough I got soaked and so did the other mom. In fact we were almost through the ride and everyone was wet except for DS and DH and I saw them heading into the falls but at the last minute the boat turns and the most of the water fell on me with some of it dousing DH. DS emerged from the ride dry and triumphant- bouncing along giving a moment by moment replay of every turn and eddy. Since our DS is the hero of the Kali River Rapids we decide to head over and take a chance on Dinosaur…..

 

[jenjen212]

ok, i have been reading all of your reports and am eagerly awaiting the rest .

will we also hear about trips with your princesses and other pirate?

see how easily the non-disney lovers convert?? luckily though, my husband is also a huge disney fan, he creates binders with itineraries and pictures of the resort we are staying at that trip, listings of things available at the resort, etc. we took one of my brothers and his girlfriend with us a year and a half ago. my brother, john, kept saying "i don't know why you like to go so much, it is the same rides everytime you go, and they are all kiddie rides."

we showed him that it is not just a "kiddie thing". now every time that he hears that we are going, he asks if he can come too. he is also a passholder now. everytime that my other brother, brian, hears us talk about how much fun we've had on our trips (which by now we've had quite a few), he says the same thing that john used to say, "oh that is just kiddie stuff at disney". now, john is defending it, and telling him how much he really has to 'experience' the magic of disney.

to hear someone, who used to shrug off disney as a 'playground for children', talk like that is just too funny!!! Ahhhh, the magic

keep the reports coming!

 

[scraptoons]

While I was pondering we went into a gift shop whereupon DH bought himself his first souvie- a plush Pluto dressed for safari. Yep- you read that right Mr. Why Do We Have To Go is buying himself, not his 6 year old son, a stuffed Disney character ($10.60).

That will be my DH. His office at work is full of collectables. So much that anyone that works with him buys him something each time they go to WDW. Its a work tradition of theirs.

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Another great installment, TM

 

[SleepingBeautyDreamr]

Ok I am now seriously wondering how the steering works if your son was able to stay so dry with the help of that older boy.

 

[Dixielady908]

Enjoying keep the report coming. I am really enjoying your repot. I was there back in 2000, so this is bring back good memories. My first trip without my kids...went with my two sisters their spouses and another couple. 8 adults acting like 10 year olds.....dont worry...all our kids are gown, so none of them felt left out.


Denise

 

[nomie74]

This is a great report, I'm looking forward to the next installment. My first trip to the world as an 'adult' was in 2000, I forget how much time has actually gone by until I read how your little guy is now Dating! I, of course, have not aged at all....

 

[UtahMama]

Well???? How'de do on Dinosaur (Countdown to Extinction with scarry meteor shower?) My kids in the picture are SO FREAKED out by the Big One ....
Hey ya!I want to know if you're gonna do a trippie with all y'all???
This is such a great one!! It is in my top 5 for sure!
Hurry Yup!!!!! I'm holding my breath untill your next post....
See? I put on a bow-tie and now I'm turning blue! They made a smilie to show you what I look like!!!!

 

[NAB]

Just as long as you were not wearing any type of jean when you got wet. You were good. It is not a good thing to wear wet shorts all day. I am glad DS was having a good time so far. Can't wait to hear the rest. Hope there isn't crying in the future.

 

[MagicMe]

Another day...another great installment!!!

Good news is - there's still plenty of trip to go (and many more trips to report on, right???)

This is fun knowing that I have so much to look forward to (oops, one of those darn dangling participles!)

 

[MissMichelle]

Another great installment! Can't wait to have my own TR to write when I return this fall..I never really got around to writing mine for my Feb trip....Maybe I should to pass time until my next trip?? YOU INSPIRE ME!

 

[christinou]

This is a great report, just be advise that you HAVE to finish it by Thursday, as I am leaving for the world on Friday and need to finish reading it before I leave.

 

[pilferk]

I'm obviously enthralled and engaged in this TR as much as your last......

So, now I have a question for ya:

Was this actually "Dinosaur" you were heading to? Or was it "Countdown to Extinction"? I can't remember exactly when the ride name changed, but I do remember the drastic difference between the "intensity" of the two versions....The CTX version was a bit jerkyier, more intense, and had an added "meteor" effect at the end of the ride. When it switched over to Dinosaur, I remember then toning the ride down and swapping out the meteor effect for an additional dino at the end of the ride.

Anyway...I'm wondering which version was present during your trip...I just can't remember the time lines for the swap.

Edit: Ah HA...I found some further info: The name change was official on May 1st, 2000....so about 1 month prior to your trip.

 

[luvmyboys]

Twinkie Mama, your trippie is the equivalent of literary crack! Despite the tower of dirty laundry, and 2 research projects (due this week, I might add) that I should be attending to, I've been sitting in my chair for an hour and a half reading BOTH of your TR's.

So, I want to concurrently THANK YOU for sharing your family's WDW adventures, and also BLAME YOU for my family possibly going naked this week, as well as any grade below "A" that I get on my papers! You have no business being such a great writer! Don't cha know we have things we're supposed to be doing?

With that said, can't wait to hear the rest. Especially the addition of 2 princesses and a prince! The more the merrier, right? Unless it's 2am, or there is pink eye involved....

 

[ely3857]

Glad your ds loved the rapids



Jodie

 

[BDDisney]

I absolutely love your trip reports! Funny, touching, informative, creative and magical

I can't wait for more!

 

[Thinktinknpixiedust]

I'm sooo sorry... I forgot the rule about not drinking or eating while reading Twinkies thread... think I need Nurse Mommy!... and a new keyboard

Twinkie Mama, your trippie is the equivalent of literary crack! Despite the tower of dirty laundry, and 2 research projects (due this week, I might add) that I should be attending to, I've been sitting in my chair for an hour and a half reading BOTH of your TR's.

So, I want to concurrently THANK YOU for sharing your family's WDW adventures, and also BLAME YOU for my family possibly going naked this week, as well as any grade below "A" that I get on my papers! You have no business being such a great writer! Don't cha know we have things we're supposed to be doing?

With that said, can't wait to hear the rest. Especially the addition of 2 princesses and a prince! The more the merrier, right? Unless it's 2am, or there is pink eye involved....

 

[TwinkieMama]

Thank you very much pilferk for your research on behalf of TwinkieMama’s Trip Reports and Safaris (now half price!)- I couldn’t have asked for a better segue, all of my research (the print version of the UG) had not given me any clue that Dinosaur had recently changed names and intensities. When we approached I noticed that the sign said “Countdown to Extinction” which sounded ominous but I didn’t really make anything of if because often we (the Twinkies) don’t use the official Disney name for an attaction- for example Maelstrom- didn’t even know that was the name ‘till I noticed a whole Maelstromer Union here on the DIS- our family calls it “The Spirit of NorVAY” which, if pronounced correctly, has a big up lilt on the vay part and a semi-optional troll imitation. So we head to Dinosaur, I tell the guys that we are going to ride this and then we will officially be Pretty Hot Stuff. We don’t have a long wait (I don’t remember why- did we have a fast pass? Maybe- we are pretty into them). And the reactions were as follows
TwinkieMama: loved it, , very Disney, and I like the feel of it- (I don’t know if I have mentioned that I love coasters but I hate heights so I won’t ride many 6 flag type coasters and log flumes because heights really scare me, but the feelings of riding I love- which is why I love simulator type rides)
Mortimer (oops how did that slip out), I mean Mr. Twinkie- he was okay, claimed to have enjoyed it by the savvy wife would have noticed he was a little green around the gills, he does not enjoy the jerkiness (is that a word?) of your simulator class park attraction
DS-claimed to have enjoyed it, was willing to ride it again… just not right now please Mom (Of course I clung on to him for safety’s sake through the whole ride and screamed like a girl which is fine because I am , in fact, a girl…. And he was still young enough to believe that nothing really bad can happen to you when Mommy and Daddy hold you tight)
So now we think we are card carrying thrill seekers. We go outside to discover that the gorgeous hot Florida day has changed into drizzle. Since DH and I are still soaked from our pleasure cruise down the Kali we spring the $4.04 to buy DS a poncho and decide to tough it out. The nice thing about rain in the underdeveloped AK of 2000 is that it causes people to leave in droves… expect for the bajillion folks who had the same idea that we had-
Let’s go see It’s Tough to Be a Bug- it is indoors- even most of the waiting area is indoors….

 

[princesslibby]

"Don't eat Mint Chocolate Chip icecream while reading TM's TR" There should be a warning posted,somewhere. (It makes a mess.) I just love these ((( )))
(and reading about snack foods going on vacation)

This was DINOmite. Waiting for the rain to pass...so the Twinkies can tour some more and more and more.