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

[TwinkieMama]

Ok, I just reread my post and it is confusing even to me-or especially to me.
whatever.... I think the ride was called Dinosaur but Countdown to Extinction was somewhere (signage? in the video at the beginning?) the point is we rode the LESS intense version but we thought it was the more intense version....
thus we figured that surely our child could handle a little attraction about some bugs based on a movie that he loved.....

 

[SleepingBeautyDreamr]

The one you rode, is it the one where you are in a vehicle that moves in a simulator like fashion? I saw something about it in the specials the Travel Channel had on a few weeks ago.

 

[TwinkieMama]

Twinkie Mama, your trippie is the equivalent of literary crack!

Thanks for the compliment..... I think.... however, I am seriously thinking of putting "purveyor of literary crack" under my name....

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!

Yikes! DH wants me to wear a t-shirt that says "TwinkieMama" on it on our next trip so he can see everyone "run up and hug my neck" as he so southernly puts it... what if instead all these half nekkid people run up and wring my neck....
best wishes on your papers though! You obviously are a person of high intellect so you should do just fine

The more the merrier, right? Unless it's 2am, or there is pink eye involved....

Ah you have just summed up my life

 

[TwinkieMama]

In short time we were huddled underneath the Tree of Life waiting for the next showing of It’s Tough To Be A Bug. As the rain picks up, more and more of the remaining park guests crowd into the pre-show area. Now I read the reviews and I knew that this show sent all sorts of children into hysterical fits. I also knew my particular child couldn’t ride a bike yet, was scared of the ocean and flying bugs but… these were Disney bugs and he just successfully been on what was supposedly the scariest attraction at AK… so I used my time to concentrate on not being squished by the crowd of park goers who had spent all morning sweating in the Florida summer sun and were now slightly damp and pressing together to escape the rain. Ewww. Since I had read the description I though I would use superskills to warn DS of some the effects and thus lessen the intensity of the experience. No problemo.
We file in to the theater and put on our bug eyes. The beginning makes me feel slightly dizzy. Soon the whining begins… not my child but surely every other kid under 44 inches is whimpering. I squeeze DS hand to reassure him. And then the crying begins….
“Are you OK? You can sit in my lap if you want.” I say to DS. He nods bravely but he is grasping my hand so tightly it begins to go numb. The sting is coming up so I tell him to lean forward. I don't know if he didn't do it or it just all suddenly became Too Much it because the next thing I know he too is screaming. I pull him into my lap, take his 3D glasses off, and whisper soothing words in his ear. It seems like every child is wailing at the top of their lungs… a few are coherently crying “I want to gooooo hoooome.” While others are just blubbering ‘Maaaa-Ma”.
What have I done? I knew this was scary. I knew DS was sensitive. What was I thinking?
And then the show has the big finale and the only thing I can think of is….why did every parent in this place pay big bucks for the privilege of torturing their children? DH carries our still whimpering and hiccupping son out of the chamber of doom. I view our vacation going down the tubes. What if he won’t ride any new rides? What can we do to restore him to the sunny child we had entered the park with? What can we possibly do to salvage some magic? It is still raining in steady drops. Do we just head back to the room? Or on to Epcot? Either plan involves standing in line and then riding a bus with other sweaty and damp and now traumatized children…..

 

[cudcat41]

I am completely addicted to your trip report. I read the entire first one and now get on to see if there are any new installments of this one (not an easy thing to do with a 5 month old and almost 2 year old)! Then again, I would imagine it's not easy for you to get on and right them! Thanks for taking the time to entertain us. Keep them coming!

 

[Punkin's Mom]

Man, this is giving me serious flashbacks. We (on my advise - I was the planner, after all) rode The Great Movie Ride (the name is oh so ironic) for our VERY FIRST ride ever at Disney. My 2 year old absolutely fell apart at the ganster part. Wailing at the top of his lungs. He held my hands over his eyes and ears. He couldn't really talk too well then, so between screams he yelled "car-car!" over and over. Of course this got my daughter crying too. When are we going home? When are we leaving? Why are you sadistically torturing your young children? Oh wait, that's what the other riders were saying.

 

[UtahMama]

Way to go!!!!! I nominate TwinkieMama for mother of the year for that!!!! When DS is in therapy or in a padded room with a nervous tick for his irrational fear and anxiety everytime he sees a grasshopper or bee or stink-bug at least all the DIS peeps will know the truth!
Not to throw gasaline onto the fire or anything, but my kids LOVE the Bugs and Dinosaur...L-O-V-E them!!!!! Just Kidding. I can distinctly remember calling my DS17(YEARS ago, not recently) a wussy(or "chicken"?) when he was nervous for
Space Mountain! Good Times. DS17 is the practice child...OOOPS!

 

[tiggerbell]

When DDs were 4 & 7 (they're now 15 & 18, WOW!) my sister and I took them to WDW for DD4's 5th birthday. The very first day, we went to the MK early (whatever EMHs were called in 1995!). First up was Mr. Toad. DD4 was a very independant child and insisted on sitting behind the steering wheel. About halfway through the ride, she's sobbing and yelling for me to drive!

We calm her down and take them on Snow White. This time it's DD7 who comes out in tears.

We take them on Peter Pan next... yup, 2 children sobbing their eyes out!

My sister and I just looked at each other. We didn't know what to do with them next... It all ended up ok, but we've never forgot that horrible morning!

Oh, and TM, I'm loving your reports!!!!!!!

 

[pilferk]

LOL! Glad I could help out with the research!!

On the TTBAB movie......we went this past January with a plan. My DS (at the time about 15 months) and DD (at the time, 3) were having their 1st "real" trip to Disney (my DD went at 10 weeks old, since I had to go for a conference, but I don't really count that as a trip). My wife and I LOVE the 3-d movies at all the parks (HISTA, Muppets, TTBAB) but were unsure how the kids would handle them. So we hatched a plan: We'd do Mickey's Philharmagic first and gauge their reaction. We hadn't actually SEEN Philharmagic, but had read some pretty detailed descriptions. It seemed quite a bit "tamer" than the other 3-d experiences on property. We figured if the kids liked it...we'd be safe to try Muppets, at least, and maybe HISTA and TTBAB.

The kids weren't fans. I mean, the little guy actually fell asleep during it, so I'm not sure exactly what type of endoresement that was. But my DD? Her opinion was....um......strong, to say the least. No wailing and crying, but certainly she was spooked and uncomfortable. And after the movie she said "we're never going to do that again, right daddy?" Given that same little girl gleefully did Splash Mountain with me (yes, my 3 year old daughter CRUSHED the height limit by a couple of inches....both my kids are relative giants), with her reaction to Philharmagic, we pretty much knew that our doing any other 3-D movies that trip was out of the questinon. Which, I guess, was why we litmus tested the way we did.....

FYI, that attraction was the ONLY attraction that got a big thumbs down from our DD...though not the only one that led to ZZZZZZZ's from our DS.

 

[tlinus]

subscribing to the trippies to end all trippies!
Wonderful job relating your experience into words!!! I am hooked!!!

 

[NAB]

My daughter is 6 and that is one thing she asked everytime we line up for a ride is it 3D. She is scared to death at anything 3D. That and the Tower of Terror. I myself hated Honey I shrunk the kids one but I learned to keep my legs up. So I can't blame a child to be scared so we will wait and see if she out grows it. Hubby now goes in with the 9 year old son why we wait

Where to next....

 

[PrincessV]

No 3D movies for my DS4 either. We did TTBAB when he was just under 1 year and he cried a little. We did Philharmagic when he was 2 and it was not pretty - he buried his face into my mother's shoulder and didn't speak to me for hours after. Don't worry TM, our kids will all be in therapy someday, exmaining their irrational fear of wearing glasses in auditoriums!

 

[mtemm]

okay, you convinced me to skip this one. since my 4 year old seems to be almost a mirror image of your son (at least as far as descriptions go), I'm thinking that may be the way to go.

(just hoping I can get him on the haunted mansion like you did yours on your last trip.)

thanks for writing!

 

[LoveMyBoys]

I just got done reading your first TR and this one, and can't believe how great they are. I can't wait for more.

 

[tubachick]

love the reading!!

 

[Shelby5514]

and so is your trippie TM!

 

[UtahMama]

THIS is the Best Trip Report EVER!!!!!
So? What's next? Where's the cream filling? Did he recover from the previous day? When are you gonna go again with all your conjuctivitis kids? This September? Like, the 5th -14th? I think I can convince Mortie (OH crap! sorry to reveal your BIG secret!) I hear POR is cool. Plus, it's your sister's (from anutha mutha) 39th birthaday! If I was Richie Rich, I'd pay...but I'm not...so you can pay. (pleeeeasse)

 

[DISNEYWORLDBORN2SHOP]

The first time we took DSs, then 4yo and 15 mo., to Orlando we ventured over to USO for the first day. DH decided it would be great for our first attraction to be The Terminator 3D. Need I say more? It totally ruined the next day at MK for them. Luckily they were out of therapy by the end of the week.

 

[deekaypee]

I just got back from DLR and am now catching up on all the fine TRs, and yours is the first I turned to. [FYI all Disers who might be interested: I stayed at the HoJo Anaheim, which has free internet, and was a fine family hotel. I could have kept up with your fabulous TR while there, but my itinerary (color-coded and in a spreadsheet) didn't allow time for such pleasures. I've had to delay gratification on the DISboard side of things while I indulged in the DLR's special magic. I'm sure you understand. ]

But now that I'm back on board (couldn't resist that one), I just have to say I empathize with DS's reaction. TTBAB is one of the attractions I eliminated from our itinerary this visit. I finally got over the sense I should include it every time I go because I never got over that first experience. No, the show didn't scare me but it HURT! Remember the bit with the stinger? Yep, right in the middle of my spine, leaving a bruise. I don't think I've forgiven the attraction for that first time--and listening to all the traumatized children on subsequent visits (who I always managed to sit next to) only reminded me of my own traumatic experience. I'd always feel for them--and it lessened my joy in the things TTBAB does well to the point I just gave up seeing TTBAB.

Wow, isn't that a testament to your TR's power??? Not only do I enjoy reading your escapades and comparing them with my own, but I'm fully identifying with members of your family. Keep the installments coming!

 

[Thinktinknpixiedust]

Are you kidding!! I can't ride Dinosaur with my eyes open!! I have honestly not ever seen the ride past where that Croc bites it! (My kids think its' hysterical, and thus I continually get drug on that darned ride!)