NMAmy's Spring Break 2010 Trip Report--Girls Gone Mild! Update 5/18

[NMAmy]

I'm in, I'm in.... I'm late, but I'm in!

Eh, you're not that late. We're only two days in. I'm so glad you're here. Welcome!

Okay, I understand that feeling. But... you're way, way wrong on this one - LOVE the title!

Oh, good heavens. Now we have to tell her again--YES, hucifer, you were right!

Seriously now, are we related?! I receive much grief over my need to pack at least 3 changes of clothes, all underwear and all cosmetics in my carry-on. Can't be too careful.

Well, sure, who wants to spend valuable vacation time re-purchasing underwear and cosmetics?

Ooo, it does!

Thank you for agreeing with me. I was starting to think I was the only one who thought that.

Well, shoot. I just changed a bunch of my summer ADRs today and didn't include Sanaa because I wasn't so sure it would be great. And I love Indian and African food. Back to the online drawing board.

I don't think you'll regret it! Don't tell too many people, though. I don't want it to be like trying to get into Le Cellier.

Or football season. Unless you're a Gator. Just sayin'.

Had to get in your plug, didn't you?

This is terrific Amy!

Thank you! That's high praise coming from you.

 

[NMAmy]

No...I didn't receive any PM But, I'm glad I'm seeing Alex now...I mean I'm glad I'm here now

Dang! I'm going to have to send Mal a message again. I just figured she'd been too busy.

I'm sorry, pal, I really didn't forget you! And I'm glad you're here now, too.

 

[hucifer]

Next trip, you let me know when you need to get up and I'll call you and say, "Up and at 'em, pal!"

I totally believe you WOULD, too.

Aww...so nice. I'll be using you as a job reference, ok? Maybe I can just do ALL the wake up calls while I'm there, too.

I'll casually drop your name to the hiring department. If you did the wakeup calls, you would be very busy from 0500-0800 every morning. Brush up on your falsetto Mickey voice.

Pretty much right after they started construction, I believe. It looks terrible. It's weird that they're not doing anything with it--even tearing them down would be better.

Yes! Nothing that looks sloppier than abandoned buildings. That is just so weird of Disney to do that.

Hey! This is all interesting stuff, missy.

You're right. But that muffin stuff was over-the-top interesting.

Plus, someone has to watch Stacy blathering on about her "must do's."

Ugh, I cannot STAND her. Blech.

Weird, huh? I liked the hummus and the olives and the dolmades. Just not the skewers. So 80% of the appetizer was good.

I laugh because it sounded like 80% of the appetizer was bad.

Let's keep this PG13 now.

Seriously, you are no fun.

I'm in, I'm in.... I'm late, but I'm in!

About time! Where have you been?

LOVE the title!

I know. It's pretty clever, isn't it?

Oh, good heavens. Now we have to tell her again--YES, hucifer, you were right!

Get used to saying that.

 

[Peter Panic Attack]

I don’t like to talk on the phone. I avoid it at all costs so this made my life much less stressful.

Me too....I wonder if we were separated at birth. Do you also watch unhealthy amounts of football?

So, artichoke crisis averted and I was able to get back to my book.

It’s a sign of the end times…earthquakes, floods and artichoke crisis.

Cait: “MOM! There was a fire in the dorm!”

I’ll bet it was the dang artichokes…they’re delicious….but extremely flammable.

We finally made it through and ended up being a full two hours early for our flight departure. I’m always “insanely early” as Caitlin puts it. But I’m also insanely stress free.

You definitely are my kind of people.

..and as I opened the door, I asked Alex, “What’s that smell?”

There is never a happy ending to that question.

As I turned on the light, I realized that that smell was the result of a newly refurbished room. Everything all spanking new and pretty. I wasn’t even afraid to use the bedspreads!

Hmmm….I stand corrected....and so quickly too.

We had the best bus driver EVER. A family got on the bus after us with a little boy and a little girl. He sauntered back and handed the boy a pirate bandana and the girl a little pin. He then walked back to the front of the bus and came back with a roll of stickers.

He does sound like the best bus driver ever….unless the bus was moving while he was making all these trips….in which case he sounds a little “devil may care” for my taste.

I was so excited when we were finally paged to go in for dinner. I was ready to wrestle one of the giraffes for some hay at this point.

Don’t waste your time. Although “hay” sounds delicious…..it’s really just dry grass.

We started with the bread service which was so fantastic that I practically wolfed it down. Three kinds of bread including naan. We got the chile, the hummus, and the mango chutney to go along with it.

Hummus!.....what kind of place was this. Oh, wait a minute….I was thinking of hemp. I always get those two mixed up….which is how I got swindled into buying that hummus sweater-vest and matching socks.

Ok....I need to rest before continuing....I'm sick....and lazy.

 

[PrincessV]

Oh, good heavens. Now we have to tell her again--YES, hucifer, you were right!

I know. It's pretty clever, isn't it?

On second thought...

Had to get in your plug, didn't you?

Who, me?!

Thank you! That's high praise coming from you.

Pshaw, you're making me blush!

 

[NMAmy]

I totally believe you WOULD, too.

Hey, I'm up anyway. Might as well be doing something useful.

I'll casually drop your name to the hiring department. If you did the wakeup calls, you would be very busy from 0500-0800 every morning. Brush up on your falsetto Mickey voice.

Oh, I'm way ahead of you on that one.

You're right. But that muffin stuff was over-the-top interesting.

Well, sure, everyone knows that muffin discussion is always the most interesting part of any trip. That's just common knowledge.

Ugh, I cannot STAND her. Blech.

Neither can Alex but she's right there screaming any time you turn on the television since she's the default channel. I did find it a little fascinating this time--they showed clips of previous Top 7's or whatever they were and she was on the AI stage between the clips. And she was walking so oddly--it was like she was trying to be sexy by "gliding" across the stage but it made her look really awkward instead.

I laugh because it sounded like 80% of the appetizer was bad.

It was the 20% of the appetizer that you wouldn't eat anyway. Of course, it just can't compare to a veggie burger.

Seriously, you are no fun.

Oh, sure I am. I just don't kiss and tell.

I know. It's pretty clever, isn't it?

There will just be no living with her now.

Get used to saying that.

See?

Me too....I wonder if we were separated at birth. Do you also watch unhealthy amounts of football?

No. You must have gotten all of our quota of the football watching gene.

It’s a sign of the end times…earthquakes, floods and artichoke crisis.

I'm pretty sure I remember learning about the artichoke crisis on one of those History Channel, scare the bejeebers out of you, end of the world scenarios.

I’ll bet it was the dang artichokes…they’re delicious….but extremely flammable.

Now I have this picture in my mind of college students "cooking" artichokes by tumbling them through the dryer. Oddly, this is not at all out of the realm of possibility.

You definitely are my kind of people.

Right back at ya!

There is never a happy ending to that question.

It is a one in a million chance that the smell could be something good, I agree. There go my chances of winning the lottery--I've used up all my good luck on a refurbished room at Pop Century. Rats.

He does sound like the best bus driver ever….unless the bus was moving while he was making all these trips….in which case he sounds a little “devil may care” for my taste.

Safety before stickers is my motto.

Don’t waste your time. Although “hay” sounds delicious…..it’s really just dry grass.

I'm allergic to hay, too, so I'm glad I held off.

Hummus!.....what kind of place was this. Oh, wait a minute….I was thinking of hemp. I always get those two mixed up….which is how I got swindled into buying that hummus sweater-vest and matching socks.

That must have been one sloppy suit.

Ok....I need to rest before continuing....I'm sick....and lazy.

Aww...hope you're feeling better soon! And I'm so glad you're reading along even if that seems to mean that you're not writing your own trip report. Hint, hint.

Who, me?!

Well, the avatar kind of tipped me off.

Pshaw, you're making me blush!

Well deserved praise, ma'am. I can never catch up on your trip reports before they're done but I always enjoy them!

 

[MickeysMommy]

 

[NMAmy]

Sunday, March 21
You could have knocked me over with a feather. Alex and I woke up early like we always do. Yes, even on vacation. Even when we’re not at WDW. Dang internal clock. I was puttering around, getting us some breakfast while the girls slept on the sofa bed. Suddenly, I heard a little voice. It was Brittany, not a Mickey wake up call. She asked where we were going and if she could come along. What the heck? A teenage girl who gets out of bed before noon? Then Caitlin sleepily said that she guessed she’d come along, too. Wait, WHAT? Were we really in Bizarro World? Alex eating salads voluntarily? Caitlin getting up at 8:00 without having to catch a flight somewhere? And being, dare I say it, PLEASANT?? I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming all this because the whole thing was just outside my realm of experience. Now, THAT is some Disney magic, my friends!

Even getting up early and being pleasant does not eliminate the need for an inordinate amount of primping. While I was waiting for them, I noticed this very subtle hidden Mickey in the carpet in our room.

At 8:30, the girls weren’t quite ready and instead of having me standing over them and sighing dramatically, Alex and I caught the bus to the MK and the girls were going to catch up with us.

Alex & I caught the opening show. I took pictures because I figured that even the new and improved College Caitlin was still not ever going to get anywhere early enough to catch a park opening. She says she hates them but I think she just hates that they don’t start at noon.

A not so hidden Mickey:

How does Alice get her skirt to do that without touching it? Is there a string or something?

We headed over to Space Mountain with pretty much everyone else. The line was already pretty long and, frankly, Space Mountain and I have had issues for awhile now. Yes, I’m getting old. It jerks me around so much that I’m not a huge fan anymore. We got a Fast Pass for the girls and continued on our merry way.

Buzz Lightyear had a very short line making it one of my favorite rides at that moment in time. We boarded our spaceship very quickly and just before we got into the first room, we jerked to a stop. Buzz came on talking about the Evil Emperor Zurg holding things up (curse him!) and we ended up stuck there for about 5 minutes. Normally this would have been annoying, however, as I was randomly shooting into the next room, it came to my attention that I now had perfect access to a 100,000 point target. It was like shooting fish in a barrel, so to speak. I racked up my highest score ever at 999,999 points. The ride started up again and that’s when I discovered that not having the highest score ever might make for a more enjoyable ride because now, I could get no more points. What the heck? I was now in charge of spinning. Alex is usually our designated spinner because, I’ll admit it, I suck at it when I’m trying to shoot at the same time. Now I spun Alex toward the targets and that was my one bit of fun with the whole ride. Eventually, he made me stop because I was “throwing him off.” He had a measly 200,000 points. YES!!! To quote Freddy Mercury and the boys, I am the champion, my friends.

We set off toward Fantasyland:

The castle under stormy skies. Looks a bit menacing, doesn't it?

We celebrated by stopping to get some Photo Pass pictures taken. I bought the cd in advance and I haven’t done that in a few years. You all know what the pre-purchase means, don’t you? Yes, I became the Photo Pass nag. I had lectured Alex and the girls the night before about how I’d ALREADY SPENT THE MONEY and that meant they could NOT just blow off getting photos taken. So when we walked past some Photo Pass photographers just twiddling their thumbs that meant it was my mission to make them earn their paychecks. “You there. Pretend you are the paparazzi and I am some famous movie star. Photograph us and make sure you take as many pictures as possible, please.”

These ones, sadly, did not turn out very well but some of the others turned out great.

I love the way the non-existent sun glints off these balloons:

Caitlin kept calling to give us updates on their arrival. “We’re leaving the room.” “We’re waiting for the bus.” “We’re pulling up to the MK.” You get the idea.
The line for Peter Pan said it was 5 minutes but it lied. There was actually a whole lot of lying going on that day but I’ll get to that in a bit. We were partway through the line when the girls said they were now inside the MK so we hopped out of line to wait for them. While I waited, I took some pictures.

Ariel's Grotto:

This is the view from the bench across from Peter Pan:

By the time we got back in line, the sign now said it was a 20 minute wait but it went very quickly and soon all four of us were off to Neverland. We were jolted back to reality when we exited and it began to rain. Now I had specifically watched the weather report this morning. And the weatherman said REPEATEDLY that it would rain but it wouldn’t start until 3:00 so, trusting soul that I am, I left my raincoat and the dollar store ponchos that Caitlin swore she’d never wear in the room. Florida weather people are just big, fat rain liars taking in gullible tourists who are now standing in the rain, coatless, while they’re laughing it up in a nice, dry studio.

In keeping with Caitie’s desire to make an effort to do some of the smaller stuff and the fact that rain had made the proximity of a ride a deciding factor, we rode the Haunted Mansion. Again, I have not been able to get Cait to do this in years so I had to document it.

Check it out. Not only is she going on the Haunted Mansion but she looks HAPPY about it. Before noon. I'm loving College Caitlin.

It was time for the girls’ Space Mountain fast pass so we headed back that way. In another foray into Bizarro World, Caitlin suggested we ride It’s a Small World on the way. SERIOUSLY?? She didn’t want me to have photographic evidence but you can see her from the back and tell where she is.

Looks like she's rushing to get a really good seat, doesn't it?

We were all pretty hungry but not much was open for lunch yet. We decided that the girls would go on Space Mountain and Alex & I would take a spin on the new version of the Tomorrowland Transit Authority and then we’d meet back up for lunch. There was some weird kind of back up at the TTA so we ended up finishing at the same time the girls did. I miss the old version, by the way. No more “Paging Mr. Morrow. Mr. Tom Morrow. Your party from Saturn has arrived. Please give them a ring.” It’s just so wrong that I’m now forced to do the narration myself. If anyone needs me to go with them and call with their wake up call and then narrate the TTA, just let me know. WDW is becoming awfully DIY, don’t you think?

I have this urge to start a drag race by waving a scarf here:

Not too busy, eh?

We then went to Cosmic Ray’s. Because it was close and because it was raining still. Alex and the girls each had the KFC rip-off chicken bowl with mashed potatoes, chicken nuggets, cheese and gravy. No, I could barely look at that. In an effort to stay in the same line, though, I ordered chicken nuggets and when I saw them, cursed myself for forgetting to order the kid’s meal. Sigh. Just for the record—that chicken bowl thing was a “special” and Alex was the only one who really enjoyed it. We did enjoy listening to Sonny Eclipse, though. He’s always a good time.

It was cold and raining pretty hard by the time we were done so we decided to head back to the hotel to get some rain gear. When we arrived, the girls decided that they’d had enough of daytime and they were going to nap.

Next up--Epcot AND MGM.

 

[MickeysMommy]

Amy, love the pictures of you and my Alex You guys look too cute! Love the report but waiting for more...

 

[Normangirls]

We set off toward Fantasyland:

Awesome update, as usual. But I had to ask about this picture -- I just can't figure out where you took and from what perspective. What on earth are those red rocks?

 

[NMAmy]

Amy, love the pictures of you and my Alex You guys look too cute! Love the report but waiting for more...

Aww..thanks for the compliments, pal. Another update tomorrow!

Awesome update, as usual. But I had to ask about this picture -- I just can't figure out where you took and from what perspective. What on earth are those red rocks?

That picture was taken as we were walking out of Tomorrowland just before the bridge that goes back toward the castle. The red rocks sort of ring the edge of Tomorrowland around the water. I have pictures of Caitlin and Stitch in front of them from an earlier trip and I remember being perplexed as to where the heck those rocks were, too. They look like BTMRR, don't they?

 

[tigerdragon]

Well, at least you were smart enough to watch the weather report for that day. I had people telling me that morning that the rain wasn't supposed to come in until later. Yeah, right.

Looking forward to the next update!

 

[hucifer]

She asked where we were going and if she could come along. What the heck? A teenage girl who gets out of bed before noon? Then Caitlin sleepily said that she guessed she’d come along, too. Wait, WHAT? Were we really in Bizarro World? Alex eating salads voluntarily? Caitlin getting up at 8:00 without having to catch a flight somewhere? And being, dare I say it, PLEASANT?? I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming all this because the whole thing was just outside my realm of experience. Now, THAT is some Disney magic, my friends!

Yes, ma'am. It's where magic lives.

Even getting up early and being pleasant does not eliminate the need for an inordinate amount of primping.

Not for college women.

How does Alice get her skirt to do that without touching it? Is there a string or something?

Good question.

The ride started up again and that’s when I discovered that not having the highest score ever might make for a more enjoyable ride because now, I could get no more points.

You know, I never would have entertained that thought until now.

“You there. Pretend you are the paparazzi and I am some famous movie star. Photograph us and make sure you take as many pictures as possible, please.”

Gotta earn your money's worth.

There was actually a whole lot of lying going on that day

Lying? In Disney World???

Check it out. Not only is she going on the Haunted Mansion but she looks HAPPY about it. Before noon. I'm loving College Caitlin.

I see we're back to the magic.

No more “Paging Mr. Morrow. Mr. Tom Morrow. Your party from Saturn has arrived. Please give them a ring.” It’s just so wrong that I’m now forced to do the narration myself. If anyone needs me to go with them and call with their wake up call and then narrate the TTA, just let me know. WDW is becoming awfully DIY, don’t you think?

That's awful! What DO they say on the new TTA anyway? (Heh, that rhymed.)

When we arrived, the girls decided that they’d had enough of daytime and they were going to nap.

Ahh...to be in college again....when sleep takes priority over everything else.

 

[PrincessV]

The line was already pretty long and, frankly, Space Mountain and I have had issues for awhile now. Yes, I’m getting old. It jerks me around so much that I’m not a huge fan anymore.

~sigh~ FWIW, I commiserate. I'm an absolute roller coaster junkie... but both Space and BTMRR make me hurt nowadays. Youth really is wasted on the young.

We boarded our spaceship very quickly and just before we got into the first room, we jerked to a stop.

Ooo, I hear opportunity knocking...

Normally this would have been annoying, however, as I was randomly shooting into the next room, it came to my attention that I now had perfect access to a 100,000 point target.

EXACTLY!

Florida weather people are just big, fat rain liars taking in gullible tourists who are now standing in the rain, coatless, while they’re laughing it up in a nice, dry studio.

We Floridians learn quickly to just carry the rain gear everywhere, all the time, lol!

 

[Peter Panic Attack]

I totally think the Imagineers missed a golden opportunity when they didn't put a huge bowl of spaghetti in the center of the courtyard with a big strand of spaghetti stretching between these two.

I’m afraid it would be logistical nightmare. First, you’d need to find a huge pot of boiling water….then you’ve got to figure out how much a "pinch" of salt is….or if you should even be adding it in the first place....because, sure...the spaghetti tastes better...but do we really need more salt in our diet? Probably not.

See that Michigan State sweatshirt? That thing became the bane of my existence on this trip. Never wear a team shirt during the Final Four. Especially if you're not able to chat intelligently about basketball.

Tell me about it…..one time I made the mistake of wearing an Albert Einstein t-shirt during Theory of Relativity week. Gravity this....electromagnetic that.....I'm telling you it was brutal.

I could see Caitlin snickering at me as this man began raving about the raspberry muffins at the Writer’s shop. Did you know they use fresh raspberries? I know now. Did you know that they make the muffins with whatever fruit is in season? I have this knowledge. Did you know that a couple of weeks ago, the muffins were strawberry?

By any chance…did this guy talk with a Boston accent….dress like a postman…and answer to the name “Cliff”.

It takes an HOUR to get from resort to resort. At LEAST an hour. And we should be on the bus about 10 minutes from now. Stress, stress, stress.

Hmmmm….I bet Brittany’s mom would have been able to pull it off in a fraction of the time. Sorry….that was below the belt.

The chicken was kind of bland but I jazzed it up with tzatziki.

Gazoontite.

 

[NMAmy]

Sunday, March 21 Continued--

So, the girls decided to nap after an early morning and Alex & I (the old folks) donned our rain gear and headed to Epcot. The rain had let up a bit.

The Flower and Garden Festival was going on during our visit. Be prepared--I have lots of pictures of topiaries.

And our pal, Mal, was a bit bummed that she didn't make it to the festival this year so I promised to take lots of pictures of the floating gardens for her.

See everyone in their ponchos?

It's the CIIIRRCCCLLLEEE--the Circle of Life!

We went on Spaceship Earth and by the time we got out, it was pouring. Like monsoon season rain. We ducked into Innovations with several thousand of our closest friends to see if this would be over quickly or if it was time to pack it in. It slowed down a bit so we headed back to the Boardwalk and arrived just as the heavens opened again. On second thought, maybe it IS a good time for a nap.

The girls slept until 3:00 and then the primping began again. I sat in the chair by the window and amused myself by watching all the poor sopping wet souls walking around the Boardwalk.

By the time we left for our dinner reservations at Prime Time, the rain had finally stopped. We had some bad travel mojo—just missed the boat, then like three boats went to Epcot and none to MGM. There was a boat at the Dolphin dock that took forever to move away. So while the boats do not vary their route, sometimes they seem to get bunched up either at MGM or Epcot.

We made it at 5:16 for our 5:15 reservation. I hate this cutting it so close thing but when I began to stress out on the boat ride, I realized I was making Caitlin anxious, too. When she asked me if we were going to make it, I had an epiphany right then and there. (Yes, right in front of everyone!) This was dinner not a command meeting with the Queen. If we were late, we were late. If they couldn’t seat us, we’d find something else. It was not the end of the world. Once I made this conscious decision to stop fussing about ADR’s, everything went much smoother for us for the rest of the trip.

We waited around in the living room for a bit:

See the menu Caitlin has? That’s the drink menu. She came over to sit by me and was trying to convince me to try some of the different fancy drinks for her amusement.

Caitlin: Mom. You need to get this martini. It's BLUE and it has a GLOWING ice cube!
Me: Eh...I don't like martinis.
Caitlin: Ok, you should get one of these pink tropical things.
Me: I think I'll have a beer.
Caitlin: An ice cream drink? See the pretty colors?
Me: I'll have a Stella, please.
Caitlin: Jeez, drinking is wasted on old people. I can't wait until I'm 21!
Me: I'll totally buy you a blue glowing martini when you're 21. Because nothing says I'm a mature adult like a glowing ice cube.

Our server, Cousin Eric, made the girls set the table. He was pretty fun—he had a thick Southern accent which made it difficult for him to pretend to be a member of our family with our Michigan, New Mexico, and English accents.

Waiting for our food. See those corn salt & pepper shakers? My grandma had them and so did Brittany's.

Brittany and I had the fried chicken. This was also Cousin Eric’s favorite. Caitlin got a steak and Alex got meat loaf. Everything was delicious. I ate my greens and Brittany’s. I just do not understand how someone can NOT enjoy a vegetable that’s cooked with bacon. Two great tastes that taste great together. I did not, however, eat Cait’s green beans which were just too close to raw for me.

Cousin Eric came by and in a voice that was scarily like my ex-husband’s, told Caitlin, “You need to eat some more of those green beans now. Put more on your fork and take a real bite. You can wash it down with your Coke.” For someone so young, he really had that authority voice thing going on.

She ate it right away and Eric said, “Darn. I was sure you wouldn’t do it and I wanted to do the airplane.”

Since we’d been such good eaters, we were allowed to order dessert. Brittany had the apple cobbler and Caitlin and I shared Dad’s Brownie Sundae which was fabulous. We were disappointed that they no longer had the viewfinders, though.

Caitlin then shocked me again by asking Cousin Eric if he’d pose with them. He looks a little gangster in this pose, doesn’t he?

Then, as we walked outside she saw these Streetmosphere guys. We’ve seen them before and she loves them so even though we’d missed the show, she asked if I’d take her picture with them. We've seen the tall guy many times over the years and he is hilarious.

The girls decided to try Rock-n-Rollercoaster which had a 50 minute wait. Alex’s knee was hurting so he and I headed back to the Boardwalk. My MSU shirt came into play again—I met a lady and her adorable little daughter at the boat dock and they were from Michigan, too. Luckily, she didn’t want to talk basketball.

Our room hadn’t been cleaned that day but I didn’t think too much about it. I ran some laundry and we were watching tv in our room when I heard voices and went out to talk to the girls. Imagine my surprise when I found Caitlin interrogating the maid! She’d come in and begun cleaning the kitchen. Cait and Brit walked in.

Caitlin: Umm…hi. Is my mom in here?

Housekeeping: There’s no one here.

Then I burst in on them. Turns out, she had knocked but I couldn’t hear her over the washing machine (which is LOUD). I talked her into just switching out some towels and leaving us to fend for ourselves. I was so glad Caitlin had found her before she scared the living bejeebers out of me by walking into our bathroom or bedroom. I’d probably have had a coronary. Or she would have, I'm not sure which.

After we got that settled, the girls changed into some warmer clothes and headed off to the MK until 2:00 am for EMH. And here’s photographic proof that it did get rainy enough for Caitlin to wear the dreaded poncho.

The person behind them looks less than thrilled.

And the next morning, I couldn't figure out why I found pink sugar EVERYWHERE in the kitchen. Turns out it was from these little beauties:

That is a caramel apple. I think you have to be under the age of 20 to even consider consuming something like that.

So, all you Planny McPlannersons, there you have it. Three parks in one day at a relaxed pace AND a nap! How do you like us non-planners NOW, huh?

 

[hucifer]

And our pal, Mal, was a bit bummed that she didn't make it to the festival this year so I promised to take lots of pictures of the floating gardens for her.

Where IS Mal, anyway? I haven't seen her on my TR in ages and I certainly haven't seen her here.

I had an epiphany right then and there. (Yes, right in front of everyone!)

I hope you didn't get arrested.

Because nothing says I'm a mature adult like a glowing ice cube.

I just do not understand how someone can NOT enjoy a vegetable that’s cooked with bacon.

I gotta say, even as a vegetarian...bacon is gooooooooooood.

Caitlin and I shared Dad’s Brownie Sundae which was fabulous.

Dad's Sundae is one of the best desserts in WDW.

We were disappointed that they no longer had the viewfinders, though.

Me too.

Caitlin then shocked me again by asking Cousin Eric if he’d pose with them. He looks a little gangster in this pose, doesn’t he?

After the picture was taken, did he shove his fingers up his nose and sniff them?

Alex’s knee was hurting so he and I headed back to the Boardwalk.

pphhhhttt. old people.

Luckily, she didn’t want to talk basketball.

If I saw you, I wouldn't talk basketball either. In fact, I wouldn't talk sports AT ALL. I might say, "I went there twenty years ago and I lived in Holmes Hall. I was on the five-year plan."

That is a caramel apple. I think you have to be under the age of 20 to even consider consuming something like that.

Truer words have never been spoken.

 

[NMAmy]

Gotta catch up on my replies!

Well, at least you were smart enough to watch the weather report for that day. I had people telling me that morning that the rain wasn't supposed to come in until later. Yeah, right.

Looking forward to the next update!

Watching the weather report didn't help at all! You were the smart one to just carry the ponchos anyway.

Yes, ma'am. It's where magic lives.

Hmm...I think I've heard that somewhere before.

Not for college women.

Sigh. I don't think I outgrew that stage until I had a kid of my own. Not that I'm hurrying her along on THAT. I'll take the primping.

You know, I never would have entertained that thought until now.

Me, either. Of course, it's never been something I've had to worry about until right then.

Lying? In Disney World???

Can you believe it?

I see we're back to the magic.

Oh, yeah.

That's awful! What DO they say on the new TTA anyway? (Heh, that rhymed.)

Our little poet. To tell you the truth, I have no idea! I was so traumatized that I didn't retain anything. Plus I was drowning them out with my narration. The CORRECT narration.

Ahh...to be in college again....when sleep takes priority over everything else.

Well, that and partying. I'm not sure sleep has first priority.

~sigh~ FWIW, I commiserate. I'm an absolute roller coaster junkie... but both Space and BTMRR make me hurt nowadays. Youth really is wasted on the young.

Isn't that the truth? When I was young, I couldn't afford to go to WDW. Now I can afford it but I can't enjoy the rollercoasters anymore.

I've noticed the same thing with food--used to be, I could eat ANYTHING but I couldn't afford to buy it. Now I can afford it but if I ate it, I'd weigh 300 lbs.

I've depressed myself.

We Floridians learn quickly to just carry the rain gear everywhere, all the time, lol!

I was travelling with a Brit. You'd think he'd have brought a raincoat, too, wouldn't you? Rain doesn't seem to bother him as much as me, though. All that early conditioning.

I’m afraid it would be logistical nightmare. First, you’d need to find a huge pot of boiling water….then you’ve got to figure out how much a "pinch" of salt is….or if you should even be adding it in the first place....because, sure...the spaghetti tastes better...but do we really need more salt in our diet? Probably not.

You've put a lot more thought into the logistics than I did. Now I'm wondering how you'd even boil a pot of water that big.

Tell me about it…..one time I made the mistake of wearing an Albert Einstein t-shirt during Theory of Relativity week. Gravity this....electromagnetic that.....I'm telling you it was brutal.

Oh, yeah, that happens to me all the time, too.

By any chance…did this guy talk with a Boston accent….dress like a postman…and answer to the name “Cliff”.

Hey, now that you mention it...I think he did.

Hmmmm….I bet Brittany’s mom would have been able to pull it off in a fraction of the time. Sorry….that was below the belt.

OUCH!

Gazoontite.

Thank you!

 

[NMAmy]

Where IS Mal, anyway? I haven't seen her on my TR in ages and I certainly haven't seen her here.

I know she's been really busy at work. I'm going to email her and tell her she needs a break and she should be relaxing by reading trip reports.

I hope you didn't get arrested.

Luckily, there were no cops around. Whew!

I gotta say, even as a vegetarian...bacon is gooooooooooood.

Yes, ma'am, it is!

Dad's Sundae is one of the best desserts in WDW.

This was the first time I'd tried it. Our dessert sharing usually works like this--Caitlin orders a dessert and insists that she's eating it all, no one else can touch it, blah, blah, blah. I'd quietly asked Cousin Eric to bring another spoon anyway. Cait ate a bit of it and then slid it to the middle of the table and invited me to dig in. I've known her for a long time. I've never, ever seen her finish a dessert.

After the picture was taken, did he shove his fingers up his nose and sniff them?

Ewww...now I'm glad we were on our way out of the restaurant at that point.

pphhhhttt. old people.

Your day will come, my friend. And then, I'll be even older and you'll still be able to mock me.

If I saw you, I wouldn't talk basketball either. In fact, I wouldn't talk sports AT ALL. I might say, "I went there twenty years ago and I lived in Holmes Hall. I was on the five-year plan."

Woo hoo! Spartans!

 

[Hedy]

Those candy apples look good (insert joke about me being too old for them here).
I'm sad to hear about the viewfinders. You'd think they'd keep them for the tie-in to the TSM queue, if nothing else. I *think* my nephews are looking forward to going there in 2011-Mordie has announced several times he's not going any place that won't let him wear a baseball cap, but then he'll gloat about Ferdie getting in trouble. Fourteen year olds, can't forget them at the store, but they are still precious.