gopherit
I'm not in the book, you know.
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2003
- Messages
- 1,327
On the Eleventh Day of Disney, Mickey gave to me:
Eleven oclock at DQ,
Ten Tylenol tablets,
Nine-ty missing dollars,
Eight seats at Beaches,
Seven hours of showers,
Six panting pirates,
Five Prin- cess- essssssssssss!!!!!
Four soggy swimmers,
Third place on Millionaire,
Two rooms at Boardwalk,
And a night in the BCV!
Cast of Characters:
Cindy (thats me, 37 yr old Mom, obsessive-compulsive planner of these trips!)
Rich (DH, 38 yrs young Dad, basically wonderful and easy going, but occasionally known to slip into the less-loved persona, Mr. How Much is This Going to Cost Me?)
Evan (9 yrs old, our deep thinker and comfort seeker)
Ryan (8 yrs old, our tireless spark on an endless thrill quest)
Caroline (4 yrs old and already has the role of drama queen mastered!)
CLICK HERE TO READ THE SECOND DAY!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE THIRD DAY!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FOURTH DAY!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM DAYS 1 THROUGH 4!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FIFTH DAY!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE SIXTH DAY!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE SEVENTH DAY!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE EIGHTH DAY!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE NINTH DAY!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE TENTH DAY!
THE ELEVENTH DAY
It was the truth, and it was undeniable: it was simply no better. In fact, the reality was that it was only getting worse. And we could stick our heads like ostriches in the sand, or we could suck it up, be intelligent adults, and do something about it.
So went the rousing speech I gave my DH on the morning of the 11th day. Our sons ear was still throbbing, more so now than ever before. We couldnt keep pumping this kid full of pain reliever tablets and the obviously wrong or inadequate antibiotic any longer he deserved better than that. We had given the meds a college try but now 36 hours later, he was in worse shape than ever before. I made a call to Florida Centra Care, but they felt he needed to be seen by them (of course); they wouldnt prescribe a new med over the phone. I told DH he would have to take our son over to the doctor, and I proceeded to draw him a map and write out complete directions on what to say and do when he got there. This was a big concession for me, to turn this over to him, so he humored me in my attempt to control the situation, nonetheless. I reminded him not to dally or dawdle in any way this morning time was of the essence!! If he and the boys got their act together and went NOW (8 am), they most likely could get in and get out well in advance of the 11 am opening of Disney Quest, if Evan so desired to still go.
Today, after all, was our day to divide and conquer the World. DH would have our two video-game thirsty boys in tow, and HRH Princess Caroline and I would go do all the things in the Magic Kingdom that make a young girls heart sing (and a boys stomach retch.) I grabbed my cell phone and told DH to give me a call when the verdict came in. I then grabbed an eager Caroline by the hand and headed for the bus stop.
The bus ride to Magic Kingdom was very smooth. I love these SSR buses they are always there for you, and they dont stop anywhere except where you want to go! No extra resorts, nuthin just to and from your prime destination! Gotta love that.
We arrive at the MK and I grab a single stroller for DD. Wow I realize now that in my haste to get out of the villa, yet leave DH with such detailed directions, my own plans had gone to pot. I had no cooler (and that meant no cold water!) And I had no rain ponchos! (Its August It ALWAYS rains in August!) I had no snacks not even so much as a TicTac! But I DID have money so all was not totally lost, I suppose. And I had managed to grab a camera, our passes, sunscreen, and dds autograph book, despite leaving the rest of my usual park-cargo behind. No wonder I felt so light and free. This was NOT a feeling I was used to having!
We headed straight for Splash Mountain. Most folks arent keen on getting wet first thing in the morning, but that doesnt stop my Caroline! The line was moving quickly, which was great, but in the end, she was bummed that we didnt get to ride in the front stuck in the middle of the log again. Nonetheless, she thoroughly loves this ride and declares it her undisputed favorite! My fearless princess she may think Aurora is her fave, but I still contend shes most like Belle out for adventure in the great wide somewhere. She already has the brown eyes, and I suspect that the chances are very very good that her Cinderella golden hair will most likely change to a decidedly Belle brunette by her teens (but dont tell her that just yet). Of course, Belle is MY favorite princess, so perhaps thats just my personal preferences talking! While Caroline wasnt looking, I quickly snagged a Brer Rabbit stuffed doll for her in the after-ride gift shop. How I manage to do anything covertly these days as sharply observant as my kids are is precious short of amazing, but I did it! She was too entranced with the penny press, so I let her crank out a penny for herself and one for each of her brothers while I finished the Brer Rabbit Transaction and had him shipped off to our villa! (Gawd how I LOVE having stuff sent straight to the resort one of my favorite on-site perks, I think, is to NOT carry any extra bags!) We exited the Splash Mountain area, grabbing a fast pass for a return ride as we went. This should work out perfectly for an after-lunch ride.
We head over towards Fantasyland where we grabbed a ride on the painted ponies, as she calls them. STILL can't seem to find Cinderella's "real" horse on that carousel (curses on that Fairy Godmother!) but I do find the one we had before, and Caroline remains convinced it's "THE ONE". Unable to resist, we went to see Philharmagic again. Wow, that show is just too good. I still cant get over the layers and layers of detail during the Lion King part and they are so clear! The depth makes me think Im looking through the worlds most high-resolution Viewmaster. And Donald is just SO great aww shucks, now I find myself missing DH.
We get a spot in line for Ariels grotto, and I phone DH. Verdict: Mission Accomplished. He had been able to get Evan in to see a doctor but this was a different one than I had (and thats probably NOT a bad thing ) This doctor still felt there was nothing behind the drum, and it was still a case of swimmers ear. The doc prescribed a new little bottle of gold for Evan (another $130 ka-CHING), plus an oral slug of Zithro to get things on a jump start towards recovery. DH told Evan to chug it down and Evan complied through about 9/10th of it, until he realized that ewwww this stuff was thick, sweet and guckee. My low-threshold guy nearly gagged at that point, but somehow maintained himself. Rich instilled the drops in his ears and with Evans consent, they were now headed to DQ, actually on schedule as planned. I felt better, at least, that we had new meds, and one was oral hopefully this would give Evans body the boost it needed to lick this thing. And I was glad that they would be able to keep their plans for fun at DQ I knew this was something they really had their hearts set upon.
The wait for Ariel is VERY hot and tedious. Kids began to whine, and parents began to admonish. Anytime Ive been in this cue, it seems there are always some parents who mistakenly believe there will be a show, or other attractions, at the end of all this waiting. Its almost painful to break it to them that no, its just Ariel, and a photographer, but if your child has a yen to meet her, its the only place around where THATS going to happen. (Although I still dont understand why they cant put Ariel in her wedding gown or another dress she wore when she had legs and let her into one of the princess breakfasts! Vent over thank you.) The woman in front of me begins to pump her daughter for a response as to their fate in this endless cue: Stay or go? The child nods up and down. The parent asks again: Stay or Go? The child still nods up and down in a yeswardly fashion. So that parent asks the question again, but more loudly as if hearing were somehow the issue: STAY OR GO? Same result: Up and down goes the kid's head. The parent now tells the child she MUST answer verbally as to WHAT she wants to do. The child verbalizes alright, yelling back, MO-THERRRRR! THIS (doing the head-nod) MEANS YESSSS! AND THIS (doing a side-to-side nod) MEANS NO! The parent, in turn, cranks her volume up another notch to match, yelling, SO THEN WHICH IS IT STAY OR GO?
And you guessed it the kid nods up-and-down.
This must have gone on for at least 4 more rounds, each time the kid explaining in a LOUD huff what and up/down nods meant, versus side-to-side nods, in a tone that screamed My Mom is an Idiot. Which may be true, since the parent never did have the sense to just rephrase her question into a simple yes/no query that the Nodder could handle! Stuff like this just happens when you have hot, tired people waiting in a claustrophobics nightmare. My own dd was mesmerized by this interaction, however, and the unfortunate result is that for the rest of the day, she felt inclined to SHARE the lesson with me repeatedly. Up and down means YES! Side to side means NO . Up and Down means YES, Side to Side means NO! It was like listening to a bad Barney song all day long it just gets stuck inside your head, until you would do anything short of a lobotomy using a plastic spork just to make it stop. (And incidentally, I would never want use a spork that way it might break. I love those versatile little half-breed utensils too much! Aside from sometimes at KFC, you just never see them anymore My kingdom for a box o sporks!)
But pardon my digression.
After we finally get to meet Ariel, its only 10:30 am, so we do a little shopping. We go through the stores attached to Philharmagic, and then head down around the backside of the castle. As we crossed over towards the frontier area, I saw the silhouette vendor. We stopped here and had Carolines silhouette drawn and cut. Those guys are amazing. We have one from 6 years ago of our 2 boys; now we have one of our daughter at roughly the same age. They wont ship to our resort, though, confound em says they have had too many resorts punch a staple right through the silhouette in its bag. Rats Ill have to protect it as best I can in the stroller. We then headed down to Main Street to shop awhile, then doubled back over to Crystal Palace for our date with Pooh Bear and the gang.
Caroline has always been a huge Pooh fan, but even moreso of Piglet. I think she and Piglet are kindred spirits, as the third child, and a petite one, she understands that whole very small animal concept all too well! In fact, I made Caroline a Piglet costume just 2 years ago for Halloween; she still tries to wedge herself "into character" occasionally. Caroline had heard that the boys had breakfast with Pooh & Co. while we dined with Cindy and the Royals the prior week. Given the choice, she actually picked this Pooh meal over a breakfast back at the castle or in EPCOT with more princess-types! I really hoped the meal would be good; we figured lunch might give us a welcome break in the hot day.
We were promptly seated at Crystal Palace. The buffet seemed fresh and plentiful, and our server was very attentive, especially to Caroline. He informed us that the characters would each come to our table no need to pursue them, as he would personally see to it that each one gave us their ample attention! Well, he should have spared us the speech and given it several times over to the other parents in there. They OBVIOUSLY hadnt listened. I watched in disbelief as other peoples kids head-butted their way into other folks spaces, tugging at the characters for attention. I am sure that everyone in there had some of these kids in their photos it was unavoidable, they were omnipresent. I became very concerned about a barely-walking tot who found his way to the backside of Tigger. From my perspective, I would imagine that Tigger has all the peripheral vision of a blind mole rat in short, ZERO. One good Tiggery-bounce backwards and this kid was going down hard, most likely with a 170+ lb payload on top. I scanned the horizon for his parents and spotted them over at the entry to the lobby. I dont even think they had a table, or perhaps they were even leaving. In any case, there they stood smiling, while their baby wandered in peril. I motioned to them my own version of the sign language phrase, Hey! Your Kid Is Gonna Get Squashed!
Their response was a big goofy grin, a quick shrug of the shoulders, and the words: Yeah, we know! He just LOVES Tigger!
You dont say? Well, lets see how much he loves him when Tiggers got him pressed face-down in a Figure Four to the Stainmaster, Lady. These kids were everywhere, while their parents blithely sipped their tea back at their own tables, or better still, followed the kids to happily photograph their intrusion! Unbelievable. Perhaps they are all just waiting for a lawsuit moment: The People versus Tigger, in the Case of the Crushed Kid.
Aside from the little poachers, however, the meal was very pleasant. I truly enjoy these Mom-and-me outings with my daughter. She is so precious, with her big brown eyes and golden hair, and a smile that whispers I love you! to me without any words. I know, I know every mommy loves her little girl, but I am still always amazed at how she can melt my heart. More than once during the meal she had to reach out to touch my hand and just squeeze it or pat it, and say, Mommy, were bestest girlfriends, arent we? Forever and Ever! (I just hope forever and ever lasts longer than 12 years, when shes 16 ) Chevalier may think its swell that little girls get bigger every day, but right now, I want to enjoy mine just as she this very minute, thank you. Time goes by way too fast these days.
Caroline enjoyed the character interaction at CP. Tigger came to our table first, followed soon by Pooh and then Eeyore. I was in mid-bite of my pasta and nearly choked on a bite of chicken when the man at the table next to me suddenly starts yelling, Oh my God, OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! I thought someone had spilled hot coffee in his crotch, or his kid had broken a collarbone, the way this guy had blurted out. He then hollers, QUICK! Gimme the camera! OH MY GOD ITS PIGLET! Apparently his table was as enamored of the lil pink guy as Caroline. (Although I would like to think that my girlfriend and I showed a LOT more composure )
Piglet finally found his way over to Caroline and now she was in HEAVEN. She goes to hug him and Im thinking What a fantastic "Kodak moment!" And luckily, thanks to the heads-up from Mr. Ohmygod, I have my camera poised and ready to record the image! But wait Hold it! Intruder Alert! Ummm, would SOMEBODY please come claim their kid from our table?
Now mind you, not only is this kid encroaching on my daughters quality time with Piglet hes actually reaching for food on her plate! GOOD GRIEF! And spying his parents over to the side why, they are LOVIN IT! They are standing there, soaking it in, seeing nothing wrong with this. Im normally a laid back lady, but strangers beware if you mess with my kid when shes hugging Piglet, and try to snag her chow, I am in NO way responsible for what happens next! I sorta shoo the kid away, saying Go find your Mommy, she's calling you-- NOW. I then say to the parents, PLEASE remove your child Piglet will come to you when hes done here. I felt I was acting on the kids best interest, too for starters, Piglet may be smaller, but like Tigger, is nonetheless quite visually impaired. The poundage on impact would still be painful. And when is it ever acceptable to eat off some other kids plate? The kid finally walked off, carrying Carolines pizza crust off with him but its not like I wanted it back NOW. The parents walked off too, carrying a bit of hostility with them but hey, Im not the bad guy here and dont give me any servings of your tude please. All I want to do is get a picture of my dd hugging Piglet we are a peaceful people, leave us be.
After all the characters had made their rounds, they started the restaurant parade. Caroline walked right with Piglet for this, and loved the feeling of being part of the show! After a couple laps around, she and I went to grab the best part of the meal dessert! She took a cookie and ice cream and was quite happy with that. I tried the bread pudding that supposedly had Baileys on top but for the life of me, all I could taste were bananas and very strongly at that. Hmmmph. That just did NOT hit the spot for me, so back up I went. This time I grabbed one of these little cheesecake/fudge squares and to quote a line from The Piglet Stalker, "Oh My God!" (Was THAT ever good!) We each grabbed a cookie to nibble on our way out the door and bid Crystal Palace (and any rude parents) adieu. Mind you, it was very tasty and I would gladly go there again but I think next time we will try breakfast or dinner. Lunch was so heavy, I was not feeling so great once I set foot back into the Florida sunshine. Very sluggish! I asked if Caroline had enjoyed it, and I think she really did, but who can tell, as her only response was, Up and down means Yes! Side-to-side means No! (Whos got a spork? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?)
We wound our way back to Splash Mountain and used our Fast Passes. DD wanted to ride again, so we grabbed another set for later that day. We hopped on the train and rode it around, getting off at ToonTown. I hadnt planned to stop here, but it was a real red-letter day for the first time in over 6 years of coming here, Donalds Boat was ACTUALLY OPEN WITH WATER! This was news for us, especially for my little Miss AquaNut. I took off her socks and sneakers and let her get as wet as she pleased. I had been smart enough this time to bring a change of panties and a sundress she could slip into easily. (Granted I wasnt smart enough to remember to bring our COLD WATER one of lifes basic necessities but the dress, I remembered!) I let her play to her hearts content here. We then went up to the bathroom to change, and into Minnies house to browse around. It was very crowded in here, and folks were rather pushy. Ugh. Hey -- Didn't I just see you at Crystal Palace? We escaped into the store there in ToonTown, but now my girl wanted EVERYTHING. Why oh Why did I let her do all her shopping so early in the trip? And as I repeatedly had to remind her of all the "lovely things she already bought", she grew increasingly disgusted. She wanted to SHOP, by golly, and soon became frustrated enough to resort to her patented Please? PLEASE?!? WAHHH! routine on me (which NEVER works, and only serves to make Mommy reallllly testy.) Stores might be best avoided today, given her disposition, and yet, I had a list of things I needed to get while in MK gifts for other people, some shopping for treats for the boys, DH, etc. This was gonna get ugly, I could see that already!
After the shop, we hopped back on the train and rode it all the way to the station near Splash Mountain. We grabbed our stroller and eventually wound up at Pooh Bears ride, stopping in the shops as we went along. In the Pooh shop after the ride, I found a gift for Evan I had spotted earlier in the week, and of course, Caroline whined again about the lack of goodies for HER. It was mid-afternoon, she was hot and tired, and on a real Its All About Me kick. We stopped off in Tinkerbelles Treasures and I finally caved, letting her select a small item. She chose a small collapsible hairbrush with three princesses on the handle. Understand that this girl HATES to have her hairbrushed, so I figured if this would somehow inspire her towards better personal hygiene, it was worth the 5 bucks. We bought some water at a cart vendor man was it hot outside now. It was about time for our fast pass for Splash a ride like that would feel really good right now! On our way into Splash, I noticed that the fast passes for Big Thunder seemed quite do-able. We headed into Splash, but once again, she was denied the front row. However, she did get wet, so that at least pleased her! We snagged some Big Thunder fast passes on our way out.
From here we had perfect timing for the parade. We found a spot right in front of the lemonade stand, so what the hey -- let's have one! We split a lemonade and waited all of 5 minutes before the parade started. Standing behind my dd, watching her enjoy the show, hearing her ooooh and ahhhh over all the characters and fanfare -- there really aren't words to describe it. Disney is a dish sometimes served best through the eyes of people you love.
After that, we headed over to Aladdins carpet. She enjoyed that ride (although it wasnt in a PURPLE carpet, so there was that whole color issue thing to be bummed about.) BUT the camel spit (and direct-hit) us 3 times during the ride, which compensated nicely, in her opinion. We were getting a bit hungry, so we got ourselves a Dole Float. This was very tasty, as we both agreed. My dd loves all fruits, including pineapple, and the combo of the cold juice and the whipped ice cream was especially good. We sort of took a breather at this point, and then finally headed over to the front of the castle to watch Cinderellas show. Caroline enjoyed this, although as an adult, I confess I was more preoccupied with the ignorance of others than with the show. How people can just STEP RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU still blows my mind. I mean, if done innocently, ok, but these were clear-cut cases of folks looking right at you making eye contact! and choosing to stand RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. Yeah, buddy, youre a real braniac, aint ya after all, it would have been so dumb for YOU to stand behind ME, where YOU wouldnt be able to see! Often there was space to my left or right yet still these folks would choose that small void of space between me and the next person in front of me. (Oh yes, please do squeeze right in we were just about to enact The Oreo Story And now YOU can play the role of The Fluffy Creme Filling! How bout it!?) DD had a fine time, though I did have to resort to the hop-on-my-shoulders routine to insure she could see. She clapped loudly in appreciation at the end. And dont worry, even though she was perched up high, its not like she was blocking anyone elses view from behind me because everyone else was IN FRONT.
After the Castle show, we were ready for Thunder and there was plenty of thunder ready for us (the literal kind that comes with a storm!) The skies looked ominous in the distance; I hoped we could get'erdone before the bottom fell out. We jumped on the BTMRR train and enjoyed the ride, but I daresay the kid in the car in front of us did. Just as we entered into a deep runaway spiral, his nice new Disney hat blew right off his head, smacked into our car, and fell down, down, down forever lost between the tracks. I felt so badly for this kid the look on his face went from sheer joy (with his hands in the rushing air) to shock (as he grabbed his head and found it bare) to sadness (as he realized the hat was gone) all in a split second. Ive seen that look on my own boys faces. You just feel so deeply for them, especially since you want their trip to be the best, happiest, most wonderful vacation ever. Nothing like setting high expectations, I always say! Even though they were using those traditional words of wisdom (Im afraid you had to learn a tough lesson on this one, buddy we told you to take the hat off, to let Mom hold it ) his folks were probably wondering deep inside what they could have done to prevent it, what could they do to cheer this kid up, and would it break the parental code of conduct to just get this kid another hat? And fast?!?
As we left the Thunder Mountain area, it was nearly 6:30 pm. I could tell that the real thunder was getting ever-nearer as dark clouds loomed overhead. We made our way back to Main Street and made a few last purchases, then hustled out to the bus stop for SSR. Whaddya know, there comes the bus what did we do to deserve such service, I ask you? We check the messages on the cell phone; seems DH and the fellas enjoyed their day at DQ, then wandered over to DTD to play in the LEGOS and cool off in the fountains. They should be beating us home, however, and will have spaghetti waiting for us when we get there. Like I said what did we do to deserve such service!?! I also found it interesting that both DH and I had used the word home in reference to our villa at SSR. We never called our room at BWV that it was always the villa. We call OKW that when we stay there and VWL sometimes too, although mostly, it was The LODGE" but said in a very reverent tone! Hmmm. As DVC members, we were learning more and more about our preferences in a resort. We loved our time in BCV and BWV, but this new SSR, and its kindred ancestor, if you will, OKW, held our hearts. And VWL will always be a very special place for us as well. I was curious to see if DH felt the same, and how the kids felt too, for that matter.
When we arrived home, the smell of spaghetti and two excited Quest-ers met us at the doorway, spilling forth their stories of the days adventure at DQ. It was great to just relax, take off our shoes, and enjoy a sit-down meal in the comfort of home I said that word again, didnt I? Home. It certainly felt like home to us, enjoying our meal together at that table!
After dinner, DH planned to take the boys back to DQ again that night, if the boys so desired (which of course they did). The rains were now here, pelting the pavement. DD really wanted to swim didnt look like THAT was going to happen for her anytime soon, as lightning flashed. I debated going back to MK, but I honestly didnt think dd would handle it very well. She would have liked to have ridden BTMRR again, but in this rain, who knew if it would even be running? She had already ridden Splash Mtn 3 times that day. Waiting for Wishes in the rain -- with her already tired and potentiall testy, the odds of a good night at MK weren't lookin' so hot. I also knew we would be going to AK the next day and that park always saps the energy out of my gang. No, she and I would find something right here in SSR to do together, we decided.
DH took the car and drove the guys over to DQ. I let Caroline go ahead and don her bathing suit (just in case the rains stopped) and her cover-up, and we hopped a bus to the front of the resort. The pool was closed, for while the rain had turned to a drizzle, there was still some "thunder and light" in the sky. We went over to Community Hall to noodle around a bit. Caroline enjoyed having it all to herself, as she colored, put together puzzles, and watched some Disney TV. We then ambled over to Artists Palette to snoop around. Hmmm pool still closed. We looked through the shop, selected a DVD for rent (Apple Dumpling Gang I still remember seeing that as a kid myself!) and a few treats and headed back to the villa. We were having a grand ol time walking back hand-in-hand, and we were right about at the Cinema, when up pulls a DVC resort golf cart and the driver says, I saw you two out walking and wondered if you would prefer to ride? And Ill say it again WHAT did we do to deserve such service?! Caroline immediately nodded, saying, Up and Down means Yes! Side to side means No! as she happily hopped on the cart. The CM zipped us over to our building, right up to the elevator entrance in curb-side fashion, and we thanked him kindly. I regret to say we have no notion of his name it was 9:30 and dark but thank you Mr. Golf Cart Driver, whomever you may be!
We entered the villa and I peered out at our lovely DTD view hey what was that why, there are folks swimming in the quiet pool! Did Caroline want to go swim in the quiet pool now? Are you kidding? Does Up and Down mean YES? You bet your "wife jacket" it does! So out we went to the pool. She was enthralled to see all the little frogs in the hallways as we walked. I thought, ewwww. Froggies. You do NOT belong here at SSR you have nothing to do with the theme! Beat it, Kermie head to MGM. Imagine my surprise then to find huge cement frogs adorning the pool area, spitting water in fact into the pool. Ok, I stand corrected... so maybe they do belong here. Caroline enjoyed this pool (despite the lack of slide); I personally enjoyed the way the DTD lights danced around in the sky up above you. After she was done swimming, we took off her wife jacket and I let her sit quietly with me for a scant few minutes in the spa just long enough to take her chill off before we headed back to the villa, but not long enough to bake her. She was ready to leave, and already had visions of popcorn and warm cocoa in her head. (Yes its still August but incredibly, that pool was a wee bit cold that night, possibly from all the rain. And my dd happens to think hot cocoa is a year-round beverage!) We curled up together on the sleeper sofa watching Apple Dumpling gang, but she was probably asleep before the previews had completed. The rest of the gang rolled in shortly after that. We moved the 3 kids into the big bed and DH and I hogged the sleeper again for ourselves. Big day tomorrow, we told the boys, Animal Kingdom! Evan, however, had already begun to realize the trip was winding down to an end.
And after that? he asked.
After that," I respond as upbeat as possible, stuffing him under the covers, "we will spend a half-day at DTD, and then head to Grammoolies house! His momma didn't raise no fool, though -- he knows "Trip to Grammoolie" always signals the end of his Disney days. He asks if we cant stay just onnnnnnne more night? Just onnnnne more day? Sorry, pal no can do. Would love to, but can't. HOWEVER -- we still have tomorrow, and tomorrow night, and some of the next day, too...so lets just sleep on that happy thought for now! And with a kiss and hug, he accepted that idea -- albeit temporarily -- and went to sleep.
As an aside: Grammoolie is my mother. She actually earned that name in Disney World, on a bus, when a passenger asked my then 3 year old son Ryan, Hey thats a cool toy, where did you get that? And in his attempt to say, Grandma Moe gave it to me, he simply blurted, Grammoolie. The name has stuck ever since, except my dd now thinks her name is Grandpa Louie, for some reason. Go figure.
Anyway DH and I throw in a quick load of wash and then hit the hay ourselves. We chat about our respective days for a while; DH tells me all about the virtual reality video games and assures me that, given my physical response to Mission Space, Im not made of the Right Stuff for DQ. He asks me if Caroline and I had a good time at MK. Im so tired, I barely manage to answer him before drifting off into slumber: Up and down means YES
Gnite, World.
COMING SOON THE TWELFTH DAY (click here to read!)
No matter where I look, the Gorillas are all staring at me .
Eleven oclock at DQ,
Ten Tylenol tablets,
Nine-ty missing dollars,
Eight seats at Beaches,
Seven hours of showers,
Six panting pirates,
Five Prin- cess- essssssssssss!!!!!
Four soggy swimmers,
Third place on Millionaire,
Two rooms at Boardwalk,
And a night in the BCV!
Cast of Characters:
Cindy (thats me, 37 yr old Mom, obsessive-compulsive planner of these trips!)
Rich (DH, 38 yrs young Dad, basically wonderful and easy going, but occasionally known to slip into the less-loved persona, Mr. How Much is This Going to Cost Me?)
Evan (9 yrs old, our deep thinker and comfort seeker)
Ryan (8 yrs old, our tireless spark on an endless thrill quest)
Caroline (4 yrs old and already has the role of drama queen mastered!)
CLICK HERE TO READ THE SECOND DAY!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE THIRD DAY!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FOURTH DAY!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM DAYS 1 THROUGH 4!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FIFTH DAY!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE SIXTH DAY!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE SEVENTH DAY!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE EIGHTH DAY!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE NINTH DAY!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE TENTH DAY!
THE ELEVENTH DAY
It was the truth, and it was undeniable: it was simply no better. In fact, the reality was that it was only getting worse. And we could stick our heads like ostriches in the sand, or we could suck it up, be intelligent adults, and do something about it.
So went the rousing speech I gave my DH on the morning of the 11th day. Our sons ear was still throbbing, more so now than ever before. We couldnt keep pumping this kid full of pain reliever tablets and the obviously wrong or inadequate antibiotic any longer he deserved better than that. We had given the meds a college try but now 36 hours later, he was in worse shape than ever before. I made a call to Florida Centra Care, but they felt he needed to be seen by them (of course); they wouldnt prescribe a new med over the phone. I told DH he would have to take our son over to the doctor, and I proceeded to draw him a map and write out complete directions on what to say and do when he got there. This was a big concession for me, to turn this over to him, so he humored me in my attempt to control the situation, nonetheless. I reminded him not to dally or dawdle in any way this morning time was of the essence!! If he and the boys got their act together and went NOW (8 am), they most likely could get in and get out well in advance of the 11 am opening of Disney Quest, if Evan so desired to still go.
Today, after all, was our day to divide and conquer the World. DH would have our two video-game thirsty boys in tow, and HRH Princess Caroline and I would go do all the things in the Magic Kingdom that make a young girls heart sing (and a boys stomach retch.) I grabbed my cell phone and told DH to give me a call when the verdict came in. I then grabbed an eager Caroline by the hand and headed for the bus stop.
The bus ride to Magic Kingdom was very smooth. I love these SSR buses they are always there for you, and they dont stop anywhere except where you want to go! No extra resorts, nuthin just to and from your prime destination! Gotta love that.
We arrive at the MK and I grab a single stroller for DD. Wow I realize now that in my haste to get out of the villa, yet leave DH with such detailed directions, my own plans had gone to pot. I had no cooler (and that meant no cold water!) And I had no rain ponchos! (Its August It ALWAYS rains in August!) I had no snacks not even so much as a TicTac! But I DID have money so all was not totally lost, I suppose. And I had managed to grab a camera, our passes, sunscreen, and dds autograph book, despite leaving the rest of my usual park-cargo behind. No wonder I felt so light and free. This was NOT a feeling I was used to having!
We headed straight for Splash Mountain. Most folks arent keen on getting wet first thing in the morning, but that doesnt stop my Caroline! The line was moving quickly, which was great, but in the end, she was bummed that we didnt get to ride in the front stuck in the middle of the log again. Nonetheless, she thoroughly loves this ride and declares it her undisputed favorite! My fearless princess she may think Aurora is her fave, but I still contend shes most like Belle out for adventure in the great wide somewhere. She already has the brown eyes, and I suspect that the chances are very very good that her Cinderella golden hair will most likely change to a decidedly Belle brunette by her teens (but dont tell her that just yet). Of course, Belle is MY favorite princess, so perhaps thats just my personal preferences talking! While Caroline wasnt looking, I quickly snagged a Brer Rabbit stuffed doll for her in the after-ride gift shop. How I manage to do anything covertly these days as sharply observant as my kids are is precious short of amazing, but I did it! She was too entranced with the penny press, so I let her crank out a penny for herself and one for each of her brothers while I finished the Brer Rabbit Transaction and had him shipped off to our villa! (Gawd how I LOVE having stuff sent straight to the resort one of my favorite on-site perks, I think, is to NOT carry any extra bags!) We exited the Splash Mountain area, grabbing a fast pass for a return ride as we went. This should work out perfectly for an after-lunch ride.
We head over towards Fantasyland where we grabbed a ride on the painted ponies, as she calls them. STILL can't seem to find Cinderella's "real" horse on that carousel (curses on that Fairy Godmother!) but I do find the one we had before, and Caroline remains convinced it's "THE ONE". Unable to resist, we went to see Philharmagic again. Wow, that show is just too good. I still cant get over the layers and layers of detail during the Lion King part and they are so clear! The depth makes me think Im looking through the worlds most high-resolution Viewmaster. And Donald is just SO great aww shucks, now I find myself missing DH.
We get a spot in line for Ariels grotto, and I phone DH. Verdict: Mission Accomplished. He had been able to get Evan in to see a doctor but this was a different one than I had (and thats probably NOT a bad thing ) This doctor still felt there was nothing behind the drum, and it was still a case of swimmers ear. The doc prescribed a new little bottle of gold for Evan (another $130 ka-CHING), plus an oral slug of Zithro to get things on a jump start towards recovery. DH told Evan to chug it down and Evan complied through about 9/10th of it, until he realized that ewwww this stuff was thick, sweet and guckee. My low-threshold guy nearly gagged at that point, but somehow maintained himself. Rich instilled the drops in his ears and with Evans consent, they were now headed to DQ, actually on schedule as planned. I felt better, at least, that we had new meds, and one was oral hopefully this would give Evans body the boost it needed to lick this thing. And I was glad that they would be able to keep their plans for fun at DQ I knew this was something they really had their hearts set upon.
The wait for Ariel is VERY hot and tedious. Kids began to whine, and parents began to admonish. Anytime Ive been in this cue, it seems there are always some parents who mistakenly believe there will be a show, or other attractions, at the end of all this waiting. Its almost painful to break it to them that no, its just Ariel, and a photographer, but if your child has a yen to meet her, its the only place around where THATS going to happen. (Although I still dont understand why they cant put Ariel in her wedding gown or another dress she wore when she had legs and let her into one of the princess breakfasts! Vent over thank you.) The woman in front of me begins to pump her daughter for a response as to their fate in this endless cue: Stay or go? The child nods up and down. The parent asks again: Stay or Go? The child still nods up and down in a yeswardly fashion. So that parent asks the question again, but more loudly as if hearing were somehow the issue: STAY OR GO? Same result: Up and down goes the kid's head. The parent now tells the child she MUST answer verbally as to WHAT she wants to do. The child verbalizes alright, yelling back, MO-THERRRRR! THIS (doing the head-nod) MEANS YESSSS! AND THIS (doing a side-to-side nod) MEANS NO! The parent, in turn, cranks her volume up another notch to match, yelling, SO THEN WHICH IS IT STAY OR GO?
And you guessed it the kid nods up-and-down.
This must have gone on for at least 4 more rounds, each time the kid explaining in a LOUD huff what and up/down nods meant, versus side-to-side nods, in a tone that screamed My Mom is an Idiot. Which may be true, since the parent never did have the sense to just rephrase her question into a simple yes/no query that the Nodder could handle! Stuff like this just happens when you have hot, tired people waiting in a claustrophobics nightmare. My own dd was mesmerized by this interaction, however, and the unfortunate result is that for the rest of the day, she felt inclined to SHARE the lesson with me repeatedly. Up and down means YES! Side to side means NO . Up and Down means YES, Side to Side means NO! It was like listening to a bad Barney song all day long it just gets stuck inside your head, until you would do anything short of a lobotomy using a plastic spork just to make it stop. (And incidentally, I would never want use a spork that way it might break. I love those versatile little half-breed utensils too much! Aside from sometimes at KFC, you just never see them anymore My kingdom for a box o sporks!)
But pardon my digression.
After we finally get to meet Ariel, its only 10:30 am, so we do a little shopping. We go through the stores attached to Philharmagic, and then head down around the backside of the castle. As we crossed over towards the frontier area, I saw the silhouette vendor. We stopped here and had Carolines silhouette drawn and cut. Those guys are amazing. We have one from 6 years ago of our 2 boys; now we have one of our daughter at roughly the same age. They wont ship to our resort, though, confound em says they have had too many resorts punch a staple right through the silhouette in its bag. Rats Ill have to protect it as best I can in the stroller. We then headed down to Main Street to shop awhile, then doubled back over to Crystal Palace for our date with Pooh Bear and the gang.
Caroline has always been a huge Pooh fan, but even moreso of Piglet. I think she and Piglet are kindred spirits, as the third child, and a petite one, she understands that whole very small animal concept all too well! In fact, I made Caroline a Piglet costume just 2 years ago for Halloween; she still tries to wedge herself "into character" occasionally. Caroline had heard that the boys had breakfast with Pooh & Co. while we dined with Cindy and the Royals the prior week. Given the choice, she actually picked this Pooh meal over a breakfast back at the castle or in EPCOT with more princess-types! I really hoped the meal would be good; we figured lunch might give us a welcome break in the hot day.
We were promptly seated at Crystal Palace. The buffet seemed fresh and plentiful, and our server was very attentive, especially to Caroline. He informed us that the characters would each come to our table no need to pursue them, as he would personally see to it that each one gave us their ample attention! Well, he should have spared us the speech and given it several times over to the other parents in there. They OBVIOUSLY hadnt listened. I watched in disbelief as other peoples kids head-butted their way into other folks spaces, tugging at the characters for attention. I am sure that everyone in there had some of these kids in their photos it was unavoidable, they were omnipresent. I became very concerned about a barely-walking tot who found his way to the backside of Tigger. From my perspective, I would imagine that Tigger has all the peripheral vision of a blind mole rat in short, ZERO. One good Tiggery-bounce backwards and this kid was going down hard, most likely with a 170+ lb payload on top. I scanned the horizon for his parents and spotted them over at the entry to the lobby. I dont even think they had a table, or perhaps they were even leaving. In any case, there they stood smiling, while their baby wandered in peril. I motioned to them my own version of the sign language phrase, Hey! Your Kid Is Gonna Get Squashed!
Their response was a big goofy grin, a quick shrug of the shoulders, and the words: Yeah, we know! He just LOVES Tigger!
You dont say? Well, lets see how much he loves him when Tiggers got him pressed face-down in a Figure Four to the Stainmaster, Lady. These kids were everywhere, while their parents blithely sipped their tea back at their own tables, or better still, followed the kids to happily photograph their intrusion! Unbelievable. Perhaps they are all just waiting for a lawsuit moment: The People versus Tigger, in the Case of the Crushed Kid.
Aside from the little poachers, however, the meal was very pleasant. I truly enjoy these Mom-and-me outings with my daughter. She is so precious, with her big brown eyes and golden hair, and a smile that whispers I love you! to me without any words. I know, I know every mommy loves her little girl, but I am still always amazed at how she can melt my heart. More than once during the meal she had to reach out to touch my hand and just squeeze it or pat it, and say, Mommy, were bestest girlfriends, arent we? Forever and Ever! (I just hope forever and ever lasts longer than 12 years, when shes 16 ) Chevalier may think its swell that little girls get bigger every day, but right now, I want to enjoy mine just as she this very minute, thank you. Time goes by way too fast these days.
Caroline enjoyed the character interaction at CP. Tigger came to our table first, followed soon by Pooh and then Eeyore. I was in mid-bite of my pasta and nearly choked on a bite of chicken when the man at the table next to me suddenly starts yelling, Oh my God, OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! I thought someone had spilled hot coffee in his crotch, or his kid had broken a collarbone, the way this guy had blurted out. He then hollers, QUICK! Gimme the camera! OH MY GOD ITS PIGLET! Apparently his table was as enamored of the lil pink guy as Caroline. (Although I would like to think that my girlfriend and I showed a LOT more composure )
Piglet finally found his way over to Caroline and now she was in HEAVEN. She goes to hug him and Im thinking What a fantastic "Kodak moment!" And luckily, thanks to the heads-up from Mr. Ohmygod, I have my camera poised and ready to record the image! But wait Hold it! Intruder Alert! Ummm, would SOMEBODY please come claim their kid from our table?
Now mind you, not only is this kid encroaching on my daughters quality time with Piglet hes actually reaching for food on her plate! GOOD GRIEF! And spying his parents over to the side why, they are LOVIN IT! They are standing there, soaking it in, seeing nothing wrong with this. Im normally a laid back lady, but strangers beware if you mess with my kid when shes hugging Piglet, and try to snag her chow, I am in NO way responsible for what happens next! I sorta shoo the kid away, saying Go find your Mommy, she's calling you-- NOW. I then say to the parents, PLEASE remove your child Piglet will come to you when hes done here. I felt I was acting on the kids best interest, too for starters, Piglet may be smaller, but like Tigger, is nonetheless quite visually impaired. The poundage on impact would still be painful. And when is it ever acceptable to eat off some other kids plate? The kid finally walked off, carrying Carolines pizza crust off with him but its not like I wanted it back NOW. The parents walked off too, carrying a bit of hostility with them but hey, Im not the bad guy here and dont give me any servings of your tude please. All I want to do is get a picture of my dd hugging Piglet we are a peaceful people, leave us be.
After all the characters had made their rounds, they started the restaurant parade. Caroline walked right with Piglet for this, and loved the feeling of being part of the show! After a couple laps around, she and I went to grab the best part of the meal dessert! She took a cookie and ice cream and was quite happy with that. I tried the bread pudding that supposedly had Baileys on top but for the life of me, all I could taste were bananas and very strongly at that. Hmmmph. That just did NOT hit the spot for me, so back up I went. This time I grabbed one of these little cheesecake/fudge squares and to quote a line from The Piglet Stalker, "Oh My God!" (Was THAT ever good!) We each grabbed a cookie to nibble on our way out the door and bid Crystal Palace (and any rude parents) adieu. Mind you, it was very tasty and I would gladly go there again but I think next time we will try breakfast or dinner. Lunch was so heavy, I was not feeling so great once I set foot back into the Florida sunshine. Very sluggish! I asked if Caroline had enjoyed it, and I think she really did, but who can tell, as her only response was, Up and down means Yes! Side-to-side means No! (Whos got a spork? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?)
We wound our way back to Splash Mountain and used our Fast Passes. DD wanted to ride again, so we grabbed another set for later that day. We hopped on the train and rode it around, getting off at ToonTown. I hadnt planned to stop here, but it was a real red-letter day for the first time in over 6 years of coming here, Donalds Boat was ACTUALLY OPEN WITH WATER! This was news for us, especially for my little Miss AquaNut. I took off her socks and sneakers and let her get as wet as she pleased. I had been smart enough this time to bring a change of panties and a sundress she could slip into easily. (Granted I wasnt smart enough to remember to bring our COLD WATER one of lifes basic necessities but the dress, I remembered!) I let her play to her hearts content here. We then went up to the bathroom to change, and into Minnies house to browse around. It was very crowded in here, and folks were rather pushy. Ugh. Hey -- Didn't I just see you at Crystal Palace? We escaped into the store there in ToonTown, but now my girl wanted EVERYTHING. Why oh Why did I let her do all her shopping so early in the trip? And as I repeatedly had to remind her of all the "lovely things she already bought", she grew increasingly disgusted. She wanted to SHOP, by golly, and soon became frustrated enough to resort to her patented Please? PLEASE?!? WAHHH! routine on me (which NEVER works, and only serves to make Mommy reallllly testy.) Stores might be best avoided today, given her disposition, and yet, I had a list of things I needed to get while in MK gifts for other people, some shopping for treats for the boys, DH, etc. This was gonna get ugly, I could see that already!
After the shop, we hopped back on the train and rode it all the way to the station near Splash Mountain. We grabbed our stroller and eventually wound up at Pooh Bears ride, stopping in the shops as we went along. In the Pooh shop after the ride, I found a gift for Evan I had spotted earlier in the week, and of course, Caroline whined again about the lack of goodies for HER. It was mid-afternoon, she was hot and tired, and on a real Its All About Me kick. We stopped off in Tinkerbelles Treasures and I finally caved, letting her select a small item. She chose a small collapsible hairbrush with three princesses on the handle. Understand that this girl HATES to have her hairbrushed, so I figured if this would somehow inspire her towards better personal hygiene, it was worth the 5 bucks. We bought some water at a cart vendor man was it hot outside now. It was about time for our fast pass for Splash a ride like that would feel really good right now! On our way into Splash, I noticed that the fast passes for Big Thunder seemed quite do-able. We headed into Splash, but once again, she was denied the front row. However, she did get wet, so that at least pleased her! We snagged some Big Thunder fast passes on our way out.
From here we had perfect timing for the parade. We found a spot right in front of the lemonade stand, so what the hey -- let's have one! We split a lemonade and waited all of 5 minutes before the parade started. Standing behind my dd, watching her enjoy the show, hearing her ooooh and ahhhh over all the characters and fanfare -- there really aren't words to describe it. Disney is a dish sometimes served best through the eyes of people you love.
After that, we headed over to Aladdins carpet. She enjoyed that ride (although it wasnt in a PURPLE carpet, so there was that whole color issue thing to be bummed about.) BUT the camel spit (and direct-hit) us 3 times during the ride, which compensated nicely, in her opinion. We were getting a bit hungry, so we got ourselves a Dole Float. This was very tasty, as we both agreed. My dd loves all fruits, including pineapple, and the combo of the cold juice and the whipped ice cream was especially good. We sort of took a breather at this point, and then finally headed over to the front of the castle to watch Cinderellas show. Caroline enjoyed this, although as an adult, I confess I was more preoccupied with the ignorance of others than with the show. How people can just STEP RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU still blows my mind. I mean, if done innocently, ok, but these were clear-cut cases of folks looking right at you making eye contact! and choosing to stand RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. Yeah, buddy, youre a real braniac, aint ya after all, it would have been so dumb for YOU to stand behind ME, where YOU wouldnt be able to see! Often there was space to my left or right yet still these folks would choose that small void of space between me and the next person in front of me. (Oh yes, please do squeeze right in we were just about to enact The Oreo Story And now YOU can play the role of The Fluffy Creme Filling! How bout it!?) DD had a fine time, though I did have to resort to the hop-on-my-shoulders routine to insure she could see. She clapped loudly in appreciation at the end. And dont worry, even though she was perched up high, its not like she was blocking anyone elses view from behind me because everyone else was IN FRONT.
After the Castle show, we were ready for Thunder and there was plenty of thunder ready for us (the literal kind that comes with a storm!) The skies looked ominous in the distance; I hoped we could get'erdone before the bottom fell out. We jumped on the BTMRR train and enjoyed the ride, but I daresay the kid in the car in front of us did. Just as we entered into a deep runaway spiral, his nice new Disney hat blew right off his head, smacked into our car, and fell down, down, down forever lost between the tracks. I felt so badly for this kid the look on his face went from sheer joy (with his hands in the rushing air) to shock (as he grabbed his head and found it bare) to sadness (as he realized the hat was gone) all in a split second. Ive seen that look on my own boys faces. You just feel so deeply for them, especially since you want their trip to be the best, happiest, most wonderful vacation ever. Nothing like setting high expectations, I always say! Even though they were using those traditional words of wisdom (Im afraid you had to learn a tough lesson on this one, buddy we told you to take the hat off, to let Mom hold it ) his folks were probably wondering deep inside what they could have done to prevent it, what could they do to cheer this kid up, and would it break the parental code of conduct to just get this kid another hat? And fast?!?
As we left the Thunder Mountain area, it was nearly 6:30 pm. I could tell that the real thunder was getting ever-nearer as dark clouds loomed overhead. We made our way back to Main Street and made a few last purchases, then hustled out to the bus stop for SSR. Whaddya know, there comes the bus what did we do to deserve such service, I ask you? We check the messages on the cell phone; seems DH and the fellas enjoyed their day at DQ, then wandered over to DTD to play in the LEGOS and cool off in the fountains. They should be beating us home, however, and will have spaghetti waiting for us when we get there. Like I said what did we do to deserve such service!?! I also found it interesting that both DH and I had used the word home in reference to our villa at SSR. We never called our room at BWV that it was always the villa. We call OKW that when we stay there and VWL sometimes too, although mostly, it was The LODGE" but said in a very reverent tone! Hmmm. As DVC members, we were learning more and more about our preferences in a resort. We loved our time in BCV and BWV, but this new SSR, and its kindred ancestor, if you will, OKW, held our hearts. And VWL will always be a very special place for us as well. I was curious to see if DH felt the same, and how the kids felt too, for that matter.
When we arrived home, the smell of spaghetti and two excited Quest-ers met us at the doorway, spilling forth their stories of the days adventure at DQ. It was great to just relax, take off our shoes, and enjoy a sit-down meal in the comfort of home I said that word again, didnt I? Home. It certainly felt like home to us, enjoying our meal together at that table!
After dinner, DH planned to take the boys back to DQ again that night, if the boys so desired (which of course they did). The rains were now here, pelting the pavement. DD really wanted to swim didnt look like THAT was going to happen for her anytime soon, as lightning flashed. I debated going back to MK, but I honestly didnt think dd would handle it very well. She would have liked to have ridden BTMRR again, but in this rain, who knew if it would even be running? She had already ridden Splash Mtn 3 times that day. Waiting for Wishes in the rain -- with her already tired and potentiall testy, the odds of a good night at MK weren't lookin' so hot. I also knew we would be going to AK the next day and that park always saps the energy out of my gang. No, she and I would find something right here in SSR to do together, we decided.
DH took the car and drove the guys over to DQ. I let Caroline go ahead and don her bathing suit (just in case the rains stopped) and her cover-up, and we hopped a bus to the front of the resort. The pool was closed, for while the rain had turned to a drizzle, there was still some "thunder and light" in the sky. We went over to Community Hall to noodle around a bit. Caroline enjoyed having it all to herself, as she colored, put together puzzles, and watched some Disney TV. We then ambled over to Artists Palette to snoop around. Hmmm pool still closed. We looked through the shop, selected a DVD for rent (Apple Dumpling Gang I still remember seeing that as a kid myself!) and a few treats and headed back to the villa. We were having a grand ol time walking back hand-in-hand, and we were right about at the Cinema, when up pulls a DVC resort golf cart and the driver says, I saw you two out walking and wondered if you would prefer to ride? And Ill say it again WHAT did we do to deserve such service?! Caroline immediately nodded, saying, Up and Down means Yes! Side to side means No! as she happily hopped on the cart. The CM zipped us over to our building, right up to the elevator entrance in curb-side fashion, and we thanked him kindly. I regret to say we have no notion of his name it was 9:30 and dark but thank you Mr. Golf Cart Driver, whomever you may be!
We entered the villa and I peered out at our lovely DTD view hey what was that why, there are folks swimming in the quiet pool! Did Caroline want to go swim in the quiet pool now? Are you kidding? Does Up and Down mean YES? You bet your "wife jacket" it does! So out we went to the pool. She was enthralled to see all the little frogs in the hallways as we walked. I thought, ewwww. Froggies. You do NOT belong here at SSR you have nothing to do with the theme! Beat it, Kermie head to MGM. Imagine my surprise then to find huge cement frogs adorning the pool area, spitting water in fact into the pool. Ok, I stand corrected... so maybe they do belong here. Caroline enjoyed this pool (despite the lack of slide); I personally enjoyed the way the DTD lights danced around in the sky up above you. After she was done swimming, we took off her wife jacket and I let her sit quietly with me for a scant few minutes in the spa just long enough to take her chill off before we headed back to the villa, but not long enough to bake her. She was ready to leave, and already had visions of popcorn and warm cocoa in her head. (Yes its still August but incredibly, that pool was a wee bit cold that night, possibly from all the rain. And my dd happens to think hot cocoa is a year-round beverage!) We curled up together on the sleeper sofa watching Apple Dumpling gang, but she was probably asleep before the previews had completed. The rest of the gang rolled in shortly after that. We moved the 3 kids into the big bed and DH and I hogged the sleeper again for ourselves. Big day tomorrow, we told the boys, Animal Kingdom! Evan, however, had already begun to realize the trip was winding down to an end.
And after that? he asked.
After that," I respond as upbeat as possible, stuffing him under the covers, "we will spend a half-day at DTD, and then head to Grammoolies house! His momma didn't raise no fool, though -- he knows "Trip to Grammoolie" always signals the end of his Disney days. He asks if we cant stay just onnnnnnne more night? Just onnnnne more day? Sorry, pal no can do. Would love to, but can't. HOWEVER -- we still have tomorrow, and tomorrow night, and some of the next day, too...so lets just sleep on that happy thought for now! And with a kiss and hug, he accepted that idea -- albeit temporarily -- and went to sleep.
As an aside: Grammoolie is my mother. She actually earned that name in Disney World, on a bus, when a passenger asked my then 3 year old son Ryan, Hey thats a cool toy, where did you get that? And in his attempt to say, Grandma Moe gave it to me, he simply blurted, Grammoolie. The name has stuck ever since, except my dd now thinks her name is Grandpa Louie, for some reason. Go figure.
Anyway DH and I throw in a quick load of wash and then hit the hay ourselves. We chat about our respective days for a while; DH tells me all about the virtual reality video games and assures me that, given my physical response to Mission Space, Im not made of the Right Stuff for DQ. He asks me if Caroline and I had a good time at MK. Im so tired, I barely manage to answer him before drifting off into slumber: Up and down means YES
Gnite, World.
COMING SOON THE TWELFTH DAY (click here to read!)
No matter where I look, the Gorillas are all staring at me .
