Operation Big Thunder: the Dole Whip Conspiracy COMPLETE

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Nah, the bear is busy $#!^ing in the woods.

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

[Keanu Reeves face] Whoa. [/Keanu Reeves face]

well since you said that was his face, ill go with a few of his movies he has said this in.

1. the lake house
2. the matrix reloaded
3. the matrix
4. the matrix revolution
5. the replacements
6. speed
7. bill and teds excellent adventure

so that should count as 7 points as he said that in all those movies.

at least im pretty sure he did.

 

[stitchywoman]

I finally finished! I know, not all that exciting for everyone else, but hey it puts a smile on my face!

Gotta sub to this one. Which I don't do to many trip reports, but I appreciate the highbrow humor of you guys....or something....

I absolutely love that you surprised the kids. DH and I surprised our daughter a few years ago with Sea World and the pictures I have of her passed out in the back seat are priceless. We knew there was no way we could pull it off with her fully awake so we woke her up REALLY early in the morning and like the evil parents we are stuck he in the car with only a beenie to block the sun when it came up....So she improvised and pulled it over her eyes. She is so my kid! We tricked her with the beach too! I thought we were in trouble when she didn't want to leave the beach. She didn't want to get off the playground equiptment to even go down to the beach at first. After being there for about 45 minutes we told her we were leaving and she freaked out. I believe her exact words were "You dragged me all the way down here in the middle of the night, without breakfast to look at the water in the WINTER? What is wrong with you people? My parents are SICK!" She then stomped off...

I felt like a monster. Had she not been even more excited when we actually got to Sea World I would have thrown in the towel and never surprised her again. But breakfast with Shamu made it all worth while!

Oh yeah, Happy to meet you guys!!!!!! It's great to see people on the DIS be so close. We have never gotten the chance to meet anyone but can't wait till we do!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Hey man, at least you aren't a family of 6. It's even worse then. 2 rooms, a villa or FW cabin. Or ASM suite...until AoA optened. What boggled my mind is that basically...all of those options ended up costing about the same. And none were cheap!

I hear you. I had some hope for the Art of Animation suites, but even though they call them a "Value" resort, I don't see $300/night as being much of a value. We're pretty much resigned to the fact that if we do Disney, it's going to be pricy.

SWEET! That is so cool. And what we'd originally booked for our trip in August...until we had to "downgrade" to be financially responsible and all that rot. Ah....2 bathrooms.....someday I will see them. Someday!

Being financially responsible is no fun whatsoever. Hope you get to AKV soon. It was a spectacular place to stay.

While I admit I love a big bathroom, I would probably take a slightly bigger kitchen instead....or a bigger table on the verandah...or more chairs on the verandah. The latter of course having nothing whatsoever to do with the size of the bathroom. I had to search hard for anything to dislike about AKV! Does Kidani have freakishly heavy, loud doors to the bath and master? Just curious if they copied that rather odd detail from Jambo.

I do remember the heavy doors being noisy when they shut. Startled us the first couple times. And the bathroom probably is way too big, but it was kind of fun to live with excess for a couple of days.

Darth huh? I feel bad we didn't name a single animal now.

Well, that was Evan's doing. Our kids are a little less original with their pet names and probably would have named them Giraffe-y, Zebra-ey, Antelope-y, etc.

If it was the African Stew...that stuff is the BOMB! So so so so good! probably the falafel, Eric loved it too. Seriously, I think the Mara may be one of the best CS on property, hands down. Very hard to find though. I thought we were lost at first.

Yeah, the way to find it certainly wasn't intuitive. Not that I mind wandering aimlessly through the AKL, though. I double-checked with Julie and she had some sort of bbq chicken dish, with couscous and mixed vegetables. She gave it two thumbs-up.

Nope, not a single sign. Maybe they don't want you doing it? We stumbled across it by pure luck. Or by virtue of the night vision goggle gods looking out for us as heaven knows we were completely turned around by the point we finally found it. And it wasn't even what we were looking for! Spoiler alert.

So you still haven't found what you're looking for?

Coffee spewing moment! Oh that is hysterical. But I'll take the plug. Though I have to say...coffee with a VIEW of the verandah might have been a wonderful ending to a purely magical day.

Sorry, after the discussion on your TR I couldn't resist. I was hoping you wouldn't mind.

See.....we need an iPhone.....it was tedious.....

We can have an iPhone or go on vacation next year. Which will it be?

It was half a roasted chicken (delicious!!!!) and the couscous (which I NEED to make again.....a great way to get veggies....)

There, that's all cleared up now.

BTW - You could have totally LIED about my meal..... just sayin'.....

I could have. Or it could be something else.

Heck - I missed your update by pages again. Why does this always happen?????????? I need a warning signal.

Light the beacons!

Because I have already DISed way too long tonight. I am only going with this movie quote:

You Americans, you're all the same. Always overdressing for the wrong occasions. Raiders of the Lost Ark

You got it! But the point has been claimed.

Scotty is so cute in all his hat pictures.

He's such a ham. You may have figured out where the movie quote theme for this chapter came from.

Pictures of the resort are gorgeous. That seriously is the hugest bathroom ever, is it not? I hope you guys absolutely loved Kidani. Its so beautiful.
I also really like the Mara. Great food.

We may indeed have a new favorite Disney resort.

What? No swimming?

I didn't exactly say "No swimming", did I? Or maybe I wasn't entirely truthful about the pool there. Or maybe we swam, but somewhere else. Or maybe I'm just full of it.

Way to work that in there!!!! And Hilarious.

I'm sure half the people who read it started laughing, and the other half said, "TMI!"

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Isn't AKL great? And those one-bedroom suites are the best! I can't wait to be back there next year for our 30th.

Wonderful place. The Imagineers really out-did themselves with that one.

I have to say your benefactor is one special and nice dude.

I must agree. They saved our lives. We are eternally grateful!

Also, it must be noted that you said this about a Packers fan.

Love that you had another DIS meet with your DISdad friend from Indianapolis.

So glad they were willing to make the trip back over to Jambo House to see us!

But I done have one bone to pick with you. I told Mark what you said about the "stupid hat shots" and now he says I am to no longer associate with you here on the DIS, on FB or at DIS meets. They are NOT stupid hat shots, but hat shots to alert the DIS subscribers of what is available BEFORE their trip so they can plan accordingly. Seriously, Mark, you must get with the hat program.

Oh, Kathy, you misunderstand me. You should know by now that with the DIS Dads, the word "Stupid" is a badge of honor.

And how come I never see your Mark modeling these hats outside Disney property?

Seriously, great update and so glad the kids and you loved AKL. Giraffes off your balcony. Can you ask for anything better (well, except for winning the lottery).

I don't think you can. Because if I won the lottery, I'd probably buy into DVC so I could enjoy giraffes off my balcony.

Wow, you're all far too clever for me but I'm enjoying the report. We'll be at Kidani for the first time in October. Can't wait. And brava to you and the Mrs. for pulling off the surprise. That's no small feat.

Clever? Are you sure you're reading the right TR?

You will absolutely love Kidani. I have no problem guaranteeing that.

Isn't it nice of Disney to put mini-theme parks all over the country? Of course with attraction maintenance and the cost of performers for the shows, all they were left with was the gift shops...

We're all suckers, because we still go.

Is that how you were dressed? I figured you were in a t-shirt and ratty pajamas.

The Mysterious Benefactor does not believe in clipping his nose hairs. He's growing them out to braid them.

Pictures or it didn't happen!

Also, the Mysterious Benefactor has determined that it is cool to refer to oneself in the 3rd person.

Who's the third person? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Well, I don't see anybody else here.

My favorite line in the exchange was this:
But considering Julie read your message over my shoulder and shouted, "REPLY NOW!! SAY YES!!!" I'd say she's interested.

You pretty much knew you had us, didn't you? The Budget Committee doesn't usually react like that.

Admit it - you skipped from the van to the lobby. It's ok to admit it, I've done it too.

And the Dole Whips.

Disney knows that a favorite family vacation pastime is the "peeing for distance" competitions, so they adjusted the size of the arena accordingly.

NOW you tell me. I wish I'd known this was an added amenity.

I'm not sure that's Coach Tom. Coach Tom wears a Braves hat on his foot. Maybe it fell off in the Savannah somewhere.

Could be. Maybe he didn't need it in the shade.

I'll assume this was because you were off having fun in other places.

Could be...

And you thought them leaving on the day you arrived was just coincidence? As Rob would say, "Bless your heart..."

But...they seem like such nice people.

It's still better than smoke signals. Marginally, but still better.

I dunno. It was painful watching Julie try and tap through the keys.

Approaching Disney--STOP--Stuck in traffic--STOP--

Hey kids, instead of those pins, how about some crack?

Something tells me that would be a cheaper habit to feed.

Agreed! Glad you got a chance to meet up.

Of course not. It's night time. And dark. You can't see the signs in the dark, can you?

I could if I could find the #$%@ night-vision goggles.

Crappy, blurry Wishes is still better than no Wishes at all.

Man Law!

Nah, he just married well. The benefactor wanted to rob them blind on the rental fee, but his wife decided that we weren't going to profit off of our friends.

So I should have sent all that thank-you stuff to Bambi instead?

Thank you once again for making this trip possible. We could never have stayed in such a magnificent place otherwise. You guys rock.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Woo hoo for Kidani! LOVE it!

Woo for the mysterious benefactor as well! How great is that!?

Pretty darn great.

Sounds like a great night! I've been wanting to try out those night vision goggles!

They're really cool! They told us that Jambo House had the newer, better technology, so that's why we tried it there. But they have them at Kidani too.

Great arrival story!! I just love AKL I stayed there for half of my trips to WDW and am in serious doubt whether I should not stay there for my next trip again... But then there are also other resorts to experience.... So difficult to decided!!!

I'm sure it all depends on the themes you go for, but I think I could stay at AKL for the rest of my WDW trips and be really, really happy.

"Giddy as a schoolboy" is from.....guess what?...Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Glenn seems to have picked up on the theme here.

+1

Ohhhhh....

Elsa: The last time I saw your father we were in the library.
He was very close to tracking down the Knight's tomb.
I've never seen him so excited. He was as giddy as a schoolboy.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Figures…
still too late for that one

Yup, that's the one. I got inspired by Scotty's picture (and the "adventurous" AKL theme) and got on a roll with the Indy quotes.

Great update! Glad you got to meet up with some DIS people. That is fantastic!

Here's a secret: DIS people are fantastic, too.

I love seeing pictures of AKL. I think it's my all-time favorite resort ever. (Well, until I get to go stay at Giraffe Manor in Africa......someday)

Wow, and I thought my travel plans were ambitious.

I can answer the $#!^ question about all of the animals on the savanna, unfortunately. On our last AKL stay, I believe our room was right above the animal bathroom. Every morning, the animals would come over, one by one, in a line and do their business right under our balcony.

You could at least have provided them with newspapers to read.

We never see any animals with the night vision goggles, either, but you are using night vision goggles! That immediately makes you cooler than you were before using them. At least that's what I believe.

Totally agree! Night-vision goggles bestow infinite coolness on the user. Unless it's daytime, and then you're just a dweeb.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Well, I don't see anybody else here.

Taxi Driver

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Obliviously

And thanks for the subtle plug on the current one.
Not being a Disney trip, I wouldn't have expect to see that one get mentioned anyway.

By the way…
There’s not only a new update over there, but a Frankenstein of a Bonus Feature that is so ridiculously unnecessary, that it make nearly all the others in my prior TRs look well thought out and reasonable.

No problemo. I guess I need to get over to the Dads group and check out the latest...

So…
The best defense is actually misdirection?
Kind’a like tripping the person next to you when you’re both running from the same bear.

Nah, the bear is busy $#!^ing in the woods.

Looks like Barry came up with the best response to this.

The Bucket List


Hey it worked for Andy…
I took a shot.

I have to be fair...

+1

I felt bad when you explained the “Everyone Gets a Point Night” was the result of my potentially having an insurmountable lead. That wasn’t my intention. I’ll take the hit for a couple of updates to tighten things back up (but only for a while). As strategies go, it’s not conducive to winning, but it is indicative of the busted person I’ve become. When I was a young’en the first three “Rules of Life” that my momma drummed in to the kids were:

Rule-1: You are not better then anyone else.
Rule-2: No one is better then you.
Rule-3: Rule 1 always trumps Rule 2.

Well, it wasn't my intention to make you feel bad. You've earned the points fair and square. It was more of a case of me being in a goofy mood and figuring that if everyone got one more point, it wouldn't make any difference in the grand scheme of things.

Love your rules of life. You're a good man, Charlie Brown. Um, I mean, Rob.

well since you said that was his face, ill go with a few of his movies he has said this in.

1. the lake house
2. the matrix reloaded
3. the matrix
4. the matrix revolution
5. the replacements
6. speed
7. bill and teds excellent adventure

so that should count as 7 points as he said that in all those movies.

at least im pretty sure he did.

No idea, but I know he did say it in The Matrix, for sure. So you get a

+1 for that.

Should I be worried that the first movie you listed was The Lake House?

I finally finished! I know, not all that exciting for everyone else, but hey it puts a smile on my face!

Glad you have you aboard!

Gotta sub to this one. Which I don't do to many trip reports, but I appreciate the highbrow humor of you guys....or something....

Yes, that must be the key. Here, pull my finger.

I absolutely love that you surprised the kids. DH and I surprised our daughter a few years ago with Sea World and the pictures I have of her passed out in the back seat are priceless. We knew there was no way we could pull it off with her fully awake so we woke her up REALLY early in the morning and like the evil parents we are stuck he in the car with only a beenie to block the sun when it came up....So she improvised and pulled it over her eyes. She is so my kid! We tricked her with the beach too! I thought we were in trouble when she didn't want to leave the beach. She didn't want to get off the playground equiptment to even go down to the beach at first. After being there for about 45 minutes we told her we were leaving and she freaked out. I believe her exact words were "You dragged me all the way down here in the middle of the night, without breakfast to look at the water in the WINTER? What is wrong with you people? My parents are SICK!" She then stomped off...

I felt like a monster. Had she not been even more excited when we actually got to Sea World I would have thrown in the towel and never surprised her again. But breakfast with Shamu made it all worth while!

My goodness! That's quite the story. I'm glad it had a happy ending!

Oh yeah, Happy to meet you guys!!!!!! It's great to see people on the DIS be so close. We have never gotten the chance to meet anyone but can't wait till we do!

DIS people are a little crazy, but the right kind of crazy. Anyway, it's great to "meet" you as well, and I hope you'll stick around and join in on the highbrow, culturally relevant banter!

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Light the beacons!

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Taxi Driver

+1

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

+1

 

[afwdwfan]

Nevermind

 

[afwdwfan]

:You're a good man, Charlie Brown.

Various Peanuts cartoons. (Do I get more points if I name them all?)

 

[afwdwfan]

So you still haven't found what you're looking for?

Paraphrasing the U2 song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Looks like Barry came up with the best response to this.

He’s got a knack for doing that.

Well, it wasn't my intention to make you feel bad. You've earned the points fair and square. It was more of a case of me being in a goofy mood and figuring that if everyone got one more point, it wouldn't make any difference in the grand scheme of things.

Well like I said… the quotes in your replies are still fair game.
I’ll get back to being more diligent about it in an update or two.

Love your rules of life. You're a good man, Charlie Brown. Um, I mean, Rob.

Thanks.
Those three are the Prime Directive rules
(and are really only the corollaries of the Golden rule).


We also have the General Rules of Life which I started writing down when my son was a toddler and in the order that each became relevant. The first several on that list go like this:

Rule 1: Don’t inhale liquids
Rule 2: Do not use your head as a battering ram
Rule 3: You don’t always win, and I can’t fix that.
Rule 4: If it’s you that wants it, then it’s YOU that ought to go get it.
Rule 5: If you want it, but you’ve been told no… Get over it… Quickly!
Rule 6: Food is not Playdoh
Rule 7: Playdoh is not FOOD
Rule 8: Animals have the right to fight back
Rule 9: Breaking something out of anger, guarantees that I won’t fix it
Rule 10: What the neighbors parents let their kids do… means bupkus in our house.
Rule 11: If the last kid that did it got hurt, then you probably will too.
Rule 12: I am immune to guilt trips… Use that tactic at your own peril!
Rule 13: If you were told that the fence is electric, and the sign says that the fences is electric, but you piss on it anyway… We all get to laugh.



= = = = = = = =


One more thing…

still haven't found what you're looking for

Now that's also a quote, but it a variation of a line from a U2 song
(Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For)

Don't suppose that there are points for song lyrics are there?

never mind... Andy got that one

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Nevermind

Hmm..never heard of that movie.

Various Peanuts cartoons. (Do I get more points if I name them all?)

+1

No, you don't. Mostly because I don't want to have to read and research them all.

Paraphrasing the U2 song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"

+1

He’s got a knack for doing that.

I guess we'll let him stick around.

Well like I said… the quotes in your replies are still fair game.
I’ll get back to being more diligent about it in an update or two.

Sounds like an A7 scenario.

Thanks.
Those three are the Prime Directive rules
(and are really only the corollaries of the Golden rule).

We also have the General Rules of Life which I started writing down when my son was a toddler and in the order that each became relevant. The first several on that list go like this:

Rule 1: Don’t inhale liquids
Rule 2: Do not use your head as a battering ram
Rule 3: You don’t always win, and I can’t fix that.
Rule 4: If it’s you that wants it, then it’s YOU that ought to go get it.
Rule 5: If you want it, but you’ve been told no… Get over it… Quickly!
Rule 6: Food is not Playdoh
Rule 7: Playdoh is not FOOD
Rule 8: Animals have the right to fight back
Rule 9: Breaking something out of anger, guarantees that I won’t fix it
Rule 10: What the neighbors parents let their kids do… means bupkus in our house.
Rule 11: If the last kid that did it got hurt, then you probably will too.
Rule 12: I am immune to guilt trips… Use that tactic at your own peril!
Rule 13: If you were told that the fence is electric, and the sign says that the fences is electric, but you piss on it anyway… We all get to laugh.

Love it! I feel like these need to be on a t-shirt or something.

There are still a lot of adults around who need to take these to heart. Particularly #3, 4, 5, and 13.

One more thing…

Now that's also a quote, but it a variation of a line from a U2 song
(Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For)

Don't suppose that there are points for song lyrics are there?

never mind... Andy got that one

In this case, there was a point available. But in general, I'm musically illiterate as far as quoting song lyrics goes, so I wouldn't expect them to pop up much.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Sounds like an A7 scenario.

Die Hard

 

[afwdwfan]

Die Hard

Peanut Butter

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Die Hard

+1

Peanut Butter

No, it was Die Hard.

 

[glennbo123]

We are eternally grateful = Toy Story 2 (at least, maybe others)