Operation Big Thunder: the Dole Whip Conspiracy COMPLETE

[Captain_Oblivious]

Sounds like Animal Lampoon's Vacation. No, going with Christmas Vacation.

The Simpsons

+2

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Finally getting around to quoting this one…

When you fall off a horse (or a bike), they teach you to get right back on.

Well… once you’ve been released from the hospital anyway.

This time, Julie wasn't feeling up to the slides and volunteered to stay at the bottom and take pictures while I went with the kids.

A good plan. Did y’all go back and retrieve the good camera out of the
lockers or did she do that good work with the waterproof one?

Dave apparently thought they looked a little scary, and decided to stay back with Mommy.

A cautious fellow

Mine was very cautions early on; didn’t even like merry-go-rounds. If he
had siblings to compete with that might have been different. But we live
near a decent sized amusement park so I worked him up a step at a time
from mine-trains, to out-n-backs, and then finally to looping coasters, there
was no stopping him. Now he rushes onto things I’d just assume skip.

The kids "volunteered" me to go first,

Imagine that…

Sarah said, "That was fun!" and had a big smile. Talk about a huge relief.

Good sign

Dave, seeing how much his siblings enjoyed it, went with us this time.

There ya’ go… sibling motivation in action

We liked the family raft ride (Gangplank Falls) for the bumps and surprises, but we felt like the Storm Slides overall were better slides.

I’ll keep that review in mind for the next trip

WHUMP!

"AAAAHHHHH!"

SPLASH

Without the image of the wave pool, the mind is able to make up a lot of different stories to go with that little description…

Lunch was at Leaning Palms. I had the chicken tenders.

no burger!?!

By this time, the clouds had rolled in and it was starting to drizzle.

That could turn out to be a good thing.

Sarah had one wish left for the day--she wanted an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!

You’ll shoot your eye out kid…
HO… HO… HO…

No, wait, that wasn't it. She was dying to try the Crush 'n Gusher.

Now that makes more sense; the bigger version of the Aqua-Duck that Disney built into their new ships.

We laughed and high-fived and immediately got back in line for another go. You know what was extra-awesome? My daughter was smiling and laughing again. Everything was right with the world.

In the jungles of kid-dom, the mind switches gears rapidly.

Back on the ground, we jumped into the lazy river. I have a love-hate relationship with lazy rivers.

They have the same pros and cons as say… a highway.
If it were just me on it, I’d never have a problem getting to my destination.

Youth is wasted on the wrong people.

Yes it is…

Do they shut down the park for rain? Absolutely not! While many people were heading out at that point, we held to the philosophy that we were already wet, so bring on more slides!

I really, really like this next picture:

You really, really ought to.
That’s a keeper (on many levels).

We looked over at the CM to see if she'd let us go down the slide or make us walk back. She said to go ahead down the slide and then head straight out of the pool. So we completed our Crush 'n Gusher trifecta, giggling the whole way down.

Excellent!
A Disney Magic win.

I rather like this picture as well



Great update Mark.

As usual.

 

[afwdwfan]

So, in other words, you're just copping out.

Sure, that works too. I actually have a little bit of time right now (I think), but I just lack the motivation to go back and try again. Partly because when I tried to do it yesterday morning all heck broke loose around here.

I think I'm going to go with the part about the waterslide and the lightning for the lie.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

When you fall off a horse (or a bike), they teach you to get right back on.

Especially if you fall off your bike while riding down a cliff.

I've heard.

It's a fairly long climb,

Made longer by the fact that for every two steps up, you take one down. Curse you Disney and your immersive theming!

He had never been on a waterslide this big before, and as he came down the final turn, he was screaming, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

You could have ignored him and gone 2-for-3 on the day, with plenty of time to abandon Dave in his time of need.


What? Too soon?

I asked if they wanted to go up again, not sure if the slide had freaked Scotty out. He jumped up and down and shouted, "YES! Come on! Let's go!" and took off running up the stairs, not bothering to wait for the rest of us. So I guess he liked it. Sarah said, "That was fun!" and had a big smile. Talk about a huge relief. Dave, seeing how much his siblings enjoyed it, went with us this time.

It seemed like they didn't have the water flowing down the slides at full force.

Yeeeeeeaaaaaah. That's what happened.

I could get out and run faster than this!

And yet, we've heard testimony earlier in the TR that you, in fact, won't.

Doing a hand stand while the wave comes (lower left of the picture)? I've so got to try that next time!

I had the chicken tenders. Secret Disney Counter-Service Hint: Generally speaking, Disney's chicken tenders are really good. Finger-lickin' good, even.

Just because they're finger-lickin' good, please refrain from licking the fingers of strangers. They tend to get all "restraining-ordery."

Neither of us had ever been on a "water coaster" before, but the idea of huge jets of water shooting us uphill was intriguing. We made our way to the entrance, picked up our tube, and started climbing.

You think it's fun there - try it over the edge of a cruise ship.

I remember Barry pointing this sign out in an earlier TR and made sure to get a picture.

Bonus point?

One picture I didn't get and wish I had: at the top of the structure, they actually had a piece of the truss that was completely sheared off and dangling. How they engineered that, I don't know, but it was a great piece of Imagineering.

We laughed and high-fived and immediately got back in line for another go. You know what was extra-awesome? My daughter was smiling and laughing again. Everything was right with the world.

We met up with Julie and the boys, gloated about our fantasticness, and then found the hiking trail for the bridge. Basically, it leads to a hiking trail around the "mountain" and not much else, but we still enjoyed it. One of the things Disney does best is create that sense of "Hey, what's over here?" It always feels like there's something new to discover just around the corner.

The Wilderness Must Be Explored! CA-CA! RAAWWRR!

Finally, there's the Idiot Teens (sorry, couldn't come up with an alliterative name for them) [/QUOTE=
****** Adolescents?

I couldn't convince anyone to get out deeper in the big waves with me, but Sarah was game for a bit more adventure.

I couldn't convince Madison to stay near the shallow end.

...the P.A. system announced that lightning had been spotted and the park would be closing. We looked over at the CM to see if she'd let us go down the slide or make us walk back. She said to go ahead down the slide and then head straight out of the pool. So we completed our Crush 'n Gusher trifecta, giggling the whole way down.

Lightening-defying Pixie Dust!

 

[brobrosmom]

Loving your TR...one of the best I've read!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Well… once you’ve been released from the hospital anyway.

Sounds like the voice of experience talking.

A good plan. Did y’all go back and retrieve the good camera out of the
lockers or did she do that good work with the waterproof one?

For these, she had the good one. It got packed away around lunchtime when the weather became a bit more threatening.

A cautious fellow

Mine was very cautions early on; didn’t even like merry-go-rounds. If he
had siblings to compete with that might have been different. But we live
near a decent sized amusement park so I worked him up a step at a time
from mine-trains, to out-n-backs, and then finally to looping coasters, there
was no stopping him. Now he rushes onto things I’d just assume skip.

Dave is definitely the most cautious. Which is odd, because usually the oldest is the cautious one, but with us, Sarah is the daredevil. Dave needs to see other people try things first before he commits. And then he still needs coaching even after the decision is made.

There ya’ go… sibling motivation in action

Some might even call it "peer pressure".

I’ll keep that review in mind for the next trip

Just head straight to the Crush 'n Gusher, and you'll be fine.

Without the image of the wave pool, the mind is able to make up a lot of different stories to go with that little description…

I'm sure they're all clean, wholesome, and highly complimentary of me.

no burger!?!

I'm a wild man, aren't I? I may have even ordered a Sprite instead of a Coke.

Nah, I had a Coke. Can't be too crazy.

Now that makes more sense; the bigger version of the Aqua-Duck that Disney built into their new ships.

I supposed I'll have to try that one of these days.

In the jungles of kid-dom, the mind switches gears rapidly.

As opposed to adults like us, who--SQUIRREL!

They have the same pros and cons as say… a highway.
If it were just me on it, I’d never have a problem getting to my destination.

Yeah, I get that a lot.

You really, really ought to.
That’s a keeper (on many levels).

Agreed.

Excellent!
A Disney Magic win.

I rather like this picture as well

I threw that one in just to show how hard the rain was coming down. Doesn't seem to matter so much when you're in a bathing suit.

Great update Mark.

As usual.

Thanks, Rob.

Sure, that works too. I actually have a little bit of time right now (I think), but I just lack the motivation to go back and try again. Partly because when I tried to do it yesterday morning all heck broke loose around here.

You mean corn suddenly appeared in the fields?

I think I'm going to go with the part about the waterslide and the lightning for the lie.

Which part? The lightning closing the park, or being allowed to use the slide? Or the whole darn thing?

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Especially if you fall off your bike while riding down a cliff.

I've heard.

Made longer by the fact that for every two steps up, you take one down. Curse you Disney and your immersive theming!

That's very true--there was a lot of up and down and back up again. But I can't stay mad at Disney. It sure beats ugly concrete steps.

You could have ignored him and gone 2-for-3 on the day, with plenty of time to abandon Dave in his time of need.


What? Too soon?

At least I didn't abandon you at Lou's.

Yeeeeeeaaaaaah. That's what happened.

But I didn't have any donuts until after we left.

And yet, we've heard testimony earlier in the TR that you, in fact, won't.

I didn't say I would. I just said that I could.

Doing a hand stand while the wave comes (lower left of the picture)? I've so got to try that next time!

I didn't even see that guy until you pointed it out.

+1

Just because they're finger-lickin' good, please refrain from licking the fingers of strangers. They tend to get all "restraining-ordery."

What about family? Close friends? People I met in the queue?

You think it's fun there - try it over the edge of a cruise ship.

Sigh...if you insist.

Bonus point?

Dude, I think your entire score consists of bonus points.

The Wilderness Must Be Explored! CA-CA! RAAWWRR!

Kevin is a girl?

****** Adolescents?

Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner!

I couldn't convince Madison to stay near the shallow end.

Maybe she can give my kids lessons.

Lightening-defying Pixie Dust!

What would you say the odds are of being struck? Say...one in a thousand?

Loving your TR...one of the best I've read!

and

So I guess this is the only TR you've read, then?

 

[that's nice]

What would you say the odds are of being struck? Say...one in a thousand?

Probably the same odds of getting struck by a truck while crossing the street.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Probably the same odds of getting struck by a truck while crossing the street.

You were driving, weren't you?

 

[glennbo123]

"Squirrel" and "Kevin's a girl" = Up!

 

[that's nice]

You were driving, weren't you?

Nah, it wasn't me. I don't drive in Canada... my passport expired.

 

[that's nice]

"

You ok there Glen?

 

[MissLiz]

Alrighty, so I'm deciding, not guessing, that the lie is that lightening closed the park.

My thought process? You had dinner plans and it was mid-afternoon. Instead of just saying "that was all, we left the park", you went for the slightly more dramatic "lightening was hitting everywhere as we ran to the safety of our car. Trees were falling, power lines were sparking! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together...mass hysteria!" ending.

I'm right, right?

 

[glennbo123]

You ok there Glen?

Dang smart phone. I had my text all entered and went back to the beginning to insert a quote mark, and that's all that got sent.

 

[that's nice]

Alrighty, so I'm deciding, not guessing, that the lie is that lightening closed the park.

My thought process? You had dinner plans and it was mid-afternoon. Instead of just saying "that was all, we left the park", you went for the slightly more dramatic "lightening was hitting everywhere as we ran to the safety of our car. Trees were falling, power lines were sparking! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together...mass hysteria!" ending.

I'm right, right?

Ghostbusters!

 

[that's nice]

Dang smart phone. I had my text all entered and went back to the beginning to insert a quote mark, and that's all that got sent.

That's why I don't post from my phone. All that work to type then it disappears.

 

[podsnel]

Hey there! I'm late- but I'm looking forward to catching up!

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

I’m sayin’ that the lie is somewhere in here…

At the end of the trip, it started raining harder. We ran to grab our stuff (mostly worried about the camera) and move it under one of the picnic pavilion roofs.

There’s something squirrelly about that line to me. It’s either the time that the rain started, or where stuff go put, or whether or not the camera hadn’t already been locked up by now, but something seems out of whack here.

Am I wrong?

Probably…


You’ve done an excellent job thus far of fooling most of us most of the time.

 

[glennbo123]

I don't think you'd let Scotty go find Julie unescorted, so I'll say he went on the Crush 'n Gusher.

 

[vamassey1]

I was a little behind but I'm caught back up.

Sarah's scare in the shark pool just broke my heart. I'm so glad she rebounded and had a great time on the slides. She seems to be your side-kick when it comes to adventure.

All the pictures of the park are so pretty. We've never been to TL, just to BB. I love the tropical feel of the park, maybe someday we'll make it there.

I going to guess that Dave really didn't ride the body slides with you. He seems very cautious.