Operation Big Thunder: the Dole Whip Conspiracy COMPLETE

[foodrocksluver]

Fighting the Dark Side makes you work up an appetite, and luckily it was time for our ADR. Yet another new experience for us: the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. But before we went in, the kids had to try their hand at cruising with the top down.

Sarah will be eligible for her license in 6 years. Pardon me while I go overdose on Xanax.

I feel good. I feel great. I feel wonderful. I feel good. I feel great. I feel wonderful.

All but one of my nieces/nephews have already started driving. I feel like an old woman...at the age of 25.

So, I’m sure most of you know the drill with this restaurant. It’s set up to look like a drive-in theater, and the tables are made to look like cars parked in the lot. You’re seated in your “car” and able to watch clips of cheesy 1950’s sci-fi movies and advertisements while you eat. We were guided into the large dining room and shown to our car, and the kids were offered the chance to “drive” by sitting up front. For some reason, they all refused. I’m not sure if they thought they were actually going to have to drive or what. Maybe they were trying to stay as far away from the Creature From The Black Lagoon as possible. Anyway, Julie and I ended up in the front seat, with the kids behind us.

I live in MD right by the Bengies Drive In Theater. They play old intermission clips during their not old intermission. This one has always been my favorite. Yum Yum! Dancing hot dogs, juggling popcorn, straw baton twirling sodas? What's not to love?

Right away, we noticed that the whole room was very hushed. You could hear the sound from the movie screen, and it felt like there was no conversation at all in the room. Between the hushed room and our kids eating behind us, it was a very weird vibe. We got some onion rings as an appetizer, which were very good, and then Julie got the smoked turkey sandwich while I went with…

Do you really need me to tell you? The burger. Oh, there's a big surprise! That's an incredible - I think I'm going to have a heart attack and die of not surprise! And then, just to totally blow your mind, I also got a cookies-and-cream milkshake.

The plain burger or the picnic burger? In one month I will be in WDW. My boyfriend is going for his first time (poor sap has no clue what he's getting into) and I've already triple dog dared him to get the picnic burger. And that means not only was I crazy and skipped a few dares along the way, but he really has no choice but to get it now. I can't wait.

The movie clips were amusing, but Julie and I had a hard time checking on the kids, passing ketchup back and forth, etc. We felt like we had to keep our voices down in conversation. And we both felt like the food was ok, but nothing special. I liked the onion rings and milkshake best. The whole meal just felt awkward to us, and we decided on a final rating of “meh”. Out of all the Hollywood Studios restaurants, we still like the 50’s Prime Time Café best.

I LOVE the Sci-Fi. But I will admit that it's not nearly as good as it used to be. I remember when EVERYONE was on skates, you got popcorn with every meal, the servers all interacted when the clip of the Amazing Colossal Man came on and he threw the big needle at the little people below him, and desserts for little ones came on a glow in the dark "flying saucer" (read: frisbee). Those were the days!

With lunch over, we asked the kids if there was anything they still wanted to do in the park. I know, you all wanted them to say the Tower of Terror.

I can not believe you do not love the ToT. I rode it when it first opened and almost peed my pants. I mean, I was really little at the time. But then I rode it again because I had a fastpass for it and I can never let those go to waste. And you know what happened? I fell in love. I can't even describe how much I love it. It freaks me out to no end but it's perfect. And the grounds it sits on are beautiful. My dream wedding would take place there and everyone would get mickey ears and they would ride the tower and their pictures would go in my wedding album. I feel like I just gave you TMI. Oh well

Well, nobody wanted to go near that wretched hive of scum and villainy. Instead, they wanted to go watch the Lights! Motors! Action! Stunt Show. Hard to blame them there. Along with the Pantheon of Foods that Make Everything Better, there is also a Pantheon of Life's True Joys. This Pantheon includes (in no particular order): Bacon, Football, Dole Whips, Disney World, Julie's Key Lime Pie of Awesomeness, and (as fits the show) Car Chases and Explosions. I'm sure you could come up with some additions to the list as well.

This was the first show of the day, and we could tell just walking into the stadium that it was going to be packed. It looked like the stands were almost full by the time we even got to the entrance. We even saw our chanting friends with the light-blue t-shirts. But the CM’s kept dutifully piling people in, and they actually did a pretty good job of directing traffic to open seats. Still, we got packed in like one of those vacuum-sealed t-shirts, which felt wonderful in mid-July heat.

They announced that the show was delayed, and we assumed that was to give the crowds time to be seated. So we waited.

They announced the delay again. We waited some more.

And we waited.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Finally, they brought the “director” of the show out. He told us that they had some communications equipment blow some fuses in the heat, and as a result they wouldn’t be able to run the whole show. So they just did the first scene. No pyrotechnics for us. Major bummer.

We all piled out of the bleachers and headed for the exit…pausing in the gift shops, of course. The sky was getting darker, so we wrapped things up and made a beeline for the tram. We made it just as the heavens were opening up, enabling us to laugh and poke fun at the people suddenly getting soaked as they ran for their cars.

Of course, eventually we had to get off the tram and run for our van.

What was the next stop? I’m sure it’s obvious. When we were planning this trip, I talked things over with Julie. I explained how we probably had 2 days for the theme parks, and we needed to save some budget for the water park, and went over the logistics including the necessity of riding the new Star Tours ride and being there for the Jedi Training Academy, and then had a simple question for her: was it possible to go to Disney World with theme park tickets and NOT go to the Magic Kingdom?

Julie’s response, and I quote: “What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

Best quote of life.

So, um…we were headed to the Magic Kingdom. Hence the park hopper tickets.

By the time we arrived at the

The rain had let up. We considered taking the ferry over (that would have been another new experience), but decided to try for the Avengers monorail instead. But the odds were not ever in our favor, and we missed it on the rotation. It’s hard to complain, though, because we still ended up here:

We wandered through the gates and headed for the Fire Hall. The kids wanted to try out the new Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game, so we got them signed up and trained to be apprentice magicians. The CM was nice enough to give Julie and me some of the trading cards so the kids would have extra spells to use on the game. Would you believe that I got the Pumbaa fart spell in my pack?

They were getting set up for the 3:00 parade (what time does that start again?), so we made our way through the shops towards Adventureland. We stopped for our first family castle shot.

Not too shabby. Although I wish they’d tilted the camera slightly up and to the left to pick up the entire castle in the frame.

See? That’s not so hard.

So, at this point we’re deep into our final day at Disney. We’ve just arrived at the Magic Kingdom and have limited time to enjoy as much as we can. The kids have brand-new spell cards and are anxious to try a brand-new attraction. And yet, where was the first place we went? What was our highest priority?

Manna from heaven. Sweet nectar of life!

Nothing better on a hot July day than a Dole Whip. Unfortunately, mine didn’t last long.

Don't you hate when you look away for a second and someone eats all your food!?

But, Scotty decided he couldn’t finish his! A little pixie dust for me.

Nearby, the kids found their first station for the Sorcerers game. If you haven’t tried this yet, it’s pretty fun. The screens are cleverly hidden throughout the park. You activate them with your cards, and then a villain is selected for you to face in a series of battles through whatever section of the you’re in (for example, we had to battle Scar in a series of locations across Adventureland). You use your spell cards to fight his evil with your magic. It’s pretty simple, and our kids had a great time with it.

Julie took the kids up into the Swiss Family Treehouse (another first) while I went on a FastPass run for Big Thunder Mountain. She got this picture while she was up there.

We met at the bottom, and let the kids go to the various Sorcerers stations to finish their game. One was cleverly hidden in the Tortuga Tavern.

Scar! He's the best bad guy. I mean, I hate his guts for killing Mufasa but he is voiced by Jeremy Irons and Jeremy and I have the same birthday and he has that voice I could listen to all day long and therefore I love Scar.

The final showdown was at the tower next to Pirates of the Caribbean. The kids fought hard, and finally conquered Scar with—what else?—the fart spell.

We decided to jump in line for Pirates. The wait was listed at 30 minutes, but we knew it typically loaded fast. We stayed to the left, and the strategy worked as we were stepping onto a boat about 20 minutes later. Sarah had done this ride before, but whenever we had tried to get the boys to go on it, they were disinclined to acquiesce to our request. This time, we had finally convinced them to try it. They’d actually watched the movie and enjoyed it (shockingly, no problems with the undead pirates), so I’m sure that factored into the decision.

I held Dave’s hand through the first part all the way through the drop. Have they added water spouts at the bottom? There was a big splash, and we got soaked. That had never happened to me before on that ride.

From that point on, Dave did great. For once, we were able to talk both boys through a dark ride, and they ended up loving it.

I will leave you with this fun t-shirt we found in the gift shop. It’s hard to read what each “element” stands for but, for example, Ar is “Arrr”, "Eek" is Bilge Rat, and so on. The only thing better than a pirate is a nerdy pirate.

Coming Up Next: In 2010, Scotty screamed bloody murder throughout Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and said he hated it and never wanted to ride it again. Surely loving parents wouldn’t force him to do it again, right?*

*Who said we were loving? And stop calling me Shirley.

So many things to comment on. They are in magenta.

 

[KatMark]

Fighting the Dark Side makes you work up an appetite, and luckily it was time for our ADR. Yet another new experience for us: the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. But before we went in, the kids had to try their hand at cruising with the top down.

Sarah will be eligible for her license in 6 years. Pardon me while I go overdose on Xanax.

I feel good. I feel great. I feel wonderful. I feel good. I feel great. I feel wonderful.

I'd keep taking it until then...you are going to need it.

So, I’m sure most of you know the drill with this restaurant. It’s set up to look like a drive-in theater, and the tables are made to look like cars parked in the lot. You’re seated in your “car” and able to watch clips of cheesy 1950’s sci-fi movies and advertisements while you eat. We were guided into the large dining room and shown to our car, and the kids were offered the chance to “drive” by sitting up front. For some reason, they all refused. I’m not sure if they thought they were actually going to have to drive or what. Maybe they were trying to stay as far away from the Creature From The Black Lagoon as possible. Anyway, Julie and I ended up in the front seat, with the kids behind us.

Right away, we noticed that the whole room was very hushed. You could hear the sound from the movie screen, and it felt like there was no conversation at all in the room. Between the hushed room and our kids eating behind us, it was a very weird vibe. We got some onion rings as an appetizer, which were very good, and then Julie got the smoked turkey sandwich while I went with…

Do you really need me to tell you? The burger. Oh, there's a big surprise! That's an incredible - I think I'm going to have a heart attack and die of not surprise! And then, just to totally blow your mind, I also got a cookies-and-cream milkshake.

The movie clips were amusing, but Julie and I had a hard time checking on the kids, passing ketchup back and forth, etc. We felt like we had to keep our voices down in conversation. And we both felt like the food was ok, but nothing special. I liked the onion rings and milkshake best. The whole meal just felt awkward to us, and we decided on a final rating of “meh”. Out of all the Hollywood Studios restaurants, we still like the 50’s Prime Time Café best.

Wow...such different experiences. We LOVE SciFi and know that the meal is not gourmet, but we found it much more enjoyable than our meal at 50's Prime Time in September of this year. While the entertainment at 50's was great, the food was "meh" for us.

With lunch over, we asked the kids if there was anything they still wanted to do in the park. I know, you all wanted them to say the Tower of Terror. Well, nobody wanted to go near that wretched hive of scum and villainy. Instead, they wanted to go watch the Lights! Motors! Action! Stunt Show. Hard to blame them there. Along with the Pantheon of Foods that Make Everything Better, there is also a Pantheon of Life's True Joys. This Pantheon includes (in no particular order): Bacon, Football, Dole Whips, Disney World, Julie's Key Lime Pie of Awesomeness, and (as fits the show) Car Chases and Explosions. I'm sure you could come up with some additions to the list as well.

This was the first show of the day, and we could tell just walking into the stadium that it was going to be packed. It looked like the stands were almost full by the time we even got to the entrance. We even saw our chanting friends with the light-blue t-shirts. But the CM’s kept dutifully piling people in, and they actually did a pretty good job of directing traffic to open seats. Still, we got packed in like one of those vacuum-sealed t-shirts, which felt wonderful in mid-July heat.

They announced that the show was delayed, and we assumed that was to give the crowds time to be seated. So we waited.

They announced the delay again. We waited some more.

And we waited.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Finally, they brought the “director” of the show out. He told us that they had some communications equipment blow some fuses in the heat, and as a result they wouldn’t be able to run the whole show. So they just did the first scene. No pyrotechnics for us. Major bummer.

Silly people...you should have done Tower of Terror! We've never done LMA and probably won't before it disappears.

We all piled out of the bleachers and headed for the exit…pausing in the gift shops, of course. The sky was getting darker, so we wrapped things up and made a beeline for the tram. We made it just as the heavens were opening up, enabling us to laugh and poke fun at the people suddenly getting soaked as they ran for their cars.

Of course, eventually we had to get off the tram and run for our van.

The boys look delighted with themselves that they are all wet.

What was the next stop? I’m sure it’s obvious. When we were planning this trip, I talked things over with Julie. I explained how we probably had 2 days for the theme parks, and we needed to save some budget for the water park, and went over the logistics including the necessity of riding the new Star Tours ride and being there for the Jedi Training Academy, and then had a simple question for her: was it possible to go to Disney World with theme park tickets and NOT go to the Magic Kingdom?

Julie’s response, and I quote: “What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

God...I love your wife; I really need to meet this awesome lady.

Great picture!

We wandered through the gates and headed for the Fire Hall. The kids wanted to try out the new Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game, so we got them signed up and trained to be apprentice magicians. The CM was nice enough to give Julie and me some of the trading cards so the kids would have extra spells to use on the game. Would you believe that I got the Pumbaa fart spell in my pack?

I hear this is a lot of fun.

They were getting set up for the 3:00 parade (what time does that start again?), so we made our way through the shops towards Adventureland. We stopped for our first family castle shot.

Not too shabby. Although I wish they’d tilted the camera slightly up and to the left to pick up the entire castle in the frame.

Seriously...the point is getting the castle in the picture; work on it CM's!

So, at this point we’re deep into our final day at Disney. We’ve just arrived at the Magic Kingdom and have limited time to enjoy as much as we can. The kids have brand-new spell cards and are anxious to try a brand-new attraction. And yet, where was the first place we went? What was our highest priority?

Manna from heaven. Sweet nectar of life!

Nothing better on a hot July day than a Dole Whip. Unfortunately, mine didn’t last long.

But, Scotty decided he couldn’t finish his! A little pixie dust for me.

God...you look just like my DH in those two pictures when he is enjoying ice cream (truthfully, neither one of us like the Dole Whip)

Julie took the kids up into the Swiss Family Treehouse (another first) while I went on a FastPass run for Big Thunder Mountain. She got this picture while she was up there.

You can get some great pictures up on top of the Treehouse!

The final showdown was at the tower next to Pirates of the Caribbean. The kids fought hard, and finally conquered Scar with—what else?—the fart spell.

We decided to jump in line for Pirates. The wait was listed at 30 minutes, but we knew it typically loaded fast. We stayed to the left, and the strategy worked as we were stepping onto a boat about 20 minutes later. Sarah had done this ride before, but whenever we had tried to get the boys to go on it, they were disinclined to acquiesce to our request. This time, we had finally convinced them to try it. They’d actually watched the movie and enjoyed it (shockingly, no problems with the undead pirates), so I’m sure that factored into the decision.

I held Dave’s hand through the first part all the way through the drop. Have they added water spouts at the bottom? There was a big splash, and we got soaked. That had never happened to me before on that ride.

From that point on, Dave did great. For once, we were able to talk both boys through a dark ride, and they ended up loving it.

So happy to hear this!!!!

I will leave you with this fun t-shirt we found in the gift shop. It’s hard to read what each “element” stands for but, for example, Ar is “Arrr”, "Eek" is Bilge Rat, and so on. The only thing better than a pirate is a nerdy pirate.

It....oh, nevermind. I can't even attempt to be nerdy.

Coming Up Next: In 2010, Scotty screamed bloody murder throughout Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and said he hated it and never wanted to ride it again. Surely loving parents wouldn’t force him to do it again, right?*

*Who said we were loving? And stop calling me Shirley.

Just remember....they can force you in your old age to do Tower of Terror.

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

im with you on sci fi, neat theming but we have only eaten there once, doesnt seem worth it for a sit down...food is just okay.

how could you not go to disney and visit MK, even with a short, stay glad she set you straight on that one.

Julie’s response, and I quote: “What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

well since glenn didnt have the whole thing in his answer i did...hoping to squeeze out a point...billy madison.

and for the lie ill say that your kids did sit in the front seat of the car and that is why you didnt show any pictures of hte meal as it would give that one away.

 

[Mrs. Knowitall]

And we both felt like the food was ok, but nothing special. I liked the onion rings and milkshake best. The whole meal just felt awkward to us, and we decided on a final rating of “meh”.

I totally agree. The only other redeeming factor was the vanilla cokes. And our waitress lady was nice enough to give us refills in paper cups on our way out.

Julie’s response, and I quote: “What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

Truth.

 

[eandesmom]

Sigh, I have to go back and scour for anything Glenn missed!

The set up is a little odd for dining at sci fi, not really that "family" meal feeling huh. But I have to agree with Dan on the lie. They sat up front.

Sorcerers looks very cool, I think the E's will be totally into it next year.

Fart spell



I've still not had a Dole Whip. You have to love kids that can't finish things. I know Jeff does!

Nice drowned rat kid picture.

And I do like the pirate periodic table.

 

[MEK]

wretched hive of scum and villainy - Star Wars 1977

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? My favorite movie ever - Ferris Bueller's day off.

At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. - Billy Madison

Awesome update! So glad that you went to MK for the afternoon. Score on the extra dole whip.

I love the picture taken from the Swiss Family Tree. I wanted to take that picture last trip, but there was actually a line to go up in the tree.

The pirates periodic table is hysterical.

Looking forward to seeing you both win the Parents of the Year Award.

 

[jedijill]

Dang it...missed all the quotes since I AM AT DISNEYWORLD!

But the lie was you got soaked on Pirates.

Jill in CO

 

[Poolrat]

Ah yes the summer storms. Been there. Gotten soaked.

Yes Julie Great response to no MK.

Great job playing Sorcerers, I have cards... collected over several trip but have yet to play. Maybe next trip..



Lie - I have to agree - kids sat up front at Sci-Fi. I have not been in years, time for another try, just for atmosphere.

 

[eandesmom]

Dang it...missed all the quotes since I AM AT DISNEYWORLD!

But the lie was you got soaked on Pirates.

Jill in CO

Woot! I hope you are having a great time!!!!

Damp

Maybe

Not soaked

 

[jedijill]

Woot! I hope you are having a great time!!!!

Damp

Maybe

Not soaked

Fantastic time! The weather is absolutely perfect.

Jill in CO

 

[KatMark]

Fantastic time! The weather is absolutely perfect.

Jill in CO

Good to see you around....it's been awhile

 

[jedijill]

Good to see you around....it's been awhile

Thanks! I've been doing a lot of lurking trying to get ready for the cruise, catching up after the cruise, and now on this trip. Thankfully my friends tend to get a late start in the morning so I have some time to catch up!

Jill in CO

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

No pyrotechnics for us = a Seinfeld reference (soup nazi)?

Nah.

Fighting the Darkside is a Star Wars reference

I feel good I feel great I feel wonderful = What About Bob

I think I'm going to have a heart attack and die of not surprised = Aladdin

Anyone? Anyone? = Ferris Bueller's Day Off

What you just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things.... = Billy Madison

Manna from heaven, sweet nectar of life = Finding Nemo

Disinclined to acquiesce to your request = Pirates of the Caribbean the curse of the Black Pearl

Stop calling me Shirley is an Airplane! reference.

Um, okay, "The Creature From The Black Lagoon" is a reference to The Creature From The Black Lagoon.

Wretched hive of scum and villainy = Star Wars episode IV, a New Hope

The odds were not ever in our favor is a Hunger Games reference.

+11

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Madison will be there in 8 years. And I've been popping those pills for the past 2.

Do they help? I keep telling my kids to stop growing, but they don't listen to me.

Hate to break it to you Mark, but it's the onion rings and burger that will cause the heart attack, not the surprise.

Well, you have to die of something. Might as well die happy.

Now, where'd I put that deep fried cheese...

See my last comment.

Exactly.

Exactly. You can always Photoshop Scotty back in later.

I was thinking maybe I could Photoshop a crane into the picture, just for old times' sake.

You chose...wisely.

That's what my stomach said, too.

Finding Nemo

I'm giving you a point because I don't think anyone's catching Rob and Glenn at this rate.

+1

Wow, the wait time there usually rivals Journey into Imagination. Julie must have some pretty strong patience to wait that one out.

We would have gotten a FastPass for this one, but I was already trying to get them for BTMRR. It was a tough call. She and the kids are troopers.

Means "no."

+1

I don't know about that, but I think the cannon ball splashes were made bigger because I've gotten wet from them the past few times I've ridden.

That might be true as well. Maybe it was because we were in the front row. I just wasn't expecting to get a face full of water at that point.

I didn't see that one! I'll have to look for it next time we're down there!

At least you got the Yoda shirt. That was a winner.

I guess I'm done scouring for movie quotes, so I'll comment.

Well, thanks for that.

Another great chapter!

That's more like it!

I'm sorry you found Sci-Fi to be "meh". My food was definitely "meh" when I ate there a couple of years ago, but I'd hoped that the fact that I did not go with a burger there was the reason. With the intention of getting a burger, I plan to go back sometime. But your picture captured one of my favorite clips.

Well, you can't win 'em all. I liked the burger at the Liberty Inn better, actually. But that's ok, Kathy can eat here and I'll go to the 50's PT and we'll all be happy.

I love the picture of the soaked boys in the car. It looks like they rather enjoyed that little afternoon shower.

All you can do is laugh at that point.

Mmmm, dole whips. You've gotta try the float though, that's my favorite. There you go -- a reason to go back. You're welcome.

I have tried it, actually. You can barely see it in the picture, but the float is what Julie got. She prefers the float, but I like the straight-up Dole Whip. I'll be happy to go back and test them again, though.

James did all of those same Sorcerer's stations. Hmmm, I'll have to check his cards to see if there is a Pumbaa fart one.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Finally got time to go back and quote this one.
So here goes…

Sarah will be eligible for her license in 6 years. Pardon me while I go overdose on Xanax.

You’ve got time yet.


Not much… but still…

We were guided into the large dining room and shown to our car, and the kids were offered the chance to “drive” by sitting up front. For some reason, they all refused.

Just more comfy in the back (where they have a fighting chance to duck out of the way of the arm that comes flying back over the front seat).

Right away, we noticed that the whole room was very hushed. You could hear the sound from the movie screen, and it felt like there was no conversation at all in the room.

I think it’s the “cars” that cause that more then the film. The lack of face time hushes everything up. It’s cool, but odd at the same time.

Do you really need me to tell you?

Probably not, but let's test the theory…

The burger.

Nope… you were right, you didn’t need to tell us.
Let’s see what Iago thought about it…

Oh, there's a big surprise! That's an incredible - I think I'm going to have a heart attack and die of not surprise!

That about sums it up, I do believe.

The movie clips were amusing, but Julie and I had a hard time checking on the kids, passing ketchup back and forth, etc. We felt like we had to keep our voices down in conversation. And we both felt like the food was ok, but nothing special. I liked the onion rings and milkshake best. The whole meal just felt awkward to us, and we decided on a final rating of “meh”. Out of all the Hollywood Studios restaurants, we still like the 50’s Prime Time Café best.

+1 That last little bit there is just about word for word what I’d have written on this particular TS. You just saved me the trouble, as now I’ll just quote you next time the subject comes up.

Along with the Pantheon of Foods that Make Everything Better, there is also a Pantheon of Life's True Joys. This Pantheon includes (in no particular order): Bacon, Football, Dole Whips, Disney World, Julie's Key Lime Pie of Awesomeness, and (as fits the show) Car Chases and Explosions. I'm sure you could come up with some additions to the list as well.

Oh sure… but that’s a good start.

They announced that the show was delayed, and we assumed that was to give the crowds time to be seated. So we waited.

They announced the delay again. We waited some more.

And we waited.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Unfortunate (but at least you didn’t have to hack up a lung)

Some show beats no show.
Right?

The sky was getting darker, so we wrapped things up and made a beeline for the tram. We made it just as the heavens were opening up, enabling us to laugh and poke fun at the people suddenly getting soaked as they ran for their cars.

Of course, eventually we had to get off the tram and run for our van.

Some times you win, some times you loose, some times…

It rains.

What was the next stop? I’m sure it’s obvious.

I talked things over with Julie. I explained how we probably had 2 days for the theme parks, and we needed to save some budget for the water park, and went over the logistics including the necessity of riding the new Star Tours ride and being there for the Jedi Training Academy, and then had a simple question for her

On no you di-en’t…

was it possible to go to Disney World with theme park tickets and NOT go to the Magic Kingdom?

Oh yah you did…
You deserved whatever abuse was about to follow.

The rain had let up. We considered taking the ferry over (that would have been another new experience), but decided to try for the Avengers monorail instead.

Maybe…

The CM was nice enough to give Julie and me some of the trading cards so the kids would have extra spells to use on the game. Would you believe that I got the Pumbaa fart spell in my pack?

Had to look that one up…

Yep… it’s possible.

And yet, where was the first place we went? What was our highest priority?

Tomorrowland Speedway???

Manna from heaven. Sweet nectar of life!

Oh… well duuuuh.
You built that up to where one might have thought that you had chosen poorly.

Nothing better on a hot July day than a Dole Whip. Unfortunately, mine didn’t last long.

Never do

But, Scotty decided he couldn’t finish his! A little pixie dust for me.

Lu - ckyyyy!

Julie took the kids up into the Swiss Family Treehouse (another first)

Much maligned, but my Grand-Poppa helped build that one, so it’s a tradition in our house.

The final showdown was at the tower next to Pirates of the Caribbean. The kids fought hard, and finally conquered Scar with—what else?—the fart spell.

“Very Nice…”

I held Dave’s hand through the first part all the way through the drop. Have they added water spouts at the bottom? There was a big splash, and we got soaked.

We noticed that about the front couple of rows the last time we were there as well.
Maybe they changed the angle of attack at the bottom of the hill.

Coming Up Next: In 2010, Scotty screamed bloody murder throughout Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and said he hated it and never wanted to ride it again. Surely loving parents wouldn’t force him to do it again, right?*

I would have (so that should be a cautionary tale).






I’m going off the reservation again and saying that the lie was that you did take the ferry from the TTC that afternoon.

 

[afwdwfan]

Right away, we noticed that the whole room was very hushed. You could hear the sound from the movie screen, and it felt like there was no conversation at all in the room. Between the hushed room and our kids eating behind us, it was a very weird vibe.

Ok, I'm going to kind of defend the atmosphere there...
The last time I ate there, we had a larger group, so we sat at a real table as opposed to a car. We were aligned where it was a more normal seating arrangement, but still didn't talk much. We just relaxed, ate and sat and watched the cheesey movies.

I personally like it for a lunch on a hot day. It is a great spot to get off your feet and relax. It really feels good to be in that dark, air conditioned room on a hot summer day. That, and if you're paying out of pocket, it isn't terribly expensive, even if the food is nothing spectacular.

Do you really need me to tell you? The burger. Oh, there's a big surprise! That's an incredible - I think I'm going to have a heart attack and die of not surprise! And then, just to totally blow your mind, I also got a cookies-and-cream milkshake.

Did one of those movie aliens take over your body or something?

Along with the Pantheon of Foods that Make Everything Better, there is also a Pantheon of Life's True Joys. This Pantheon includes (in no particular order): Bacon, Football, Dole Whips, Disney World, Julie's Key Lime Pie of Awesomeness, and (as fits the show) Car Chases and Explosions. I'm sure you could come up with some additions to the list as well.

Still, we got packed in like one of those vacuum-sealed t-shirts, which felt wonderful in mid-July heat.

And this is why the peole who don't like Disney, don't like Disney.

So they just did the first scene. No pyrotechnics for us. Major bummer.

Potential for a lie... but I think missing out on pyrotechnics is too serious for you to make light of it. If you had seen it, you'd have flooded this update with pictures of things going boom. I don't think you have the will power to do otherwise.

Of course, eventually we had to get off the tram and run for our van.

Well, it either really rained or you dumped a water cooler on Scotty and Dave in order to set up your best lie yet.

was it possible to go to Disney World with theme park tickets and NOT go to the Magic Kingdom?

Blasphemy!

Julie’s response, and I quote: “What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

That's why she's Knowitall and you're Oblivious.

Would you believe that I got the Pumbaa fart spell in my pack?

They must not just randomly assign them then...

Have they added water spouts at the bottom? There was a big splash, and we got soaked.

And I think I've found the lie. Either that or you got a leaky boat

You might have got a few drops, but you didn't get soaked. You probably just hadn't dried out from the rain yet.

From that point on, Dave did great. For once, we were able to talk both boys through a dark ride, and they ended up loving it.

Awesome!!! I think they're ready for Tower of Terror next time!

I will leave you with this fun t-shirt we found in the gift shop. It’s hard to read what each “element” stands for but, for example, Ar is “Arrr”, "Eek" is Bilge Rat, and so on. The only thing better than a pirate is a nerdy pirate.

My only disappointment is that I can't read what each of them is.

Truth.

The voice of reason.


And sanity.

Had to look that one up…

Yep… it’s possible.

I did the same.

 

[glennbo123]

As for the lie, I'm going to guess that the mighty Scar was not taken down with a fart spell, even though you may have received one in your pack of spell-cards.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

All but one of my nieces/nephews have already started driving. I feel like an old woman...at the age of 25.

Don't worry. When you get to be my age, you even forget what it was like to be 25.

I live in MD right by the Bengies Drive In Theater. They play old intermission clips during their not old intermission. This one has always been my favorite. Yum Yum! Dancing hot dogs, juggling popcorn, straw baton twirling sodas? What's not to love?

You won't get any argument from me. I wish we still had drive-ins near our house.

The plain burger or the picnic burger? In one month I will be in WDW. My boyfriend is going for his first time (poor sap has no clue what he's getting into) and I've already triple dog dared him to get the picnic burger. And that means not only was I crazy and skipped a few dares along the way, but he really has no choice but to get it now. I can't wait.

I got the plain burger. I figured my heart was already in the danger zone after that pork+burger in Epcot.

Wow! You created a slight breach of etiquette by skipping the triple dare and going right for the throat!

I LOVE the Sci-Fi. But I will admit that it's not nearly as good as it used to be. I remember when EVERYONE was on skates, you got popcorn with every meal, the servers all interacted when the clip of the Amazing Colossal Man came on and he threw the big needle at the little people below him, and desserts for little ones came on a glow in the dark "flying saucer" (read: frisbee). Those were the days!

Now that does sound a lot more fun. I don't know if we were expecting something different or what, but the place just threw us off. But hey, there are some weirdos out there that like Figment, too.

I can not believe you do not love the ToT. I rode it when it first opened and almost peed my pants. I mean, I was really little at the time. But then I rode it again because I had a fastpass for it and I can never let those go to waste. And you know what happened? I fell in love. I can't even describe how much I love it. It freaks me out to no end but it's perfect. And the grounds it sits on are beautiful. My dream wedding would take place there and everyone would get mickey ears and they would ride the tower and their pictures would go in my wedding album. I feel like I just gave you TMI. Oh well

Not at all. In fact, it's just enough information to let me know that when I get your wedding invitation, I can plan to be...uh...sick that day.

If anyone is interested, I did document my one and only experience riding the Tower of Terror.

Best quote of life.

Julie didn't actually say that to me, but the quote is so good, I had to use it somewhere.

Don't you hate when you look away for a second and someone eats all your food!?

I wonder where Bart is; his dinner's getting all cold and eaten.

Scar! He's the best bad guy. I mean, I hate his guts for killing Mufasa but he is voiced by Jeremy Irons and Jeremy and I have the same birthday and he has that voice I could listen to all day long and therefore I love Scar.

What happened to Jeremy Irons, anyway? He was in every movie in the 90's.

I'd keep taking it until then...you are going to need it.

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

Wow...such different experiences. We LOVE SciFi and know that the meal is not gourmet, but we found it much more enjoyable than our meal at 50's Prime Time in September of this year. While the entertainment at 50's was great, the food was "meh" for us.

Well, let's see. You like the Imagination ride, won't stay at the Wilderness Lodge, hate Whispering Canyon Cafe, love ToT, and won't ride EE. In retrospect, maybe we should stop listening to each other.

Silly people...you should have done Tower of Terror! We've never done LMA and probably won't before it disappears.

As far as alternative experiences go, ToT would have rated just behind Star Tours again, the Muppets again, the Indiana Jones show, waiting in the standby line for TSM, being forced to perform in the American Idol show, and being strapped to a boat in IASW. But it was right there.

When it's up and running, LMA is a really cool show. The stunts are pretty awesome.

The boys look delighted with themselves that they are all wet.

Are you surprised?

God...I love your wife; I really need to meet this awesome lady.

She is pretty awesome. You should friend her on FB, she's just as funny there.

Great picture!

I hear this is a lot of fun.

Our kids really liked it. The only problem I saw was that there were many adults playing the game and forcing the kids to wait behind them. Not that adults can't have fun too (and certainly they paid for their ticket like everybody else), but they just looked a little silly playing the game.

Seriously...the point is getting the castle in the picture; work on it CM's!

It was actually a random family that took our picture, so I can't complain that they weren't Ansel Adams. Anyway, just remember--nothing says you have to put the people directly in the center of the picture.

You can get some great pictures up on top of the Treehouse!

So happy to hear this!!!!

You and me both!

It....oh, nevermind. I can't even attempt to be nerdy.

Do you want to borrow my pocket protector?

Just remember....they can force you in your old age to do Tower of Terror.

Yeah, but I can force them to mow the lawn, do their homework and eat their vegetables.

But if they pay for the trip, they can take me on any ride they want.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

a slight breach of etiquette by skipping the triple dare and going right for the throat!

A Christmas Story

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

I wonder where Bart is; his dinner's getting all cold and eaten.

The Simpsons