off to neverland
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2004
- Messages
- 703
Cast:
Me, Rae, 34, Disney lover
Dix, 43, Great guy who will never again forget the Unofficial Guide
Boo, 4.95 year-old picky eater
Sis, 1.95 year-old who can holler louder than a blowhorn
Goldi Locks, Nice DVC member who traded her points with us
Laser-accuser guy: Nice man helping out with world safety
Mr. Customs Man: Grumpy, serious guy in uniform with no patience for drugs or childbirth
Mr. And Mrs. No Manners: Rude people who pop up with different faces throughout our trip
Cute little girl in the front: Loud mouth who unintentionally traumatizes young kids on rides
My Mom: Woman who loves blues and yellows
Inventory of important trip items:
Three new premium annual passes
Fancy Laser Camera
Unofficial Guide to Disneyworld
Missing Disney Dining Experience cards
I think Dix was holding a grudge against my beloved Unofficial Guide for getting him lost the night before, because, unbeknownst to me, he neglected to pack it in the backpack for our day at Animal Kingdom. He had risen early while we were all sleeping, and with UG in hand, had driven next door to check us in at Old Key West. He never brought the UG back into the hotel room when he returned.
What he saw at Old Key West had impressed him and as we walked from our room to the Port Orleans food court, he told me all about the beautiful foliage, landscaping, and basic Florida theming of that resort. As he talked, I felt myself getting more and more excited to be moving over to our very first DVC resort; this is the first time ever we would be staying on points rather than cash. I was very curious about the accommodations, since I had read so many DISers rave about the size of the one bedroom villa at Old Key West.
We had taken the path by the river so that we could see at least some of the Port Orleans grounds before we abandoned the place for OKW. I thought Port Orleans was absolutely lovely, and it really did feel like New Orleans to me, minus all the drunks and half-naked women! (Dix wasnt sure that the neglect of the aforementioned details was necessarily a good thing!)
As we walked through the pool area, I shivered as I looked at the water. It was really, really cold. The kids were both wearing their winter coats and fleece pants, but Boo still complained of being cold. We stood by the pool for a moment and looked around at how big and festive the pool actually is. It looked like a really fun place to play in the warm weather.
At the food court, I ordered Mickey Mouse waffles for the kids. They were enormous! I should have only ordered one, but I thought they would fight over it so I ordered two. I asked the woman behind the counter to top them with a ladle full of the hot blueberry jam that sat in a big container next to her stove.
Dix rolled his eyes when I arrived back at the table with two huge plates of blueberry-topped waffles. What was I thinking? Here was a 4.95 year-old child, who, for the past year, has pretty much lived on simple pancakes and syrup. Regular pancakes topped with generic syrup. It is one of the five things he will eat. Why would I choose this moment to change the routine and get wild and crazy with the jam?
Come to think of it, I had to wonder the same thing. I told him the stress of his two hours of AWOL time last night had taken its toll on my brain.
As expected, the waffles didnt go over very well with the boy. Sis loved them. Shes easy.
We decided to use the bus method for our theme park transport on this day, and I told Dix that after his lost episode the night before, we werent splitting up again. From here on out, we would be doing all of our moving as one big group. The bus system worked well and we were at the AK entrance before we knew it.
I had never been to the Animal Kingdom before. I imagined how great the shade from all those trees would feel when it was actually warm! It was there, in the shade of the entrance at AK, that I realized Dix had left the Unofficial Guide behind. It was time for us to have a talk!
I reminded him that though I may spend countless hours on the Dis reading about everyone elses experiences, it didnt mean we werent planning on following the UG. I also reminded him of our trip last year in which we followed the UG to the letter and because of it, did not stand in one line, or wait for one meal, OR have one moment of uh, I dont know, where do you wanna go? time. I stressed the fact that we could forget our money, our kids, and even our Disney Dining Experience cards, but we were not to forget that blessed Unofficial Guide!
He got the message, and Im sure he will never leave another Disney hotel room again without that guide in hand.
Since we were winging it, I decided wed go right into the Tree of Life and watch, Its Tough to be a Bug. I hoped that Boo would warm up inside.
That show! I actually caught myself holding my breath when the supposed bug spray was sprayed onto the audience. I had the creepy crawly willies throughout the entire show, which I guess means that the Disney Imagineers did a great job! The kids liked the show, but they both covered their eyes when the huge, life-like grasshopper came out. Dix also liked it, but didnt think it was as good as Mickeys Philharmagic.
We would have to agree to disagree.
We decided to go to Pocahontas next. As we approached the show, we stopped at a kiosk to look at the Lion King toys. The kids, of course, loved everything they saw but Boo knew better than to ask us to buy anything. Dix and I had made the rule that we would have one designated shopping time at Downtown Disney later in the trip in which they could both buy one nice souvenir, but we werent going to buy at every little gift shop we encountered. In the short time we had been on the trip, Boo was learning to really enjoy window-shopping.
While he was browsing, I stood in line at the cash register to buy a fleece hat for him to wear. He still complained of being cold and his hands and arms felt like ice. His clothes were certainly warm enough; he had actually worn the same outfit skiing in the past, but I thought if we covered his head, he might feel a little warmer.
When I was growing up, my mothers busybody cousin would constantly lecture me on the importance of wearing a hat. I can not even begin to estimate the amount of times she shrieked, You better wear a hat! A person loses 95% of his body heat through his head!! Youll get sick without a hat!
This is also the ever-advising woman who drilled the following into my head: You need a good foundation! You dont want to get droopy b**bs! (To this day, there isnt a bra in my drawer that was purchased without memories of her voice ringing in my head.)
Her other favorite was, Dont forget about your lips! Your face is not complete until you put on your lipstick!
Cousin stopped wearing lipstick and all other make-up after she stopped selling Avon. I never really noticed the state of her b**bs, but I can tell you that I have yet to see that woman without a hat if the temps dip even half a degree under 50.
As I stood there paying for that Mickey Mouse fleece hat, her shrill voice rang in my ear as if she were standing next to me. You lose 95% of your body heat out your head!
Thanks, cousin. I got it.
I shoved the hat over Boos head.
The kiosk saleswoman heard we were going to Pocahontas and gave us some very appreciated advice. Park your stroller here. Dont take it over to Pocahontas because youll lose time picking it up on the run over to Lion King. When Pocahontas is finished, run over to Lion King and dont worry about the stroller. You can return for it when Lion King is finished.
We decided to follow her advice, and I told Dix I was glad we had run into her since we werent able to consult the Unofficial Guide.
He retorted by patting my rear end.
Sis and I enjoyed Pocahontas more than Boo. He liked the animals, but he was sure that the talking scrawny tree had not been in the movie. He tried his hardest to get into a whisper argument with me about whether or not entities that had not been in the movie had a right to appear in the live show. I finally had to tell him just to be quiet.
When the show was finished we did just as the kiosk woman had advised and rushed over to Lion King. Just in time! We were seated on the last section of bleachers, about halfway up.
What words are worthy of the Lion King? Its an absolute MUST-SEE. Dixs mouth was open in awe throughout the entire show. The kids barely moved. The music had me so pumped, I wanted to get up and dance with the characters!
Boo only had one issue with that show and that was when he realized that all the characters were present except for Scar, who was portrayed through the booming voice of the big tribal chief. It didn't make sense to him that Scar wouldn't be there in person when the rest of the characters were. It didn't really make sense to me, either, and I couldn't give him an explanation. I told him to try to enjoy the show even though he recognized this discrepency. He decided to let it go, and was willing to forgive Lion King for Scar's absence much more readily than he was willing to let go of that talking scrawny tree in Pocohontas.
It is worth a trip the Animal Kingdom just to see Lion King! Dont have money for Cirque du Soleil? Go to Lion King! Dont know what to do before going to the airport? See Lion King! Dont know Okay, okay, Ill stop now. You get the picture.
Let me just say this . I can NOT wait to go back to this one!
We decided to have lunch at Pizzafari. Dix stood in line to order while the kids and I grabbed a table in one of the rooms. My heart sank when I saw Dix arrive with Boos peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It looked like a round potpie with a crust on top. It even had the potpie fork marks lining its diameter.
This was going to be a battle.
Again.
I thought that part of the reason Boo was so cold was that he hadnt eaten enough, so Dix and I had to be firm. "No matter how much that PBJ looks like a round hockey disc with bird claw prints around the sides, you will eat it."
Sorry, son.
It turned out that the round bird track PBJ potpie was the best sandwich Boo ever had. I loved it because the leftovers traveled well for a snack later in the day.
After lunch we walked through Harambe village on our way to the safari. I stopped right in the middle of the village. Those block letters on the buildings reminded me so much of Ethiopia! My family moved there when I was 11 years old and we stayed for nearly two years. If you placed a couple of glass bottles of Orange Miranda sodas on the tables, blew in the smell of eucalyptus, and took away all the tourist-y looking folk with fancy laser cameras around their necks, you could convince me that I was back in Addis Ababa.
The wait for the safari ride was very short, which surprised me given the lateness of the day. I figured the cold weather had scared people away.
We climbed into the Landrover, and I remembered my dad roaring up our driveway in Ethiopia with one of those rigs! He was taking us on a trip into the bush country and my brothers and I loved the feeling of bouncing around in that beast! We ended up on a very less traveled dirt road that eventually intersected with a wide river of mud. My dad was determined to plow through that mud hole, and kept reassuring us that we had a four-wheel drive with a winch on the front!
He backed away from the river and told us to hang on. Then he hit the accelerator and tore down the road toward the mud. We went faster, and faster, and faster until.... we hit the mud and SANK!
We crawled out of the windows when the mud reached the tops of the door handles.
Dad was mistaken. We had a four-wheel drive, but no winch on the front. There we were in bush country, stuck in a small lemon grove that probably bordered the Afar, a group that had recently castrated 5 Cubans who had ventured into their territory. Dad and Mom decided it would be best if we stayed behind while he walked to find someone to help. I sat with my mother and brothers under the lemon trees and waited for him to return. Dad has said several times that when he looked back at us sitting alone under those trees, it took all his might to keep walking away from us.
Remember the lemon grove? Ethiopia was communist at that time and so their farms were all government owned. There would be machinery on this farm, Dad was sure of it. He was right; there were workers with a tractor not too far away. They were happy to hook that tractor up to the landrover and pull it out of the mud. We were more than happy to crawl back in it and leave!
What is it with Animal Kingdom and memories? Enough, already! Back to the safari! Boo was in his element. He loved peering over the side of the landrover as it drove down the path. He liked seeing the animals, but he liked the bouncing vehicle even more. His favorite was when we drove through the water and mud puddles. I hope we dont get stuck, Mommy! The biggest mud puddle you ever saw is coming up!
Oh son, if you only knew .
By the time the safari was over, our little crew was done for the day. We went to the bus stop and waited for our Port Orleans bus. We waited, and waited, and waited. Boos behavior was less than desirable. He complained and huffed and complained some more that the bus was taking FOREVER. Thankfully no one else was at the bus stop so we just let him do his complaining.
After a while of watching these shenanigans, Dix burst out laughing. I begged to know what was so funny. He whispered, Look at our son. He looks just like Dennis the Menace.
I looked over at Boo, still wearing the round black fleece hat I had bought him earlier in the day. It sat lopsided on his head, and one ear was exposed. It was framing Boos frowning face while he paced around muttering complaints to himself because no one would listen anymore.
He DID look like Dennis the Menace!
Dix laughed even harder. Actually, he reminds me of Spanky from The Little Rascals.
He DID look like Spanky from The Little Rascals!
Boo never noticed us laughing or watching him. He continued to pace, whine and complain. I studied him really hard and then realized . It was the hat!!! The hat was turning our child into a brat!
My child was wearing a Brat Hat!!!!
Next Installment:Part 7...Why didn't I listen to Dix?
Previous Installments:
Without Usable Points, Pretrip
Part 1...We are NOT wanted by the FBI!!
Part 2...I am NOT a drug addict!!
Part 3...Who put this diaper on me?
Part 4... Just leave me for dead on the side of the road!
Part 5... Where is Dix?
Me, Rae, 34, Disney lover
Dix, 43, Great guy who will never again forget the Unofficial Guide
Boo, 4.95 year-old picky eater
Sis, 1.95 year-old who can holler louder than a blowhorn
Goldi Locks, Nice DVC member who traded her points with us
Laser-accuser guy: Nice man helping out with world safety
Mr. Customs Man: Grumpy, serious guy in uniform with no patience for drugs or childbirth
Mr. And Mrs. No Manners: Rude people who pop up with different faces throughout our trip
Cute little girl in the front: Loud mouth who unintentionally traumatizes young kids on rides
My Mom: Woman who loves blues and yellows
Inventory of important trip items:
Three new premium annual passes
Fancy Laser Camera
Unofficial Guide to Disneyworld
Missing Disney Dining Experience cards
I think Dix was holding a grudge against my beloved Unofficial Guide for getting him lost the night before, because, unbeknownst to me, he neglected to pack it in the backpack for our day at Animal Kingdom. He had risen early while we were all sleeping, and with UG in hand, had driven next door to check us in at Old Key West. He never brought the UG back into the hotel room when he returned.
What he saw at Old Key West had impressed him and as we walked from our room to the Port Orleans food court, he told me all about the beautiful foliage, landscaping, and basic Florida theming of that resort. As he talked, I felt myself getting more and more excited to be moving over to our very first DVC resort; this is the first time ever we would be staying on points rather than cash. I was very curious about the accommodations, since I had read so many DISers rave about the size of the one bedroom villa at Old Key West.
We had taken the path by the river so that we could see at least some of the Port Orleans grounds before we abandoned the place for OKW. I thought Port Orleans was absolutely lovely, and it really did feel like New Orleans to me, minus all the drunks and half-naked women! (Dix wasnt sure that the neglect of the aforementioned details was necessarily a good thing!)
As we walked through the pool area, I shivered as I looked at the water. It was really, really cold. The kids were both wearing their winter coats and fleece pants, but Boo still complained of being cold. We stood by the pool for a moment and looked around at how big and festive the pool actually is. It looked like a really fun place to play in the warm weather.
At the food court, I ordered Mickey Mouse waffles for the kids. They were enormous! I should have only ordered one, but I thought they would fight over it so I ordered two. I asked the woman behind the counter to top them with a ladle full of the hot blueberry jam that sat in a big container next to her stove.
Dix rolled his eyes when I arrived back at the table with two huge plates of blueberry-topped waffles. What was I thinking? Here was a 4.95 year-old child, who, for the past year, has pretty much lived on simple pancakes and syrup. Regular pancakes topped with generic syrup. It is one of the five things he will eat. Why would I choose this moment to change the routine and get wild and crazy with the jam?
Come to think of it, I had to wonder the same thing. I told him the stress of his two hours of AWOL time last night had taken its toll on my brain.
As expected, the waffles didnt go over very well with the boy. Sis loved them. Shes easy.
We decided to use the bus method for our theme park transport on this day, and I told Dix that after his lost episode the night before, we werent splitting up again. From here on out, we would be doing all of our moving as one big group. The bus system worked well and we were at the AK entrance before we knew it.
I had never been to the Animal Kingdom before. I imagined how great the shade from all those trees would feel when it was actually warm! It was there, in the shade of the entrance at AK, that I realized Dix had left the Unofficial Guide behind. It was time for us to have a talk!
I reminded him that though I may spend countless hours on the Dis reading about everyone elses experiences, it didnt mean we werent planning on following the UG. I also reminded him of our trip last year in which we followed the UG to the letter and because of it, did not stand in one line, or wait for one meal, OR have one moment of uh, I dont know, where do you wanna go? time. I stressed the fact that we could forget our money, our kids, and even our Disney Dining Experience cards, but we were not to forget that blessed Unofficial Guide!
He got the message, and Im sure he will never leave another Disney hotel room again without that guide in hand.
Since we were winging it, I decided wed go right into the Tree of Life and watch, Its Tough to be a Bug. I hoped that Boo would warm up inside.
That show! I actually caught myself holding my breath when the supposed bug spray was sprayed onto the audience. I had the creepy crawly willies throughout the entire show, which I guess means that the Disney Imagineers did a great job! The kids liked the show, but they both covered their eyes when the huge, life-like grasshopper came out. Dix also liked it, but didnt think it was as good as Mickeys Philharmagic.
We would have to agree to disagree.
We decided to go to Pocahontas next. As we approached the show, we stopped at a kiosk to look at the Lion King toys. The kids, of course, loved everything they saw but Boo knew better than to ask us to buy anything. Dix and I had made the rule that we would have one designated shopping time at Downtown Disney later in the trip in which they could both buy one nice souvenir, but we werent going to buy at every little gift shop we encountered. In the short time we had been on the trip, Boo was learning to really enjoy window-shopping.
While he was browsing, I stood in line at the cash register to buy a fleece hat for him to wear. He still complained of being cold and his hands and arms felt like ice. His clothes were certainly warm enough; he had actually worn the same outfit skiing in the past, but I thought if we covered his head, he might feel a little warmer.
When I was growing up, my mothers busybody cousin would constantly lecture me on the importance of wearing a hat. I can not even begin to estimate the amount of times she shrieked, You better wear a hat! A person loses 95% of his body heat through his head!! Youll get sick without a hat!
This is also the ever-advising woman who drilled the following into my head: You need a good foundation! You dont want to get droopy b**bs! (To this day, there isnt a bra in my drawer that was purchased without memories of her voice ringing in my head.)
Her other favorite was, Dont forget about your lips! Your face is not complete until you put on your lipstick!
Cousin stopped wearing lipstick and all other make-up after she stopped selling Avon. I never really noticed the state of her b**bs, but I can tell you that I have yet to see that woman without a hat if the temps dip even half a degree under 50.
As I stood there paying for that Mickey Mouse fleece hat, her shrill voice rang in my ear as if she were standing next to me. You lose 95% of your body heat out your head!
Thanks, cousin. I got it.
I shoved the hat over Boos head.
The kiosk saleswoman heard we were going to Pocahontas and gave us some very appreciated advice. Park your stroller here. Dont take it over to Pocahontas because youll lose time picking it up on the run over to Lion King. When Pocahontas is finished, run over to Lion King and dont worry about the stroller. You can return for it when Lion King is finished.
We decided to follow her advice, and I told Dix I was glad we had run into her since we werent able to consult the Unofficial Guide.
He retorted by patting my rear end.
Sis and I enjoyed Pocahontas more than Boo. He liked the animals, but he was sure that the talking scrawny tree had not been in the movie. He tried his hardest to get into a whisper argument with me about whether or not entities that had not been in the movie had a right to appear in the live show. I finally had to tell him just to be quiet.
When the show was finished we did just as the kiosk woman had advised and rushed over to Lion King. Just in time! We were seated on the last section of bleachers, about halfway up.
What words are worthy of the Lion King? Its an absolute MUST-SEE. Dixs mouth was open in awe throughout the entire show. The kids barely moved. The music had me so pumped, I wanted to get up and dance with the characters!
Boo only had one issue with that show and that was when he realized that all the characters were present except for Scar, who was portrayed through the booming voice of the big tribal chief. It didn't make sense to him that Scar wouldn't be there in person when the rest of the characters were. It didn't really make sense to me, either, and I couldn't give him an explanation. I told him to try to enjoy the show even though he recognized this discrepency. He decided to let it go, and was willing to forgive Lion King for Scar's absence much more readily than he was willing to let go of that talking scrawny tree in Pocohontas.
It is worth a trip the Animal Kingdom just to see Lion King! Dont have money for Cirque du Soleil? Go to Lion King! Dont know what to do before going to the airport? See Lion King! Dont know Okay, okay, Ill stop now. You get the picture.
Let me just say this . I can NOT wait to go back to this one!
We decided to have lunch at Pizzafari. Dix stood in line to order while the kids and I grabbed a table in one of the rooms. My heart sank when I saw Dix arrive with Boos peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It looked like a round potpie with a crust on top. It even had the potpie fork marks lining its diameter.
This was going to be a battle.
Again.
I thought that part of the reason Boo was so cold was that he hadnt eaten enough, so Dix and I had to be firm. "No matter how much that PBJ looks like a round hockey disc with bird claw prints around the sides, you will eat it."
Sorry, son.
It turned out that the round bird track PBJ potpie was the best sandwich Boo ever had. I loved it because the leftovers traveled well for a snack later in the day.
After lunch we walked through Harambe village on our way to the safari. I stopped right in the middle of the village. Those block letters on the buildings reminded me so much of Ethiopia! My family moved there when I was 11 years old and we stayed for nearly two years. If you placed a couple of glass bottles of Orange Miranda sodas on the tables, blew in the smell of eucalyptus, and took away all the tourist-y looking folk with fancy laser cameras around their necks, you could convince me that I was back in Addis Ababa.
The wait for the safari ride was very short, which surprised me given the lateness of the day. I figured the cold weather had scared people away.
We climbed into the Landrover, and I remembered my dad roaring up our driveway in Ethiopia with one of those rigs! He was taking us on a trip into the bush country and my brothers and I loved the feeling of bouncing around in that beast! We ended up on a very less traveled dirt road that eventually intersected with a wide river of mud. My dad was determined to plow through that mud hole, and kept reassuring us that we had a four-wheel drive with a winch on the front!
He backed away from the river and told us to hang on. Then he hit the accelerator and tore down the road toward the mud. We went faster, and faster, and faster until.... we hit the mud and SANK!
We crawled out of the windows when the mud reached the tops of the door handles.
Dad was mistaken. We had a four-wheel drive, but no winch on the front. There we were in bush country, stuck in a small lemon grove that probably bordered the Afar, a group that had recently castrated 5 Cubans who had ventured into their territory. Dad and Mom decided it would be best if we stayed behind while he walked to find someone to help. I sat with my mother and brothers under the lemon trees and waited for him to return. Dad has said several times that when he looked back at us sitting alone under those trees, it took all his might to keep walking away from us.
Remember the lemon grove? Ethiopia was communist at that time and so their farms were all government owned. There would be machinery on this farm, Dad was sure of it. He was right; there were workers with a tractor not too far away. They were happy to hook that tractor up to the landrover and pull it out of the mud. We were more than happy to crawl back in it and leave!
What is it with Animal Kingdom and memories? Enough, already! Back to the safari! Boo was in his element. He loved peering over the side of the landrover as it drove down the path. He liked seeing the animals, but he liked the bouncing vehicle even more. His favorite was when we drove through the water and mud puddles. I hope we dont get stuck, Mommy! The biggest mud puddle you ever saw is coming up!
Oh son, if you only knew .
By the time the safari was over, our little crew was done for the day. We went to the bus stop and waited for our Port Orleans bus. We waited, and waited, and waited. Boos behavior was less than desirable. He complained and huffed and complained some more that the bus was taking FOREVER. Thankfully no one else was at the bus stop so we just let him do his complaining.
After a while of watching these shenanigans, Dix burst out laughing. I begged to know what was so funny. He whispered, Look at our son. He looks just like Dennis the Menace.
I looked over at Boo, still wearing the round black fleece hat I had bought him earlier in the day. It sat lopsided on his head, and one ear was exposed. It was framing Boos frowning face while he paced around muttering complaints to himself because no one would listen anymore.
He DID look like Dennis the Menace!
Dix laughed even harder. Actually, he reminds me of Spanky from The Little Rascals.
He DID look like Spanky from The Little Rascals!
Boo never noticed us laughing or watching him. He continued to pace, whine and complain. I studied him really hard and then realized . It was the hat!!! The hat was turning our child into a brat!
My child was wearing a Brat Hat!!!!
Next Installment:Part 7...Why didn't I listen to Dix?
Previous Installments:
Without Usable Points, Pretrip
Part 1...We are NOT wanted by the FBI!!
Part 2...I am NOT a drug addict!!
Part 3...Who put this diaper on me?
Part 4... Just leave me for dead on the side of the road!
Part 5... Where is Dix?
The uncrustable sandwiches are available in the freezer section at your store. We get ours at Wal-mart 
