Stitchfan626
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2004
- Messages
- 18
Saturday July 31st
Cast: Me, 32 year old Disney fanatic
DW, 29 year old Disney convert
Ok, before starting the write-up for today it's necessary to provide a little background information to understand why this day went the way it did. I am a major interest in marine biology, especially oceanic mammals. My DW knows this and after I had mentioned how much I'd like to go to SeaWorld sometime (last time I had been was back when I was 10) she got us tickets. This day was more or less a wedding gift to me from her. She had no real interest but chose to come along because she knew how much I wanted to go. My DW suffers from asthma, and mold and mildew really set her off. A recent trip to the shore turned into a bit of a nightmare when the mustiness that you find at any shore house caught up with her. Needless to say, I should have thought about that ahead of time. If I had, then things probably would have gone a whole lot better. With that information in hand I now present Saturday's trip report.
The day before I had called Tiffany Towncar to confirm our 8:30 pick up to go to Seaworld. The person I had spoken to told me we would be picked up at the Customs House, so we got up, and took the internal bus for the first time. We sat outside and waited for our car . and waited .. and waited Finally I gave Tiffany a call to find out where the heck our driver was. Well, it turns out that the driver was going to pick us up at our building, not the Customs House. In addition, they had the wrong building number. It turned out he was on his way to the Customs House when we called. Shortly thereafter he showed up and we were off to Seaworld. I was excited to see what Seaworld had to offer, but DW was immediately unimpressed. Right as you walk in they have photographers to take family pictures, just like in the Disney parks. The difference is that in the 4 Disney parks there is a notable backdrop for the pictures (castle, spaceship earth, etc) but there wasn't anything of note here. The other thing she noticed right away was the smell. Seaworld has a very musty smell to it, which is to be expected because of all the water, but it really bothered DW. I could tell pretty much from the start that this was not going to be a good experience, but I tried to be optimistic and thought that she might get into things more as the day progressed.
We headed into the park and briefly stopped by the stingray pool. I wanted to stay and pet and touch the rays, but DW sort of hung back so I decided to move on, still hoping she might find something she might enjoy. The next stop was the Dolphin Cove. We arrived just as they were starting the first feeding time for the day and we stood around a bit watching the dolphins and taking pictures. We even got to pet one a bit. DW seemed to like this a bit, but still, I could tell she wasn't thrilled, and the heat of the day was starting to build. We then went and saw the manatees. I love these poor creatures and while it's heartbreaking to see how badly they've been injured by man's carelessness, it is good that there are facilities like Seaworld that are trying to save them. We went down to the underwater viewing area to look at them some more, and DW was REALLY unhappy. Because it was dark and damp, the musty smell was really heavy, so she walked out while I took some pictures. Again, I hoped to make things better so, since the dolphin show was starting we went in and took a look. The beginning was a fairly typical display of dolphin behavior and abilities (remember, I love marine life so while I was impressed, it wasn't anything I hadn't seen before). It was the false killer whales that were of interest to me. I had never seen these before, and I really enjoyed learning a bit more about them and seeing what they were capable of. Well, while the show was enjoyable, DW was still unhappy, as there just wasn't enough shade. I thought it might be a good idea to get out of the bright sun for awhile so we went over and took a look at the penguin house where it's shaded and a lot cooler. After that we went over to the shark area, and DW seemed to be a bit happier, as this area is also out of the heat of the day. After riding the moving walkway I figured it would probably be best if we left as DW just wasn't happy. I did want to at least see Shamu before leaving and I lucked out and got to Shamu Stadium just as the show was starting. Again, the show was good, but there really wasn't much that I didn't already know or have seen elsewhere. As the show ended, DW and I agreed that we'd give our driver a call to come pick us up and head back to Disney. Our driver was surprised to hear from us so soon since we had originally planned to spend the day at Seaworld, but he told us he'd be there in about 20 minutes. We did a bit of shopping and headed to the front of the park, stopping briefly to get an Italian ice to help cool things off. We left park after spending only half a day there and decided we'd take a look at the Passporter to find someplace to dine for the evening, and also work out what we wanted to do.
Having arrived back at Trinidad North we figured we'd rest a bit, then head over to OPR for lunch. Well, it was at this point that I did the most embarrassing thing on the whole trip; I broke the bed. I had sat down on the very edge of the bed when there was this twangy thud sound. I took a look and discovered that one of the support beams that hold up the mattress and split box spring had ripped out of the frame. I was too embarrassed to call maintenance, so DW did (a honeymooning couple breaking the bed? Hmmm ). Well, it wasn't too long before somebody showed up and took a look at the bed. Turns out that whoever put the bed together originally didn't use the correct screws, so the holes in the frame itself were stripped. He decided the best course of action was to replace the whole side of the bed. DW and I decided not to stick around and bother him so we grabbed our refillable mugs and walked over to OPR (we offered to get him something, which seemed to surprise him, but he didn't want anything).
We spent an hour or so over at OPR having lunch and then playing some games in the arcade. We found one undersea game by SEGA (don't remember the name) that we really liked in particular. After burning all the quarters we had with us we filled our mugs one more time (got to get our money's worth from them) and headed back to the room. When we got back, the bed was back in one piece and it was clear that housekeeping had come and remade the bed (ok, I'm assuming that last part since I don't think Maintenance staff usually makes up beds so nicely, but I could be wrong). Since it was still so hot out, we decided to watch some TV and take a nap.
I can't remember what we saw that did it, but when the dinner hour came along we both had a hankering for some chili. So, we pulled out our handy dandy passporter and saw that they served chili at Pecos Bill's at MK. Problem solved. Off to MK we went. We walked down Main Street as the sun was setting and headed straight to Pecos Bill's. The chili was quite good and the fixings bar for the hamburgers was impressive (only place I've seen with grilled mushrooms). Over dinner DW mentioned the game we had played that afternoon, and I told her about the arcade over by Space Mountain. She had been inside so we walked over there and played around a bit more. From there we went over to Buzz Lightyear and since the line wasn't long we decided to go and ride it. For those of you paying attention this was DW's chance to finally take advantage of Patty's (our server at Liberty Tree Tavern) hint. Well DW did improve her score, the problem is I figured out where she was shooting and used the same target! Much to DW's disgust I still beat her. Well, that didnt' sit well with her at all so we went back around and tried again. After our second trip we decided we'd had enough and decided to enjoy the night air on the TTA. As I have said before I really love this ride, but doing it at night is even better. We just sat together and enjoyed the cool night breeze, the lights of the park, and each other's company. When we got to the end of the ride we asked the CM if we could go around again, and she smiled and said sure (the area was pretty empty really) so we took another spin. As we rode this time we noticed that despite it being so late COP was still open. Well, we weren't going to miss a chance to see that! We wandered over and went inside . Only to find the whole place empty! We were so excited because we were able to sit right up front and nobody else was around well that is until a father and his daughter joined us. We warned them that we were fans and that we'd be singing along, but they didn't seem to distraught. By the end of the first part we had the father singing right along with us! As the ride came to a close we walked out to find that Wishes was just starting. We stood in Tomorrowland by the walkway to Fantasyland and enjoyed the show. When the fireworks ended we slowly made our way through the crowds to the front of the park, and took a bus back to CBR to get some rest.
Next: Our Disney Honeymoon: Day 8: "Victoria and Albert. 'Nuff said."
Cast: Me, 32 year old Disney fanatic
DW, 29 year old Disney convert
Ok, before starting the write-up for today it's necessary to provide a little background information to understand why this day went the way it did. I am a major interest in marine biology, especially oceanic mammals. My DW knows this and after I had mentioned how much I'd like to go to SeaWorld sometime (last time I had been was back when I was 10) she got us tickets. This day was more or less a wedding gift to me from her. She had no real interest but chose to come along because she knew how much I wanted to go. My DW suffers from asthma, and mold and mildew really set her off. A recent trip to the shore turned into a bit of a nightmare when the mustiness that you find at any shore house caught up with her. Needless to say, I should have thought about that ahead of time. If I had, then things probably would have gone a whole lot better. With that information in hand I now present Saturday's trip report.
The day before I had called Tiffany Towncar to confirm our 8:30 pick up to go to Seaworld. The person I had spoken to told me we would be picked up at the Customs House, so we got up, and took the internal bus for the first time. We sat outside and waited for our car . and waited .. and waited Finally I gave Tiffany a call to find out where the heck our driver was. Well, it turns out that the driver was going to pick us up at our building, not the Customs House. In addition, they had the wrong building number. It turned out he was on his way to the Customs House when we called. Shortly thereafter he showed up and we were off to Seaworld. I was excited to see what Seaworld had to offer, but DW was immediately unimpressed. Right as you walk in they have photographers to take family pictures, just like in the Disney parks. The difference is that in the 4 Disney parks there is a notable backdrop for the pictures (castle, spaceship earth, etc) but there wasn't anything of note here. The other thing she noticed right away was the smell. Seaworld has a very musty smell to it, which is to be expected because of all the water, but it really bothered DW. I could tell pretty much from the start that this was not going to be a good experience, but I tried to be optimistic and thought that she might get into things more as the day progressed.
We headed into the park and briefly stopped by the stingray pool. I wanted to stay and pet and touch the rays, but DW sort of hung back so I decided to move on, still hoping she might find something she might enjoy. The next stop was the Dolphin Cove. We arrived just as they were starting the first feeding time for the day and we stood around a bit watching the dolphins and taking pictures. We even got to pet one a bit. DW seemed to like this a bit, but still, I could tell she wasn't thrilled, and the heat of the day was starting to build. We then went and saw the manatees. I love these poor creatures and while it's heartbreaking to see how badly they've been injured by man's carelessness, it is good that there are facilities like Seaworld that are trying to save them. We went down to the underwater viewing area to look at them some more, and DW was REALLY unhappy. Because it was dark and damp, the musty smell was really heavy, so she walked out while I took some pictures. Again, I hoped to make things better so, since the dolphin show was starting we went in and took a look. The beginning was a fairly typical display of dolphin behavior and abilities (remember, I love marine life so while I was impressed, it wasn't anything I hadn't seen before). It was the false killer whales that were of interest to me. I had never seen these before, and I really enjoyed learning a bit more about them and seeing what they were capable of. Well, while the show was enjoyable, DW was still unhappy, as there just wasn't enough shade. I thought it might be a good idea to get out of the bright sun for awhile so we went over and took a look at the penguin house where it's shaded and a lot cooler. After that we went over to the shark area, and DW seemed to be a bit happier, as this area is also out of the heat of the day. After riding the moving walkway I figured it would probably be best if we left as DW just wasn't happy. I did want to at least see Shamu before leaving and I lucked out and got to Shamu Stadium just as the show was starting. Again, the show was good, but there really wasn't much that I didn't already know or have seen elsewhere. As the show ended, DW and I agreed that we'd give our driver a call to come pick us up and head back to Disney. Our driver was surprised to hear from us so soon since we had originally planned to spend the day at Seaworld, but he told us he'd be there in about 20 minutes. We did a bit of shopping and headed to the front of the park, stopping briefly to get an Italian ice to help cool things off. We left park after spending only half a day there and decided we'd take a look at the Passporter to find someplace to dine for the evening, and also work out what we wanted to do.
Having arrived back at Trinidad North we figured we'd rest a bit, then head over to OPR for lunch. Well, it was at this point that I did the most embarrassing thing on the whole trip; I broke the bed. I had sat down on the very edge of the bed when there was this twangy thud sound. I took a look and discovered that one of the support beams that hold up the mattress and split box spring had ripped out of the frame. I was too embarrassed to call maintenance, so DW did (a honeymooning couple breaking the bed? Hmmm ). Well, it wasn't too long before somebody showed up and took a look at the bed. Turns out that whoever put the bed together originally didn't use the correct screws, so the holes in the frame itself were stripped. He decided the best course of action was to replace the whole side of the bed. DW and I decided not to stick around and bother him so we grabbed our refillable mugs and walked over to OPR (we offered to get him something, which seemed to surprise him, but he didn't want anything).
We spent an hour or so over at OPR having lunch and then playing some games in the arcade. We found one undersea game by SEGA (don't remember the name) that we really liked in particular. After burning all the quarters we had with us we filled our mugs one more time (got to get our money's worth from them) and headed back to the room. When we got back, the bed was back in one piece and it was clear that housekeeping had come and remade the bed (ok, I'm assuming that last part since I don't think Maintenance staff usually makes up beds so nicely, but I could be wrong). Since it was still so hot out, we decided to watch some TV and take a nap.
I can't remember what we saw that did it, but when the dinner hour came along we both had a hankering for some chili. So, we pulled out our handy dandy passporter and saw that they served chili at Pecos Bill's at MK. Problem solved. Off to MK we went. We walked down Main Street as the sun was setting and headed straight to Pecos Bill's. The chili was quite good and the fixings bar for the hamburgers was impressive (only place I've seen with grilled mushrooms). Over dinner DW mentioned the game we had played that afternoon, and I told her about the arcade over by Space Mountain. She had been inside so we walked over there and played around a bit more. From there we went over to Buzz Lightyear and since the line wasn't long we decided to go and ride it. For those of you paying attention this was DW's chance to finally take advantage of Patty's (our server at Liberty Tree Tavern) hint. Well DW did improve her score, the problem is I figured out where she was shooting and used the same target! Much to DW's disgust I still beat her. Well, that didnt' sit well with her at all so we went back around and tried again. After our second trip we decided we'd had enough and decided to enjoy the night air on the TTA. As I have said before I really love this ride, but doing it at night is even better. We just sat together and enjoyed the cool night breeze, the lights of the park, and each other's company. When we got to the end of the ride we asked the CM if we could go around again, and she smiled and said sure (the area was pretty empty really) so we took another spin. As we rode this time we noticed that despite it being so late COP was still open. Well, we weren't going to miss a chance to see that! We wandered over and went inside . Only to find the whole place empty! We were so excited because we were able to sit right up front and nobody else was around well that is until a father and his daughter joined us. We warned them that we were fans and that we'd be singing along, but they didn't seem to distraught. By the end of the first part we had the father singing right along with us! As the ride came to a close we walked out to find that Wishes was just starting. We stood in Tomorrowland by the walkway to Fantasyland and enjoyed the show. When the fireworks ended we slowly made our way through the crowds to the front of the park, and took a bus back to CBR to get some rest.
Next: Our Disney Honeymoon: Day 8: "Victoria and Albert. 'Nuff said."
