Our Magically Dysfunctional Gathering

[DisneyMissy318]

I'm in! WOW is all I can say! Can't wait to hear the rest... I hope you guys were able to salvage the trip in the end for your DS's sake! (What a cutie!!)

~M~

 

[luvpooh]

Wow, I don't know whether to laugh or cry! I'm really enjoying your trip report, sorry it had to be this enjoyable at your expense though!
It is making me reconsider the big family gathering that's being talked about for this coming April, I can tell you that much!
Your son is such a cutie pie!
Hurry back to post more! Don't leave us hanging.

 

[tammyandtommy]

Totally loving your trip report, it sounds like what it would be like if I asked my family o come with us!

I would have been star struck to see Kelly Ripa there! Gosh I just love that girl, cant miss her and regis in the am

 

[bushdianee]

subbing

 

[pilgrimage]

I love your sense of humor and writing style.
Congratulations on choosing a healthier approach to life
that was modeled for you. You're a true hero!!!

 

[Lauralee131]

I'm in! WOW is all I can say! Can't wait to hear the rest... I hope you guys were able to salvage the trip in the end for your DS's sake! (What a cutie!!)

~M~

Thanks Missy - Let's just say that there were a few "salvageable" moments, but we're taking a mulligan and going back in December...just the 3 of us!! Can't wait!

Thanks for reading and I'll post more as soon as can!

 

[Lauralee131]

Wow, I don't know whether to laugh or cry! I'm really enjoying your trip report, sorry it had to be this enjoyable at your expense though!
It is making me reconsider the big family gathering that's being talked about for this coming April, I can tell you that much!
Your son is such a cutie pie!
Hurry back to post more! Don't leave us hanging.

Thanks luvpooh - I've found that sometimes you need to laugh to keep from crying!! I'll post more as soon as I can...I'll have a pretty busy few days in St. Louis so I may not get to do more until Sunday night...thanks so much for tuning in on a vacation I would like to have tuned out!!

 

[Lauralee131]

Totally loving your trip report, it sounds like what it would be like if I asked my family o come with us!

I would have been star struck to see Kelly Ripa there! Gosh I just love that girl, cant miss her and regis in the am

Thanks tammyandtommy!! Appreciate your reading my trippie...I really like Kelly Ripa too - I would have liked to have talked to her, but really didn't want to intrude, ya know? Ah well....there's always next time! "Stalk you later, Kelly!!"

 

[Lauralee131]

I love your sense of humor and writing style.
Congratulations on choosing a healthier approach to life
that was modeled for you. You're a true hero!!!

Very sweet of you, Pilgrimage...thanks so much!! Appreciate it!! And thanks for reading!

 

[Lauralee131]

Thanks everyone for reading!! I appreciate it - Misery Loves Company and all that!


I post more of our Mis-Adventures as soon as I can!! Hmmm...this has been very helpful to me...like free therapy!!

And remember Mousketeers....friends don't let friends take family members on vacation!!!!

Come on everyone...you know the words...

Cruella DeVil, Cruella DeVil,
If she doesn't scare you,
No evil thing will....

 

[Nurse_Mommy4]

I like your writing style.

as I was reading your last installment.....all I kept thinking is....Cruella's coming back....just wait and see; she'll be back.

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoying reading ~ Thanx for sharing.

 

[Lauralee131]

I awoke that morning early, yet again, and yes – again, my guys are still sleeping. I make myself a pot of coffee and go outside to visit my duck friends “Donald and Daisy”…haven’t come up with a name for the baby yet…I’ll think of something. They’re cute though…mom is very attentive to the little one and none of the 3 are scared of me at all…they come and just hang around by my feet…occasionally leaving to go and leave “the morning paper” for Cruella and Horace…this I find very funny…our patio is always clean, theirs…well, it’s a crappy situation for them, let’s just say that.

Anywhooo…today we’re supposed to go to Animal Kingdom. That was the plan…my plan, because no one else wanted to come up with any ideas, remember? I told them over and over again that we should get there really early and do the safari first, so this should not have been a surprise to anyone. I found out the EE is having a preview for DVC and AP holders…I am now very angry at myself as I just about twisted my brain in knots deciding whether or not to buy an AP, but in the end we got the MYW package with the Dining Plan. Loving the dining plan so far kids, gotta tell ya… I try to rouse the troops a bit around 6:30 and then went outside for a cup-a-joe and my morning nicotine fix. I sit there, enjoying the morning quiet and then I hear it…that unmistakable smoker’s cough of Cruella’s…GULP…well, here goes…go over there, I tell myself…just do it fast like ripping off a band-aid. I walk around my patio to say good morning. I scared her as she didn’t know I was outside. Dang it! I had a free pass there for a minute and I blew it. Nice going, eh? Surprisingly enough, Cruella was in a decent mood. Guess they “kissed and made up”? She said that they ended up going to Downtown Disney and walked around and shopped a bit and got in real late. Apparently all is well in their world again, whatever the heck planet that is!



Now I need to back up a bit, before I go further into our trip. This will explain things further on down the road. Money has been a big concern for Cruella, way back since we began planning this trip. You wouldn’t know it judging by the amount of money she’s spending in every single shop she’s walked by so far…and we all know how many shops there are in Disney World! And since this is her first vacation in 20-odd years, she feels the need to buy everyone, and I mean everyone a gift from Disney World. She’ll hoard her snack credits so she doesn’t have to use cash or burn thru her credits, so when we’re walking thru the parks and we stop to get snacks and drinks, which, with a 4 year old and a Hungry Man, is often, she’ll put on this big show…”Well, I don’t really have the money, but I’ll use our snack credits for dinner tonight and Horace and I will split a bottle of water and a pretzel for lunch”…so of course, I feel bad and I buy them each a bottle of water and a pretzel, or whatever it is we’re getting. Now, I’m all about family and sharing, etc…but nine days of this garbage can really grate on a person’s nerves, ESPECIALLY when after they down the free food I just bought for them, go into the nearest gift shop and buy souvenirs for the UPS man and her hair stylist!! I continue to remind myself not to do this again…why don’t I listen??? Where the heck is Jiminy Cricket when I need him?? So anyway, where this is going, is that Cruella has been saying that she was going to rent a car and go to Wal-Mart and an outlet mall that “So-and-So” (you know, I’m really getting to hate these people) told her to go to so she can get cheap Disney stuff. Now, I ever so gently ask, as we don’t want Mt. Cruella to erupt, why would you spend the money on a rental car, yada yada yada…every day she’s said that she’s going to go and do that tomorrow. GREAT, I think (and sing to myself)…Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya Tomorrow!! You’re only a day away…..”

Will tomorrow EVER come?!?! I’m really looking forward to having a free day. Originally she’d been talking of going to Sea World because “So-and-So” told her that if she went to Florida, she HAD to visit Sea World. I emphatically told her I would not go…I’m not leaving Disney property…simple as that. BUT she is insisting on going to Wal-Mart. So each day I try to plant the thought in her head just to get rid of her for a day, and I make my plans clear, that while she’s doing that, we’re going to Downtown Disney or whatever it was that I said.



So now, remember the above paragraph students, you will be quizzed on it later…Ok? So moving on…



I try and get Cruella motivated to go to Animal Kingdom, want to get there early, blah blah blah…it is now clear to me, that she has no intention of going anywhere early. Nope. Horace is still sleeping and now, it’s show time. I get the preview of all the little chotchki things she bought the last 2 days, along with a big narrative of who each item is for. I finally excuse myself and say I’m going to get ready to go…I hear a low growl behind me but do not turn around to acknowledge it…it’s better that way. I get my boys up and moving and DS, bless his little heart, wants his aunt and uncle…somehow he ends up in their room and I go get him to get him dressed and it was like walking into a bar when I went into their room…like a foggy day and man, did it stink…And the room itself? A pig-sty…Now, I may be a weirdo, but I clean my room each morning before Mousekeeping comes to clean it. DH doesn’t lift a finger, which stresses me out, but I make the beds, rinse out coffee cups, put all of my makeup, etc away, put dirty towels on the edge of tub and leave a cutely decorated envelope with $5 each day and I write a simple thank you note on it. Cruella, come to find out…for the last 2 days has left her “privacy please” sign out so she wouldn’t have to tip…Nice, huh? This infuriates me…her bathroom is disgusting, the table where the coffee maker is, is covered with spilled coffee, sugar and other gooey stuff…and today she decides that she’s going to leave Mousekeeping $2 because she’s out of towels…I try a little psychology on her and mention that I want to finish straightening up my room before we go and then she uses the old “I’m on vacation” line again…I don’t even want to discuss it any more…



As you can probably guess, it’s now much later than I wanted to leave and Cruella insists we wait for them to go to the bus stop…I swear, she walked slower and slower each time just to make me angry…I finally get EVERYONE together and we go up and over to the exit to the bus stop and I hear, “Wait just a second…I just want to look at something”…and she’s gone…where? In the Mercantile, where she visits twice a day religiously…That’s it – I’m not waiting…they’re old enough to find their way to the bus stop and they know where we're heading - let’s go boys! Well, Karma spit on me today, because the bus took forever to get there and by the time it did, Cruella had already caught up with us and don’t think I didn’t get the horns and the hairy eyeball for “ditching” them. If only such a dream world existed, right?



Well, we get to AK and it’s mobbed…EE preview and all that, and we walk into the park amidst complaints of yet another day of walking and waiting in lines. I swear I am going to snap by the end of this trip! I want a photo pass of my family in front of the tree of life and Cruella and Horace hop right in…Yeah, sure – great…and don’t worry – I’ll buy the pictures…I know you don’t have much money…I get one of DS alone too - the Photopass photographer made the mistaking of asking DS to say "cheese", which automatically makes him do this "I'm pooping" face...

So after the pictures, we’re barely over the bridge and now they want to stop for breakfast…They nickel and dime breakfast, whining just loud enough for me to hear that they’re going to split a bagel and I simply walk away…not falling for that one again. By the time we get to the safari, it’s hot – very hot and most of the animals have gone into hiding…but we had good seats and the few we saw were great. We got to see the new baby elephant and got some good giraffe sightings too...

We walked the expedition trail – is that what it’s called? You know what I mean, when you get off the ride…? I don't have my park map handy to check my facts. And we wandered on to catch (luckily, because certain people were dragging their feet) the Festival of the Lion King…can’t even tell you how much I enjoyed that…DS sang Hakuna Matata for the rest of our trip…too cute…And, hang on to your hats people – Cruella actually enjoyed it too!!!

After that, we wandered around a bit – this was actually our first time to AK and doing it with reluctant walkers on a hot day isn’t the most productive way to do Disney. Am I right? Am I right?? We hit a few more areas and again, Cruella is hungry…all that walking on only a half a bagel…well, that won’t get you very far…they insist on walking the entire park looking for a nice, sit down restaurant…I tried explaining…but who listens to me? We end up at McDonalds. I told everyone that we had dinner ressie’s at Rainforest and they shouldn’t fill up. I reminded Cruella that RC isn’t in the Dining Plan and she complained of course, but when I told her that they could go back to the hotel and eat and we'd stay, she was fine with it….YAY!! We did a couple of rides, none of which Cruella and Horace rode…they simply waited for us, following us around (like 2 slow old dogs that complained a lot). We – my boys and me – did Kali and got SOAKED, but it was a hot day so it was great…I had a change of clothes for DS, luckily and decided to skip the ponchos as the few people that were coming off the ride were practically bone dry. Everyone must have been over at EE because we walked right on Kali and could have done so several times in a row…Since Cruella was going to be hanging out – just waiting for us – I asked her to take a picture of us on Kali…sure, sure…no problem. Nope – she forgot…went shopping…bought a beach towel for the mailman or somebody. Ah well…such is life…we meander thru the park and catch the Jammin' Jungle Parade and she lightens up a bit and DS is LOVING it…the characters seemed to pay him special attention so it was cute to see.

Now it rains a bit as the parade ends so we seek shelter and here they go…they’re not walking any more until they have a cigarette…Well, there’s no smoking area right here, let’s go find one…Nope…not good enough…right here is fine. I take my son and we stroll, chatting about how Timon remembered him and came to say Hi to him during the parade. We did end up doing Dinosaur at some point that day, but I can’t remember if it was before or after the parade…It may have been after the McDonalds. The day was a blur of wandering around and shopping. Cruella bought herself a lovely hat, as did I, which I still really like to this day! Dinosaur was a bit of a rough ride and frightened DS a bit, but afterward he loved it. I enjoyed it too, but left there feeling like I needed a chiropractor. Man I hate getting old…


I love this park…looking forward to going back and enjoying it…loved seeing the animals and just wandering around…I think we’ll pay a visit to the AKL as well in December…I’d like to see that too. The Tree of Life was mind blowing. The level of detail was incredible and all through the park it’s evident that yet again, Disney has not missed a trick.

Just once before I die I hope to work on a construction project at a Disney park…I would imagine that it’s probably pretty stressful, with a tight schedule, but to someday be able to say that I worked on something that millions of people will flock to see…that’s job satisfaction!! Can you imagine being a part of the crew that worked on the Tree of Life?

We went into It’s Tough to be a Bug…what a fabulous show!! Gives all new meaning to 3D…loved it, loved it and screamed like a 5 year old little girl when I thought there was a bug on me!


Oh and we really got to use Pal Mickey today and it amazed me how smart the little guy is…especially as you enter the park where the various birds, etc. are…he was right on the money and I enjoyed hearing him!! Carried him for the rest of our trip. Did I mention that I actually bought him for DS? I told myself that he was just too young to appreciate him!



Ok, off to Rainforest Café we go. Oh boy – a gift shop. The janitor at her son’s old high school is probably next on her gift list…wonder what she’ll buy him!?!?



As we sit and get menu’s, they start…oh, it’s awfully expensive…I suppose we could split something…This crap is getting so old…we need a separate booth just to hold all her shopping bags, but they’re going to split an appetizer for dinner? Fine with me…I’m on vacation and I’m going to eat like it! DS has to go potty so he and I go and take the walk…when we get back, the atmosphere has changed at the table…it’s lighter…Cruella and Horace now have large tropical drinks in front of them…they’re ordering all kinds of appetizers…Now I’m happy for them that they decided to splurge…They deserve it! We deserve it too…I was splurging anyway, but since they’re now splurging and ordering the most expensive of everything on the menu…I don’t have to feel guilty for enjoying a night out. Well, it was a long, leisurely dinner and before we knew it, we were the last people in the place. An employee of RC tells us that there’s a WL bus waiting for us…wow, how’s that for service? The bill comes and it’s nearly $300.00 for the 5 of us…did you all catch that? I said the FIVE OF US…Out comes DH’s Disney Visa and he pays for dinner…Cruella is now in a great mood…a few drinks, an expensive FREE dinner…wouldn’t you be too?? Apparently they cried the blues about this place not being on dining plan and not having any money…must’ve been while I was in the ladies’ room…



We get back to the hotel and before we put DS to bed I tell the others that DS and I are going to the beach to watch the EWP. Each night I’ve wanted to and no on else has, so I am just going to go by myself. I watched it with MY mother years and years ago, and now DS would watch it with me. It was a major deciding factor for me when choosing hotels. I love the EWP…always have and always will. The others grudgingly follow me to the beach and I fill their heads with stories of being a kid and watching it with my mom and how awesome it is and stuff and Cruella hated it…”That’s IT? I don’t know what the big deal is – I’m going back to my room”…I decide that some people just can not be reasoned with and they head back. I stayed behind on the beach for a few, at this point pretty miserable and fighting back tears. I got myself together and went back to the room and I put DS to bed, and the grown ups decide to hang out a bit. I’m going to have a drink…somehow all of the sodas we bought ended up in Cruella and Horace’s fridge…go figure. I get myself a soda, and mix myself a cocktail and I hear “What the XXXX – are you going to be that XXXXing greedy that you can’t share??! Where’s my drink? I want one too?!” Think again Mousketeers…this time, it’s Horace!! The spineless idiot picks NOW, after a $300 free dinner, and in the mood that I am in, to demand that I share MY liquor with him??! Ok, I’ve bought them Mickey Bars, Turkey Legs, Steak and Seafood dinners….Let me think about it…Ummmm….NO…You cannot have any. You want to have a drink?? Go to the bar…Go to Pleasure Island…How about this – just GO AWAY…I don’t know what to tell ya…I don’t have a square to spare…He got mad and stormed into his room...and stayed there.



Tomorrow’s my birthday…We will be the flag family!!! Hooray!! I am really looking forward to this. We received our letter while we were out telling us to be at the front desk by a certain time…Can’t recall exactly what time it was, but it was early. I remind Cruella and Horace about Flag Family and they complain about the early time, but say they’re looking forward to going. Cruella and I take a walk up to the Mercantile because I wanted to pick up something for my mom and Cruella…well, she’d only been in the store once today and who knows, they may have gotten new merchandise in? Well, we’ll have to look and see. I end up buying my mom a charm bracelet and got one for myself too. I really was enjoying picking out our charms…I wear that bracelet constantly to this day. Cruella decides to get some as well…Notice I said SOME…she bought charm bracelets for quite a few people…the receptionist at work, etc. I remind her not to forget the paper boy with a snarky smirk…she doesn’t get it and asks me, “Should I really get him something?”



Yes, sarcasm is just another service I offer!! Unfortunately, my art is just lost on some people. Say goodnight Gracie…another day is done.

 

[pigletforever]

Welcome back. All I can say is you have the patience of a Saint. I would have unloaded ages ago on them.

 

[Adi12982]

WOW - I want to give you a hug. I do not know how you put up with all of this, OR why you let you DH pay for them AND why you buy them so many things. . . I would not, actually happened once on a trip I went on, we were paying for everything and they got wet on a ride and decided to buy a $60+ outfit, I drew the line there. . . You are a better person than me!

 

[Lauralee131]

Well, I’m sitting in the Charolotte, NC airport as I’m typing this…seminar has come and gone and I’ve got a 2 hour layover before I get on my last plane home. I never did get to upload my last entry…our seminars turn out to be gigantic 3 day parties, sandwiched between 2 days of sitting in a freezing ballroom from 8am to 5pm and each night I stayed out wayyyy too late and drank wayyyyy too much and to be honest with you all, I probably couldn’t have even figured out how to turn this laptop on if I wanted to! So I sit here in the Budweiser lounge, drowning my sorrow over my Yankees loss in a Jack and Coke and a really bad pre-made pizza…



Ok, so where was I? Oh, MY BIRTHDAY!! YAY!! My boys are actually up early today and I quickly shower and dress as I wanted to be early for our big Flag Family event…I didn’t even bother bugging Cruella and Horace…they knew what time we had to be upstairs in the lobby so I figured they’d be there…I dress DS and I in our Magical Gathering sweatshirts as it’s pretty cold out this morning and we get ready to head up to the lobby. As we’re getting ready to walk out the door, the phone rings…I answer it to hear my mother singing Happy Birthday to me. I immediately got choked up. How sweet of her to call me all the way in Florida for my birthday! What a nice surprise…finally, slightly choked up turned to tears. Maybe because it had been such a bad week so far (for the most part), and partly because hearing her voice while I was back at Disney World brought back a flood of memories. I don’t know, but what I did know was I loved her for it. I chatted with her for a few minutes and she said she’d let me go as she knew we had plans, but wanted to make sure that she got to speak with me. Love you for that, Mommy! Ok, so I gather my head together and up to the lobby we go! Unfortunately I didn’t write down the wonderful CM’s names from this great time, but I appreciated their spending time with us…they were friendly and informative, giving us all kinds of behind the scenes tours and stories of this beautiful hotel…and then we made the big walk up to the roof. It’s windy and chilly, but the view is spectacular…each way you turn you can see the parks and beyond.

The castle looked beautiful from up above the trees, and we began the flag flying…we heard the background of each flag and got to hook them on the ropes and raise them…DS loved it and eventually let me help him with one. Notice the rope around his foot (below) - that could've been hairy!

They told us, make sure when you go down towards the boat, to stop and take a picture of the flags and you can tell your friends that you raised them…good piece of advice…I probably wouldn’t have thought to do that.

When we were done with the last flag, they took some pictures of us and then when we got back downstairs they gave us a really nice certificate to keep…and guess what? As we got back down to the lobby, there’s Cruella coming out of the Mercantile…uh oh – I think she looks mad…Yep, she definitely looks mad…I got a hard time for leaving without them and pretty much said well, you didn’t seem to crazy about getting up and out so early and we had to be here at a certain time and you didn’t show up…Too bad, how sad…So, I try to get everyone to get moving so we can get out to the MK so I can pick up my birthday button and get a decently early start for a change, but no…Cruella said we need to stop back at the room first…UGH…FINE…just make it quick! We walked into our room to drop off our certificate and stuff and now DH is stalling…I’m getting frustrated…he said that Cruella needed to do something and we had to wait. Uh uh, no way…let’s go – and I’m on my way out the door…he distracts me for a minute and Cruella slithers in thru the patio door all in a panic and says we need to wait for just a few minutes, she’s waiting for something…I can see that she’s anxious and getting mad…Great. Here we go again…with that, a knock on my door comes…Cruella looks excited and tells me to answer it….when I do, a lovely CM is there with a big card and a bunch of balloons and wishes me a happy birthday…I open it up to see a picture of Mickey and the gang and all the characters signed it and wrote little messages on it!! Oh no, here come the water works again!!! Cruella reappears with a box with a postcard taped to it – a birthday present!! YAY!! I hope there isn’t a severed head or a dalmation coat in there or something!! I open it up and it turns out to be the backpack that I’ve been eyeing in the Mercantile all week and haven’t wanted to buy for myself…how sweet…Maybe Sybill has left the building!! I thank her profusely with hugs and kisses and then again try and gather the group to head to the park…NO...they all want to have breakfast now…Fine, I think, she bought me a present and look – it’s nearly 10am and she hasn’t bitten my head off yet, ok, let’s go have a good breakfast…I suggest we head to Chef Mickey’s but they insist on eating at Whispering Canyon…they’re hungry and have to eat right now, before they go anywhere…I had no idea I was being set up…


We were in the middle of eating breakfast when our server announces to whole place that it’s my birthday…a round of applause comes out of our fellow diners, I thank them, and am a little embarrassed…that wasn’t too bad though, I think…but then…he proceeds to tell the entire restaurant that I’m insisting that I’m 29 today and because I lied in, of all places, Walt Disney World, I now have to ride a stick pony around the restaurant singing happy birthday to myself…

Well, somehow I managed to get the courage…thanks to the applause and cheering and flying napkins, so I do it…well, I try to do it, but I’m so embarrassed and laughing that I probably sounded like Cameron Diaz in the karaoke bar in My Best Friend’s Wedding…

who knows, but because I didn’t sing it loud enough, I now had to ride the pony all around the lobby, and sing it again, as loud as I possibly could…Oh great – hey look, a whole busload of Magical Express riders is now in the lobby checking in…GULP…well, I managed to do it, still laughing just as hard and as loud as before, but ended up having a great time and got a pony express certificate for my efforts, and finally everyone else sang to ME for a change! We got back to eating breakfast, enjoying the horror of the poor family who asked for ketchup and then DS got to have his little pony ride around the restaurant and then got to take the oath not to go to Universal Studios…cute…good stuff! They picked Cruella to hand out the pony express certificates to the kids and she actually enjoyed it and didn’t kick any of them or yell at them…Guess it’s going to be a good day!

Ok, finally we get to MK, get a stroller and I get my birthday button!! DS and I got our pictures taken with Goofy and everywhere we wandered people wished me a happy birthday…I tried to get everyone together for a photopass shot, but they ditched me and so I got my picture taken alone. The heck with them all! It’s all about me today anyway, right?

We cruised thru MK, doing the jungle cruise, which DS LOVED by the way. He got to sit up front, but darn it – they wouldn’t let him drive…he only pouted for a minute though (Thanks again Mr. Southwest McDreamy).

I still really enjoy that ride and DS loved seeing the animals. He was absolutely amazed that we were able to get that close to them! It’s a classic and a “must-do” if you ask me – I ride this one every time. We did the Tiki Room and although it was cute “under new management”, I think I prefer the old one. We finally got to POTC and DS went bananas…loved it, loved it, can’t tell you how much. He did a little happy dance and sang "Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life For ME!!"

Since we had PS’s at the Yachtsman for dinner and then an Illuminations cruise afterward, we decide to head to Epcot. We got to sit in the front of the monorail, (Cruella and Horace didn’t want to? What’s up with that? Doesn’t everyone want to? Just once?) and Michael proceeded to pout…why? Because he couldn’t drive…silly boy he won’t give up!

I had just one thing I insisted on doing at Epcot – don’t care what else we do…I want to ride Soarin’. We go straight there after getting a stroller and there’s a decent sized wait so we grab Fast Passes…The grumbling over waiting in lines and walking are starting to get louder and louder…FINE…we’ll hit it later on…actually it was a good thing, because we really did need to start heading to dinner to make it on time…We get there and get seated right away and proceed to order appetizers…we ordered these scallops that were HUGE…too big and not cooked all the way thru…I nibbled the outside edges and gave up…they didn’t taste as yummy as the menu sounded…Dinner itself was delicious…the drinks were strong and going down fast. Desserts were awesome and gorgeous…it was almost a shame to eat them...and silly me – I forgot to take pictures of them before we dove in. They really were pretty enough to take pictures of! As we proceed to pay our check the waiter comes back and tells us that we don’t have enough TS credits left on our dining plan! WHAT?!?! I insist there must be some mistake and he apologizes and says that he must insist on having a credit card…Tonight’s dinner bill came out to - GULP - $325.00…Yep, $325.00. Know why? Well, a large part of that was my drinks and oh yeah, there was the 2 additional leeches attached to my bill…YEP…once again, they don’t have enough money on them but will pay us back…Great…yeah, I’d appreciate that. We head to the marina for our Illuminations cruise and yep – I paid for that too - $250, but they’d split that with me as well…In my head I kept hearing “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for 2 filet mignon dinners today”…What happened to splitting a bottle of water and a pretzel?



Anyway, we board the Breathless – gorgeous boat, by the way and the driver, whose name escapes me was awesome…Cruella and Horace sat in the back as there was only 2 of them and 3 of us…we all got blankets for the ride and set off on our lovely “pre-show tour”…now, with the boat engine and all, Cruella and Horace apparently couldn’t hear the guy talking to us…they weren’t missing anything…DH and our tour guide were just shooting the breeze – guy talk – engines, boats in general with the occasional sightseeing jargon thrown in. The F bombs now are FLYING from the back of the boat directly at the driver because Cruella can’t hear…This was her worst case of potty mouth yet, and to make it worse, there were the occasional “HELLLOOOO”, “HELLLOOOO, there are 2 other paying customers on this XXXXXX boat!!” It only got worse from there…the driver sped up a few times to show us what the boat could do and as it turns out, the faster we went, the faster the F bombs flew…because now, she wasn’t just mad, she was cold too…I tried to tune her out, didn't work. Tried to explain to her that she wasn't missing anything - that DH and the boat driver were talking about boats, etc...and that just made her madder....I finally decided that the only way to shut her up would be to somehow get her overboard....but how? Hmmm...wonder how this boat corners at high speeds? I ask the driver to demonstrate and he did!! Cruella is now SHRIEKING, occassionally hitting high notes that only dogs could hear, but she was staying put in that seat and not going anywhere. I feel bad when I realize my plan won't work and ask the driver to slow down, that our DSIL/DBIL are cold. He slows down and circles back around and we're now getting our tour...I end up relaying his comments to our other occupants to try and shut her up. We finally get to our Illuminations viewing location and we're given soda and snacks...By this time, Horace is sound asleep, head all the way back, mouth open, catching flies and snoring...you can just feel the heat coming out of Cruella...Ironic as she's continually complaining that she's cold. Illuminations starts and it's totally worth the $125 for my half of the boat for this viewing location. Even Cruella liked it. The driver dropped us up by International Gateway at the end and we tipped him well - he was really friendly and very good with DS...much like Mr. Southwest McDreamy, he gave Michael a shot at driving the boat...that smile on my child's face was definitely worth $50.

It's EMH at Epcot tonight and we walk around a bit, but DS is absolutely exhausted...we try and talk Cruella and Horace into staying and enjoying the World Showcase, but they didn't want to try getting back alone so they tagged along. Great...Happy Birthday to me...

Oh, and for you regular readers out there...Yep, I got stiffed on the cost of the boat, too...

Good night Mousketeers...Thanks for tuning in...More to come!

 

[sherreis]

Welcome back. I can't believe these people. They're leaving you with some pretty steep bills. You could've had another trip for you with what you've been spending. Loved when you had the boat go faster.

 

[bekkiz]

You look so happy raising the flag and being on Main Street. I truely hope that there were enough happy moments to offset to evilness that is your SIL.

Thank you for sharing your cautionary tale, and I hope you have a much better time in December (we'll be then too, the 2nd to the 10th!)

 

[Lauralee131]

Welcome back. All I can say is you have the patience of a Saint. I would have unloaded ages ago on them.

Thanks Pigletforever...it's good to be back! You know you're addicted to the Disboards when you can't even go on a business trip without thinking about what you're missing on the boards!

I don't know why I didn't just SNAP...but it was hard...they were right in the room next door and my son was around most of the time, he didn't need to see/hear that at Disney World...I figured that things would have gotten even worse and even more uncomfortable and I didn't want him to have those kinds of memories for his very first trip...he loves his aunt dearly and was so thrilled that they were there, I couldn't just ruin that for him.

The sacrifices we make for our childen, eh?

 

[Lauralee131]

WOW - I want to give you a hug. I do not know how you put up with all of this, OR why you let you DH pay for them AND why you buy them so many things. . . I would not, actually happened once on a trip I went on, we were paying for everything and they got wet on a ride and decided to buy a $60+ outfit, I drew the line there. . . You are a better person than me!

Thanks for tuning in again Adi12982! Appreciate the thought! Well I've definitely learned from my mistakes and it will never happen again, that's for sure! I actually felt bad for them for awhile there...Can you believe that?!?!