Growin'upDisney
<font color=blue>I've been to Disney since I was k
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2003
- Messages
- 964
Cast of Characters
Me = Tausha
DH = Chris aka Panda
DM = Julie (my mom)
DSF = Erick (my stepfather) aka Dude
Ok, so those of you who chose Option 1 you are more Disney savvy than I am and I promise to ask you which way to go next time. We chose option 3 bus to MK and then boat to the Poly. It took way longer than it should have. But oh well, it was nice to see the backside of Epcot for the first time from the bus.
After a bit of rest and a trip up to the concierge for that nights offering we were back on the Monorail heading for the MK. It was our only chance to catch Spectro this week so I wanted to make sure to get a great seat.
I guess everyone else had the same idea. Main Street was already lined with people. So we headed all the way down to the hub in front of the castle and sat just off to the left side around the hub. Spectro would be going right around the hub so these seats seemed OK. Not perfect but I could guarantee they wouldnt be wet seats ala Fantasmic!!
While we wait for various things like parades I love to people watch. Look at all the kids and there excited faces and the parents and there contented looks watching their children. Then there are those kids zonked out in the stroller. Our little group has coined a phrase that we have used for years at Disneyland. Those kids you see sound asleep after 4pm and half falling out of the strollers because they are so tired. We say those kids are ODd. This means Over Disneyed. They and there parents have been going non-stop all day and those little bodies just cant handle that much excitement into the night.
Word of Advice REST BREAKS highly recommended and underrated. Not just for kids but for adults too. We have always taken mid-day rest breaks at DL. Go back to the hotel to swim and nap. It just makes the entire vacation a much better experience. I understand this is much more difficult at WDW when you stay offsite. But that is why I would never stay offsite. Got to have those mid-day breaks.
Well back to people watching. Now while I am a people watcher my mom is a people talker. She will strike up a conversation with just about anyone within earshot. Whether we are in line for a ride, a show, waiting for a parade, in line for food, shopping, riding the monorail, the boat, the bus, etc., etc. She will talk to anyone and everyone about anything. Many times perfect strangers learn my life history in the brief 2-minute conversations she has with them. Theres being friendly and then there is just offering too much information. Oh well we love her anyway.
So throughout the week mom has already struck up about 20 of these conversations and we start to begin to notice a trend.
Mom: So, where are you from?
Strangers: Oh were from Michigan. We drove down.
Mom: Wow, thats along drive. Is it cold back home?
Strangers: About 10 degrees when we left.
Did everyone from the state of Michigan drive to WDW to escape the weather in late January? By the end of the week I think we met at least 25 different groups of people from Michigan and I am not exaggerating. And I think the drive from the Bay Area to DL is on the long side (6 hours), so theres no way I could drive form Michigan to Florida.
Spectro was pretty cool but I love the Electric Light Parade much, much better. I thought Spectro was kind of short to be honest. As the parade ended there was the inevitable mass of people all trying to go in different directions and no one really moving any where with much success. We are experts at maneuvering through a crowd like this. So we each grab onto the backs of one another and with me in the lead I snake my way through the cross-directional traffic and make it to the Tomorrowland bridge without incident.
We should have enough time to ride Buzz and grab a spot for the fireworks. Inevitably the bathroom is calling certain members of our group (actually all three of them but me) so they head off leaving me on the bridge. When DH returns he doesnt think there is enough time to ride Buzz so he wants to grab a spot. Dude and Mom do ride Buzz and find us standing in the Plaza Rose Garden with plenty of time to spare. By the way we were standing next to a family of 5 from guess where?? Michigan!!
Me: See I told you we would have had enough time. You just didnt want me to beat you again.
DH: Your delusional. I wanted a good spot to see Wishes.
Me: Yeah right, you are just in fear of my Zurg zapping prowess.
DH: uh, yeah, thats it.
Me: Hey since you picked this spot to watch from do you think I should get a poncho just in case huge sprays of water cause us to get wet?
DH: No comment, just The Look you all know the one. One raised eyebrow and that look that says, oh just be quiet.
I cant do The Look I try to raise one eyebrow and DH says I just look constipated. Oh well. I need to perfect that before we have kids.
He had actually picked the perfect spot in the rose garden to see the fireworks. Tink flew right over our heads and the fireworks were awesome. We headed to the boat launch and arrived safe and sound back at the Poly.
Today was another perfect day. We were all happy to be here but in the back of our minds we started to realize we had passed the midway point of our vacation and there were more days behind us than ahead of us. We tried to push that out of our minds for tomorrow was a day that my husband has been waiting for his whole life.
The paperwork needed to be filled out before the morning so DH and Dude took a few minutes to get their stuff in order. Now being an attorney I usually like to read documents like these before DH signs them, but he wouldnt even let me near them. So after signing enough waivers that according to DH would fully exculpate The Richard Petty Driving Experience even if DH so much as broke a nail, the boys were ready to drive NASCARs.
But were mom and I ready for what was about to happen
Me = Tausha
DH = Chris aka Panda
DM = Julie (my mom)
DSF = Erick (my stepfather) aka Dude
Ok, so those of you who chose Option 1 you are more Disney savvy than I am and I promise to ask you which way to go next time. We chose option 3 bus to MK and then boat to the Poly. It took way longer than it should have. But oh well, it was nice to see the backside of Epcot for the first time from the bus.
After a bit of rest and a trip up to the concierge for that nights offering we were back on the Monorail heading for the MK. It was our only chance to catch Spectro this week so I wanted to make sure to get a great seat.
I guess everyone else had the same idea. Main Street was already lined with people. So we headed all the way down to the hub in front of the castle and sat just off to the left side around the hub. Spectro would be going right around the hub so these seats seemed OK. Not perfect but I could guarantee they wouldnt be wet seats ala Fantasmic!!
While we wait for various things like parades I love to people watch. Look at all the kids and there excited faces and the parents and there contented looks watching their children. Then there are those kids zonked out in the stroller. Our little group has coined a phrase that we have used for years at Disneyland. Those kids you see sound asleep after 4pm and half falling out of the strollers because they are so tired. We say those kids are ODd. This means Over Disneyed. They and there parents have been going non-stop all day and those little bodies just cant handle that much excitement into the night.
Word of Advice REST BREAKS highly recommended and underrated. Not just for kids but for adults too. We have always taken mid-day rest breaks at DL. Go back to the hotel to swim and nap. It just makes the entire vacation a much better experience. I understand this is much more difficult at WDW when you stay offsite. But that is why I would never stay offsite. Got to have those mid-day breaks.
Well back to people watching. Now while I am a people watcher my mom is a people talker. She will strike up a conversation with just about anyone within earshot. Whether we are in line for a ride, a show, waiting for a parade, in line for food, shopping, riding the monorail, the boat, the bus, etc., etc. She will talk to anyone and everyone about anything. Many times perfect strangers learn my life history in the brief 2-minute conversations she has with them. Theres being friendly and then there is just offering too much information. Oh well we love her anyway.
So throughout the week mom has already struck up about 20 of these conversations and we start to begin to notice a trend.
Mom: So, where are you from?
Strangers: Oh were from Michigan. We drove down.
Mom: Wow, thats along drive. Is it cold back home?
Strangers: About 10 degrees when we left.
Did everyone from the state of Michigan drive to WDW to escape the weather in late January? By the end of the week I think we met at least 25 different groups of people from Michigan and I am not exaggerating. And I think the drive from the Bay Area to DL is on the long side (6 hours), so theres no way I could drive form Michigan to Florida.
Spectro was pretty cool but I love the Electric Light Parade much, much better. I thought Spectro was kind of short to be honest. As the parade ended there was the inevitable mass of people all trying to go in different directions and no one really moving any where with much success. We are experts at maneuvering through a crowd like this. So we each grab onto the backs of one another and with me in the lead I snake my way through the cross-directional traffic and make it to the Tomorrowland bridge without incident.
We should have enough time to ride Buzz and grab a spot for the fireworks. Inevitably the bathroom is calling certain members of our group (actually all three of them but me) so they head off leaving me on the bridge. When DH returns he doesnt think there is enough time to ride Buzz so he wants to grab a spot. Dude and Mom do ride Buzz and find us standing in the Plaza Rose Garden with plenty of time to spare. By the way we were standing next to a family of 5 from guess where?? Michigan!!
Me: See I told you we would have had enough time. You just didnt want me to beat you again.
DH: Your delusional. I wanted a good spot to see Wishes.
Me: Yeah right, you are just in fear of my Zurg zapping prowess.
DH: uh, yeah, thats it.
Me: Hey since you picked this spot to watch from do you think I should get a poncho just in case huge sprays of water cause us to get wet?
DH: No comment, just The Look you all know the one. One raised eyebrow and that look that says, oh just be quiet.
I cant do The Look I try to raise one eyebrow and DH says I just look constipated. Oh well. I need to perfect that before we have kids.
He had actually picked the perfect spot in the rose garden to see the fireworks. Tink flew right over our heads and the fireworks were awesome. We headed to the boat launch and arrived safe and sound back at the Poly.
Today was another perfect day. We were all happy to be here but in the back of our minds we started to realize we had passed the midway point of our vacation and there were more days behind us than ahead of us. We tried to push that out of our minds for tomorrow was a day that my husband has been waiting for his whole life.
The paperwork needed to be filled out before the morning so DH and Dude took a few minutes to get their stuff in order. Now being an attorney I usually like to read documents like these before DH signs them, but he wouldnt even let me near them. So after signing enough waivers that according to DH would fully exculpate The Richard Petty Driving Experience even if DH so much as broke a nail, the boys were ready to drive NASCARs.
But were mom and I ready for what was about to happen
