doug65
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2004
- Messages
- 118
See:
Sirman - Part I - "The Buffalo Hunt"
Sirman Part II The Thunderous Aroma
I wake up a do a repeat of the previous morning with the godawful coffee and the dock. Its not a bad way to start the day folks; I highly recommend it. This morning, Isabella is going to the Princess Breakfast in Epcot. Its going to be a her and mommy time so Frank and I head for the MK where we do the teacups and Buzz Lightyear thing to exhaustion. I actually get him on Haunted Mansion and he has a good time. Too young to be spooked by ghosts, he just thinks everything is neat. A big hit for him was the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. Talk about a cool ride for tired parents! There was never a wait, it lasts quite a while and there are several instances where youre in air-conditioning.
We meet up with Liz and Isabella in the MK after the breakfast. Isabella was dressed as Jasmine (her favorite at the time) and made a really cute, pretty Jasmine as opposed to the rather Trampy Jasmine she posed with.
Not much to report for the morning. We kept trying for Philharmagic but the lines were prohibitive for small kids and fastpasses were not available. Lines for Dumbo, Peter Pan, Pooh, Alladin, all were absurd. (I really dont recommend June). But the nice thing about small kids is that their expectations are extremely limited. They had no idea what they were missing and so were pretty much untouched by disappointment. Yeah, I know; bottle that and make a fortune! But there was always the teacups. The kids had fun and we spent the afternoon at the pool.
That evening, was OUR evening. After an early dinner in the villa, the Benefactors would be babysitting while the parents of the grandchildren hit the parks, unburdened by strollers, bags, goldfish, pull-ups, and the thousand other items needed for toddler portability. Whoo-hoo! We wouldve liked to have spent the time with BIL/SIL, however they wanted to hit Downtown Disney. Being a reformed drunk, I have no use for nightclubs, etc. But they were military and bars are a significant aspect of the life. So, have a good time guys, were going to have some magic.
I had made PS reservations for 9:30 at the California Grill on the top of the Contemporary. Extravagant desserts and Wishes from the observation deck would be a perfect end to an evening. That meant we had about three hours of pure grownups-acting-like-children fun ahead of us. We take the boat over to the MK and Liz asks what I want to do first.
In 1976, my family took a driving vacation from Texas to California. Carlsbad, Grand Canyon, and of course, Disneyland. I was 11 at the time and frankly, in 1976, Disneyland sucked. There was nothing worth riding but the Matterhorn and the Log ride; they still used A,B,C,D, & E tickets (bleh), and although there were plenty of signs describing how wonderful it was going to be, Space Mountain wasnt scheduled to open until 1977. The only thing they had that was close was that dumb-*** Voyager trip to Mars. Again, bleh.
I want Space Mountain, I want to ride Space Mountain. Ive been waiting 28 YEARS to ride Space Mountain. So off we head for Tomorrowland. As were approaching, we gasp. There are no lines. The whole time weve been to MK, there have been lines to Space Mountain extending almost to the entrance of Tomorrowland. But now, no lines! It looks deserted, but its not closed. The Fastpass kiosks are turned off but there are people going inside. Cakewalk! think I, and we enter.
About halfway through, we come to the end of the line. NBD, we think, and we wait. Fully ONE and ONE QUARTER HOURS LATER, we get on our rocket for our three minute ride. OK, live and learn. It was still fun and I felt like a consummation had been achieved; after 28 years, I got to ride Space Mountain.
We head for the exit and realize that what we thought was the rumble of the roller coaster was really the rumble of the skies. You could describe it as a torrential downpour, but downpours arent usually going sideways. Gale force winds, lightening striking all around us, like five feet away folks, and the atmosphere was at least 90% drops of water flying around at bullet speeds. We pull out the ponchos and remark, what the hell, welcome to Florida. TIP: Buy rain ponchos at Target or WalMart for petes sake. Theyre 79 cents! Heck, buy a dozen and then when it stops raining, just throw the used one away.
We stop in stores as we make our way across the park. The wind and rain has died down some, but everything seems to be shut down. We approach Splash Mountain and are told, mind you in a polite and friendly CM manner, Uh, big steel mountain fulla water and theres lightning? Bad idea. Were closed. Over the PA system, the announcement comes that the parade is cancelled. By that time its around 8:45, weve ridden one ride and its time to head for the gate to catch the monorail for the Contemporary.
Grumble, grumble, grumble.
We exit the gate and are frankly astonished. The line from the monorail, which is like 15 people wide, is extended all the way from the loading platform past the front gates of the MK. The entire park seems to be waiting. OK, no problem, I think. Well just take the boat to the contemporary. We get past the monorail line and head for the dock which, thankfully, is covered. The rains picking up again. We get down there and see that the dock is about 2/3 full. So its going to be a wait. OK, its a priority seating, not a real reservation. If were too late for the PS, maybe we can get a walkup.
Slowly, the line moves ahead, and 10pm approaches. We eventually decide that it would be ridiculous to try for our Extravagant Dessert On The Observation Deck thing. Wishes is undoubtably cancelled anyway. Well go back and grab something wonderful at the Whispering Canyon Café.
Grumble, grumble, grumble.
Eventually, we become aware of the people directly in line behind us. A younger family, husband, wife, infant, a smaller child. Maybe a grandmother? We didnt interview them, so Im not clear on whos who. But as they were standing there, I began to notice: no umbrella, no raincoats, no ponchos or jackets; just a portable stroller with an infant carrier. Theyre all in t-shirts, soaking wet and chilled from the wind. The Mother has the infant in her arms trying to keep him as warm as possible. Theyve been standing in this line for almost an hour, and I realize, theyre talking about getting back to their car!
Haltingly, I intrude and ask if theyre going to the TTC, the ticketing and transportation center. Yes, we are, they reply. Theyre on a day trip from about three hours drive away. I then have to tell them that this boat doesnt go to the TTC, it goes only to the Contemporary, Ft. Wilderness, the Wilderness Lodge, and then back here. Their faces just fell, and I felt like crying myself. They were cold, they were wet, they were tired after an all-day visit to the park, and theyd been waiting for an hour in the wrong line.
We peered down the bank in the dark to where the TTC boat loaded. Its a faux-riverboat, and while it was quite a bit larger than the boat we used, the waiting dock was packed with people, it wasnt covered, and the rain was still falling steadily. Suddenly, my wife blurted out, The buses! They can catch a bus from the lodge. So we tell them, Look, stay right here and follow us. This boat goes to the lodge and well get off there and take you to the bus stop. Its a two minute ride from there to the TTC. If you go down to that dock, youll be waiting another hour in the rain. They agree and finally the boat comes for us. As were riding back, I hear my wife hiss, What if were too late? What if the buses have stopped running? Then, If the buses have stopped running, well get my parents car and well take them to the TTC ourselves!
We get to the dock of the WL and disembark. Running through the rain, we go into the main lobby. Apparently, its Winter in Yellowstone so the ambient temperature of the lobby is 20 degrees. The water runs off of us and pools at our feet, freezing almost instantly.
Racing through the lobby to keep from freezing to death, we yell to the CM at the service desk, Are the buses still running? He flashes a Disney smile and yells back, Yeah, youre good. Youve got at least another half hour. We run, pelting down the thankfully covered walkway to the bus stop. At that moment, a TTC bus pulls up and they walk right on. Over their shoulders, with pleading, grateful expressions, they call out, Thank you! Thank you so much!
We didnt even learn their names. Its shameful, people coming in and out of your life like that, and you dont even know their names.
Liz and I head back for dessert at the Whispering Canyon café. Were sitting there, eating I dont know, something fabulous when we hear it: Whompf! Whompf-whompf! Whompf! I notice a swelling, green glow from the direction of the Magic Kingdom. Wishes is going off, delayed, but Im sure still spectacular. I look at Liz, and we sigh. Best laid plans, right?
Theres a scene from the movie, Out of Africa, which is set in colonial Kenya. Karen Blixen is taking several wagonloads of supplies to her husband and his men out in the wild. Its a trip of several days. During one evening, a lions roar wakes her up, and she charges out of her tent. A lion has gotten into the enclosure protecting the oxen which are pulling the wagon. She grabs a whip and forces her way through the thorn brake, getting seriously torn up in the process, and tries to drive off the lion. Eventually, she succeeds, but is too late. The ox dies. Later, her servant Farah is pulling thorns out of her back. He says something like this while he is pulling thorns:
Thats what I felt like -- like I was in a game and I didnt know the rules. All the work and all the planning, and it didnt seem to matter one bit. Everything I wanted to do, I keep rolling the dice, and I come up craps. But still, a young family was on their way home. They were warm, and hopefully at least, drying off and they were on their way home. I got to be a part of that.
Thank you! Thank you so much!
No, thank you.
God is happy, Hes playing with us.
See:
Sirman - Part I - "The Buffalo Hunt"
Sirman Part II The Thunderous Aroma
Sirman - Part I - "The Buffalo Hunt"
Sirman Part II The Thunderous Aroma
I wake up a do a repeat of the previous morning with the godawful coffee and the dock. Its not a bad way to start the day folks; I highly recommend it. This morning, Isabella is going to the Princess Breakfast in Epcot. Its going to be a her and mommy time so Frank and I head for the MK where we do the teacups and Buzz Lightyear thing to exhaustion. I actually get him on Haunted Mansion and he has a good time. Too young to be spooked by ghosts, he just thinks everything is neat. A big hit for him was the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. Talk about a cool ride for tired parents! There was never a wait, it lasts quite a while and there are several instances where youre in air-conditioning.
We meet up with Liz and Isabella in the MK after the breakfast. Isabella was dressed as Jasmine (her favorite at the time) and made a really cute, pretty Jasmine as opposed to the rather Trampy Jasmine she posed with.
Not much to report for the morning. We kept trying for Philharmagic but the lines were prohibitive for small kids and fastpasses were not available. Lines for Dumbo, Peter Pan, Pooh, Alladin, all were absurd. (I really dont recommend June). But the nice thing about small kids is that their expectations are extremely limited. They had no idea what they were missing and so were pretty much untouched by disappointment. Yeah, I know; bottle that and make a fortune! But there was always the teacups. The kids had fun and we spent the afternoon at the pool.
That evening, was OUR evening. After an early dinner in the villa, the Benefactors would be babysitting while the parents of the grandchildren hit the parks, unburdened by strollers, bags, goldfish, pull-ups, and the thousand other items needed for toddler portability. Whoo-hoo! We wouldve liked to have spent the time with BIL/SIL, however they wanted to hit Downtown Disney. Being a reformed drunk, I have no use for nightclubs, etc. But they were military and bars are a significant aspect of the life. So, have a good time guys, were going to have some magic.
I had made PS reservations for 9:30 at the California Grill on the top of the Contemporary. Extravagant desserts and Wishes from the observation deck would be a perfect end to an evening. That meant we had about three hours of pure grownups-acting-like-children fun ahead of us. We take the boat over to the MK and Liz asks what I want to do first.
In 1976, my family took a driving vacation from Texas to California. Carlsbad, Grand Canyon, and of course, Disneyland. I was 11 at the time and frankly, in 1976, Disneyland sucked. There was nothing worth riding but the Matterhorn and the Log ride; they still used A,B,C,D, & E tickets (bleh), and although there were plenty of signs describing how wonderful it was going to be, Space Mountain wasnt scheduled to open until 1977. The only thing they had that was close was that dumb-*** Voyager trip to Mars. Again, bleh.
I want Space Mountain, I want to ride Space Mountain. Ive been waiting 28 YEARS to ride Space Mountain. So off we head for Tomorrowland. As were approaching, we gasp. There are no lines. The whole time weve been to MK, there have been lines to Space Mountain extending almost to the entrance of Tomorrowland. But now, no lines! It looks deserted, but its not closed. The Fastpass kiosks are turned off but there are people going inside. Cakewalk! think I, and we enter.
About halfway through, we come to the end of the line. NBD, we think, and we wait. Fully ONE and ONE QUARTER HOURS LATER, we get on our rocket for our three minute ride. OK, live and learn. It was still fun and I felt like a consummation had been achieved; after 28 years, I got to ride Space Mountain.
We head for the exit and realize that what we thought was the rumble of the roller coaster was really the rumble of the skies. You could describe it as a torrential downpour, but downpours arent usually going sideways. Gale force winds, lightening striking all around us, like five feet away folks, and the atmosphere was at least 90% drops of water flying around at bullet speeds. We pull out the ponchos and remark, what the hell, welcome to Florida. TIP: Buy rain ponchos at Target or WalMart for petes sake. Theyre 79 cents! Heck, buy a dozen and then when it stops raining, just throw the used one away.
We stop in stores as we make our way across the park. The wind and rain has died down some, but everything seems to be shut down. We approach Splash Mountain and are told, mind you in a polite and friendly CM manner, Uh, big steel mountain fulla water and theres lightning? Bad idea. Were closed. Over the PA system, the announcement comes that the parade is cancelled. By that time its around 8:45, weve ridden one ride and its time to head for the gate to catch the monorail for the Contemporary.
Grumble, grumble, grumble.
We exit the gate and are frankly astonished. The line from the monorail, which is like 15 people wide, is extended all the way from the loading platform past the front gates of the MK. The entire park seems to be waiting. OK, no problem, I think. Well just take the boat to the contemporary. We get past the monorail line and head for the dock which, thankfully, is covered. The rains picking up again. We get down there and see that the dock is about 2/3 full. So its going to be a wait. OK, its a priority seating, not a real reservation. If were too late for the PS, maybe we can get a walkup.
Slowly, the line moves ahead, and 10pm approaches. We eventually decide that it would be ridiculous to try for our Extravagant Dessert On The Observation Deck thing. Wishes is undoubtably cancelled anyway. Well go back and grab something wonderful at the Whispering Canyon Café.
Grumble, grumble, grumble.
Eventually, we become aware of the people directly in line behind us. A younger family, husband, wife, infant, a smaller child. Maybe a grandmother? We didnt interview them, so Im not clear on whos who. But as they were standing there, I began to notice: no umbrella, no raincoats, no ponchos or jackets; just a portable stroller with an infant carrier. Theyre all in t-shirts, soaking wet and chilled from the wind. The Mother has the infant in her arms trying to keep him as warm as possible. Theyve been standing in this line for almost an hour, and I realize, theyre talking about getting back to their car!
Haltingly, I intrude and ask if theyre going to the TTC, the ticketing and transportation center. Yes, we are, they reply. Theyre on a day trip from about three hours drive away. I then have to tell them that this boat doesnt go to the TTC, it goes only to the Contemporary, Ft. Wilderness, the Wilderness Lodge, and then back here. Their faces just fell, and I felt like crying myself. They were cold, they were wet, they were tired after an all-day visit to the park, and theyd been waiting for an hour in the wrong line.
We peered down the bank in the dark to where the TTC boat loaded. Its a faux-riverboat, and while it was quite a bit larger than the boat we used, the waiting dock was packed with people, it wasnt covered, and the rain was still falling steadily. Suddenly, my wife blurted out, The buses! They can catch a bus from the lodge. So we tell them, Look, stay right here and follow us. This boat goes to the lodge and well get off there and take you to the bus stop. Its a two minute ride from there to the TTC. If you go down to that dock, youll be waiting another hour in the rain. They agree and finally the boat comes for us. As were riding back, I hear my wife hiss, What if were too late? What if the buses have stopped running? Then, If the buses have stopped running, well get my parents car and well take them to the TTC ourselves!
We get to the dock of the WL and disembark. Running through the rain, we go into the main lobby. Apparently, its Winter in Yellowstone so the ambient temperature of the lobby is 20 degrees. The water runs off of us and pools at our feet, freezing almost instantly.
Racing through the lobby to keep from freezing to death, we yell to the CM at the service desk, Are the buses still running? He flashes a Disney smile and yells back, Yeah, youre good. Youve got at least another half hour. We run, pelting down the thankfully covered walkway to the bus stop. At that moment, a TTC bus pulls up and they walk right on. Over their shoulders, with pleading, grateful expressions, they call out, Thank you! Thank you so much!
We didnt even learn their names. Its shameful, people coming in and out of your life like that, and you dont even know their names.
Liz and I head back for dessert at the Whispering Canyon café. Were sitting there, eating I dont know, something fabulous when we hear it: Whompf! Whompf-whompf! Whompf! I notice a swelling, green glow from the direction of the Magic Kingdom. Wishes is going off, delayed, but Im sure still spectacular. I look at Liz, and we sigh. Best laid plans, right?
Theres a scene from the movie, Out of Africa, which is set in colonial Kenya. Karen Blixen is taking several wagonloads of supplies to her husband and his men out in the wild. Its a trip of several days. During one evening, a lions roar wakes her up, and she charges out of her tent. A lion has gotten into the enclosure protecting the oxen which are pulling the wagon. She grabs a whip and forces her way through the thorn brake, getting seriously torn up in the process, and tries to drive off the lion. Eventually, she succeeds, but is too late. The ox dies. Later, her servant Farah is pulling thorns out of her back. He says something like this while he is pulling thorns:
This lion is hungry,
He does not have this ox.
This lady is angry,
She does not have this ox.
This wagon is heavy,
It does not have this ox.
God is happy, Msabu. He plays with us.
He does not have this ox.
This lady is angry,
She does not have this ox.
This wagon is heavy,
It does not have this ox.
God is happy, Msabu. He plays with us.
Thats what I felt like -- like I was in a game and I didnt know the rules. All the work and all the planning, and it didnt seem to matter one bit. Everything I wanted to do, I keep rolling the dice, and I come up craps. But still, a young family was on their way home. They were warm, and hopefully at least, drying off and they were on their way home. I got to be a part of that.
Thank you! Thank you so much!
No, thank you.
God is happy, Hes playing with us.
See:
Sirman - Part I - "The Buffalo Hunt"
Sirman Part II The Thunderous Aroma
and that one! 
