Somebody's Gonna Pee in a Cup, West Coast - Link to new TR 1/21

[amandaw]

WOW! Just. WOW.

I honestly don't even know what to say. I'm sorry y'all had such rough night @ DHS. That's just ridiculous. It makes me VERY scared for what we're going to encounter when we go for Easter.

I'm glad none of y'all had any major injuries after that terrifying night.

Hope the trip went uphill from there.

 

[Andipandi]

Hi Andy, I'm a Andi too. I'm really enjoying your review. I read through it all and I have a question. We are driving from Ohio to WDW in December of this year and I was wondering how long it took you to drive from Indiana? Did you drive straight through? My husband thinks we can drive straight through but I think it might be hard on all of us. It will be DH and myself and 2 DS's 14yrs old and 11 yrs old. I'm looking forward to reading more of your review and seeing your pictures.

 

[vamassey1]

I'm feeling your frustration. My stress level went up reading this too. I can usually handle crowds better than DH. I've been on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras and survived, but the rude people is just too much.

I'm so glad you had some highlights with the show, TSMM and your diner.

The before bed swim was a great way to relax. DH took youngest DD swimming during our 2006 New Years trip. It was cold and the steam was coming off the pool. They enjoyed it so it was more than worth it.

Ready for the next day.

 

[Steppesister]

Good Lord! Sounds like at times it was an utter NIGHTMARE!!! I recently had ankle surgery and know exactly your pain and stress. So sorry that rude people exist. I've always like Great Biscuit's solultion. Find a big fart and let them enjoy the rest of their evening.

But seriously, you'd think Disney would come up with better solutions before they end up with some nasty lawsuits of kids getting really hurt in the stampedes.

And, yes, a late night swim is the perfect way to de-stress, even on a COLD night! Nothing a hot shower can't fix!

Frozen sing-along looks fabulous; the joy you got to have settle down into your soul is not something money can buy. Glad your FIL was able to even a little of that magic too.

 

[franandaj]

rotfl2: On Monday, somebody told me they saw on one of the local news stations that there was a winter weather advisory on Sunday when it rained. I was walking around in a polo shirt... and never really got all that wet. Or cold. It didn't do much more than mist.

But you see that's the Southern California way. If it had been any more it would have been a Weather Warning. Watch out if there is a Weather Alert, then houses start to slide off the hills or get mud/rockslides up to their roofs. Anytime you get raindrops the size of any real rain in the rest of the country reporters go on "Storm Watch" and everyone stays home.

I had to laugh at it coming from the Bay Area where we had almost real weather. After 30+ years, I've bought into it too. It's funny how we change.

With respect to your WDW trip. What is with these people and their strollers? We are usually in scooters and I dare someone to put their stroller up against a scooter, but that being said, I try to be very courteous when it comes to the scooter. I find that lots of folks and their strollers do try to use them as crowd clearers like you suggested and that's just wrong. I know of quite a few people who have been harmed and injured by strollers.

I'm surprised you made it as long as you did. We often end up at the Backlot Express as well, but we like the hot dog and the chicken sandwich as well as the burgers. In trying to add to my Golden Spoon percentage, we actually ventured out to the food court near ToT on the last trip and were pleasantly surprised.

I hope that the trip Karma improves in the coming days!

 

[MEK]

Oh Wow!

Yikes!

That STINKS (AND A FEW OTHER CHOICE WORDS)!

I hear ya on the lack of sleep and the crowds. That is bad enough, but the complete chaos you described sounds horrific and there is NOTHING i hate more than a stroller up the back of my ankles. And there is nothing wrong with my ankles. And your DW ended up on the ground. Wow. WOW is all I can say.

Glad TSM was the highlight of the night!

And to the lady with the tray - seriously - watch where you are going.

I'm wondering out long it took you to get out of the parking lot.

I LOVE the nativity scene. Calm in complete chaos!

 

[amazingact21]

Oh my gosh! That night sounds terrible! With the Osbourne Lights gaining popularity, I am not surprised it's become a madhouse. But when the heck did people lose all their common sense?! I am so sorry your ankle was rammed and that your DW was trampled. How flipping rude...and your poor DD. I'm sure that one wasn't intentional, but man, I bet you wanted to go off on someone, ANYONE. Ugh.


TSMM and the Frozen sing along...at least you can say you got something accomplished out in that madness.


I love buffalo chicken, as well! And agree, it's nice to have it offered in DHS.


That swim probably did do you a lot of good. A little decompression. Oh, and the lifeguards think you all are amusing. I talked with them briefly one night last December. They joked that sometimes they think you guys forget that the water might be nice and warm, but getting out and having that cold air hit you is what really sucks.
I can say, as a Floridian, you won't find me out there in the 50s. That's bundle up weather for me.

I really hope the next morning was much better than that arrival night!

 

[ursalita]

Yikes! Your evening at HS does not sound fun at all. I hope it gets better.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Stroller Wars

After an update like that…
I figured a bit of levity was a moral imperative.


Tough evening there.
On the up side, you did make the sing-a-long and the kids enjoyed both that and the lights.
You did also get onto TSMM (it required herculean effort to be sure) and everyone loved that as well.


As for the rest of the evening’s foray into Bedlam…


Well…
I think it just best that I wait for the next chapter before returning to my normal standard of giving you copious amounts of grief.



I suspect that at least you slept well that evening.

 

[afwdwfan]

Holy cow! Those crowds sound crazy!!! Glad you guys survived, wounded, but alive.

Jill in CO

It definitely was crazy. I'm being 100% serious when I say I've never seen DHS as crowded as it was that evening. It was just ridiculous. I was glad to get back to the resort.

Ouch! This doesn't sound like a great way to start the trip at all.

It didn't set a good tone for the parks, that's for sure.

I'm glad the kids enjoyed the Sing Along and that it perhaps brought a tear to FIL watching his grandkids have such a good time.

It really is a good show. I've got no complaints.

That crowd sounds like the crowd Andy and Des encountered at Epcot on New Year's Eve. Let's just say that I'm not sure a return trip around the New Year is in the cards for Des.

I can only imagine.

And no apology from the woman who rammed you with her stroller twice? Seriously, what happened to common courtesey.

That's kind of what irked me about it. It was insanely crowded. I understand that things like that happen. But she just completely tried to ignore the fact I was there and then hit me again.

I'm glad you at least enjoyed Toy Story and had a decent meal (despite the rude woman with her nasty comments).

It definitely helped to have a few highlights that evening.

I still can't get over how long it took you to get in and out of the parking lot.

Oh, it was crazy. I haven't ever had to fight that kind of traffic getting into or out of a park before.

That little swim break was probably the best thing for you to wind down before heading off to bed.

I sure hope the next day is better.

Oh, it certainly is!

Holy Cannoli.

My stress level went through the roof just reading all of that. I am actually seriously impressed you made it till 8 AND kept your composure (or at least seethed inside). OW OW and OW multiple times.

I think I was too tired to really lose it. I don't know. It definitely was stressful fighting the crowds.

Swimming was a good call, cold or not. I do imagine it did a lot to calm you down, it would have for Jeff or I.

Not that we'd have been smart enough to go in the water. We maybe would have taken a kid but going into anything other than the hot tub at that temp...yeah, probably not.

It certainly was refreshing to just dip in the water for a little bit. I still feel kind of crazy for doing it, but DS had fun and it helped me unwind some.

Oh I hope sleep brings a lovely new day for you.

Hey, it can only get better from there.

Only 20 got out minutes late ... not bad. But that parking situation kinda sucks.

That is what really killed us.

I'm glad you got in for the FP+ line ... good thing you sent DW ahead! So great that the kids (and FiL) enjoyed the show. And I'm with DD - more Olaf please! I was also sad that he wasn't there at the end.

I'm glad we made it. We really enjoyed the show and it was a good way to start our time in the parks.

Holy crap ... people are nuts. Sometimes it seems like people are using their strollers as weapons ... that thing is supposed to be for easily transporting your kid, not beating up other park goers. I'm glad you at least got out of there alive, even if you couldn't make it out uninjured.

I know. I mean I get it. Accidents happen, especially when it is that crowded. But I think most people would realize that when your stroller comes to an abrupt stop, you probably hit somebody and an apology is in order.

I'm glad DD had fun on TSMM ... hopefully that made up a little bit for her injury.

I think it definitely turned her spirits around!

Okay. I usually carry a backpack with me in the parks (although next trip we're going with 2 smaller bags) and I also have a tendency to bump into things (most often walls, but occasionally also people), so I think I can weigh in on this one.
Yes, sometimes people with backpacks don't take into account other people. That's why when I'm on a train or bus or a line with limited space, I take off my backpack and hold it by my feet - I know from personal experience that it's not fun to have people bumping into your backpack all the time. But when you're in a line where at the end you have to carry more things (aka food), you can't expect someone to carry the food with one hand and the backpack with the other. And if you're holding food, you need to be very aware of where you're going, because while most people will try to stay out of your way, it's not anyone else's responsibility to make sure that your food doesn't bump into a person. You're responsible for your own food, and if that means you need to walk a little out of your way to avoid people with backpacks, do it.
Okay. Unsolicited opinion over now.

I agree with you. I felt bad when she lost things off her tray and that's why I started to apologize and help her. I didn't move into her, but that bag isn't exactly tiny and it does get in the way. But as soon as she opened her mouth...

Nope... I no longer care.

Swimming ... that's a nice way to end a messy day. I'm glad it helped you destress a little. I'm hoping the rest of the trip was a little less insane.

It really helped, and yes, things get much better. We definitely followed the highest high with the lowest low.

Yikes! That sounds like a really rough visit to DHS! It sounds like the sort of things that non-Disney-fans say to explain why they don't like the parks. I was hoping they were just making up those things, I guess. I wonder why it was so packed and crazy that night?

I couldn't find anything significant going on, other than the fact that it was a Saturday night. I mean the park had morning EMH, so that could make it more crowded. And then factor in Osborne Lights and 2 Fantasmic! shows bringing in more people. But I've been there on Friday and Saturday nights in December under similar scenarios before and it has never been anything close to what we witnessed.

My MiL did comment that evening when we got back to the resort, that if she hadn't been with someone who had been to the parks before, she'd have been completely lost and ready to go home.

Well, if it makes you feel any better, I showed up at our Frozen Sing-Along after it started. So, you did good and glad everyone enjoyed the show, despite the lack of Olaf.

Hey, I'd have been fine with that if there would have been enough room to get in!

WOW! Just. WOW.

It was nuts...

I honestly don't even know what to say. I'm sorry y'all had such rough night @ DHS. That's just ridiculous. It makes me VERY scared for what we're going to encounter when we go for Easter.

I hope it isn't this bad. I mean, seriously, I've been in the parks over the 4th of July holiday before and it wasn't as bad as it was that night. Thankfully, we experienced nothing like it the rest of the week. It was like the entire resort descended on the Studios.

I'm glad none of y'all had any major injuries after that terrifying night.

It could have been bad. I was concerned for our safety at the point that I got rammed and DW was knocked down. There was barely room to move and people were just pushing through. The stroller hit wasn't the first time I got pushed or shoved, but I'm a pretty big guy so I was just trying to make myself bigger and hang onto the stroller and kind of protect our little piece of real estate. But if you take my legs out from under me...

Hope the trip went uphill from there.

It most definitely did.

 

[afwdwfan]

Hi Andy, I'm a Andi too.

Hi Andi!

I'm really enjoying your review. I read through it all and I have a question. We are driving from Ohio to WDW in December of this year and I was wondering how long it took you to drive from Indiana? Did you drive straight through? My husband thinks we can drive straight through but I think it might be hard on all of us. It will be DH and myself and 2 DS's 14yrs old and 11 yrs old. I'm looking forward to reading more of your review and seeing your pictures.

Ok, just to give you an idea, I'm about 90 miles northwest of Cincinnati. For us, it is about 14 1/2 hour drive time. I've made it in less than 14, but that is pretty much driving a little faster than I should with very limited stops. By the time you factor in the delay we hit and the stops we had to make along the way, it took us about 16 1/2 hours from the time we left our driveway to the time we were parking at AoA.

We drove straight through. I like doing it that way, but it can be hard on you. It usually doesn't bother me much and if I get a good night of sleep that first night I'm usually good to go. But I've got to admit, this last trip, I was dragging a little bit.

The way we do it, is we leave at night, drive straight through so that everybody except me sleeps while we're driving and by the time the sun is up, we're only a few hours away. If that works for your family, it will probably be easier than driving that far with an 11 and 14 year old who are awake... but I'm sure technology might help occupy them.

I'm feeling your frustration. My stress level went up reading this too. I can usually handle crowds better than DH. I've been on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras and survived, but the rude people is just too much.

Crowds typically don't bother me... but there was a point where I almost felt like I needed to be aggressively defensive as we were being pushed around. It really wasn't a good situation at all.

I'm so glad you had some highlights with the show, TSMM and your diner.

Yes, we did enjoy the lights as always. And TSMM and our dinner certainly didn't disappoint. You've always got to take the good with the bad, and there was plenty of both that evening.

The before bed swim was a great way to relax. DH took youngest DD swimming during our 2006 New Years trip. It was cold and the steam was coming off the pool. They enjoyed it so it was more than worth it.

Thank goodness for heated pools! At least our towels were close by and we were close to our building!

Ready for the next day.

We were too!

Good Lord! Sounds like at times it was an utter NIGHTMARE!!! I recently had ankle surgery and know exactly your pain and stress. So sorry that rude people exist. I've always like Great Biscuit's solultion. Find a big fart and let them enjoy the rest of their evening.

Crop dust 'em... nice.

But seriously, you'd think Disney would come up with better solutions before they end up with some nasty lawsuits of kids getting really hurt in the stampedes.

I know... but I can't think of a good solution. Unless they'd make the Osborne Lights a walk through with one way traffic. But when they make it a show that you can stand and enjoy, and then add to the mix new people coming in and wanting to walk around and see the details... well, it just causes chaos.

And, yes, a late night swim is the perfect way to de-stress, even on a COLD night! Nothing a hot shower can't fix!

Frozen sing-along looks fabulous; the joy you got to have settle down into your soul is not something money can buy. Glad your FIL was able to even a little of that magic too.

It really was a fun show. Even though it is really just telling a story and singing the songs, it really draws the crowd in and it is fun. The kids love the movie and they were just captivated by it all.

But you see that's the Southern California way. If it had been any more it would have been a Weather Warning. Watch out if there is a Weather Alert, then houses start to slide off the hills or get mud/rockslides up to their roofs. Anytime you get raindrops the size of any real rain in the rest of the country reporters go on "Storm Watch" and everyone stays home.

I had to laugh at it coming from the Bay Area where we had almost real weather. After 30+ years, I've bought into it too. It's funny how we change.

I couldn't believe it. It was low 60's and misting with an occasional heavier shower.

With respect to your WDW trip. What is with these people and their strollers? We are usually in scooters and I dare someone to put their stroller up against a scooter, but that being said, I try to be very courteous when it comes to the scooter. I find that lots of folks and their strollers do try to use them as crowd clearers like you suggested and that's just wrong. I know of quite a few people who have been harmed and injured by strollers.

I know. I mean we have a stroller, but I always try to be careful with it. It really isn't that hard. Even in the crowds at DHS, I don't believe I hit anyone leaving the Osborne Lights. I just found a line of traffic creeping it's way out and followed someone.

The only time I can think of that I've hit anyone with the stroller in the parks was on MS leaving MK once, and I definitely made sure to apologize for it.

I'm surprised you made it as long as you did. We often end up at the Backlot Express as well, but we like the hot dog and the chicken sandwich as well as the burgers. In trying to add to my Golden Spoon percentage, we actually ventured out to the food court near ToT on the last trip and were pleasantly surprised.

I've been over there before. The food isn't too bad at those places either. I think DHS gets kind of a bad rap on the QS food. I mean there's nothing spectacular, but aside from Pizza Planet it isn't that bad either.

I hope that the trip Karma improves in the coming days!

Oh, believe me, it does!

 

[glennbo123]

Oh man, how stressful (and painful!). It reminds me of Christmas shopping. I don't know how you held yourself together. I'd have lost it back with the wife going tuchas over teakettle.

I'd love to get a picture of a park crowd, just a sea of heads, with a stroller being held aloft, making its way through. That'd be great.

 

[pkondz]

We got to the Studios entrance, and traffic was backed up from the parking booth to the stoplight.

Did you feel a chill go down your spine at this point?
No?
Maybe a little later?

Hmmmmm??????

We finally got into the parking lot, and having booked through AAA, we had a Diamond Parking pass. Which as it turns out, despite the deal with AAA and Disney not ending until 2015, Disney had already phased out the Diamond parking. So the one main reason I booked with AAA, became completely irrelevant on our trip.

And wasn't it nice that they let you know that?

We got to the wristband scanner and everyone made it in with no problems.

And just how much were you worrying that there'd be a problem there?

Touringplans had predicted a crowd level of 5 for that day. I just looked back in their crowd history and they’re calling it a 4 now.



I’m calling it a bunch of BS.

Is that short for Bolshoi?
You were going to see the Russian ballet?

No?


Brain Surgeons?


Big Shoes?


Bad Shrimp?

To this day, I have never seen DHS as crowded as it was that night. It was shoulder to shoulder, wall to wall people.

No offense, but.... yuck.

I’ve been in the summer, I’ve been over the 4th of July… and never have I seen a crowd like this. Now granted… it was a Saturday night, the Osborne Lights were up, and the park had morning EMH. I know that is a recipe for disaster, but we just wanted to do a couple of things, for which we had FP+. But I never, in my wildest dreams, expected the crowds we encountered.

I'm intending to do something very similar in a few weeks.
Go to DHS in late afternoon and do an ADR and a few FPs....

Ya got me a wee bit nervous, man!

Then again, I won't have little ones to worry about, so it won't be nearly as stressful as what you went through.

We ended up finding them at the FP+ entrance for the Frozen Sing Along. The CM had already pulled the chain, but they were inside. A group was turned away from the FP+ entrance as I approached, but since DW was already there, the CM let FiL and I into the line.

Whoa! That was close!

Whew… that was close. I hope we aren’t going to be pulling this crap all week.

No kidding!

The show turned out to be a lot of fun. The kids enjoyed it and were singing along with it. And FiL… who didn’t really want to go to Disney World and didn’t think he’d like it.

Well, I might have seen him wipe a tear away as he was watching the kids singing and dancing along with the show.


That Disney magic. It has it’s ways of turning anyone.

DD was pretty upset after it ended though. The whole time she was asking where Awful (Olaf) was. She saw him on the video, but couldn’t understand why he wasn’t out on the stage at the end with Kristoff, Anna and Elsa.

Awww....
That's pretty cute, ya know.

Ok… I won’t lie… we’ve seen the Osborne Lights a few times now. And usually we’re taking pictures and video as we watch. This time we just soaked it in. This will become a trend over the course of this trip, so aside from character meets, I apologize for the low picture count.

Never apologize for doing the right thing.
Memories in the form of photos are nice... but missing out because you were too busy taking photos?

Nope.

Love that shot!

People were scattering everywhere. The ones who had camped out early were apparently trying to leave, and everyone on the outer fringes was trying to fill their spots.

Oh boy.

Well, I’m just standing behind the stroller watching the lights dancing when I feel something hit the back of my right leg. I turn to look, and a lady who just hit me with her stroller is just looking up at the lights above her as she pulls the stroller backwards about a foot, only to ram it back forward again without looking.

You showed great restraint by only using colourful language.
You didn't feel an overwhelming desire to rip the stroller out or her hands?
Or shake her and yell at her to wake up?


I'm not saying to do those things... just a desire to do them.

As this is happening, I felt our stroller rock back into me and turned to look back that direction to find DW laid out across our stroller. Someone pushed her and completely knocked her down. Thankfully, I was holding DD and FiL had DS so she didn’t land on the kids.

What the heck is wrong with people???
Pushing people over? What the heck's with that?!?!?
Did the pusher even apologize?
Or was he/she oblivious?

Man! That really bugs me.

But yeah. The festive mood was ruined and we were done.

I would think so!

DD was on the side of the stroller closest to the oncoming traffic and she just started screaming. She’d had her hand on the bar on the side of the stroller and got a finger pinched between the 2 strollers when they hit.

I feel so bad for you guys.
I know she was fine, but...

Nothing worse than when your child gets hurt.

By this point… I’m working on close to 24 hours of no sleep. And I’ve been deliberately bashed in the leg with a stroller. DW has been knocked off her feet in a crowd. DD has been injured getting through a crowd. I was about at my limit.

I'd think by now you'd be past that limit.
I'm a little surprised (and perhaps a bit envious... or amazed) that you kept it together.


<slow clap>

...hoping to have some fun and get back in the right mindset.

Thankfully, TSMM was fun as always. We were on the ride within a few minutes and having a great time.

<phew!> I'm glad something went right!

I ended up reaching as far as I could to grab the handle on our stroller and I just picked it up and pulled it out over the top of the others.

oooohhhh.... Right there.
That's when I figured it would happen.
The old, "I'm reaching out and lifting and there goes my back!" routine.

Next thing you know I’m walking through this shoulder to shoulder crowd, holding a double stroller over my head trying to get to my family. I’m sure it looked like I was getting ready to throw it at somebody, and at that point in the evening if someone said the wrong thing to me, I probably would have been tempted to.

I KNEW IT!!!!

You’d think if there was something that I’d hurt my back doing, it would be this…

Backlot Express has kind of become our go to QS place in DHS. It is nothing special, but we’re always happy with the food, there is a drink station for refills, and they have buffalo chicken nuggets.

Good to know.
Just might use that tidbit of info...

I had just ordered and was standing at the counter waiting for our food. And I was wearing the backpack.

Because that’s what Dad does.

True. But eventually they graduate to carrying purses...

Then you have to hold those....


I really don't know which is worse.

A lady in the lane next to us had just been handed her tray. She picked it up and turned and knocked her drink and dessert onto the floor when she bumped into the side of my backpack.

I started to turn to help her and apologize… when she starts going on this rant about people and their bags and yada, yada, yada.

At that point, I didn’t say a word to her. I think someone else helped her, but I just turned around and continued to wait for my food. I knew at that point if I opened my mouth it wouldn’t be good for anyone there. I was just on edge and I was done. 24 hours without sleep will do that to you.

I don't know at this point to applaud you for your restraint...
or feel for you and your high level of extreme exhaustion.

I never say no to “one more ride.”

Tired? Maybe just a bit?

We went to the parking lot and got in the Suburban just a few minutes prior to the park’s closing time at 8pm.


It was 8:40 by the time we got out of the parking lot. It was ridiculous. Really.

A line-up? To get out of the parking lot???

We finally got out of there and made a quick stop at the Hess station across the street for some milk and orange juice for breakfast.

And some stress medication.
And a large bottle of vodka.

After that, it was smooth sailing back to AoA.

Oh, sure. Just one nice smooth sail of a day, right?

DW still had a few things to unpack, and DS was begging to go swimming. He and I headed down to the Cozy Cone. We had our pick of any of the cabanas we wanted at 9pm.

After all that, you still took your son down to the pool?

Wow. You're a good dad.

Now that I think about it, that little swim probably helped me immensely with winding down and regaining my composure after all the stress from our time in DHS. I was probably too amped up by the time we got back to even be able to get to sleep, no matter how tired I was.

So... A good thing.
Still, I don't think I could've managed it by that point.

But the whole time I was out there, I couldn’t help but wonder what the lifeguards who were decked out head to toe in cold weather gear, thought of the idiot who brought his kid out to get hypothermia.

Probably thought you were from Canada.

Thanks for the update!

 

[pkondz]

I'd love to get a picture of a park crowd, just a sea of heads, with a stroller being held aloft, making its way through. That'd be great.

Yes!!

 

[afwdwfan]

Oh Wow!

Yikes!

That STINKS (AND A FEW OTHER CHOICE WORDS)!

Oh, believe me, I said those choice words!

I hear ya on the lack of sleep and the crowds. That is bad enough, but the complete chaos you described sounds horrific and there is NOTHING i hate more than a stroller up the back of my ankles. And there is nothing wrong with my ankles. And your DW ended up on the ground. Wow. WOW is all I can say.

It was crazy. It really did get kind of scary there for a bit, and I'm not claustrophobic or scared of crowds or anything like that. I mean there was legitimate pushing and shoving going on as people were trying to move through the streets. It was nuts!

Glad TSM was the highlight of the night!

You can usually count on it!

And to the lady with the tray - seriously - watch where you are going.

Or at least don't be such a witch about it...

I'm wondering out long it took you to get out of the parking lot.

It was crazy. We got out of our parking spot and sat at the end of our parking lane waiting to get out into the road to the exit. It was bumper to bumper and moving at a crawl and nobody wanted to even let anyone in. I finally picked out some little 2 door car and used the well known rule of "he who has the biggest tires has the right of way."

I LOVE the nativity scene. Calm in complete chaos!

I'm glad they still include it!

Oh my gosh! That night sounds terrible! With the Osbourne Lights gaining popularity, I am not surprised it's become a madhouse. But when the heck did people lose all their common sense?! I am so sorry your ankle was rammed and that your DW was trampled. How flipping rude...and your poor DD. I'm sure that one wasn't intentional, but man, I bet you wanted to go off on someone, ANYONE. Ugh.

It really was a mad house. Hard to just relax and enjoy the lights when you're getting bumped from all directions.

I'm sure the stroller that we bumped going the other direction was probably in the same boat I was and pretty much limited on what they could do, but when she started screaming I was ticked.

TSMM and the Frozen sing along...at least you can say you got something accomplished out in that madness.

Yes! We did have some bright spots and it was great to ride TSMM.

I love buffalo chicken, as well! And agree, it's nice to have it offered in DHS.

That swim probably did do you a lot of good. A little decompression. Oh, and the lifeguards think you all are amusing. I talked with them briefly one night last December. They joked that sometimes they think you guys forget that the water might be nice and warm, but getting out and having that cold air hit you is what really sucks.
I can say, as a Floridian, you won't find me out there in the 50s. That's bundle up weather for me.

Yeah, it was a little cool when we got out. I ended up drying off quickly, throwing my shirt on and then I just wrapped DS up in both of our towels and made a run for the building.

I really hope the next morning was much better than that arrival night!

It definitely was!

Yikes! Your evening at HS does not sound fun at all. I hope it gets better.

We had some fun. It would have been all fun if it weren't for all the other people there!

After an update like that…
I figured a bit of levity was a moral imperative.

Nicely done. And now I have some new ideas. If only I could have had one of those with a working laser gun that night in DHS.

Tough evening there.
On the up side, you did make the sing-a-long and the kids enjoyed both that and the lights.
You did also get onto TSMM (it required herculean effort to be sure) and everyone loved that as well.

Yes, the good points definitely helped make the difficulty worthwhile... to a degree.

As for the rest of the evening’s foray into Bedlam…


Well…
I think it just best that I wait for the next chapter before returning to my normal standard of giving you copious amounts of grief.

Thanks.

I suspect that at least you slept well that evening.

I was out cold in no time at all.

 

[Andipandi]

Thanks for the driving info. We live in Akron, Ohio. That is in northeast Ohio so it might take us a little longer to get there. At least now I know when we should be heading out to get there in a reasonable time.

 

[Leshaface]

I didn't use TP* for this trip but I used EasyWDW crowd calendar and it's always been amazing. But this trip I found the crowd levels were completely off! What was supposed to be a 4 at MK one day, totally felt like a 7.

Aw, love that FiL was allowing the Disney spirit to take over at Frozen

Are you serious?! I can't believe all that was happening to both you and DW during Osborne! Yikes.

I don't think i've ever experienced a packed DHS...and it sounds like I really don't want too. Gosh, poor DD. That would hurt.

Seriously, I hope that the rest of your trip turned out 100 times better! What an icky night.


ETA: As not to freak anyone out, I did use Toilet Paper on this trip...just not TouringPlans

 

[afwdwfan]

Oh man, how stressful (and painful!). It reminds me of Christmas shopping. I don't know how you held yourself together. I'd have lost it back with the wife going tuchas over teakettle.

At that point it was survival mode saying let's get the heck out of here.

I'd love to get a picture of a park crowd, just a sea of heads, with a stroller being held aloft, making its way through. That'd be great.

Yes!!

I'm picturing something closer to a slow motion video with dramatic music playing...

Did you feel a chill go down your spine at this point?
No?
Maybe a little later?

Hmmmmm??????

Well, I was fidgeting in my seat and checking the clock about every 2 seconds.

And wasn't it nice that they let you know that?

Truthfully, I wasn't surprised since I knew it was being phased out, but I still hoped to be able to use our pass at least some.

And just how much were you worrying that there'd be a problem there?

Based on some of the things I'd heard, I was definitely fearing the worst.

Is that short for Bolshoi?
You were going to see the Russian ballet?

No?


Brain Surgeons?


Big Shoes?


Bad Shrimp?

You're getting closer. I'll just leave it to your imagination.

No offense, but.... yuck.

Oh, I'm not offended. That's pretty accurate.

I'm intending to do something very similar in a few weeks.
Go to DHS in late afternoon and do an ADR and a few FPs....

Ya got me a wee bit nervous, man!

Then again, I won't have little ones to worry about, so it won't be nearly as stressful as what you went through.

You won't have the Osborne Lights to deal with. And the bulk of the issues we ran into was either in the Streets of America or dealing with the masses trying to get into the Streets of America. Aside from that, the crowds that were there, with me by myself... I think I'd have been just fine. But that's the beauty of having an ADR and FP+ when you walk in the gates.

As far as the parking lot situation... well, I'd suggest taking a bus.

Whoa! That was close!

No kidding!

My heart can't take it.

Awww....
That's pretty cute, ya know.

Yes, yes it is.

Never apologize for doing the right thing.
Memories in the form of photos are nice... but missing out because you were too busy taking photos?

Nope.

Yeah, I'm definitely happy that I wasn't screwing around with a camera or the phone all the time. But it does make the TR thing a little more difficult.

Love that shot!

Me too. Thanks.

You showed great restraint by only using colourful language.
You didn't feel an overwhelming desire to rip the stroller out or her hands?
Or shake her and yell at her to wake up?


I'm not saying to do those things... just a desire to do them.

Oh, I had those thoughts. I suppressed them, but I definitely had them.

What the heck is wrong with people???
Pushing people over? What the heck's with that?!?!?
Did the pusher even apologize?
Or was he/she oblivious?

Man! That really bugs me.

It was horrible. I had people bumping into me and pushing against me basically the whole time we were there. I thought DW was kind of on a side that was away from where people were really trying to move so she was protected. But she said a couple of people were trying to get out so she tried to give them room and was basically leaning over the stroller and then the floodgates opened and someone gave her a forearm to her shoulder and down she went. She didn't even see who did it.

I would think so!

I feel so bad for you guys.
I know she was fine, but...

Nothing worse than when your child gets hurt.

I know. I was pretty upset about it.

I'd think by now you'd be past that limit.
I'm a little surprised (and perhaps a bit envious... or amazed) that you kept it together.


<slow clap>

I don't know what it was. I think partly, I was too tired and had too much to keep track of to really get too upset in the moment. I was pushing the stroller and trying to keep tabs on our group and keep us all together. It was so crowded and we were kind of caught up in the stream so there was really no choice but to get over it and get somewhere off to the side and we'll deal with it.

<phew!> I'm glad something went right!

I promise, this TR isn't all doom and gloom. We had both extreme ends of the spectrum (good and bad) for this trip in our first 6 hours.

oooohhhh.... Right there.
That's when I figured it would happen.
The old, "I'm reaching out and lifting and there goes my back!" routine.

It would make sense at least.

I KNEW IT!!!!

For some reason, nobody bumped into me or my kids when I had it up in the air.

Good to know.
Just might use that tidbit of info...

I'm glad I had something useful to say. That's rare.

True. But eventually they graduate to carrying purses...

Then you have to hold those....


I really don't know which is worse.

Give me the backpack.

I don't know at this point to applaud you for your restraint...
or feel for you and your high level of extreme exhaustion.

I think exhaustion is probably more accurate. I still remember that moment vividly. She started yapping, I kind of puffed up, opened my mouth and was ready to blow... and then I just deflated. I was too tired to deal with it.

Tired? Maybe just a bit?

Clearly you don't know me... if it was just tired, I'd have ridden it. I was just frustrated. I knew I was the primary one who would want to ride that ride so it was just better for all if we get out of there.

A line-up? To get out of the parking lot???

2 lanes.

Bumper to bumper.

Moving a few feet every few minutes.

It was glorious, really.

And some stress medication.
And a large bottle of vodka.

The real reason I asked my dr. for pain meds before our Disneyland trip.

Oh, sure. Just one nice smooth sail of a day, right?

You just have those days sometimes.

After all that, you still took your son down to the pool?

Wow. You're a good dad.

But it was a pool themed like it was the pool for the Cozy Cone Motel. I mean it was a really cool area. I hadn't had a chance to check it out yet, so it didn't take much to twist my arm.

So... A good thing.
Still, I don't think I could've managed it by that point.

It really did help relax me to get in the pool and play in the water with DS for a little bit. If I'd just taken a shower and gone to bed, I'd probably have had trouble winding down and getting to sleep after all the stress. It never matters how tired I am, if I'm stressed I don't sleep.

Probably thought you were from Canada.

Thanks for the update!

Thanks for reading!

 

[pkondz]

As far as the parking lot situation... well, I'd suggest taking a bus.

Actually, I won't have any choice when it comes to that.

For some reason, nobody bumped into me or my kids when I had it up in the air.

"Watch out for the guy with the crazed look on his face holding the stroller in the air!"

Give me the backpack.

I remember a commercial on not long ago. Don't remember what it was for.
Some beer or alcohol of some sort, I think.
A woman hands her husband/boyfriend her purse as she darts into a store.
He distastefully drops it to the floor at his feet.
He turns a plastic bag inside out, then picks up the purse like it's a huge dog turd.
Camera cuts to a group of men, sitting and watching.
They slow clap.

But it was a pool themed like it was the pool for the Cozy Cone Motel. I mean it was a really cool area. I hadn't had a chance to check it out yet, so it didn't take much to twist my arm.


It really did help relax me to get in the pool and play in the water with DS for a little bit. If I'd just taken a shower and gone to bed, I'd probably have had trouble winding down and getting to sleep after all the stress. It never matters how tired I am, if I'm stressed I don't sleep.

Fine. Have it your way.
Compliment withdrawn!

 

[glennbo123]

I didn't use TP* for this trip but I used EasyWDW crowd calendar and it's always been amazing.

ETA: As not to freak anyone out, I did use Toilet Paper on this trip...just not TouringPlans

Thanks for the clarification!

I'm picturing something closer to a slow motion video with dramatic music playing...

The theme from "Jaws" might be appropriate.

Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun!