Tabetha
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2004
- Messages
- 1,545
Cast:
Tabetha: Disney fan who came to the "World" late in life, and am now making up for it! This is my second trip on property, last year we stayed at Pop Century with my sister.
Greg: Disney fan that has been to the "World" pretty much every year for the last 15 years. Has seen it all, and is starting to see a little tarnish on the magic. Has been his lifelong dream to stay at the Polynesian.
We've been dating for over a year now, and this is our first "alone trip"!
02/16/05: Keys to the Kingdom, Or, Buffing off the tarnish and Pleasure-ish Island
Hooray! Camping breakfast! Thats always what I think of when I eat my cereal out of a little box our familys annual camping trip. Every day was a crucial strategy there were only so many good (meaning sugary) boxes of cereal in a Kelloggs Fun Pak. Like a chess game, Id pick my cereal, and watch my sister pick hers, then thinking ahead a day to see what Ill pick tomorrow hoping she doesnt get it first. Strange, that I wasnt better at chess, because I was a genius at cereal. Also, my weirdo sister liked the healthy stuff.
Well, Im grown up now, and somehow in the process Kelloggs figured out how to make a plastic bowl of cereal. Last night in a fit of healthiness (now Im the weirdo), Id picked Raisin Bran, and a banana. My childhood self whimpered. I told her to shut it they coat the raisins in sugar, after all.
Greg had chosen a low fat granola, (still in a mini-box that you have to cut into a bowl luddite!). We crunch away at our breakfast, and I eagerly pull out the Uncrustable. Why not try it now, right? I take exactly two bites. Man, I am so not a kid anymore. Gregs done after one bite.
Maybe Id like it better if it werent 8:45AM. After all, how can you go wrong with Peanut Butter and jelly.
Today were taking the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. I think Greg thought I was a little crazy when I booked this tour (to be specific, he said Ok, nerd.), but I really did it for him. I knew from the DIS that this tour would be chock full of things that we take for granted about Disney World. He loves Disney, but, as his description indicates, hes seeing a little of the tarnish, and can be wistful for how it used to be better. Me, I love tours and uncovering new ways to look at things. Today is all about uncovering the magic you dont even realize youre seeing. We check in, pick our lunches for later at the Columbia Harbour House, and get wired for sound. Frankly, Im impressed that the tour guide gets a wireless lav mike, and we all get to listen on our own private earpieces. Robyn, our tour guide, gives us the rundown on how to keep her from bumping into people and proceeds to walk backwards all day. I dont want to give away the details of the tour, because Id hate to spoil someone elses discovery. Suffice to say, that Robyn has a way of telling stories, and relating information that is wonderful. She makes garbage disposal fascinating. We see some really cool behind the scenes stuff, and learn some real tear-jerking (for me and Greg anyway) details about Walt and Roys relationship. It is a wonderful tour. Highly recommended.
Lunch at the Columbia Harbour House, by the way, is delicious again, and a really relaxing way to unwind midway through the tour. They rope off a separate area, and have our lunches waiting for us when we get there. Greg had the Captains Special with Iced Tea, and I had a ½ Lighthouse Sandwich and Veggie Chili and Lemonade. Honestly a hummus and broccoli slaw sandwich? Who came up with them, and when will they be receiving their Noble Prize?
Now, Ive been debating mentioning this, because who knows how small this crazy world is but here goes. There was a guy on the tour who was, well, odd. Buddy, if youre out there reading this, Im sorry, but its probably no surprise to you. He was just one of those guys, he carried around a small soft sided cooler containing nothing but a Tupperware jar of coke. Hed futz with it while we were stopped zip zip zip it open, out comes the Tupperware bottle, clunketyclunk go the ice cubes, shake off the spillage, and glug glug. Oops, looks like weve got a spill in the soft sided cooler better dump it out on the sidewalk before putting the (clunk clunk) bottle back in, and zip zip zip it back up. I cant help but stare, fascinated, every time he does it. And hes one of those guys who knows everything. Hed answer questions directed to the tour guide, and correct her from time to time. Hes just an awkward guy who sets eyes rolling in seconds flat. At lunch, the guide who took our meal orders, and set up lunch for us took over for her while she ate. They made it clear that if we have any questions, hes the guy to ask. Well, our friend is seated right next to poor Robyn, and chats her ear off. The other guide steps up to help out bless him. Hes also a great guy, with great stories of his own. We get moving again, and move to some more really cool backstage areas Im giddy about the utilidors. Greg was right in the first place. I am a nerd.
The tour finally comes to a close, and Greg and I cant get over it. Everything looks a little different.
We had originally thought wed go to the water park, but again, it is really too late in the day to attempt it. We decide to settle for the water slide at the Volcano Pool instead, and head back to the Poly. Its a little cool, but nothing a couple of Canadians cant handle. We search out towels, grab a table, and I send Greg off to try out the slide. I opt for the strong jets in the whirlpool area of the pool. The pool is really busy, and I barely avoid getting kicked in the face a few times. Greg rides the waterslide a few times before I finally decide to try it. Im not big on getting water in my eyes pathetic, I know part of me is paranoid that my contacts will come out, the other part of me just really doesnt like the sensation. We scamper to the top of the volcano, line up with a bunch of 6 year olds, and swoosh down the slide. As soon as Im done, I want to do it again. After a couple more runs, and a few strange looks from the kids, we finally leave, shivering, to shower and change. Were heading to catch a bit of EMH evening hours at MGM.
MGM is a zoo. We do standby for RockNRoller Coaster, and we Fastpass Tower of Terror for Greg. We grab an order of popcorn while we wait for his FP time, and think ahead to dinner, weighing out options. Greg rides, using only one of the two FP we grabbed in case he wanted to ride twice. Nope, once is enough. Besides, he can see Im on the verge of slipping into MHT phase Mean Hungry Tab. Hes great at heading MHT off at the pass, and sometimes notices Im starting to get hungry before I even realize it.
On the way to the bus, we decided to try using a couple of Q&C vouchers at the Pepper Market. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement. My meal started ok, but ended up just being too gross and greasy to even attempt I had ordered the Catch of the Day Taco. I had visions of grilled fish with fresh vegetables in a tortilla. Little did I know, it involved dropping big chunks of raw (nice looking) fish in a deep fryer and cooking them until they were solid balls of crispy grease. At some point, the guy cooking also dipped the tortilla in the hot oil. Im not sure why, unless he was trying to distract one from the extreme grossness of the greasy fish chunks it enveloped. The serving was huge, and came with a huge serving of rice and beans. I got less than a third of the way through the fish taco, and I couldnt continue. Too gross to eat. Greg ordered an enchilada platter, and was also less than enthralled. I wander over to the bakery to get my key lime pie tart for dessert, and a slice of cherry cheesecake for Greg. Pretty tasty, but the fish taco seems to be expanding like spray-in insulation in my stomach. After were done, Im not sure if I need to walk, lie down, breathe deeply or vomit. I choose walking and breathing, and eventually the alarming sick feeling passes.
We begin the longest bus ride of our lives to Pleasure Island. It seems like the bus stops at every single resort on property before reaching its final destination. Were tired, and a little cranky. Not with each other, but we just seem to be completely wiped out.
Once at Pleasure Island, we brandish our ID like backstage passes. Yes. Good for us. We have Drivers Licenses. Our first stop is the Adventurers Club, and catch couple of show-lettes. I guess Im just too tired to appreciate this, and Gregs seen it all before. We grab an extremely potent drink each they certainly dont skimp on the hooch! and head back out to the common room. I see what I assume is a regular giving photos to one of the actors to take backstage and get autographed by everyone. Shes hitting on him, and it kind of creeps me out. I know that with interactive theatre, the line between audience and actor is blurred, but I kind of get skeeved out by this kind of stuff. Back home, I was supposed to be involved with an interactive show, and one of the girls played a stripper with a heart of gold, who is supposed to allow audience members to pretty much feel her up. I stopped going to rehearsals for that show. I can appreciate the fun of interactive theatre, but my reaction confirms to me that Im not in the mood for this. We head for the door, and club hop a little bit. Theres really not much going on, and Greg and I agree that it just doesnt feel very Disney to be dodging around drunk people. I guess Disney isnt really the point, but were not feeling Pleasure Island. Out of curiosity, we head for the Comedy Club, watching the New Years Eve countdown while waiting in line. Wow. Whee.
The improvisers are all very efficient, and they know how to handle a drunk crowd. Thats all I have to say about that. We decide to go back to the hotel and enjoy our last night at the Poly. Tomorrow, were moving to the Wilderness Lodge and it's my birthday!
Day Zero: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=746706
Day One, Part One http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=747729
Day One, Part Two http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=748633
Day Two: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=750260
Day Three: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=752004
Tabetha: Disney fan who came to the "World" late in life, and am now making up for it! This is my second trip on property, last year we stayed at Pop Century with my sister.
Greg: Disney fan that has been to the "World" pretty much every year for the last 15 years. Has seen it all, and is starting to see a little tarnish on the magic. Has been his lifelong dream to stay at the Polynesian.
We've been dating for over a year now, and this is our first "alone trip"!
02/16/05: Keys to the Kingdom, Or, Buffing off the tarnish and Pleasure-ish Island
Hooray! Camping breakfast! Thats always what I think of when I eat my cereal out of a little box our familys annual camping trip. Every day was a crucial strategy there were only so many good (meaning sugary) boxes of cereal in a Kelloggs Fun Pak. Like a chess game, Id pick my cereal, and watch my sister pick hers, then thinking ahead a day to see what Ill pick tomorrow hoping she doesnt get it first. Strange, that I wasnt better at chess, because I was a genius at cereal. Also, my weirdo sister liked the healthy stuff.
Well, Im grown up now, and somehow in the process Kelloggs figured out how to make a plastic bowl of cereal. Last night in a fit of healthiness (now Im the weirdo), Id picked Raisin Bran, and a banana. My childhood self whimpered. I told her to shut it they coat the raisins in sugar, after all.
Greg had chosen a low fat granola, (still in a mini-box that you have to cut into a bowl luddite!). We crunch away at our breakfast, and I eagerly pull out the Uncrustable. Why not try it now, right? I take exactly two bites. Man, I am so not a kid anymore. Gregs done after one bite.
Maybe Id like it better if it werent 8:45AM. After all, how can you go wrong with Peanut Butter and jelly.
Today were taking the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. I think Greg thought I was a little crazy when I booked this tour (to be specific, he said Ok, nerd.), but I really did it for him. I knew from the DIS that this tour would be chock full of things that we take for granted about Disney World. He loves Disney, but, as his description indicates, hes seeing a little of the tarnish, and can be wistful for how it used to be better. Me, I love tours and uncovering new ways to look at things. Today is all about uncovering the magic you dont even realize youre seeing. We check in, pick our lunches for later at the Columbia Harbour House, and get wired for sound. Frankly, Im impressed that the tour guide gets a wireless lav mike, and we all get to listen on our own private earpieces. Robyn, our tour guide, gives us the rundown on how to keep her from bumping into people and proceeds to walk backwards all day. I dont want to give away the details of the tour, because Id hate to spoil someone elses discovery. Suffice to say, that Robyn has a way of telling stories, and relating information that is wonderful. She makes garbage disposal fascinating. We see some really cool behind the scenes stuff, and learn some real tear-jerking (for me and Greg anyway) details about Walt and Roys relationship. It is a wonderful tour. Highly recommended.
Lunch at the Columbia Harbour House, by the way, is delicious again, and a really relaxing way to unwind midway through the tour. They rope off a separate area, and have our lunches waiting for us when we get there. Greg had the Captains Special with Iced Tea, and I had a ½ Lighthouse Sandwich and Veggie Chili and Lemonade. Honestly a hummus and broccoli slaw sandwich? Who came up with them, and when will they be receiving their Noble Prize?
Now, Ive been debating mentioning this, because who knows how small this crazy world is but here goes. There was a guy on the tour who was, well, odd. Buddy, if youre out there reading this, Im sorry, but its probably no surprise to you. He was just one of those guys, he carried around a small soft sided cooler containing nothing but a Tupperware jar of coke. Hed futz with it while we were stopped zip zip zip it open, out comes the Tupperware bottle, clunketyclunk go the ice cubes, shake off the spillage, and glug glug. Oops, looks like weve got a spill in the soft sided cooler better dump it out on the sidewalk before putting the (clunk clunk) bottle back in, and zip zip zip it back up. I cant help but stare, fascinated, every time he does it. And hes one of those guys who knows everything. Hed answer questions directed to the tour guide, and correct her from time to time. Hes just an awkward guy who sets eyes rolling in seconds flat. At lunch, the guide who took our meal orders, and set up lunch for us took over for her while she ate. They made it clear that if we have any questions, hes the guy to ask. Well, our friend is seated right next to poor Robyn, and chats her ear off. The other guide steps up to help out bless him. Hes also a great guy, with great stories of his own. We get moving again, and move to some more really cool backstage areas Im giddy about the utilidors. Greg was right in the first place. I am a nerd.
The tour finally comes to a close, and Greg and I cant get over it. Everything looks a little different.
We had originally thought wed go to the water park, but again, it is really too late in the day to attempt it. We decide to settle for the water slide at the Volcano Pool instead, and head back to the Poly. Its a little cool, but nothing a couple of Canadians cant handle. We search out towels, grab a table, and I send Greg off to try out the slide. I opt for the strong jets in the whirlpool area of the pool. The pool is really busy, and I barely avoid getting kicked in the face a few times. Greg rides the waterslide a few times before I finally decide to try it. Im not big on getting water in my eyes pathetic, I know part of me is paranoid that my contacts will come out, the other part of me just really doesnt like the sensation. We scamper to the top of the volcano, line up with a bunch of 6 year olds, and swoosh down the slide. As soon as Im done, I want to do it again. After a couple more runs, and a few strange looks from the kids, we finally leave, shivering, to shower and change. Were heading to catch a bit of EMH evening hours at MGM.
MGM is a zoo. We do standby for RockNRoller Coaster, and we Fastpass Tower of Terror for Greg. We grab an order of popcorn while we wait for his FP time, and think ahead to dinner, weighing out options. Greg rides, using only one of the two FP we grabbed in case he wanted to ride twice. Nope, once is enough. Besides, he can see Im on the verge of slipping into MHT phase Mean Hungry Tab. Hes great at heading MHT off at the pass, and sometimes notices Im starting to get hungry before I even realize it.
On the way to the bus, we decided to try using a couple of Q&C vouchers at the Pepper Market. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement. My meal started ok, but ended up just being too gross and greasy to even attempt I had ordered the Catch of the Day Taco. I had visions of grilled fish with fresh vegetables in a tortilla. Little did I know, it involved dropping big chunks of raw (nice looking) fish in a deep fryer and cooking them until they were solid balls of crispy grease. At some point, the guy cooking also dipped the tortilla in the hot oil. Im not sure why, unless he was trying to distract one from the extreme grossness of the greasy fish chunks it enveloped. The serving was huge, and came with a huge serving of rice and beans. I got less than a third of the way through the fish taco, and I couldnt continue. Too gross to eat. Greg ordered an enchilada platter, and was also less than enthralled. I wander over to the bakery to get my key lime pie tart for dessert, and a slice of cherry cheesecake for Greg. Pretty tasty, but the fish taco seems to be expanding like spray-in insulation in my stomach. After were done, Im not sure if I need to walk, lie down, breathe deeply or vomit. I choose walking and breathing, and eventually the alarming sick feeling passes.
We begin the longest bus ride of our lives to Pleasure Island. It seems like the bus stops at every single resort on property before reaching its final destination. Were tired, and a little cranky. Not with each other, but we just seem to be completely wiped out.
Once at Pleasure Island, we brandish our ID like backstage passes. Yes. Good for us. We have Drivers Licenses. Our first stop is the Adventurers Club, and catch couple of show-lettes. I guess Im just too tired to appreciate this, and Gregs seen it all before. We grab an extremely potent drink each they certainly dont skimp on the hooch! and head back out to the common room. I see what I assume is a regular giving photos to one of the actors to take backstage and get autographed by everyone. Shes hitting on him, and it kind of creeps me out. I know that with interactive theatre, the line between audience and actor is blurred, but I kind of get skeeved out by this kind of stuff. Back home, I was supposed to be involved with an interactive show, and one of the girls played a stripper with a heart of gold, who is supposed to allow audience members to pretty much feel her up. I stopped going to rehearsals for that show. I can appreciate the fun of interactive theatre, but my reaction confirms to me that Im not in the mood for this. We head for the door, and club hop a little bit. Theres really not much going on, and Greg and I agree that it just doesnt feel very Disney to be dodging around drunk people. I guess Disney isnt really the point, but were not feeling Pleasure Island. Out of curiosity, we head for the Comedy Club, watching the New Years Eve countdown while waiting in line. Wow. Whee.
The improvisers are all very efficient, and they know how to handle a drunk crowd. Thats all I have to say about that. We decide to go back to the hotel and enjoy our last night at the Poly. Tomorrow, were moving to the Wilderness Lodge and it's my birthday!
Day Zero: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=746706
Day One, Part One http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=747729
Day One, Part Two http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=748633
Day Two: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=750260
Day Three: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=752004
