Team Manic vs. Team Fun, the Rematch... Plus a Crazy Lit Up Fish! An epic trip report

[N10CJT]

For those of you who know of the epic battle between Team Manic and Team Fun from reading my trip report from last year, welcome back for another installment. For everyone else...... what have you been doing with your lives?!?!?!?!?!
Still, let me set the players once more:

Team Manic
Myself, 32. Still devilishly handsome and irrepressibly charming. Just ask Minnie!
My girlfriend, 27. A newly minted Dis'er. Say hi to her! (irisira)
We are so named because of my brother's comment last year that we were "so manic..... we always had to be doing something."

Team Fun
My mother, my father, and my brother. Good people in most respects and great in some, but agonizingly committed to sitting in hotel rooms, complaining about the number of children around, and deflating the experiences of others.

Team Hijack
My sister, her husband and their two teenagers. The expansion franchise this year, so named because of their ability to take over the trips of others. Others who don't live in Florida. An hour away. With annual passes.

And then the free agent, my brother's girlfriend, who had the opportunity to join any team, and who chose..... well, there needs to be some suspense, right?

Okay, some notes about this year's report.
1. There will be plenty of pictures, though none for the first couple days. This is because a member of Team Manic other than myself forgot to pack the rechargeable batteries for the charger that they did pack. This lasted an extra day because a member of Team Manic other than myself loaded the charger incorrectly the night we bought new rechargeable batteries. In the interests of team unity I prefer to keep the aforementioned member anonymous. Ethics first!
2. I tend to write lengthy descriptions, and that made my installments last year really, really, really...... really long. So this year I plan to break the trip up into segments within days, inspired by my more experienced Dis comrades.
3. I'm in the busy season right now. And that busy season extends more or less to June. Bear with me if I drop off the grid once or twice!
4. And most importantly, I want to hear from you! Half the fun of a report is the interaction with those who read it!

Alright, then, on with the report!

 

[irisira]

1. There will be plenty of pictures, though none for the first couple days. This is because a member of Team Manic other than myself forgot to pack the rechargeable batteries for the charger that they did pack. This lasted an extra day because a member of Team Manic other than myself loaded the charger incorrectly the night we bought new rechargeable batteries. In the interests of team unity I prefer to keep the aforementioned member anonymous. Ethics first!

Considering there are only two members of Team Manic, and N10CJT is one of them, I hardly think that was keeping "the aforementioned member anonymous." Not nice.

I mean, it's not like I blamed a certain other member of Team Manic (who shall remain anonymous, of course!) for not reminding me to put them in my carryon the morning of our flight, when I explicity remember asking said member to do so ...

 

[N10CJT]

Considering there are only two members of Team Manic, and N10CJT is one of them, I hardly think that was keeping "the aforementioned member anonymous." Not nice.

I mean, it's not like I blamed a certain other member of Team Manic (who shall remain anonymous, of course!) for not reminding me to put them in my carryon the morning of our flight, when I explicity remember asking said member to do so ...

See now they know who it was!
As for this other member, I don't know who that is, but I can say that it may not have been the greatest idea to rely on him thinking straight at 5.00 AM the morning he has to hurtle through the sky in a pressurized piece of steel, which I can see making some people anxious. Possibly.... I don't know. I want to be even-handed about this.....

 

[N10CJT]

Day one began at 5.00 AM, which is an hour early for my girlfriend, but many more hours early for someone accustomed to laying down closer to 5.00 than he awakes. Yeah, I was tired. Fortunately I had everything ready to go, so no thinking was necessary.
When we arrived at Albany International, it wasn't particularly crowded, though there were several camera crews there anticipating the big Wednesday-before-Thanksgiving travel crowd. In any case, we got through security quickly, though my girlfriend had to run back to the Southwest counter to check my pump-spray sunscreen.
(Okay, the pump-spray is difficult to find in a region that isn't planning on sunbathers anytime in the next 5 months, and I finally found it the day before the trip. Fair skin, fine hair.... it's just far easier to apply it to my scalp so it doesn't sizzle. Anyway, given the bag delay with the Magical Express and a full day in front of us, I had it in my carry-on, not even thinking of what Homeland Security would think of it.)
The flight was smooth and I did well. I was anxious at first, but a triple-dose of my "happy pills" cut the edge. Stoned at 41,000 feet, there's no other way to fly......
We actually arrived early, which I think the airline planned because MCO was a madhouse at 10.00. Also a madhouse: The Magical Express counter.
And let the gripes begin! I've never seen so many people so angry about a free ride. There was the man who told his cell phone "I don't stand in lines" (nope, there's none of that ahead of you in Disney World) and tried to find a towncar that was set to be booked only as he reached the front of the line. And there was the woman immediately behind us wearing her designer sunglasses (lady it ain't sunny inside the airport!) appealing to everyone she could about how ridiculous every aspect of the process was. I think her toy poodle was in checked luggage and she felt oh so unfashionable without it shoved under her armpit. And that's just a sampling.
Finally, I decided to tap my bountiful fountain of snark and in full form spoke firmly and well-audibly, stamping my foot for emphasis:
"I want some magic and I want it NOW!"
My girlfriend began to snicker and I pretended that she was trying to control me from making a scene....
"No! I was promised magic! This isn't magical! I want my magic!"
I'm not sure if I offended the woman behind us (I hope so, though she seemed not to realize that I was ripping on her, which is probably even better), but several others waiting along with us loved it, some smiling and others laughing. And when we arrived at the front of the line.... maybe 20 to 25 minutes after we entered it..... the vacation was off to a positive note.
A cast-member with an oversized white hand showed us to our bus, and I like to think that he had been radioed about my quips, for he also quipped for our benefit: "This is some full-service magic for you."
There's no place like Disney World, where an extra 1/2 hour in a crowded airport can offer moments of serendipitous fun.....

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

This looks like a lot of fun, count me in for the ride.

 

[DL55]

Considering there are only two members of Team Manic, and N10CJT is one of them, I hardly think that was keeping "the aforementioned member anonymous." Not nice.

I mean, it's not like I blamed a certain other member of Team Manic (who shall remain anonymous, of course!) for not reminding me to put them in my carryon the morning of our flight, when I explicity remember asking said member to do so ...

irisira Did you grab him by the head, making sure he was looking at you while you asked him to remind you? I have a miniature bat that I use to get DH's attention.
N10CJT Another great beginning. "I don't stand in lines"
Another team, Team Hijack, I hope they don't bring Team Manic down as did Team Fun.

 

[irisira]

irisira Did you grab him by the head, making sure he was looking at you while you asked him to remind you? I have a miniature bat that I use to get DH's attention.

He usually accuses ME of not listening to HIM.

 

[irisira]

Another great beginning. "I don't stand in lines"

This guy was there with two other people who were going to some sort of work-related convention, and clearly the guy thought he was more important than he was. "Yeah, I'm not the kind of guy who stands in lines," he says into his Blackberry. It was high theatre, watching this guy being told "no" for the next 10-15 minutes, and in that time, he got to the front of the line!

He reminded me of my uncle, actually.

 

[N10CJT]

The Magical Express ride was pleasant. Out the right-side window I watched a steady stream of planes making their slow approach to the airport. They seemed to hover in the air, a graceful, poetic delivery of visitors to the Mouse.
We stopped briefly at the Caribbean Beach, then proceeded to the Beach Club. When we entered the lobby, my mother was sitting in a chair directly in front of the door. She, my father, and my brother had driven from Long Island, and my brother's girlfriend had flown in the night before. Because of logistical problems, we had been forced to sacrifice breakfast at Cape May, though Chip and Dale are no longer there, which softened the blow.
My father had accompanied my brother and his girlfriend to the Animal Kingdom, and though we had considered going over there when we had sketched out a general plan for the trip, we were too tired and too hungry to hustle, agreeing that we wanted to ensure enough energy reserves for dinner at California Grill and an evening in the Magic Kingdom.
So instead we checked in, dropped off our bags in 4662, and headed to Beaches and Cream with my mother for lunch. And hey, Acid Reflux doesn't accompany you on vacation, right? I should have no problem with a chili-dog and a vanilla milkshake!
Actually, I'm grateful that my flare-up (the first serious one in years) happened a few weeks before our trip, as I was sufficiently healed to have such a lunch without it burning a hole in my chest. A little bit of discomfort was worth it, as I really wanted that milkshake.... it's not exactly milkshake season in the Hudson Valley, you know....
We took our time with lunch. My girlfriend raved about her burger, and we both equivocated on whether it was blasphemy to not finish our shakes. After lingering in some conversation with my mother, we went to the concierge desk to purchase our tickets..... 10 day parkhoppers with water park and fun options!
We talked about what to do, and my girlfriend suggested we try Epcot because of its proximity to the Beach Club. So in we went! My mother loves Soarin', so we vainly checked the big board and were greeted by a very predictable 40 minute wait time. I was willing to wait considering that this was the one attraction that my mother is crazy about, but she didn't want to. So instead we went to Spaceship Earth, which listed a 20 minute wait that was more like 20 minutes of walking through the queue.
My mother, frightened by the heights the ride would take us, waited on a bench outside.
Now last year Spaceship Earth was closed for refurbishment, so this was my first ride in 13 years and my girlfriend's first ever! She actually loved it, and I enjoyed it a great deal. In all honesty I can't remember much of the original so I can't be too upset with the changes, though I do remember a beautiful ride down through Wizard-of-Oz-like renderings of future cities instead of what seems like an under-thought collection of dangling Christmas lights, and at the apex I recall a much greater feeling of being in space because of a dark abyss in front of the ride-vehicle. But that moment at the top is still beautiful, and we enjoyed the build-your-future game, me for its classic combination of scientific projection and hokey futuristic nonsense-- in a way, it devotedly harkens back to the early days of the park itself. Now if we could only remove those hand-like growths sticking out of our heads......
After Spaceship Earth we went to the camera store, decided that the rechargeable batteries in there were too expensive (surprise surprise!), and then decided to investigate Test Track to see if the line was manageable. It was not. However, having shed my mother (who decided to head back), we walked over to Japan and to Mitsukoshi to see if my girlfriend's tea-set was there.... you know, the one that she wanted last year but didn't buy, then returned to buy only to find that it was sold out. Alright, those who haven't read my old report can piece that one together now!
And it was there! Great, right? Well........ now Jen started to have second thoughts. "Do I really want it?" "What use will I get out of it?" Ah, equivocation, how I longed for thee, having not seen you in, say, three days. And yes, just as I cocked the revolver and buried it deep in my mouth, she decided against purchasing it.
But if you think that's the end of the story, you don't know my girlfriend as well as I do.
Anyway, at this point we had had enough of the crowds, so we returned to the room, changed, and reintroduced ourselves to Stormalong Bay, beginning with the slide! The weather wasn't exactly tropical, but if we weren't going to the Animal Kingdom I was sure going to get a swim in!
Remarkably, after our swim we returned to a bell-hop delivering our bags. I was pretty impressed by the speed in which they were delivered this year, though it's possible that they were actually on a bus before we were, given the delay at the airport.
We showered, got ready for dinner, packed sneakers so that we could change for the park, and after greeting the rest of our party (returned from the Animal Kingdom), headed out. It had been a leisurely afternoon, not exactly filled with the kind of material destined for unforgettable message-board narrative.
Our evening, on the other hand, would make up for that......

 

[DL55]

I had forgotten about your daily swim. We always make arrival day a relaxing one, especially if we fly in.
Looking forward to the Team reunion.

 

[N10CJT]

I had forgotten about your daily swim. We always make arrival day a relaxing one, especially if we fly in.
Looking forward to the Team reunion.

Yes, I do love to swim. Unfortunately for much of our time there it was too cold to swim.... even for me! Still, I can't complain, as this is what it looked like outside of our apartment this weekend:

I'll take Florida's definition of "cold" right about now!

 

[N10CJT]

This looks like a lot of fun, count me in for the ride.

Welcome, Lessa! Stick around and watch me wow the Le Cellier hostess with my knowledge of Hockey Night in Canada and the CBC sign-offs!
(Nice trippie yourself, by the way.... )

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Welcome, Lessa! Stick around and watch me wow the Le Cellier hostess with my knowledge of Hockey Night in Canada and the CBC sign-offs!
(Nice trippie yourself, by the way.... )

 

[N10CJT]

Well, it didn't take long for me to forget a HUGE chunk of our trip! But my girlfriend and I pieced it together tonight, and I've made the adjustments to the second installment.
See, though, my girlfriend forgot why she forgot about this. But once reminded that we went into Epcot briefly, I remembered the part of the story that she doesn't want told. Whaaaa ha ha ha ha!
Anyway, I was going to update tonight about California Grill and the Magic Kingdom, but instead I supplemented what I've already written. Sort of like writing my dissertation.......
In any case, check it out and look for the new installment later on. My apologies!

 

[DL55]

OH oh...

 

[jcc0621]

This sounds like it is going to be fun!

Welcome, Lessa! Stick around and watch me wow the Le Cellier hostess with my knowledge of Hockey Night in Canada and the CBC sign-offs!
(Nice trippie yourself, by the way.... )

Oh, I can't wait to hear about how you even managed to bring Don Cherry up in a conversation

 

[N10CJT]

This sounds like it is going to be fun!




Oh, I can't wait to hear about how you even managed to bring Don Cherry up in a conversation

Glad to have you with us!
Yeah, it is an interesting story, but bringing up tall collars and insane non-sequitors and the like isn't hard to do. Here's a hint. Canadians who have spent more than three days in America desperately want to talk about Canada. One of my closest friends is from Vancouver, and it takes ZERO prompting to get him going. Now a 20-something not only in America but in Disney World only makes it easier. And a girl on speed essentially searches out ways to talk about Canadian things. The rest you'll have to wait for.
Disclaimer: Use of methamphetamines in said circunstance is purely conjecture

 

[N10CJT]

We had an early reservation at what is by far my favorite restaurant in Disney World: California Grill! I must admit that I was a bit disappointed that it came so early in the trip, and at a time when the fireworks would not be going off. But there's so much to love about the place that I was still very excited to go.
To illustrate how much I love California Grill, here's an underlit photograph of a souvenir I grabbed and pinned to the refridgerator, as if we could just call them up for take-out (ironically, the magnet next to it found itself there under similar circumstances!):

I'll just say this as another teaser for future installments. This night was not to include a repeated validation of Jen and my awesomeness. I can only attribute this to the presence of Team Fun, though it is possible that on this night we were simply allotted a far less liberal dispenser of awesomized accolades than others amongst the California Grill staff.
(The boards doesn't spell-correct awesomeness. That's awesome.)
Now, even before we discovered that Disney's bus system has become even less efficient and far more aggravating, Jen and I were determined to avoid it whenever possible. So we left Team Fun behind, walked through Epcot, and hopped on the monorail! It wasn't yellow, but it was still a wonderful ride. I was again reminded of why I love the monorail, cruising quietly and environmentally consciously above several packed buses moving people in a wonderously romantic place in a severely un-romantic fashion. I can't help but think of Walt Disney's dream of a property devoid of visible automobiles and wonder what Disney World would look like if he hadn't smoked like a chimney.
(Then again, he never wanted a Magic Kingdom, so perhaps the board would have shoved 200 buses in there anyway.)
Anyway, we transferred at the T&T and had a lovely ride around the Seven Seas Lagoon. And with time to spare, we disembarked in the Contemporary.
My girlfriend, however, was certain that my mother was going to be there when we arrived, freaking out about how "late" we were. She is exponentially more frightened by my mother than I am..... And when we entered the line on the second floor with no one from Team Fun in sight, I could definitely sense the tension in the girl standing beside me.
But here's the wildcard: My brother's girlfriend is PATHOLOGICALLY tardy. For my mother's birthday dinner in August, she was 1/2 hour late (in my mother's time, this is an hour late, because she is neurotic about being very early to everything and she trusts nobody, to the point that my alarm has NEVER gone off in my parents' house because she will invariable awaken me well before it does so). This was complicated by the fact that she completely went off the grid at precisely the moment when my brother was trying to reach her. I have no doubt that she gummed the gears this time, for though Team Fun was driving themselves to dinner, they arrived several minutes after us! I grinned at the turn of events.
Still, everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Everyone except the holdovers from the Magical Express group (hmmm, I think I'll nominate a new team. Team M.E., how delightful a play on language! It'll describe those who feel above things like lines and little annoyances that us peasants for some reason tolerate). Well, this particular member of Team M.E., a couple who better half looked like a piece of plastic just back from an injection of neurotoxins, could not handle the small line to check in. First they just walked right in front of the line as if we were all invisible. This outraged my mother, who insisted that the group in front of us not let them get away with it. Relegated to the back of the line, they proceeded to complain about the process, seeking fellowship from their fellow sufferers. Mr. M.E. got on a cell phone to complain to Lord knows who, and Lady M.E. insisted that their treatment was sufficiently outrageous to justify an abandonment of their reservation in favor of another (I'm sure California Grill could never recover, so desperate are they for people who want to eat there!). Then, in the most brazen of acts, they attempted to seize upon an opportunity of an open elevator door to shove their way upstairs. They were, of course, rebuked by the attendant, but I rather wish they had succeeded in making it up there, as I can't imagine what might have happened once they realized that they weren't going to be seated until they checked in. Ah, Team M.E., even Team Fun soundly routs you! Possibly even the Detroit Lions could take you on some Sundays.....
Anyway, eventually we sat down to a lovely dinner. Our table was not directly situated next to a window, but it still afforded us a nice view of the lagoon and the sites circling it. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood, and we all enjoyed ourselves.
Of course, good moods don't silence old habits. My father therefore continued in his tradition of feigning ignorance about what Jen and I were eating, as if he had both never seen sushi and could not not possibly fathom how that might be considered food. My brother's girlfriend took a step towards Team Manic, trying grouper for the first time and loving it (I give her credit for broadening her horizons on the trip, though after the fact I can't quite put my finger on what she HAD tried before coming to Florida).
My girlfriend and I decided to go with two rolls and an order of nigiri. I refrained from wine, though their list is very good. My reasoning: "Given the amount of narcotics I've put in my system today, perhaps alcohol isn't the best idea." Better living through chemistry can also be worse living through chemistry, it's all about context!
I have to be honest and say that the nigiri was not fabulous. It was very good, to be certain, but I've really come to an understanding about ordering nigiri and sashimi, and that is that unless you are Tomoe and only have to bring beautiful fish from Fulton Street to Thompson Street (or something like that) to cut into beautiful, enormous slices, it isn't going to measure up. Which is fine, because though I love the essential simplicity of perfectly cut and served pieces of seafood, I also completely respect the creative rolls that top sushi chefs come up with. My only real quibble with the nigiri selection: too traditional. You're in Florida, so why didn't I see any snapper or grouper or the like? It struck me as a selection I would receive in any run-of-the-mill landlocked sushi joint.
Fortunately, the rolls were out of this world. We had the Spicy Kazan roll, a combination of scallops, shrimp, crab and Tuna with a spicy but not overpowering sauce that was delightful. But our other choice was the Malibu Roll, a creation with a troubling name that turned out to be THE best example of rolled sushi I have ever had. First off, it was made with those Florida staples, snapper and grouper, which were incredibly fresh. Cobia and hamachi balanced everything well, and the roll was delicately fried (I feared it would be overdone), topped with a tasty sauce and ultimately self-built with a fantastic tuna tartare that I would eat alone. Together, it was outrageous.
I finished with a Cashew Nut Dacquoise (sp.?) Cake, which was light and wonderful, and I was in a fine mood. Jen will have to supplement with her dessert choice, as I can't quite recollect what it was.
And so we were on to the Magic Kingdom. Well, minus the leaders of Team Fun, who still blame the patriarch's bronchitis last year on Splash Mountain. And with a slight delay from our free agent, who made her case for Team Fun recruitment repeatedly during the evening even as her boyfriend defied his official affiliation. Well, you'll see......

 

[DL55]

Glad you got your snapper and grouper eventually. I have to remember to read your TR after I eat so I won't get so hungry.
I can't believe you actually ran into Team ME again. Detroit Lions vs Team ME

 

[irisira]

You know, it's really somewhat of an exaggeration to say you wanted to shoot yourself after 5 minutes in Mitzukoshi with me trying to decide if I wanted this tea set. It was a very involved decision, you see ...

As for my dessert, I had the Banana and Butterscotch "Buzz" (which I had to go to allears.net to remember what I had!). This began the "tradition" of me having a stomachache after every meal. I generally eat much smaller meals, however I don't like to waste food (especially GOOD food!), and so I found I was stuffing myself in order to eat all or most of the food on my plate ... this led to indigestion. Every night.

The good news? It tricked my metabolism, and I've lost four pounds from what I weighed pre-trip since coming home, without doing anything different than normal.