The ABC's of Trip Reporting- PLEASE JOIN US ON THE NEW THREAD!

[Captain_Oblivious]

Maroo: so glad Baker got to meet Pinnocchio! And if you find a way to bottle and mass-market the smells and sounds of Main Street USA, I'll line up as an investor.

 

[maroo]

After a quick stop for some ice cream, we headed toward Tomorrowland.

My plan was to grab FP's for the attractions that Sarah, Jennifer and I would probably go on later in the day when Baker got tired and headed back to the room with his parents.

We decided to go check out Monsters, Inc! While they waited in line, I ran to get FP's.

I was gone about 5 minutes…and was back just in time to get in line and catch up with the group.

And the magic begins…

You probably know there is always a person that Buddy Boil picks on…

Well…Tricia was that person! The big light went on the whole family…

Here is a video of what happened!

First I want to "edit" something Tricia said…she refers to this trip as Bakers "make a wish" trip…she does not mean "Make a Wish" the organization…she just means that this was Baker's Wish…to go to Disney. MAW did not send them to Disney. She really doesn't know the difference, I suppose…but I want to make that clear to anyone reading this. I have been a part of a few official MAW trips and this was not an official MAW trip.


Watch Baker closely….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxAxVPo0axg <---- Click here for video.

I just love his reaction to everything. I just can't really explain how cool it was that he responded to what was going on around him. I think most people could easily tell that Baker has some issues - but he connected with the character and the audience in such an amazing way.

And I was just sitting there with my phone doing the video and crying…when the audience said, "HI BAKER!!" - I just lost it.

Tricia was convinced…and may still think to this day…that I set them up for that. I think she thought that I went and talked to a CM while I was going to get the FPs…but I didn't say a word to anyone! That was all Disney magic!

I suppose they saw the shirts and buttons and just chose them "pick on"…

How cool was it that they picked Baker's Family to highlight for over 2 minutes during the production.

Disney Magic!!

They had been at the Magic Kingdom for just over an hour and had met Pinocchio and been the stars of Monsters, Inc….not bad for an MK morning.

 

[All7OfUs]

Wow, you ARE a pushover! Beg, chant, and you shall recieve

Liesa, that's not a bad picture! You just look a little concerned - like you're thinking, "hey, who dat trying to take my picture!?! Oh, its just me"

I know. Sad, huh.

Weeeeel, it's not bad, given the double chin action, the hair that CONSISTENTLY gave me fits, and the wide-eyed deer in the headlights look.

The boy on the left does look like he's laughing at Liessa and the one on the right looks like she/he can't believe what he/she is seeing !!!

Awestruck all around, I'd say.

:

I just hope I can write it to give it the full justice it deserves.....

Finally all caught up! I think I was around 11 pages back before I found the end of what I had read before. I guess that's what I get for working on a TR update and grading Contest questions.

Too much to remember to comment on, but here are a few:

Rosie's Mom giving her life advice, but not accounting for little ole me!!!

11 pages. Shame on you. (And welcome to my world.)

Your latest feet pictures HAVE looked a little more well maintained. You do realize THAT lake water exposure could probably have had an affect that requires you to do less to keep them up???

Maybe so. But today makes me think I need another dip. They are looking non-Disney trip ready.

Your Brown Derby update - very touching memory!

Fantasmic expectations and it NOT blowing your socks off - what about your shirt???

I was even that unimpressed.

The radiation monitor being so sensitive it went off when the bus went by....I have a radiation monitor sensitivity story I wish I could tell, but this IS a family oriented message board, even if flatulence, pole and lap dancing, and flashing newly "made" friends are common topics!!!

PM it to me; I love a good laugh.

As for the hat picture, I was going to ask if the young man on the left of the picture wasn't just another one of those adoring fans, like the little girl at Brown Derby???

I have my following. It's small.

 

[englishrose47]

Great Update Mary !!!What Magic in that first MK Morning !!!!

 

[Poolrat]

Yikes! All caught up but going to bed. I will be behind in the morning.

 

[All7OfUs]

Yikes! All caught up but going to bed. i will be behing in the morning.

Nah, I don't think there'll be an update tomorrow- stil writing my next one, and we'll let folks get caught up wtih Mary's latest one.

 

[carissanboys]

You've got to love Disney Magic. Loved the video.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Aww, Mary! What an awesome, awesome Disney moment!!! I'm so happy for Baker's family that the got to experience the magic like that!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Crying my eyes out here! What a MAGICAL video! I loved it!!!! How amazing.

 

[KatMark]

Disney magic at its best. I love it.

 

[maroo]

Great Update Mary !!!What Magic in that first MK Morning !!!!

It was so awesome!

You've got to love Disney Magic. Loved the video.

So glad you liked it!

Aww, Mary! What an awesome, awesome Disney moment!!! I'm so happy for Baker's family that the got to experience the magic like that!

It was so much fun. They were treated like royalty.

Crying my eyes out here! What a MAGICAL video! I loved it!!!! How amazing.

awww!! so sorry I made you cry. I hope it was a "good" cry!

It was amazing!

Disney magic at its best. I love it.

You gotta love the Disney magic!

 

[All7OfUs]

That IS some serious Disney Pixie Dust! I remember you telling me about that later in the evening, but you didn't show me the video- just the still shots. That is so cool that the audience said "HI, Baker!' Neat!

 

[marvali]

Mary, what special Disney magic at Monsters, Inc.!!! What a wonderful surprise for a family who deserved so much to experience such special attentions!

Liesa, did you get your pm? Was it a or a ?

 

[maroo]

That IS some serious Disney Pixie Dust! I remember you telling me about that later in the evening, but you didn't show me the video- just the still shots. That is so cool that the audience said "HI, Baker!' Neat!

I didn't show you the video?!? That was not very nice.

Maybe we were looking for your mug.

Mary, what special Disney magic at Monsters, Inc.!!! What a wonderful surprise for a family who deserved so much to experience such special attentions!

Liesa, did you get your pm? Was it a or a ?

They were great with them!!!

And more to come!!!

 

[MEK]

That was a great video. I got in that spot once and had to do the pick the number thing. I was so caught off guard I could hardly speak. I wanted them to pick someone else so bad. Loved Baker's reaction. Very cool.

 

[All7OfUs]

Hey All,

I've been in bed ALL day long. I had a wretched night of back pain and the onset of an awful sinus infection(?). I got in the jacuzzi for a while, and that seemed to help some, but aside from having a snack, I"ve done nothing- including NOT writing a thing for the next update.

Tammie and Marv, I got both your PMs-

Tammie- If I feel any better after dinner, I'll give a ring.

Marv- It was very definitely both. Good for a laugh!

 

[Millie12591]

Maroo: so glad Baker got to meet Pinnocchio! And if you find a way to bottle and mass-market the smells and sounds of Main Street USA, I'll line up as an investor.

Oh, this reminds me. A certain young man in our family had a little (okay, big) slip in church on Sunday. During the congregational prayer.

You've heard the saying..."It went over about as well as a fart in church."

OMGosh!! Tammie, you should have given warning for that one. I think I scared the dog when I laughed out loud!!

I know! I think I made my daughter jump when I let out my laugh.

Wanted: "Liesa", aka "Judy Sue", aka "The Barefoot Bandit", aka "Jinxy LaRue".
Distinguishing Characteristics: Hairy feet, favors apricot sours.
Master of the Koosh Pen. Will occasionally flash strangers in order to disorient them. Should be considered mildly dangerous. Approach at own risk.

I agree! "Crop dusting" is an important tool in the arsenal. Perfect for those folks that won't move all the way to the end of the row in the auditoriums...

I hope your back is feeling better Liesa, it hated calling to find out you weren't able to take the call because you were feeling that badly. What caused the back issue?

 

[Millie12591]

Maroo, thank you for sharing the Baker moments.
It's so heart warming to see how he's taking it in and enjoying it!!

Loved seeing the video!!

 

[that's nice]

Mary....

Wow. What a great morning so far! I love that Baker's family got picked to ummmm get picked on! It was amazing that everyone called out to Baker. I can't wait to see what else Disney has in-store for them.

 

[All7OfUs]

I think I was infected with a memory-sucking virus during our trip that followed me home. On the first page of this trip report I told you that things may not be exactly chronological- perhaps I was anticipating my own lack of recall when it came time to write; or perhaps I knew that I’d forget to read my trip notes carefully.

Day 2 started out with a call from our pal Mickey. I noted this because it was one of the wishes I had written down for our Wishing Wreath. I remember thinking to myself: How could this NOT be a great day if Mickey himself had given me a call to say “good morning”?!? Setting the alarm for 7:15 came close to making it not a great day, but visions of EPCOT danced in my head! So I jumped out of bed (this was probably the only morning I “jumped” out of bed) and got myself ready. And here’s where things went weird.

I knew rope drop was at 9:00, so wanted to hit the busses no later than 8:30; there was a lot to get done before my very important date. Therefore, I took a quick shower the night before, had my camera and phone charging overnight, and had laid out my clothes for a quick change. Everything was ready, so I grabbed my lanyard with my room key, debit card and ID and headed out the door to hit the trail- the trial with groovy tunes to dance along the way. Well, the reason I did this was that I, in fact, NOW needed that toothbrush that I told you about. Apparently, I had gagged and suffered my way through the “toothbrushing” process using a washcloth the night before, and could put off getting a real toothbrush no longer. Not that using a toothbrush was going to help in the gagging department, but a washcloth only can do so much. I had also wanted to sit by the pool and have some quiet time while eating my breakfast before heading out. Here’s the view I enjoyed each morning we stayed at POP. Yep! 3 mornings I had this exact view eating the exact same thing- so I’ll only show you it once.

So there I sat, in complete bliss, soaking in the POPish retro-ness of it all, thoroughly enjoying the warmth and my granola. I mean, is not yogurt and granola the perfect kind of breakfast for THIS place?? This was a very peaceful way to start the day! I’m so glad I took the 15 minutes to just sit and collect my thoughts, pray, check over my itinerary and must-dos, and just enjoy the moment.

I had asked maroo to pick up 8 or so yogurts and a box of granola for each morning…. And I ended up eating exactly 3. Here’s the quick story on that:

When we moved over to the Poly on Day 4, we piled everything in the car, and I drove it over myself. Being just little ol’ me, and being the kind of person that gets major antz in the pantz, I took my own carryon bag into the room, got settled in, and left everything else in the car. Use your imagination, (really this won’t be so difficult) and conjure up Yoplait yogurts after having sat in the Florida sun for oh, about 36 hours. I think if someone had sneezed near them they would have burst open with a really amazing explosion. I actually contemplated eating them anyway, but that pondering lasted about 12 seconds. Maybe less. It didn’t matter much, by the 3rd morning of yogurt and granola I was done with that.


Now, back to the POP: I started off back to the room by 7:45 or so, and by the time I had gotten there, Mary had already left. She is FAST!!! When I had gotten back I really wanted my mug to take my Via to the park with. I glanced around the room for my black lidded beauty, and IT WASN”T THERE!!!! It wasn’t anywhere (that I could see)!!!

I panicked! Really, this was like some sort of crazed maniacal panic that only losing a $14 mug can induce. So, I brushed my teeth with my snazzy new $50 toothbrush (ok, it was only like $4.95, but that’s still highway robbery) and practically RAN to the concierge desk.

****PLEASE understand, I am actually hesitant to even write what I’m about to. I know some of you will probably want to flame me, and had I to do all this over again, I would do it differently. But mug losing can drive even the most sane of us to ridiculous ends and I ask that you be very kind to me.****

I hopped in line and when it was my turn I spilled my story of losing my mug. I had figured I had left it at DHS the evening before, and was so, so, so, so sad, blah, blah, blah. I did show her my receipt from my purchase the day before, and she actually chuckled and said, “This isn’t a problem at all.” She quickly went to the back and grabbed a new one for me. She even told me that she finds them around the resort all the time and takes them home, runs them through the dishwasher and brings them back just for occasions like this!!!! I guess I reasoned that I had honestly spent the $14 and it would only cost Disney about $.45 to replace it. And come to find out, it really cost them nothing. But I still felt a little bad about being so irresponsible and asking for a new one.

Time was REALLY running short now, so I hot-footed it back to the food court and got some hot water , sugars and creams, and trotted back to the room to grab my Via and get to the busses. Fast forward after a whole day of some really great fun (which will take several chapters to tell you about) and I get back to our room. Mary was there already, and we got to talking about our day. I gave her all the juicy details about how my day started with some “Disney Magic” of getting a new mug, and just after I had said that…



I pulled it out of my suitcase where I had put it in re-arranging my park bag the night before. I guess I was too tired to have remembered. I felt AWFUL!! There is no way for me to paint a word picture of how hard we two laughed. We laughed hard enough that our guts hurt- and that was only the first of MANY times we laughed that hard. One time even harder….

The end of the story is that I actually went back to the Concierge with the mug to take it back and profusely thank them for trying to make a bad situation better. They truly went the extra mile and I wanted them to know it. I had gotten the same CM, and she told me that really I could just keep it and, although thanking me for being honest, she couldn’t take it back. I DID try!! But unable to give it back, I decided that I would give it to LeeAnn when she got there.