The Chicken Man and No Fly Boy - A Funky Disney Adventure

[Randman]

I’ve never done a Disney trip report, but I’ve always wanted to. So here it goes. Please be kind…

The Cast of Characters:

Chicken Man – DS7 is a very bright 1st grader. He’s been reading since 18 months old, and goes through books like I go through Nestle Toll House Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches at the parks. He writes constantly and he has some sensory issues mainly to do with loud noises, motion and diet. We introduce new foods to him all the time, but his favorite and most eaten food is Chicken Nuggets and French fries. I’ve called him the Chicken Man since he was an infant and I was certainly predicting the future. He loves anything having to do with Disney – Mickey Mouse and anything Pixar.

No Fly Boy - DS4 has an unusual name. So unusual that the powers that be have decided to place him on a special list. It’s that list that doesn’t let me print his boarding pass on the Southwest website 24 hours in advance. (If you want to find out what happened the first time he flew then search on my name for a thread about 2 years ago.) So, he’s on the TSA’s No Fly List. I mean, I know he can be a bit of a terror, but this kinda goes a bit too far. He’s 4 remember. We always expect to have issues with printing his boarding pass, so we prepare for it. He’s also a Disney lover, just like his older brother. Oh, he’s so dangerous carrying around a plush Minnie Mouse wherever he goes in Florida.

DW - the overly sensitive mother to Chicken Man and No Fly Boy. She’s in charge of dining reservations which in turn determines what park we’re going to on what day. She packs all clothes except for mine. For herself, she packs like she’s going on an Expedition to Everest not to Expedition Everest. I need to hire her a sherpa. Is there a rule that all women need to pack their own body weight in clothes? There’s an extra allotment for shoes you know. DW was responsible for suggesting that we go to WDW a few years back and she has fallen in love with everything Disney since, especially the Tiki drinks at the Polynesian.

Me – husband of DW and father to Chicken Man and No Fly Boy. I’m the geek responsible for securing all things transportation related. I have a genetic condition which causes spontaneous dancing on occasion. I also fell in love with WDW all over again about 4 years ago after not being there since my college years. Aside from this, I’m a typical guy – loves sports, beer and food, not necessarily in that order.

DW and I are Disney veterans. I think I can say that now after going 8 times in the last 4 years. Chicken Man and No Fly Boy are on their 3rd trip, so they’re well on their way to becoming veterans themselves. This trip is all about the boys and their adventures at WDW, so here it goes…

May 2

We’re leaving tomorrow from Hartford going to Orlando on Southwest. We’re all packed. Have been for the last 2 weeks.
We’re spending 1 night at the Pop Century, and then we’re moving on to Saratoga Springs for 4 more nights. We’re planning 4 theme park days with the smattering of sitdown dinners and pools and anything else we can think of. Then we’re off to Satellite Beach for 4 nights of sand and swimming with Ma and Pa (my parents).

No Fly Boy’s boarding pass is unavailable again, so DW separated herself from her clothes heap and shleps the youngin’ up to BDL to get his boarding pass. DW reports back that after a few chuckles from the SWA counter he has a boarding pass. The counter person hopes she’s coded it properly so that we don’t have to do the same on the way home to CT. It’s an hour’s roundtrip at home, but its 90 minutes one way from the beach to MCO. We’re prepared here too – I have a reservation at the SpringHill Suites by the airport. We keep our fingers crossed. DS4 is yet again our No Fly Boy.

Get home from work, mow the lawn and pack my 5 shirts. 4 shorts, underwear, socks, etc.. 10 lbs of clothing for a 225 lb man. I have a finicky back to consider. Chicken Man and No Fly Boy amazingly go to sleep early as DW looks to cram more clothes in her bag. I turn on the TV and wait ‘til tomorrow…

Come back tomorrow for the next installment…

 

[Randman]

It’s time. The day is here. All the planning and anticipation has come to a head. Car is packed. Let’s go…

20 minute ride to the self park lot at BDL. The attendant sends us to the very back of the lot, back in a grassy field that I didn’t even know was there. My secret is out. Less than $5 a day to park here. Business must be good.

On the shuttle bus to the airport we go. Just as we get ½ way to the airport, Chicken Man says, “We forgot the car seats.” Bless him and smart little brain of his. Please be just as smart when you’re picking out a nursing home for me.

Back to the car, we get the seats and big sigh of relief. I flip the driver an extra couple bucks and we’re ready to board the plane.

Chicken Man has a sensitive stomach and an even more sensitive mother. If I had a penny for every time she says “Are you all right?”, I’d be able to open my own theme park. No Fly Boy is a ruffian, but he’s not a terrorist. He’s cute and he flirts. Actually, both the boys do. It’s always a joy to travel with them.

DW won’t sit with them. She’s too nervous about Chicken Man throwing up. There is precedence, so I can understand. His first plane trip to FL concluded with him slumping to the floor of the jetway and having a tablespoonful of puke land on the multi-colored carpet. Oh, and he turned green too. But he changed back.

I sit in the middle with a laptop and movies. DW sits on the aisle across from Chicken Man. A pretty uneventful flight. We watch “The Water Horse”. It’s a decent movie. The kids like it. No green kid. No puke. All is good. Chicken Man leads the applause as we touch down. We’re in FL!

We quickly get down to baggage check after a quick bathroom stop. DW offers to get the bags while I go get the rental car. I did Dollar this time. I get the car and get back to baggage claim to get the bags. Where’s that sherpa?

Ma and Pa (my folks) are meeting us for a late lunch/early dinner. We go to Beef O’Brady’s just north of the airport on Semoran. This place is a good one to go to if you like wings, burgers and cold beer. Not very busy which is good. I order up and devour about a dozen wings and a cheeseburger.

After a quick grocery stop, on to Pop Century…

This is our first stay at a value resort. The lobby is exactly what I expected; large and colorful. We were greeted and checked in promptly. We were sent back to the 80’s area on the third floor overlooking the “Walt Disney World” welcome sign on Osceola Parkway. The kids had to climb up the Rubik’s cube stairs. My back begrudgingly agreed.

The rooms are tiny. The door just about smacks into the 1st of two small double beds. However, it’s clean and nice. Refridgerators would be a welcomed addition. It’s good enough for 1 night’s stay. Any longer with 4 people in there would be torturous. The décor of the resort is interesting, but not knock-your-socks off wonderful. The oversized Walkman and laptop are kinda cool, but it seems like it’s all too gimmicky for me. Give me nice palm trees, a water feature and a nice pool any day. Oh, and a convenient pool bar.

Speaking of pools, the kids needed to go swimming immediately. The Computer Pool was close, so that’s where we went. It was fine. Nice and refreshing, until… on the north side of the pool… throw-up. Yeah, DW was right, someone was going to throw-up today. Hurray, it wasn’t my kid.

Everyone out of the pool! Wait a minute. How come there was no announcement? Mostly everyone got out, but the lifeguards didn’t make people get out. Ewwwww! I honestly thought that everyone has to get out and the water would have to be brought through a complete recycling of all the water? Anyhow, we’re done swimming.

We spend the balance of the evening exploring the resort and then back to the room for the 24 hour Stacy marathon. The boys can watch her for hours doing her Top 7 Must See’s. I do have to admit, it’s cute to hear No Fly Boy say “Pretzels und beer!” He started this a month ago.

All in all, a good travel day. No major mishaps. We’re at the World and we’re ready to go! See you tomorrow!

 

[jeniferjuniper]

Can't wait to read the rest of your report!

Reading at 18 months! Wow! Did you use flash cards or something?

 

[Randman]

Reading at 18 months! Wow! Did you use flash cards or something?

No flash cards. DW is a librarian, so he got story time even before he was born and obviously lots after he was born. He was always fascinated with words, nothing that we pushed on him at all. He was a late talker and actually was sight reading signs and familar words before he could speak clearly.

 

[Randman]

Everyone is up early this morning. I normally can’t sleep in hotels anyway, so I’m up extra early. I head over to the Food Court for coffee and orange juice. We have donuts, fruit and Cheerios back at the room. DW and I get the same idea. Let’s go down and eat by the pool. Aside from a view passers by, there was no one else around at the Computer Pool early in the morning, so we have a nice, leisurely breakfast.

We pack up the car and drive over to Saratoga Springs to see if we could check in early. We’ve stayed here a couple of times before and have been pretty lucky to be able to check-in early. We have a studio, which we’re about to outgrow, but it still serves us well having the fridge and toaster in the room to do our own breakfasts. Chicken Man is a tough eater; very limited menu, so we need the fridge. No Fly Boy eats anything that’s not moving.

We get there just after 10 AM, but our room isn’t ready yet. We’re promised by 4:00 PM, but we’re told to check back throughout the day. This isn’t really a big deal since we have a Portrait Session with a Disney photographer set for 11:30 AM. Disney just started this service at Saratoga Springs and DW switched us to here from the Grand Floridian just before we left.

The picture session was very cool. A PhotoPass photographer took us to a number of places around the resort and golf course before finishing up around the main pool. He took about 60-65 pictures and we had them burned to a CD, with the added bonus of later having all our PhotoPass pictures burned to a new CD at the end of our stay. We’ve wanted to have a new family portrait done, so what’s better than having one done at WDW? Don’t get me wrong, these aren’t professional portraits, but they sure are close and for $130 I think it’s decent since you get to own the prints and any other pictures that were taken at the parks. I highly recommend doing this!

A quick lunch at Artist’s Palette – the flatbread pizzas are delicious. Room’s still not ready. Grab the bathing suits out of the car and head to the Grandstand pool. We were told our room would be in this area, so let’s get to the pool and cool off for a few hours. Great fun, plus they have a pool bar… But… It’s … Closed…

The noon bartender didn’t show up so here we are by a great pool without frosty beverages.

Laundry? Already? – Yes, DW is doing a load of laundry. We’ve only been on vacation for a day and she is already doing laundry! In her defense, it’s actually a great idea while at the pool. The laundry facilities are right by the pool and if you’re going to be there for a few hours, then it’s not a big deal to throw a load in. We all know, however, that this doesn’t change the amount of clothes she’ll bring, but at least I can reduce my clothes allocation down from 10 lbs to 5 lbs.

We hear the family next to us is also waiting for their room and they call in to see if theirs is available. They’re set, so I call and we’re set too. I think it was around 2:30 or so. DW watches the boys while I again move all the bags. I guess this is my workout routine for the week.

The bar has opened! The noon guy had called in sick. Wonderful! I finally get my first vacation beverage by the pool.

There wasn’t an issue not having the room for the afternoon. We were able to get to the pool, leaving our stuff in the car and all was good. We used the immaculate bathrooms by the pool to change and we were good to go.

We finally pulled the kids out of the pool as it was getting time for dinner. DW had made a last minute reservation at the Captain’s Grille at the Yacht Club for 6 of us. DW’s parents (Mimi and Pepe) had made last minute plans to drive down to FL from CT and we wanted to get at least one dinner with them while we were here.

(This is something that I’m truly thankful about. Both sets of grandparents are here with the boys. We’re doing WDW with Mimi and Pepe and then heading off to the beach to be with my folks, Ma and Pa.)

Captain’s Grille was actually forgettable in my opinion. The food was just OK. Not bad, just OK. The atmosphere wasn’t anything to speak about, almost like being in a nautically themed Denny's. I had the prime rib, which was rather small, but again it was just OK. Clam Chowder was tasty. I doubt I’d be clamoring to go back there unless we were in a similar situation of needing/wanting a last minute reservation. Everyone else got seafood, as I recall, and it was good. No Fly Boy had a hot dog kid’s meal and Chicken Man got, you guessed it, Chicken Strips.

Back to the room for some well needed rest (and some more Stacy) prior to heading to the parks on Monday. In all, we had a great day by the pool, getting pictures taken and just getting acclimated to our surroundings.

More to come. (How am I doing?)

 

[Randman]

We’re going to Hollywood Studios this morning and Epcot this afternoon. We decided to do it this way to avoid the Monday Magic Kingdom crowd.

We already know that there are not many rides for the kids today, mainly because of Chicken Man’s sensory issues. It’s all about the characters. We hit it right off the bat. Minnie and Daisy are together on one side of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice Hat and Donald is on the other right after the park opens for the day.

Minnie signs No Fly Boy’s Minnie Mouse doll. Remember, he’s on that government watch list and he carries around a Minnie Mouse doll while at WDW. He’s not such a terrorist now, is he? Hugs and photos galore. I didn’t even know that the characters would even sign a plush, but Minnie offered and No Fly Boy was overjoyed.

Over to Playhouse Disney. A nice refresh to the show. Kids loved it.

Chicken Man loves Mickey Mouse more than anything and I knew that Sorcerer Mickey was over in the Animation Building, so that was our next stop. Normally, we go through the art gallery and hit the characters in there instead of doing the Animation Show, but for this time, we did the show. I had forgotten how cool it was in there (literally and figuratively). The kids loved it, especially being able to see the Wall-E trailer. Both boys (especially Chicken Man) are looking forward to the next Pixar release.

We saw Sorcerer Mickey who signed Chicken Man’s Pal Mickey’s feet, so now both boys have a signed plush. Autographs and pictures there too. We waited for a few minutes for Mr. and Mrs. Incredible and were rewarded with some more pics and autographs.

Chicken Man wanted to see Star Wars stuff but we wouldn’t let him ride Star Tours, due to his sensitivities. He didn’t want to ride it either, just wanted to see anything related to Darth Vader. He says that he wants to become a Sith. I doubt it, the kid has no evil bones in his body.

Next over to Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area. This is a bad place if you like watching your kids. If you let them roam free unsupervised, this is the place for you. No sooner did they get in there, both boys were gone. The one good thing is that there is only one exit, but this place reminded me of the local mall’s climbing structure that we call “Poopy Hand Land”, except, this one’s on steroids and the parents don’t watch their kids as closely. I finally found them and we quickly exited.

It was getting hot and we were getting hungry so we made the decision to eat and hit the pool. We quickly found the Mike and Sulley picture spot out past the Streets of America area. It wasn’t well marked, which would describe why no one was there. Good for us!

We ate by the Jedi Training Academy area, and made it through there just as the Dark Lord himself hit the scene. Chicken Man was in awe. He couldn’t take himself away, which is fine since this trip is all about them having fun. After the show, a typical burger and fries lunch and just as we were finishing up, another Training Academy show was starting. Chicken Man wasn’t chosen, but he was in awe yet again. It’s about 1:00 PM now.

Time to hit the pool!

After a couple of hours at the big pool at SSR and about 30 trips down the waterslide with Chicken Man, I finally got No Fly Boy to the top of the slide. Unfortunately, he chickened out at the top. Maybe next time.

To Epcot for dinner and a walk around the world… Dinner reservation at 5:30 at the Garden Grill.

Oh no! Pal Mickey died just as we entered the park. I offered to get him some new batteries and meet everyone at The Land.

As irony would have it, I take Pal Mickey to the exact store I purchased him at last year – the Photo Store near Spaceship Earth. I proclaim to a group of Cast Members that Pal Mickey had died and that I needed to purchase and install new batteries. One of the Cast Members started rifling through drawers looking for a screwdriver, but finally said, “I’ll take him in the back and see what’s wrong.” About five minutes later, he comes back with a functional Pal Mickey, saying simply, “He was hungry. He’s fine now.” No charge for “feeding” Pal Mickey. (This is one reason why I come back to WDW year after year. They take care of you.)

Garden Grill: First off, DW made a reservation for 4 (2 adults, 2 kids) for 5:30. Mimi and Pepe (DW’s parents) were with us and we wanted to see if we could add them on. Not a big deal if we couldn’t; great if we could. DW checked us in early at 5:00 asking if they could be added – no problem she was told and a table would be ready in 15-20 minutes. At 5:40, I decided to go over to see how much longer we’d be, and the person who I spoke with didn’t have the change down, nor was the pager activated that they had given to us. “Please give us 2 more minutes”, he said. No problem. 20 minutes later, DW and I both returned to the podium. “We don’t have a large table for you.” we were told. “Can you squeeze into a smaller one?” It would be a long time before a big table would be available. We agreed to take a small table, but I think we should have been offered this upfront instead of having to wait an hour for it. In the meantime, I had watched a bunch of empty tables pass us by. Enough of that, time to eat.

We love the Garden Grill. The food is always good. You don’t fight people on the buffet line (don’t get my DW started on the perils of the buffet line). You get good service and great character interaction. They had roasted chicken, steak and fried catfish on the menu along with a potato casserole and green beans for sides. I couldn’t get enough catfish. CORNBREAD - Best I’ve ever had! DW needs that recipe pronto! For dessert, turnovers with fresh strawberries and real whipped cream. Yum!

Mimi and Pepe had enough for the day, so they headed back to their room. We decided to hit the World Showcase, hoping to find some characters and to walk off the meal.

“The Tigger Incident” – Over in the UK, there was a short line to see Pooh, Eyeore and Tigger. Kids got their books signed and started posing for pictures. See, I’m kind of a freak who is prone to spontaneous dancing for no particular reason; a genetic defect of some sort. It’s bad dancing - not suitable for human consumption so to speak. Well, I felt the music and started doing my thing, but it wasn’t dancing, it was bouncing… like Tigger. Tigger didn’t like it much, I think he thought I was going after his tail, so he got in my face a little and stared me down. I’m no dummy. I didn’t want to get mauled by a 7 ft cat, so I backed down. No one was harmed and we went on our way.

DW had her Grand Mainier Orange Slush and I celebrated Cinco de Mayo with a Frozen Margarita. Incidentally, there were no Cinco de Mayo celebrations going on in Mexico. The kids loved the Mexico ride and wanted to ride it again. Once was enough for me.

IllumiNATIONS – I’ve already mentioned Chicken Man’s sensitivities to motion and food. He also has severe sensitivities to loud noises. He gets anxious and scared at the thought of fireworks and loud noises in dark places. (Has never even seen Mickey’s PhilharMagic. Too scared.) Last year, he began to freak-out when the announcement that IllumiNATIONS was beginning in 10 minutes came on. We quickly had to scurry him out of the park to keep him calm and he was even wearing earplugs that we had brought with us. No Fly Boy has always wanted to see fireworks and has been unable to. He’s lost out, but somehow he understands despite his age.

This year we suggested that we head toward Spaceship Earth to watch from there and if it was too loud we would leave. He agreed. He then said it was OK to move to the edge of the lake directly across from the American Experience. DW and I were astonished. We’ve never been able to get him near fireworks and now he wanted to see them.

I’ll tell you that this is the highlight of my trip, heck of the last year for crying out loud. Chicken Man, with his earplugs in place, stood with his mouth agape for the entire IllumiNATIONS show. I held him up high so he could see more and he simply loved it. He wasn’t scared. He was amazed and astonished. It was Disney magic at work that just about moved me and DW to tears. This is why we come here every year – to experience the Disney magic.

A wonderful ending to day 1 at the parks.

 

[Randman]

Randman,
Mother -in-law responding to your disney trip !
AKA- MIMI-
Wonderful job describing your third trip with the boys (and us)
Loved the last paragraph- you are right - that is what it is all about !
Hit it on the head -
Was worth every moment !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[queenof3]

I hope you are planning to continue. I am enjoying your report. Will you be posting any pictures?

 

[marianas00]

Subscribing!
I am loving your report. Keep it coming.... please.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I am waiting also.. Pics, please!

 

[Randman]

I'm sorry that I haven't continued my report. I have the next day in the works and will hopefully post tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Randman]

Magic Kingdom here we come!

Got up early to see the opening. We like to do that at least once. Then, the kids take over. For all the planners out there who map out their day, you will aggravated by the way we do MK with the kids. We just ask them what they want to go on and we proceed. We do provide a little direction, but it’s their day and we do what they want. (A little foreshadowing…) When DW and I come down by ourselves, we plan out our day and we get tons done, but with the kids we don’t push them.

Crowds aren’t bad this time of year, so our plan of letting the kids take us wherever can work without too much headache (More foreshadowing…)

Buzz Lightyear is first up. I want to get a high score, so I search out that volcano and nail it at least 6 times. Cool!

Indy Cars are next. Thank goodness Chicken Man is 9 years away from getting his license. He can’t drive and my back and neck pay the price. At least I didn’t drive with No Fly Boy …. DW did!

The Tommorrowland Transportation System. It’s that seldom ridden ride that circles Tomorrowland. Well, this may truly become a parent’s favorite ride, if ridden the way I did… DW, No Fly Boy, Chicken Man, Mimi and Pepe sit in one car. Sensing there wasn’t room for me, I choose a car behind them. No problem, I thought, I’ll “take one for the team” and ride solo, plus I’ll still be right next to them. Little did I know that my car and theirs wasn’t connected! Thy all take off and a big grin gets plastered on my face. I ask the attending Cast Member if the ride could “break down” for a little while. He smiled and said to enjoy my peace and quiet. I did.

We made our way across Fantasy Land and checked out the Dumbo line. Not today kids. We have a lot of day ahead of us and we’re not waiting in this line today. We’ll hit it first thing tomorrow morning. Amazingly, the kids don’t ask to go on Peter Pan, Snow White or Winnie the Pooh. The Fantasy Land Frenzy was virtually avoided today.

Pepe is a softy. So soft that he likes, I mean loves, “It’s a Small World”. You either love it or hate it. I hate it with a passion, for the simple reason that the damn song gets stuck in your skull hours later. Torture = Duct tape me to the boat and make me ride it repeatedly. The ride can’t get over quickly enough for me. But, the boys love it because their Pepe loves it and as you recall this is their day, so they lead, I follow. (Still some more foreshadowing…)

Welcome Foolish Mortals to The Haunted Mansion! My worst ride is gladly followed by my favorite one. Chicken Man loves this ride even more than I do. He has the book about it which is all beat up from him going through it so often. He’s the only person I know that actually liked the movie. He has the soundtrack to the ride and frequently asks if he can go to the Doom Buggies website to play sounds and look a pictures. DW and I are always treated to his basement Haunted Mansion “shows” and we laugh at his almost too often ride quotes. I have a couple of Haunted Mansion ringtones on my cellphone.

No Fly Boy isn’t so sure this year. Just as we walk into the Mansion, he freaks out and starts crying. He’s been on the ride before, but that little terrorist can’t handle it this year. DW scurries him out and doesn’t get to go.

Chicken Man loves the upgrades and I do too. The sound is much better and the attic scene is really cool. You always see something new each and every time you go on the ride. I guess this is why I love it so much. Chicken Man is a happy camper.

Ahoy Matey! On to Pirates of the Caribbean. Another of my favorites. We all love it! Again, some great additions to the ride with the movie tie-ins. DW and I love the movies. No Fly Boy and Chicken Man are still too young in our eyes, but I’m chomping at the bit to be able to show all of them soon. I pull out my camera to try and shoot some pics of the ride. I’m never successful since I follow the rules and don’t turn on my flash. It’s real tough to get a good shot while moving, but I’m persistent.

Chicken Man overhears the “Please No Flash Photography” announcement as I pull out my camera. He proceeds to instruct me (and the rest of the crew on our vessel) about how I’m not supposed to use my flash. He’s such a tool.

It’s lunch time!

As you may recall, Chicken Man doesn’t like to eat many things. We’ve just gotten him to try hamburgers, so for the last month or two we’ve been psyching him up about having a real WDW hamburger at Pecos Bill’s. He’s all for it and excited.

So on to Pecos Bill’s for some good ol’ burgers and fries. No Fly Boy wants a cheeseburger and has a fit when DW comes back with a hamburger. I do what fathers do and score him a piece of cheese, which he refuses. Ah, to keep a smile on your face at the Happiest Place on Earth is sometimes difficult to do. He finally settles down and eats. A typical counter service lunch – a good burger and fries.

Chicken Man isn’t so excited about his burger, but after a lot of prodding and hollow threats (“We’ll go back to the room and not come back to the park again if you don’t eat this young man!”), he finally gets through it. He inhales the fries.

Mimi and Pepe are done for the day and decide to head back to their room for a nap. I guess that’s something you do when you get old and retire. Just go take a nap. Sounds like something I’d like, except without the getting old part. So now, we’re down to 4.

Time for a raft ride to Tom Sawyer’s Island. This is the boys’ first time out here and they love exploring the caves. Just a small “I want to go first” argument starts on the Barrel Bridge, but nothing much to speak of. Aunt Polly’s was closed down, which is terrible. I could’ve used an ice cream about now. You can really spend a lot of time out there. There are a lot of trails to wander around on and it’s a good place to go to get some breathing room from the crowds, not that is a crowd this time of year.

Heading to Toontown now (yes, this was the plan – following a 7 yo and a 5 yo). I’ve been talking up Goofy’s Barnstormer as the first rollercoaster that the dudes can ride. Chicken Man is already looking to ride Expedition Everest and Rock’n Rollercoaster, but he agrees that he should ride this first. DW is nervous… “What if Chicken Man gets sick and ruins the day?”

The boys want to ride Goofy’s Barnstormer so we do. Didya blink? Ride is over. It’s a perfect first rollercoaster for kids. They both loved it. No green Chicken Man. DW is relieved.

Over at Toontown they have that Bigtop store that has the character meet and greet. Well, the Princesses line was 60 minutes. I’m glad I have young boys. I mean, they wanted to see them (Me too for that matter, ), but I think its easier to say no to my little guys than to say no to girls wanting to meet the Princesses.

Just then, a Cast Member comes up to the boys and asks if they want to be in a Hat Parade. This is like asking if I like ice cream. The boys mount their hats, grab a musical instrument and parade around the store dancing like a couple of fools. They are their father’s kids after all.

We finish up at the Laugh Floor. I love this place. The jokes are cute and the audience involvement is a lot of fun. Plus, it’s a great spot to sit down and rest.

There’s still a lot of day left, but we plan our days to have an afternoon break and we head back to Saratoga Springs for some pool time and rest. It’s nice and relaxing. We’re planning on heading back to MK for Wishes and whatever else we can squeeze in.

Thankfully the pool bar is open. I have a few cold ones. DW enjoys her new favorite – The Sunken Treasure. We all enjoy some pool time and DW does some more laundry.

DW comes up with a great idea. Let’s do takeout for dinner. It’ll be cheaper than going out and we’ll be able to extend our rest period before going back out. Carrabba’s is the call. DW finds the number in the phone book and I go to pickup 4 dinners. Thankfully, they have chicken nuggets for the Chicken Man. The rest of us do pasta.

Back to MK and back to Buzz Lightyear. I find the volcano again and get a high score.

Not much time for anything else, so we wander around Main St and score some ice cream. Chicken Man wants to stay for Wishes, but No Fly Boy isn’t so sure – IllumiNATIONS was a bit too loud for him and we don’t have a second set of ear plugs. We slowly make our way down to the exit just as the lights are dimming, hoping that No Fly Boy has a change of heart.

Back to the ice cream for a second. Did I say that I love ice cream. Well, I really do love ice cream. Not to be a glutton, I order the single scoop. Well, this single scoop was about equal to a quart and I have to eat it so fast or else my whole arm is liable to become a sticky mess. Speaking of sticky messes… No Fly Boy and Chicken Man are both wearing there’s even though we got them cups. DW to the rescue with wet naps.

The train station platform is a nice place to watch Wishes, especially if you get there early enough to score a spot in the center, looking directly forward to the castle. Our spot is just off to the side isn’t too bad, but a still-somewhat-sticky No Fly Boy is done for the day. He’s tired. We’re all tired and the fireworks have done him in just as they get going. No problem. Let’s go. We were here to open MK and we’re back again to almost see it close. It’s been a long day.

We catch most of the fireworks from the window of the monorail. So, Chicken Man is satisfied. Another great day in the books.

I hope to post again tomorrow. Thanks to all who’ve been interested in my trip report.

 

[wiggles02]

Randman,
I'm liking your trip report too.
I'm just waiting for MK day #2, where I have a meltdown. Be kind.
Sincerely,
Overly Sensitive Mother

 

[Randman]

We’re back to MK for another day. And thanks to DW’s post, you already know one “highlight” of the day.

It’s really hot today. Actually, it’s been hot everyday. Unusually hot in the mid 90’s with not a cloud in the sky. We’ll be looking for shade and air conditioning throughout the day again.

We arrive on the monorail, just as Mickey and Friends open up the park for the day. We actually see the Mouse himself wave to the crowd out the monorail window, so we’re really starting the day right when MK opens.

First stop – Dumbo. Wait is 30 minutes already, but the kids want to go so DW and I wait in line with them. Pepe and Mimi are with us again, and they find a nice shady spot to wait. Last year, when Chicken Man was 6, he was, well, chicken of going on the ride. He wasn’t a fan of the height, so he passed. It looks like he’s getting older since he really wants to go on it.

This brings up an important thought about being a parent and having a quirky kid, well any type of kid for that matter. We all want our kids to be better off, have more life experiences than we’ve had as parents. (This is my opinion, at least.) And they can hopefully seize all opportunities in life as they are happening. The reality of it all is that they may not want to do the things that you want them to do, when you want them to do it. Hopefully, they’ll have the chance again to do the things that you find special or worthwhile, but if they don’t, no big deal. We all are here to enjoy life the way that we want to enjoy life. We, as parents, shouldn’t push kids into doing things that they may not want to. Even at a young age, kids need to find their own way, do their own things and just let them be themselves. We should guide them and help them. Kids will change, grow up and follow their own path. It will happen fast and it already has. Just enjoy their discoveries, which is an easy thing to do here. Ok, deep thought over.

No Fly Boy wants to ride Goofy’s Barnstormer again.

On the way over, Darby, Tigger and Pooh escape into Fantasy Land. There’s no stopping the boys from meeting them and getting autographs. DW is somewhat aggravated by having to wait for them saying that they’ve already seen Tigger and Pooh. “But we haven’t met Darby.” They’re right. A good thing that we’re second in line.

I think Chicken Man wants to ride the Barnstormer also, but he passes on it this time. He wants to just spend a little time with his Mimi and Pepe, so I take No Fly Boy by myself. I didn’t blink this time, but I still think I missed the ride. I ask No Fly Boy how he liked the ride this time. “Awesome baby!” was his reply.

Pepe had bought Chicken Man an apple at the fruit stand which he loves. It takes him a while to eat things which is fine, but this time we have a minor crisis. A piece of the apple skin has lodged itself in between Chicken Man’s two front teeth and he’s in pain. Pepe tries in vain to get the piece out – and I mean he tried for quite some time. I finally get in there and was able to wrestle the piece out.

Why am I including this simple event, well, it’s the precursor to Mommy Meltdown…

As we are walking out of Toontown, DW asks Pepe if I had put my hands into Chicken Man’s mouth to remove the piece of apple skin . Pepe, his infinite wisdom, lies and said no, that we got it out with the corner of a chewing gum wrapper. DW turns to me and asks the same question. I know not to lie and say. “I sure did. The kid was in pain and I was gonna do anything to get that thing out. By the way, I just left the bathroom after riding on Goofy and my hands are as clean as they can get.”

DW is furious at Pepe. Pepe needs to learn to tell the truth. Mothers always find out. To her credit, she calms down. Or so I thought…

Me: “Ok… Where to next, kids?”
Kids: “The Laugh Floor”
DW: “I don’t wanna go back there again. We were just there.”
Me: “This trip is about the kids and where they want to go, so we are going.”
DW: “I don’t want to go.”
Me: “Then go back to the room. If you are going to be in a foul mood, then you shouldn’t be here.”



The back and forth between DW and continues as we pass the Indy Cars. I must have said “Go back to the room”, 6 or 7 times. We aren’t having a shouting match. It’s just a heated discussion about how I think she needs to calm down, be happy or go back to the room. I’d much rather have the “be happy” DW than have her go back to the room, but she chooses the latter and storms off.

Pepe and Mimi ask her to stop, but she doesn’t. I ask them to take the kids to the Laugh Floor and I chase down DW. I see her duck into the rest rooms near the Storytime area, so I sit down across from them to wait.

Cellphone rings…

DW: “Where are you?”
Me: “Sitting across the restroom you just went into.”
DW: “I have some hand sanitizer that I want you to have for the boys.” (Sensitive Mommy on the prowl.)
Me: “I see you. Let’s talk about this.”

We both hang-up and have a civil conversation. I say that I didn’t want her to leave and that she needs to remember why we’re here. She called me on my bluff and made the emotional decision to leave and that none of us wanted that. We’re here for the kids to have fun and to let them do what they want. A calmer DW came out the conversation and we had a few minutes of alone time to walk over to The Laugh Floor, hoping to find the kids and grandparents.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, they either got into an earlier show, or we couldn’t find them in ours. We were able to continue our alone time in the cool comforts of the theater. Mommy Meltdown subsided.

Honestly, I think there were a few contributing factors to the Meltdown. To her credit, she got by these and calmed down:

1. It was hot.
2. Pepe lying about the apple.
3. DW thinking that I jammed by grimy hands in Chicken Man’s mouth to grab the apple skin. (They were clean!)
4. We were doing a lot of walking.
5. We were repeating things we’ve done already.
6. Hunger – it was getting close to lunch time

Ah, speaking of lunch, Cosmic Ray’s is nearby and it’s hot dog time. Lines aren’t too bad and we’re able to find a table right in front of Sonny Eclipse, who Chicken Man finds fascinating. So fascinating, that Chicken Man decides that he’d rather not eat – a common occurrence with him. Hollow threat time… “If you don’t sit down and eat, we’re leaving.” The “threat” works and he eats a little.

After eating the boys make their way up to the stage. They hear that music playing, and their toes start tapping. Yes! The genetic defect that I’ve passed on to the boys is taking hold. It’s dancing time! Aside from almost taking out a dad with a tray of food, the dancing goes on without incident or fighting. A bunch of other guests smile and enjoy the added entertainment.

It’s that time again…Geriatric afternoon slumber party. Mimi and Pepe go for their afternoon nap and we’re back to 4 again.

We decide to head over to the Jungle Cruise only to find that there’s a long wait. We contemplate Fast Passing it, but it’s hot and we don’t think we’ll last much longer in the hot Florida sun.

The Enchanted Tiki Room is nearby and the boys have never seen the show. Chicken Man is a bit skittish, as he’s afraid of the unknown. He doesn’t want to be in a dark, scary place which has the potential for loud noises. DW and I assure him that it’s a fun show with singing birds. He seems OK.

Show is set to start in a few minutes and the drums start playing. Chicken Man starts strutting his stuff and No Fly Boy follows. A Cast Member invites them to the other side of the ropes to do their thing just as the doors open. Chicken Man leads the crowd into the show with No Fly Boy trailing, shaking their hips to the beat. Genetics… You gotta love it.

The boys loved the Tiki Room. Great show for kids.

Did I say it was hot? Well I’ll say it again. It’s hot. Time to get out of here and cool off by the pool and do some more laundry.

We make our way down Main St. passing through the stores to cool off and to see if there’s anything to buy. Nothing too eventful here.

DW needs to hit the ladies room on the way out, so I take the boys into the Firehouse. As luck would have it, a Cast Member asks the boys if they want to be Honorary Fire Chiefs for the day and ring the Firehouse Bell. Of course they do! DW just makes it out in time.

Then, Fire Chief Smokey comes out and swears in the boys and a few other kids as Volunteer Firemen. I loved these parts of the swearing in:

Chief: “I, State your Name.”
Kids: “I , State your Name.”

Chief: “Show up at 5 AM tomorrow and bring a sandwich for lunch. Bring one for yourself too.”

The boys get stickers to wear for the rest of the day. A nice moment.

Back to the pool. We’ve swam everyday we’ve been here. It’s such a nice thing to do everyday. Especially with the pool bar nearby. Cold beer and Sunken Treasure, please. More laundry!!

No need to head away from Saratoga for dinner. We hit the Artist’s Palette for pizza. Remember I said it was good? It was good again.

Since it was still rather early, we decided to go to Downtown Disney to do our shopping. I’ll just say this upfront. Nighttime is the worst time to go shopping at DTD. We usually hit the stores on our way out of WDW, during the day and we will resume this practice next year. The crowds are large and the World of Disney store is so big and confusing that it’s very easy to get separated.

No Fly Boy wants some pirate stuff. Chicken Man wants a book and some other small trinkets. DW aggravated at the scene. I am too. Pay and get out.

I had told the boys way back that they could build their own lightsabers at the toys store, so that’s our next stop. Let me tell you, building a lightsaber isn’t all that easy. Thankfully, there’s a Cast Member to help. The boys and I can now have some epic battles in the backyard. May the Force be with you!!

We get out of DTD as quickly as we can. We spent money too fast and don’t need to spend anymore. We’re all tired again and we get the kids in bed at around 8 PM.

9 PM rolls around and I hear some booms coming from the outside. Can it be that I hear some fireworks? Out on the balcony, I see something really neat. Out in the distance I can see Wishes from the MK and IllumiNATIONS from Epcot going on at the same time. DW and No Fly Boy get up to join me. Too bad Chicken Man doesn’t make it. He’s dead tired.

Such a nice ending to another great Disney Day (aside from Mommy Meltdown)

Please stay tuned for Day 4 of our trip.