UKANGEL
Champagne Girls Rule!
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2002
- Messages
- 2,808
....the Pre-show...
Directed by:
Angel (Mandy) Control freak, veteran of 14 trips, organizer extraordinaire
Chunkster20uk (Mark) also a control freak, and chief driver
Produced (& financed) by:
Dad Grandpa Clampet lovable, impatient & grumpy
Mum Grandma Clampet also loveable, much more patient and not so grumpy (but very hard of hearing)
Choreography:
Isobelle (Izzy) age 12, already a Diva
Chief Jester:
Elliott age 14, a lovable 6ft 4inch streak of lightning
..and starring..
Becky 19 my dd, beautiful, talented, takes after her Mum
Paul 22 - Beckys bf, no idea what hes let himself in for .
Tracey my little sis, hates planning, and being told what to do
Chris BIL see above
Jess 17 chief mourner, pining for her bf back in Swindon
All the holidaymakers have done Disney before, sis & family just once in 2001, for Mum & Dad its their 4th visit in 6 years, Paul was here 10 years ago and Mark, Becky and I have racked up nearly 30 trips between us ..
Day 10
Sunday 29th October
To day weve decided to have a lazy day, well Mark and I anyway. We have MNSSHP tonight so need to draw a breath I think. We get up slowly but are still in the pool by 8.30. The weather turns out much better today, its probably the best day so far, very warm with lots of sun, just as it should be at last! Weve been monitoring the tropical storm all week on the weather channel, and are very discouraged by the reports! The rest of the Clampets, minus us, dd and Paul, are off to EPCOT so we say goodbye then I get to swim 80 lengths in peace doesnt that sound a lot? Pity the pool is so tiny!
Lazing in the pool, watching the turkey buzzards circle overhead is a very relaxing way to spend the morning and we get plenty of sun and rest. By lunchtime were heading out with the deadly duo towards the 192. We have a hankering for Wal-Mart (dont ask) and have promised Paul well show him the guns they sell. Drive past loads of eateries on the way but loads are closed til late afternoon, which is annoying and we seem to have lost Subway, oh well!
Wal-Mart swallows us up, and we separate into our respective pairs, each with a trolley. Lunch ends up being McDonalds which is pretty awful but very cheap, and at least its on site.
2 hours later we emerge from the cave that is Wal-Mart, having bought Mark 2 pairs of jeans, shirts and t shirts, and another swimming costume, PJs and more make up for me, (LOreal is very cheap here). Oh, and we also bought some more food staples too! Little tip .Dont ever leave your trolley for too long in this store as the staff quickly come and put everything in it back on the shelves! Paul is disappointed as it seems they dont sell guns any more (thank goodness, I know he said he only wanted to look .but I worried he was really fed up with the Clampets after all!), just the bullets for them now!
Paul and Mark have now lost the will to live so as they spotted a surf wear shop on the way down the 192 we promise to head back and stop there. Its called Boardwalk and is great! I just have to buy yet another very cool swimming costume (good job I go swimming a lot), and Mark buys me a really fab Nixon wristwatch which I love. Becky tries on loads and then just ends up buying some swim shoes for her Discovery Cove outing the following day, but Paul snags a few items that hes really pleased with. He also manages to persuade the staff to take a sticker of his band to put on the counter (they did this too in Hot Topic) so hes really cheered up now.
On the way back to the villa we have to stop at Polo Park on the US27, as the boys have decided to try and play golf tomorrow while Beckys at DC. As we turn into the place we step back in time, or maybe into a 1950s film of small town Florida. Its like a little retirement community, with loads of little cute houses, all of which are decorated (and very, very ornate) with Halloween stuff ..so picturesque ..it seems rude to stop and take a photo unfortunately though, so I have no pictures. Eventually we reach the lake and the club house and as Mark goes off to the club we spot a huge alligator by the side of the lake he looks very hungry so we dont dare get out and take his photo wed like to keep our limbs thank you! I notice Mark moves a bit quicker than normal too!
mg:
Sadly theres a notice on the clubhouse that announces its closing from today for a few weeks no golf then! Paul looks fed up again and I worry hell be really bored tomorrow while Becky spends her day at DC without him. Hes very hard to keep entertained some times as hes very active and hates lazing around (except when he sleeps for hours on end).
Back home at 6 pm, where (as happens for the rest of the week) the family has found the dogs presents on the lawn again and have complained again. Its then time to get ready for the party, and Becky is wishing now she was dressing up too. We did look for girls fancy dress stuff in Wall-mart today but no luck, and she wasnt allowed to buy the outfit from Hot Topic as Paul vetoed it!! (Apparently the skirt was far too short). I have my wings though which are very large and get in the way a lot so I take them off til we arrive at the park (and get through the turnstile). Izzy is a very cute skeleton, and Elliott just has a massive black cape, which when youre 64 and very skinny looks pretty evil!
Mum & Dad wave us off to MK; as devout Christians they dont approve at all so will have a quiet evening without us, bless em. We arrive in our 2 vehicles at about 8 pm, which is of course later than planned (as usual). Im not sure how long Becky will last this evening as she has to be up so early tomorrow so we think its best to have the 2 vehicles on hand.
Its packed on the monorail, and there are some really scary clowns on the one that leaves before ours,*shiver* great costumes but very scary! Some of the Disney princesses travel with us, much to the boys enjoyment; we have teenage Pocahontas, Cinderella, Alice, Tinkerbelle and their Mum as Snow White. They look really great, and the little girl sitting next to me is very impressed and evidently thinks theyre the real thing. Sis and I are very jealous and discuss which costumes well nab .Im sure green tights and a leotard would look very fetching on me!
My favourite costumes of the night though were 3 older ladies, all dressed up as the 3 fairies from Sleeping Beauty, Fauna, Flora and Merryweather .they looked absolutely amazing and everyone thought they were actually cast members! Good for you, ladies! Becky is even more jealous when she spies several little girls dressed as The Little Mermaid, her all time favourite. Im worried she may steal one of their costumes at one point and have to head her off and distract her.
As we walk in, the decorations look great, and we are all handed candy bags to fill around the park. The younger Clampet members are especially enthusiastic about this, even though I rarely see them eating sweets! We get to ride a few rides this evening but are really there to concentrate on the party atmosphere, parade and firework show, which I think is always fabulous. Some of us ride Space Mountain while others prefer the tamer Tomorrow land Transit Authority. Then the kids spot the candy, and have to queue to get their first handful. Izzy is really lucky here as her girl stuffs a great fistful of candy into her bag, but everyone else is counted out 3 sweets very carefully. Well, she is very skinny! I think the kids queued up 3 times here and countless times everywhere else most of us grown ups (and Becky & Paul) handed over their bags to the kids to fill as well so they were very happy with their haul (apparently their school friends and Grans Sunday School kids have all appreciated all that candy!)
Sis and family want to queue for the little speedway ride after this so we part ways and head to the castle as we want to watch the fireworks from a good spot. As the lights dim and the music starts Im really excited .until disaster strikes! Im sitting on a little wall and next to me is a rather heavy young girl who decides to stand up and treads on my wings and snaps them! Im not a very happy Angel now! The broken wings are put into a bag til Mark can repair them (theyre still there) and I try to forget it and enjoy the pretty lights. We ooooooh and aaaaaaagh along with everyone else and agree the fireworks and special effects are every bit as good as last time we saw them. I love the skeletons and ghost they superimpose on the castle and the effect of all the colours too.
Were meeting up with the others to watch the second parade of the evening, which is much quieter than the earlier one. The crowds have thinned out now and we manage to get seats by the bakery on Main Street, where we wait for the usual hour or so (slight exaggeration) for the others to arrive. As the parade is announced we are able to move over to the front of the side walk and so have a great view as the Headless Horseman gallops by.
I love the way this starts off I also love the Boo to you music, but every time I hear it I cant stop singing it for ages like now! The parade is good, and the gravediggers and ghosts are particularly so, but Im sure last time Jack Skeleton and Sally were part of the show and the kids are very disappointed that theyre not included in the parade. Im not sure why that should be, Im sure there were more scary characters too, last time.
Having said that, it was still good and Im glad we paid the extra $ for it. After its over Becky is looking very tired and Mark decides to take her & Paul back. Jess wants to go with them really so Im happy to stay on for a while and head off with sis and her family for a change. After more candy gathering were off to the Haunted Mansion well you have to at a Halloween party, dont you? The wait says just 15 minutes but its actually more like 30 and means we miss out on the Runaway train which is a shame as its much better in the dark. Still, we have fun, us 3 girls crammed into one car on the HM ride. Highlight of this is when a ghost pops up in front of sis (at the graveyard) and she screams blue murder, making me jump and scream, then Izzy! I think the other guests thought we were being murdered for sure but Chris & Elliott think its hilarious, of course. Were very jumpy after that and are trembling by the time we get off ..Im sure its never been that scary before!
Outside the Haunted Mansion is a carriage and a brilliant model of a ghost lady .who quite clearly isnt in fact a model when she moves and talks to us .second heart stopper of the night .watch out I have high blood pressure you know! She was very believable anyway.
Its almost midnight now and time to wend our weary way down Main Street, young uns still collecting handfuls of candy as they go. Great wodges of Hersheys candy is being given out at the gates for some reason so of course we have to stop and collect some there too, just in case we go without!
Its really busy at the monorail station but we are right at the front for the next train and I have a sudden brainwave and ask the CM if we could sit at the front with the driver. He happily obliges result! Ive never done this before so suggest taking the 2 kids with me, as they will only allow 4 guests in the cabin, but Chris is happy to bow out so sis comes too. We feel a little like royalty as we become co-pilots (complete with licence). Tracey is not so happy though as she reckons its the scariest ride of all being able to see the rail ahead and the long drop down is not her idea of fun ..and she reckons the pilot speeds up on purpose to upset her. LOL.
Anyway, its been a great evening, and by the time we reach the car Izzy is almost asleep on her feet, its 12.45 after all, and Im feeling pretty sleepy myself. On the way home the car is very quiet as both Izzy and Elliott fall asleep (of course he declares hes wide awake really) and we arrive home at 1.30 very tired and with a truck load of candy .Happy Halloween .and Boo! To you
(Tomorrow might take a bit longer to write as I have to get Becky to give me her notes on being Keeper for the Day at Discovery Cove .just chat amongst yourselves til then .night night!
Directed by:
Angel (Mandy) Control freak, veteran of 14 trips, organizer extraordinaire
Chunkster20uk (Mark) also a control freak, and chief driver
Produced (& financed) by:
Dad Grandpa Clampet lovable, impatient & grumpy
Mum Grandma Clampet also loveable, much more patient and not so grumpy (but very hard of hearing)
Choreography:
Isobelle (Izzy) age 12, already a Diva
Chief Jester:
Elliott age 14, a lovable 6ft 4inch streak of lightning
..and starring..
Becky 19 my dd, beautiful, talented, takes after her Mum
Paul 22 - Beckys bf, no idea what hes let himself in for .
Tracey my little sis, hates planning, and being told what to do
Chris BIL see above
Jess 17 chief mourner, pining for her bf back in Swindon
All the holidaymakers have done Disney before, sis & family just once in 2001, for Mum & Dad its their 4th visit in 6 years, Paul was here 10 years ago and Mark, Becky and I have racked up nearly 30 trips between us ..
Day 10
Sunday 29th October
To day weve decided to have a lazy day, well Mark and I anyway. We have MNSSHP tonight so need to draw a breath I think. We get up slowly but are still in the pool by 8.30. The weather turns out much better today, its probably the best day so far, very warm with lots of sun, just as it should be at last! Weve been monitoring the tropical storm all week on the weather channel, and are very discouraged by the reports! The rest of the Clampets, minus us, dd and Paul, are off to EPCOT so we say goodbye then I get to swim 80 lengths in peace doesnt that sound a lot? Pity the pool is so tiny!
Lazing in the pool, watching the turkey buzzards circle overhead is a very relaxing way to spend the morning and we get plenty of sun and rest. By lunchtime were heading out with the deadly duo towards the 192. We have a hankering for Wal-Mart (dont ask) and have promised Paul well show him the guns they sell. Drive past loads of eateries on the way but loads are closed til late afternoon, which is annoying and we seem to have lost Subway, oh well!
Wal-Mart swallows us up, and we separate into our respective pairs, each with a trolley. Lunch ends up being McDonalds which is pretty awful but very cheap, and at least its on site.
2 hours later we emerge from the cave that is Wal-Mart, having bought Mark 2 pairs of jeans, shirts and t shirts, and another swimming costume, PJs and more make up for me, (LOreal is very cheap here). Oh, and we also bought some more food staples too! Little tip .Dont ever leave your trolley for too long in this store as the staff quickly come and put everything in it back on the shelves! Paul is disappointed as it seems they dont sell guns any more (thank goodness, I know he said he only wanted to look .but I worried he was really fed up with the Clampets after all!), just the bullets for them now!
Paul and Mark have now lost the will to live so as they spotted a surf wear shop on the way down the 192 we promise to head back and stop there. Its called Boardwalk and is great! I just have to buy yet another very cool swimming costume (good job I go swimming a lot), and Mark buys me a really fab Nixon wristwatch which I love. Becky tries on loads and then just ends up buying some swim shoes for her Discovery Cove outing the following day, but Paul snags a few items that hes really pleased with. He also manages to persuade the staff to take a sticker of his band to put on the counter (they did this too in Hot Topic) so hes really cheered up now.
On the way back to the villa we have to stop at Polo Park on the US27, as the boys have decided to try and play golf tomorrow while Beckys at DC. As we turn into the place we step back in time, or maybe into a 1950s film of small town Florida. Its like a little retirement community, with loads of little cute houses, all of which are decorated (and very, very ornate) with Halloween stuff ..so picturesque ..it seems rude to stop and take a photo unfortunately though, so I have no pictures. Eventually we reach the lake and the club house and as Mark goes off to the club we spot a huge alligator by the side of the lake he looks very hungry so we dont dare get out and take his photo wed like to keep our limbs thank you! I notice Mark moves a bit quicker than normal too!
mg: Sadly theres a notice on the clubhouse that announces its closing from today for a few weeks no golf then! Paul looks fed up again and I worry hell be really bored tomorrow while Becky spends her day at DC without him. Hes very hard to keep entertained some times as hes very active and hates lazing around (except when he sleeps for hours on end).
Back home at 6 pm, where (as happens for the rest of the week) the family has found the dogs presents on the lawn again and have complained again. Its then time to get ready for the party, and Becky is wishing now she was dressing up too. We did look for girls fancy dress stuff in Wall-mart today but no luck, and she wasnt allowed to buy the outfit from Hot Topic as Paul vetoed it!! (Apparently the skirt was far too short). I have my wings though which are very large and get in the way a lot so I take them off til we arrive at the park (and get through the turnstile). Izzy is a very cute skeleton, and Elliott just has a massive black cape, which when youre 64 and very skinny looks pretty evil!
Mum & Dad wave us off to MK; as devout Christians they dont approve at all so will have a quiet evening without us, bless em. We arrive in our 2 vehicles at about 8 pm, which is of course later than planned (as usual). Im not sure how long Becky will last this evening as she has to be up so early tomorrow so we think its best to have the 2 vehicles on hand.
Its packed on the monorail, and there are some really scary clowns on the one that leaves before ours,*shiver* great costumes but very scary! Some of the Disney princesses travel with us, much to the boys enjoyment; we have teenage Pocahontas, Cinderella, Alice, Tinkerbelle and their Mum as Snow White. They look really great, and the little girl sitting next to me is very impressed and evidently thinks theyre the real thing. Sis and I are very jealous and discuss which costumes well nab .Im sure green tights and a leotard would look very fetching on me!
My favourite costumes of the night though were 3 older ladies, all dressed up as the 3 fairies from Sleeping Beauty, Fauna, Flora and Merryweather .they looked absolutely amazing and everyone thought they were actually cast members! Good for you, ladies! Becky is even more jealous when she spies several little girls dressed as The Little Mermaid, her all time favourite. Im worried she may steal one of their costumes at one point and have to head her off and distract her.
As we walk in, the decorations look great, and we are all handed candy bags to fill around the park. The younger Clampet members are especially enthusiastic about this, even though I rarely see them eating sweets! We get to ride a few rides this evening but are really there to concentrate on the party atmosphere, parade and firework show, which I think is always fabulous. Some of us ride Space Mountain while others prefer the tamer Tomorrow land Transit Authority. Then the kids spot the candy, and have to queue to get their first handful. Izzy is really lucky here as her girl stuffs a great fistful of candy into her bag, but everyone else is counted out 3 sweets very carefully. Well, she is very skinny! I think the kids queued up 3 times here and countless times everywhere else most of us grown ups (and Becky & Paul) handed over their bags to the kids to fill as well so they were very happy with their haul (apparently their school friends and Grans Sunday School kids have all appreciated all that candy!)
Sis and family want to queue for the little speedway ride after this so we part ways and head to the castle as we want to watch the fireworks from a good spot. As the lights dim and the music starts Im really excited .until disaster strikes! Im sitting on a little wall and next to me is a rather heavy young girl who decides to stand up and treads on my wings and snaps them! Im not a very happy Angel now! The broken wings are put into a bag til Mark can repair them (theyre still there) and I try to forget it and enjoy the pretty lights. We ooooooh and aaaaaaagh along with everyone else and agree the fireworks and special effects are every bit as good as last time we saw them. I love the skeletons and ghost they superimpose on the castle and the effect of all the colours too.
Were meeting up with the others to watch the second parade of the evening, which is much quieter than the earlier one. The crowds have thinned out now and we manage to get seats by the bakery on Main Street, where we wait for the usual hour or so (slight exaggeration) for the others to arrive. As the parade is announced we are able to move over to the front of the side walk and so have a great view as the Headless Horseman gallops by.
I love the way this starts off I also love the Boo to you music, but every time I hear it I cant stop singing it for ages like now! The parade is good, and the gravediggers and ghosts are particularly so, but Im sure last time Jack Skeleton and Sally were part of the show and the kids are very disappointed that theyre not included in the parade. Im not sure why that should be, Im sure there were more scary characters too, last time.
Having said that, it was still good and Im glad we paid the extra $ for it. After its over Becky is looking very tired and Mark decides to take her & Paul back. Jess wants to go with them really so Im happy to stay on for a while and head off with sis and her family for a change. After more candy gathering were off to the Haunted Mansion well you have to at a Halloween party, dont you? The wait says just 15 minutes but its actually more like 30 and means we miss out on the Runaway train which is a shame as its much better in the dark. Still, we have fun, us 3 girls crammed into one car on the HM ride. Highlight of this is when a ghost pops up in front of sis (at the graveyard) and she screams blue murder, making me jump and scream, then Izzy! I think the other guests thought we were being murdered for sure but Chris & Elliott think its hilarious, of course. Were very jumpy after that and are trembling by the time we get off ..Im sure its never been that scary before!
Outside the Haunted Mansion is a carriage and a brilliant model of a ghost lady .who quite clearly isnt in fact a model when she moves and talks to us .second heart stopper of the night .watch out I have high blood pressure you know! She was very believable anyway.
Its almost midnight now and time to wend our weary way down Main Street, young uns still collecting handfuls of candy as they go. Great wodges of Hersheys candy is being given out at the gates for some reason so of course we have to stop and collect some there too, just in case we go without!
Its really busy at the monorail station but we are right at the front for the next train and I have a sudden brainwave and ask the CM if we could sit at the front with the driver. He happily obliges result! Ive never done this before so suggest taking the 2 kids with me, as they will only allow 4 guests in the cabin, but Chris is happy to bow out so sis comes too. We feel a little like royalty as we become co-pilots (complete with licence). Tracey is not so happy though as she reckons its the scariest ride of all being able to see the rail ahead and the long drop down is not her idea of fun ..and she reckons the pilot speeds up on purpose to upset her. LOL.
Anyway, its been a great evening, and by the time we reach the car Izzy is almost asleep on her feet, its 12.45 after all, and Im feeling pretty sleepy myself. On the way home the car is very quiet as both Izzy and Elliott fall asleep (of course he declares hes wide awake really) and we arrive home at 1.30 very tired and with a truck load of candy .Happy Halloween .and Boo! To you
(Tomorrow might take a bit longer to write as I have to get Becky to give me her notes on being Keeper for the Day at Discovery Cove .just chat amongst yourselves til then .night night!
