The Fixer and The Cookmaster:major pixie dust*IT'S FINISHED*EPILOGUE UP!!#389

[BeastiesBelle]

Wonderful TR!

 

[GeorgiaAristocat]

Jami ~
I just LOVE the pics in this episode. The one of A laughing made me have the hugest grin! You can see how utterly tickled he was at whatever was happening.

THAT's one for the scrapbook!

Sad to see the saga coming to a close. . .

Amy

 

[Tanya90210]

That sounds like a great time... I am hoping when we go in a few more days that I'll get to do some one on one w/ the kids... or at least me and DD w/ the baby... it's like 1 on 1 since he can't talk yet... he sure does babble alot though...

I can't wait for the next installment But sad it is the last day too

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Great report as always, Jami - thank you!

 

[KathyRN137]

Just LUV that pic of "A" laughing!!

Kathy

 

[jamal]

You people are kind. My A was laughing, according to DH, at one of the high quality films at the Sci Fi. I'm glad he captured the picture, because it's a laugh I see in him all the time. I realize the brooding stage may be just around the corner, but it makes me happy that he wears his Classic Donald Duck hat everywhere . The other day at football practice, one of the dads came up to me and said, "You know, your A is the happiest kid on the field."

May I give the Disney in him some of the credit ?

 

[jamal]

Chapter 22, Day 10…
The Last Day. I am sad just typing it, and it happened three months ago! This particular Saturday, April 1st, was no fooling for the Fixers. Our A has a birthday April 2nd (EVERY year) and we were going to be allll about celebrating in the MK this last day in The World. I was already feeling sorry for the little flea facing a day of Disney-decompression on his actual birthday, but I had just the ticket to make it special. Remind me to tell you that part before I finish!!!!

So, Stitch and Mickey called with NO extra encouragement even though they KNEW we were leaving that evening. We had everything packed (smashed) up and knew it would be easy to get back to the Poly for check out and departure. I have to tell you a little-known (maybe) benefit to Concierge level: leaving your pile of junk with them the last day instead of checking it at the resort’s guest services. The Concierge staff also encouraged us, several times, to use the lounge as long as we needed that day. Did they think I might want a drink before the airport???

We enjoyed our usual breakfast in the lounge with the early park commandos. As it was a Saturday, there were rookies there; my kids were all about showing them the ropes at the juice and cereal bar. I eyed these lucky vacationers, envying their energy for a new trip. I knew they would soon be the ones with 100,000 red, yellow, and black bags strewn about the room. I think I hated them. After breakfast, tooth brushing , and checking the room one more time, we dragged our junk around the corner to the poor Concierge station.

Our sad, lonely home of ten nights. Tell the first floor, first room in the Poly Hi from The Fixers if you ever stay there! It was a full-on push, pull, or drag fest. Those kind people said they were ‘fine’ with our mountain of loot behind their workspace, so we said our Alohas and jumped on the launch. Oh, have I mentioned you can see the MK launch approach the Poly from the Concierge lounge? The height of spoiled laziness, it’s ridiculously simple to time your breakfast lounge departure, run to the room to get The Park Bag (and brush teeth, of course), and make the launch transport.

Seasoned veterans of the MK opening, we took our places in the left turnstiles and were easily in the first bunch to enter. We sent Shrek to retrieve FPs for Space Mtn (last day!!). The boys and I had a very important stop on Main Street! We entered City Hall, waited our (quick) turn, and approached the friendly CM This was all ds12...

A: Hi. It’s not really my birthday. My real birthday is tomorrow, but I wondered if I could maybe have a birthday button?
CM: Wow! How old are you going to be tomorrow!
A: Twelve.
CM: (reaching under counter) Happy Birthday! (presents button) Have a magical day!
A: Thank you! Thank you very much!
CM: Now people all over the parks will wish you Happy Birthday all day!

And we were off….to Splash Mountain!!

Oops, gotta take a break but I’ll get this posted anyway. More soon! I am finishing this story up this week with several more chapters, many pictures, and more to share!

 

[sheridac]

The Last Day. I am sad just typing it, and it happened three months ago!

Jami!!!

I'm said just reading it!!!! I'm soooooooo wolley!!!!

Did they think I might want a drink before the airport???

Uh, HELLLOOOO???!!!!!!

Thanks Jami for bringing me my precious!!! Oh, wait, Algore is my precious. I mean my beloved. Oh, wait!!! Algore is my beloved. My precious is my Paumanok Semi Dry Riesling.

The Poly is my tropical paradise!!!!!!

 

[javamom]

Yipppie, I finally got to read your trippie and it's NOT over yet!!!

 

[jamal]

Chapter 23, Day…don’t remind me!!!

Remember how I told you we were going to tally fights and meltdowns? I’ve given you the totals and shared a few memorable meltdown memories (thankfully not ours) but now I have to share the most shocking fight I have ever witnessed! Honestly, if I knew there was dirt like this out there I would quit my day job (what day job??????) and become a professional eavesdropper. We were walking from Adventureland to Main Street after getting a couple of FPs for Splash. I don’t remember why, people; this happened three months ago!!!! Anyway…. We came to that slightly squishy crowded area just past Crystal Palace. I always chuckle for there are inevitably throngs of people lounging around waiting for walk-up seating in the restaurant. I want to give them a brief, BRIEF, mere ten minute, lesson in Dis-planning and ADRs but I bite through my tongue and move along. Good thing, because as my family inched through there, I heard a pleasant-looking man murmur in his pleasant-looking wife’s ear, “ If you don’t quit right now I’m picking up the phone and calling the insurance company and telling them how you overbill for procedures you don’t even perform.” Yes, that is an exact quote, for I dropped, almost instantaneously, to my knees to fish out my tiny TR notebook to get it verbatim. Isn’t that something? He proceeded to use that very bad word that starts with not E, not G, cursed her over and over (no, I never learned why) and her smile never cracked. Pasted on, really it was. No one ever would have guessed what was happening between these two unless, like the Fixers that day, you had them trapped between your family and you. I was shocked, really.

I spent some time wondering: What had she done to anger him so? What is HER day job? Is she a physician experiencing Disney on fraudulent funds? Who did he think he was, defacing Walt’s family park with such foul verbage? That may have bothered me the most… I said a prayer for them, was grateful my kids had not heard it, and moved along.

We were to meet Shrek near the teacups as he was retrieving couple of FPs for Space. That day was gorgeous. Gorgeous, I say! You know by now how much I adore the castle. At this point I realized I may never see it gilded again. I’m not sure the gold is sticking around after the Happiest Celebration Fal-de-ra ends. I used our travel time to catch up with some of my favorite characters and images:

And my favorite:

Hmmmm... until I saw the poles holding Wendy and Peter here, I was absolutely certain they were FLYING!!!

The kids jerked my neck back down and pointed Mama to the Vomit(Tea)cups. They were spinning almost empty this early morning, with one big Goofy aboard:

I am the official Vomitcups photographer. I do not ride.

Somehow we ended up in Toontown at exactly 10:00 AM. It was perfect. I highly recommend going into Toontown at 10:00 or shortly thereafter, especially if you want to see Mickey and Minnie. Young children will have an excellent character experience with no lines that early in the day. We bypassed Minnie’s house, the big character store and tent, and headed straight to Mickey’s Judge’s Tent. Trust me on this: go to Mickey’s tent first. There. I feel better for giving someone advice now.

Here’s our story. Even though the boys had Mickey and Minnie’s autograph from Chef Mickey’s A wanted to see Donald again, especially for his birthday. We walked into the tent and were the third family of ten or so grouped first to see Mickey. Then, the RUDEST family of the trip (only closely rivaled by the middle of the row hogs at PhilHarmagic) literally pushed their way in front of us!! There were maybe eight in their group, and you could just see the adults scootching the kids between us! It was obscene!!!!!! I finally said, “Shrek. Let these desperate people in front of us. Clearly they are not able to wait one more instant.” He about d-i-e-d but it was ridiculous. You know what? They did it! Moved the rest of the lot right in front of us with nary an eye contact.

We enjoyed our time with the characters much more knowing those freaks were not on our tails. We were some of the first to meet Mickey that day! It was fabulous! No one, I mean NO ONE, was there! Mickey shook A’s hand and congratulated him on 12 years:

My sweet child ate it up that morning. I swear, sometimes I think he is a cartoon character trapped in real life. He’s just drawn that way...

More to come…I’m on a roll! Thanks for hanging here!

 

[Frickles]

Jami!! I am all caught up and I have truly enjoyed going to the World with you all! What a wonderful trip and what a great trip writer you are!!!!
Thank you!!!!!

 

[lauren_elizabeth]

I love this trip report!

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Great TR, Jami, sorry it's almost over!! Glad you are going again soon.

 

[GeorgiaAristocat]

Wow, trip report posting frenzy this weekend! I LOVE IT!!!

 

[jamal]

Thank you Frick-baby, LaurenE (somebody tell me the LGMHPC acronym before I go mad...), ODG, and sweetgakittycat!

 

[Kteacher]

Okay, here I am on a Monday morning in August reading a trip report written by someone I don't know from a trip taken in April....why, you might ask.....? I admit I just read, what, 22 pages, and all I can say is, Jamal , you are my kind of gal ( we even kind of share the same -mine is 6/28 ). We are staying at the Poly in 2 weeks for the first time- thanks for helping me " get ready " for our trip! May you have many more wonderful vacations with your family and friends

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Jamal I just love your trip report.

For some reason the photos of your boys with the mouse just get me all teary eyed!!

Keep it comin!

 

[Jennifer48]

You always know how to tug at my heart strings

Please don't let this TR end!!

 

[Lil' Grumpy]

"i see.."..nope but i did see myself in some of your terrific
report...which means..i better keep an for your people
watching if we ever down there @ the same time..just

i have a lil differnt take on por lil "donkey" ..or whatever you called him?
biceps man?..well where was his lil wifey poo? my lil miss cutie pie was
supposed to have carried "her" water bottles, suntan lotion & chap
sticks..but at he end of the day..they somehow "jumped" in my roll'um
trunk.. and ha! you should my newst version! all decorated
& all [ darn if i going let all the kids get the attention]

tea cups?!..one tripy poo, our daughter "talked=begged" ..us = well if
my wifey was forced, meaning i had to go..no escaping
just about "killed" me with nausea for the rest day..it was an adventure
waitin /bending over in the line to see ariel..

* what a wonderful family vacation having fun!

 

[HaleyB]

I spent some time wondering: What had she done to anger him so? What is HER day job? Is she a physician experiencing Disney on fraudulent funds? Who did he think he was, defacing Walt’s family park with such foul verbage? That may have bothered me the most… I said a prayer for them, was grateful my kids had not heard it, and moved along.

Borg there sister. Thank goodness your kids did not hear that.

You are on a trip report writing frenzy. I better get mine on the ball