The Neverending "Disney" Story
- Thread starter DisnsyDog
- Start date
eternaldisneyfan
<font color=royalblue>Have an Attitude of Gratitud
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2004
- Messages
- 774
Great trip report! 
Before continuing I would like to make a few notes. First I would like to apologize for my very poor editing. I have just gone back and read my entire report and regret not bribing my DW better to edit this conglomeration (if that is not a word it is now, I just hit add to the spell check) of thought. When I asked her to edit my installments she mumbled somthing about not wanting to read me ripping on her and went back to her Nora Roberts book. Or JD Robb whatever that lady wants to call herself these days. I can't blame my DW though, I like to tease her and read over her shoulder once in a while. Besides this Norah Roberts lady has some skills here is a line I read from one of her books, "Half apache and all man, Jake Redman is more than a match for the wild Arizona Territory... But can he handle Eastern lady Sarah Conway as easily." OMG I almost fell over. The bottom line is thanks for putting up with my poor grammer. Second I would like to mention DS has not been forgotten. He was just being his regular old Mickey Mouse-ish self, which fortunatly means he isn't causing trouble. Finally I would like to mention that Disney on Ice will not help bridge the gap between your Disney trips. We went yesterday and it really has made things worse, before we just wanted to go to the Dis. Now we need to go to the Dis. It almost seems like I have been implanted with a device, which is controlled by a CM, that makes my mind wander towards all things Disney. I would also like to note that I paid 10 for a bag of cotton candy and 20 for a princess light up.
Anyway back to the report. Today is an AK day. As a result we once again were planning on being there for opening in order to hit a few rides before brunch at Donald's Breakfastasaurus. Today was also EMH which should allow us to hit everyride and show in the park. In typical fashion DW hangs up the phone when it rings for our wake up call. Supposedly mickey's vioce is on the other end telling you to get your butt out of bed, but we would never know because we just pick it up and set it down to stop the maddness. We slowly are rolling out of bed around 830a as DS passes out the juice boxes. MMM my forbidden fruit. I do not know why I love these things so much. Maybe it has something to do with never being allowed them when I was a child, or maybe it is because I am not supposed to drink them (according to DW and everyone seeing me drink one who is older than 21,) whatever it is it makes them irresistable. So after my shower and juice box breakfast (the kids also have fruit and a some cereal in case you were wondering,) DW and I go over the plan one last time while slathering sunscreen. We were starting to enter the middle of our trip. This would be the only time we visit AK this time. While once gives you enough time to see the entire park it is sobering to know that you will not be returning for over a year.
We arrived at the park around 945am. Again we missed the park opening. Oh well we still have three more early days scheduled. We scramble to get FPs for the safari before our PS at Donald Breakfastasaurus. While doing so we notice DD is soaked to the bone. On Day 4 I told DS that he could have one of those water spraying things with the motorized fan. Of course DD needed one also. It simply wasn't fair to allow DS something and not DD. So we bought each child a spraying thing for 15 a piece. They don't even come with a warranty. Anyway DD opened hers up and dumped it down her shirt while we were hustling towards the Safari. Of course we did not notice this until we were close to the resteraunt. One would thing just grab a new one from the emergency bag, but naturally we did not back an emergency bag today as we had not needed one during the trip, so DW and DD went in search of a new shirt for DD. When they returned DW went into a story about how the closest shop only had adult clothes (likely story.) So she purchased a shirt which she would like to wear and put it on DD for the time being while DD's shirt dried in the warm Florida sun ( I would like to note it has been clear blue skies every day so far.)
Upon entering the restraunt we were introduced to our waiteress Becky-asaurus and directed to the buffet. I really enjoy this restraunt. I know the food isn't the best, and the charecter interaction isn't the greatest among the charecter meals, but it is so fun. I never knew there were so many top 40 hits featuring dinosaurs. I can say the food is very consistent with a large selection of fruit, which is perfect for DW and I. They also have Krispy Kremes for the kids. I would also like to note that while we are on the Dining Plan the price to eat here is pretty reasonable relative to the other charecter meals. This is one of my favorite places to eat because I can call all members of my family by their name ending with -asaurus.
Breakfast went just great we saw Mickey and his friends we filled up with lots of fruit and same hot eggs (what is up now Akerhus.) We were ready to go once DW and DD returned from the bathroom. I was going over the tip to leave while DS was leaning over the table. It was one of those tables with a center pedestal that tends to tip easily if you put to much weight on one end. Unfortunately DS happened to be playing lets see if I can lean all my weight on the table while kicking my feet in the air. He was doing a really good job too, until the table tipped over. Miracoulously nobody was injured and nothing broke. We only had 2-3 glasses of juice on the table and 2-3 plates with half eaten food on them. They just happened to have dumped out all over the floor with DS. DS immediatly sprang to his feet and said I am sorry with a look of fear in his eyes. Being in an -asaurus-ish type mood I said, "It is okay Curtisasaurus." Let me tell you generally I get all Sam the Eagle like and would start waving my hands like a mad man using large words which a 5 year old doesn't understand, however not today that man was banished when we left Minnesota. We cleaned up our mess before DW, DD, or Beckyasaurus found us sprawled on the floor and stayed away from the table like it was the plague.
Up Next: Day Five: Timber
Anyway back to the report. Today is an AK day. As a result we once again were planning on being there for opening in order to hit a few rides before brunch at Donald's Breakfastasaurus. Today was also EMH which should allow us to hit everyride and show in the park. In typical fashion DW hangs up the phone when it rings for our wake up call. Supposedly mickey's vioce is on the other end telling you to get your butt out of bed, but we would never know because we just pick it up and set it down to stop the maddness. We slowly are rolling out of bed around 830a as DS passes out the juice boxes. MMM my forbidden fruit. I do not know why I love these things so much. Maybe it has something to do with never being allowed them when I was a child, or maybe it is because I am not supposed to drink them (according to DW and everyone seeing me drink one who is older than 21,) whatever it is it makes them irresistable. So after my shower and juice box breakfast (the kids also have fruit and a some cereal in case you were wondering,) DW and I go over the plan one last time while slathering sunscreen. We were starting to enter the middle of our trip. This would be the only time we visit AK this time. While once gives you enough time to see the entire park it is sobering to know that you will not be returning for over a year.
We arrived at the park around 945am. Again we missed the park opening. Oh well we still have three more early days scheduled. We scramble to get FPs for the safari before our PS at Donald Breakfastasaurus. While doing so we notice DD is soaked to the bone. On Day 4 I told DS that he could have one of those water spraying things with the motorized fan. Of course DD needed one also. It simply wasn't fair to allow DS something and not DD. So we bought each child a spraying thing for 15 a piece. They don't even come with a warranty. Anyway DD opened hers up and dumped it down her shirt while we were hustling towards the Safari. Of course we did not notice this until we were close to the resteraunt. One would thing just grab a new one from the emergency bag, but naturally we did not back an emergency bag today as we had not needed one during the trip, so DW and DD went in search of a new shirt for DD. When they returned DW went into a story about how the closest shop only had adult clothes (likely story.) So she purchased a shirt which she would like to wear and put it on DD for the time being while DD's shirt dried in the warm Florida sun ( I would like to note it has been clear blue skies every day so far.)
Upon entering the restraunt we were introduced to our waiteress Becky-asaurus and directed to the buffet. I really enjoy this restraunt. I know the food isn't the best, and the charecter interaction isn't the greatest among the charecter meals, but it is so fun. I never knew there were so many top 40 hits featuring dinosaurs. I can say the food is very consistent with a large selection of fruit, which is perfect for DW and I. They also have Krispy Kremes for the kids. I would also like to note that while we are on the Dining Plan the price to eat here is pretty reasonable relative to the other charecter meals. This is one of my favorite places to eat because I can call all members of my family by their name ending with -asaurus.
Breakfast went just great we saw Mickey and his friends we filled up with lots of fruit and same hot eggs (what is up now Akerhus.) We were ready to go once DW and DD returned from the bathroom. I was going over the tip to leave while DS was leaning over the table. It was one of those tables with a center pedestal that tends to tip easily if you put to much weight on one end. Unfortunately DS happened to be playing lets see if I can lean all my weight on the table while kicking my feet in the air. He was doing a really good job too, until the table tipped over. Miracoulously nobody was injured and nothing broke. We only had 2-3 glasses of juice on the table and 2-3 plates with half eaten food on them. They just happened to have dumped out all over the floor with DS. DS immediatly sprang to his feet and said I am sorry with a look of fear in his eyes. Being in an -asaurus-ish type mood I said, "It is okay Curtisasaurus." Let me tell you generally I get all Sam the Eagle like and would start waving my hands like a mad man using large words which a 5 year old doesn't understand, however not today that man was banished when we left Minnesota. We cleaned up our mess before DW, DD, or Beckyasaurus found us sprawled on the floor and stayed away from the table like it was the plague.
Up Next: Day Five: Timber
TikiGoddess
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2005
- Messages
- 1,000
Folks, we have us a reader...can't wait for the next installment. I'm guessing you love the Muppets 3D show...Sam Eagle is very serious, but I'm kind of partial to the grumpy old men. Sometimes Dh reminds me of them. Good stuff!
After filling our bellies we hit the safari, the trail with the bats (I love those bats they are so cool, plus they really freak out DW,) the other trail without anything memorable (as neither I nor DW can remember anything about it,) and its a bugs life. That is such a great little show. DD got a little scared, but nothing she couldn't handle. After that we ran into that freestanding walking animitronic dinosaur. I think he is very underrated as DS and I were amazed at him and the little show he put on with the CM. Following that we went to ride Kali Rapids, but they were broken and remained that way for the rest of the day. So we went to watch Tarzan Rocks. On our first trip we went to this show with really low expectations as the reviews on the bored were not very flattering. We both really enjoyed the show though and were definetly looking forward to it again. However this time I must have watched it with a more critical eye as I did not enjoy it as much as the first time. I did not want to get up and leave as quite a few people do, but I found my thoughts wandering towards the rest of the day. DW on the other hand really enjoys this show. She swears it is not because there is a man in a loin cloth that has about 3% body fat swinging from a vine. I have my doubts. In fact when it was announced that Tarzan Rocks was being discontinued DW was pretty distraught. So much in fact she rifled through our latest Dis pics and scolded me for only taking three pics of the show (none of them had a good shot of the loin cloth wonder either.) Lets give a moment of silence for the passing of (according to DW) a great Disney show (I won't tell her if you silently wonder what they are going to put there that is what I am doing.)....................
After Tarzan Rocks DS and I went to ride Dinosaur while DD and DW went to grab some food and spots for the parade. While DS and I were going through the line DS was handed a little white swipper card and was told to bring it to the CM at the loading area. I thought he was randomly selected as a winner of the Disney pass for life contest (no purchase necessary,) when in fact he was being temporarily employed as a messenger boy. We were both very angry and I mumbled something very loudly about child labor laws, but I didn't recieve a response so we got on the ride. Poor DS is a very tempermental child who puts on a very strong facade. Well I am pretty sure that facade broke down in this ride as during most of the ride I was burrowing his little head in my chest out of fear that he might get frightened. At the end of the ride we both were happy it was over for obvious reasons. When I told DW about it she seemed kind of sad becuase this meant if she was not going to go alone she would not be able to go this year. I felt kind of bad, then I had a sip of the smoothie she had and I was feeling better already. DW got over it pretty quickly too when she spotted some non refillable souvenier mugs for like $10. I did my best not to make a Sam the Eagle face as she went to go buy her new prize.
Again we had a front row seat to a Disney Parade. This time however DD was acclimated to the disney schedule and contained herself the entire wait. When the parade finally made it through it was pretty neat. We took some great pictures and the kids got some highfives from a few unbubbled disney charecters. I really enjoy the different atmosphere disney has created in all of AK it is just a lot more relaxing. It must have something to do with all the shade and slower pace required to really visit this park extensively. After the parade we rode triceratops spin a few times and headed for the EMH showing of lion king. On our way to the show we ran into several charecters without any line at all. It was really cool to walk up to a charecter and not be rushed off to allow the next group of kids a chance to visit.
While on our way to Lion King we noticed three characters in a courtyard type area all alone. They were Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. They were just hanging out without any line or anyone (other than their handlers) in their vicinity. DD could no longer contain herself she jumped out of the stroller at full speed (I stopped and did not run her over) and sprinted towards the Characters who were about 50 yards away. All three noticing at the same time started waddling (as characters would) as fast as they could towards us. DS puts down his ice cream treat he was munching on and follows DD lead. It was straight out of the Disney planning guide. That was when disaster struck, DD tripped and fell on the patio like cement in the courtyard hitting both knees and scrapping her hands. Not to be deterred Donald scooped my now knee scrapped mickey bar covered child from the ground and she rested her now tear covered face on his shoulder. Goofy also tried to consule my now sobbing DD while DS talked things over with Mickey. DW was now trying to grab DD away from Donald to tend to her DD's needs, but for the first time in her life DD didn't need her mom to fix her owie she had two of her best friends to help her. If I wasn't so worried about DD I would have taken a picture of this moment as it seems pretty unbelievable, but who thinks of taking a pic during a time like that. For me this was by far the best character interaction one could ask for.
We hung out with the characters for close to ten minutes without interuption. In fact we had to leave the charecters or we were going to miss the Lion King show. We left the charecters who were once again all alone and headed to the show that was just around the corner. The first time we saw this show we were expecting great things. But when we left DW and I thought it was overrated. So this time we were just expecting a solid Disney show. When it was over DW and I were in shock at how great that show was. Maybe we were just tired last time, this was by far my favorite thing of the day. Our kids felt the same way in fact DS sang I Just Cant Wait To Be King all night (pretty cute initially, however pretty annoying after a few hours.)
After Lion King we decided to head back to POP for the night. That is right finally after five days of Disney late night love we decide to turn in early. There was a method to this madness, DW and I were planning on watching this season's conclusion to Amazing Race. Hopefully this break from the World would allow us to go to bed a little early so we could get up in time to see a park opening ceremony.
Up next: Turkey Leg?
After Tarzan Rocks DS and I went to ride Dinosaur while DD and DW went to grab some food and spots for the parade. While DS and I were going through the line DS was handed a little white swipper card and was told to bring it to the CM at the loading area. I thought he was randomly selected as a winner of the Disney pass for life contest (no purchase necessary,) when in fact he was being temporarily employed as a messenger boy. We were both very angry and I mumbled something very loudly about child labor laws, but I didn't recieve a response so we got on the ride. Poor DS is a very tempermental child who puts on a very strong facade. Well I am pretty sure that facade broke down in this ride as during most of the ride I was burrowing his little head in my chest out of fear that he might get frightened. At the end of the ride we both were happy it was over for obvious reasons. When I told DW about it she seemed kind of sad becuase this meant if she was not going to go alone she would not be able to go this year. I felt kind of bad, then I had a sip of the smoothie she had and I was feeling better already. DW got over it pretty quickly too when she spotted some non refillable souvenier mugs for like $10. I did my best not to make a Sam the Eagle face as she went to go buy her new prize.
Again we had a front row seat to a Disney Parade. This time however DD was acclimated to the disney schedule and contained herself the entire wait. When the parade finally made it through it was pretty neat. We took some great pictures and the kids got some highfives from a few unbubbled disney charecters. I really enjoy the different atmosphere disney has created in all of AK it is just a lot more relaxing. It must have something to do with all the shade and slower pace required to really visit this park extensively. After the parade we rode triceratops spin a few times and headed for the EMH showing of lion king. On our way to the show we ran into several charecters without any line at all. It was really cool to walk up to a charecter and not be rushed off to allow the next group of kids a chance to visit.
While on our way to Lion King we noticed three characters in a courtyard type area all alone. They were Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. They were just hanging out without any line or anyone (other than their handlers) in their vicinity. DD could no longer contain herself she jumped out of the stroller at full speed (I stopped and did not run her over) and sprinted towards the Characters who were about 50 yards away. All three noticing at the same time started waddling (as characters would) as fast as they could towards us. DS puts down his ice cream treat he was munching on and follows DD lead. It was straight out of the Disney planning guide. That was when disaster struck, DD tripped and fell on the patio like cement in the courtyard hitting both knees and scrapping her hands. Not to be deterred Donald scooped my now knee scrapped mickey bar covered child from the ground and she rested her now tear covered face on his shoulder. Goofy also tried to consule my now sobbing DD while DS talked things over with Mickey. DW was now trying to grab DD away from Donald to tend to her DD's needs, but for the first time in her life DD didn't need her mom to fix her owie she had two of her best friends to help her. If I wasn't so worried about DD I would have taken a picture of this moment as it seems pretty unbelievable, but who thinks of taking a pic during a time like that. For me this was by far the best character interaction one could ask for.
We hung out with the characters for close to ten minutes without interuption. In fact we had to leave the charecters or we were going to miss the Lion King show. We left the charecters who were once again all alone and headed to the show that was just around the corner. The first time we saw this show we were expecting great things. But when we left DW and I thought it was overrated. So this time we were just expecting a solid Disney show. When it was over DW and I were in shock at how great that show was. Maybe we were just tired last time, this was by far my favorite thing of the day. Our kids felt the same way in fact DS sang I Just Cant Wait To Be King all night (pretty cute initially, however pretty annoying after a few hours.)
After Lion King we decided to head back to POP for the night. That is right finally after five days of Disney late night love we decide to turn in early. There was a method to this madness, DW and I were planning on watching this season's conclusion to Amazing Race. Hopefully this break from the World would allow us to go to bed a little early so we could get up in time to see a park opening ceremony.
Up next: Turkey Leg?
The phone rang, it was dark, I picked it up and heard gibberish on the other end. I set the phone back down and fell asleep....... For the fifth day in a row I am woken up by the TV. It was just past 8am. Maybe being at an opening ceremony isnt that important to us. We went to the one at 1900 park fare maybe that is as close as we are going to get. So I roll out of bed to prepare for the day. I would like to take a moment here to discuss the beds at Pop. Simply put they suck. In fact I now know how Fred and Wilma felt because these beds are like slabs of concrete with some burlap thrown on them. Seriously people after walking around all day at the world we all know how tired you are when you finally hit the sack. Yet at Pop I am unable to sleep I toss and turn all night and wake up in worse shape than when I went to bed. I know Pop is a value resort and they leave quite a few things to be desired to encourage you to stay at the more expensive places, but how much nicer are the beds at AKL or FWL? What do they do cover the slab of concrete there with a little hay and call it a pillowtop mattress. When we go this year if we end up staying at pop we might bring a feather bed or something because these beds are terrible.
All right I feel much better. Thanks. I downed a juice box (I feel a little better now) and hit the shower. Again with the water pressure maybe when we go back I will bring with a black market shower head designed to wash elephants (Kramer,) because I am afraid to wash my hair. Does anybody really know what happens if you don't get all the soap out. Well your head itches the rest of the day and that is not very disney-ish. I risk the itch factor for the 5th day and soap my head because I would rather be itchy than smelly and we head are ready for some more fun. On our way to the bus we grab some Slushi because nothing is better than slushi before 10 and visit the gift shop. However I am not as concerned as I used to be as I think we might already have one of each thing they sell here.
We leave without buying anything (you heard me) and climb aboard the bus on our way to Disney Studios which I will refer to as TBHP ( The Big Hat Place, ) because I would hate to confuse DS (Disney Son) with DS (Disney Studios.) While we really like TBHP we have had a problem with melt downs in this park. I would like to know bring you back in time to the first time we went here in 04. We visited this park on my birthday. You would think that would have been a great memory, but it was pretty chilly and drizzling all day. To make matters worse DW and I got in a fight, because I was being an a** and wouldn't ask for directions on how to get to the Pizza Planet. This wasn't my fault though as it was close to 1pm and my DW hadn't even mentioned the fact that it was my birthday yet. Anyway we were determined to make this years visits to TBHP a little more magical.
Upon our arrival just after 930a we headed for Mermaid. We grabbed a FP as the wait was like 30 minutes and headed for One man's Dream (a really interesting show) and Disney animation. Following Disney animation we visited with the Incredibles (DS refused because they didn't have Dash) and watched Mermaid. It was now close to lunch and hunger was starting to set in on the troops. So we headed for Pizza Planet. The plan was to get a little pizza for the kids to get and a salad for DW then I would have a turkey leg a little later. After standing in one of the longest lines for what used to be some of the worst food in all of Disney world I return to the family with the goods. I had bought a few extra Krispie bars as I love those little guys and the kids sat down to eat. Except they refused to eat the pizza. Duh, why should they be forced to eat pizza while DW and I are munching on crunchy goodness. So we decide the kids will now have krispie bar for Lunch and I devide to give the pizza a shot.
Way back in the day (2004) this pizza was the worst pizza I ever had. In fact if I was given the choice between a Totino's Party Pizza (yuck) and the Pizza Planet pizza (PPP) I would grab the totinos in a second. However I thought I would give the PPP another shot. And OMG they must have stole Chuckie Cheese's pizza recipe because it was actually edible. (Oddly enough DW and I really enjoy the Chuckie Cheese pizza, in fact we have wondered if it would be odd to order carry out from them.) Don't get me wrong I grew up in Chicago so I know what really good pizza is, but it is similiar to Mcdonald's with there hamburgers. They are not comparable to a great hamburger place yet they somehow are satisfying and worth having every two months or so. Anyway seeing that i was now very interested in their PPP the kids push aside the Krispie goodness (which I think I will be making today) and start eating the PPP. Even DD who dislikes pizza starts eating the PPP. I was getting kind of annoyed. Here I am trying to satisify all of my kids desires by allowing them to have desset for lunch and they push it aside to take the pizza I was trying to devour. DW tells me they have more PPP in PP, but I tell her there is no way I am going to stand in that PP line just to buy another PPP. Besides I really wanted a turkey leg.
That is one of my favorite memories from the 04 trip. It wasn't eating the turkey leg, it was my DD and I walking to get the turkey leg. DD and I were sent on a mission to find a turkey leg while DS and DW held our spot in line. A two year old DD and I could be seen hand in hand hopping and skipping towards the turkey leg place singing, "Tur-key leg, Tur-key leg, I want a tur-key leg," the song went on, but I will spare you. As a result of that moment DD and I like to skip to stores from our car when we are shopping singing our Turkey Leg song. DW usually stays in the car or walks really far from us claiming she has no idea who I am. Anyway back to the 05 trip. Before I had my turkey leg we had a few things to complete. So we headed for the new lights motor action show. I was pretty excited for this as was DS. As we were walking to the back of the park we noticed the crowd growing. We were once again a herd of cattle headed to the corral. We filed our way towards the huge stands that sit before the show which were pretty close full. Our seats were smack in the middle of a column of bleachers about half way up. I can't believe how many people they squished in that place. To make matters worse it was just after noon and the hot Florida sun was beating down on us. After about 20 minutes the show started. DS and I watched the whole thing pretty intently while DD and DW feigned interest about half way into it (we are a pretty stereotypical half male half female family it is pretty sad.) After the show we headed back towards the front of the park to see Playhouse Disney and for me to ride TOT and RnR. Which happens to be by the Turkey leg place.
To be continued................
All right I feel much better. Thanks. I downed a juice box (I feel a little better now) and hit the shower. Again with the water pressure maybe when we go back I will bring with a black market shower head designed to wash elephants (Kramer,) because I am afraid to wash my hair. Does anybody really know what happens if you don't get all the soap out. Well your head itches the rest of the day and that is not very disney-ish. I risk the itch factor for the 5th day and soap my head because I would rather be itchy than smelly and we head are ready for some more fun. On our way to the bus we grab some Slushi because nothing is better than slushi before 10 and visit the gift shop. However I am not as concerned as I used to be as I think we might already have one of each thing they sell here.
We leave without buying anything (you heard me) and climb aboard the bus on our way to Disney Studios which I will refer to as TBHP ( The Big Hat Place, ) because I would hate to confuse DS (Disney Son) with DS (Disney Studios.) While we really like TBHP we have had a problem with melt downs in this park. I would like to know bring you back in time to the first time we went here in 04. We visited this park on my birthday. You would think that would have been a great memory, but it was pretty chilly and drizzling all day. To make matters worse DW and I got in a fight, because I was being an a** and wouldn't ask for directions on how to get to the Pizza Planet. This wasn't my fault though as it was close to 1pm and my DW hadn't even mentioned the fact that it was my birthday yet. Anyway we were determined to make this years visits to TBHP a little more magical.
Upon our arrival just after 930a we headed for Mermaid. We grabbed a FP as the wait was like 30 minutes and headed for One man's Dream (a really interesting show) and Disney animation. Following Disney animation we visited with the Incredibles (DS refused because they didn't have Dash) and watched Mermaid. It was now close to lunch and hunger was starting to set in on the troops. So we headed for Pizza Planet. The plan was to get a little pizza for the kids to get and a salad for DW then I would have a turkey leg a little later. After standing in one of the longest lines for what used to be some of the worst food in all of Disney world I return to the family with the goods. I had bought a few extra Krispie bars as I love those little guys and the kids sat down to eat. Except they refused to eat the pizza. Duh, why should they be forced to eat pizza while DW and I are munching on crunchy goodness. So we decide the kids will now have krispie bar for Lunch and I devide to give the pizza a shot.
Way back in the day (2004) this pizza was the worst pizza I ever had. In fact if I was given the choice between a Totino's Party Pizza (yuck) and the Pizza Planet pizza (PPP) I would grab the totinos in a second. However I thought I would give the PPP another shot. And OMG they must have stole Chuckie Cheese's pizza recipe because it was actually edible. (Oddly enough DW and I really enjoy the Chuckie Cheese pizza, in fact we have wondered if it would be odd to order carry out from them.) Don't get me wrong I grew up in Chicago so I know what really good pizza is, but it is similiar to Mcdonald's with there hamburgers. They are not comparable to a great hamburger place yet they somehow are satisfying and worth having every two months or so. Anyway seeing that i was now very interested in their PPP the kids push aside the Krispie goodness (which I think I will be making today) and start eating the PPP. Even DD who dislikes pizza starts eating the PPP. I was getting kind of annoyed. Here I am trying to satisify all of my kids desires by allowing them to have desset for lunch and they push it aside to take the pizza I was trying to devour. DW tells me they have more PPP in PP, but I tell her there is no way I am going to stand in that PP line just to buy another PPP. Besides I really wanted a turkey leg.
That is one of my favorite memories from the 04 trip. It wasn't eating the turkey leg, it was my DD and I walking to get the turkey leg. DD and I were sent on a mission to find a turkey leg while DS and DW held our spot in line. A two year old DD and I could be seen hand in hand hopping and skipping towards the turkey leg place singing, "Tur-key leg, Tur-key leg, I want a tur-key leg," the song went on, but I will spare you. As a result of that moment DD and I like to skip to stores from our car when we are shopping singing our Turkey Leg song. DW usually stays in the car or walks really far from us claiming she has no idea who I am. Anyway back to the 05 trip. Before I had my turkey leg we had a few things to complete. So we headed for the new lights motor action show. I was pretty excited for this as was DS. As we were walking to the back of the park we noticed the crowd growing. We were once again a herd of cattle headed to the corral. We filed our way towards the huge stands that sit before the show which were pretty close full. Our seats were smack in the middle of a column of bleachers about half way up. I can't believe how many people they squished in that place. To make matters worse it was just after noon and the hot Florida sun was beating down on us. After about 20 minutes the show started. DS and I watched the whole thing pretty intently while DD and DW feigned interest about half way into it (we are a pretty stereotypical half male half female family it is pretty sad.) After the show we headed back towards the front of the park to see Playhouse Disney and for me to ride TOT and RnR. Which happens to be by the Turkey leg place.
To be continued................
The weather thus far has been unbelievable. Sunny and 80's every day. Exactly what us Minnesotans need to thaw out from a long winter. However things were starting to cloud up and the wind picked up. Indeed it looked like it was going to rain. However we were prepared with umbrellas and rain jackets. Anyway we went to Playhouse Disney, which I can't stand because of the seating arrangements, and headed towards the big kid rides. In 2004 we neglected all big kid rides and I vowed to make sure I would get a go this time around. First up was TOT which had only a 13 minute wait, MUUHAHAHA. What a great ride, it is so much more than a 13 story drop. The whole story line they give you is just incredible. I would also like to note a kid about DS's age was on the ride and must have crapped his pants because he refused to get up when the ride was over. Maybe DS would be able to go next year I thought. When I got off I told DW about how great the ride was and she must go on it. DW has a real problem with going on rides herself, but she skirted that issue and got in line. While she was riding the ids and I hung out in the TOT souvenier shop. I was now taunting the Disney marketing machine as we left before buying anything. When DW got off she was greatful that she went on the ride by herself because she really liked it. Now that she had slayed the I won't go on a ride by myself beast she wanted to head to RnR.
As she headed for line the kids and I grabbed a few mickey bars and watched the people get dropped in TOT. That drop looks very scary from way down here, but when you are being dropped it really isn't that bad. As DW returned with rave reviews for RnR I headed for line. I was really looking forward to this ride as I love roller coasters and this is the only hard core roller coaster in Disney. Depite my excitement I wasn't expecting that much out of it as there are not any huge drops and only a few oppotunities to go upside down. I was pleasantly suprised though as the 0-60 take off was really cool and the loops were pretty nice as well. Disney also does their thing and gives you a nice story line to go with the ride. As I get off DW and I talk about howmuch we liked those two rides and also talk about the storm which is becoming more and more ominous. We decide to head for the Beauty and the beast show and then the great movie ride. We arrive at the Beauty and the Beast show when those four singing guys are just finishing up. I wonder how much Disney pays them? They are really good, but I am pretty sure they have a limited market for their talents. Anyway after the four singing guys are done Beauty and the Beast begins. This is really a nice little production. In classic stereotypical fashion DS loses interest about half way in and starts kicking the seat in front of him while DW and DD are entranced by the song and dance. I play thumb war to occupy DS and put together the rest of the day in my mind.
At the end of the show we head for the Great Movie ride. We park our stroller in the last rain protected place available and cover it with our umbrellas and rain coats as we have started to feel a few drops. After the ride which we all enjoy we step out into a heavy down poor. As we head to grab our stroller we think how smart we were to keep it in a nice dry spot. Then to our horror our stoller isn't where we left it. Instead a one person fold up stroller is there. I looked around and spotted our stroller in the middle of the sidewalk without any protection from the rain. A million thoughts ran through my mind like moving the spot thieves stroller to the middle of the sidewalk to get drenched or staking out the thieves stroller to unleash the fury of Sam the Eagle on their punk a**es. However I then thought to myself why should I punish the poor child who would have to sit in that stroller for his or her parents sins. Besides we had to go watch Muppet 3D before our PS at Hollywood and Vine.
We struggled towards Muppets in a steady downpoor with our soaked stroller. In fact it was so wet the kids refused to sit in it. As a result they walked jumping and slpashing in puddles along the way. When we arrived at Muppet 3D we had the opportunity to watch the entire pre-show. At the site of our favorite Disney shows DW and I started to lighten back up as we were more than a little angry as a result of the soaked stroller. By the end of Muppet 3D we were back in good moods and ready for a little Hollywood and Vine. As we were still facing a steady downpour the trip towards our dining venue was deserted. It was almost like we had the whole park to ourselves. This was because everyone went to Hollywood and Vine. We were about 15 minutes early for our PS and it appeared there was no chance we would be seated early.
We found a spot outside where we were partially protected from the rain and waited. We parked our wet stroller under a nearby tree and figured that partial rain blockage was better than none. Things were not looking good my rain coat was not holding up to the downpour and as a result I was soaked, DW was getting worried that Fantasmic was going to be canceled, DD wanted to take off her stupid poncho, and DS was really thirsty. I told him to drink some rain, but DW pulled him back under the protective patio as he marched towards the sidewalk to quench his thirst. Finally they called our name. We yell that is us and look around at all of the other people waiting their turn making sure they knew we were the chosen ones. When we finally sat down we were asked the fateful question are you the dining plan. We were now doomed to poor service for the rest of the night.
However this question was coupled with I show you have requested the Fantasmic Dinner Package. DW and I were a little worried about being denied this request due to being on the dining plan and there was much discussion on the boards surrounding the package and the dining plan. In fact we had worked out a plan of attack in case they attempted to deny us this privilege. However we didn't have to pull out the plan as the waiter gave us our instructions. Now we only had to worry about the weather. But in the meantime there was a buffet to be visited. We chose this place based on the possibilty of having Prime Rib here. However no such luck today as they were slicing up sirlion.
I think I should preface this next little rant by saying I in no way am encouraging you to condemn the purchasing of sirlion for use as a steak. I also would like to say that I am not to be held liable for a drop in sale of sirlion related to comments made (Texas Ranchers v. Oprah) here within. What is up with Disney putting sirlion on their menu and claiming it is steak. Technically it is steak, but technically tomatoes are a fruit. That doesn't mean we slice them up and throw them in a fruit salad does it. The same thing with sirlion, just because it is a steak doesn't mean it should be cooked and sliced like you would a filet or a porterhouse. No, if you are going to grill sirlion you have to beat the h-e double hockey sticks out of it with a meat mallet and then let it marinate in a tenderizing solution for like a day. Or better yet just grind it up into ground beef and use it for tacos. Honestly I think I would have been more pleased with a taco bar than I was with the main entree options they were offering at Hollywood and Vine. However I would like to say the mashed potatoes were really good. Yet no consulation for the fact they charge as much as they do and the main entree options are sirlion, fish, or fried chicken, which they were constantly running out of.
Anyway after stuffing ourselves with mediocre buffet we headed for Fantasmic. The rain had tapered off from a steady down pour to a hard drizzle. When we arrived the show was schedueled to start in about 15 minutes and the place was basically empty. It was kind of irionic, we put in the extra effort to get the Fantasmic package and it is not needed on account of the weather. As we sit and wait for the show to start they make an announcement that they will start in 5 minutes. At this we are excited as it is still drizzling and were worried that they were going to cancel fantasmic thus rendering our dining package useless. However the very small crowd that braved the 60 degree rainy weather was treated to one of the most amazing shows Disney has put together.
Where do you even start when you are writing about this show. It is really beyond anything I can imagine. Yeah people complain that it is an endless trailer for classic Disney movies, to this I say so what. If you are really worried about that then you shouldn't be here. Each little snippet Disney flashes on the fountain screen thing taps into some memory from your childhood or one of your children's memories. For me they are all good memories, memories which I really don't mind conjuring up. Combine these memories with incredible pyrotechnics (for the boys in this family,) some princesses (for the girls) and you have one group of happy campers. We sat in amazement of the entire production while a cold mist rained upon us from the sky happy that we were in Disney.
Since I named this chapter turkey leg? I better fill you in on what happened with the turkey leg hunt of '05. Earlier in the day as we were leaving RnR our next stop was to be the Turkey leg place just down the street. However DD was all out of sorts as it was about 40 minutes since she had been on a ride. And because I just got back from riding RnR alone DW had spent the last 10 minutes trying to bribe her with anything within a one block radius. Of course DD had raised her price from the usual mickey bar to clothing or berrets as she could get a mickey bar anytime she wanted (spoiled little..........). Unfortunately the souvenier shops near TOT and RnR did not have anything to DD's liking so she was out of control when I arrived on the scene. DS followed procedure and evacuated the stroller maintaining the five foot radius. I told DD we were on our way to the Turkey leg place. She looked at me right in the eye and said in the meanest little 3 year old voice, "I don't want a damn turkey leg." DW and I looked eachother in the eye and bit our lips. We could not let her see us laughing as it would only escalate the situation. DS yelled dad she said a bad word aren't you going to yell at her. I was now hiding my face behind DW cracking up. DW attempted to scold DD but was met by a fury of right and left hooks. As a result of this DD drama we walked right past the turkey leg place with the sweet smell of smokiness lofting through the air on a hunt for something to bribe DD.
Up Next: Day 7: I think mom is lost.
As she headed for line the kids and I grabbed a few mickey bars and watched the people get dropped in TOT. That drop looks very scary from way down here, but when you are being dropped it really isn't that bad. As DW returned with rave reviews for RnR I headed for line. I was really looking forward to this ride as I love roller coasters and this is the only hard core roller coaster in Disney. Depite my excitement I wasn't expecting that much out of it as there are not any huge drops and only a few oppotunities to go upside down. I was pleasantly suprised though as the 0-60 take off was really cool and the loops were pretty nice as well. Disney also does their thing and gives you a nice story line to go with the ride. As I get off DW and I talk about howmuch we liked those two rides and also talk about the storm which is becoming more and more ominous. We decide to head for the Beauty and the beast show and then the great movie ride. We arrive at the Beauty and the Beast show when those four singing guys are just finishing up. I wonder how much Disney pays them? They are really good, but I am pretty sure they have a limited market for their talents. Anyway after the four singing guys are done Beauty and the Beast begins. This is really a nice little production. In classic stereotypical fashion DS loses interest about half way in and starts kicking the seat in front of him while DW and DD are entranced by the song and dance. I play thumb war to occupy DS and put together the rest of the day in my mind.
At the end of the show we head for the Great Movie ride. We park our stroller in the last rain protected place available and cover it with our umbrellas and rain coats as we have started to feel a few drops. After the ride which we all enjoy we step out into a heavy down poor. As we head to grab our stroller we think how smart we were to keep it in a nice dry spot. Then to our horror our stoller isn't where we left it. Instead a one person fold up stroller is there. I looked around and spotted our stroller in the middle of the sidewalk without any protection from the rain. A million thoughts ran through my mind like moving the spot thieves stroller to the middle of the sidewalk to get drenched or staking out the thieves stroller to unleash the fury of Sam the Eagle on their punk a**es. However I then thought to myself why should I punish the poor child who would have to sit in that stroller for his or her parents sins. Besides we had to go watch Muppet 3D before our PS at Hollywood and Vine.
We struggled towards Muppets in a steady downpoor with our soaked stroller. In fact it was so wet the kids refused to sit in it. As a result they walked jumping and slpashing in puddles along the way. When we arrived at Muppet 3D we had the opportunity to watch the entire pre-show. At the site of our favorite Disney shows DW and I started to lighten back up as we were more than a little angry as a result of the soaked stroller. By the end of Muppet 3D we were back in good moods and ready for a little Hollywood and Vine. As we were still facing a steady downpour the trip towards our dining venue was deserted. It was almost like we had the whole park to ourselves. This was because everyone went to Hollywood and Vine. We were about 15 minutes early for our PS and it appeared there was no chance we would be seated early.
We found a spot outside where we were partially protected from the rain and waited. We parked our wet stroller under a nearby tree and figured that partial rain blockage was better than none. Things were not looking good my rain coat was not holding up to the downpour and as a result I was soaked, DW was getting worried that Fantasmic was going to be canceled, DD wanted to take off her stupid poncho, and DS was really thirsty. I told him to drink some rain, but DW pulled him back under the protective patio as he marched towards the sidewalk to quench his thirst. Finally they called our name. We yell that is us and look around at all of the other people waiting their turn making sure they knew we were the chosen ones. When we finally sat down we were asked the fateful question are you the dining plan. We were now doomed to poor service for the rest of the night.
However this question was coupled with I show you have requested the Fantasmic Dinner Package. DW and I were a little worried about being denied this request due to being on the dining plan and there was much discussion on the boards surrounding the package and the dining plan. In fact we had worked out a plan of attack in case they attempted to deny us this privilege. However we didn't have to pull out the plan as the waiter gave us our instructions. Now we only had to worry about the weather. But in the meantime there was a buffet to be visited. We chose this place based on the possibilty of having Prime Rib here. However no such luck today as they were slicing up sirlion.
I think I should preface this next little rant by saying I in no way am encouraging you to condemn the purchasing of sirlion for use as a steak. I also would like to say that I am not to be held liable for a drop in sale of sirlion related to comments made (Texas Ranchers v. Oprah) here within. What is up with Disney putting sirlion on their menu and claiming it is steak. Technically it is steak, but technically tomatoes are a fruit. That doesn't mean we slice them up and throw them in a fruit salad does it. The same thing with sirlion, just because it is a steak doesn't mean it should be cooked and sliced like you would a filet or a porterhouse. No, if you are going to grill sirlion you have to beat the h-e double hockey sticks out of it with a meat mallet and then let it marinate in a tenderizing solution for like a day. Or better yet just grind it up into ground beef and use it for tacos. Honestly I think I would have been more pleased with a taco bar than I was with the main entree options they were offering at Hollywood and Vine. However I would like to say the mashed potatoes were really good. Yet no consulation for the fact they charge as much as they do and the main entree options are sirlion, fish, or fried chicken, which they were constantly running out of.
Anyway after stuffing ourselves with mediocre buffet we headed for Fantasmic. The rain had tapered off from a steady down pour to a hard drizzle. When we arrived the show was schedueled to start in about 15 minutes and the place was basically empty. It was kind of irionic, we put in the extra effort to get the Fantasmic package and it is not needed on account of the weather. As we sit and wait for the show to start they make an announcement that they will start in 5 minutes. At this we are excited as it is still drizzling and were worried that they were going to cancel fantasmic thus rendering our dining package useless. However the very small crowd that braved the 60 degree rainy weather was treated to one of the most amazing shows Disney has put together.
Where do you even start when you are writing about this show. It is really beyond anything I can imagine. Yeah people complain that it is an endless trailer for classic Disney movies, to this I say so what. If you are really worried about that then you shouldn't be here. Each little snippet Disney flashes on the fountain screen thing taps into some memory from your childhood or one of your children's memories. For me they are all good memories, memories which I really don't mind conjuring up. Combine these memories with incredible pyrotechnics (for the boys in this family,) some princesses (for the girls) and you have one group of happy campers. We sat in amazement of the entire production while a cold mist rained upon us from the sky happy that we were in Disney.
Since I named this chapter turkey leg? I better fill you in on what happened with the turkey leg hunt of '05. Earlier in the day as we were leaving RnR our next stop was to be the Turkey leg place just down the street. However DD was all out of sorts as it was about 40 minutes since she had been on a ride. And because I just got back from riding RnR alone DW had spent the last 10 minutes trying to bribe her with anything within a one block radius. Of course DD had raised her price from the usual mickey bar to clothing or berrets as she could get a mickey bar anytime she wanted (spoiled little..........). Unfortunately the souvenier shops near TOT and RnR did not have anything to DD's liking so she was out of control when I arrived on the scene. DS followed procedure and evacuated the stroller maintaining the five foot radius. I told DD we were on our way to the Turkey leg place. She looked at me right in the eye and said in the meanest little 3 year old voice, "I don't want a damn turkey leg." DW and I looked eachother in the eye and bit our lips. We could not let her see us laughing as it would only escalate the situation. DS yelled dad she said a bad word aren't you going to yell at her. I was now hiding my face behind DW cracking up. DW attempted to scold DD but was met by a fury of right and left hooks. As a result of this DD drama we walked right past the turkey leg place with the sweet smell of smokiness lofting through the air on a hunt for something to bribe DD.
Up Next: Day 7: I think mom is lost.
There was no phone ringing this morning at 7am. Today was a day of rest as it is day seven of our trip (I just realized this coincidence, our trip must have been sanctioned by the man upstairs.) This would leave you to think that it was an uneventful day, however we are like a young version of the Grizwald's, my psycho like behavior, DS's whatever you say demeanor, My DW's, "I am going to tell you what to do even though you aren't listen to me tone," and finally our cute as a button little DD's dramas, make every day an eventful one. Just like every day of the trip thus far I am woken up by the sound of the Disney Channel in the morning. However instead of guzzling juice boxes I yell, "TV is to loud" and shove my head under the pillow. By 9am everybody is fully awake and we decide to have a proper (juice boxless) breakfast this morning at the Pop food court. Following breakfast we wander around the Pop Century grounds taking our pics with the various gigantic statues. For a value resort Disney sure went all out on the theming to this place. It is pretty neat to stand next to a 40 foot high big wheel. On our way back to the hotel the kids are getting a little hot and decide to jump in the goofy sprayers. For those of you unaware of these sprayers they are about 25 different jets of water that randomly shoot out from the ground in front of a statue of Goofy.
It was great to see the kids have fun and to watch DW panic as they ran fully clothed through these jets of excitement. After about 20 minutes and two dripping wet children we decide to throw on our swimming suits and go to the hippy dippy pool. This was pretty uneventful, the water was kind of cold so DW and I took turns playing with the kids in it. I would like to comment on DD's resolve to do what she wants. After about 45 minutes in the pool she was shivering and her lips had a slight hint of purple. However every time we took that kind out of the water she would throw a fit and jump back in the water. Finally after 45 minutes of dealing with her hypothermic antics we moved to the kiddie pool which would allow her to partially bask in the warmth of the Florida sun to heat her little bod up.
It was now close to 1 pm and we were kind of hungry. For the first and possible last time ever DW volunteers to go to the food court to grab a bounty of food for the hungry crew. I tell her we will be over by the hippy dippy pool at a patio table. It is very important that you know the kiddie pool and the hippy dippy pool are in the same general area. After what seemed like 10 minutes I wrangle the kids out of the pool and we grab a perfect table. I know tell the kids to look out for mom as she will be carrying trays of food to munch on. However the minutes tick by without any site of her. Both kids are now getting very hungry and start picking on eachother. I who am now getting very hungry as well split the kids up and start working myself up for what I have been denied the last 7 days. I specifically said We will wait at a table in the hippy dippy pool area for you. It was ridiculuosly crowded nor is the area very large. Where the heck is she. Close to half an hour has passed. What the heck is she doing. Did she stop at the arcade to play Golden Tee. Maybe she went to the bar. This is not good. Mom is either lost, drunk, or kidnapped. And if she is drunk there will be hell to pay, because I wanted to get drunk this evening at dinner. In fact I might need a drink right now. This is Disney everything is very kid friendly, it probably isn't that weird to bring your kids to the pool bar (I come from a long line of beer loving fiends thus my perception of what is right and wrong with kids at bars is kind of skewed. I learned this when I was told it is not okay to take DS out to a dive bar for lunch even if that is where they have the best chicken wings.) Anyway another 15 minutes past while I was stewing and the kids were still picking on eachother. I had given up on her it does not take 45 minutes to get food from the food court. I march my two little prize fighters off to the hotel room. And ther she is the long lost DW chewing on a french fry.
I was amazed. Amazed that she carried two full trays of food without spilling anything. Amazed that she wasn't kidnapped or drunk. Amazed that she was eating french fries while I was wrangling with our kids. Immediately she says, "where were you I walked around hippy dippy like four times." I tell her where we were and she said that she stopped and stood about 5 feet from us looking around on two occasions. I had the right mind to go all crazy on her but I was really hungry so I started to dig in. To this very day there are hundreds of theories about what might have happened at the hippy dippy. I don't think it will ever be solved. After lunch we took a vote on what to do for the rest of the day. We could either go mini golfing, go to downtown Disney (yikes,) or hang out at the hotel until our PS at Narcosee's. Given the options you would think it would have been a pretty easy to figure out who wants what. DW votes for DTD, while the kids and I vote for mini golf. Well something very strange happened. The kids asked if we were going to go to a park today. DW and I looked at eachother, as today was a day of rest and we did not intend to have any of that hectic theme park fun. However after a call to the front desk and a seven dollar charge to our room we were on our way to Epcot. Day of rest, we don't need no stinking day of rest. We got everyone all dressed up in their nice outfits for our fancy dinner at narcosee's and headed for Epcot.
Half a day off was all this family needed to reenergize we were ready to hunt down some more elusive fun. We grabbed FP's for Soarin to use after dinner as it was EMH and went to Honey I shrunk the kids and Ellen's energy thing. You know how sometimes you just buy stuff to have it. That is kind of what Ellen is about Disney just building a ride to say they have it. I mean it is okay, it isn't groundbreaking or really bad it is just there taking up space. Anyway after that we hopped on board the monrail toward GF where Narcosee's is located. We are just in time for our 6 pm PS. We are asked the fateful question regarding the dinning plan and give our answer. However, instead of being met with a grunt our waiter dives into the most expensive items on the menu and tells us we can order smoothies as our beverages. I like the way this guy thinks get the most bang for your buck. So I get the largest beer they have and a huge bowl of mussels for my appetizer. DW meanwhile orders a really large pink beverage with like 10 kinds of rum in it and some shrimp. The kids go with chicken fingers and a hamburger. As DW and I down our beverages conversation turns to the fact that we weren't carded. We are younger and this is the first time we have never been carded it was kind of nice we felt all grown up. Yeah I know most of you wish you were back at that age, but you don't understand I get carded for buying lottery tickets. This is not a one time thing either it is like 50/50. It happened just last month. It is really annoying and kind of embarrasing. I have two frickin kids and people don't think I look eighteen what the heck is up with that.
Anyway back to the dinner. For the main course DW had the Filet Medallions and Lobster Tail with mashed potatoes, while I ordered the full Maine Lobster. Now you must understand that living in Minnesota we don't exactly have a large selection of seafood to choose from. Most of the stuff that is available up here is frozen or incredibly expensive. So we really don't have a strong base to judge the quality of seafood. I can tell you the filet nedallions were medicore. I could have done them better justice in my broiler at home. The lobster on the other hand was really good. I thought the kids would be really interested in the presentation on my plate. Instead they both thought it was really weird that I had the head of some sea creature on my plate. As a result they refused to have a bite of the lobster which meant more for DW and I. DW's lobster was exactly how it should be every bite melted in your mouth. Mine on the other hand had some really good bites and some okay bites. It might have been a little over cooked. However I would like to mention the mussels I had as an appetizer were out of this world. When our dessert came we gave it to the kids as we were about to burst because we were so full. I remember having a bite of each item and both being wonderful, but I didn't note what we got in the note book. Sorry. After dinner we headed back towards Epcot.
We had no intention of watching illuminations tonight. We were going to let the kids slowly fall asleep while DW and I ride on the big boy rides and drink big boy drinks. Sounds like a crazy evening if you want to ask me. Upon our return we grab our bands and start by riding mission space a few times, because this is the best ride to go on after a side splitting dinner. We decided to go on a long walk around the world after that ride. As the kids fell asleep and illuminations started we headed to Soarin. Upon our arrival we found there was a 1 hour wait even if you had a fast pass. So we skipped that one. DW went on Test Track while I got familiar with Germany's beverage of choice. When DW was done with TT being the party animals that we are we decided to head back to POP.
I can't believe what these kids are doing to me. It started when we went to Disney instead of Hawaii. Then we got a minivan instead of this really fancy sports car I had picked out. Now we can't even stay out and throw back a few cold ones. Well it was a good run, I just have to wake up and realize that I am really a boring old married man who loves taking his family to Disney.
Up Next: Day 8: Who is your Daddy?
It was great to see the kids have fun and to watch DW panic as they ran fully clothed through these jets of excitement. After about 20 minutes and two dripping wet children we decide to throw on our swimming suits and go to the hippy dippy pool. This was pretty uneventful, the water was kind of cold so DW and I took turns playing with the kids in it. I would like to comment on DD's resolve to do what she wants. After about 45 minutes in the pool she was shivering and her lips had a slight hint of purple. However every time we took that kind out of the water she would throw a fit and jump back in the water. Finally after 45 minutes of dealing with her hypothermic antics we moved to the kiddie pool which would allow her to partially bask in the warmth of the Florida sun to heat her little bod up.
It was now close to 1 pm and we were kind of hungry. For the first and possible last time ever DW volunteers to go to the food court to grab a bounty of food for the hungry crew. I tell her we will be over by the hippy dippy pool at a patio table. It is very important that you know the kiddie pool and the hippy dippy pool are in the same general area. After what seemed like 10 minutes I wrangle the kids out of the pool and we grab a perfect table. I know tell the kids to look out for mom as she will be carrying trays of food to munch on. However the minutes tick by without any site of her. Both kids are now getting very hungry and start picking on eachother. I who am now getting very hungry as well split the kids up and start working myself up for what I have been denied the last 7 days. I specifically said We will wait at a table in the hippy dippy pool area for you. It was ridiculuosly crowded nor is the area very large. Where the heck is she. Close to half an hour has passed. What the heck is she doing. Did she stop at the arcade to play Golden Tee. Maybe she went to the bar. This is not good. Mom is either lost, drunk, or kidnapped. And if she is drunk there will be hell to pay, because I wanted to get drunk this evening at dinner. In fact I might need a drink right now. This is Disney everything is very kid friendly, it probably isn't that weird to bring your kids to the pool bar (I come from a long line of beer loving fiends thus my perception of what is right and wrong with kids at bars is kind of skewed. I learned this when I was told it is not okay to take DS out to a dive bar for lunch even if that is where they have the best chicken wings.) Anyway another 15 minutes past while I was stewing and the kids were still picking on eachother. I had given up on her it does not take 45 minutes to get food from the food court. I march my two little prize fighters off to the hotel room. And ther she is the long lost DW chewing on a french fry.
I was amazed. Amazed that she carried two full trays of food without spilling anything. Amazed that she wasn't kidnapped or drunk. Amazed that she was eating french fries while I was wrangling with our kids. Immediately she says, "where were you I walked around hippy dippy like four times." I tell her where we were and she said that she stopped and stood about 5 feet from us looking around on two occasions. I had the right mind to go all crazy on her but I was really hungry so I started to dig in. To this very day there are hundreds of theories about what might have happened at the hippy dippy. I don't think it will ever be solved. After lunch we took a vote on what to do for the rest of the day. We could either go mini golfing, go to downtown Disney (yikes,) or hang out at the hotel until our PS at Narcosee's. Given the options you would think it would have been a pretty easy to figure out who wants what. DW votes for DTD, while the kids and I vote for mini golf. Well something very strange happened. The kids asked if we were going to go to a park today. DW and I looked at eachother, as today was a day of rest and we did not intend to have any of that hectic theme park fun. However after a call to the front desk and a seven dollar charge to our room we were on our way to Epcot. Day of rest, we don't need no stinking day of rest. We got everyone all dressed up in their nice outfits for our fancy dinner at narcosee's and headed for Epcot.
Half a day off was all this family needed to reenergize we were ready to hunt down some more elusive fun. We grabbed FP's for Soarin to use after dinner as it was EMH and went to Honey I shrunk the kids and Ellen's energy thing. You know how sometimes you just buy stuff to have it. That is kind of what Ellen is about Disney just building a ride to say they have it. I mean it is okay, it isn't groundbreaking or really bad it is just there taking up space. Anyway after that we hopped on board the monrail toward GF where Narcosee's is located. We are just in time for our 6 pm PS. We are asked the fateful question regarding the dinning plan and give our answer. However, instead of being met with a grunt our waiter dives into the most expensive items on the menu and tells us we can order smoothies as our beverages. I like the way this guy thinks get the most bang for your buck. So I get the largest beer they have and a huge bowl of mussels for my appetizer. DW meanwhile orders a really large pink beverage with like 10 kinds of rum in it and some shrimp. The kids go with chicken fingers and a hamburger. As DW and I down our beverages conversation turns to the fact that we weren't carded. We are younger and this is the first time we have never been carded it was kind of nice we felt all grown up. Yeah I know most of you wish you were back at that age, but you don't understand I get carded for buying lottery tickets. This is not a one time thing either it is like 50/50. It happened just last month. It is really annoying and kind of embarrasing. I have two frickin kids and people don't think I look eighteen what the heck is up with that.
Anyway back to the dinner. For the main course DW had the Filet Medallions and Lobster Tail with mashed potatoes, while I ordered the full Maine Lobster. Now you must understand that living in Minnesota we don't exactly have a large selection of seafood to choose from. Most of the stuff that is available up here is frozen or incredibly expensive. So we really don't have a strong base to judge the quality of seafood. I can tell you the filet nedallions were medicore. I could have done them better justice in my broiler at home. The lobster on the other hand was really good. I thought the kids would be really interested in the presentation on my plate. Instead they both thought it was really weird that I had the head of some sea creature on my plate. As a result they refused to have a bite of the lobster which meant more for DW and I. DW's lobster was exactly how it should be every bite melted in your mouth. Mine on the other hand had some really good bites and some okay bites. It might have been a little over cooked. However I would like to mention the mussels I had as an appetizer were out of this world. When our dessert came we gave it to the kids as we were about to burst because we were so full. I remember having a bite of each item and both being wonderful, but I didn't note what we got in the note book. Sorry. After dinner we headed back towards Epcot.
We had no intention of watching illuminations tonight. We were going to let the kids slowly fall asleep while DW and I ride on the big boy rides and drink big boy drinks. Sounds like a crazy evening if you want to ask me. Upon our return we grab our bands and start by riding mission space a few times, because this is the best ride to go on after a side splitting dinner. We decided to go on a long walk around the world after that ride. As the kids fell asleep and illuminations started we headed to Soarin. Upon our arrival we found there was a 1 hour wait even if you had a fast pass. So we skipped that one. DW went on Test Track while I got familiar with Germany's beverage of choice. When DW was done with TT being the party animals that we are we decided to head back to POP.
I can't believe what these kids are doing to me. It started when we went to Disney instead of Hawaii. Then we got a minivan instead of this really fancy sports car I had picked out. Now we can't even stay out and throw back a few cold ones. Well it was a good run, I just have to wake up and realize that I am really a boring old married man who loves taking his family to Disney.
Up Next: Day 8: Who is your Daddy?
MARY-IN-OH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2006
- Messages
- 1,215
Yep!! Me too....!!!
Before I get into the next installment of this epic trip report I would like to thank you for hanging in their while I battled writers block and took a vacation from writing at the request of DW. I also would like to note that I decided to change the name of this installment from "Who's your Daddy?" to Bacon in Bulk. All right on to the good stuff.
It was Day 8 of Disney and our trip was winding down. You could tell exhaustion was setting in. All attempts to make a park opening were abandoned for the day. We had a 1020a PS at Chef Mickeys to celebrate DS's birthday and snoozed until 9am. It was at this time we slowly got ready for the day ahead. The farwell tour started today it would officially be our last day at TBHP (the big hat place.) The beginning of the end was dawning upon us and depression was setting in. Things were not shaping up to be very Disney-ish. We dragged the kids to the bus making our morning stop for a slushi, but the machine was broken. As we walk out the front lobby my DW and I look enviously upon those arriving to start their vacation we exchange glances and sigh deeply, I hate those people.
As I am thrifty and face a hefty insurance (don't even get me started on car insurance companies screwing over the under 25 crowd) surcharge if we rent a car we start the long trip on Disney transportation to the Contemporary. We take the Disney bus to MK and transfer to the monorail on our way to the contemporary. This is when the day starts to turn around. As all the seats are taken we are adv to sit in the cab with the pilot. DS really enjoyed this as he is your typical boy and really enjoys trains. In fact one year later he still has his little co-pilot liscense. Upon our arrival at Chef Mickey's our spirits were raised back into Disney-ish status by Goofy (nothing like a disney charecter to cheer you up) prancing around the entrance. As we were directed to our seats DS snagged a few cookies from the buffet area and shoved them in his pocket to save for later (dude give me some of your tots.) When we were seated and advised charecter rotation instructions we turned out DS's pockets and told him to wait until he had some healthy breakfast food (you know bacon, donuts, pancakes) before eating cookies.
Our family really enjoyed Chef Mickey's. It is our kind of place loud and up beat, perfect in case a member of the family throws a fit, because chances are no one will notice. In addition to that the food is pretty good. It seems you really can't go wrong with the Disney brunch buffets. I suppose it is much easier to make eggs, waffles, (yum, waffles) and bacon in bulk than sirlion or prime rib. Anyway we stuffed ourselves silly as one should on vacation (besides you want to get the most for your money and until I am about to get sick there is room for more.) We visit with all of the charecters which is still not old after eight days and prepare to head to TBHP.
It is another beautiful day at Disney World, sunny high in the low eighties. We have gotten so lucky this trip there has only been one day of rain and cool temps. As we sit and wait for the bus we take in the warm rays of the sun and really take in the disney atmosphere that is abundant even as business men and woman gather outside a bus to our left (interesting choice of hotel to hold a business affair.) On our way to TBHP we make a stop at Poly. As we pull up to the stop my wife and I careen our necks to get a look at the good life. Not to say staying at Pop is roughing, well actually maybe it is roughing it as I got the thread count on the sheets at Pop and it was 30 (just kidding about 30 although I would believe it if it was true.)
As we arrive at TBHP our goal is to ride as many rides as possible and eat little as possible as the counter service here is just blah (accept for pizza planet which has made a total 180 from last time.) In fact as I write this I am craving pizza planet pizza. We get to work by visiting TOT and RnR right away (buffet bedamned.) Suprisingly DW and I don't lose our lunch and we decide to take it easy for a while and do some shopping. The only thing worse than going to target without a list is going into a disney souvenier shop with the intent of buying stuff. After we spend just about all of the money left on the hotel account we head to Star Tours. As DW takes DS on Star Tours DD and I get a frozen bannana. While chomping on the bannana DD fell asleep. I do have to say it does take some effort to eat those things, but it flat out wore her out. When DW and DS return they are ready for another ride and are kind of bummed out about DD being down for the count.
We decide to make our way to Beauty and the Beast to take in one of our favorite shows again. We grab a few mickey bars and start for the first time all vacation meander aimlessly towards Beauty and the Beast. We take in the sights and notice several obvious things for the first time there is a large dinosaur in a pond, there is never a line for sounds dangerous (what a waste of space,) and they have cute little street shows. When we finally reach our destination DD is slowly waking up. At this point DW and I hold our breath. The next 5 minutes is crucial the whole family must do everything we can to be nice to DD while she wakes up. If not she has been known to go on for hours with relentless screaming for no reason whatso ever (I am not joking, in fact a few weeks ago I endured 2 hours of screaming because I was sitting too close to her, this was after I got up and went to another room, she followed me and sat down right next to me to complain some more.) While we don't like to spoil the kid we are on vacation and will not let her ruin our or anyone else's day.
So after doing anything and everything to help our little drama queen wake up on the right side of the stoller we head into B and B. When we finally grab our seats DW starts to laugh at me. When I start to mock her mocking me I notice a little mickey bar on my shirt. This is not just any shirt this is a brand new mickey mouse t-shirt. When I stand up to assess the damage I notice that it looks like a king size chocolate bar melted down my shirt onto my shorts. What the heck I am like a frickin child I dont even know what happened how can a grown man get this messy while sober and then be totally unaware of what happened. This kind of pissed me off as I was wearing my good khaki shorts and they were probably ruined. Oh well we watched B and B which was great as always and headed for one last go on TOT.
Now things were starting to get kind of frantic as evening was dawning on our last day at TBHP. We kicked it into high gear after TOT to catch muppets one last time and the Backlot. After which we grabbed a bite from one of the run of the mill counterservice places and headed for Fantasmic. On our way I tried to talk DW into hitting RnR one last time but she was worried about getting good Fantasmic seats. When we arrived we grabbed some very good Fantasmic seats and waited.
I would like to preface this statement by saying Fantasmic is one of my favorite things at Disney. Now that I have said that I would like to mention that there is one major flaw. The wait. I know during peak times people wait close to two hours for this show and I shouldn't complain about the 45 minutes we wait, but why can't they put some sort of preshow out there similiar to the singing people at B and B. Anyway the waiting aside the show was great as always.
Up next: Day 9 Savor it baby.
It was Day 8 of Disney and our trip was winding down. You could tell exhaustion was setting in. All attempts to make a park opening were abandoned for the day. We had a 1020a PS at Chef Mickeys to celebrate DS's birthday and snoozed until 9am. It was at this time we slowly got ready for the day ahead. The farwell tour started today it would officially be our last day at TBHP (the big hat place.) The beginning of the end was dawning upon us and depression was setting in. Things were not shaping up to be very Disney-ish. We dragged the kids to the bus making our morning stop for a slushi, but the machine was broken. As we walk out the front lobby my DW and I look enviously upon those arriving to start their vacation we exchange glances and sigh deeply, I hate those people.
As I am thrifty and face a hefty insurance (don't even get me started on car insurance companies screwing over the under 25 crowd) surcharge if we rent a car we start the long trip on Disney transportation to the Contemporary. We take the Disney bus to MK and transfer to the monorail on our way to the contemporary. This is when the day starts to turn around. As all the seats are taken we are adv to sit in the cab with the pilot. DS really enjoyed this as he is your typical boy and really enjoys trains. In fact one year later he still has his little co-pilot liscense. Upon our arrival at Chef Mickey's our spirits were raised back into Disney-ish status by Goofy (nothing like a disney charecter to cheer you up) prancing around the entrance. As we were directed to our seats DS snagged a few cookies from the buffet area and shoved them in his pocket to save for later (dude give me some of your tots.) When we were seated and advised charecter rotation instructions we turned out DS's pockets and told him to wait until he had some healthy breakfast food (you know bacon, donuts, pancakes) before eating cookies.
Our family really enjoyed Chef Mickey's. It is our kind of place loud and up beat, perfect in case a member of the family throws a fit, because chances are no one will notice. In addition to that the food is pretty good. It seems you really can't go wrong with the Disney brunch buffets. I suppose it is much easier to make eggs, waffles, (yum, waffles) and bacon in bulk than sirlion or prime rib. Anyway we stuffed ourselves silly as one should on vacation (besides you want to get the most for your money and until I am about to get sick there is room for more.) We visit with all of the charecters which is still not old after eight days and prepare to head to TBHP.
It is another beautiful day at Disney World, sunny high in the low eighties. We have gotten so lucky this trip there has only been one day of rain and cool temps. As we sit and wait for the bus we take in the warm rays of the sun and really take in the disney atmosphere that is abundant even as business men and woman gather outside a bus to our left (interesting choice of hotel to hold a business affair.) On our way to TBHP we make a stop at Poly. As we pull up to the stop my wife and I careen our necks to get a look at the good life. Not to say staying at Pop is roughing, well actually maybe it is roughing it as I got the thread count on the sheets at Pop and it was 30 (just kidding about 30 although I would believe it if it was true.)
As we arrive at TBHP our goal is to ride as many rides as possible and eat little as possible as the counter service here is just blah (accept for pizza planet which has made a total 180 from last time.) In fact as I write this I am craving pizza planet pizza. We get to work by visiting TOT and RnR right away (buffet bedamned.) Suprisingly DW and I don't lose our lunch and we decide to take it easy for a while and do some shopping. The only thing worse than going to target without a list is going into a disney souvenier shop with the intent of buying stuff. After we spend just about all of the money left on the hotel account we head to Star Tours. As DW takes DS on Star Tours DD and I get a frozen bannana. While chomping on the bannana DD fell asleep. I do have to say it does take some effort to eat those things, but it flat out wore her out. When DW and DS return they are ready for another ride and are kind of bummed out about DD being down for the count.
We decide to make our way to Beauty and the Beast to take in one of our favorite shows again. We grab a few mickey bars and start for the first time all vacation meander aimlessly towards Beauty and the Beast. We take in the sights and notice several obvious things for the first time there is a large dinosaur in a pond, there is never a line for sounds dangerous (what a waste of space,) and they have cute little street shows. When we finally reach our destination DD is slowly waking up. At this point DW and I hold our breath. The next 5 minutes is crucial the whole family must do everything we can to be nice to DD while she wakes up. If not she has been known to go on for hours with relentless screaming for no reason whatso ever (I am not joking, in fact a few weeks ago I endured 2 hours of screaming because I was sitting too close to her, this was after I got up and went to another room, she followed me and sat down right next to me to complain some more.) While we don't like to spoil the kid we are on vacation and will not let her ruin our or anyone else's day.
So after doing anything and everything to help our little drama queen wake up on the right side of the stoller we head into B and B. When we finally grab our seats DW starts to laugh at me. When I start to mock her mocking me I notice a little mickey bar on my shirt. This is not just any shirt this is a brand new mickey mouse t-shirt. When I stand up to assess the damage I notice that it looks like a king size chocolate bar melted down my shirt onto my shorts. What the heck I am like a frickin child I dont even know what happened how can a grown man get this messy while sober and then be totally unaware of what happened. This kind of pissed me off as I was wearing my good khaki shorts and they were probably ruined. Oh well we watched B and B which was great as always and headed for one last go on TOT.
Now things were starting to get kind of frantic as evening was dawning on our last day at TBHP. We kicked it into high gear after TOT to catch muppets one last time and the Backlot. After which we grabbed a bite from one of the run of the mill counterservice places and headed for Fantasmic. On our way I tried to talk DW into hitting RnR one last time but she was worried about getting good Fantasmic seats. When we arrived we grabbed some very good Fantasmic seats and waited.
I would like to preface this statement by saying Fantasmic is one of my favorite things at Disney. Now that I have said that I would like to mention that there is one major flaw. The wait. I know during peak times people wait close to two hours for this show and I shouldn't complain about the 45 minutes we wait, but why can't they put some sort of preshow out there similiar to the singing people at B and B. Anyway the waiting aside the show was great as always.
Up next: Day 9 Savor it baby.
a*lil*bit*goofy
I miss the tag fairy
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2006
- Messages
- 3,230
I HAVE REALLY REALLY been enjoying your trip report! i can't wait to read more.
happy writing!
kerry :O)
happy writing!
kerry :O)
MARY-IN-OH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2006
- Messages
- 1,215
I can't tell you how much I am enjoying this! It seems that you are describing my own two darlings, My DD (Animal) is now almost 15, and my DS (Mickey Mouse/Prince Charming) is now 17. (I better not tell you how much "fun" my "animal/drama queen" is as a teen!) 
Your children are going to enjoy your reports immensely when they are older!!
Without writing these memories down, it's the little things that are often forgotten. It's funny how low times and meltdowns can be a bummer when they happen, but these stories will be hysterical for the whole family later on!- picture yourself reading this to your grand-kids some day!
And yes, I say!! Throw that big white ball in the lake
Thank you for sharing
mary
Your children are going to enjoy your reports immensely when they are older!!
Without writing these memories down, it's the little things that are often forgotten. It's funny how low times and meltdowns can be a bummer when they happen, but these stories will be hysterical for the whole family later on!- picture yourself reading this to your grand-kids some day!
And yes, I say!! Throw that big white ball in the lake
Thank you for sharing
mary
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