The Pursuit of Disney Magic (June 7-14, 2008) ~ UPDATED 9/30 pg. 191

[Charleston Princess]

Your daughter going diva on you during canasta is only foreshadowing what's to come. I remember when I was her age. Everything adults did seemed to annoy me. Darn hormones!

Can't wait for your next update

Oh, she definitely has the diva thing down at this point -- I saw a DISign the other day that said Disney Diva -- she is so getting that as a t-shirt next summer!

Hey Jackie!! Love the updates!! Sorry Chelsea was having some very typical pre-teen/middle school/hormonal moments. I know you know all too well about the life and behavior of a middle school girl---some days NO FUN INDEED!! I started out teaching 7th and 8th, and those poor girls--up one day, down the next!! It is such an awful, unforgiving, horribly hormonal age!! I did middle school for two years, and realized I wasn't that good of a saint to deal with the middle schoolers all my life, so I headed back to my beloved high school seniors. I know some may think that is worse, but I think hands down you middle school teachers have the hardest job out there! God bless you!!! I hope you are enjoying the last remaining weeks of your summer break--I know you start early in August, so you are probably starting to crank back up into back-to-school gear! That is the one time of the year when I miss teaching the most--going back to school!! I am such a dork, but I always LOVED getting all my new stuff ready and getting my room re-set up for the new school year!!! Oh how I love the smell of new school supplies!!! I'll be thinking of you as you get ready to go back!!! Talk to you soon, Jen

I love middle schoolers with all their crazy moods and hormones! I can't imagine teaching any other set of grades -- although I love when they come back to visit me all grown up and mature. I was just thinking the other day that in just a few weeks I would be reading Tuck Everlasting with my 6th graders, The Jungle Books with my 7th graders, and poetry with my 8th graders! I love revisiting those books and texts every year. In the meantime we are trying to cram as much fun as possible into the last remaining weeks of our summer -- tomorrow we are going with my parents to the American Girl Store here in Atlanta so Chelsea can choose a birthday gift from there (her birthday is Thursday). I am excited because there is a Disney Store and a Yankee Candle store in the same mall.

Glad to see Chelsea's pout was put to good photographic use!

She definitely has it down to an art!

I did too, until I was adult, and even then I sometimes closed my eyes!

I remembered being frightened of HM when I was little, little, little -- must have been like four or five -- after that, I have loved every minute of it through the years.

Charles sounds like my dad. LOL

She is such a daddy's girl that I think she loves every minute of it.

::sigh::
They make me cry too!

Great update!

I wish that was how I was spending this Monday night -- weeping in front of the castle.

I just read your last update!!! Chelsea and Connor are so cute!!! I loved the face painting!

Thank you so much!!! We all loved their face painting so I definitely think we will do it again!

 

[TarzansKat]

I just have to jump in for a second here because I want to give you a good laugh at my expense.

Remember the whole Space Mountain debacle?

And how I'm horrified of roller coasters in general?

Haunted Mansion...never scared me.

Not even as a kid. I think it was the way my parents presented it to me, like not a big deal, we're going on this ride together kind of thing. It's seriously one of my favorite rides, and I've never been scared on it.

Startled once, scared no. It was my first MNSSHP, and I wore a long black cloak and one of those Ventian masks you can buy in Italy, so I looked very mysterious and the HM CM had it in for me. He could tell I was trying not to break character, and remaining very silent and dead-pan. He really, really wanted to scare me. I tried to keep tabs on him in the stretching room, but when it goes dark, it's really hard to tell where they are. Well, he was right, I mean right behind me, so as soon as the lights came back up, and I turned and he said, in a totally normal tone "Boo." I did jump a bit, it was startling.

Later I ended up seeing him outside, and he said, "I remember you." I gave him half a smile. One of my favorite HM memories.

But it's never been scary to me.

I feel weird now.

 

[Charleston Princess]

I just have to jump in for a second here because I want to give you a good laugh at my expense.

Remember the whole Space Mountain debacle?

And how I'm horrified of roller coasters in general?

Haunted Mansion...never scared me.

Not even as a kid. I think it was the way my parents presented it to me, like not a big deal, we're going on this ride together kind of thing. It's seriously one of my favorite rides, and I've never been scared on it.

Startled once, scared no. It was my first MNSSHP, and I wore a long black cloak and one of those Ventian masks you can buy in Italy, so I looked very mysterious and the HM CM had it in for me. He could tell I was trying not to break character, and remaining very silent and dead-pan. He really, really wanted to scare me. I tried to keep tabs on him in the stretching room, but when it goes dark, it's really hard to tell where they are. Well, he was right, I mean right behind me, so as soon as the lights came back up, and I turned and he said, in a totally normal tone "Boo." I did jump a bit, it was startling.

Later I ended up seeing him outside, and he said, "I remember you." I gave him half a smile. One of my favorite HM memories.

But it's never been scary to me.

I feel weird now.

I love it!!! Thanks for sharing and making me laugh!!!

You know I covet those Venetian masks!!! What a great costume idea!!!

 

[TarzansKat]

I love it!!! Thanks for sharing and making me laugh!!!

You know I covet those Venetian masks!!! What a great costume idea!!!

I'm always afraid to hijack, but I thought you would appreciate that story.

I still have the mask actually. I bought two, one that was full face, and the other was just covering the eye area. I used the half maks, the full was too hot.

 

[Charleston Princess]

I'm always afraid to hijack, but I thought you would appreciate that story.

I still have the mask actually. I bought two, one that was full face, and the other was just covering the eye area. I used the half maks, the full was too hot.

You can hijack anytime you want to!!! I love TK stories!!!

 

[TarzansKat]

You can hijack anytime you want to!!! I love TK stories!!!

Awww....

You're so sweet.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Awww....

You're so sweet.

Most of the time! Sometimes I channel my inner Maleficent!

 

[TarzansKat]

Most of the time! Sometimes I channel my inner Maleficent!

And that's why we love you.

 

[Native NYer]

 

[Charleston Princess]

And that's why we love you.

Awww, people that can appreciate my evil side!!! Priceless!

I am getting ready to update, I promise -- I can't mess up my routine!

 

[Native NYer]

I am getting ready to update, I promise -- I can't mess up my routine!

I know exactly what you mean. I just want to see who has a fit

 

[Charleston Princess]

After our late night at the Magic Kingdom, we had told ourselves that we would sleep in (no wake up call this morning) and cancel our Boma reservation. Well, we didn't really sleep in and at 7:00am while I was on hold with Dining, Charles suddenly decided that he really wanted to eat breakfast at Boma. I hung up and rushed to get ready -- our reservation was at 8:00 and there was no time for dawdling.

We arrived just in time for our ADR at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Ahhh, once again when walking into the lobby I vowed to myself that this would be our next resort.

Breakfast was wonderful -- very similar to the Tusker House breakfast in my opinion. Lots of traditional and African inspired choices, plus that wonderful Kenyan coffee. Mmmmm. We had a lovely window table and superb service. I do have to confess that if I had to choose between dinner and breakfast at Boma, I like dinner better. However, I had learned my lesson from dinner at Boma and was careful not to eat too much.

After breakfast, we headed to the gift shop -- I found my t-shirt for the trip -- the animal print Mickey head one and it was on sale for $12! We also managed to get a few other things and a bottle of wine for my dad.

Since Charles had missed out on Disney Hollywood Studios on Sunday, we decided to forego Animal Kingdom a second time and head back to DHS. Charles wanted to shower first (he hadn't had time in our mad dash to breakfast), so once we returned to POFQ to drop off the car, the kids and I went ahead to DHS and Charles promised to meet us there soon.

As soon as we arrived at DHS, we hightailed it over to Toy Story Mania. We grabbed three fast passes to use later in the day (Charles had his ticket) and went to wait in the stand-by line (40 minutes was much better than 170 minutes on Sunday). Now remember, this was the ride that Connor was most excited about riding...

The theming of the queue line is incredible -- it is like you are the size of a toy surrounded by toys -- it really is something you have to see -- we had a lot of fun waiting in line, even the floor was tiled like Candyland spaces...too cute!

Then, it all went downhill...

There were three of us and the way the ride vehicles are configured people sit two and two. Well, that meant one of the three of us would have to ride with a stranger. Obviously, Chelsea and Connor would ride together and I would ride with a single rider. No biggie in my eyes.

Unfortunately, Connor felt that his sister had been mean to him all morning long and did not want to ride with her. Well, too bad. I wasn't about to make Chelsea ride with a stranger when she could ride with her brother. I failed to see what the big deal was...

Well, Connor did feel like it was a big deal and despite my logical explanations refused to be swayed and refused to speak to me. At least, it wasn't screaming at the top of his lungs in the line, right?

We got up to the loading area, and I stuck to my guns -- Connor and Chelsea rode together. I had a blast on the ride -- it's really fun!

When we got off Chelsea informed me that Connor, still in a snit, had just sat there refusing to even shoot his gun at any of the targets.

Not a one.

Just sat there.

For the entire ride.

The ride that he had most looked forward to.

To prove how mad he was.

Stubborn cuss of a child.

We now call refusing to do something "pulling a Toy Story Mania." As in "Don't pull a Toy Story Mania."

As we exited the ride, Charles called to say that he was almost at DHS, so we headed over to the boat on Echo Lake to get frozen lemonades, watch a little bit of the Disney High School Musical thing, and wait on Charles.

It was so hot already! You can almost see Connor melting in this picture from the heat.

This was right before he accidentally dumped his frozen lemonade all over his shorts. Clearly, Connor was having a day. Would it ever get better for him?

UP NEXT: In Which Our Intrepid Adventurers Are Reunited!

 

[hlrababy]

Awww, I hate to hear he dumped the lemonade on his pants!!! Poor thing!

 

[IluvXU]

See this is why I read trip reports. I am sitting here, at 11:30 laughing so hard I am crying! Probably because I am thankful it is not my kid... and knowing that is what they do when they get bigger.

So Boma for dinner rather than Breakfast. Boma is on top of my next trip eat there meals.


I love the pics before Toy Story Mania... the que looks so awesome!

Have a fantastic time at American Girl... so jealous. DH is in Chicago and has a job of getting bitty babies for Christmas for Emily...she is my doll lover and is just a fanatic about those babies in the catalog and her cousin has them.... and she is always digging them out. She loves the double stroller- but no way am I letting her lug that around and up and down!

 

[Native NYer]

Great update!!!

Toy Story Mania sounds great.

I have to admit I'm a little shocked that Connor had the mini meltdown. You're very lucky that you have a child that just sits there rather than one who screams and cries.

Pulling a Toy Story Mania I almost choked when I read that. I have to remember not to drink anything while reading your tr. Too funny!

Poor Connor. He was def having a bad day.

 

[SwansLoveDisney]

I can't believe he was stubborn enough to not even shoot one time on the ride! I could never be that strong willed!

And then to dump the lemonade on his pants...poor guy!

 

[swwake]

I love that "don't pull a toy story mania" thing. In typical kid fashion, it seems that Connor didn't realize that pouting and not participating wasn't hurting Chelsea's or anyone else's good time. He'll regret it

So was he really melting under the umbrella? Or was that just residual from the "melt-down" on TSM?

Great update! I just can't wait another 25 days and an hour!

 

[stagemomx3]

Poor Connor! I hope his day gets better. I've seen the pictures of th queue for Toy Story Mania and it does look amazing. I'm hoping the one at DCA is just a cool, only with a shorter line by December!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Yikes. "Poor" Connor-- I've had days like that! I would not have bet on him for the fit! But I suppose we all have our moments...

So you're vowing AKL will be your next resort... any idea when that will be???

A sale t-shirt?! And you found Chelsea's dress at AK on sale too, right? I never seem to find sale items in the park. You have the magic touch!

Does Chelsea's shirt in the pictures say "Tab" as in Tab cola? My how I used to love that! "Tab... for beautiful people..." I'm singing the jingle.

 

[TarzansKat]

Glad you liked your Boma breakfast!

And I seriously feel bad for Connor. What a day!