The Tale of the Grow Walk .Hunh?

[jenseib]

You can never have too many pirate pictures…..but I did try to get different angels this time.















This is always a family favorite. Skip’s brother used to be a big drinker of rum (he no longer drinks) and he loves cats. We often call this pirate Dave because he is drinking his rum and saying “here kitty kitty kitty” and I swear he says it in the same tone that Dave would.



















After that, Claire and I sat down for a bit. It was still so busy and we were so tired. We discussed calling it a day and heading back to the Marriott. We decided that is what we would do. But then we got to talking about Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Claire asked if she liked it and I told her she has in the past, but sometimes she acts like it is too fast for her. We decided we would walk by and check out the wait before heading out.
SCORE! It was only a 10 minute wait. People were now starting to clear out of the park. YAY!





I played the “where are we” game and posted pictures to facebook and no one could get it figured out.

 

[dolphingirl47]

Dinner at Be Our Guest looks lovely again. I have to watch our for the hidden Mickey and Minnie next time I get to go. The short wait for Big Thunder Mountain was lucky. I am not surprised you were tired though.

Corinna

 

[jenseib]

Dinner at Be Our Guest looks lovely again. I have to watch our for the hidden Mickey and Minnie next time I get to go. The short wait for Big Thunder Mountain was lucky. I am not surprised you were tired though.

Corinna

Dinner was very good!
Yeah, we seem to push the the day as far was we can.

 

[jenseib]

Because I am a gluten for punishment, I have started my next Trip Report.


Please come join me!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3340107

 

[jenseib]

We had to take a picture of Skittish Skip.



And we posted it to facebook too.

















Well there were no worries….Claire loved it this time around.







She loved it so much that she wanted to ride it again. Yay!!!!
This time the line was a little longer, probably about 20 minutes now.







Fireworks were going off now, which I think is one of the reasons why the line was not too bad.



It also had started to sprinkle, but we were fine with that.
We got loaded and this time in the front car.



We laughed the whole time as we got bulleted with some rain. Sprinkles feel like pellets as you whiz around the mountain. There was also a spot that had a drip and wouldn’t you know I got a nice big drip right on my head. Claire loved that part.

That was a lot of fun, but the rain, though light, was steady and we decided to make our way towards the front.

 

[jenseib]

Continued from previous page

As we got to the front I saw a photopass photographer and decided to ask him to take our picture, but I wanted the backside to get our jackets. This guy just didn’t get it. I kept saying I want the Disneyland logo to show and he gave us a deer in the headlights look. This is what we ended up with.







I had to crop it down to get closer to show the backs of our jackets.





He probably thought we were strange wearing Disneyland jackets at Disney World…..but that was the whole point. LOL.

We started to move on and the castle show started so we stopped to watch a bit.







I tried not to get in others way, but others weren’t so polite and we had to move several times as it seemed like we attracted the umbrella people and they would stop to watch directly in front of us.



























Of course they had some Frozen added in and Claire loved it.

 

[jenseib]

Did I mention how much I dislike umbrellas? I know they are allowed, but seriously, if you are stopping for a show, you should really put them down so others can see too.















With that we went up front to our locker.



And out to the monorail.



And back to the Grand Floridian to get our car.



The rain had pretty much stopped now and Claire said her feet hurt and asked if she could take off her shoes.



We walked back to the car and set Siri to get us back to the Marriott. Once we got on the main road it was now becoming easier to get to the Marriott and I could find my own way.

I believe Claire fell asleep in the car as we drove and then we both went right to bed when we got to the room. Of course I had turned on the TV to catch up on the missing Malaysia plane.

One thing I don’t think I mentioned today. Skip would be flying down Thursday to meet up with us. He and Claire were to be sailing on birth certificates, but I told him his was so old and raggedy that he should get a new one. I had pestered him about this for a few weeks before the trip. Well... today he decided to go and do it. He also planned to buy some new pants as he thinks I am shrinking all of his clothes……it’s not me making them shrink! LOL.
So he called to tell me I told him the wrong address but they gave him the correct one to go to. OK, good! Then he later calls to tell me that the truck is broke down and he has to call a tow truck and he is not going to be getting a new birth certificate. UGH! I just knew he was going to blame this on me somehow. But he did say “remember that thing the truck did to you last year” Yes I did…and he blamed me back then for doing something wrong, even though I had not touched anything. “Well that’s the problem…and we have been having it for a year and we just never got it fixed and now it went totally out”. So it never was my fault…. I knew it!!!!!

So it looked like Skip was going to have to take his chances with the old worn birth certificate.

 

[mickeystoontown]

That sneaky little Claire of your's...she was probably watching the picture change and waited until the last second to tell you to look at the Beast. I say that because it's totally something that my kids would do to me.

Dinner at Be Our Guest looks very good. With all the changes going on with the lunch FP+ there, I may just try for dinner there instead of lunch.

Yay for short wait times for the various attractions and for Claire enjoying Big Thunder Mountain so much that she wanted to ride it again.

**Edited: Almost forgot to post about Skip waiting until the last minute to try and get a new birth certificate. That man! What are ya gonna do with him Jen?

 

[dolphingirl47]

Riding Big Thunder Mountain in the rain is an interesting experience. I love the photos of the castle show. What a shame that people with umbrellas obstructed your view.

Corinna

 

[JanaJohn]

We ran into these clowns right by the Storybook Circus area.

I have never heard about them and I don’t know if they are there all the time or just during busy seasons. I have not read of anyone else encountering them since I have been back either.

We were there in April '13 and saw those clowns. I have pictures of the guy with the Red & Blue pants and the lady with the flowery dress with yellow trim. Sorry, but as a guy that's the best way I can describe what she's wearing.

 

[JanaJohn]

While we were eating Claire could see the portrait in the west wing and she could see it change to the beast every so often. She would tell me and I would look and it was always back to the Prince before I got a glance. I think it became a game for her and she thought it was so funny that I could never catch it in beast form.

Isn't Claire a little too young to be playing mind games on her mother?

 

[jenseib]

That sneaky little Claire of your's...she was probably watching the picture change and waited until the last second to tell you to look at the Beast. I say that because it's totally something that my kids would do to me.

You are probably right there.


Dinner at Be Our Guest looks very good. With all the changes going on with the lunch FP+ there, I may just try for dinner there instead of lunch.

It has been a mess...word is that it started working again this morning for some.

Yay for short wait times for the various attractions and for Claire enjoying Big Thunder Mountain so much that she wanted to ride it again.

She got a lot braver this trip.

**Edited: Almost forgot to post about Skip waiting until the last minute to try and get a new birth certificate. That man! What are ya gonna do with him Jen?

He is famous for doing EVERYTHING last minute!!!

Riding Big Thunder Mountain in the rain is an interesting experience. I love the photos of the castle show. What a shame that people with umbrellas obstructed your view.

Corinna

I really hate the umbrellas in the park because people just don't think when using them and bump into people all the time with them too.

We were there in April '13 and saw those clowns. I have pictures of the guy with the Red & Blue pants and the lady with the flowery dress with yellow trim. Sorry, but as a guy that's the best way I can describe what she's wearing.

Good to know I wasn't hallucinating clowns!

Isn't Claire a little too young to be playing mind games on her mother?

Oh I don't think you are ever too young to do that!

 

[jenseib]

Day 5, March 25, 2014, Tuesday

Today we were not going to Disney! I know, it’s a complete shock! But I had free tickets to Sea World burning a hole in my pocket. This was also the day I arranged to have a tour of Discovery Cove. My parents were going to go to Sea World as well.

I got up early as always and I am sure I walked the grounds a bit, but this is the only picture I have to show for it.



We all got ready and headed off to Sea World, which was basically just around the corner. It’s very close to the Marriott Grand Vista.



We drove separately because my parents like to leave early.
Claire and I had to get in line to redeem my vouchers.





When we got the tickets, I asked how to get the shuttle to Discovery Cove and she told me where to go and it sounded easy enough.

Tickets in hand, we were ready to enter.







Manta went over our head.



Manta is a coaster that tilts you to your tummy so it appears you are flying under the track…..I wondered what idiot would even think about riding that. Well…. Claire asked to ride it and I told her there is no way she would like that. She was just beginning to like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and this was a big step up.

We moved on and found the flamingos……and those that have read reports by me before know that I have an obsession with flamingos and tend to take a lot of pictures of them.









We already had to make a potty break…God forbid we actually walk in more than 10 steps. LOL.

We found some rays swimming around.









We made our way to the back of the park.



Not our kind of ride (or at least mine as I hate getting wet), but fun to watch.



I wanted to see penguins.

 

[jenseib]

We got in line for the penguin empire ride. It was something like an hour long wait. I was messaging my friend Brook and she told me it was nice, but not worth that long of a wait. I worried too as time would run out and I had to leave by a certain time to go to Discovery Cove. We ended up getting out and trying to find out if we could just see the penguins without going on the ride. Every TM I asked told me no. That is kind of a bummer. They told me we could skip the ride and go directly in to see the penguins, but we still had to wait in that line.
We just decided we would check back later.



We found the Sea Lions and watched them for a little bit.





And we were already hungry and I didn’t want to be starving while touring Discovery Cove, so we went in search of lunch.



The selection in there really wasn’t all that great, but we decided to share chicken. It looked like some decent portions.



Well it wasn’t. It was mostly crust with very little meat in there at all.



Claire is a mash potato junky so I basically only got a taste of that as well.

We also got the refillable mug for the day. Actually I found they had a better deal for one nearer the front. This one had discounted refills but the other one had better discounts at other spots in the park.

As we sat there I did get to see a penguin…..just not the kind I thought I would.





While we sat there I called Mom and Dad and they met up with us. They were going to take Claire now. We still had a little bit of time, so we headed into a small aquarium.



Fish were swimming below our feet.



And above our heads.









That’s my dad’s hand photobombing the picture.









It wasn’t a very big aquarium, but it still had some neat things to see.

And then I was off to the front to catch the shuttle.

 

[KatMark]

Great castle pictures, Jen.

And I loved seeing pictures of Sea World. We have not been there in 21 years...the last time we went Markie was 5. I really want to go back (much rather go to Sea World than Universal) so I am enjoying the photos. That lunch looks pretty darn good too.

 

[dizneeat]

Great pics of Sea World, Jen! We have not been in ages and I was a bit gobsmacked seeing the penquin thing/ride.
Thankfully, it does not draw me as much as UO, so you may preceed with your pics of Seaworld now.

 

[dolphingirl47]

What a shame that you could not just walk through to see the penguins. I think the ride is a bit of a waste of time and definitely not worth the long wait. The aquarium photos have come out great. The food has always been a weak point at Seaworld.

Corinna

 

[Beth D]

Great updates as usual. The first thing that came to my mind when you said Sea World was from the first TR I read of yours a couple years ago. I believe you were staying at the SW hotel, and your dad had "failure to launch" issues in the bathroom. That story was hilarious!

Yes, I agree the food at SW is not the best. We used to eat at the place in the back where the "World of Beer" used to be. In addition to your sandwiches, you could get your 2 free glasses of beer, when it was owned by Anheuser Busch. They used to have good deli sandwiches to go with the beer.

I can't wait to hear about Discovery Cove!

 

[jenseib]

Great castle pictures, Jen.

And I loved seeing pictures of Sea World. We have not been there in 21 years...the last time we went Markie was 5. I really want to go back (much rather go to Sea World than Universal) so I am enjoying the photos. That lunch looks pretty darn good too.

Thanks!
I do like Sea World and so does Claire. I wish they still had one in Ohio. I had taken Michael and Paige there a few times when they were little before it closed. And of course I went a few times as a kid too. Why on earth there was a Sea World in Ohio in the first place amazes me, but it was great because it wasn't too far and we did some day trips there.

Great pics of Sea World, Jen! We have not been in ages and I was a bit gobsmacked seeing the penquin thing/ride.
Thankfully, it does not draw me as much as UO, so you may preceed with your pics of Seaworld now.

It can be a slower pace there. I am happy to have been able to visit it twice now, but I still have not done or seen everything there yet, so I am sure a future trip will be in store for us in a few years.

What a shame that you could not just walk through to see the penguins. I think the ride is a bit of a waste of time and definitely not worth the long wait. The aquarium photos have come out great. The food has always been a weak point at Seaworld.

Corinna

I really think they need to be able to let us go in the exit door or something. Maybe in a few years the lines will lighten up and it will be easier to get in to see them. I remember many years ago when I was a teen we went to Sea World Ohio and they had a new penguin exibit and the line was super long and it was so hot, but we waited. And then a few years later we went back and you could walk into the exibit without a line at all and take as much time as you wanted inside.

Great updates as usual. The first thing that came to my mind when you said Sea World was from the first TR I read of yours a couple years ago. I believe you were staying at the SW hotel, and your dad had "failure to launch" issues in the bathroom. That story was hilarious!

Yes, You are correct. We were at the residence inn there by Sea World that trip and the electricity was out...and Dad had the guy hold a flashlight when he tried to go...and failed. We still talk about that crazy moment.

Yes, I agree the food at SW is not the best. We used to eat at the place in the back where the "World of Beer" used to be. In addition to your sandwiches, you could get your 2 free glasses of beer, when it was owned by Anheuser Busch. They used to have good deli sandwiches to go with the beer.

I can't wait to hear about Discovery Cove!

I never was at that Sea World when it was own by AB, but I had been to Busch Gardens and Sea World Ohio and I do remember the free beers there.

 

[jenseib]

I ran into these guys and they just were so funny looking so I had to stop and take some pictures.













And a walk by the crazy Manta.



Oh there are the flamingoes again!











Oh…this is Sea World’s 50th Anniversary as well. I found out later there was an app you could download and do sort of a treasure hunt for a prize. I never told this to Claire as I didn’t want to spend the day looking for things. LOL. I did however look for a 50th anniversary magnet and there wasn’t any.





I walked along the side and found the shuttle stop and picked up the phone and told the person who answered that I wanted to go to Discovery Cove. They asked how many and I told them 1 and they said a shuttle was on the way.

As I waited I saw a little bus arrive and unload a lady in a wheel chair. She was with her husband and they asked if this is where they catch the shuttle to DC. I told them yes and that I had called but they did ask how many would be going, so perhaps they should call too. So they did.

Soon the shuttle arrived and the driver was super nice, but she was working her tail off. She got the lady loaded and we all said DC and then she looked at the couple’s info. They were older and not from the US. And very confused. They did not have DC included in their package. The driver told them they could go to Aquatica or Sea World but not DC. They decided on Aquatica, but they asked a ton of questions. They were nice, but I was now watching my time tick and I didn’t want to be late….good thing I had left a little early.

Finally we were on our way, but wouldn’t you know, we had to drop them off first and then me. I ended up arriving to DC right on time without a minute to spare…but at least I made it!