The "too many resorts" trip, Feb 5-20, 2013

[bumbershoot]

Cruise TR here.



We had a brief foray back to WDW grounds after the cruise, so let me bore, no, tell, you, about it now.

We took the cruise bus back to the airport, where we got two (TWO!) luggage carts and headed over to the National car area. Robert has "executive" status so we trolled that aisle and found a nice BIG Ford Flex. DH and I loved the car. Eamon had some sort of unreasonable hatred of it. He and DH watch (British) Top Gear and play Gran Turismo 4 (or whatever is the Top Gear version), and his favorite car is a Corvette. I suppose the Flex looks nothing whatsoever like a Corvette, and that's why he had such disdain for it, but it was still odd. Didn't matter, we had a ton of luggage and we needed it. And we wanted it.

Here's Flexy.

I just never expect Orlando to have cows. But it does.

Aw man! Miss you Old Key West!

Our reason for entering WDW grounds was to pick up our bags we'd left at Riverside, and to pick up some food at French Quarter. This plan had been decided upon before we realized how much we would be wanting Butterbeer, and no one was quite willing to change the plan.


For anyone who wants to dine at Sassagoula Float Works who has not been there, the float part of the name doesn't refer to root beer and ice cream, but to Mardi Gras parade floats. There are two sides to the seating area; one is closer to the entrance/exit to the food area, and then there's the side on the other side of the drink station. We usually go with the closer side since it's easy to see. But the floats and papier mache stuff that is hanging from the ceiling tends to freak out me and E. I mean, we don't have tantrums about it, but it's just an uneasiness. We decided to check out the other side, and discovered that it is much better for us.

On the other hand, there's a TV on that side, and each child who was sitting on that side was staring, zombie-like, at the TV, and was having to be coaxed to eat. E was no exception.

He had mac&cheese while Robert and I had veggie burgers and fries, which were tasty! And after that, the whole reason for going to POFQ? Beignets.

From there we went on to Universal, and eventually I'll throw the link to that trip report HERE.

 

[kaoden39]

Great update! I would have been like R and given a tip to the luggage guy from the cruise.


I love the picture of E with the powder sugar face.



Yes, he did have a good appointment and the Dr did actually give him a diagnosis. He believes this is all caused by brain damage do to concussions and that he has vertigo caused by the same thing. After the MRI we will find out how bad the brain damage is.

 

[bumbershoot]

For those who read much later, once I've done the Universal trip report and know all about it, and so we left Hard Rock Hotel (gladly) and Universal (sadly) to go check in to Animal Kingdom Lodge's Kidani Villas, with enough time scheduled for problems (we just knew there would be problems), changing clothes, and getting to our dinner at Sanaa.

Unlike our first visit there, the guard was kind and reasonable. However, he told us that he has lived in Orlando for 25 years, but he still had a STRONG Queens accent (which is where he was from). How do you keep an accent that long? I went to Ireland for a week and started to lose my American accent. If I lived there for 25 years you probably wouldn't even know I was from here. That's my little mystery...

Look, we were there before dark! Exciting stuff. Makes quite a bit of difference.

I had done online checkin, so we went to that line and the Lobby Concierge was the one that called us over. I think that they had managed to lose our CC info too, so we gave that again, and he printed our keys. I was nervous because of our problems (that many don't think were problems but we do) at Jambo in 2010, and made sure he wasn't giving us an accessible room (I'll leave those for those who NEED it, thank you), and just was nervously talking about how I hoped everything would be good. He assured me it would, and that if there was any problem to come back and he would take care of it.

Dh was not happy with his leg and was definitely using his cane, and of course our room was 18,000 miles away. We had left bags in the car and left car in the checkin area because at 5+ pm we figured our room would be ready, but didn't want to move in until we knew the room was all good.

We trudged to the room, held our new RFID cards up to the reader, and....nothing. Tried E's card. Nothing. Robert's card. Nothing. Tried them all again, nothing nothing nothing.

Ack.

If Robert could have physically done it, he would have sat on the ground. As it was, he walked back with us, the whole 36,000 miles back to the front desk. I needed to chat with the Lobby Concierge dude.

Who was...gone.

So I dealt with the woman who was in his spot. Tried the KTTW on their little reader; it was active. Are we sure the door didn't open? You just put it to the reader you know. Why yes, we do know how to use it and we used it correctly and it's nice that I could charge to it, but it's not opening the door.

So she does the cards over again. Sidenote: some have talked about how the bonus of the RFID cards is that "they" can just program or reprogram them from afar, you don't have to go to the lobby! Well HOW do you get in touch with the lobby when you are OUTSIDE your room, I would like to know? You can't. Unless they are planning on giving us a phone number in case of problems. You have to go back.

So I dealt with this while Robert grumpily got our bags to Bell Services, with the assumption that they would be *following us down the hall*.

I made the lady send a runner up to our room to make SURE that the keys worked. She said they did. Then realized they weren't working on the scanner thing and made all new keys. (this is 3 sets of keys and no one has entered the room yet) Told me that I was not to worry about the waste, as they melt the cards down. Um, OK? "And what comes after that?" I wondered, but she was off to the next subject.

She sends the runner up to check out the new KTTWs and reports that they are working. so now they are working on the reader thingie and in the door. OK.

So we start our walk back, down the 72,000 mile long hallway. Hey wait, where's Bell Services?




The good news is that the room was FINE. Clean, stocked with dishes and towels and whatnot, and it was adequate for our needs.

So we call Bell Services wondering why he wasn't following us, and they say they'll send him up. It took...well...longer than perhaps it should have taken. But when he got there he was personable and nice and chatty in a good way and strong and moved our bags around with no effort (all 2,000 of them), and he told us to call him if we needed anything, we tipped him nicely, and he thanked us and reminded us to call him if we needed ANYTHING, and he left.

We got ready for Sanaa and headed on out.


It was SO nice to be able to just go down the elevator (after walking, again, the 100,000 miles to the elevator) and get to Sanaa. Much better than the time we had getting from Jambo on that freezing day in 2010.


taking the time machine back in, um, time......

on that day in December 2010 we... (and do forgive the lousy grammar here, just pretend like English isn't my first language and get lost in the story told by my list)

*were freezing
*had spent all day freezing at Universal
*didn't want to leave Universal or Royal Pacific
*got to Jambo after dark
*threw bags in room and ran for the shuttle to Kidani that the valet had told us about
*had lovely late dinner at Sanaa

*came out into the even colder night to find out that the shuttle had stopped running, but "you can walk or take the bus!"
*we didn't know where the path was
*we didn't know where the bus was
*I had some impression that we would be walking through the savannah inside cyclone fencing protecting us from hyenas (I knew that couldn't be right but it wouldn't get out of my head)
*I don't see well in the dark thanks to Lasik
*Eamon was TIRED. and SCARED. and COLD.
*we started to walk then turned back and went to the bus
*we were cold
*the bus came. the driver got off. she left the door open. we started to get on.
*the driver YELLED at us
*she was putting the ramp down so someone in a wheelchair could get off the bus and what are we doing and that's not allowed
*like we knew that?

*finally got to our room, freezing, cold, chilly, and TIRED and aching to our bones, only to find out we had been given a handicap accessible room WITH NO BATHTUB.
*and that's when I started to cry.

*and they couldn't move us until the next day.
*Robert was not the only one in line who was angry with their room situation, and not the only one with a child who had been given a room with no bathtub. He did end up working out a deal with the night manager that got us a room change the next day, a credit on our account (that we then had to set up), and the "that NEVER happens oh yes it does" late checkout so we could stay in our room until our next room was available



OK, we're back to the current trip




But THIS time, February 12, 2013, it was easy to get to Sanaa.

We had a wait for some reason, and they gave us a buzzer beeper thing and said it would work if we went outside, so we did. Got to use the nightvision goggles (much better experience than we had at Jambo in '10), there were a couple animals out there eating what they had left out for them, we met some nice people from New Orleans who were escaping Mardi Gras, it was a VERY nice experience. I was feeling very happy that evening!


However, the meal wasn't as good as last time. But there's a reason. For those who read my cruise report, remember that I had just *basically* had my own private chef from India making me Indian food. It was no wonder it just didn't taste the same.

The naan bread service, however, was a huge hit. Eamon will deal with naan, and even garlic naan, but he shies away from the stronger Indian flavors. But not that evening! It's called spicy naan? Bring it on! I think the only dip he didn't try was the pickled garlic or garlic pickle or whatever it was. And he ate his pizza, which just like before was a flatbread pizza not your usual one.

A chef came out to talk with us about desserts and corn syrup ingredients and whatnot, and it turned out that HER son was just as sensitive (and still is but he's grown now) to colors, corn syrup products, and artificial sweeteners (DS doesn't eat those), and knew EXACTLY what to warn us away from. She was awesome. Sadly, she told us, the special juices at Ohana and Boma both have HFCS in them. That's just a huge bummer, but it sure does explain his behaviour when we had breakfast at Boma in 2010!

We left without dessert, but that was OK because we did have a grocery stop between Universal and Kidani, and we were prepared.

Made our *much easier* way back to the room, reveled in its comfort, reviewed what we would be doing the next day, and eventually made our way to DreamLand.

 

[bumbershoot]

Great update! I would have been like R and given a tip to the luggage guy from the cruise.


I love the picture of E with the powder sugar face.



Yes, he did have a good appointment and the Dr did actually give him a diagnosis. He believes this is all caused by brain damage do to concussions and that he has vertigo caused by the same thing. After the MRI we will find out how bad the brain damage is.

I'm more annoyed at the luggage guy than with Robert...there was no reason for him to expect a tip but he did. I was just glad I'd gotten so many dollars and fives! We pay for groceries in cash through the year and keep the change in a jar, and that's where our tip money comes from.

 

[kaoden39]

Oh lovely about the walk. I love how every time you took it the walk was longer. I have been in that situation, there is nothing like it. I think the CM arguing with you about the keys working was full of BS.


I love the magical trip back in time, your experience not so much. I am glad it was better but you deserved that it be a better experience. Too bad the food was disappointing.


How nice about the chef coming out and talking to you. Too bad about there not be a healthier alternative.


It's funny but I never thought someone could be happy about brain damage but Scotty feels vindicated and his mood has vastly improved.

 

[bumbershoot]

It's funny but I never thought someone could be happy about brain damage but Scotty feels vindicated and his mood has vastly improved.

Sometimes just getting a diagnosis makes people feel happier. Or at least better. Explanations are always good.



The 2010 trip...in a big way I wish I hadn't been such a whineybutt about the Jambo room, but I was just out of my mind with exhaustion. It was what it was, it happened, and the fact is, we were not the only ones incredibly peeved about our assigned rooms.

 

[bumbershoot]

I was up early the next morning. Needed to do some wash, and since we were in a 1 bedroom I had the machines right there.

And there we found the problem. I started a cold wash, and out came hot. I switched it to hot, and out came cold. Ruh Roh. And all washes end with a cold rinse...guess what THAT would mean?

I called maintenance, told them what time we would be out of the room, and asked them to come after that time.

They showed up 10 minutes after the call.

So...yay for being prompt, but, yeah, not so much fully dressed! And we were eating a nice, proper breakfast. (seriously! we made eggs and stuff!)

So the guy came in and we were talking. I had looked up this problem on the boards (I think maybe I actually noticed it the night before and had had the time to check it out) and noticed that from the very opening of Kidani there were problems like this. People said that the water spouts to the washer were switched, so the maintenance people had to switch them back.

But the maintenance guy, 3+ years later, said that that was then, but now it's some sort of switch that the electric/appliance/whatever company went cheap on. That they are faulty. And that they have to be told of the problem, because you can't just look at the switch and know it's wrong.

So he swapped it out really quickly, we made sure it worked, and we he left, I started a wash, and we got ready to go.

Today was Magic Kingdom day. Lunch at Cinderella Royal Table. Hopes of being hungry enough in the evening to go to Columbia Harbor House.

For whatever reason, we took the bus. Not sure why. Probably just to get the experience for trip reports, LOL.

I've recently been touchy when people say "buses drop you off at the FRONT of Magic Kingdom!" Or worse, "at the GATES!" So I took some pictures.

I see no front gates yet.

Still no gates. I see a hill going down, but no gates.

You go down then turn and go up, and then there's...bag check.

Next trip I'll take pictures coming from TTC, because we will drive, because for us that's much less annoying.


Robert had to get his AP voucher turned into an AP, so we went to Guest Services (or Relations, whatever) to the right of the gates. That part was decently fast. And then we tried to get in. They are doing this really slow switchover to RFID gates and don't seem to have any visible signage telling you where to go. One lady said that we needed to go there (pointing to her left, our right). We go there. Where the CM whines about us being there, that we should be over there (points way to her right, our left). But today, just this once, they'll scan our APs. She refuses to hear that we have just been told, by the woman almost next to her, to go to her...UGH.

So that was bothersome. We walk on in.

Ha, didn't realize I got a picture of that building.

So I needed to redeem my photopass plus voucher, and I naturally headed up the street to where the photo place is. In Disneyland. Whoopsie. So I ask a CM, and he points me in some direction that I don't remember. That doesn't sound right. I ask another and he tells me something that sounds weird. It did turn out to be right, though, if I'm remembering correctly (I've been trying to remember this story correctly since yesterday and I'm not sure I am, so forgive any difference between discussion in other posts and here). Unfortunately, I have NO idea what building he's telling me to go to. And he's already gone.



I have a low tolerance for this sort of thing, and it's coming right on the heels of the turnstile thing, and that happened after maintenance showed up WAY before he was supposed to, and that was caused by the water being all wrong, and....I believe I said "I HATE Magic Kingdom, I want to go back to Disneyland". Grr.

Breathe.

So we go over to the theater, which is pictured above, and I ask someone and they point to this area that's fairly obviously a photopass place and I get in line and I get to this CM. And the conversation goes south pretty quickly, because I was saying something like "wow, the CMs didn't know where this was, this guy said this and that guy said that but didn't explain blah blah", and just TALKING, just getting it quickly off my chest, and there was NO LINE, but he felt the need to shut me up, to cut me off, and say that I was here now and that's all that mattered.

Oh bwa ha ha ha, like that is my personality at all! I've lost friends who don't understand my need to TALK. My need to rehash, to vent so I don't explode. I TRY to tell the stories funny so as to amuse, but it doesn't always work. Talking and talking and talking about stuff keeps me sane. If I hadn't found message boards while planning my wedding then being pregnant then dealing with the aftermath of the rotten junk that happened at the end of that...I might have gone bananas. Especially during the rotten junk. The people online were really the only ones who would listen, and it was because they CHOSE to come in and read my brain-gunk and help me.

So anyway, yeah, that wasn't working for me at all. But hey, he's a cast member and whatever, and I've got my honey Robert who happily listens and hears and hugs me, so OK. So he gives me the lanyard and whatnot and I ask for tape and he's mystified. So I get halfway into my explanation of what happened at Disneyland and why I need tape, and he cuts me off to tell me that they had that problem too but the metal clips are different now and it's OK. So he's cut me off again, but OK he's answering my questions perfectly nicely so we'll let it slide, and I ask about if it does get lost, what happens then? And he tells me really rudely that I would just come back and get a new one, like it's inconceivable that anyone has been given a hard time about getting one to replace a lost one, when I've read of that happening....

And finally I just tersely say thanks and LEAVE and it just ended the start of our MK day in such a foul way....

I mean, I got over it all, but even in writing it it just astonishes me that someone can cut someone off like that when they are CLEARLY not reacting well to it. YES he was helping me and YES he was answering things perfectly, which is why I didn't go to Guest Relations about him, but still man, there are other ways of doing things. When I was trying to help an irate customer on the phone at amazon I tried to be soft about it, to listen to them and *then* tell them that it was good they had gotten me and let's get to the bottom of it. If a person isn't feeling heard, it's not good to, you know, not listen to them.


So anyway, my mind is a blur over the next little bit, because I was just so bothered.


For the Disneyland'ers who haven't yet been to Orlando, this is a Magic Kingdom stroller parking zone.

Fantasyland...oh I think we went on the Great Bathroom Ride, we hit Peter Pan, we did not do small world (wah), we saw Mickey's Philharmagic. It's funny to hear people describing it to kids as "let's see Mickey's band!" when it's almost all Donald messing things up and very very little Mickey and very little proper band. Know what I mean?


Tops of buildings, I think near the bathrooms around Gaston's Tavern, which we didn't go into.

Someone grabbed FPs for Little Mermaid, and later I ran over to get FPs for Dumbo, which was wayyyyy past Dumbo and wayyyy further than I ever thought I needed to go. It was insane, quite frankly, how far I had to go. IMO. Of course that big 7 Dwarves roller coaster is kind of in the middle of everything and you have to go around it.


Eventually though we hit....

I need to wrap this up right now, but let me just say that....I like the Little Mermaid at DCA. It's cute, it's sweet. And I'm not even a fan of the movie; I think I've seen it once. But it's cute and the line is always fast and it's a simple line and that's fine.

Here, though, the line is ornate. I mean what I showed you is the FP line, not even the full line. We didn't wait long, relatively, but there's a certain amount of promise in the amount of work they did on the ride outside and building.

And that ride being what it is...just doesn't stand up to such expectations. I mean, it looks like something at DisneySea, but without being the amazing rides at DisneySea. It's just...the dark ride telling the mermaid's story. Exactly the same, once you're on the ride.

I liked it distinctly less at MK than I do at DCA, and I'd gotten over myself by then so it wasn't a dark cloud. It was the promise of the building. Weird.


Eamon's up way late (Robert's flying and we tend to change bedtime when he's flying at that sort of time) and he's looking at the pictures and he just said "it looks exactly like Poseidon's Fury...can't they do anything different?"

That's a ride at Islands of Adventure (that will likely be changed to a Harry Potter thing eventually), and he really hates it, but it does, it looks just like that. Poseidon was first, though.

 

[bumbershoot]

After the Mermaid, we could not resist the enticing popcorn cart. mmmmm. E took that moment to say "I want to buy myself a banana!" and so he did. Chocolate covered banana, of course. You can see it in his hand in this picture of the guys.

So each day of this part of our trip was ruled by the iphone. Touringplans "Lines" app (the paid version), that is. It was VERY difficult to deal with. If we got behind it took something like 3 clicks (oh the humanity) on refresh and optimize and refresh in order to get it to do those things. It was hard to use for some reason. But we tried to follow its plans, and its re-made (refreshed reoptimized refreshed) plans when we went off course. And it served us pretty well!

There were teacups ridden. The males in my party did their absolute best to make me incredibly sick. I refused. I refuse to turn green or let them see my discomfort in any real way. I do my best to laugh at them. but this time, wowza. Robert's lost enough tummy that turning the wheel on the teacup was much easier, and they got that thing zipping along like never before. I was surprised we didn't manage to unscrew the teacup and go flying off like a skipping stone! Zoinks.

E and I went on the Speedway while Robert (for the first time!) was the FastPass "runner" (slow walker) for Space Mountain for me&e.

E was tall enough to drive alone on Autopia last Disneyland trip and here he is at Speedway.

However, most of his height is still in his torso, and while he CAN push the pedal...

...he gets really tired pushing the pedal, so I'm still required a little bit longer. Awwwww. Luckily I love that kind of ride; always have, always will. (woo, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk's cars!)


I read a ranty post recently about someone who just couldn't stay off her phone on the Speedway. I think the person they were talking about was actually "driving", but just in case, this is something one does on their phone on the Speedway.

And it's totally fine.


Off to Dumbo. For the FIRST TIME at Magic Kingdom!

This whole area makes very little sense to me. Maybe when the mine train (7 dwarves coaster I mentioned earlier) is done it'll seem "right", but it really does NOT now. To me.


Went to the FP return line, got all the way through it. The FP line takes up a surprising amount of real estate, and they tease you with a glimpse of the play area (germ-o-rama/cesspool of humanity/place even I would sanitize after being in) that standby-people get to hang out in. Got into the area where you know we're next! The ride starts...the ride mysteriously stops. People are herded out into a waiting area. The CMs look annoyed. Robert thinks that someone tried to stand up. Since they didn't send anyone out of the line, it was probably a child who didn't know better. They had to do their thing, check it all out, etc, then they ran a FULL cycle of it empty, then they let the people back in to have their full turn, and THEN it was our turn.

Glad our Space FP wasn't for immediately after, since we had hit Dumbo towards the end of the return window.


Here's part of Barnstormer taken while I was on Dumbo.

Big top thing.

Random.

E played in their water play area for a little bit, and I spent some time thinking back on when he was the little kid.

And now he's the BIG kid and I'm having to warn him to be careful of the littles and to not run any over... I'm getting all choked up here. Oh no, what am I doing to myself?

Ack, can't do that anymore!





OK so anyway, he got a little bit wet but not much, and he came out when we told him to, and we moved on to Tomorrowland.

He just loves this at MK and DL.

E and I rode Space Mountain; Robert was too injured and hates it at WDW anyway. I really dislike it too. Ugh. Not fun.

We hit the Monster's Inc Laugh Factory (no surprise that no one uses the initials for that ride!) and it was FUNNY. I had no idea what to expect, really, but it was actually really very fun. I would totally do the attraction again. Quite surprised!

I don't remember what I was doing to notice this, but it's what we call a "balloon tragedy".

I don't know how that happened, but someone was out an expensive balloon!


We just happened to hit Magic Kingdom during "limited time magic: true love day" or something like that. They SAID that the princes would be out, but we saw no princes. We saw nothing extra except for some extra pink and purple, and a special photopass site or two.

Just realized I'm missing some pictures on my photopass account. Glad I didn't order the CD yet! Sent in a missing photo request.


Are they drilling for oil? Is that a gigantic mosquito? Eh, it looks like the construction going on outside my condo! For a year.

Well I've done a lot this evening, and I'm growing weary. I'll leave you with this. This show's Eamon's mood as we went to our lunch. NOT excited about princesses at all.

 

[nunzia]

Hey..I know that boy face at Princess time! and wait..there are FP at MERMAID and DUMBO?! shhesh

 

[wiigirl]

Great Report...loving all the photos.

 

[bumbershoot]

Hey..I know that boy face at Princess time! and wait..there are FP at MERMAID and DUMBO?! shhesh

Wait until you see his face later, though.

And yes, can you believe where they have FPs? Crazy! Also FPs for Toy Story. The world has gone mad, I tell you, mad!

And Dumbo is DOUBLE Dumbo now! At the time we went it seemed to be one Dumbo for FPs holders and one for standby. Not sure if it's always that way, but it's how it worked at that time on that day.

Great Report...loving all the photos.

Thanks! I'm starting to think that my reports are just a placeholder for pictures.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I too have an achilles injury and I got this boot and man is it like HEAVEN.

The blue circle on the front is an air pump. You pump this little bulb and a air chamber inside acts like a little pillow and feels so good. its also not big and bulky because it has a low profile - doesnt come clear up to the knee.

http://www.amazon.com/Ossur-Walker-...ords=Ossur+Air+Equalizer+Low+Top+Walking+Boot

 

[bumbershoot]

Shelly, thank you! I will show that boot to DH.

***********

Cinderella's Royal Table. I spoke with hubby and child *at length* about this restaurant. Many of us are aware that I can really do without the characters (apart from Jack Sparrow but not for crazed soccer-mom reasons, I just think he's cool), so this meal was not for me. I didn't have a huge desire to eat in the castle. But I figured that DH would like it (he likes characters and he likes doing things like that), and I also figured this would be the last time DS would consent to such a meal. At least until he's a teenager and wants to date the "friends of the princesses".

So we decided to go, as a family. Pre-paid for it in November.

When we got home and we were talking about it, E said that no one asked if he wanted to dine there. Oh ha ha. He either remembered really quickly or he was just, um, well, lying about that, because he gave up the argument very fast.

But it's possible that he had forgotten at the time, because he was really dragging his feet.

At CRT you line up outside, give your name. You line up a little further on and they call your name and escort you inside. And you don't really line up, but you clump up, and wait for them to call your name while you're inside. And then you line up to have your picture taken with Cinderella. And THEN you mill around until they tell you to go up. That's a lot of lines.

For the picture, E still had a very dubious expression on his face. I wish we could have a retake, because he got a bit more chipper after the meal. Oh well.

So we went up and it was bright and pretty inside, and a pretty small space compared to what I was expecting. Here's the table.

A pretty menu.

With menu items that had *just* changed a week or two before our reservation. Thankfully I liked the veggie option.

Robert and I got the veggie dish, and Eamon ordered the cheese pizza with carrot&celery to start (which sort of mixes and matches the kid options but they didn't seem to mind). We were on the more upper level of the restaurant and I could see the teensy pizzas other kids had, and I warned him of the portion size and told him we would feed him more later. Which, honestly, is pathetic. HOW much did we pay for that meal, and we had to feed him immediately after just to get him full? There will be a picture later.

Jasmine visited.

They give girls wands and boys swords. Of course, there was a table of all adults right next to us and THEY all got swords and wands, but Robert and I did not, and I didn't want to be a pain and ask for one, but darnit adults pay more and I wanted a wand or sword! Harumph!

So Sleeping Beauty had him pose with his sword because he was a brave knight.

She annoyed E because she, horrors, hugged him, and hugged him too hard. Squeezed his neck, apparently. That's how he explained why his face was all red after the hug, at least.


Then Ariel came by and commented that they must be related because of the hair, and he warmed up to her MUCH more quickly.

She did NOT hug too hard.


By the time Snow White showed up he was fine with the princesses.

Watching Snow leave.

Acting nonchalant.

Why are you turning pink?

Saved by the food arriving. I ate that ALL. It was soooo tasty. Really really salty, but yummo.

Do forgive me, we're still watching recorded Olympics, so to us it's all still relevant, but...E was NOT impressed, just like Macayla.

But then it was time for dessert, and in a rare departure from our usual, we did order it. A chef had come out to help, and we found out that the no-sugar-added sorbet didn't mean artificially sweetened, and it had no "bad" ingredients for us. So E got that from the kid's menu. Raspberry, apparently.

Robert got the "cheesecake" thing, which he was not enthused by.

Mine was really good (though the sorbet was quite good as well), the flourless chocolate cake and that's some sort of pyramid of white chocolate something. I'm not a fan of white "chocolate" as there's no chocolate, but the cake part was good.

It was a nice time (though E needed more food), the princesses were sweet, the room was pretty. We used the Tables in Wonderland card, so we were to get a refund of that amount. That was authorized around 4pm that day and it came through quickly. Nice!

It was only later that we realized there had been a huge fluke that no one can explain, and at around 2am after our meal, someone requested a refund of the *rest of the prepayment*. And NO ONE can fix it. They say it's weird, they can see the times of the refund requests (that's how I know them), that the timing of the TIW refund is proper but the 2am thing is weird weird weird, but they cannot authorize a re-charge.

My mom used to have Buddhist leanings and DH and DS are Buddhist, so I think along these lines...is this nice karma for the good things we've done? Or is this something that's going to bite us in the rear later with nasty things to come? For fear of the latter, I have done what I now feel is my due diligence, having 3 very long conversations with CMs, trying to get it resolved. The third convo was the most definitive, and it really seems that I'll just need to accept the fact that we dined at CRT, got the picture and everything, and ultimately paid zero dollars for it.

The CMs are all surprised that I'm trying to pay. They say they wouldn't. I really hope that's not true. It disturbs me that they feel that way and say it.

I also wanted to make sure that CRT knows that something weird happened. I posted about it on the Restaurant board and one person PMd me that it happened to them too, nearly a week later, same circumstances. So there are two of us out there who are willing to say it out loud. I cannot help but wonder how many people are keeping it secret. CRT is an expensive meal experience, and I don't want it to get more expensive because someone or some system is causing these irreversable refunds.


We milled around a bit more after, but suddenly thought...we had seen something in the checkin materials about a DVC member gathering at Jambo House that day, and they said they had childcare available, and you know what? We want to do that! We were full and a bit tired and it was OK to leave.

Robert and Eamon went off to find a DVC kiosk to see if they could sign us up (the notification said you needed to make reservations) and I went and FINALLY got myself a parasol. Got it painted with balloons and flowers and the year (not my name). It was ready just about the same time the guys got back.

Side note: with the parasols, if it's going to rain you cannot use them for TWO DAYS. They aren't waterproof (the paint I guess isn't quite dry enough) until that time is done. They are really sun parasols, so make sure it's sunny for those first days after you buy one! I still haven't really gotten a chance to use it, because I kept forgetting it.


We were so annoyed at the bus situation that morning and we had so little time that we decided to just catch a cab to get to the gathering at Jambo. And so we did.

 

[appleorchard]

We actually had a really good breakfast at the castle this last trip. Our first dinner there, from my standpoint, was inedible and the second marginally better. Our server at breakfast was the FIRST one we've had who actually knew how to take the TIW discount off the pre-paid meal and did it efficiently. I never thought to check to see if they reimbursed our whole meal lol.

Yes, I would try to make it right too. I'm nuts like that.

 

[nancy drew]

Did you guys get into the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game at all? We got so sucked into that on our last trip, we hardly did anything at MK! We will be back there next week, for less than a day, and I'm afraid we won't end up riding anything again! (Did I ask you this before? I feel like maybe I did. I'm getting old and senile, sorry.)

 

[kaoden39]

Sometimes just getting a diagnosis makes people feel happier. Or at least better. Explanations are always good.



The 2010 trip...in a big way I wish I hadn't been such a whineybutt about the Jambo room, but I was just out of my mind with exhaustion. It was what it was, it happened, and the fact is, we were not the only ones incredibly peeved about our assigned rooms.

I think that you are right about that. He felt as though his Dr just didn't care and was dropping the ball.

 

[kaoden39]

I do not care for rude CMs like that. There was no line and frankly it is his job to treat you like a guest. Would you cut off a guest in your place? No you would not. Bad CM. The bad directions are a problem too and most people would be really testy about that. It's the type of thing that chaps my hide as my dad might have said.

Aren't you glad that you don't have to use a stroller anymore? That is insane! How do people find their strollers when they come back to it? How do they not get confused?

They did go really ornate for Little Mermaid didn't they? I love that ride in DCA. I am a sap, I saw that movie so many times when my niece was little I think I "bonded" with it. Hahaha!

I hated Autopia when my kids were little. Bad mommy. I always resisted it as long as I could. Kody never could reach the pedals. Oh am I glad we out grew that!

Oh little Eamon! Awww look at him!

Hahahahaha! Oh just you wait! He will ask to go see the Princesses!

I see Jasmine helped a little in the mood department. I see the ghost of a smile.

Hmm Aurora seems to know the same magic as Jasmine.....

Ariel made his day I see. Cute blush.

Well, Snow is rather beautiful after all!

Yummy looking dessert there! I am craving strawberries right now.

I had Scotty hang my parasol on the wall. It was wonderful and then when I was sick and our room got changed it somehow got broken.

 

[bumbershoot]

We actually had a really good breakfast at the castle this last trip. Our first dinner there, from my standpoint, was inedible and the second marginally better. Our server at breakfast was the FIRST one we've had who actually knew how to take the TIW discount off the pre-paid meal and did it efficiently. I never thought to check to see if they reimbursed our whole meal lol.

Yes, I would try to make it right too. I'm nuts like that.

I can't remember if we even thought about breakfast or not; it's possible they had no times for it. On this trip we tried to do lunch-ish times for sit-down meals, and that should have worked out well but somehow it just made us want to go "home" after the meal.

I'm glad to know the world isn't filled with people who wouldn't try to make it right.

Did you guys get into the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game at all? We got so sucked into that on our last trip, we hardly did anything at MK! We will be back there next week, for less than a day, and I'm afraid we won't end up riding anything again! (Did I ask you this before? I feel like maybe I did. I'm getting old and senile, sorry.)

Oh sadly we did not! I tried so hard to actually make a PLAN for the parks, and I did manage to make a plan, but Sorcerers just didn't get done. Turns out I did not know where to pick up the cards (fire station, is that right? I think I read that once we got home) and since I didn't know I was never reminded of it by seeing the place, and they didn't remember...and by the end of the trip, well, there was illness, and everything got slowed way way WAY down.

I love this one day thing you're doing. Talk about paring your wants down to the bare minimum! I think it'll be great.

I think that you are right about that. He felt as though his Dr just didn't care and was dropping the ball.

Yep.

I do not care for rude CMs like that. There was no line and frankly it is his job to treat you like a guest. Would you cut off a guest in your place? No you would not. Bad CM. The bad directions are a problem too and most people would be really testy about that. It's the type of thing that chaps my hide as my dad might have said.

It really does chap your hide, that's a great saying.


Aren't you glad that you don't have to use a stroller anymore? That is insane! How do people find their strollers when they come back to it? How do they not get confused?

I don't know how you know where your stroller is! I was astonished at the sea of strollers. I get overwhelmed by the stroller area outside POTC at DL, and I remember trying to find the *rental* after parking it near small world on our second one-day Disneyland trip...it seems so hard! During our first WDW trip we had breakfast with family at Crystal Palace and they parked their stroller outside and then there was a mystery thunderstorm during our meal. We really do not remember it happening, I guess we were so inside the restaurant and it's so loud, we just never noticed. Their stroller was SO wet.

So yeah, I don't miss those days at all! But I do still want another bebe, so if that happens I will welcome the stroller and Ergo and wrap and mei tai and podegi and selendang (all the types of baby-wearing devices I had *and still have*) gladly! And this time they will be used at Disney and it will be awesome. Of course, it has to happen first.


They did go really ornate for Little Mermaid didn't they? I love that ride in DCA. I am a sap, I saw that movie so many times when my niece was little I think I "bonded" with it. Hahaha!

I do like it at DCA but just not as much at MK. Exact same ride. Weird.

I hated Autopia when my kids were little. Bad mommy. I always resisted it as long as I could. Kody never could reach the pedals. Oh am I glad we out grew that!

I definitely don't like the *line* for Autopia. That's for sure!

Oh little Eamon! Awww look at him!

I know! Augh, so cute!

Hahahahaha! Oh just you wait! He will ask to go see the Princesses!

Oh I am sure he will.

I see Jasmine helped a little in the mood department. I see the ghost of a smile.

Hmm Aurora seems to know the same magic as Jasmine.....

Ariel made his day I see. Cute blush.

Well, Snow is rather beautiful after all!

He was hilarious with his "nah, she bothered me, she hurt my neck, whatever" reactions. Just like my brothers (I have 3 in total), though THEY were on the slower side for noticing girls, and E is soooo early. But I was "boy crazy" by 3rd grade, so I know what it's like. (and what it's like is very very confusing)

Yummy looking dessert there! I am craving strawberries right now.

I had Scotty hang my parasol on the wall. It was wonderful and then when I was sick and our room got changed it somehow got broken.

Oh, I'm sad that yours was broken!

 

[kaoden39]

Kids are so funny! Kacy wasn't really interested in anybody until she was older. Kody was boy crazy from really early, before she was four years old. My nephew Ryan had this friend that was in his early 20's and he thought she was cute. He would call her Koko. She decided that she was going to marry him. She asked me how to tell him that they were getting married. I need to remind her of that. Loren's first love was Minnie Mouse when he was 6 years old. She dried his tears after a melt down and kissed the top of his head. Yeah. Good times!


I say every trip that I am going to replace my parasol. I just never do it.

 

[nancy drew]

Oh sadly we did not! I tried so hard to actually make a PLAN for the parks, and I did manage to make a plan, but Sorcerers just didn't get done. Turns out I did not know where to pick up the cards (fire station, is that right? I think I read that once we got home) and since I didn't know I was never reminded of it by seeing the place, and they didn't remember...and by the end of the trip, well, there was illness, and everything got slowed way way WAY down.

I love this one day thing you're doing. Talk about paring your wants down to the bare minimum! I think it'll be great.

You can pick up cards at the fire station, I think, but we got ours behind the Christmas shop (or, as we call it, the Oldeee Christmas Shoppeeee). It really is fun, but it becomes such a time suck!! I should clarify, we will be in WDW for one night. We fly in to Tampa mid day, drive to Orlando, hit a park in the evening, sleep, go to another park, then drive to my mom's house. It is good and bad. We get to pare down our trip, as you said, and highlight the important things. But we don't get to relax at all, or enjoy the little things, like the awesome pools. I had to force my kids to go in the volcano pool at the Poly in December (then I couldn't get them OUT, of course). That said, I think we still prefer most of the rides at DLR so I can't justify a long WDW trip at the moment.