There's an App for That! iDisney, July-Aug 2009. New 12/3: DONE!

[jess98ac]

Great start so far!! I can't believe how big Leo is getting!!

 

[aprilisis]

And I thought, y’know, “gas and Disney” really do go together! A Tom Jones tune happened to be playing at the time and I thought “Gas and Disney… go together like… Tom Jones and panties!”

I'm loving this report!!! Thanks!

 

[MickeyisBeast]

I'm in :]
I'm really enjoying it! Can't wait for more!

 

[Lauralee131]

Darn it - I have to get back to work already so I'm marking my spot! I'll be back later!

LMAO at the AccuV...you know how I love my AccuV forecasts! I can't travel without 'em!!
Back later!! Off to a great start!!

 

[KatGarcia]

Go Leo!!! Nice work on the slide! I am very much looking fwd to putting all your tweets into context!

 

[PrincessPeanut]

I'm in!

What a great start! The pool at CBR looks awesome. I'm looking forward to more.

 

[sharkB8HooHaHa]

So...what's with you and Tom Jones lately?

 

[LouDisney]

Great start, V!

 

[1Princess1Prince2006]

Great start V! WTG Leo for conquering the slide and that pool looks awesome!

 

[cmp1111]

WOOHOO, LEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am addicted to my Weather Channel app. Most helpful when on the boat. I may or may not be totally annoying to fellow boat-goers, saying, "I can check that!"


Hmm... Exercise? Did you forgo the Active-on-the-go workouts? Or was the food just that good?

 

[Lauralee131]

I'm so proud of Leo!! Way to go little man! See much my little buddy has grown!? Makes my heart swell!

Ok, I told T - there's gotta be a rule...no new updates while I'm at work! I can't really DIS at work...

And ahhhh...my AccuV forecasts...can't live without 'em...

I need an iPhone...

Must...

Get...

an....

iPhone....

Trying to be strong...

 

[PrincessV]

Way to go Leo! He'll be on ToT in no time.

So you'd think...

Gas and Disney DO go together. Throw constipation into that mix and you've nailed my vacation.

Seriously! Disney reeeeeally needs to make more choices for kids. Another reason why I will never to the DDP.

No joke - it's ridiculous! There'll be more raging on that subject in upcoming installments...

It's official... we're staying here on our arrival day next year.

The kids will LOVE the pool!

Shades of Boardwalk scary clown pool?

Nope, we haven't done that one. But right on with the Dragon pool at POFQ.

Great start so far!! I can't believe how big Leo is getting!!

Thanks! Funny thing is, Leo's grown all of 1" since last summer - he's a little guy. But he's definitely maturing!

I'm loving this report!!! Thanks!

Thank you!

I'm in :]
I'm really enjoying it! Can't wait for more!

Welcome, and thanks!

LMAO at the AccuV...you know how I love my AccuV forecasts!

I am very much looking fwd to putting all your tweets into context!

Cant' make any guarantees there - who knows what I was rambling about half the time, lol!

What a great start! The pool at CBR looks awesome.

Thanks! That pool is definitely one of our faves.

So...what's with you and Tom Jones lately?

Dude, I LOVE Tom Jones! And he kept popping up in my Shuffle last week.

Great start, V!

Thanks!

WTG Leo for conquering the slide and that pool looks awesome!

I was soooo proud of him!

I am addicted to my Weather Channel app. Most helpful when on the boat. I may or may not be totally annoying to fellow boat-goers, saying, "I can check that!"

BWAHAHAHA, just wait and read T's and LL's reports - I can relate!

Hmm... Exercise? Did you forgo the Active-on-the-go workouts? Or was the food just that good?

Wait and see!

I'm so proud of Leo!! Way to go little man! See much my little buddy has grown!? Makes my heart swell!

I KNEW you'd be so very excited for him!

Ok, I told T - there's gotta be a rule...no new updates while I'm at work! I can't really DIS at work...

But work's the faster connection - if I post at home, it takes eternity!

I need an iPhone...

Must...

Get...

an....

iPhone....

Is this my window of enabling-tunity?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FYI - I went back and added pics of the App of the day, in case anyone's interested.

 

[praisehisname]

Leo has gotten so big; but he's just as cute as ever! Great start to the report. I can't wait to hear about dinner!

Denise

 

[DisneyJo]

Wow V that app looks fantastic, just what any OCD planner needs

Leo does look older and wooohooo on conquering the pool slides and good work out for you too

 

[micandminforever]

Great start and hurrah for Leo and the slide.

 

[kmartin555]

Great start! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[verygfy]

I am so excited about reading this TR, I enjoyed your PTR so much, I can't wait to see how this trip turned out...

 

[Sleeping*Beauty]

Yay! another PrincessV trip report. I saw the title first and I said oh that sounds interesting, then I saw who it was written by and knew it would be amazing.

 

[PrincessV]

Leo has gotten so big; but he's just as cute as ever! Great start to the report. I can't wait to hear about dinner!

Thanks Denise! I still can't believe he's 7!

Wow V that app looks fantastic, just what any OCD planner needs

Just wait - they get even better!

Great start and hurrah for Leo and the slide.

Thanks - he was soooo proud of himself!

Great start! Can't wait to hear more!

Thank you!

I am so excited about reading this TR, I enjoyed your PTR so much, I can't wait to see how this trip turned out...

Thanks! It'll be interesting, that's for sure!

Yay! another PrincessV trip report. I saw the title first and I said oh that sounds interesting, then I saw who it was written by and knew it would be amazing.

Goodness, you're making me blush! Thanks so much!

 

[PrincessV]

App of the day: Calculator
With which I could have quickly and accurately calculated how much more I needed to add to the autmotaic 18% gratuity with a Tables in Wonderland discount to leave a full 20%. Could have used. But didn't. Ask anyone with whom I shared a meal.

No sooner did I get back from our WDW trip, and I’m gearing up for Week 2 of our summer vacation, this time heading up north. Which means I’ll be absent from the DIS for another week+. So I thought and extra installment might be in order this week.

Don’t get your hopes up. This twice-weekly gig isn’t likely to continue.



So it’s still Day 1 and Leo and I were hanging in our somewhat damp CBR room, waiting… At some point, I decided we really needed to go do something and we headed to the gift shop to buy some things for a certain birthday boy we’d soon be seeing.

I’d requested a room in the Jamaica section with the thought that Jamaica was close enough to Old Port Royale (OPR), which houses the themed pools and food options, to walk in nice weather, but I could always drive if it was stormy. The sun was still shining, so we walked.

To get from Jamaica to OPR, you cross over an island full of windy paths and pretty vegetation. I’ll admit though: it’s prettier in spring or fall, when things are blooming more.

Along the way, my phone rang and I got the message for which we’d been waiting…

LAURALEE AND MICHAEL HAD ARRIVED!!!

They, too, were spending the first three nights at CBR. Tony, LL’s husband, would arrive the next day, so it was just us glas and our little guys for an evening. We had all sorts of great plans – a little dip in the pool, a couple drinks poolside while the boys played, a lovely dinner eaten outdoors in a beautiful sunset…

And then the thunder struck.

Ah yes, in fine summer tradition, the storms moved in just in time for dinner. On a ranch, a bell rings the call to the table. In Florida, the thunder does that job.



LL and Michael found us in the gift shop and many hugs were given all around. I think it’s sort of a testament to our level of friendship that when LL and I reunite, it’s like we never left off from the last visit; “Hi V!” “Hi LL!” “How’s the hotel?” “Fine. How was the drive?” “Okay.” “Ready to eat?”




Nah, there was plenty of catching up on things while we all shopped the aisles, but it really is always like reconnecting with your friend next door – none of that awkward, ‘do I still know this person?’ stuff. And ditto that for Leo and Michael, who were getting into all sorts of mischief together once more.


All of this was well and good, except that it was monsooning outside and all of our Day 1 plans involved outdoor pursuits. Remember how I was looking for some new things to do on this trip? Well, New Thing #1 came right then and there.

The game arcade was conveniently located next to the gift shop – indoors! – so we steered the boys that way and let them try a whole mess o’ stuff.

Look – it’s the Tomorrowland Speedway in a box! “Wheee – BANG! – Wheee – BANG! – Wheee – BANG!”


And remember how I worried that Leo might struggle with the games?

Yeah, he definitely sucks. I don’t mean that meanly – it’s the honest truth.

But…

He had so much fun anyway! And I’ll admit that I did, too. In a remote corner of the arcade, I found me a Space Invaders. That’s vintage, baby. TFI, I’m still lousy. Like mother like son.



After blowing some time and money in the arcade, we decided on an early dinner. Yes, the monsoon showed no sign of abating, so all pool and playground activities were grounded until further notice.


Question – why is that every time it rains and we’re together at WDW, we feel the need for table service???

Somehow, we bypassed the counter service selections completely and found ourselves asking for a table at Shutters. Which was readily available. Yet, I was given a buzzy thingy… that promptly started buzzing after I took 3 steps away from the podium. Apparently it’s “policy” to issue a buzzy thingy.




Anyway, it’s time to give you a little family history. My maternal family has some issues. Okay, a whole buncha issues. But I’m only talking about one for now. I come from a long line of people with low blood sugar problems. My great-grandmother, grandmother and mother all battled it, as do I. And so does Leo.

Basically, our blood sugar drops very fast when not properly fueled by food intake. This results in an overabundance of naturally-produced insulin. It’s basically insulin shock, as diabetics can suffer if they take in too much insulin. It can totally be kept in check by ensuring we eat when hungry, keep a good balance between carbs and proteins, and avoid refined sugars as much as possible.

I’ll admit right here, I frequently fail my boy in this regard when we’re at WDW. He’s too busy to want to stop and eat healthy snacks, and I stupidly fall for his “No thanks, I’m not hungry” and let him skip snack times.

Which is just what happened on Day 1. He’d had some Goldfish with his movie, but that was much earlier and utterly lacking any protein. So by the time we sat down for dinner, his blood sugar was way, way low.


Wondering what happens when Leo’s blood sugar drops? It’s ugly. U-G-L-Y, you ain’t got no alibi, UGLY. (NO Wildcats) LL and I asked both boys to put their spinny Mickey lollipops away when we sat down. Which Michael did quickly and without drama.

Leo… freaked out. He was MAD. And he let every one of us – including our very nice server – know it. I wasn’t having any of that and threatened all sorts of punishments if he didn’t knock off with the horrid behavior immediately.

I should really know better given that I suffer in the same way, but it took a while before I figured out what he needed was food. Once he’d gotten some carbs in to soak up some of that insulin, he did a complete turn-around and we enjoyed the rest of our dinner.

Two boys, one dessert. No limbs were lost in this feat.

Hmmm, challenged by the presence of TWO cameras? We need to work on that.


In the middle of all this drama, the rest of us had a really, really nice meal. I wanted something light and went with a bowl of Chorizo-Black Bean soup with a salad. The soup was very good… which is saying something since I live in an area heavily populated with Cuban-Americans; I KNOW good black bean soup. This wasn’t quite as good as what I can get locally, but very close. The salad was yummy, but needed something… cheese. A little sprinkle of gorgonzola would have made it perfect. This situation was to be repeated, FYI.


Also, I tried a new drink: an Agave nectar margarita.

O.
M.
G.

It was like a party in my glass! I like margaritas in general, but hate anything sweet. This was absolutely, perfectly sour without the overwhelming taste of sour mix. It tasted like it was made with real lime juice. DE-LISH!

Agave nectar makes V happy.


After dinner, we were all pretty beat. Leo and I helped our friends get some breakfast items for the next morning and we said goodnight before walking back to Jamaica. We’d all be together again bright and early the next morning.


Next: The Pilot loses control