These Kids Make Me Wish You Could Curse on the DISBoards (May '11 Trip) - DONE 9/14

[KatMark]

Great update, Jon. The pictures of Emily with the princesses are very sweet. I especially like the one with Belle (the other two are great of Em, but those "princesses" leave a bit to be desired).

Oh, and you looked really "cute" holding Duffy.

 

[MEK]

Welcome Back!

Love the picture of the kids on the magic carpet.

Yes - Princess Aurora DOES look like Miley Cyrus. Weird!

Poor Emily - hitting the wall and all. That's a crappy feeling when you are little and you know you can't go another second. Hey wait - that still happens to me now!

3 Words - DOLLAR STORE PONCHOS! (don't leave home without them)

 

[loritemp]

Glad you all had a great stay in OBX!

I love the Belle pic too, maybe it's the matching dresses?! Who knows!!

Oh and did you just admit, on a public msg board, that you went to see NKOTB?! You, my friend, get some sort of hubby of the year award for that...or get your man card revoked

 

[i*heart*minniemouse]

Great trip report!!! Loved reading it.
Since you are so into the Haunted Mansion, did you know it was designed after a mansion in Jim Thorpe? http://www.murdermansion.com/
I grew up in Palmerton and still have family in that area.

 

[Candy30]

Cracking up at your trip report! You know when your kids have hit the proverbial wall!! Your post about your son and Duffy reminds me how my Uncle used to tease my son about "playing with his dolls"! And my son would adamantly scream that they are not dolls but Action Figures!!!!

I am glad you had a good time at OBX. We are looking into going next year. Where did you stay? In the past we stayed in Corolla and Duck. We love Duck! But are looking at properties in Emerald Isle. Ever been there?

 

[nilla]

Oh, and you looked really "cute" holding Duffy.

Thanks. I like that pic, too

Poor Emily - hitting the wall and all. That's a crappy feeling when you are little and you know you can't go another second. Hey wait - that still happens to me now!

Happens to me, too, but I usually try to push through it. And regret it the next day.

3 Words - DOLLAR STORE PONCHOS! (don't leave home without them)

Better yet, only ride Splash during the day!

We actually DO carry dollar store ponchos, and we got them out last year in the torrential downpour on one of our MK nights. I, however, passed one up, because I'm tough like that.

Well, actually, we used my poncho to protect the bag. Priorities

Oh and did you just admit, on a public msg board, that you went to see NKOTB?! You, my friend, get some sort of hubby of the year award for that...or get your man card revoked

We saw them 3 years ago, I believe. Kristin really wanted to go, but no one wanted to go with her, so I went. A week before the show, we found out that Dylan's friend's mom is a HUGE New Kids fan...like, and insanely huge New Kids fan. She still has all of her old magazines, dolls, cassettes, board games...she's nuts.

But anyway, she ending up dragging her husband along, so I sat with him during NKOTB. Kristin and her friend were in the 8th row, center. They loved it. I found it to be a unique experience.

I mean, I've NEVER been in such a gender minority than that night. It was probably at least 20 girls to each guy. We didn't even hit that ratio with the Tastefully Simple party

By the end of the night, my ears were ringing. Not because the music was loud. Because the audience SCREAMED every time the vocals paused. It was deafening.

All in all, I was impressed, though. They put on a good show, and really understand what their audience wants.

I did have a girl in the beer line tell me that it was really cool of me to bring my wife there. I wanted to say something snappy like, "are you kidding? She brought ME here! Donnie!! AAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!"

But I just politely accepted the compliment and moved on.

As this story drags on waaaay too long, I will add one final note: I did get to sit with Kristin in the 8th row for the first opener....Lady Gaga. And she looked at me through most of the set. Maybe that was because I was one of only about 100 people who were actually there to watch her show, since very, very few people knew who she was at that time. Or maybe it was something else. I'll never know...

Since you are so into the Haunted Mansion, did you know it was designed after a mansion in Jim Thorpe? http://www.murdermansion.com/
I grew up in Palmerton and still have family in that area.

Yes, I did hear that! I need to go check that out. Maybe, when I die, if I can get in there first, I'll have a better chance at getting accepted later on into the one in WDW.

Your post about your son and Duffy reminds me how my Uncle used to tease my son about "playing with his dolls"! And my son would adamantly scream that they are not dolls but Action Figures!!!!

I don't tease him about any of that, because I played with action figures well into my 20s. In fact, I sometimes pick them up now. It's just something that never dies in some of us

I am glad you had a good time at OBX. We are looking into going next year. Where did you stay? In the past we stayed in Corolla and Duck. We love Duck! But are looking at properties in Emerald Isle. Ever been there?

My family rented a house one block from the beach in Kill Devil Hills (great name!), and the only other place I've stayed down there was Nag's Head. I liked KDH better, because there was definitely more to do in the immediate area.

Updates coming soon!

 

[rndmr2]

Welcome back, Glad you had a nice Vacation! Great updates from your night at MK. I had hopes of seeing the "Magic, Memories, and You" show when we were there but we never did get to it.

 

[nilla]

 

[nilla]

It's back for another round at Epcot! In spite of almost riding out MK to close last night, we're trying to make rope drop today, so it's rise and shine a bit earlier than anyone really wants to rise. Much less shine.

As we go through the usual pre-game ritual ("Dylan, eat! Emily, you have to get up! One of you get in the shower! Eat over the plate; you're making a mess! Do you have the Keys to the Kingdom? Take a picture of that Photopass card and right down the number. We'll get a new one today. Are we ready? Wait, I need to check again if I have the Keys to the Kingdom, because I'm neurotic in that way. Ok, we're out!"), a decide to finally take a picture that I actually showed you at the very beginning of this Trip Report:

As I snap the shot, I recall that I have seen exactly ZERO of these in our 7 days so far in WDW. Not a one. And not a comment on this one. I'm starting to think that this is all some big, inside joke the DIS Veteran's play on the "Earning My Ears" crowd, and I'm just the latest victim. Tell the noobs that everyone from the DISBoards carries the line green Mickeys, and that way, we can identify those who are not yet part of our "secret society". How will we identify ourselves? Why, with our dollar store ponchos, of course. And they'll just think we're missing the point on Kali River Rapids.

Oh, well...we still have a few more days, so I'm bound to spot some, right?

 

[nilla]

We head to Epcot via our new favorite bus stop, just in time for rope drop. Seeing how we spent so much of the previous day meeting characters and waiting to meet characters, we're hoping to concentrate on other things. Dylan's REALLY hoping this. And we will...but first, we have to meet Tinkerbell!

Kristin tried to take Emily to Pixie Hollow on one of our previous days, but the line was too long. We're on a mission today, though, and we're second in line. We still have at least 20 minutes until Tink arrives, though, so Dylan's not really too happy about that. The kids pass the time with their Cars 2 sticker "mission" books, which they got in this same park a few days back:

It's almost exactly like the passports, if the passports were plugging a major motion picture. The kids like them, though. Kristin tells me the kids get a pin if they complete them, which is cool.

I take a step away to go get Mission Space FPs. On the way, I get a bunch of pics:

While I'm away, the mom in front of us complains to her husband about the "Make a Wish" girl who was able to bypass the line and wait inside the rope. The unhappy mom says her daughter is severely autistic, which is of course horrible, but I would find it very hard to complain about something like this. Who knows the full story.

The fairies finally arrive, and it's Tink and Fawn, whose name I only know because they just told us who she was. I don't really follow this whole Disney Fairies thing, really. Fawn gives the kids a hard time because their custom-made autograph books do not have a page dedicated to her. This is apparently common, from what she says. I man the camcorder, letting the Photopass crew do the still work:

Afterwords, we head over to Club Cool, but it's not open yet. So what should we do next? Kristin notices that the line for the base characters over by Innoventions is relatively short, so hey, why not? It's not like we met a lot of characters yesterday!


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[2xcited2sleep]

Now that you mention it, i haven't seen lime green mickey heads in the park on my last few trips.

Hope Dylan gets on some rides soon. In the pictures he is looking pretty patient!

 

[mimiecp]

I love the topiary pics. I wish I could have something like that in my garden. Your daughter looks so cute in Hello Kitty. Poor Dylan, he just can't catch a break on the touring plan. Hope you find time to ride Mission Space Orange to make up for it.

 

[nilla]

With Club Cool not yet open, it was into (whatever that building is called) to meet the franchise players yet again. Can't get enough pics with these guys!

The side of the building we entered has that really cool Epcot timeline that I would love to just read from start to finish, but Kristin's in a hurry to get in line, so that will have to wait until another time. As Kristin and the kids entered the queue, I stepped out to get Soarin' FPs. Got some shots along the way:

MouseGear is one of my favorite stores in WDW. What a selection! By the time I get back, it's almost time to go. Just a few more people in front of us...


...and we're in! It's the usual lineup:

No Photopass photog for Pluto, so it's on us. Did I ever mention that I love when characters hold the autograph books on their noses to sign them? Ok, time to pose:

Emily LOVES the characters this year. She gets all shy and blushy, then gives them a huge hug. I swear she would probably do the same if she met Malificient.

Prepare to be bombarded with Photopass pics of our kids with the characters in 3...2...1...

Whew, that was a lot! Copy/paste, copy/paste, subject you to our photos, copy/paste. Then again, I'm guessing anyone who would think, "Ugh, more pictures" has long since left the building

Club cool is now finally open, so in we go. We love this place!

If you can't read the names in that picture, I will repeat them for you: Don't Care, Good, We'll Come Back to this One, Also Good, Interesting, This One's Good Too, Really Good, and Why Don't They Sell that in the U.S.?

Dylan tries to dupe someone into trying Beverley, but it's pretty busy in here and people's minds are everywhere. Oh, that reminds me - I was supposed to get back to Beverly, wasn't I?

When I first tried Beverly a few years back, I thought it was horrible. It was like fizzy, non-alcoholic gin. And I don't like non-fizzy, alcoholic gin. Just awful. Kristin and Flightless Duck (of DISBoards fame!) were the only two I knew who liked it.

This year, however, I started to grow a strange affection for it. It's got a very unique (as far as sodas go, since I still think it tastes like gin) taste, and I've gotten used to the bitterness. I would almost say I like it.

The kids? Not so much. They'll drink the others, though:

 

[nilla]

After CC, we cashed in our Mission Space FPs, which Dylan was happy about, but all rode the Green Team, which he was not as happy about. I promised him that we absolutely will hit the Orange Team at least once this vacation, since I love it, too. He still enjoys the Green, however, and it's extra-fun now that all four of us can ride. Family bonding. Thanks, Disney!

After Mission Space (doesn't feel right to call it "MS", for some reason), we let the kids play in the play area inside the ride pavilion for a little bit, then headed over toward England for lunch.

Emily LOVES fish and chips. That's all she gets at the Bethlehem Brew Works (PLUG!) anymore. I love them, too. Kristin is really not a fan of fish, but she's eager to try them, because she does like these. Dylan is a bit skeptical, which is insane to us because he does like those Gorton fish sticks.

More pics on the way:

We stop for a pic in Canada on the way:

...and here we are. Before we do that, though, Kristin wants to hit up the stores in the UK to see if they have any Royal Wedding merch. As she shops, I watch the kids in the hedge maze. But first, let's get some more shots:

Of course, I would have about an hour to get these same photos two days later as we waited in line to meet the Pixar characters at World Showplace, but I didn't know that at the time. Why didn't anyone warn me? I thought we were friends, really.

The kids finally get in the maze, and this is one of their favorite things at Epcot. For me, it's also a lot of saying, "don't run!", "don't cut through the bushes!", and "let her catch you once in a while", but I really do like watching them play in there.

This is also where the Not British Invasion plays. We watched a few songs of theres one of the Epcot day, and they're basically a British rock cover band. With no Iron Maiden songs. Or Toy Dolls songs. Or Vanilla Ice songs.

What's that you say? Vanilla Ice is not British? Well, I will have you know that I once read that-HOLD UP, we need more shots!

Kristin returns empty handed. Apparently, they do not have any Will and Kate (plus 8!) merchandise, so she's out of luck. I think they had something at one point, but it's no longer there.

Alright, let's head to lunch.


And drama.


And the emergency room.


Maybe.


But not tonight. It's late, and I'm saving the juicy stuff for the next update. See you then!


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[rndmr2]

Great pictures of the Character Meet and Greets and of England.

Thanks for the cliffhanger!!

 

[nilla]

We're apparently running too far ahead of schedule, because the Fish and Chips counter service place outside the Rose & Crown is apparently not open yet, either. It's opening in a few minutes, though, so we stick around.

As we look at the menu, I see that there really is no kids' version of the Fish and Chips, but she assures me that we can get the adult meal for them and it will count as a kids' CS credit. "Are you sure?" Yes, she's sure. So I shouldn't doubt her. I stick around the front with the kids near the front, while Kristin goes on the lookout for a good outside table that's at least somewhat in the shade.

Did I mention that it's stinkin' hot again today? Near-record highs, and no chance of rain, again! We're in Florida, though, so I welcome the heat...to an extent. I have nothing to prove by purposely sweating while eating lunch, so hopefully, Kristin finds something good.

Wait, here she comes. Whoa, she's walking pretty fast. And doesn't look happy.

"I just got stung by a bee. In the eye."

Oh no!! It's hardly noticeable, but she says it hurts like hell, as I imagine a bee sting to the eye would hurt. She tells me she's going back to the table, but asks me to get her a cup of ice when the place opens.

"I'm not allergic, though."

Well, that's a relief. She's got some pretty bad allergies when it comes to things like cats and other small, furry creatures, so you never know.

I get up to order, and apparently, the kids' adult Fish and Chips does NOT count as a kids' CS credit; it counts as an adult credit. I can just imagine wasting an adult credit on Dylan taking half a bite before proclaiming, "I don't like it", so I order 3 meals instead of 4. We can always come back for another.

Oh, hey - here's Kristin! I hand her the ice, but she's pretty upset right now.

"I think I have to go to the emergency room."

Um, what?

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I have referred to her in the recent past as the "girl who cried 'emergency room'", so this is nothing new to me. Of course, the kidney stone incident the prior Sunday changed the game a bit, so I need to be sensitive about it. Still, I ask if she's sure.

"Yes. I got stung in the eye by a bee, and I'm allergic to bees, and-"

WAIT. Didn't you just tell me you're NOT allergic? So which is it? Quick thinking is spawned in response to images in my head of her being airlifted out of Epcot for a bee sting that she may or may not be allergic to, and I suggest she try First Aid, you know, first.

She tells us to go eat, and she will call me when she gets to First Aid. Ok, if that's what she really wants. I am very hesitant about having fun when she is not, but I do have two kids with me, and we are in Walt Disney World, so this could get interesting.

The kids and I eat, and Dylan apparently loves the Fish and Chips. Wouldn't you know, the first meal at WDW that he really ate well, and Kristin was not here to see it. I'm starting to wonder how she is, though I have the sneaking suspicion that she's not really allergic and will be just fine. I am also wondering what I am going to do with these kids in the meantime. As I said, I'm very hesitant to go take the kids on a ride while she's laid up, so I'm hoping we get a status update soon.

 

[nilla]

My phone rings, and it's her. She asked somewhere in the UK pavilion where First Aid was, and as they briefly tended to her, they told her it was over near Test Track, by that walkway from Futureworld to World Showcase. Apparently, they offered to get a gurney for her to wheel her over there, but she refused

She also said the woman helping her asked if she had any "Wee ones", which we got a kick out of, for some reason. Kristin thanked them and said she would be able to get there herself, then came back to meet us.

Apparently, she's ok. They gave her some kind of liquid to put on the sting, which will hopefully keep it from getting too bad, but she also wants to see if she can get some Benadryl over at the First Aid station. Maybe I am as insensitive as she says, but I find it hard to really worry about her when I can't really gauge the level of distress from her.

At First Aid, she talks to the nurse, and Benadryl is given. The kids and I wait, sort of patiently:

Kristin gets the meds, and the nurse warns her that she may feel drowsy after taking it. Not to worry, Kristin says...given her allergy history, she's an old pro at functioning on Benadryl

With her back in bidness, it's time to head back to World Showcase. I tell her how well Dylan ate, but I think she's still a bit too traumatized by the whole bee thing to really think about much else. She will now, finally, let me get a pic of the injury:

It doesn't look THAT bad, fortunately. We're not done with this park just yet!

 

[nilla]

Alright, now it's time to get back into Epcot mode, and what better way than by watching "O, Canada!" The kids and I just watched "Clifford" with Martin Short a month or two ago (why do I feel like I already told you this? Did I already tell you this??), so they like Short. Funny movie, and apparently Sookie Stackhouse is from Canada, NOT Bon Temps, LA as she claims to be on TV. You just can't trust anyone anymore, can you?

Afterwards, it's into the shops for more hat pictures. This pavilion offers double the hat picture fun:

We walk around the building and admire the scenery:

I'm a bit said that we will not be eating at Le Cellier this year, but it's been upped to 2 credits on the Dining Plan, and we already used our extra credit on Cinderella's Royal Table last week. I especially miss the beer selection inside, which you simply cannot get outside here. It's pretty much Moosehead or nothing for the commoners, which reminds me - I need to check my receipts! Did we have any drinks yet on this day? Let's see: 5/10...5/10...5/11 - that's today, but that's the receipt from lunch. The next one is a few hours later, so apparently the bee incident has put a MAJOR crimp in our drinking so far today. We'll have to take care of that ASAP, don'tcha think?

 

[KatMark]

Darn....I missed an update. Be back to comment soon.

 

[nilla]

Kristin, who hasn't eaten yet for some reason I can't remember...oh yeah, the bee - how could I forget? Anyway, she's hungry, so we go over to France and she gets herself a Ham and Cheese Croissant and a creme brulee from the bakery:

One of our recurring observations is that we almost never eat creme brulee outside of WDW, but have it almost once a day down here. She eats, the kids color their cardboard Duffys and fight over something undoubtedly unimportant, and then it's back on our feet.

To quote Bill Cosby paraphrasing his wife in the classic film "Himself", "Ok, you've fooled around long enough." The drinking starts NOW. It's some random wine for Kristin, and we pacify the kids with lollipops. I need to hit a restroom, so I branch off, but cannot seem to find a restroom in France outside of the restaurant. I also can't really find anyone to ask, so I go over to Morocco, which was definitely not necessary. Especially considering that once I finally return, Kristin suggests hitting up KidCot in Morocco.

Alright, I'm down with that, but I'm getting a Casa Beer first. As is the case with most of the "outside beers" in Epcot, this a great one to drink on a day with "near-record temperatures". The kids color their Duffys again, and then it's hat pic time again:

They look good in those Wilmer Valderamas! Isn't that what they're called? Why am I thinking that's what they're called?

Not really that important, I guess. "Inside Fun at Epcot" is becoming the theme today, so up next is the American Adventure. The kids do KidCot there, and they're well on their way to running the gauntlet here. As this is happening, I see some topiaries that I don't remember, but that quickly became some of my favorites:

With hundreds of Disney characters, it's hard to put any over the originals.


*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*


What was that? Oh, I know - it's the hat picture warning alarm! Didn't you hear it before I posted the other hat pics?

No? You really didn't? Must've been messed up. But it's working now, and here's what it's alerting us too:

We spend very little time in the store beyond that, because we can go to stores that carry American products, well, anytime. Well, at least things that Americans like. I'm making no assumptions as to where they were made, but I've heard that the production of a lot of this has been offshored to the North Pole. I can't really confirm that, but that's what I've heard.

The animatronic show/movie is very interesting, though, and extremely well done. It's impressive the lengths Disney goes to point out that there were some less-than-proud moments in our history as a country, while still preserving the inspirational feel of the whole bit.

I planned on ending tonight's updates right here, assuming that the next thing we did was have dinner at Teppan Edo. However, upon checking our notes, it looks like there was a TON that we did between this time and our ADR time...but I'm still going to save that for another day


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