Turning 30 with the Mouse - 05/12/09 update

[Dolce27]

The idea for this trip sparked on September 15, 2006. It was during the flight home from my 2006 trip to “the world” that I came up with the idea to celebrate my 30th birthday at the “Happiest Place on Earth”. 30 is depressing. Seriously depressing. It’s the first milestone birthday that one does not look forward to. Seriously; 13 you’re a teenager (yay) 16 you can drive (yay) 18 you’re a legal adult (yay) 21 you can (legally) drink (yay) 30… you’re just getting old. 50’s just around the corner.

However, on that flight I was 27 years old… 2 ½ more years to go….that was still a looooooong ways away – wasn’t it?

Obviously not.

It is hard to believe that a trip that was in the works for two years has now been said and done. But I’m not to the ending yet… I’ve got to start at the beginning:

Who am I?

Dolce27

<<In case you’re wondering; Dolce is my cat’s name and I was 27 yrs old when I joined this message board: Dolce27>>
(yeah, yeah, not very creative – I know)

A now 30 yr old (that was 29 at the start of this trip). Unless you are involved with the political threads on the CB; you don’t know me.

If you’re on the political threads you either love me or hate me (depending on your political views). I doubt there is an in-between. I do have opinions. I have no problem whatsoever expressing those said opinions and when I’m ticked off I get a bit snarky. But even if you hate me and wish me to die a horrible and bitter death, there will be no politics in this trip report. Can I tell you how nice it was to have two weeks away from the news? Staying at a deluxe resort, they put the newspaper outside of your door each morning. It was all that I could do to not kick it as I left my room everyday. Who wants depressing news while at the Happiest Place on Earth? Seriously?

If you aren’t on the political threads, I don’t exist on this message board. Oh, I make posts but nothing noteworthy. Unless I’m ticking someone off about politics I sneak around this place pretty much unnoticed. I was lucky if I had two avid readers on my last trip report. (Hi Hound. You better be over here. )This will probably be the shortest 10 day trip report in the history of the DIS. Seriously. Placing bets here. PM me if you want in on the bet.

OK. Not really. I write. A lot.

I’m currently single so no husband or kids to spend money on – everything was allotted to this trip for me. It was a splurge trip, which I must say was quite nice. I know, I know – selfish me. Spending money allll on me. I guess that I need to learn to stop being so selfish incase that I ever do marry and actually have to spend my money on others. But right now it's all about me! OK, so there are some perks to being single… and that is one. You can treat yourself to a nice Disney trip.

I informed my family that on my birthday, December 30, my cell phone will be off. If they want to harass me for hitting that milestone birthday they’d have to pay money and fly to Disney to do so. Surprisingly, a few of them did.

I was to arrive on December 23, 2008 and depart on January 2, 2009. You might question – You’re going to be alone for Christmas??? as so many people did. I actually relished in the thought of spending Christmas alone at the "Happiest Place on Earth". I have a small family as it is and I’ve lost too many important people over the last few years (plus my sister is usually in England for the holidays) that Christmas is just not the same for me at this point in my life. Last year it was downright depressing and I wanted to get away this year and do something different. So, yup, I was spending Christmas alone… well, not exactly alone. I’d be spending it with about 100,000 + people from all over the world.

And a mouse.

In the initial planning a friend of mine from Hong Kong was going with me on the trip. We worked together in college and she did the College Program at Disney for six months before moving back to HK. She hasn’t been to the United States since 2003. Unfortunately, that plan fell through and it was just me left. My mother and grandmother were the first two to jump on board for the trip. My grandmother hadn’t been to Disney since the early 1980’s. I’d mention Disney and she’d go off down memory lane speaking of one attraction or another that she had such fond memories of but no longer exists … and hasn’t existed for such a long time that I had no idea what she was ever speaking of!

My aunt was next to commit to the trip. The plan was for my mother, grandmother and aunt to all arrive on December 27 and depart on December 31. Then I received a phone call from my uncle while at work one day. His travel agent was on the other line. He was not having his wife (I’m related to this aunt by marriage; uncle by blood) leave for Walt Disney World while he stayed home with the kids (ages 4 and 5). Trust me, he wasn’t going for my birthday trip – he was going because he loves Disney and wasn’t going to be left at home while the rest of us were there having fun.

So, my uncle, the kids and the nanny were arriving on December 29 and departing on January 3. We booked my mother and grandmother at the Caribbean Beach Resort. I was booked at the Boardwalk Inn. My aunt would be spending two nights with me there and then she’d move over to the Grand Floridian with my uncle, the nanny and the kids when they arrived.

Did I mention that I planned this trip for two years? I don’t think that I quite know what to do with myself now. No more planning; there currently isn’t a trip in the works. I have to spend this next Christmas in England so my vacation time and money is going for that.

I’m feeling a bit at a loss. I knew this sad day would come as I prepared the last of everything on December 22. I took that day off of work - thank goodness as it wound up being a pretty busy day.

Cat to the vet to be boarded? Check
Everything cleaned and garbage out? Check
All travel documents packed in carry-on? Check
New suitcase to hold everything? Check
(My last suitcase didn’t make it home entirely in one piece from the last trip it went on)
Everything packed from workout cloths (unneeded) to iphone charger (much needed)? Check
Going to bed at a decent hour so I can get up at 4AM? Uhhhh………

Yeah……..

I dragged my tired body out of bed …at 4:20 am. Twenty minutes after the alarm goes off. A sure sign that I’m getting OLD. I’m leaving for the airport to go to DISNEY in an hour and I don’t want to get out of bed. Seriously. I. Want. Sleep. Disney will still be there in another hour or so – right?

Hmmmmm……

I half heartily go through the motions of getting ready while casting longing looks towards my bed. Sleep, I want sleep. I finish up the last of the packing aka: cramming the last of my junk inside an already heavy suitcase. I’m packing for 10 days. There’s a lot of stuff that you need for 10 days. After that explanation to my aunt, she just stares at me.

“You don’t need all of that stuff, that’s why they have a laundry there”
“I’m not taking the time to do a load of laundry when there are parks to explore”
“That’s what the bag in your room is for. You stick the dirty laundry in the bag, hang it on the door and they do it for you”

*sigh* With my luck (as I have none) they’d lose my laundry.

Nope, I’m cramming 10 days worth of stuff in my suitcase – and then some.

My friend picks me up at 5:45 am (what a great friend I have) to take me to the airport. I’m at the airport by 6:00 am. I probably didn’t have to set my alarm for 4:00 am. I’m sure that if I’d gotten up at 5:00 am I still would have been on time. But I thought that I’d need lots of time to get ready and I thought that I’d be much more excited to go to DISNEY, you know, than I wound up being. Don’t get me wrong: I’m still excited but I didn’t take into consideration that I’m about to turn 30 in another week and my body is now OLD. It wants sleep. Sleep was put on a higher priority level than Disney.

Imagine that.



So, I’m at the airport. First on my list of things to do: be upgraded to 1st class. Afterall, it is my birthday trip. Nope, no such luck for me. All booked unless I wanted to wait for the 9:00 flight? Uh, no. Economy class is fine; just fine. (Besides, I booked this ticket on points. Round trip airfare for $25.00. Do I really want to pay money to be upgraded? Really?)

Second on my list: Starbucks. How did I ever survive before that place was founded, I’ll never know. So with my tall Cinnamon Dolce Latte (full of fat, no skim milk for me! This is vacation!) and banana nut muffin in hand I go and claim a seat in the waiting area outside of my gate.

Did I mention that I’m afraid to fly? Terrified is more like it. People say that the more you fly the easier it gets – it’s the exact opposite for me. The more I fly the more terrified I am. A few years ago I was on a flight from Shanghai, China to San Francisco. We hit air pockets over Toy… Japan. I’d say Toyoko but that country is so tiny our plane was probably over the entire country at the same time.

The aircraft would actually drop in the air and then shake violently. I’m clutching the armrests on my seat with a death grip silently praying “Please don’t let me die, God. Please don’t let me die”

I don’t do well flying. At all. I feel it the moment the plane makes a small dip and on take-off; that’s the worst. Here the plane engine has been revving up; ready for take-off. You’re getting faster and faster down the runway – the whole cabin is filled with the sound of the plane’s engine. You take off and you can still hear the engine strain as you climb higher and higher and then suddenly it’s quiet and you don’t feel that you are climbing anymore and you can’t hear the engine any longer and then you worry that the aircraft has lost engine power and you’re about to plummet to your death a few thousand feet below.

Or maybe it’s just me.

Yeah, most people would take something to put them to sleep for the flight. I’m not most people when I’m flying and don’t claim to be totally logical or rational about flying. My logical thought process is should the plane crash and I survive it, I want to be fully coherent in order to get myself off of the plane before I burn up from the fire. That makes sense right?

So, I suffer on flights. Any sign of turbulence and I’m panicking.

I booked early (so I could get the flight on points) and I selected my seat early. The rows were set up with 3 across on the right side of the plane and 2 across on the left. I had picked an A seat (left side of the plane). I must have a window seat when I fly. I don’t know why, maybe so I can watch the ground come closer and closer when we crash? My seatmate was a very un-talkative (fine by me!) guy that looked to be around my age.

I watched as he messed around with his cell phone and then put it into the pocket of the seat in front of him - still on. Everyone’s boarded and they come on with the instructions as we begin to pull away from our gate and make progress towards the runway. I’m looking out the window, trying to ignore the fact that he left his cell phone on. Especially when they get to the part about all electronics need to be turned off.

Ignoring… ignoring….

What if his phone causes the plane to crash?

Hey! Petrified person of flying here. Finally, not being able to take it anymore, I turn to …well, it was supposed to be a tap in the arm but it may have come out more towards a punch in the arm. He turns and looks down at me.

“Yes?”
“Your cell phone….”
He smiles. “It’s off.”
“Oh. OK.”

Back to minding my own business now. As long as it’s off and doesn’t cause the plane to crash… because if we start to go down and his phone is on and I determine that’s the cause of why we are crashing – he’s going to be praying that we hurry up and hit the ground after I’m done with him.

Finally, we’re up in the air. I pull out my massive book. My boss got me into the Twilight Series. I had no desire whatsoever to read that series. I’m really not into this whole “vampire” thing. My boss is about 10 years older than I am – not that she would like for me to publically declare that on a message board – but, hey, she won’t be reading this trip report. (At least I don’t think that she will).

(Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.......... I really would like to keep my job......)

I don’t know if she decided to read the book on her own or if her 17 yr old daughter was a bit of an influence – but she loves the books. She wanted me to read. I declined. After many conversations about the books I finally told her to bring me the first book and I’ll read it.

A couple of weeks go by and nothing. One day the conversation is brought back up and I question her for as to why she didn’t bring me the book. She informed me that she brought the book to work for me but then lent it to a co-worker as I “wouldn’t read it”.

Challenge Issued.

Challenge Accepted.

Bring me the dumb book.

Now.

She brought me the book and I read the first three books in just over a week-end. I saved the last book, Breaking Dawn, for the trip. I pulled out the monstrous book and began reading my way to Florida – desperately trying to ignore every little dip and patch of turbulence we hit. Each time we do, I frantically look up. My seatmate gives me questioning looks every now and then.

No, I’m not insane (ok.. ok.. that’s debatable) just petrified of flying!

We are finally in Florida. How do I know? Oh, by looking down and seeing a lake every other block….

…. and is that a plane flying sideways??? Seriously, a small corporate looking jet is flying sideways over a lake. I watch it cross the lake. Sideways.

Is that possible?

Hmmmm…. may be seeing things and haven’t even had a drink yet.

Not a good sign.

We finally land at MCO. At our company Christmas party this year (well, technically last year as we are now in 2009), the partners of my firm hired a comedian to entertain us. At one part of his performance he was joking about when on a plane and you arrive at the gate, all of the people who are sitting at a window seat try to stand up as soon as the plane rolls to a stop (even though they can’t fully stand under the luggage bin) and for what purpose as no one is going anywhere yet?

Yup, that’s me. At 5’3, I can almost stand fully upright under those luggage bins and I don’t care that I have to stand there for a few seconds like that - I want off the plane.

Remember – petrified of flying here? I want off the object that scares me so badly.

Oh. And I can be a bit impatient at times.



(I promised my mother I’d take her to Australia in the next couple of years. I seriously don’t know how I’m going to survive that flight. I may finally have to cave and take something for it.)

I’m off the plane pretty quick because I was (almost) standing as soon as the plane rolled to a stop and I trampled over small children and pets (wait, maybe there weren’t pets on my flight. What was that I stepped on then?? Hmmmm….) in my haste to get to the exit. Down the boarding ramp I trot. Happy to be off that plane. I do love the Magical Express – I love that I don’t have to detour to baggage claim but can head directly to the transportation area.

…now exactly where is that? I veered off towards the A terminal when I should have gone to B. I stop dead in my tracks. How to get to B? I notice my seatmate walk on by (giving me yet another look. I'm not insane! Promise! Just scared of flying!) while I’m standing in the middle of the walkway, becoming a barrier, looking stupid and confused while everyone else is passing on by. I turn around toward the direction from which I came but couldn’t even take one step before security was turning me back around.

No, no, no. Bad me. I was making an illegal move. Didn't I noticed that 'Do Not Enter' sign above in the entire 1.5 seconds that I was facing that direction? But how to get over to the other terminal?

Apparently very easy as the guy walks me forward a few steps and then points to my right.

Oh.

Off I go. Check in for the Magical Express was a breeze; waited maybe five minutes. I go over to my line for the Boardwalk and am the only one in line. I stand there maybe for a moment or two before they send me on to a motor coach. There are a couple of families already on the bus as I take my seat. We do sit there for maybe five minutes as they wait for one other family and then we’re off. I continue to read my book – or at least attempt to. I haven’t made it very far into the story. It really doesn’t seem to be thirty minutes before we’re pulling into our first stop: Caribbean Beach Resort. Everyone on the bus was Boardwalk, Beach Club or Caribbean Beach. I readily looked around as this is the resort that I booked for my mother and grandmother and hoped that they like it. Anything that has the word “beach” in it - you can’t go wrong as far as my mother is concerned.

Next stop: Disney’s Boardwalk Resort.

 

[Soarin08]

FIRST TO READ!!!!!!!!!

Subbing!!!!!!!!

YAYYY!! Love it!!

But wait.... who are you?? I'm not involved in political threads....

Just kidding!!!! I look forward to reading more!! I'm still trying to remember if I saw you perhaps that night at GG....

 

[Dolce27]

FIRST TO READ!!!!!!!!!

Subbing!!!!!!!!

YAYYY!! Love it!!

Woo-hoo! Soarin's first! I'm debating if I should add more tonight - that part was already long enough and I'm barley to Disney yet!

 

[onelilspark]

That was quite the intro!!

I have another problem on planes: everyone I sit next to always decides I know where I'm going and winds up deciding to follow me to baggage claim.

 

[Soarin08]

Woo-hoo! Soarin's first! I'm debating if I should add more tonight - that part was already long enough and I'm barley to Disney yet!

Hmmm????? You mean barely?

I'm just teasing ya...

Keep going!!!

 

[Dolce27]

That was quite the intro!!

I have another problem on planes: everyone I sit next to always decides I know where I'm going and winds up deciding to follow me to baggage claim.

That's funny. You must have a look about you that makes them think you always know where you're going. Try looking more clueless next time?

Hmmm????? You mean barely?

It's almost bedtime. I'm allowed spelling errors after 8pm.

 

[DISUNC]

Why do ONLY 30 years olds think 30 is OLD? WAIT! (EVIL LAUGH.KACKLE)

subbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbin.

 

[wonderlanne]

 

[Dolce27]

Why do ONLY 30 years olds think 30 is OLD? WAIT! (EVIL LAUGH.KACKLE)

subbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbin.

Because everything is in hindsight. And if feels that once you hit 30 ... it's allllll downhill from there.

 

[Soarin08]

It's almost bedtime. I'm allowed spelling errors after 8pm.

If ya say so....

But I'm an English major now. I'm gonna point those things out.

 

[onelilspark]

barley to Disney...hmmm, no drinking and driving, k? even in the name of getting to WDW!

 

[OhMari]

The aircraft would actually drop in the air and then shake violently. I’m clutching the armrests on my seat with a death grip silently praying “Please don’t let me die, God. Please don’t let me die”

I don’t do well flying. At all. I feel it the moment the plane makes a small dip and on take-off; that’s the worst. Here the plane engine has been revving up; ready for take-off. You’re getting faster and faster down the runway – the whole cabin is filled with the sound of the plane’s engine. You take off and you can still hear the engine strain as you climb higher and higher and then suddenly it’s quiet and you don’t feel that you are climbing anymore and you can’t hear the engine any longer and then you worry that the aircraft has lost engine power and you’re about to plummet to your death a few thousand feet below.

I was fine till I read this paragraph.
I have to fly a puddle jumper when I get to Atlanta.
I'm flying on a decent plane from Milwaukee to Atlanta,
then a puddle jumper to Savannah.

Great intro.

Did you stay at the Boardwalk Inn. or Boardwalk Villa's?

 

[Soarin08]

barley to Disney...hmmm, no drinking and driving, k? even in the name of getting to WDW!

That's exactly what I thought!!!

 

["Got Disney"]

That was fun to read...and you are soooooooooooo old you are guess if you are old at 30 than at 51 my age I must be farting dust

I loved my 30's and 40's they were great..so un hectic like my 20's...everything fell right into place. Will have to see about my 50's

I cant wait to read the rest...thanks for PMing me with the link

 

[Dolce27]

I don’t know how many years it has been since I decided that this was the resort I wanted to stay at … but it was love at first sight. This was my first, and much anticipated, visit and I eagerly bounded down off of the bus and practically skipped into the lobby. Earlier I wanted sleep – but sleep? Seriously? Overrated. I was at the Boardwalk!

I arrived at 12:00 PM and I walked up to no line at check-in. You know, I’m celebrating my 30th birthday… wonder if I can upgrade to concierge? Actually, I attempted to do that back at the end of October but everything was already booked… but the economy took a hit just as final payment was due for this time period… maybe, just maybe, there were some last minute cancellations?

Nope. I told you. I have no luck.

But seriously… I’m at the Boardwalk Inn! I’m not that disappointed that I couldn’t score a concierge room.

I’m practically standing on the balls of my feet in anticipation for my room. Well, that and the counter is a bit high and I’m only 5’-3”. I did pay for a water view room and I was praying for a boardwalk view. The guy helping me was on the college program, from Boston College, and was nice and talkative… which was a good thing as I was still standing there one hour later.

I had purchased a Magic Your Way package but when he pulled up my reservation only my room came up and the 10 day park hopper pass was a no show. Luckily, I had the documents showing that I’d already paid for the park pass. The problem came when trying to get the computer to reflect that the pass was already paid for when they added it onto my room. It took a full hour to get that straightened out – but no worries, I’m at Disney and the guy already had my room number (room 3219 with a boardwalk view!!!) and I’m at Disney! Anymore need to be said?

They did credit me $50.00 on my account as an apology for my having to wait. I honestly didn’t have a problem with the wait. I just stood there and chatted about everything, but primarily about Disney, as I waited. They probably know my entire life story now.

Finally I was off. I was totally turned around inside of the hallways. In my confusion I felt that the room doors leading to the garden view rooms should have been the boardwalk view side and vice versa. Seriously, east was west, north was south and up was down. Will someone please buy me a compass – I think that it would be in my best interest to have one. I’ve heard people before comment on just how far of a walk those rooms can be. Luckily, I love to walk but I could see how some people would hate it coming back in from a long day at the park toting small children with them. Seriously, my room, from the elevator bank, was in EPCOT. Just past the Eiffel Tower in the French pavilion. I could yell down from my balcony to the bakery each morning and they’d toss a croissant up to me.

In actuality, I was above the Yard Arcade just to the left of the ESPN Club. But it felt like EPCOT. My room was perfect. Seriously, I’m moving in. Disney will negotiate a reasonable monthly rent for the room (as in the total monthly rent would be equivalent to the price of a two night stay?) Right? Right?

They were going to have to kick me out come January 2. I wasn’t going anywhere.

*sigh* I loved that bed

Note: the door that you see is a door to a connecting room and not the hallway. I didn't photograph the entry, the dressing area or the bathroom.

In fact, for the very first time in my life I unpacked my suitcase in a hotel room. I normally just live out of my suitcase. Not this time. There are drawers and a closet to put stuff in and that’s exactly what I did later that night when my luggage arrived. As for right then, I went over an opened my balcony door and a classic version of Silver Bells drifted inside of my room. It was just perfect. The day was beautiful. It was 30-something when I left Dallas but at least upper 70’s here. I don’t think there was a cloud in the sky. The boardwalk was active down below with people walking hand in hand or sitting at a table watching the ferry come in and out as they grabbed a bite to eat. Mixtures of voices, along with laughter, begin to drift up to me along with the music.

*sigh*

Nope, not going anywhere. I’m moving in. I’ll deal with Disney later but right now it was time for my own bite to eat. I made my way down to the boardwalk and stopped in at the bakery. There was a bit of a line but it moved quickly. I grabbed a chicken salad sandwich and a oatmeal cookie. It was after 1:30 and I wanted to be over at the Studios by 2:00 at the latest. Carrying my food, I began to walk as I ate. I had no idea how to get to the Studios from the Boardwalk. I knew that there is a path that you can walk.

……. and that was all that I knew.


So I began the trek down the boardwalk. I left the Inn behind and was now in front of the DVC villas. There had been a webcam up that someone (on the DIS? or did people on the DIS just find this one and link to it?) I’d been watching the boardwalk from that webcam for the last two days. Suddenly I realized that I was next to the basketball hoops. I stopped and looked to my left. Yup. There was the webcam on a balcony.

If anyone was paying attention at that time – that was me clutching food in one hand and waving like an idiot with the other. Oh, it might not have been as noticeable but there was a massive grin plastered on my face also. It was one of those I’m at Disney World grins that are a mandatory requirement to wear while at the “Happiest Place on Earth”.

I continue on. I finally figure out the trail and make good haste to the studios.

The walk was nice; everything was so calm and serene.

On the way I meet a bird. I have no idea what this bird was doing. If anyone understands birds – please explain this pose to me.

I walked around the bird taking a few photos from different angles and the bird watched me, regardless of which direction I moved, but not once did it stop its pose.

Leaving the bird behind, I finish my trek to MGM… uh… I mean, DHS. As a former castmember of that park, it will always be MGM to me.

It’s almost 2:00 in the afternoon on a day leading into the busiest week of the year. My expectations? There’s going to be a lot of people in the park. The reality? There were a lot of people in park. I had a game plan: I’m racing down Sunset Blvd to grab a fastpass for Tower of Terror and then I’m waiting in line for Toy Story Mania.

Yup.

You read that right.

I’m waiting in line for Toy Story Mania.

It hasn’t been toooo bad yet. People have been posting 1 ½ hour waits. I can do that. I don’t have anything serious planned for today. I’m enjoying the atmosphere. It’ll be nice to see the full queue of Toy Story Mania… you should always do that at least once. Correct?

So, off I race down Sunset Blvd to Tower. It’s pretty easy to race around when you are a party of one. See – another plus for being single … or at least being solo to Disney during the busiest time of the year. Unless you accidently step on them, punch them, knock them out of your way or cause their kid to cry; people simply don’t notice you. You can effortlessly weave in and out of crowds and bypass large masses of people rushing to queue up for Soarin’ just after rope drop - and they never see you coming or whizzing past them. It’s great!

So, I’m weaving in and out of people crowding Sunset Blvd, clueless as for what they should do next. I snatch a fastpass at Tower – the return time already at 6:45 pm and than am off as I race to Toy Story Mania.

Fast Passes out, as expected…. Standby line….

130 minutes. Just over 2 hours… that’s not that bad.. right? Right? Into the line I hop. I’m outside. Taking pictures. Watching the family (who later in the line I get to know quite well – nice family) try to sit so therefore, when the line moved forward, you’d have to wait for them to 1) notice and 2) stand up and gather their stuff so they can move forward only to find another patch of concrete to sit back down on. And then we’d go through the entire process again. And again. And again…

It was right around this time that I had an Oh Crap! feeling.

I hadn’t written down my room number.

I didn’t know my room number.

It was going to be a fun night later if I couldn't figure out my room number.
(Note to self: It's located in EPCOT.
.... got it!)

Oh well, worry about that later. Back to standing in line.

By the time I’ve come to the end of the outdoor portion of the queue and am about to enter the main building, I glance up to see the current stand-by posting.

160 minutes. That’s just over 2 ½ hours. That’s not too bad. Right? Right?

You know, the queue is rather boring. I'm sorry if others like it. I didn’t find a single thing inside that I wanted a picture of. For an attraction that draws that kind of attendance, can they please spice up the queue area a bit? Please?

So, what do you do in a 2 ½ area queue when you have nothing to do?

1) Call your boss at work.

“Umm…why are you calling? You’re supposed to be on vacation.”
“I am.. I am… just standing in a 2 hour line. So, how’s everything at work?” aka: going good? I haven’t accidently screwed something up that has now been discovered in my absence and will have to clean out my desk upon my return - will I?

2) Take pictures of the wait time sign with your iphone and e-mail your mother: This is why I'm making you get out of bed before the crack of dawn next week... do you really want to wait in this long of a line??

3) Speak to those in line with you. Talking passes time. Talking a lot passes a lot of time.

I chatted with the family in front of me. (They were no longer having to sit on patches of concrete, they upgraded to handrails )

The couple behind me. They looked to be twenty something–ish and from the New England area.

An older – and I do mean older – little old man who was hobbling in that 2 ½ hour line on a cane. He and his wife were from Puerto Rico. Very cute couple. I really couldn’t chat with them much – a bit too far behind and I’m not certain as to how good their English was. I had to wait until certain points of the queue where I was standing next them again in order to speak with them. I asked which one was going to win – I think she was going to kick his butt.

I do admit, the Mr. Potato head was a good idea – but can his loop be just a bit – alright – A LOT – longer? It seemed to loop every five minutes and trust me – in a two + hour line – that wasn’t long enough.

“Thank you. I’ll be here all week. With the way this line is moving, you will too”

Sadly, I was worried that he was pretty accurate on that.

Why did I ever think it would be a good idea to enter a 2 ½ hour line? Someone, please knock me upside the head If I ever attempt it again.

Almost three hours later I see IT.

IT is the END OF THE LINE It exists! It’s a miracle. Look! CM’s directing people into cars.

The sky opens up. The sun pours down. I’m down on my knees in humble thankfulness that there’s an end to this madness of a line.

And you know what? I thought the attraction was Eh?

I waited for almost three hours for Eh?

What was I thinking?!?!?!

Someone, just do it now. Reach through your computer screen and knock me upside the head now. It’s ok. I give you permission.

Alright. Toy Story Maina? Check.

Done. Finished. Complete. I can now say “I did it.”

I did it.

Moving on. Back to Sunset Blvd to check out the singles line for Rock n Rollercoaster. The last time I was here, the singles line didn’t exist.

I would like to take a moment to note that this attraction was put in the summer that I worked at MGM. (It was MGM back then) Cast Preview week was a blast until the last couple of days when all of the other cast members realized that they hadn’t ridden it yet and only had a day or two left to do so before the public soft openings began. Then it became quite busy.

But… back to present day… almost 10 years later ( I really am getting old) the single riders line was “temporarily” closed, the stand-by line was huge and if there were any fast passes left, it would be for a return time later than I wanted to be in the park.

So what’s a girl to do?

Shop!

 

[Soarin08]

I love Boardwalk already and I've never even been there (your room is GORGEOUS!!!!)!! We wanted to go over there and look around but didn't get the chance too.

160 minutes for TSM?? And we were worried about a 40 minute wait....

 

[Dolce27]

If ya say so....

But I'm an English major now. I'm gonna point those things out.

Oh, help. You're going to have a field day with me, I'm sure.

barley to Disney...hmmm, no drinking and driving, k? even in the name of getting to WDW!

Not even that yummy looking glow-tini that someone has posted elsewhere?
Don't worry, you'll never have to worry about me drinking and driving.... now drinking and walking has proven to be a bit of a problem before.

I was fine till I read this paragraph.
I have to fly a puddle jumper when I get to Atlanta.
I'm flying on a decent plane from Milwaukee to Atlanta,
then a puddle jumper to Savannah.

Great intro.

Did you stay at the Boardwalk Inn. or Boardwalk Villa's?

Boardwalk Inn. I loved it. I've never been on a puddle jumper before but I have a feeling that I never want to be on one - huh?

[QUOTE="Got Disney";29614712]That was fun to read...and you are soooooooooooo old you are guess if you are old at 30 than at 51 my age I must be farting dust

I loved my 30's and 40's they were great..so un hectic like my 20's...everything fell right into place. Will have to see about my 50's

I cant wait to read the rest...thanks for PMing me with the link [/QUOTE]

Welcome Got Disney!

 

[debbieandroo]

subbing, Dolce - great first paragraph [I'm a slow reader...]

And you are beautiful, dahling!!!!! What's all this weight you kept talking about having to lose??? I don't see a thing!

After I finish my other [con] thread, I'll tackle this one....

and welcome back - you were missed

 

[onelilspark]

3 hours for TSM? You're braver than I am. Unless the line is under 20 minutes (hah. haha...) it's fastpass for me!

 

[Soarin08]

3 hours for TSM? You're braver than I am. Unless the line is under 20 minutes (hah. haha...) it's fastpass for me!

But then again, if I were by myself, I'd just wait in line.