What was your biggest surprise about America?

[Tinks1984]

Me too! the grass at the Pop looked so neat that I walked on it barefoot - ouch! my toes looked like they had been tickled by Freddy Krueger

Ooooo ouch! Doesn't sound too good at all!

 

[wicket2005]

The individual hairs on the pirate's leg who is sitting on the bridge on the pirate ride. So life like.

 

[Jordanblackpool]

Id just say the fact that no matter where you are someone will talk to you, I flew out to meet family in Orlando who were already on holiday, I had to fly via Phillie, sat in a bar in Phillie a guy bought me a beer and my dinner and then went to get his flight, never even found out his name! Then on the flight from Phillie-Orlando the lady next to me spoke to me for the full two hours! I just find them so friendly!

 

[darthtatty]

I hate those gaps!! I always feel soooo embarrassed!

The big gaps between the doors on the "restrooms" I am always paranoid that people can see in!

i hate those gaps too. i could see in so others must be able too. in some of them i could fit my fingers through the gaps they were that big.

 

[AmyGrace]

I first went when I was 6 and I remember being scared by how big the roads are!

 

[Tinks1984]

I first went when I was 6 and I remember being scared by how big the roads are!

I'd agree with that too! I remember when we were younger, we'd got half way across a crossing and it just changed, I really don't know how quickly they expect people to get across there!

 

[AmyGrace]

I'd agree with that too! I remember when we were younger, we'd got half way across a crossing and it just changed, I really don't know how quickly they expect people to get across there!

LOL! I thought that too!

 

[xenole]

Already mentioned, but the heat. Remember stepping out of Orlando International for the first time in the heat. Quite a shock to the system (still not as bad as getting back to London and finding it ws about 20-30C colder whilst wearing a t-shirt!)

Love the Florida grass. It looks so different from ours - tall, lush, different green altogether.

Toilets. Never got used to them having the water 3/4 of the way up the bowl which amplifies things when you go for a No1 etc.

Hershey bars taste like you've thrown up. Seriously, how exactly do they get that unique taste?

NYC subways. Thought they would be cold like in London but was taken aback by how warm they were and the blast of heat when a train comes along (September time)

 

[gemmybear83]

That music came out rocks in the theme parks Me and my dad were amazed by the music everywhere, and even now when coem home from Florida or DLRP I miss the cheerful music thats comes from these "magic" rocks!

 

[bavaria]

I'm bumping this per NikitaZee's request..... they would like to hear more responses



my contribution is also the water level in the toilet, and only having one flush option instead of two (and one consistent way to flush a toilet, instead of the 107 ways found around Europe to flush a toilet! )

 

[MariDisney]

I'm bumping this per NikitaZee's request..... they would like to hear more responses



my contribution is also the water level in the toilet, and only having one flush option instead of two (and one consistent way to flush a toilet, instead of the 107 ways found around Europe to flush a toilet! )

Having never been out of the US, I am trying to picture how else to flush a toilet. I can think of maybe 3 ways. I'm going to lose sleep tonight.

 

[golfgal]

Ok, I have to pipe in about the grass--Florida grass is NOT the norm over here. The rest of the country has normal grass like you see in England, I don't know what is up with Florida "grass". The stuff they grow there is the stuff we kill in our lawns .

Oh, and post more impressions--these are REALLY interesting to read. Thanks!!

 

[OK!]

Having never been out of the US, I am trying to picture how else to flush a toilet. I can think of maybe 3 ways. I'm going to lose sleep tonight.

Me too! I think I'd almost be afraid to use one of those fancy multi-flushable toilets for fear of making the wrong choice and embarrassing myself.

 

[Jool-e]

Hershey bars taste like you've thrown up. Seriously, how exactly do they get that unique taste?

Well as you can see I'm American, but I completely agree. Hershey bars make my throat hurt. They have an almost acidic taste to me. Huge fan of any other chocolate bar though.

This thread is pretty amusing

 

[bavaria]

Having never been out of the US, I am trying to picture how else to flush a toilet. I can think of maybe 3 ways. I'm going to lose sleep tonight.

Me too! I think I'd almost be afraid to use one of those fancy multi-flushable toilets for fear of making the wrong choice and embarrassing myself.

• pull a chain
• step on a knob on the floor
• step on a lever on the floor
• push the small circle inside the big circle
• push the big circle outside of the small circle
• pull the knob on top of the toilet
• push the knob on top of the toilet
• push a lever
• pull a lever

Those are just a few ways. The knobs and levers and buttons may be in one of many different locations, too. Imagine all the fights you could all have on the Community Board - that is why I am always confused by the 'do you use your foot to flush' threads.

And there are also many kinds of self cleaning toilets too!

And then we move on to other parts of the world - which includes things like pick up the pail and toss water into the bowl, or the many ways to use a squat toilet.

The DIS would have to have a whole board just for toilet arguments, I think, if in America there was such a wide variety of flushing options.

 

[MariDisney]

--snipped

Imagine all the fights you could all have on the Community Board - that is why I am always confused by the 'do you use your foot to flush' threads.

--snipped

The DIS would have to have a whole board just for toilet arguments, I think, if in America there was such a wide variety of flushing options.

Given some of the current conversations, one about flushing may be a step in the right direction.

 

[bavaria]

Given some of the current conversations, one about flushing may be a step in the right direction.

Every thread on the CB eventually turns to poop, doesn't it, just as every thread on the Transportation Board eventually turns to chocolate?

(With apologies for turning this thread into the toilet!)

Hopefully when the posters in the UK wake up they will have something more to add than just toilet talk.

 

[MariDisney]

Every thread on the CB eventually turns to poop, doesn't it, just as every thread on the Transportation Board eventually turns to chocolate?

(With apologies for turning this thread into the toilet!)

Hopefully when the posters in the UK wake up they will have something more to add than just toilet talk.

I have to chuckle a little bit. I didn't realize I was posting on the UK board. I use the "new posts" search function and see what catches my fancy. I must have seen your name, Bavaria, and thought I was heading the the Transportation board.

Now that you've mentioned chocolate...

 

[wilma-bride]

My biggest one was that when people say 'Have a nice day' they actually sound like they mean it. Having only eer heard it in fast food restaurants as aprt of their 'spiel', I wasn't expecting it to sound so sincere.

Also, the fact that everything seems so clean and bright - the UK always looks really dirty and dull to me when we come home.

And our first evening in the states, on our very first trip, we saw a guy driving down I-Drive in a convertible with a huge great python round his neck - and it didn't seem at all strange

 

[pixiepower04]

I agree with most of what has already been mentioned but

I love being called Ma'am, it is just so nice.

Being able to drive in any lane on the freeway scares the bejeezus out of me and i'm not the one driving

But for me the number one thing is that astounds me, every single time is the patrotism. I love how much the americans love their country and their culture and each other. I love their history (part our history) and how it's never forgotten and is in fact celebrated.

The other thing I love is how much and how well they look after their veterans and serving members of the forces. That salute at Seaworld always makes me shed a tear