What's in a title anyway? How about 1300 pictures? 4/15/11-> Bonus Section pt1 & 2

[DevonsDisneyMom]

Hi Rob, I'm subbing in! I just found your TR this morning and was so happy to see the PHILLIES logo at the beginning of your TR... 1st thought was YES a Phillies Fan!!! But then, I realized we practically live around the corner from each other... We're from Folcroft! Wait it gets better, so I'm looking at your pictures and I am going man this family looks SO familiar, I'm sure I have seen them around town before... But then it hits me at about page 10 of you TR!!!

I KNOW your Wife's family!!! My brother Tim is good friends with your BIL Sean!!! What a "SMALL WORLD"!!!!

Anyway, great report! We were there a few weeks after you guys... First week in Dec and of course we were there during the cold spell in FL. I wanted to cry! The whole point of going to Disney in Dec was to escape the COLD in Philly! But we made the best of it and are already planning our next Disney vacation. We're heading back down in Sept, so I don't think cold will be an issue huh?

Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

 

[MadilynnsMomma]

You.

What am I gonna do with you?

You know what I mean.

Na seriously, last night I was a few hrs out on a run and just miserable. I walked into this warehouse and had a look on my face that made the guy there walk on eggshells. He had to go check something in the back so I pulled out my phone and read this message. THANK GOD I wasn't drinking a cup of coffee or anything because it would have gone out my nose and all over their nice clean dock. When he came back out to where I was I just got done laughing and had a big grin on my face....I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm bi-polar now

b/t/w
I edited your last statement so now it doesn't count! Good luck!
I think you need to be there at LEAST 1/2 early for them to pick you!

Always glad to turn a grouchy-gills into a smiling Simon! Thanks for the edit, I may attempt an early arrival, but seeing as how I haven't made it to a single rope drop... we'll see...

 

[jenniferreich]

Thank you so much for your kind and very helpful reply! That's neat that you drive to the Lehigh Valley area!

I am so happy to hear that we picked such a great week! We're really psyched. Probably staying at All-Star Sports. My wish is to stay at each resort once. So far we've stayed at All-Star Music and Movies, Pop Century, and Port Orleans French Quarter. We were going to stay at Caribbean Beach, and I am really tempted after seeing your great photos, but I figure best to stay at the All-Stars while our kids are small. Plus it looks like right now it's around a $400 price difference!

We have a double stroller, but it's too small for my five-year-old to be comfy, so I think we're going to rent a double stroller from Magic Strollers. It was that or rent them from WDW, so I left it up to my husband, who says he doesn't mind folding it up and hauling it onto and off of the buses. I think it's wonderful to have a stroller after a long day at the park to get from the gate to the bus and from the bus to the room, otherwise we'd be carrying our kids!

Your sons are much more adventurous than mine! I'm not planning to get them on much beyond Goofy's Barnstormer, which might not even be there when we get there w/the Fantasyland expansion! I look forward to reading more of your report, and I hope you're having a great day! Jennifer

 

[Phillygrl23]

Just wanted to say I am loving your TR. Also, I hail from delco as well! Glad to see you are raising your children right as Phillies Fans!

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Hi Rob, I'm subbing in! I just found your TR this morning and was so happy to see the PHILLIES logo at the beginning of your TR... 1st thought was YES a Phillies Fan!!! But then, I realized we practically live around the corner from each other... We're from Folcroft! Wait it gets better, so I'm looking at your pictures and I am going man this family looks SO familiar, I'm sure I have seen them around town before... But then it hits me at about page 10 of you TR!!!

I KNOW your Wife's family!!! My brother Tim is good friends with your BIL Sean!!! What a "SMALL WORLD"!!!!

Anyway, great report! We were there a few weeks after you guys... First week in Dec and of course we were there during the cold spell in FL. I wanted to cry! The whole point of going to Disney in Dec was to escape the COLD in Philly! But we made the best of it and are already planning our next Disney vacation. We're heading back down in Sept, so I don't think cold will be an issue huh?

Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

I'm pretty sure cold won't cross your mind down there in September But I totally know where you're at with it being cold in Florida...it sux! We were there a year ago for the 1st week of January. The day before we got there it was 82. The whole time we were there it only hit 50 2 days that week and the rest of the time it was FREEZING! That was all the news kept talking about. They actually were cutting oranges in half to see if they were frozen inside......that was the top story all week!

I read your post on my phone yesterday while we were at the please touch museum and handed t over to Tina. She agrees....VERY SMALL WORLD What are the odds? In my last TR I had gotten a PM saying one of my readers (not gonna mention any names out there ) saw a picture I posted of a friend of mine that we met there in one of the parks. Her daughter and his daughter go to dance class together...seriously what are the odds? Maybe we go to Disney too much Maybe I'm just on the Disboards too often Either way, I gotta finish this up before the May trip!

Always glad to turn a grouchy-gills into a smiling Simon! Thanks for the edit, I may attempt an early arrival, but seeing as how I haven't made it to a single rope drop... we'll see...

I'll be holding my breath

Thank you so much for your kind and very helpful reply! That's neat that you drive to the Lehigh Valley area!

I am so happy to hear that we picked such a great week! We're really psyched. Probably staying at All-Star Sports. My wish is to stay at each resort once. So far we've stayed at All-Star Music and Movies, Pop Century, and Port Orleans French Quarter. We were going to stay at Caribbean Beach, and I am really tempted after seeing your great photos, but I figure best to stay at the All-Stars while our kids are small. Plus it looks like right now it's around a $400 price difference!

We have a double stroller, but it's too small for my five-year-old to be comfy, so I think we're going to rent a double stroller from Magic Strollers. It was that or rent them from WDW, so I left it up to my husband, who says he doesn't mind folding it up and hauling it onto and off of the buses. I think it's wonderful to have a stroller after a long day at the park to get from the gate to the bus and from the bus to the room, otherwise we'd be carrying our kids!

Your sons are much more adventurous than mine! I'm not planning to get them on much beyond Goofy's Barnstormer, which might not even be there when we get there w/the Fantasyland expansion! I look forward to reading more of your report, and I hope you're having a great day! Jennifer

Caribbean Beach really was nice and I would LOVE to stay there again, BUT that $400 is the reason we will be trying out POP in 2 months for the first time and not going back there right now. Oh well, like you, we would like to try out all the different hotels too but it's so hard when you really like every one so much isn't it?

The stroller is worth having, I can't stress that enough. Check out the budget boards here on the Dis, they used to do Stroller Swaps that were free once you got on a list. That's how we were first introduced to the jogging stroller

Just wanted to say I am loving your TR. Also, I hail from delco as well! Glad to see you are raising your children right as Phillies Fans!

Big shout out to all my Delco peeps!
Hope you got your Phillies tickets already. You know it's going to be tough to even get a standing room ticket with the lineup we have now! I'm watching to see when the Nationals tickets go on sale because we play them down there in August the weekend of Tina's birthday. Already took that Friday off and booked a room

How are you enjoying all this snow from last night
My buddy's wife is in Disney as we speak with their kids band trip. Last night she called to see how the weather was and to let us know that it was 82 down there and the water felt great at the pool.....it's just not right!

 

[Phillygrl23]

Boo to snow, but we just booked a Spring Break Trip in April, so I will be in Dis soon

I got my Phillies tickets last Thursday! Aug 12 (I think, its a Friday) game against Nationals..can't wait. Can't wait to see what happens to Jayson and more so give the Phillies another win!!

Edit: OT:Have you seen the youtube video of "Cliff Lee and Jayson Werth" as bears? It's hilarious! I highly recommend it!

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Boo to snow, but we just booked a Spring Break Trip in April, so I will be in Dis soon

I got my Phillies tickets last Thursday! Aug 12 (I think, its a Friday) game against Nationals..can't wait. Can't wait to see what happens to Jayson and more so give the Phillies another win!!

Edit: OT:Have you seen the youtube video of "Cliff Lee and Jayson Werth" as bears? It's hilarious! I highly recommend it!

Seriously, some people have WAY too much time on their hands


Have Phun (yea I did) in April! Just to make you want it even more, go look out front at all the snow in your yard and remember that it is going to hit 82 and sunny down there today

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

I'm pretty sure cold won't cross your mind down there in September But I totally know where you're at with it being cold in Florida...it sux! We were there a year ago for the 1st week of January. The day before we got there it was 82. The whole time we were there it only hit 50 2 days that week and the rest of the time it was FREEZING! That was all the news kept talking about. They actually were cutting oranges in half to see if they were frozen inside......that was the top story all week!

I read your post on my phone yesterday while we were at the please touch museum and handed t over to Tina. She agrees....VERY SMALL WORLD What are the odds? In my last TR I had gotten a PM saying one of my readers (not gonna mention any names out there ) saw a picture I posted of a friend of mine that we met there in one of the parks. Her daughter and his daughter go to dance class together...seriously what are the odds? Maybe we go to Disney too much Maybe I'm just on the Disboards too often Either way, I gotta finish this up before the May trip!

Ugh! I was so annoyed with how cold it was, the day we left I checked the forecast to make sure I packed right and sure enough it said mid 70's all week! So needless to say I was totally unprepared! Thank goodness I packed at least a few pair of pants or we would have been totally screwed!

But YES it really is a small world! And there is no way you can go to Disney TOO MUCH! Can't wait to hear more about your Nov trip! You're so lucky, by the time you finish it up you'll be heading back down. We on the other have to wait till August!

So are you guys heading to any Phillies games soon? I bought my dad and brothers a 6 pack of tickets for Christmas, and of course my son Devon who is 9 was a little annoyed (guess a surprise trip to Disney for 10 days for Christmas was apparently not enough) he didn't get tickets so of course I felt bad so I got him and myself a 3 ticket pack a few weeks ago, and he will get those in his Easter basket! Man I am so excited for this season. Wishing April would hurry up and get here, especially with this stupid snow we got this morning!

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Ugh! I was so annoyed with how cold it was, the day we left I checked the forecast to make sure I packed right and sure enough it said mid 70's all week! So needless to say I was totally unprepared! Thank goodness I packed at least a few pair of pants or we would have been totally screwed!

But YES it really is a small world! And there is no way you can go to Disney TOO MUCH! Can't wait to hear more about your Nov trip! You're so lucky, by the time you finish it up you'll be heading back down. We on the other have to wait till August!

So are you guys heading to any Phillies games soon? I bought my dad and brothers a 6 pack of tickets for Christmas, and of course my son Devon who is 9 was a little annoyed (guess a surprise trip to Disney for 10 days for Christmas was apparently not enough) he didn't get tickets so of course I felt bad so I got him and myself a 3 ticket pack a few weeks ago, and he will get those in his Easter basket! Man I am so excited for this season. Wishing April would hurry up and get here, especially with this stupid snow we got this morning!

From what I've read till now, in the summer it's going to be hot and it's going to rain. October through February you need to pack for EVERY possibility and hope things go in your favor.

I have to check with Tina, I know she got tickets for September and I think for a game in June. Our schedules make things pretty tricky to plan out too much but we may make it to one or two more on top of that.

I'd like to have the next update up this evening but we'll see how the night goes. It's been killing me lately with not being able to get out updates as much as I should be because I'm really enjoying all the pictures.....does that come off as being coincided? Oh well, either way stop back later tonight and keep your fingers crossed

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

From what I've read till now, in the summer it's going to be hot and it's going to rain. October through February you need to pack for EVERY possibility and hope things go in your favor.

I have to check with Tina, I know she got tickets for September and I think for a game in June. Our schedules make things pretty tricky to plan out too much but we may make it to one or two more on top of that.

I'd like to have the next update up this evening but we'll see how the night goes. It's been killing me lately with not being able to get out updates as much as I should be because I'm really enjoying all the pictures.....does that come off as being coincided? Oh well, either way stop back later tonight and keep your fingers crossed

You definitely do need to pack for EVERY season is those off/winter months. I did that when we went in Dec 2008 and I had so much that I didn't end up needed, that I did pack as much this past Dec. Lesson learned... Always over pack! But honestly after that cold spell we dealt with I doubt I'll d in Dec again. I love all the Christmas decor and all so I think I'll try mid to late Nov next time we go.

Can't wait for the next installment! And no it does not sound coincided at all... You take great pics from what I have seen so far!

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Just wanted to poke my head in for a second to say that I've been typing for the last 3 or 4 hrs and am almost done Day 5. Expect a pretty decent sized update sometime in the AM

Hopefully my eyes will stop burning by then

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Wow. There are a few things that I’m finding out to be amazing.

1. Just how much time goes into writing a Trip Report. I’m lucky enough to be doing most of this at work, I can’t imagine how most parents find the time to do these at home. My job requires me to hop up at a moments notice and be on the road in minutes to possibly deliver something that might save someone’s life or end it if I take too long. However, other than my routine duties, most of my night is sitting here waiting for a phone call which gives me time to reach out to all of you and maybe share a picture or two!

2. That after all this time, we are still on day 5! I mean C’mon Rob! Jeeze!

3. That you guys are still with me after all this time!

So basically, I just wanted to say thanks. You guys are great and this report would have gone the way of Toon Town a while ago if you weren’t still here. So, since you are here…..Let’s get the show on the road shall we?


Day 5 Continued…….

So I just got off Splash Mountain for the first time and loved every bit of it. Now it was time for a ride the whole family could enjoy….almost. Poor Logan, not a fan of any mountain in Disney but we talked him into going over to….

I've tried to talk to him while we are at home about going on but he keeps telling me that he’ll wait for us to get off and meet us at the stroller …..poor Logan. I guess maybe last year we should have told him up front that it was a roller coaster and not a nice little train ride around the park!

Anyways, like always it took a little bit of convincing, but finally he sort of agreed to getting on….2 times in a row! Have I ever mentioned how I love just walking on to all the rides in the morning? The first time we rode it, I sat with Logan and the second I was with Nate. Since it’s the same ride, I’m just going to combine the two…….

Get Ready….

And we’re off!

Going up….

Coming Down!!!

But wait there’s more!

I’m not sure how I feel about this one. Nate gets this look on his face of determination every time he’s totally concentrating on something. He really does LOVE Big Thunder but he never makes a peep. If he’s not smiling or laughing, he looks like this…

And, if you look off to your right, just before pulling into the station, you will find this…..
A hidden Mickey!!!!

After BTM, we headed off to go make some phone calls to see where Brandon and his troops were. I’m pretty sure he’s never seen a rope drop either but he has no plans on waking up that early to even try one! The kids went down to the water to sit for a spell

And just be kids.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

The other troops were just about ready to leave the hotel so we still had time to just do whatever. There was one ride that has the best gift shop for little kids like myself, so we headed that way. I grabbed some pics along the way…

When who did we just so happen to run into?

The boys had these big oversized pens with the cast from Toy Story on them. Woody and Jessie made a big deal out of it and I couldn’t help but smile. Very cute!

Continuing on……

It’s around here somewhere……

Hey there it is!

Pirates Of the Caribbean is a ride that is considered to have come around a full 360. It’s a ride that inspired the movie, that inspired the ride. Pretty cool huh?

Here’s the ride….

Dead men tell no tales……

Sorry they are so dark but if I try to lighten them any they really start to look well, not good. I know what I did wrong and can't wait for the next trip to take another crack at it!

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Now, as for the gift shop, I’ll give you some random pics I took while walking in. What I can not show you is the battle that ensued inside that very shop. Why would I not take pictures of said battle do you ask? That’s easy….I was in the middle of it! Imagine the fierce battle that went on in such close quarters! It started out with a simple bit of trash talking between me and Nate about sword fighting. Than the talking turned into a full fledged battle. Logan joined in and it was on! The two of them against myself with two swords from the rack. Eventually other kids joined in and I was outnumbered! I reached out for a rifle and two pistols and ran for cover behind some Pirate T-Shirts. Other parents stopped and stared as I gave their children warning shots but once they engaged me, I had to defend myself. There was no discrimination going on that day. Children of all ages met the barrel of my pistols and tasted the blade of my swords. I think even the cast members stopped what they were doing to watch what went down.

This went on for 20 minutes.

Tina gave me the look and I holstered my weapons. The white flag went up and I surrendered my booty (pun intended)

Next time kids……it’s personal!

I think I got some of the other parents annoyed because after that all the kids wanted either a sword or a gun! I guess I’m not a good roll model

Oh yea, the pictures. Ummm….yea, here’s what the place looked like before our bullets splintered the walls…..

I think they sell stuff in there too……

So we left out of there and headed toward the hub to catch a bit of the parade going by. The sun peaked out for a second through the clouds and really gave the castle a cool look to it

But really, it looks good even without all that…..

I grabbed a few pictures of the parade before I took the kids by the hand and became part of it!

I handed the camera over to Tina and went a little crazy with the kids. I love being 5 again!
Apparently, Tina just wanted to watch because there is just no photographic evidence of it ever happening. *sigh*

After the parade we went to go meet up With Brandon and the crew and guess who else?
Yep, Kyle was back with his parents! Remember WAYYYY in the first few updates, we had Kyle with us for a day when the rest of his family was pretty sick back in the hotel room? Well, they had gone to some parks by themselves since then but we finally got to meet back up!

We all got together and went back to do Pirates one more time but I behaved myself this time in the gift shop. I didn’t want everybody waiting for me when we could all be doing more rides together!

After we left there, everybody was getting hungry but no one really knew what they wanted to eat so we figured we’d head toward Main Street and figure it out when we got there. I wanted to get some more rides in before the afternoon crowds started and as we walked past the Jungle Cruise I noticed there was no line whatsoever so we hopped on.

I still don’t get the name of this boat so if anyone wants to chime in, I’m all ears!

The boys are back together!

Our tour guide…

 

[NateNLogansDad]

I really enjoy the Jungle Cruise for some reason so I didn’t use the camera too much this time. Once in a while it’s nice to just take it all in, so that’s what I did!



Still hungry, we all agreed on our Ol’ Reliable, Pinocchio’s Village for Pizza.
Sitting around chatting, Kyle’s parents made mention that they would have to leave soon because Kyle’s little sister would need a nap and the parents were still not back to 100% from being ill during the week. Tina and I exchanged glances and whispered to them asking if they would want to leave Kyle with us for a bit. I’m pretty sure they think we are nuts for taking on another kid but this is THE HAPPIES PLACE ON EARTH right?!?!?
So, we bid them ado after pizza and broke the news to the boys that Kyle would be joining us till diner time.

Their reaction……

Yea, I think we made the right call!

Just in case it’s been too long for you to remember, Kyle’s dad is a great guy. He’d bend over backwards to help out anybody and there’s not too much he wouldn’t do for his kids. He’s just not a fan of thrill rides. Poor Kyle. Well, this wasn’t a first for us (not even for today) but this was going to be the first time he’s ever stepped foot on Big Thunder Mountain!

Real quick, ever notice the pennies on the roof? The shingles are LOADED with them!

Take a good look at this picture. Notice anything missing? Yep, no fear whatsoever! Tina had taken Logan for a walk so it was just us three. The boys were LOVING the fact that they could have their own car! I was just enjoying sitting behind them with a camera in my hands!

After we got off the ride I couldn’t take a picture even if I had tried. The boys were laughing so hard that it made me laugh like crazy.

Kyle was on an adrenaline rush and I figured, “What the heck, let’s knock out another mountain or two!” So off we went to Splash! Nate puffed his chest out and decided he was going to try it this time too! Now since I had already been on it this morning and I’d be riding with two boys who weren’t sure of what to expect, I left the camera back with Tina. HOWEVER, once we got off, I did purchase our picture of us going down the big hill. If you look close, we are in the 2nd row from the back. Nate had a death grip on my arm and Kyle’s face was 100% priceless. I did get two so they could each take one home and always remember their first time on the mountain!

From there we headed over to Peter Pan. Nate, Logan, and Kyle shared their own ship while Tina and I had our own private charter. Very politely (ummm…nevermind) Tina asked me to put away the camera and just enjoy the ride with her. Here’s a pic of one of the ships, but after that I did just that….and enjoyed the ride.

Now seriously, what kind of a cool guy would I be if we sent Kyle home after only doing 2 out of 3 mountains? Exactly! So we headed over to Space Mountain but Logan had had enough excitement with Big Thunder earlier today. Tina had been wanting to ride Space for the last few trips now but the line was always so darn long, so I told her to take the boys and I’ll hang out with Logan. I figured we could do another ride that I had heard so much about but never actually took the time to check it out……..

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Yea, I know I know. What can I say? I just could never get everybody to hop on it because there’s just so much more exciting things to do. For Logan however, this was right up his alley! And for that matter, mine too! I guess it’s just a different kind of fun but it really was pretty cool to check out different things from a birds eye view. I know that there is no way Logan’s going to let me walk past this again without going on!

It really is very relaxing……

The views are awesome….

After the People Mover, we met back up with Tina, Nate, and Kyle just outside and they were telling me how much fun they all had and that there was no line whatsoever so we switched off kids and I hopped on with them. Don’t ask me why but for some unknown reason, I gave Tina the camera! Der, not one pic! Space mountain was awesome and so much better than how I remember it from back in 1996. Yes, I know….
Next time there will be pictures, I promise!
By now it was getting close to diner and Kyle’s parents had made reservations over at the Grand Floridian. We met them at the main entrance to return their first born and off they went on the monorail. We were due for a short nap over at the hotel before diner so off we went by bus.

A quick refresher nap later and back on the bus to the park we were just at! But we too would require transportation of the singular rail type.

No, sorry it wasn’t the Grand Floridian we were off to.

Nope not there either.

Tonight we were going Hawaiian style!
Driver! To the Poly Please!

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Our host was Cousin Mike. I didn’t even know we had family in Disney!

Mommom Ginny had a Lapu Lapu last time we were here and was looking forward to another. And we all followed suit!

Before diner, the kids had themselves a little parade followed by a limbo contest and hula lessons. These guys have it made! When I was a kid, we didn’t even get crayons at the table!

I love the ceiling there…it’s just one more detail that gets overlooked too often!

I think we all ate WAY too much but OH MY GOD is it just soooo good. This is where my pictures end for the meal. 3 Lapu Lapu’s and for some reason my camera gets really blurry!

Trying to walk a strait line, we left the Polynesian Hotel and made way for the monorail. It was after 10 and we needed to get all the way back to Magic Kingdom before we could catch a bus to take us back to the Beach Club. But, I had heard so much about the gingerbread house over at the Grand Floridian, and we were so close, so I figured what the heck! Driver! To the Grand Floridian!

We arrived within minutes and went down to check it out. Somehow or another, even with the super delicious Lapu Lapu’s , I was able to get a couple half decent shots of the lobby and gingerbread house……..

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Maybe it was because it was so late, maybe we had been spoiled by the carousel at the Beach Club, or maybe in my mind it had just been so built up by what I read on the dis…..whatever the reason, we just weren’t totally blown away by what we were seeing. It was nice, please don’t get me wrong but it wasn’t like WOW nice. Know what I’m saying? Oh well, at least now I can join the thousands of people who can say that we saw it.

We hopped back on the monorail and headed back to the Magic Kingdom where our 10 wheeled chariot awaited our arrival. With one last look back we boarded the bus and headed out

Another awesome day was entered into the books and burned into our memories. Tomorrow would be a sad day because Kyle would be heading home but we still had things to do….including a birthday diner! See ya real soon!!!

 

[TeaForTulips]

catching up!

oh how i love your report! i enjoy your writing and of course your pictures are so awesome!

the pictures of the boys hugging after kyle gets to stay is so priceless! i just love it!

your battle in the gift shop would have had me laughing! sounds very fun. i think its lovely when adults put pride aside and find their inner child at disney. have some fun!

i am one who agrees with you about the gingerbread house. i mean its fabulous and i imagine the time to make it is crazy with all the details, but i think it gets too much hype.

we are eating at ohana in september. i am so ready to see the poly. one day i would like to stay there, but for now as long as i get a lapu lapu i will be happy.

great update! bravo! so many cute and great things i shall refrain from making comments on everything to keep this from becoming so long!

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

Awesome update Rob!!! I SO know what you mean by a TR taking up SO MUCH time! That's why I opted not to do one for our Dec trip!

Kuddos to Logan for overcoming his fear and riding Big Thunder. That's one of Devon's favorite rides. Matter to fact I think it was the 1st "big" coaster he ever rode on! Now, I have a little thrill seeked on my heads who is up to riding anything. I used to have to bribe him to get on rides... I know I'm terrible!

You know in ALL the times I been to Disney I have NEVER been on the people Mover!

I have to tell you I totally agree with you, while the Giant Gingerbread House is pretty cool, I'm not that WOW'ed by it either now, maybe it's b/c I've seen it s few times now? Who Know! But it will say I still find it pretty neat that the chimney puffs out smoke that smells like gingerbread... I know I know it's the little things!