"What's Your Problem?" Caught by loop and hook... (COMPLETED 4/20, post 426)

[porknbeans]

Great update, keep them coming.

 

[Emma's Dad]

Another Dis Dude signing on...so few guys do TRs.......so I'll join in.....

Can't believe I missed your post earlier! Sorry! Welcome to the TR!

Stopping by to sub to your TR. I've never read one from a daddy's perspective. My DH isn't in to all things Disney like my DDs and I are . Your DD is adorable! So far it looks like you've had a great trip. Your room is amazing. I've never seen pictures inside of it before. We always stay value because DH won't/can't justify spending the extra dollars for a room that we only sleep/shower in. Can't wait to read more!

Glad I could provide a dad's perspective here We stayed at Pop last year, and according to DW, we are never going back to a value We used to think the same thing... "it's only a room!"... but I'll tell you what... it makes a difference! Especially the queen beds

Great update, keep them coming.

Will do! The magical question is... how fast will they come?

 

[trennr]

Will do! The magical question is... how fast will they come?

I swear I checked this thread the other day and heard a cricket chirping in the distance.

Just kidding keep up the good work.

 

[Emma's Dad]

I swear I checked this thread the other day and heard a cricket chirping in the distance.

Just kidding keep up the good work.

You didn't know about that new feature on the DIS?? If you wait long enough, dinosaurs walk out of your monitor

 

[thechesters420]

Super cute TR. I'm really enjoying the pics so far!

 

[crocko]

Just found this TR and got caught up. Enjoying the pics and your TR style.
My wife and I went the 2nd week of May back in 2002.....I remember it being not too busy....early May just must be a good time to go.

 

[Emma's Dad]

Super cute TR. I'm really enjoying the pics so far!

Thank you for joining in the fun! The pictures are the fun part, right?

Just found this TR and got caught up. Enjoying the pics and your TR style.
My wife and I went the 2nd week of May back in 2002.....I remember it being not too busy....early May just must be a good time to go.

I like your username! Glad you like my style We still have LOT'S to get through on this TR!
Yep... May seems to be a winning month for us. Maybe we'll catch some good deals next year, too

 

[dvczerfs]

 

[MagicShell]

Great report, I just found it and have caught up. Your daughter is a cutie. I am glad to hear that I am not the only one who leaves things around. I lost my phone, tickets, and driver's license once at Epcot. I just left the bag sitting on the Nemo ride. Luckily someone turned them in, but I was panicking for a while.

Your daughter is BRAVE. My six year old son was scared of just about every ride when we were there in Dec. I hope he will be more willing to ride next time so that we can all do more together.

It is hard for me to relax during a Disney vacation as well. I always feel like I am wasting time if we rest. I am sure my husband would appreciate a little rest. Maybe I will think about it.

I can't wait for more.

 

[scottny]

great update and pics.

the toparies are gorgeous.

 

[carissanboys]

Once again, your daughter is braver than me. I have no intention of doing Mission: Space.

It's funny looking through your pictures because I took so many of the same ones at the Flower and Garden Festival.

Leaving Epcot without doing the World Showcase?? I hope you went back for that later!

Great job Don. Sorry it took me so long to get caught up.

 

[DisneyDaddy-O]

I swear I checked this thread the other day and heard a cricket chirping in the distance.

Just kidding keep up the good work.

I think I may hear the crickets myself

Waiting patiently for the next installment.

 

[Emma's Dad]

Great report, I just found it and have caught up. Your daughter is a cutie. I am glad to hear that I am not the only one who leaves things around. I lost my phone, tickets, and driver's license once at Epcot. I just left the bag sitting on the Nemo ride. Luckily someone turned them in, but I was panicking for a while.

Your daughter is BRAVE. My six year old son was scared of just about every ride when we were there in Dec. I hope he will be more willing to ride next time so that we can all do more together.

It is hard for me to relax during a Disney vacation as well. I always feel like I am wasting time if we rest. I am sure my husband would appreciate a little rest. Maybe I will think about it.

I can't wait for more.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the moment it seems we just lose our senses (and stuff!) I'm glad to hear you had a good Samaritan looking out for you

I'll be sure to tell DD how brave she is! Although, I think ToT has really scared her for a good while. We were at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, last weekend and she would not ride the Lochness Monster roller coaster because she thought it would drop like ToT. She got her on it anyway... and then rode it 6 more times because she liked it so much I certainly hope your DS will be able to overcome his fears and enjoy some of the great rides WDW has to offer.

As for resting... I sometimes felt the same way... it's a lot of money to be sitting around doing nothing But then I realize that there's more to a vacation than GO! GO! GO!

great update and pics.

the toparies are gorgeous.

Thanks! They truly are works of art and I can only imagine how much time and love is spent on those things.

Once again, your daughter is braver than me. I have no intention of doing Mission: Space.

It's funny looking through your pictures because I took so many of the same ones at the Flower and Garden Festival.

Leaving Epcot without doing the World Showcase?? I hope you went back for that later!

Great job Don. Sorry it took me so long to get caught up.

You could always do the green team

Great minds think alike?

Yeah... no World Showcase this time.

And considering what you've been up to, I'm pleasantly surprised you visited the TR and got caught up. Now it's my turn to get caught up on yours! (And mine)

I think I may hear the crickets myself

Waiting patiently for the next installment.

Thanks for the bump. I'll get you something before the end of today

 

[carissanboys]

You could always do the green team

Great minds think alike?

Yeah... no World Showcase this time.

And considering what you've been up to, I'm pleasantly surprised you visited the TR and got caught up. Now it's my turn to get caught up on yours! (And mine)

I'm too scared to do even the green side. I'm mainly concerned about feeling sick. I get motion sick pretty easy.

Happy Father's Day, Don!

 

[Emma's Dad]

I'm too scared to do even the green side. I'm mainly concerned about feeling sick. I get motion sick pretty easy.

Happy Father's Day, Don!

Thanks, Carissa! I'm sure the kids are missing dad for this special day (mom too, right?)

 

[Emma's Dad]

April 29, 2009

As Carissa politely pointed out, we left EPCOT without visiting the World Showcase this day. We were having so much fun taking in and enjoying what Future World had to offer. And at this time of the day, DD was starting the "pool chant". You know it... the never ending, "Daddy, can we go back to the pool yet?". Or it's close variation... "I just wanna go back to the pool!" The latter phrase being used more aggressively as the sun arrives at it's mid-day perch in the sky. The beads of sweat lining my forehead were in agreement with DD and we all decided to head back to CSR for some pool time. A short walk to the #1 bus stop and a 10 minute bus ride and we were back to the resort for some "down" time.

I was too busy enjoying the jaguar slide and the near-empty pool to remember to take pictures that afternoon. Actually, looking through my collection of images I only have a select few shots of DD in the pool. I HAVE to remember on our next trip to get more shots in the pool. Especially considering about 20% of the vacation was spent there! Perhaps even an underwater camera will be in order

After a few hours in the pool, we get dried off and dressed to head over to DTD. In our pre-trip planning DW jumped for joy when she found Wolfgang Pucks Express on the list of available places to eat with the QSDP. This was one of the destinations she was absolutely looking forward to on this vacation. Plus we always have a blast walking around that area. So... we head to bus stop 4 and grab a bus for DTD.

Since we were all pretty much famished from all the walking and pool-playing from earlier, we head straight over to Wolfgang Puck's. I ended up getting the four cheese pizza, DD tried the Cheese Quesadillas, and DW tried the Margherita Pizza. All was yummy and I give DD extra credit for trying something new. She ALWAYS wants the chicken!

After WPE, we start walking around DTD to see what's new. There was a store that caught our eyes that I didn't remember seeing the year before. It was called something like Under $10 Store. Everything in the store was $10 or under. Pretty cool... but most of what they had in the store you could also buy at any of the other shops and did not seem discounted. Seemed to be another marketing ploy to pry those dollar's from your already dwindling supply in your pocket. We were able to leave empty-handed even though DD wanted everything in the store.

To infinity... and beyond!





DD playing with Mr. Potato Head parts:


As we were walking out of the store, I look up and see this in the distance... YEP... the Goodyear blimp. I believe they were there for something that was going on at the WWS complex, but I didn't hear any rumors or anything. Pretty cool!



We ducked into Goofy's Candy Store and I found a funny mirror... thought I'd be "cool" and take a few shots. This is where I picked up my family-sized bag of taffy... mmmmmm!





DD posing with an artfully sculpted Mickey:



As as we were getting ready to leave DTD, DD just had to play in the water fountain... my little water baby. This is actually one of my favorite videos because it shows just how much she loves playing in water (and I love how she just barely misses when all the fountains come on at once!)



Alright... bellies are full and we need to check into something. On Monday (May 4th) we have plans to go to Sea World... but we don't have a car. And we aren't willing to shell out more money for a shuttle from the resort to Sea World. So... we have the grand idea to try... Orlando's Public Transportation! Yep. We're doing anything to save money here. Having said that, we get on a bus to head to the Grand Floridian resort. DW wanted to see a glimpse of the resort and we needed to grab a monorail ride over to the TTC so why not bus it over there first?

Here are a few pics of the GF lobby as we were walking through. They did not turn out as well as I'd hoped. I'm sure one day we will be making a stay here, I just know it





From the lobby we get on the monorail and enjoy the scenery as we speed over to the TTC. I love the monorail. Maybe it's that "old bandaid" smell... or the fact that you get from one place to another so efficiently... but mainly I think it's all the fantastic memories accrued while enjoying it's convenience going from resorts to parks.

Once at the TTC, we start walking... to where we are not sure yet. We've only heard that you can catch a Lynx bus from there. And that's just the reason why we were at the TTC so many days before hand... a "dry run" so to speak. We stopped in one of the nearby stores and asked a friendly CM where to go and she kindly directed us around the corner along with a map of bus route 50. We only needed to walk about another 50 yards to get to the actual place where the bus would pick us up. Mission accomplished... and for only $2 a piece each way we now have our ride figured out for Sea World. Here is a picture of the bus stop sign:



That pretty much ended our second day vacation. We headed back to CSR for a good night's rest and skipped all the night life the World has to offer.

Next up... Day 3, Part 1: "Get me out of here... now!"

 

[nutz2notz]

Another great update.

I enjoyed seeing your daughter playing in the fountains. My youngest loves the water as well and when we were there in '07 when he was 10 years old, he made sure to get wet in the fountains on purpose.

I love WPE as well and can't wait until we go back in 2010 to enjoy it as well.

Look forward to your next update.

 

[MagicShell]

What a great idea to ride public transportation. I didn't even know that was possible from Disney World. The price is definitely right. I can't wait to see how it goes.

 

[Emma's Dad]

Another great update.

I enjoyed seeing your daughter playing in the fountains. My youngest loves the water as well and when we were there in '07 when he was 10 years old, he made sure to get wet in the fountains on purpose.

I love WPE as well and can't wait until we go back in 2010 to enjoy it as well.

Look forward to your next update.

Funny how water seems to make everything fun... until your clothes are soaking wet... and you have to get on the ice-cold bus Sounds like you've got another trip planned for next year

What a great idea to ride public transportation. I didn't even know that was possible from Disney World. The price is definitely right. I can't wait to see how it goes.

Thanks for checking out my TR! Before we left for this trip I found a few posts on this forum that talked about taking the public transportation to Sea World instead of paying for other services ($16 per person (round trip) for a shuttle from the resort, or $35-$50 for taxi round trip). We figured we saved at least $25 by taking the city bus. That was enough to pay for lunch at Sea World

 

[DisneyDaddy-O]

Great job on the TR so far, really enjoying it. My boys love to play in that same fountain, and have had their share of near misses. Love the idea of the bus to SeaWorld, we were maybe planning a longer trip in Jan and SeaWord is on the list. How did everyone enjoy the day? How was the bus ride?

Disney-on-a-dime! Who would have thought.