Whirlwind Trippers: The One With All the Friends 9/27-10/8 *NEW PG 6, 1/23*

[GADISNEYGIRL]

The Whirlwind Trippers: The One With All the Friends

Cast-ish kind of stuff:

Me and Mark, yeah, yeah, yeah. The important one is Wesley, he’s 4 ½, and better known (these days) as the Magic Magnet. Most important of all is that he IS Prince Phillip. And he LOVES Princess Aurora. He loves all the princesses. All the characters, really. But Phillip and Aurora are of utmost importance. Apparently, Wesley is somewhat famous around WDW. But we’ll get to that later.

There are lots of other people in this cast, but you’ll just have to meet them as we go along.

This was our 8th trip this year. We have spent 39 days at WDW since January. Most people we know think we’re crazy. We don’t care. We just don’t tell them we’re going. Again. Instead, we tell our friends on here. They don’t think we’re crazy. But they ARE jealous. (Admit it, it’s true!)

Pre-Planning Stuff:

Our friends on here… they are really why we even have this trip report. Because if not for them, we wouldn’t have made this trip. Well. Okay. We probably would’ve made A trip. Sometime around here. But not for so long. When talk began of a meet, on a Monday, of all days, we told them we were out. Couldn’t do it. Too hard to swing, what with having to be here for church on Sundays. They encouraged us to take vacation days. Whoa. This was some serious stuff. We don’t take vacation for anybody. Family, especially. They continued to cajole. We continued to decline. They begged. They whined. No wait, that was Wesley. Anyway. We finally decided we’d do it. We planned our annual vacation, 12 days’ worth, around a meet with a bunch of people we’d never met. Okay, not entirely true. We’d met Amy. And YAK. And a few others who weren’t able to be at the meet. We planned our vacation around a meet with 2 people we’d met previously and a lot of people we’d never met before.

Others of our Clan (to borrow a word from our sweet friend Susan!!) have already talked about the unlikely friendships that have formed through this wonderful, and sometimes scary, place called the internet. I am no stranger to internet friendships. I have been a part of another bulletin board (not Disney related) for years, and I have been blessed with friends from there. In fact, one of my closest friends in all the world I met via that bulletin board. Though we have only met in “real life” once, we talk almost daily. The internet also keeps me close to another of my very closest friends. We’ve known one another since college (you may remember her as part of the cast on our May trip), and if not for email, we’d never talk to one another! So I have to toss in some love here for the two friends to whom I am referring, because they both are LURKERS and read our crazy postings. Love you both!! Anyway. Internet friendships have (thus far) been very good to me.

I wasn’t too nervous about meeting all these people. First, the ones we’d already met seemed mostly normal. And two, we were only going to be with them for a very short amount of time. So. We progressed with our plans. We made lots of plans. And changed them. Six times. And then changed them again. Once we arrived.

But before we ever left, we got some pixie dust. From a friend. You see, initially we had a ressie for California Grill on Sunday night. We ended up canceling it (I don’t remember why, but it seemed like a good idea at the time), and trying for Le Cellier instead. We couldn’t get Le Cellier. We tried for days. And when we’d given up hope, our friend Chris offered us HER Le Cell ressie. That she wouldn’t be using. Thanks Princess Chris!!

We thought we were all set. Then things started changing again. We had PSB for our first Saturday, and we were hoping that Princess Aurora would be there. Because you never know, after all, if the royalty will be able to be there. Sometimes they have conflicting schedules. We were also waiting to hear word about the new castle show. And we found out (at last) that it would be opening on the same Saturday. That we were supposed to be at PSB (and in France) at Epcot. Well, we can still swing it. We also have a few friends who live in Orlando, and of course we wanted to try and meet up with them, also. And now we’re talking about a lot of schedules to juggle and mesh! And then we decided that we would have to change a few of the ressies we had. Which was a real hassle, because of all the (AHEM!!) FREE diners. Filling up the restaurants, you see. But eventually we had what we thought was a workable plan.

Pre-Trip:

I worked on packing, early. And then I worked on cleaning the house. And cleaning OUT the kitchen and laundry room. Because while we are gone, the floor in those rooms will be replaced: subfloor, and then a laminate tile kind of thing. I was busy at home.

Now, for work: My boss will only be in her position for another 8 months or so. Which means that she is trying to get the office cleaned out and up, etc, for the pastor who follows her. Which really means that I have to get the office cleaned out and up. She decided two weeks prior to our leaving on vacation that it was time to clean out, sort through and rearrange our storage and records room. Which meant that I had to clean out, sort through and rearrange our storage and records room. Thankfully, we only have 30 years of records. Because someone threw the previous 100 or so years out. But it still took me quite a bit of time. And manual labor. Which, at my age, I do not appreciate. I was feeling the pressure to get it done before we left. Along with 3,782 other things. Which she left for me to do. On my last day. Which is only 3 hours. Funny, this is exactly how it happened at work before our last 12 day vacation!!

But! On that day, I got MORE pixie dust!! About 5 minutes before I was to leave, who should show up at my office door?? It was NicoleMarie, bearing a goody bag for our trip!! (She lives about ½ mile, if that, from my office.) It was so good to see her…although it made me sad that she wasn’t coming along. It would’ve been nice to have her at the meet, too. We missed you NM!! She did tell me one disturbing thing. Which I did not remember. Until we were there. She had other friends who had been at WDW that week. And she had talked to them. And they told her it was hot. Terribly hot. And here I was expecting nice 80s and low humidity.

Anyway. We chatted for a couple of minutes, and then I raced to the bank (work related) and congratulated myself on finishing my entire To Do for Work Before I Leave list. Except for one thing. Which I STILL haven’t done. Because the lady I have to do it for is a HUGE pain. So I’ve been putting it off. I guess I’ll HAVE to do it tomorrow. Or Monday. Or later next week. Oh, crap, the truth is, I’m waiting til she calls me about it again.

And then I was homeward bound. Where the car was packed and loaded, and the two male members of my family were chomping at the bit. For me to get here, check the list (twice) and load myself in the car. Which we did. And I consented, for the first time in a LONG time, to have Krystal for lunch. (And might I say maybe for the LAST time for a LONG time! I really MUST be getting older. I just can’t handle Krystal the way I used to!)

Mark, on the other hand, was ecstatic. He has this thing for Krystal. We actually got two text messages asking if we had Krystal. We talked to Tink (Hi Tink!!) and left a message for Pongo (Hi Pongo!) And we continued on our way, with the happy knowledge that we had 11 ENTIRE days before us in the Most Magical Place on Earth.

 

[AshClan]

You pulled that together fast, baby! Do we have a competition here between husband and wife? Is that it?

She decided two weeks prior to our leaving on vacation that it was time to clean out, sort through and rearrange our storage and records room. Which meant that I had to clean out, sort through and rearrange our storage and records room. Thankfully, we only have 30 years of records. Because someone threw the previous 100 or so years out.

Sounds like my office!!

And I consented, for the first time in a LONG time, to have Krystal for lunch. (And might I say maybe for the LAST time for a LONG time! I really MUST be getting older. I just can’t handle Krystal the way I used to!)

Oh, honey, I hear ya! I had Krystal just ONCE this past April. In honor of Mark, actually. I think I STILL have heartburn!!! And I'm sure Krystal burgers really make the car smell lovely, too!!

 

[1000thhappyhaunt]

Well well well... I'm first.

For a change.

And In.

I'm sure this will be good.

As usual.

I'm feeling a little like a Whirlwinder myself these days.

It's all good.

Cheers, Mel.

 

[sheridac]

Rhonda~

Did you think it was hot??? I LOVED IT!!!!!!!

I BASKED in it. Too.

Thanks for reminding me to write about the heat. In My next(ish) chapter!!!

mad love from,

~Princess Chris

 

[kpk89]

It WAS hot. Way too hot. For people of Celtic descent. Except for Chris, apparently.

That Wesley is a DOLL. I always believed you, in your reports, but having met him in person I can sooooo get why the magic just flies his way.

 

[NAB]

Yeah we are doing the He said she said again....

Love reading your reports Rhonda....

 

[Grammyof2]

I read and this is my comment - I did not think it was hot I thought the weather was fantastic I am still talking about it

 

[jamal]

Rhonda, Thanks for taking the time to write this. You do such a great job.

Thanks too for the bit on Internet friendships. Those of us who are newer to it sometimes wonder how it can happen. I prefer to think of it as another way God knits us all together. Like all good things, people will and do find ways to misuse a good thing. I'd rather be grateful than run the risk of never meeting and caring about you all.

One of our favorite trip moments was running into you three in MK. I'll post the pic when you get to that part.

Later neighbor,
Jami

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoying ~ Thanx for posting.

 

[FL-Belle]

Great TR. Lurking no more!

 

[lillygator]

Yippee!! and more Krystal!!

 

[GADISNEYGIRL]

Great TR. Lurking no more!

Everybody welcome FL-Belle!! She's my friendy-friend!!! Finally out of lurkdom!!!

 

[Shelby5514]

FL-Belle!!!!!!!

 

[NAB]

Welcome FL-Belle !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FL-Belle]

Everybody welcome FL-Belle!! She's my friendy-friend!!! Finally out of lurkdom!!!

Thanks to all for your kind welcome. Rhonda-- enough work. Waiting to hear about the magic

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

Rhonda - excellent start!

Welcome FL-Belle!!

Looking forward to more...

 

[GADISNEYGIRL]

Day One:

When we arrived at WDW, after seeing all the cool Disney signs along the way, we did something very unusual, for us. We did NOT go check in at our hotel. We did NOT go into a park. We went to Downtown Disney instead.

Before we had APs, we spent a lot of time at Downtown Disney. Now, we spend ALL of our time in the parks. This particular night, however, we decided we’d stop there for dinner and a quick browse. We chose not to go into a park, only because we had an early day planned. Sandwiches with Earl, then a spin through Once Upon a Toy and World of Disney. And we were off to…

…All Star Sports. Who knew you can’t make an 11 night reservation? Well, we did. We had to stay one night at All Star Movies in January, before moving to the Wilderness Lodge. So. One night at All Star Sports, which we chose because of the quiet stay Wesley, Kim and I had there in May.

There was no line to check in, and the girl helping us was named Bodil. And she was obviously not American born. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and an accent, which we couldn’t quite place. The Magic Magnet turned it on. After about 20 seconds, she was fawning all over him, and trying to set him up with her daughter. Who was 3. I think. She told us (in between making eyes at Wesley) that our room was in Tennis. Which, now that I think about it, I believe we requested. Because that’s where we stayed (quietly) in May. She said, almost to herself: But that is no fun, let’s see, it would be more fun in… and Mark interrupted her to say thanks, but isn’t tennis quieter? And she agreed that it was, and continued to check us into our assigned room. Just before we took our leave, Mark asked where she was from.

Is everyone ready for this? She was from….

NORWAY!!!

We felt this was quite a significant beginning to our trip. After all, didn’t we plan this trip around a whole bunch of Vikings?! Confirmation that we were doing the right thing by being here.

I don’t remember a whole lot about the room, except that we were glad not to be staying there for 10 more nights. I DO remember that we pulled our chairs outside the door and pored over a Disney MGM Studios map (and a times guide from Steve Soares) to try and plan the next day while (we hoped) Wesley went to sleep inside. Aside from Rock n Roller Coaster, we haven’t spent a lot of time at the Studios. I had a little wine while outside. Which made me truly look like a redneck, I realize. But hey, when you have no balcony, you make do. But. I’ll bet all the people who saw us and were staying there for longer than one night pulled THEIR chairs outside the next night. They just hadn’t thought of it.

Wesley was NOT asleep when we went back in. Which I think facilitated us going to bed earlier than we likely would have otherwise. Not a bad thing, because we needed rest for our busy day. But~a definite negative for the Values. As long as something is going on, Wesley is not sleeping. And when you’re all in a tiny room together… he doesn’t like to go to sleep until we do. So…off to bed we went. Even Mark. I think.

Day Two:

Despite our (relatively) early night, I was still tired when it was time to get up. However, vacation had officially begun, and we were planning for a magical day. Or as magical as a day can be at one of our not-quite-so-favorite parks. We quickly got ready and packed up the one bag we’d brought in, and headed for Port Orleans Riverside. Our home for the next 11 days. We got there around 7:30am, and intended to check in and dump our luggage for them to hold. We had a breakfast ressie at 8:10ish, and you all know how panicky Mark gets if he thinks we might be 8 seconds late for an ADR!!

I have no idea the name of the girl who checked us in, because I was paranoid about her. She was OBVIOUSLY sick. Sniffling, sneezing, coughing. I became panicky. Contact with a sick person the very FIRST thing on our very FIRST full day of vacation? She told us how many drugs she was taking, to “make it through the day”. Fabulous. Hope you feel better. And REALLY hope you don’t get us sick! BUT! Our room is READY! At 7:30am! Well, naturally, we had to go unload the car. (Mark had an eye on the clock the whole time!) We threw some stuff in the fridge, Lysol’d the room keys (not kidding!) and semi-unpacked, and then jumped in the car and headed for the Studios.

Breakfast was a surprise for Wesley. Which I realize now wasn’t the smartest move. We were going to the new Playhouse Disney breakfast at Hollywood and Vine. Features Leo and June (Little Einsteins) and JoJo and Goliath. Does everyone remember that Wesley LOVES the characters? On about day 2? Yeah. Well. It’s not that he’s “scared” of them initially, it’s just that he’s not really into interaction. Yet. And silly us, we thought he’d be soooo thrilled at seeing Leo and June (he’s sort of over JoJo now)… well… breakfast was fine. I wasn’t as impressed as I have been at other breakfast buffets (like Cape May or Chef Mickey’s), but isn’t breakfast pretty much breakfast? He was glad to SEE the characters, for a quick picture. But he was not “Into” them. Yet. Wanted to know when we were leaving to go do other stuff. So. We didn’t linger.

We decided that first we would do the Great Movie Ride. But before that, Mark would go get FPs for Lights, Motors, Action. If necessary. We would meet him outside of the GMR. Which we did. Or tried to. But he got lost. And hadn’t taken his cell phone. So there we were, waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Wasting time. (Well, that’s what it FELT like!) And he didn’t even get FPs. FINALLY, I see him. And HE sees Mater and Lightning. He waves us over. Wesley is beside himself. Ecstatic. The GMR can wait. A couple of pictures with Mater, then a few with Lightning. We chat with a few CMs. Show them Wesley’s Mater socks. He wanted to show them his underwear. I drew the line there. Terrific! We’ve been here an hour, and Wesley has already had his highlight of the trip! Somehow, I didn’t expect it to peak quite so soon. (I admit, it WAS neat to see them!)

On to the Great Movie Ride. Which I swear, I have never done before. I mean, I think I would remember it. But I didn’t. And neither did Mark. Wesley said he didn’t like it. Then later that day, he said it was one of his favorite things. Well. I doubt we’ll be in a hurry to do it again.

According to our Times Guide, Mater and Lightning will be out at 10:05ish. And of COURSE Wesley wants to see them again. So we head off, and on the way stop to see Buzz and Woody. After more pictures with Mater and Lightning~which, let me tell you, are HARD to come by! I wish they would treat them as they do other characters, and have people line up~we took some quick pics with Herbie before going to get in line for LMA.

This was a first for us, so we weren’t sure what to expect exactly. We had to wait about 10 minutes in line before we were allowed into the stadium. (Theatre doesn’t really sound right here.) Wesley browsed the Times Guide. No, really, he did. In fact, an older man behind us asked if Wesley could really read, because, the man said, he LOOKED like he was actually reading it. Yes, we told him, he can read. Then he wanted to know how old he was. 4, we said. He was amazed. Quite frankly, so am I, at times. He doesn’t read like a 4 year old. Or even a 9 year old. He reads, to tell the truth, like an adult. Read to your kids, people. It really does pay off! The show was very enjoyable, except for the boy to my left who only left me about 1/8” of breathing space. He was foreign, naturally. And I DO have that thing where foreign people are attracted to skin to skin contact with me. Wesley thought the show was very cool. And has been playing LMA with his Cars cars ever since we got home.

Then we took in Muppet Vision 3D, which, I’m sorry to say, was not as good as I remembered it. I LOVED the Muppets. In the 70s. The Muppet Show was the greatest thing ever, as far as I was concerned. I still like the Muppets. But Muppet Vision 3D… not AS much. Am I going to get flamed for that? Probably.

We’ve seen the Beauty and the Beast show before, and really enjoyed it, so we were headed that way. For some reason which I do not now recall, we went towards the front of the park. Where we saw a handler. Well, hey! We’re character stalkers! Wonder who’s gonna be out? Mark went to ask. And we got our first real spontaneous pixie dust. The handler asked Wesley who his favorite character was. Wesley answered promptly: Mater. And held up his foot so that she could take in his Mater socks. Thank goodness he didn’t pull down his pants to share his underwear. She was properly impressed with his Mater socks. She asked who his next favorite character was. I think he said Prince Phillip. So she pointed to his hat (Mickey) and his nametag (Mickey) and asked if he liked Mickey, also. Yes ma’am, was his reply. Come with me, she told us. So we did. Followed her through Guest Services to a “VIP” room. Where we found Mickey in a parlor-like setting. Waiting, apparently, for us. It is still early in the day, and Wesley is still not in Full On Character Mode. But very cool, nonetheless. A nice private Welcome from Mickey on our very first day!

On to Beauty and the Beast. And Four for a Dollar. Which Mark loves. But so do I. And Wesley enjoys them as well. Mark determined that he was buying their CD this time.

Now, I’ve seen Beauty and the Beast 100 times. I really love the movie. I’ve now seen this show twice. And cried both times. But in addition to my tears, I was having some sort of allergy thing going on, and I couldn’t STOP my tears. It was kind of annoying. Hard to see. But once we left the theatre, it got better.

We hit the shop to buy the CD(s), and then had a few PhotoPass pics taken. We were determined to ride the train again, as Mark says.

Wesley was begging to see Voyage of the Little Mermaid, which really surprised me. Last time, he was very unhappy to see Ursula, larger than life, and so close. But, you know, he’s 10 months older now. Braver, I guess. We happened to catch it right as the next show was starting. He loved it this time. I was still sort of ambivalent about it. We had a better Ariel, and I’m sure that makes a huge difference. But this isn’t really a must-see for me. Personally.

We thought we’d have time to see The Incredibles before we got a parade spot, and were excited to find a Radiator Springs backdrop. After 30 or so pictures of Wesley in Radiator Springs, we moved on to The Incredibles. Another few pictures, and we started searching for a good spot. Not being familiar with the parade route here (this was our first time seeing Stars and Motorcars) we had to check the map like newbies.

We did find a good spot, and we also found that people take a lot longer to begin lining up here than they do at the MK. Although this was a pretty light day, crowd-wise, so that was probably another factor. Wesley got to play hopscotch and hula hoop, and that was another highlight of his day. Dare I tell him that he could do those things at home? No, I didn’t think so. He had so much fun, and it was really awesome to watch him be “big enough” to do (or at least attempt) those things on his own. I decided again, in my mind, that every age is the best age.

We kept intending to get a snack or a light lunch, but we never did… so we had a snack from our backpack as we settled in to watch the parade. Initially, there were several CMs congregated around where we were. But they gradually drifted off and left one guy in a wheelchair to guard our area. I think it would be helpful for these CMs to have ropes, as they do in the MK. About 3 minutes til parade time, a large group (a couple of families, I believe) came up behind us. First they were blocking the walkway, and they were asked to move several times. They never did. Then, with the parents’ encouragement, their kids came and sat in front of us. If there had been a rope, as there is at MK, they would have been about 2 feet on the WRONG side of it. The CM in the wheelchair asked them to move. Repeatedly. They did not. The parents ignored not only the CM, but also their children. As the parade approached, the kids moved farther and farther INTO the street. The CM moved his wheelchair (because they continued to ignore his requests for them to move~and clearly, their parents were no help)…this made the kids keep moving, as he was now blocking their way. We could not believe this. Not that the people were rude; I have no trouble believing that. But that for 20 minutes or so, they had absolutely no idea what their kids were doing, and they were only about 4 feet from them. I felt so bad for that CM. I think he was genuinely concerned about the kids’ safety. What would have happened if one of those kids had run into the street to one of the floats? (And that would NOT have surprised me!) Their parents would’ve sued Disney. Of course. The most mind-boggling thing happened after the parade. As the parents finally collected their wayward children, they said to them: You were SO GOOD during the parade!! Ah. Okay. A blatant disregard for rules and authority. We’ll see these kids on America’s Most Wanted in 15 years.

In good news, I enjoyed the parade. I think Wesley did, too. Mater and Lightning were in it, which of course helped. And I had forgotten that the Star Wars characters were in it. We like Star Wars a lot. We don’t dress up and act out the movies… but we’re fans. R2 D2 is a favorite of mine. In 1977, I got a remote control R2 D2 for Christmas. I wish I still had him. I could sell him on eBay. Pay for next year’s APs. Princess Leia is a favorite of Mark’s. Of course she was always a favorite of the guys. And that Friends episode only made it worse. In the parade, of course, she’s in her white robe. Not in the gold bikini. But it was fun to see her, anyway. And we did get some interaction, despite the hooligans in front of us. Alice called Wesley by name and one of the Army men came over to him as well. So we weren’t too disappointed in the parade itself. Only in the people who encouraged their children to disobey the rules.

Wesley has decided (about half a day early) that he’s ready to see some characters. Off to Mickey Avenue! We see Leo again, and Wesley is much more animated with him this time (as opposed to breakfast). And then comes someone Wesley has been waiting to see his “whole life”: Sorcerer Mickey. I don’t remember why we haven’t seen him on our other trips. But regardless, this was a first.

Wesley was excited. He loves Fantasia. And Fantasia 2000. I don’t think he’s ever noticed that there are no words. This, he shares with my Dad. Fantasia is likely my Dad’s favorite Disney movie. And Wesley loves his Pop, and wants to be like him in every way. Of course, he believes that all of this classical music is “Disney” music. Same thing for Little Einsteins. I haven’t the heart to tell him that most of it was written long before Walt Disney was ever born. In a year or two. Maybe. At any rate, it would soon be our turn to meet Sorcerer Mickey. Mark had a quick phone call with one of our Orlando friends, firming up some plans we had to meet her later in the weekend. Wesley talked to me about what he was going to say to Mickey. “I want to tell him I like his movie. And that I like when he wears his hat in PhilharMagic. And that I really really like him in Fantasmic. Can I tell him all of that?” “Of course you can, baby.” About this time, Mickey needed a nibble of cheese. The lady in front of us was joined by her family. Who promptly began sitting on the ropes and swinging. We shook our heads and thanked our lucky stars that Wesley recognizes that this is not acceptable behavior.

At long last, Mickey returned from his snack break, and soon we were there to meet him. Wesley (still on his first-day-hiatus-from-character-magic) didn’t say all of the things he’d told me. Still, I think Mickey liked him. And after several pictures, as we turned to leave, Wesley said, loudly, See you tonight at Fantasmic! I am pretty sure that Mickey smiled. I know I did.

We’ve been in the Magic for about 22 hours now, and Wesley is aching to spend some money. We decided on a Cars shirt (we bought) and a Mater pin (he bought). He was pacified, for the moment. And now it’s time to head to the Brown Derby for our ADR.

Mark and I grew up near Tallahassee, FL. Still in GA, but just barely. Our towns had no malls, no fancy restaurants. For those things, we went to Tallahassee. In those days, Tallahassee had a Brown Derby restaurant. We ate there on several occasions. For myself, I recall eating popcorn shrimp as we waited for a table (which I don’t think is offered at the one in MGM) and always being able to order a Shirley Temple. This was a BIG treat. The Brown Derby closed years ago, and yet I still remember it.

THIS Brown Derby, seems to me, is not so memorable. We ate there back in 2000, I think it was. We were fairly impressed. But we were not fine diners at the time. Now… well… we are much more experienced, culinarily speaking, than we were then. And… because I am just begging for flames in this post anyway… I think the Fantasmic! Dinner Package is HIGHLY overrated. You only recoup your cost if you order the most expensive thing in every category.

Mark had the portobello ravioli (I think?), I had the gazpacho. Both were okay. Not outstanding. And we each had the filet mignon with whatever it comes with, see, so “memorable” that I can’t even recall. It was okay. Not terrific. For dessert, he had… umm… I have no idea. Crème brulee, I’m guessing. I had the flourless chocolate cake. Again~Okay. Not wonderful. Wesley enjoyed his chicken noodle soup. That was his appetizer. I really don’t remember what else he had, either. The chicken noodle soup, he ate. Other than that… not so much. But. He did have a Shirley Temple. At my suggestion.

Once we were finished with dinner, we saw the last Playhouse Disney show (I think). They have taken out something, and replaced it with JoJo. It was fine, but I really think Wesley is somewhat over the whole Playhouse Disney thing. I’m sad… and yet, not. (Though I do admit to liking Higglytown Heroes! Oh, and Stanley… I do love Stanley!)

After that, we just walked around, kind of taking things in. I agree with Mark, that the ABC advertising is really too in-your-face… but it was nice walking around the back of the park with no one around. We took a lot of pictures, and then hightailed it to Oscar’s for our Fantasmic! Seating.

We ended up with pretty good seats. Not close enough to get really wet, but still close enough to be able to see well. I really enjoy this show. We all do. Wesley loves that Mickey is “Prince Phillip” and defeats Maleficent. The only down thing this time, was that the boat that comes out at the end was being refurbished. The ending was a bit different, a stage version. Not the boat. Still, a really cool show.

It had been a really fun first day. And guys! We have TEN days to go!

Off to POR. Where, as I recall, we all collapsed. Another early morning awaited us. Bring it on!

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

Rhonda....excellent chapter!

Is everyone ready for this? She was from….

NORWAY!!!

oooohhh, I can almost hear the twilight zone music in the background!

I had a little wine while outside. Which made me truly look like a redneck, I realize. But hey, when you have no balcony, you make do.

This would only apply if you were drinking the wine from a refillable mug!

and you all know how panicky Mark gets if he thinks we might be 8 seconds late for an ADR!!

Actually I didn't know.....but that's pretty funny!

I still like the Muppets. But Muppet Vision 3D… not AS much. Am I going to get flamed for that? Probably.

No flames! I felt the same when we were there in July

I went to the Brown Derby this trip and really liked it. DH has been to the one in Las Vegas and he said I wouldn't like it. However, we got seated in the private room in the back which made the atmosphere excellent, and I thought the food was pretty good.

Looking forward to more...

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Rhonda, great chapter! Love all the details. I'll sit and have wine with you outside your door anytime....

An Fl-Belle, welcome !

 

[kpk89]

Then we took in Muppet Vision 3D, which, I’m sorry to say, was not as good as I remembered it. I LOVED the Muppets. In the 70s. The Muppet Show was the greatest thing ever, as far as I was concerned. I still like the Muppets. But Muppet Vision 3D… not AS much. Am I going to get flamed for that? Probably.

I hear you. It's Bean Bunny. He ruins everything. He's not a real Muppet. To me. ((But I still love the 3D show, if only for the fact it's torture to my dear dh! That and I love actually sitting in the "real" Muppet fee-ay-ter!))


Carry on, and sally forth!