Adventure #9: Firsts, a Dream, an Anniversary, & Three Destinations...

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

Afterwards Jerry made a pit stop so I snapped a couple pictures of folks doing their character thing:

We hit the Haunted Mansion then found Tiana & Naveen. Chandler and I both really wanted to get a pic with Tiana & Naveen!

I only wish we had regular clothes on and not the tshirts with the writing on them. Oh well. Beats nothing!

We moved along towards Tomorrowland checking things out as we went. Lines for stuff were loooooong. I wish we could’ve taken pics with Donald & Daisy but I’m not waiting for 30 minutes to do it. Stalker pics are a better option!

We hit the Peoplemover, got some water, and took a short break. Monster’s Inc. was next and it was fun. ‘That Guy’ was a guy dressed like one of the white HM ghosts. It was cool! We walked onto Space Mountain and hit a trick-or-treat spot with minimal wait (vs. the looooong lines we’d been seeing to get free candy). We walked back to PotC and walked onto it, too, with no wait. It was getting close to time for Hallowishes which was something we didn’t want to miss. We found a spot near the times board on Main Street. Great show! After the fireworks we stood there contemplating where to get for the Boo to You parade. Parades aren’t usually anywhere near our radar of things to do but at the party we didn’t want to miss it. The Christmas parade last November was so good. Plus, the biggest thing I wanted to see more than anything else, my whole purpose for even going to MNSSHP was to see the Headless Horseman ride. Standing there contemplating where to get for the parade a family right on the curb got up and headed towards the exits. Bingo! We parked on the curb right there and didn’t budge for the 45 minutes before the parade. Pics while waiting:

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

The Headless Horseman rode which was fully-awesome. My only complaint is that it all happened so fast that and I anticipated it so much that it was almost anti-climatic. LOL! The parade was awesome, tho. No regrets. The parade alone was worth the ticket.

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

I know those parade pics are all out of order. It was an awesome parade, though. Loved it! Afterwards we hit the HM for one last ride. I mean, how could you not hit the HM after dark at the MNSSHP. The plusses were really neat!

We were all beat at 11:30-ish and figured it would be best to beat the last herd going out. We caught a boat over to the GF to get the car and head back. The we wall in bed by 1:00 a.m. What a great day!

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

Wednesday, 9/21: Eek! Here comes an epic meltdown! But we go on....

We didn’t set an alarm again. Do you see our vacation style evolving here? While you’re chewing on our lack of willingness to get up early to cover ground in the parks before the crowds arrive here’s another morsel for ya: I cancelled Cape May Cafe’s overpriced character breakfast and opted to walk-up at the Captain’s Grill instead. What can I say? The Captain’s Grill is low-key, peaceful, the mini-buffet and menu options are the right fit for us, and I’m not shelling out $100 for it. Win!

After breakfast we made our way through the International Gateway. This is interesting.

It’s a braille park map. I love that Disney does this and think it’s fantastic but as I stood marveling at the thing and running my hands over it I couldn’t help but wonder how would a person who can’t see know where to find it to begin with? I swear to you I am not being mean or anything. I seriously wondered this. So my conclusion is that obviously the visually impared would be at WDW with friends/family who can see so they must be led over to the map to take it in.

More prettiness on the way in:

The day was warming up already. Ugh. We stopped at the coffee stand near Canada for some frozen coffees (Frappucino-like beverages) on our way towards The Land pavillion. As we continued our walk there was another family behind us that we overheard talking who were also on their way to the same destination for Soarin’ fastpasses. I skipped the DHS rope drop herd thus far but today my competitive streak kicked in hardcore. Without saying a word Tracey and I picked up the pace to stay ahead. Here we are heading in:

I’m proud to say that this morning the baton was passed, if you will, as we sent Chandler on the final leg to the fastpass kiosks to score the family’s passes. Oh yes. The torch passed from father to son this day. It’s a proud moment.

Fastpasses in hand, Chandler joined us for a walk-on on Living with the Land. I think I agree with Jerry. There’s a certain smell in The Land and it’s a comfort. The boat ride totally adds to it.

I always tell myself I am NOT taking red room pics but then I do anyway. Why? Well, because the tilapia are so little. Usually they’re so much bigger.

Speaking of the big tilapia...I guess we needn’t ask where they retired to. LOL!

I’m pretty sure Tracey took these pics. I know I would’ve thought “How many pictures do I need of the same hose and shrimp enclosure that I’ve photographed 8 other times?

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

Come to think of it, I don’t believe I took any of these pics either for the exact same reason. How many times will I take the same picture? Aparently we need these shots for the 10th time.

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

After Living with the Land we strolled next door to the Living Seas...er...I mean The Seas with Nemo & Friends.

I’m so very glad the landscape around the character photo op area was replenished again. It almost looks good as it did the first time we saw it with the boys. Here ya go, circa January 2004:

And 2011:

I do actually like the ride. It’s fun. Of course there’s more fun to be had in Seabase Alpha. Do they even call it that anymore???? I dunno. To us that’s what it’ll always be.

Visualize the Will Farrell in the movie Elf when he rides on the escalator for the first time. Aaaaand here’s my goofball husband playing Buddy the Elf:

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

Manatees! Or not. We didn’t physically see them from up here.

Next we meandered over to the old observation deck area. I remember when all of this was brand spankin’ new. Jerry could sit here for hours just staring at the all the different fishies watching them. I never understood it. I’d look into the tank, see the fish, and be ready to go. Not him. He wanted to watch. So for Jerry especially, here’s the fishies.

Interesting facts:

I stood back and kind of watched the boys, Tracey, and Jerry as they all gazed through the windows.

I was very much reminded of when we were kids here in this very spot. I’m gonna tear up a little but I swear I look at this picture...

...then close my eyes and I see the exact same person standing exactly that way looking out only he's the size of my youngest son. Some things never change and that’s a good thing.

Also while looking around the observation area I noticed how worn around the edges the seals on the glass panes seamed. I guess this wasn’t such a stretch when you think about it:

The pavillion opened in 1986. That made my brother 14 years old and me 12 years old then. We’re pushing 40 mighty hard now. The stuff in the tank has been sitting there in salt water for 25 years.

Just when you thought the sap fest and nostolgic walk was over here’s another stark reminder of how old the pavillion is as well as how old I am:

The pavillion as a whole may not seem all that earth-shattering to today’s generation but when it first opened it truly was a marvel to behold. It was the largest aquarium ever built at that time. It was like stepping into a whole new world of wonder and amazement. The pre-show that used to be here, the “trip” on the hydrolators, the ride thru the tanks, and the discoveries Seabase Alpha held were all completely incredible and nobody had ever seen anything else like it. I’m glad that these little things haven’t been taken away with the make-overs of recent years. Let us not forget. I also snapped a pic of this to include in my report for you. How many times have you passed it and not read it?

It’s not just giving respect to those who deserve it. Let us embrace these contributions. To start, look at the first person listed on the Advisory Board. Dr. Robert Ballard. Hello! That’s the guy who found the Titanic, y’all! And here he is at the top of the advisory board for a Disney attraction. Appreciate the gravity of that. It’s there!

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

We headed back out into the brutal heat not sure what to do next. Imagination? Nah. It’s not worth the walk in the heat. Innoventions? Why not? It’s close and we have time to kill before Soarin’ time. On the way:

What to do?

I know! I’ve heard a lot about the piggy bank, let’s try it!

While waiting to begin there’s no better way to entertain than take pics:

This one’s for Nana because she pitches a fit every time she sees them do this:

Love you, Mom! LOL!

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

Brian, Tracey, & I made a team and Jerry & Chandler made a team. For our challenge we tried to pretend we were responsible adults and chose college tuition savings. I think Jerry & Chandler went with vacation funds. LOL! Brian with his piggy:

Fun stuff:

Next up we did this!

Tracey, Chandler, & I held the fire lights while Jerry & Brian stuck with us to help. It was FUN! We totally rocked this game and went to bonus rounds twice. Of course our team totally smoked the competition! We’re goooooood! And a few more photos:

At the end of the fire thing there’s a free photo activity you can do that’s neat and then it’ll get emailed to you. I got everyone to do the photo, edited it, and sent it to myself. Somewhere in this process Chandler (who was working with me on it) and I disagreed or something and some words were exchanged or something. I don’t even remember it all now. Tracey was pretty peeved about the whole thing, tho. It was time to use our fastpasses for Soarin’ anyway so we headed over to do that.

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

Wow was it blazin’ hot outside. Ugh! Everyone was tired now and had it not been for the fastpasses I’m certain we would’ve already gone back to the resort. We walked through the line and were all standing in the little hallway that leads down to the load corals when Chandler made some off-handed comment that hit Tracey wrong and totally set his fireball off. I remember in the moment thinking what he said wasn't that bad or that he didn't intend it the way it was perceived but once it's out there it's a done deal.

This isn’t the first time one of us has had a meltdown and it’s not the first time Tracey’s had an epic meltdown at WDW. It happens. If you’re there with kids and/or teens it’s even more likely to happen. He was furious and had totally had his fill of teenagers in the moment. He announced he was done and walked back out of the queue headed to the resort leaving the rest of us standing there. We went through the ride but I didn’t enjoy it. I was just sad. When we got out I started getting texts from Tracey saying he was packing up his clothes, was trying to get a flight home, and we could just finish the trip without him. In his mind he would rather just go back to work than fight the WDW masses in the heat and listen to cranky teenagers and (probably but I’m not sure) a nut-job wifey. After Soarin’ the rest of us headed back. And good Holy Gawd was it hot!

When we got back to the resort the meltdown didn’t get any prettier. I suppose the heat really exasperated the aggravation he was already feeling when he went back ahead of us. His suitcase was packed and he was ready to go. The kids were crying. Yes, crying. I was upset. Poor Jerry had to witness all of this and was trying to talk to Tracey about it all saying if he left he’d get 2 weeks down the road and wish he hadn’t. Jerry is no stranger to Disney meltdowns either. Remember, he gets to take his teen girls in the summer months. LOL! The whole episode was terrible. You know, I could easily have omitted this epic meltdown from the trip entirely but there’s a reason for including it. I appreciate honesty in what I read so I want to give it back in what I write. Tracey had worked day in and day out without any days off for months and months. He was completely NOT used to being around the boys all day every day the way I am. I’m always with them. The stuff that aggravates Tracey, and it’s all valid aggravating stuff, I don’t even notice anymore because I’m so used to it. The thought behind him working all those long hours for all that time was always to get to vacation and fund the thing but then the vacation suffered as a result of going to crazy lengths to get there. Was it worth it? I don’t think so. Contrary to what we all think as crazed Disney freaks, it’s not the end-all be-all. Family comes first. Without the family nothing else matters. It’s not worth growing distant just to get to a trip. This is a lesson that really stands out to me in retrospect and I’m not at all surprised we got to this point. Even if Tracey sounds like an awful, mean human-being he’s really not. We all thought the trip was worth the sacrifice when we were planning the details and crunching the numbers beforehand. Believe me, we sacrifice and do without a LOT throughout the year, not just monetarily, to live it up on vacation. God love a man for working himself nearly to death just to take his family on vacation. It took a little cooling off time but eventually Tracey settled down and the fun resumed. And we were all grateful he didn’t pull a Clark Griswald and totally crack on us. LOL! Yes, we can laugh about it, too.

Jerry took the boys to the pool while Tracey & I did some talking and making-up then took a short nap. That helped a lot. Oh! And let us not be forgetting the cool elephants our Mousekeeper left for us! We like to think she spotted Jerry’s Alabama hat and left them for him. Here’s a couple pictures of one of them:

After we woke up we went down to the pool to join the other guys. We floated in the lazy river then found Rocky again. Tracey had a double-Crown & Coke (I think Jerry might have tipped her off that he needed it), I had another yummy beer, and Jerry had a Grey Goose and grapefruit. Rocky told us she had bumped into her friend the manager at Yachtsman and told him about our crappy meal there. He really wanted to talk to us about it and asked her to let us know to call him when she saw us again. Okay. Tracey left him a message on the number Rocky gave us. We weren’t really ready to go back upstairs but a nasty storm was pressing in and it looked like we were going to get shut down so we sulked our way back to our room. Me & my honey all feelin’ better....no idea whyyyyyyy....

We all showered and dressed. The guys all hit the hors d’oeuvres from the lounge and Jerry stocked the fridge with free beer. Good grief but we’re classy! LOL!

Having virtually eaten already the only thing we could agree on for dinner was ice cream. I know. Don’t say it. I’m a crappy mom when it comes to the nutrition department. Then there’s vacation when I’m pretty well like ‘screw it’ and ice cream was on the menu. LOL!

While waiting for our treats we played the game where you stack hands and the guy on bottom has to take his hand out and slap it down on top. Once you get going it’s fun to do this fast!

And, of course, not miss the opportunity to smack the guy’s hand on top when you slap your hand down over his. Chandler learned this the hard way:

Yes, this child needs more sugar.

Tracey did not wait for me to take a pic of his float:

Brian had a big ol’ dish of booger ice cream. That’s what the boys took to calling mint chocolate chip when they were little squirts because it’s green. It’s booger ice cream.

Chandler had a shake:

Jerry and I had the No Way Jose. I always order mine with all chocolate ice cream and extra-extra hot fudge & peanut butter sauce because those are things there’s no such thing as too much of.

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

Group shot!

We sat making conversation with the older couple beside us which was nice. Jerry and/or one of the boys must’ve said something to our waiter. Next thing you know, he brought us anniversary balloons and had the whole place wishing us a happy anniversary. Awwww... The only problem was when we left we were headed into the World Showcase. I didn’t want to carry the balloons around with us. We didn’t get far and it was decided that we should make a wish and let the balloons go together. One of the kids was supposed to take pics. Unfortunately, they didn’t turn out so swooft.

And there goes our wishes up to heaven.

So pretty.

We got into Epcot around quarter to 8. Tracey & I stopped for a Photopass picture:

Next, Jerry stopped in France for Grand Marnier slushes for him & Tracey. He’d been reading all the threads here that I had raving about them, too. I took a sip to give it a shot. Personally, I think they taste like old chewable baby aspirin. You young whipper-snappers will be like “Huh? Chewable baby aspirin???” You know, from back when giving your toddler chewable aspirin wasn’t automatic death. We ate baby food before we were 3 months old, too, and stood up in the back seat of the family car. Gosh, we’re lucky to be alive! LOL!

I browsed some shops for a bit. Tracey got a pretzel in Germany and we all killed time until Illuminations. The air was very still and it was pretty dang warm out. Illuminations was gorgeous...just what we needed to end our emotional rollercoaster of a day. These days happen and we go on.

We had an enjoyable stroll back to the resort. Jerry, Chandler, & Brian hit the arcade and wandered the resorts a bit. Tracey and I were drained so we hit the bed. I looked at the clock when the rest of the guys made it back in: 12:05. For the first time that I can remember my insomnia struck on vacation. I fight with sleep and always have. Usually it’s not a problem on vacation from all the walking. Tonight I think the sugar dose along with hormones worked against me. I finally dosed off around 3.

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

Thursday, 9/22: Just park me by the pool with a drinky-drink....

We woke up around 7:30 a.m. Everyone got dressed and headed to the Regetta Club for breakfast. It’s really a small lounge with not much seating. It’s nice to see families of 3 parked at tables that seat 6. That’s okay. Jerry & Brian found empty seats.

Tracey was a giggling fool over that picture. LOL! We walked through the International Gateway again and I enjoyed the prettiness of it along the way.

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

I suppose we could’ve been like the rest of the world and ran for Soarin’ fastpasses but it just didn’t seem like the right direction today. Nah. Let’s go to Test Track.

I gotta stop here again to mention another of our trip catch phrases. What makes my boys think of some of the random stuff they ask us sometimes is a complete mystery to me. As we walked across the bridge towards the Odysey building I distinctly remember that one of the boys asked Tracey or Jerry one for no less than the 3rd time since Sunday if they’d ever been bitten by a snake. “No.” And a long conversation ensued over this repetitive question that ended with Jerry and Tracey asking each other, “Hey! Have you ever been bitten by a snake?!” Just as random was the new standard response: “No, but I was bit by a lizard once.” More than 2 months since vacation and Jerry & Tracey still call each other randomly every week or so to ask, “Hey! Have you ever been bitten by a snake?” LOL!

We walked right on Test Track which was nice. Like really. Not even a stop in a briefing room. Walked right onto the ride. Here's our ride pic:

After the ride Tracey was lingering around the new cars again. Geez, he had the new car bug bad and I knew it. I hate when that happens. I turned around and there he was sitting in a Cadillac CTS carrying on a perfectly friendly conversation with a total stranger. Tracey just doesn’t meet any strangers. The other gentleman’s wife was also amused at the big boys and their big boy toy bonding moment so we made them smile so each of us could snap a pic for posterity.

Brian likes the shiny cars, too.

We grabbed fastpasses for later then debated what we wanted to do next. Brian wanted to ride Mission:Space but the rest of us just weren’t feelin’ all that this morning. We let him go ahead on his own and we started towards Innoventions to the Sum of all Thrills.

Tracey & I paired up. Jerry didn’t want to go with Chandler. Nooooobody wants to go on that with Chandler. He likes to make his rides as crazy as possible. We’re too old for all that! Here’s Chandler building his death coaster:

Tracey and I made our ride as tame as we could with zero inversions. Good grief, we’re pathetic! Even at that we thought the ride messed with our heads a little. Ugh! We finished in time to watch Chandler on his ride. He was by himself whoopin’ and hollerin’ so loud people down outside the queue were laughing. It was funny!

After the thrills were complete we met back up with Brian. We checked to see how long the House of Innoventions line was but it was kinda long. We walked outside to see about cashing in the fastpasses but Test Track was down. Bummer. It was getting hot so we grabbed some popsicles and parked at a table inside the Electric Umbrella to discuss what else we wanted to do. All morning periodically someone would say, “Dang! I’m ready to be back at the resort by the pool!” And that was the truth. Really. I’m still surprised at the thought of how far we had evolved. We aren’t normally the type to relax by a pool when at WDW because we always say we can do that at any resort. Well, the Yacht Club isn’t any resort, Stormalong Bay isn’t just any pool, and Rocky is the bestest eeeevah! Oh but there was still more we wanted to do at Epcot so we discussed other things besides just the heavenly poolside lounging.

Brian now wanted to do the Sum of all Thrills but we already did that. We wanted to go to SSE. Brian didn’t care to do that. Fine. He went to Innoventions while the rest of us headed towards SSE. I’d like to pause here to ask why the switchbacks the CMs open and have guests stand in are on the side of the entrance that’s in the sun without any shade? Why don’t they use the shady side instead? Is this their secret revenge on the annoying tourists???? It was a relaxing ride, none-the-less. I video’d our ending. At 00:15 Tracey asks what’s wrong with my face. It sounds funny the way he asks. LOL! My response was “I scowled!” Later in the video he was laughing at Jerry’s pic. Tracey’s laugh is like a cartoon laugh to me sometimes. LOL!

We made our way back towards where Brian was. Stormstruck had just started so we didn’t want to wait for it to cycle. We got to Sum of all Thrills in time to see Brian’s ride. No screaming.

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

We checked back at the House of Innoventions and they were just letting in for the show. Perfect! We hadn’t done this before!

Being a big fan of modern design I totally loved the kitchen’s appearance:

The raising/lowering over door here was sorta neat. Not sure I’d like it, though. I dunno. I think I’d rather have a double wall oven instead. I do like the convection function of this oven, though. That’d be nice to have:

In the living room they had the XBox Kinect to demonstrate. My boys were the only kids/teens in the tour so it wasn’t hard for one of them to get a quick gaming fix. Score for Brian!

I like the suspended bed idea. I think it’s interesting and neat. I don’t think it’d be good if you’re sleeping with somebody else sorta like a full-motion waterbed. If the other person moves so do you. But it’s still a cool idea!

In the music room area they had this sweet electric drum kit set up. Chandler has a far less expensive one of his own.

Chandler is my musical kid. He took guitar for like 2 years and has 3 electric guitars and 2 amps. One day when I went to the little music shop he took his lessons at to pick him up I didn’t see him waiting so I went inside. I didn’t see him in front so I started wandering. I could hear someone back in the drum room playing away and assumed it was someone who had come in shopping for drums and trying them out. I rounded the corner and there’s Chandler just playing away on a drum set. I was shocked. When he stopped I asked him who taught him to play the drums like that. It sounded really good like he knew what he was doing and was experienced. He said, “Nobody taught me. I just do it. It’s what’s in my head.” Oooookay. Well, we live in a neighborhood with very small yards. He can’t have a full accoustic drum kit so his only option if he wanted drums was to buy an electric kit that he can play with headphones on. He saved his own money and bought the thing himself. Then, of course, there’s the Rock Band sessions he & I play. He drums. I’m guitar. We play for hours and hours and love it. So here’s this killer electric set and Chandler’s totally salivating over the thing. Lo and behold, our guide needed a volunteer. We practically flung him up there. My boy can play but he gets so nervous in front of people so he was pretty uncomfortable. So here’s Chandler fresh for your enjoyment. Soak it up, y’all. Then you can say you knew him when! LOL!

Later Chandler told us he was so scared he’d break something and we’d have to pay for it. Silly. He should’ve just gone up there and smoked it down like I’ve seen him do for hours and hours in his room.

Then, **sigh** there was the bathroom! I’m not a bath type of girl. The thought of sitting in a tub full of water and the dirt I just washed off isn’t my thing. If I’m sick or have sore muscles I’ll take a bath after I shower. Otherwise, I loooove a nice shower. Our house was built in 2008 but we totally hate our master bathroom. We’d love to gut it and do it our way. I’d do away with the jacuzzi tub in a heartbeat to have a shower like this. It’s so big it took 2 pictures to get both sides!

This little thing would be awesome to have at our house, too!

Don’t know what it is??? It’s a water mill. It’s a unit that takes the humidity out of the air and makes it into water for the household supply. Where we live it’s coastal and killer humid in the summer. This thing could be a lifesaver with 2 teenage boys and their looooong showers. Girls, do NOT ask what they’re doing in the shower for a half hour at a whack. You do NOT want to know. I wish I never asked Tracey that question. Ever. And that’s all I have to say about THAT.

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

It was fast approaching our lunch ADR time at Via Napolli so we left the blessed air conditioning of Innoventions and headed towards Italy. It was so stinkin’ hot.

But we made it.

We didn’t wait too terribly long to be seated. I think everyone who waits here looks up at the colorful light fixture in the entry way and wants to capture it in a picture. I lined up my shot and this is what I got:

Bombed! Take 2!

Mmmmm...that’s where the good stuff comes from.

Jerry, Tracey, and I ordered a family salad with extra dressing. The dressing had absolutely no flavor whatsoever. How does that happen? Either way, here’s the salad that I will never make the mistake of ordering again unless I bring my own stupid dressing:

In case we forget where we are:

We had a great big quattro formagi and Chandler had a personal-size margheritta with extra cheese.

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

I don’t care what anyone says, Via Napolli’s flatbread pizza is freakin’ good. We love it. Tracey had been mumbling about the tiramisu here since last November so he saved room for a piece:

By this time we were starting to catch onto Chandler and Jerry’s needs to visit every restaurant restroom. They were tipping off the CMs to our anniversary. Queue the singing and dessert with a candle. LOL!

It was very sweet and we were very grateful to our server for his kindness. When our check came a family was seated next to us with a cranky toddler. Oh my! We couldn’t escape the restaurant fast enough! That’s terrible. It’s not like ours were never cranky. I usually took them outside or away from the situation, tho. And, of course, we didn’t take them to WDW at that age.

Back out into the stiffling heat we went.

We pushed on towards the International Gateway exit with our goal locked in our minds. Gosh, it was hot! We needed the pool! The drinky-drink stand in France was too much to pass up so Jerry grabbed a Grey Goose lemon slush for him and a baby aspirin slush for Tracey. Aren’t they adorable???

As if my pics weren’t enough, they had to hit up a Photopass photog, too. At least we were able to give a CM a great laugh!

We got back to the resort and donned our suits in time for the afternoon shower. I guess it’s a good thing we headed back when we did. Good timing. We checked the weather and they said the temperature outside with the heat index was 110 F. Yes it was! Misery! Never in September again.

Right when the rain broke I found Brian’s misplaced gift card ~again~. This kid is really lucky. We need to take him to buy a lottery ticket. LOL!

We ran back down to the pool determined to get some pool time in. The skies remained sorta ominous looking but we were determined. If lightning was going to strike us, so be it. Just bring out Miss Rocky and the drinks and I’ll die a happy woman.

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

Rocky had gotten into the habit of looking for us just after lunch time. LOL! She came running right over to say hello. More Hurricane Reef draft for me. Not pictured are Jerry’s top shelf margarita and Tracey’s tart Crown & Coke he fixed upstairs in his cup and brought down with him. Mmmmm.... For round 2 I felt like shaking it up a little and asked what Rocky recommended. She said there was an old now off-menu drink called the Hurricane Hannah that was pretty good and, because it had been off the menu a while, was still in the system at the old price which was pretty cheap compared to other mixed drinks from the bar. Sounds like a winner to me. Bring it!

That Hurricane Hannah will sure put some wind in your sails, lemme tell ya! Whoa Mama! Jerry and Tracey each had a 2nd of what they already had and we were all set for some soakin’. The sky was really looking mean and we were determined to get wet as well as slightly pickled so off we went to the Flying Jib! Another spin around the river and all was right with the world.

We settled our tab with Rocky. We didn’t really want to leave but the weather just wasn’t going to cooperate so we knew we’d have to go. Bummer. We did, however, make another CM friend with a cool fella, Nick, who’s from near where we used to live in Louisiana. Nick from Marrero also rocks. Yes, Stormalong Bay and her parent resorts were feelin’ more and more like our new home.

We had no plans for the evening. All trip long Tracey & Jerry had been bantering back and forth about which resort was superior: Jerry’s beloved Polynesian or Tracey’s old friend the Contemporary. Why not go in that direction?

We showered and got dressed. While we were all busy Jerry fetched himself a plate from the lounge including a glass of some sort of wine.

Note the Golden Ticket in his mouth. We all sorta looked at him when he came in and were like ‘Wow. Go on with your bad self.’ His response was, “I’ve got the Golden Ticket. I will.” LOL!

It was raining outside still and we had no plans anywhere. We got in the car and drove. Much to Jerry’s excitement, we landed at his Polynesian.

See how excited he is?!

Tracey valeted the car. Meanwhile, Jerry was off to lead the way into his “home”.

Me being a girl’s girl I had to give in to my romantical notions and take a pic of Holly & Brett’s spot. Awwwww...

I wouldn’t call it my favorite but I do agree that the Poly is truly a special place.

Me & my Boo waiting for the boys to do whatever they had walked off to do:

We browsed the Boutiki and Tracey fussed because I wouldn’t let him buy me anything. We took some pics, though!

We checked with Kona upstairs to see if they had any walk-ups available. Apparently the word is out and they’re staying pretty booked nowadays. Good for them! We hopped the monorail to the GF just to walk around a bit. We hit some of the shops. Again, Tracey got all grumbly at me for not telling him anything I liked so he could buy it. Oh but secretly I eyeballed lotsa stuff including the Harvey’s seatbelt bags they did for Disney Couture. I love love loooooove repurposed things. A bag made of seatbelts woven together is just too cool for school, y’all. Unfortunately, they’re not cheap. **siiiigh**

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

We hopped back on the monorail over to the Contemporary. I don’t know why but we decided to eat at the Contempo Cafe just for poops-n-giggles. Chandler had is old favorite, the flatbread.

We reminisced about our 2 stays there at the Contemporary and basked in the memories. Poor Chandler got so nostalgic he got all choked-up with big ol’ fat tears in his eyes. Awwwww.....

I don’t even remember what I ate but I remember not being all that impressed. I had hoped that this cupcake that looked soooooo awesome would rescue my meal for me. It didn’t. This is another of Disney’s evil cupcake imposters. The cake part was dry and the icing was straight sugar with no other flavor. It was icky-pooh. These things are so darned deceiving! They look so good but they taste like complete trash.

All evening I had been fighting a tough sinus headache which I blame on the rain. Anytime it rains I’m good for a headache. I imagine the lingering effects from the drinks earlier in the day didn’t help but mostly it was the same spot behind my right eye that kills me. Everyone was slowing down fast so we browsed the shops at the Contemporary a bit before heading back towards the monorail platform. Can I just say that although we have super-fond memories of staying at the Contemporary I no longer feel so compelled to go back. I’ll be honest, I don’t like how congested the the grand canyon concourse is now. It’s far less grand when you have so much stuff crammed into the space. Then there’s the throngs of people all over the place no doubt there in large part to visit the famous Chef Mickey’s which I refuse to go back to anymore. It’s just chaotic and crazy in that space now....all of which is the opposite of the grand, vastness of what it once was. Nah. I don’t want to go back there. It doesn’t hold much appeal now.

When we got back to the Yacht Club everyone sort of scattered. Brian went back to the pool. Chandler went to the arcade. I have no clue where Jerry went. Tracey & I watched Illuminations from our balcony then hit the sack. We were asleep by 10. Long trips are tough on our old selves. LOL!

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

Friday, 9/23: Final day fun. Just park me by the pool y’all. Where’s Rocky?

I had my alarm set for 6 to get up for our early pre-MK-opening Crystal Palace breakfast. Even with a solid night’s sleep getting up with the alarm was brutal. My sinuses were draining bad and my throat was really killing me. Everyone was up, dressed, and out the door by 7:20. We commited another Disney resort offense and valeted at the Poly again. Shoot us. We hopped the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and joined the line-up just inside the gate. Pics while we wait:

It wasn’t long and the gatekeepers let everyone in. We had an enjoyable stroll up Main Street.

sweetpee_1993 · Dec 5, 2011

Casey was so cool this morning he had to wear his shades:

Then, of course, there’s the castle with it’s awesome crane.

Photopass pics with the crane:

And editing to get rid of it:

Here’s a personal favorite:

They’re so funny! LOL!

Oh! Here’s another creative way to get rid of the the stupid crane:

For those not familiar with my love-to-hate relationship with the castle crane for installation and removal of the holiday Dream Lights on the castle, that stupid thing is a huuuuge pet peeve of mine. Oh, others have argued why it’s no big deal. Come on, haven’t I been so many times before and have plenty of pics of the castle without the crane? After all, it’s juuuuust a crane. My husband works in facilities in and around cranes all the time. In the past I have worked on huge construction sites with a dozen or more cranes that dwarf this one positioned over the castle. My husbands father and brother are both in project management. I’ve worked as a project assistant alongside project managers who handle scheduling and safety and all aspects of the logistics with having that type of machinery on a work site. When we’re at Walt Disney World on vacation the last thing we want is to be reminded of work. Sure the eyesore can be photoshop’d out of vacation pics for the most part but it can’t be photoshop’d out of our brains. We still saw it. It still disrupted the story that Disney claims to hold so dear. Those that like to argue that it’s a simple visual disruption that’s blown out of proportion have obviously never been there when the crane is being used during the day. I’ve even seen these people deny that the crane is used throughout the day. This is how I know they’ve not been there for this because I *have* seen it more than once. I’ll not forget it either. Walking anywhere on the back side of the castle is terrible. It’s extremely loud. On job sites if you are working around these things you are required to have hearing protection because they are LOUD. The diesel exhaust isn’t pleasant to smell, either. It’s now killed 3 of the 5 five senses with this behemouth. What totally irks me beyond words about the whole thing is that I know from experience that this work does NOT need to take place during daytime hours or park hours. Guests don’t have to see this. This is poor planning and refusal to spend what it would take to bring the right number of people and pieces of equipment to accomplish the task during limited non-park hours. That crane is in my pictures because TDO is cheap and lack skill. Hire the right people. Do it right without disrupting your story. Disney prides themselves on story. This is yet another example where quality of show only goes as far as it works for limited spending and skill. Bad show, TDO. You should all be ashamed. Some guests may brush it off but I know better and will never accept the laziness and cheapness. Again, you should be ashamed of yourselves for this blatant display of poor show. With that, I shall step down from my soap box.

Adventure #9: Firsts, a Dream, an Anniversary, & Three Destinations...

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