The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[DryerLintFan]

If you had a kid today, you'd want them to be in a car seat because the science shows they're much more likely to survive if someone t-bones you. You wouldn't look at the studies and the crash tests and say, you know what I really don't mind that astronomical risk, I'm not going to make my kid safe.

This isn't about the changing of the times or being a good parent. It's about technology advancements and science.

And the more advanced car seats get, the bulkier they seem to get too

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Curious -- with just one group per gondola (family, or 2 -4 friends, or a single), does that make the queue lines excessively long? Or are the gondolas not used nearly as often as the monorail or buses?

Only at closing time, and more for Epcot than DHS for some reason (DHS we've had a ten minute wait getting on at closing). During the day they're very quick. Even so, the bus lines are excessive during closing time as well, and the gondolas line constantly moves whereas the bus... doesn't.

The line for the express monorail last night was insane, and it wasn't that crowded at MK yesterday. We ended up on the resort monorail even though we got off at TTC.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Curious -- with just one group per gondola (family, or 2 -4 friends, or a single), does that make the queue lines excessively long? Or are the gondolas not used nearly as often as the monorail or buses?

That is pretty much the way they have been doing it since they opened. If it wasn't necessary to cram them full they just put family groups or pairs sometimes even singles. Closing may have been different, I never asked about that. As long as it continues to move, it empties queues quickly.

 

[donaldtoo]

The car seats were so so so different back then though. Now they make them all to transition from infant to eight year old and they're bulky as all get out. And if you happen to get the no thrills version, you'll have to constantly defend yourself because they aren't rated to do the "safest things" long enough like backwards facing until their 4 or 5, or five point harness until their 6 or 7.

A's car seat is so large we had to buy a compact SUV with only the one kid.

Our oldest was born in ‘91 and I remember them still bein’ pretty bulky back then, although they were not the combo ones like oldest DD and SonIL brought for Emy on our Worldwind WDW trip. We always still got the top rated ones of the day, though.
We had a Jeep Cherokee Laredo at the time, and all 3 car seats lined up nicely, with youngest DDs facing to the rear in the middle. We always made sure the car seats were properly secured, as well as the kiddos in ‘em.
Fortunately, we never had to have it all tested via accident.
As an aside...
I know I’ve posted this here before, but, we used to shop together with all 3 of ‘em. I was in charge of anyone that got unruly. One time in Walmart youngest DD threw a full-blown fit over somethin’ we wouldn’t let her have. I removed her from the store kickin’ and screamin’, and once we got out into the parkin’ lot she started screamin’ “HELP MOMMY, HELP!!!!!” over and over again...the little rat, sooo many people looked at me like I was a kidnapper...!!!!!
I told ‘em she was my daughter, threw a fit in the store, and I was takin’ her to that car right there to calm down and wait for her mother and siblings to come out of the store...it took quite a while to get her properly strapped into that car seat while she had her hissy, but, I wasn’t givin‘ in, she never did it again, and to this day we still laugh about it...!!!!!
I once attended a child class with DWifey that she was required to take when she was workin’ daycare way back in the day. We were asked to describe our children in one word, and it took me about a nanosecond...Megan, sensitive (in a good way), Mathew, curious, and Sarah, sassy...Sarah is still a bit sassy, and even now, Emy refers to her as “Aunt Sassy”...!!!!!
The first sibling in my family to have a car seat was my 5-ish
year youngest bro. It was some cheap a$$, flimsy, aluminum framed, foam rubber, vinyl-covered thing that simply hooked behind the rear bench seat cushion, with no seat belts, but, it was pretty much the standard back then...
As for me, and I’ve posted such before...!!!!!!!

 

[Cesar R M]

Curious -- with just one group per gondola (family, or 2 -4 friends, or a single), does that make the queue lines excessively long? Or are the gondolas not used nearly as often as the monorail or buses?

as the raccoon said..

With the pandemic they filled only one out of 3, and they were separate families, no strangers together.
Since the line moved pretty fast, the lines were very short. But then back when I went in, it was full pandemic.

I imagine the lines will be similar because the restrictions are lowered and there is more people.

 

[donaldtoo]

I found that two was perfect. I still had a van, my wonderful Dodge Caravan. I loved that van. It would travel anywhere in any weather (with the V6) and was very comfortable to drive and even to get in and out of. It left enough room for all kinds of baggage and got pretty good gas mileage. I don't think they make them anymore except in the Chrysler line which automatically makes it more expensive. I had two in a row and loved them both. I made many trips to WDW with them and with our family of my wife, my two girls and myself we had plenty of room and comfort. I'd have one now if I wouldn't look silly for me to have a van with just me. The one thing I did miss was being able to lock valuables in the trunk or for our British friends, the boot. I also owned two Dodge K-cars (very dependable and comfortable small cars (used on our first WDW trip in 1983) and two Dodge Caravans... Lee Iacocca had a big part of my 80's and 90's life.

My daughter has had three caravans and currently has one of the ugliest vehicles known to man. It is a Ford something. It looks more like a utility van with 2 laterally opening doors in the back of a huge square block of vehicle. She has three kids ranging from 9 to 19 to 21 and all still live at home and are still going to school. Online college or home school.

We, originally, wanted 4 kiddos (as DWifey and I both come from 4 sib families), but, with special needs DS, we thought it would be prudent to be happy with 3 kiddos, and we are more than happy...!!!!!!!
As I’ve posted before, I absolutely LOVED our ‘01 Dodge Grand Caravan when we first bought it...all the things you said, plus it looked great. Then, like the Cherokee, it went down the tubes pretty quick, both mechanically, and even little things like visors, trim, etc., in the interior.
Have never bought another Dodge/Chrysler product since, and don’t plan to anytime soon.
Funny, how all of our experiences with different brands differ. But, now that I think about it, I don’t think I followed my own advice on either of those rides to see if they were manufactured on a Monday or Friday...?!!!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

View attachment 559288

I’ll take the one on the right...!!!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

@King Raccoon 77

What the heck...?!?!?! Bacon doesn’t hafta’ be “artisanal”, it’s friggin’ damn bacon...!!!!!!!

 

[Goofyernmost]

We, originally, wanted 4 kiddos (as DWifey and I both come from 4 sib families), but, with special needs DS, we thought it would be prudent to be happy with 3 kiddos, and we are more than happy...!!!!!!!
As I’ve posted before, I absolutely LOVED our ‘01 Dodge Grand Caravan when we first bought it...all the things you said, plus it looked great. Then, like the Cherokee, it went down the tubes pretty quick, both mechanically, and even little things like visors, trim, etc., in the interior.
Have never bought another Dodge/Chrysler product since, and don’t plan to anytime soon.
Funny, how all of our experiences with different brands differ. But, now that I think about it, I don’t think I followed my own advice on either of those rides to see if they were manufactured on a Monday or Friday...?!!!!!

As I stated earlier, my first car was a Plymouth Wagon. Then in the late 80's I had a Dodge caravan which I sold when it had 160K on it and never had anything other then expected maintenance in all that time. I'd see it every morning for the next two year sailing on past me on my way to work. While I still had that one I had a Dodge K-car, another Caravan after I sold the first one, and my wife decided she wanted a Plymouth Laser which was OK but not for a family of four so we later traded that in for a second new K-car. All but the Laser had over 100K on them and had no problems at all. My wife took that one with her after our divorce and it lasted for many years after that. I had good luck, mechanically with all my MOPAR® vehicles. The drivers seat did break on the first caravan, in it's old age, but I was able to replace it from a salvage yard for $24.00. (Hint: attempting to drive a vehicle with a seat with no back is close to as big an athletic feat as any Olympic gold medal contest.)

 

[Goofyernmost]

My area had the old Disney store which closed decades ago (not the newer one). All I remember was a wall to floor movie screen, you could buy park tickets and a big circle stuff animal display near the movie screen

The one that closed was completely remodeled about 5 years ago. I don't know how much affect the ending of selling park tickets had on business but, I know I used to buy them from there for myself and and as gifts and always bought some other overpriced stuff at the same time. When they stopped selling what I wanted I almost never went in there again. I wonder just how much the idea of not selling what people wanted for prices they could afford spelled the end of the stores. The only other Disney Store in the state is in Charlotte, about 120 miles away. It is the biggest city but the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill triangle has over two million in population. It should have worked.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I’ll take it.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Back when my kids were little car seats were a rarity and we never had one, guess by todays standard I'd be a bad parent. Growing up cars did not have seat belts and my brother and I would fight over who got to lay on the big shelf at the back window. We didn't have bike helmets or knee pads. Played sand lot tackle football with neighborhood kids with no equipment, never had play dates mom would send us out we played with other kids called called in for lunch and back out until supper. Guess we were just lucky to make it to adulthood --times have changed

I told my daughters the same thing about what we had as kids and their enlightened response to our lack of protection was... "And it shows". "You say some strange things from time to time". I told them that they were poster children for Planned Parenthood!

Spoiler: Important message

The entire previous message was a fabrication designed to be humorous. Just needed to say that before I get reported to Child Services.

 

[FutureCEO]

Parents are going to Disney for a week so I get the dog. Already he's crying

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I’ll take it.

View attachment 559456

It's been lovely down here. Breezy, but lovely.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

@Figgy1

 

[Figgy1]

Our oldest was born in ‘91 and I remember them still bein’ pretty bulky back then, although they were not the combo ones like oldest DD and SonIL brought for Emy on our Worldwind WDW trip. We always still got the top rated ones of the day, though.
We had a Jeep Cherokee Laredo at the time, and all 3 car seats lined up nicely, with youngest DDs facing to the rear in the middle. We always made sure the car seats were properly secured, as well as the kiddos in ‘em.
Fortunately, we never had to have it all tested via accident.
As an aside...
I know I’ve posted this here before, but, we used to shop together with all 3 of ‘em. I was in charge of anyone that got unruly. One time in Walmart youngest DD threw a full-blown fit over somethin’ we wouldn’t let her have. I removed her from the store kickin’ and screamin’, and once we got out into the parkin’ lot she started screamin’ “HELP MOMMY, HELP!!!!!” over and over again...the little rat, sooo many people looked at me like I was a kidnapper...!!!!!
I told ‘em she was my daughter, threw a fit in the store, and I was takin’ her to that car right there to calm down and wait for her mother and siblings to come out of the store...it took quite a while to get her properly strapped into that car seat while she had her hissy, but, I wasn’t givin‘ in, she never did it again, and to this day we still laugh about it...!!!!!
I once attended a child class with DWifey that she was required to take when she was workin’ daycare way back in the day. We were asked to describe our children in one word, and it took me about a nanosecond...Megan, sensitive (in a good way), Mathew, curious, and Sarah, sassy...Sarah is still a bit sassy, and even now, Emy refers to her as “Aunt Sassy”...!!!!!
The first sibling in my family to have a car seat was my 5-ish
year youngest bro. It was some cheap a$$, flimsy, aluminum framed, foam rubber, vinyl-covered thing that simply hooked behind the rear bench seat cushion, with no seat belts, but, it was pretty much the standard back then...
As for me, and I’ve posted such before...!!!!!!!

View attachment 559433

The boys and me no lead paint, wooden spoon yes, bike helmets yes, no P/U truck, garden hose yes

 

[Figgy1]

I’ll take it.

View attachment 559456

Yikes we're warmer than you for a few days

 

[Figgy1]

@Figgy1 View attachment 559473

James got that

 

[MinnieM123]

Back when my kids were little car seats were a rarity and we never had one, guess by todays standard I'd be a bad parent. Growing up cars did not have seat belts and my brother and I would fight over who got to lay on the big shelf at the back window. We didn't have bike helmets or knee pads. Played sand lot tackle football with neighborhood kids with no equipment, never had play dates mom would send us out we played with other kids called called in for lunch and back out until supper. Guess we were just lucky to make it to adulthood --times have changed

Sounds like my childhood with minimal safety equipment, etc. My brothers were both wild, and somehow even they also survived!

That said, it is good that newer safety guidelines were developed over the years. Even though we were lucky survivors as kids, I'm assuming that some other children might not have been so lucky. Hence, there was a need for more safety research, in regard to children. It's probably for the best.

 

[Creathir]

@93boomer I was told you garden in the North Carolina area and might have some sage advice on the following.

Looking for shade tree advice.
We are building a new house in North Carolina, specifically the foothills of the mountains.

Our house sits in the middle of a field, intentionally to avoid pine trees which are notorious for falling. We obviously want a solid front yard with shade at some point down the line, so I’ve been researching various fast growing tree varieties which provide a lot of limb spread for shade.

So far, I believe red maple and silver maple trees seem to offer the most bang for your buck (bonus points for some fall foliage colors too) but does anyone have any recommendations for the mid-Atlantic/southeast United States for quick growing shade tree varieties?

Thanks for pointing me towards @93boomer @Figgy1 !