The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[donaldtoo]

I trust at least one of you had the obligatory 'stache

Of course, we both did!
He had a glove box/compartment full of these for every time he took it for a spin...

 

[donaldtoo]

I said "with average consistency".
The only that I have known to have consistency was BE OUR GUEST for what I read. I tried all the other restaurants sans the plaza.. and their quality jumped from one trip to the other.

My apologies. I should have proofread my original post closer before I posted it, because I meant to specify DS QS, not TS.
Also, in your response post, I thought you were referring to BoG as the only TS in MK.
This is what happens when I'm so many pages behind again and trying to "ketchup" too quickly...!

 

[EagleScout610]

New video is up:

 

[Cesar R M]

My apologies. I should have proofread my original post closer before I posted it, because I meant to specify DS QS, not TS.
Also, in your response post, I thought you were referring to BoG as the only TS in MK.
This is what happens when I'm so many pages behind again and trying to "ketchup" too quickly...!

I understand, perhaps I wasn't very clear.
I actually like most of the QS of MK. DHS in the other hand..seems to have all the QS by sunset boulevard

 

[Figgy1]

Again, sympathy like.

Thank you.

 

[Figgy1]

Thats me this entire weekend. Did I mentioned that my grandmah fell again at late night and then almost fell in the afternoon? she is now definitively a child. She just forgets everything and tries to take the wheelchair by herself..and she ends always in the floor. At least she hasnt hurt herself x_x

Sympathy like. Have you looked into getting some part time help for her?

 

[Figgy1]

Just when you thought I kept somewhat strange hours, they may get even stranger because my dh may go on an over night shift Nothing like still having to get the boys up at 5 and working around a sleeping dh during the day the one good thing about it is I may be able to trick, er um guilt, er um ask him politely to go with me for a quick trip to Florida within the next year

 

[donaldtoo]

Yeah, there are enough TS places in the MK, I'm not a fan of the food of most, ability to keep to an ADR or overall service of many. MK kinda fails with TS the same way the Studios fail with QS and I like eating food at the Lounge at Derby more than actual TS.

Yea, the only TS we've ever eaten at in MK is BoG, the one time for dinner. That's where DS and I had the disappointingly gristly NY strip steaks.
Our usual QS choice in MK is CHH, although we've been to Pecos Bill's, Cosmic Ray's, and Casey's several times, too.
And, come to think of it, the only TS we've ever eaten at in DHS is Sci-Fi (3 times), and none in AK.
But, we've eaten at Via Napoli once, Coral Reef twice, Teppan Edo three times, and Biergarten four times.
Also, 'Ohana and T-Rex three times.
I think that's it...
All the trips we took before I was a Disney Store CM we only booked 1 or 2 TS ADRs, and payed OOP.
Both the trips we took in '12 and '13, I got the CM DDP discount for 50% off, so booked a TS meal for dinner every night of the trip.
On our last trip for the Princess 5K in Feb. of '16 (not a CM anymore, so OOP) we booked one TS at T-Rex, and then did a walk up (we were seated in 5 min.) at Via Napoli the next day for lunch.

 

[EagleScout610]

Another new video!

 

[MOXOMUMD]

 

[donaldtoo]

The camper pictured is almost exactly what my dad bought a couple years into his camping craziness. The difference was our pickup was baby blue and he being a person of detail, had painted the stripes on the camper to match. Relatively recently I wrote a mini-novel to give to my family entitled "What is a Queue, and why do I have to stand in it." The title is a little misleading because most of it didn't include a queue, but, did outline our mis-adventures in camping (i.e. vacationing) through the years. It is way to long to post the whole thing, but, I will put in a few small sections of the pickup camper from hell to give you an idea, albeit a small one, as to my unabashed hatred of camping. The title of this chapter is:

Florida in July
Or is it possible to have your underwear actually melt and become part of your skin?

"My sister and I were relegated to the camper for the long awaited trip. We had a view of everything on the right hand side of it. That’s the only side with windows. We also could climb up in the bunk that overhung the pickup cab and lie on our bellies and look out the front, bug splattered, window to see actually where we were going, instead of just what we were along side of. One of the modern conveniences in the mansion on wheels was an intercom system that connected us with our parents in the front of us. My sister took this opportunity to whine constantly in an effort to get me in trouble and also score herself a place in the cab of the pickup.

We drove endlessly through the rest of Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. We did, or at least I, managed to see a lot of the right side of the states. We drove through mountain roads that I doubt anyone had been on since they built them as part of the New Deal. I have no recollection of where we spent the first night, but it would have had to be a pull off on the highway because it seems like I remember being terrified that someone would break into our little house and kill us all in the night.

It is probably time to discuss another miscalculation. Heat! We were from the north and our imagination of what southern heat was like was off by a very long way. Our blood was thick as tar and it was hot enough to melt tar. Turn on the AC you say? OK, but there wasn’t any. While on the road we could crack the windows a little and get a little breeze to hit us on the face, but at night all we had for the four of us was a 6 inch stationary fan pretty much pointed at Dad. That was only if we were able to plug into a 110 volt outlet someplace. I don’t think I need to be descriptive about just how grumpy four people in a small room with the heat in the 90’s and nothing more than a 6 inch fan to keep us feeling fresh can become.

Driving through Georgia pre-interstate highway time, was also a never ending trek. I do remember stopping at a roadside stand and Dad bought us a fresh Watermelon that we absorbed directly through our skin in an effort to re-hydrate. Finally after what seemed like we were following Moses through the desert for 40 years, we crossed into Florida. The most pleasant part of the trip started there at the Florida Welcome Station where they had cold, fresh Orange Juice that they gave to all of us happy little tourists. Man, I can still taste it. I have never had any Orange Juice that good since then.

I have very vivid memories of stopping at Silver Springs and riding the Glass Bottom Boats, crossing over the Swanee River as in way down upon the, fame, but the sequence escapes me. I do remember finding a campground somewhere not too far from Silver Springs, I think. It was mostly sand and palm trees and it was along side a lake. I couldn’t wait to get into that lake and cool off. My mother, however, had a different idea of what would be a good time considering that there was always the possibility of Alligators living in any lake in Florida and she wanted to return to the North with the same number of complete children that she left with.

While fueling up at a small gas station in Florida some old timers were sitting out front and talking about how this was the hottest they could remember it being. Of course that could just have been a way to scare tourist away, but we had no reason to doubt it. It was Hot. How hot? As Robin Williams said in “Good Morning, Vietnam”… Damn Hot! Our little 6 inch fan was working overtime but still not able to produce enough airflow to alter the flight path of a Gnat."

And if you think this was long, you should see the whole essay. The outcome of that trip was we never made it to Key West which was our original target. This took place in 1962 long before WDW even existed. We got as far as Daytona Beach before my parents came to their collective senses and pointed the thing north for a fast trip back to breathable air. This was just one of many adventures that almost never came out good if the word "camping" could be associated with it.

Hahaaa...!
I can relate to a lot of this!
We made 5 3-week-long trips over summer vacations from San Jose, CA to San Antonio/south central Texas and back in that camper.
We also had an intercom. I always wondered why we just didn't have sliding windows in both the cab of the truck and the camper...we had windows between the cab and the camper, but, neither of them were operable. Thus, the intercom.
It also had no bathroom, and only an ice box (you had to either maintain a block or bags of ice in it to keep things "refrigerated").
It did have a propane stove though. I do remember bein' awakened many a morning buy the sound and smell of bacon and eggs bein' fried on that stove...!!!
And yep, no A/C, or even a fan. It was always hotter than that hockey stick place driving through Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Texas was also where we hit the humidididididity.
I-10 was still under major construction at the time. We took so many detours onto 2-lane roads throughout the trip. We spent much of our time on that cabover camper bed reading Archie comic books and pressing our heads against the bug splattered window, on those 2-lane detours, as semi trucks coming in the opposite direction, only a few feet away, rattled it against our heads with the air pressure they were pushing. I don't even remember thinkin' much about the "one false move, and we're splattered bugs on a windshield!" aspect. We used to giggle about the window rattling on our heads, and couldn't wait for the next truck...!
And, when we were back on the multi lane areas, we would always do the pull your arm down thing to truck drivers as we either passed them, or they passed us, to get them to honk their horns...they did it every time when they saw us...so much joy for us out of such a simple gesture...!!!!!
And, yes, we also had a CB radio...
"10-4, good buddy...!!!"
Goooooood memories...!!!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

I'm not a car fan, per se. However, I would love these for my little car!

Perfect...!!!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

That coat is stunning.

I'm, obviously , no fashionista (TSSFFBR ), but even I think that coat is pretty cool.
I took special note of the layered "flaps" at the top to, presumably, keep the elements at bay...?
I really have no clue, but, even in my eyes, that is one classy outfit...!

 

[EagleScout610]

7 DAYS TO ST. PATRICK'S DAY

 

[donaldtoo]

In MK, I have a bunch of favorites. But, I guess my top two are a tie: Space Mountain, and Haunted Mansion. They're both so iconic, well themed, and really fun!! (However, I will admit that SM was a smoother ride years ago, and it was a bit more exciting before they added the trim brakes. Yet, I understand they added the trims for safety reasons. It's an old attraction and they wanted to cut down on some of the wear and tear. Then again, they could also just replace/overhaul the track . . . )

I have a special place in my heart for both PotC and IaSW, as they were some of the first attractions I vividly remember riding back on my first visit to DL in '68. My mother always used to sing the IaSW song to us kinda' silly-like when we were little to cheer us up...it usually worked...
I also vividly remember those 2 extinct DL attractions I've mentioned before from that first trip...Mine Train Thru Natures Wonderland, and Adventure Thru Inner Space. I was in awe.
First rode HM at DL in '70. Simply amazing!!!!!
Bottom line, PotC and HM are probably tied for first place with me, when it comes to current attractions...!

 

[donaldtoo]

Me too, which is why I will have to wait until I actually go to Pandora to see it. Disney just should have had a complete special with Joe Rohde doing the tour.

Favorite ride is BTMM. Favorite nostalgic ride is COP. The "makes me feel warm inside" ride would be the ferry boat to MK and watching the castle come into full view.
Our nice warm weather will be going away for the weekend also. They have 60 for Thursday, but 31 for Saturday and possible snow on Sunday.

Mixed like "like" , and sympathy "like".
Hope things don't get too bad...!

 

[donaldtoo]

One of the last times I was up at 2am was when we did an overnight drive to make it to rope drop at MK. That was rough. The kids had a good nights sleep, but my DH and I were zombies for the rest of the day. I would do it again.

The earliest I've ever gotten up at WDW was 3:30a-ish for that Princess 5K back in Feb. of '16.
The sunrise was pretty cool, though...!

 

[donaldtoo]

View attachment 192960

Yep, and ya' spend more calories chewin' it than it even contains...!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

Plus it's minus 5 calories because of the effort required to chew it. And oh, so tasty!

Hahaaa...!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

OK gang, out to get some chow...!
See y'all in a bit...!!!
Laterrrrrrrrrr...!!!!!