The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[Gabe1]

That sounds like so much fun! My boys want to do that one day during our trip. Me not so much

Hint: Sounds like a good suggestion as "Guys" time. Dad and his boys special bonding time?????

 

[Gabe1]

They probably expect more people from DHS to flog to other parks... universal included.

As even ABC News admitted Universal raised their admission after Disney upped theirs.

 

[Gabe1]

If it isn't one of his little friend's #s he doesn't pick up. Like I said I fixed him. He's going to be tired for a month after he gets home

Like your style! Kudos.

 

[donaldtoo]

Have fun in Arizona. I love that state. We stayed there for a week, a few years ago.

I like it too!
We used to drive through it every summer on our trips from No Cal to Texas and back every summer way back when.
Saw the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, etc.
I still remember stopping at a roadside park somewhere outside of Tucson back in the mid 70's and it was 118 degrees...but, it was indeed a dry heat...!!!

 

[Gabe1]

One couldn't actually call it a "system". Many, not all, have a small shuttle bus that runs to WDW (TTC) a few times a day on a strict schedule. It is a pain in the butt due to the fact that you have to leave and return at specific times and I have yet to see one that works until park closing. Some will make stops at the 4 parks, but, not all. To get back you have to get a cab (not cheap). With a rental car, touring WDW is really very simple and, in my opinion, much more flexible, without a rental offsite, it is a nightmare.

I agree. We've rented a car offsite, except at the Hilton right next to Disney Springs. That particular hotel affords multiple options.

 

[Gabe1]

I'm surprised you get that attitude, being both an instrumentalist AND vocalist. I played piano in 4th grade, but our teacher left and I never had lessons again until I got to college...I still only know the very basics and I don't even know if I could play all the scales anymore. And I played flute in 6th and 7th grade, but we went through SOOOO many teachers and periods without a teacher that our 7th grade band played like beginners. I think the main problem at college was that vocalists don't have learn key signatures really...the scale is the same no matter what key it's in. So I never learned how to read key signatures until college. I had no idea how far behind I was until Theory class...then I panicked. Instrumentalists have to learn the theory from the beginning, because without that, you can't play in the right key. I only ever learned C major and B flat for flute, and then I quit band. So there's an assumption that vocalists are lazy and don't know much, which...ok, I didn't know much theory, but I learned. But vocalists are considered 2nd class musicians because we don't have the theory base that instrumentalists do. But you are both..,so I can't imagine why you would get that attitude....if anything, you are even more well-rounded than someone who only plays instruments. I wish I had stuck with band or gotten piano lessons again. I'd have been SO much better off in college.

And yet when I turn on my stereo in my truck I know the vocal artist, couldn't tell you who their instrumentalists are in most instances.

 

[Gabe1]

Thanks! I already have an ADR there for our trip this summer. Excellent!

Please note if they try and seat you in the wing addition or the outside venue you can request to be seated in the real dining room. Trust me you'll appreciate the air conditioning.

 

[donaldtoo]

OK gang, I are out for now...
As always, sweet Disney dreams to all...!
See y'alllllllllll...!!!

 

[Gabe1]

So then that's even worse! You have YEARS before the new stuff is open...why take away your biggest draws to the park years before the new stuff is ready? It makes no sense from a business standpoint.

Your point is what we are all holding out hope for for the Studio's. Take out yet one more thing from that park and push more guests to Uni for a real Studio experience. It is a gamble for Disney. I'm hoping Disney thinks again about this one but they are stubborn when they make up their minds from a financial standpoint.

 

[Gabe1]

Fortunately we're far enough away from Brussels that it's not TOO bad, BUT there's a definite urgency because we know this isn't the end of it. There were the Paris attacks, the German game that was evacuated right after Paris, and now this, and IS is promising more attacks throughout European cities. So it's kind of inevitable that they will plan something here...probably in Amsterdam or The Hague..possibly Rotterdam. People are sad and worried. We also have a politician here who is anti-Muslim and anti-foreigner in general and he tends to stir things up, so it's making it tense. I imagine with the election going on in the U.S., it's probably similar there. At least as far as the tension going on between parties. But I think the main feeling here is just sadness for the people of Belgium and worry about who/where will be next. Fortunately, I haven't seen anything here with Muslims being threatened or attacked. I live in a neighborhood with a large Muslim population....both my next door neighbors are Muslim, and the kids both have a lot of Muslim kids in their classes and I haven't heard of any of them being bullied. So that's good. In some of the larger cities, there have been problems with riots because of the number of refugees being placed in centers there, but we haven't experienced that where I live. It's about as calm as you can expect it to be after an attack next door, I guess...if that makes sense?

Yeah it makes sense. I think most of us over here have a great deal of empathy for all this everywhere since 9/11 here. My DD was small but one little boy in her class always had his long hair pulled and wrapped traditionally for a young child. After 9/11 the Dad had both boys hair cut and styled liked the other boys in their class. It was rather sad to think about.

 

[Gabe1]

I've never been there, so have no opinion yet, one way or another...but what I've read is that the Pizza is good, but the pasta isn't their specialty. Have you had the pizza there? What is it you don't like about it? (for research purposes...I like to have all the information...if something isn't very good, I'd like to know what it is so I can avoid it) Have you had anything that was really good?

Me the first time we went it was freak'n amazing. Mouth watering Pizza. Second time the quality and service dropped to a level that was unacceptable. It was under staffed and they were not even bussing their tables just stacking. Hopefully they upped their game and fixed the shortcomings. I really did love it my first go around.

 

[Gabe1]

Ah...so perhaps it's a bit relative? I live in a place where good pizza is non-existent. So perhaps in comparison, Via Napoli will be fantastic. But since you have good pizza where you live, and not at Disney Prices, it's not something to rave about. I'll be interested to eat there and see. I loved the pizza in New York and Illinois, but pizza in Wyoming is nothing to write home about, and in the Netherlands even less so. I'm looking forward to REAL pizza.

We were blow away by Via's pizza the first time. Round two not so much so I don't think it was relative and I'm a big fan of pizza and we have so many options here that are amazing. We gave it a pass last trip so I hope it has improved back to what it was.

 

[Gabe1]

I'm so sorry to hear that!!!!! I love Marie but my boys would rather hang with their favorite trouble maker.

I'm still laughing about your son wanting to bring his little gal friend and leave his brother home.

 

[Gabe1]

That's it....we're raising them to be good ADULTS. They have to be able to succeed on their own, so we have to teach them how. It's more work with DS because he has more obstacles. We've had him in physical therapy for his motor skills delay, we've had him at the Psychologist to work on emotional/social development, and soccer helps him a bit with both those areas, though we still notice that he is behind. And his social/emotional problems are pretty obvious at school because he's the youngest in his class...he's 6 months to a year younger than most of the kids. At 8, that year makes a HUGE difference. We could hold him back a year so that he's with kids more on his level in that regard, BUT, cognitively, he's ahead of all of the kids who are a year older...he's got the best grades in his class and scores the highest on the national exams for his grade. So if we hold him back a year to catch up socially, he'd be bored out of his gourd with the classwork. It's a struggle. We can't have it both ways, so we just do what we can to help him in the areas where he's weak. He's getting there...he's a work in progress. (aren't we all?) I hope we're doing the right things.

I kinda looked at parenting as the goal to bringing responsible adults into the world. It wasn't my job to be their friend. Still my DD and me were freakishly bonded and we were more friends and I was almost a Mom secondary to her as she came into this world oddly with the thought process of an adult. I have no explanation for that. We remain freakishly bonded and she is 24. My son, I was always his confidant. Still am. He is my guardian protector as he has aged. I am fond of his girlfriend and kinda proud of the way he has grown to respect women. My job as Mom is done and I can proudly say society doesn't have anything to complain about. *sigh of relief*

 

[Gabe1]

Good idea. Does he need it for school? Over here, a lot of secondary schools are starting to do everything by phone so kids HAVE to have one. They post homework assignments on an app, and grades, and test dates...all the information that kids need is given via the app rather than the teacher writing it on the board like in the old days. Some are even doing the ipad thing instead of paper textbooks. So you have to have some sort of mobile device. I can understand from the perspective of saving trees, and it's handy that the kids can check the homework, even if they are sick one day....that's all nice, but some parents don't want their kids to have a phone/tablet yet at that age and this makes it a necessity. I've always said my kids won't have that stuff until they are old enough to work and pay for it themselves, and for them to not need to be policed as much with who they are talking to, what they are watching, etc. I don't want to HAVE to give them a phone so they can do their homework or read their textbooks!

Now my kids are adults but they were cutting edge with phones. My kids were 5 grades apart. DS 8th grade grad present was a cell phone. My DD was in 4th grade when she got hers. Early but she was stranded on a disability school bus in 4th grade due to being in a wheelchair and zero communication with the school or me. That was never going to happen again so that night she had a cell phone in her backpack that was prohibited by the school district at that age back then. (and I was a school board member and a policy committee member) So didn't care. Nobody knew. She didn't show it off at school. It was a safety valve.

 

[Figgy1]

View attachment 135024

You bet I did!

Side note my hubby posted this picture, I did text yell at him for picture taking and driving, but it looks gross. I don't want to go home.

I don't blame you! can you extend your trip and just claim fights were cancelled

 

[Figgy1]

View attachment 135028

Thank you for sharing. I'm super excited to be going to UNI for the first time this summer.

 

[Figgy1]

Update on team member:

Met with the professor. Basically, we have to give her one more chance, and then we can kick her out. He had actually called her into his office earlier today and told her she needs to enthusiastically participate. When we said that she was defensive when we confronted her, he said, "You're right; she was." Which indicates to us that she gave him the same attitude. He was very concerned, though, but said he needed to step back and think about it.

Even though it will mean more work for me, I'm hoping this girl drops the ball with the project due Monday so that we can be done with this nonsense.

Good luck! You don't need it because I know you'll handle it like the mature young lady you are. xoxo

 

[Figgy1]

I agree, while Marie might not fit at Main Street it also makes sense since the film she originated from was set in the 1900's (1910 to be correct). However I thought she was going to be moved back to the France Pavilion since it was fitting.

France isn't going to be the same for me without Remy and Marie.

 

[Figgy1]

Hint: Sounds like a good suggestion as "Guys" time. Dad and his boys special bonding time?????

ROFLMAO I'm more of a park commando than my dh. Taking him into hopping at all took a bit of effort. I had to prove it would be better for our schedule and Water Parks took quite a bit of begging by the boys. Something tells me we'll get dropped at a WP in the morning and he'll head back to sleep for a while. I'm not saying he'll spend no time in them but not 4 days by any stretch of imagination.