Somebody's Gonna Pee in a Cup, West Coast - Link to new TR 1/21

[KatMark]

Andy, sorry I missed your update. We went to see the kids for the weekend (I won at the casino again ).

I'm sorry your meal was not as good as it has been in the past at WCC. Have you ever done breakfast? You really ought to give it a try (and yes I am being VERY nice today and not making any nasty comments about WCC's dinner).

I have to agree that the tree there is simply stunning.

How nice that you got to the MK and got to see the Electrical Parade and the Castle Show and Wishes. I'm with you...Wishes is a favorite.

If you didn't like going backstage that short amount of time, you might want to skip the tours that really take you back stage.

I've noticed that about Pirates too...that line since the new FP+ system is long on both sides.

WOW...I would NOT have wanted to be the Skipper on that boat. And that must have been a tad scary for all of you.

 

[jecskc]

Andy,

I have been away from the DIS for a while. But I have enjoyed your report so far. Hope your back is better !!

Susan

 

[afwdwfan]

Andy, sorry I missed your update. We went to see the kids for the weekend (I won at the casino again ).

Of course you did. Now set it aside for your fund for overpriced Disney art!

I'm sorry your meal was not as good as it has been in the past at WCC. Have you ever done breakfast? You really ought to give it a try (and yes I am being VERY nice today and not making any nasty comments about WCC's dinner).

Thanks.

No, we've never done breakfast there, but our priority is getting to the parks before the crowds. And as you've seen, I have zero luck with getting everyone up and out the door early in the morning. So basically, unless we happen to be staying there and something just works out that we can eat breakfast there, it probably won't happen. The only breakfast ADR's we do is if we can get a pre-RD character breakfast in one of the parks.

I have to agree that the tree there is simply stunning.

How nice that you got to the MK and got to see the Electrical Parade and the Castle Show and Wishes. I'm with you...Wishes is a favorite.

It is the best. Love the soundtrack with it.

If you didn't like going backstage that short amount of time, you might want to skip the tours that really take you back stage.

You know, I think I'd enjoy a tour. It just wasn't what I wanted at that point in time, especially for MiL and FiL... and any other first time visitors that may have had to go that way.

I've noticed that about Pirates too...that line since the new FP+ system is long on both sides.

It is. HM was supposed to be closed while we were there, but it opened a few days early. I don't know if it was the fact that it had been closed or what, but it always seemed to be lined up more than I ever remember too.

WOW...I would NOT have wanted to be the Skipper on that boat. And that must have been a tad scary for all of you.

It really wasn't so much scary as I was afraid this was going to turn into a big ordeal and a longer night. Thankfully it didn't. I mean, I knew we weren't going to sink, so once we hit and I realized nobody was hurt, it was funny more than anything.

I have been away from the DIS for a while. But I have enjoyed your report so far. Hope your back is better !!

Hey there! Welcome back! I'd wondered if you were still around or not, I hadn't seen anything out of you in a long time.

The back is much better. It actually was back to just about normal the day we got to Disneyland, so the timing was perfect!

 

[eandesmom]

We all had the skillet with the bottomless milkshake for our drink under the dining plan. It was good, but the food wasn’t quite as good as on our previous trips. The ribs are usually my favorite part of the meal, but they were just a little overcooked and too dry. The sausage was probably my favorite of the meats this time around, and it is usually not something I eat too much of. I think DS ate just about all of the corn. DD, for some unknown reason, loves salad. I think she basically got a plate full of salad and that was what she had to eat. They brought out the dessert platter at the end and this time we all had enough appetite left to finish it off. I don’t remember what it was and we didn’t get food pictures so I think it is safe to say it was nothing outstanding, but it wasn’t bad either.

All in all, I love WCC, and we’ll definitely be back. We’ve always had exceptional service there, this time included. But the food wasn’t as good as past visits. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t quite as good as what we’re used to having.

Are you anti salad?

Sorry it wasn't quite as good as you remembered. I've yet to do dinner there. We have done breakfast and liked it but I wouldn't go so far to say it was the best ever.

We headed out past the pool and saw the new splash area they were still in the process of completing. It wasn’t close to time for the geyser so we went on down to the dock to wait for a boat. We arrived just as a boat was pulling away. So we waited. And we waited. And watched 2 boats come and go for the Fort Wilderness/Contemporary loop. And finally a boat came to the dock for MK. But it was one of the small ones. Not nearly big enough to fit everyone waiting on the dock, but we were lucky enough to make it on board. Since it was a small boat, we had to get the kids out of the stroller and by the time we boarded there were no seats with an open area in front of them. So I sat with a folded double stroller in my lap.

A double stroller in the lap does not sound comfortable!

so we ventured backstage for the first time ever. Definitely kills a little bit of the magic, but oh well.

As we were walking backstage we could hear the projection show starting. So much for our plans…

DISLIKE!

Thankfully, this was one of the bigger boats so we could just roll the stroller into the boat. I headed to the open area in the middle of the boat where they have the doors on the side so there’s some extra space between the rows. I stood there with the stroller while DW, MiL and FiL got a seat in the back row of the boat. We loaded up and a crew member (we’ll call him Gilligan) leaned out the front door to undo the ropes. The captain (we’ll call him Skipper) was moving the boat to give Gilligan some slack to work with. Gilligan got the rope free, but he was still hanging halfway out the door when the motors gunned and the boat headed straight forward.

This is odd. I don’t remember this ever happening before.

The engines slowed, but I could see we were still moving towards the wall at the edge of the lake. We were going to crash into the MK!

I looked at Gilligan, and he’s still standing next to a wide open door with rope in his hand and a perplexed look on his face.

Clearly, this isn’t supposed to be happening.

Skipper fired the engines up again and we started to turn just slightly.

Ok, maybe we’re just going to do a 180 and turn around… I’m not sure there’s enough room, but the guy driving this boat is a pro, right???

Right???

The engine slows down and then Skipper guns it again. Our forward momentum stopped and we were running wide open in reverse.

When we got back to WL, someone sitting in the front of the boat said he was braced for impact at this point, and we couldn’t have been more than 6 inches away from hitting the wall before we started backing up..

Remember that slight turn I’d mentioned? Yeah, we no longer had open water behind us.
FiL said he looked at me and could see in my eyes that something was about to happen…

I was standing there watching and we were headed straight for the dock we just left. I had one hand gripping the stroller and another holding on tight to the seat in front of me.

All of a sudden… BOOOM!![/SIZE]

We slammed into the dock and the platform that you walk out on to board the boat rose about 2 feet out of the water. Everybody who was half asleep on the boat was now very much awake.

I was prepared for it, and able to maintain my balance. DS just about fell out of the stroller, but he was fine. There weren’t many others standing on the boat, but those of us who were, managed to stay up.

Skipper regained control of the boat and slowly got us back in line with the dock and Gilligan tied us back up.

2 men who looked to be fairly important were running down the dock towards the boat. One got on the boat and went straight up the stairs to Skipper. The other walked through the boat and talked to all the passengers asking if everyone was ok. Thankfully there were no injuries.

I’m worried at this point, because we just wanted to get back to the room and get to bed. I figured we’d be forced to get off the boat and ride a bus or wait for another boat or something like that at the very least. Another thought that crossed my mind was that with Disney and any concern about liability, they might make everyone get checked out by a medic or something. I just wasn’t sure at all what to expect.

The CM who came through the boat was hanging over the back, apparently surveying the damage, while the other was still upstairs with Skipper. FiL caught my attention and asked if we were ok. I just nodded my head and started laughing. That is when I nodded towards the front of the boat and said “ I think somebody’s gonna get to go pee in a cup tonight.”

Ok I have to admit that is NOT what I thought of when I read the title initially!

YIKES!

So glad it wasn't worse but oh my goodness. Glad your kids were little enough and asleep enough not to be traumatized about Disney transportation later!

The CM’s apparently determined that the boat was still safe to operate. The 2 who came on the boat, ushered Skipper off and a new captain came on board to take us safely to WL with no more problems. We even got to see the Electric Water Pageant as we sailed right past it.

As we were pulling away from the dock, I could see Skipper and the 2 men who came onto the boat having a pretty animated conversation. I’d hate to be that guy right about then.

We made it back to Wilderness Lodge and quickly we were on our way back to AoA. We had a smooth drive, but the parking lot was pretty full. The kids were asleep, so I drove everyone up to our building so they wouldn't have to walk as far. I went out and parked the Suburban and took this picture on the way back in. I really do love AoA.

thank goodness it could just keep going, that would have been a late late night that no one wanted.

 

[afwdwfan]

Are you anti salad?

I'm not anti salad, but I'm definitely pro meat!

No, I had some of the salad myself. I just seriously think it is hilarious that our 2 year old loves salad. Seriously, her favorite foods are cheese, hot dogs, fruit snacks and salad. How many kids that age eat salad????

Sorry it wasn't quite as good as you remembered. I've yet to do dinner there. We have done breakfast and liked it but I wouldn't go so far to say it was the best ever.

Yeah, even on a good night, I wouldn't say this is the best dinner either. But I do think it can tend to be underappreciated. Although, I question that sentiment after the meat left something to be desired this time.

A double stroller in the lap does not sound comfortable!

Oh gosh, it wasn't. I had to sit with my head at this awful angle just to be able to fit into the seat. I couldn't wait to get off that boat!

DISLIKE!

It certainly wasn't what we had in mind.

Ok I have to admit that is NOT what I thought of when I read the title initially!

YIKES!

So glad it wasn't worse but oh my goodness. Glad your kids were little enough and asleep enough not to be traumatized about Disney transportation later!

It was definitely an interesting experience. DD wasn't phased at all. I think she may have even drifted off. I know DS was awake and not sitting in the stroller properly, which is why he almost fell out, but it was just all around a weird situation.

thank goodness it could just keep going, that would have been a late late night that no one wanted.

I was really relieved when I saw a new CM come on to drive the boat and I finally knew we wouldn't have to get off the boat.

 

[ashw100]

Wishes is a favorite for me too. That is crazy about the boat. I am glad everyone is okay and I hope the cm was okay too but, your TR title is hilarious to me now. Hope your trip gets a little less crazy.

 

[glennbo123]

Yay, I finally got to to the story that inspired the TR title. Wow, I didn't see that coming! I figured that it had to do with waiting in line too long. Glad nobody got hurt. But yeah, I wouldn't want to be Skipper right then. Thinking about it though, it was always Gilligan who messed up...maybe they switched jobs that night?

 

[afwdwfan]

Wishes is a favorite for me too. That is crazy about the boat. I am glad everyone is okay and I hope the cm was okay too but, your TR title is hilarious to me now. Hope your trip gets a little less crazy.

I love Wishes. Nothing else really even comes close to comparing to it.

The boat incident certainly made for an interesting evening. I'm not sure what happened to the CM driving the boat, but I'm sure it wasn't a fun situation for him.

Yay, I finally got to to the story that inspired the TR title. Wow, I didn't see that coming! I figured that it had to do with waiting in line too long. Glad nobody got hurt. But yeah, I wouldn't want to be Skipper right then. Thinking about it though, it was always Gilligan who messed up...maybe they switched jobs that night?

You make a good point. But Skipper was skippering the boat when he crashed into an island... so I'll stand by my story.

The only thing that works against me was the fact that Gilligan didn't end up going for a swim after falling out the open door as we abruptly left the dock.

 

[afwdwfan]

Who’s Afraid of the Disco Yeti?

We woke up early Tuesday morning. Yes, we’d had a late night in MK, but we made the right call to get out of there well before the closing time at midnight. We had big plans for today, so we had to get moving!

Our destination for the day was AK. And in an unlikely change of events, we were parked and standing in line at the turnstiles a good 20 minutes before they started letting people in. A gentleman and his daughter in line next to us started chatting with us. Turned out they live about 30 miles away from us. She was a senior in high school and they had just planned a last minute father daughter trip right after she finished her finals and they flew down to go to the parks for 4 days. They were nice and we enjoyed chatting with them for a bit before we got into the park.

Once we were in the park, our first destination of the day was Expedition Everest. We headed over and I was planning to grab a rider switch pass and let everyone ride, but I went to park the stroller and in the time it took me to do that, they’d already got into the line. So DD and I stood outside and waited. DS did go ride this one with them. He was feeling a little bit taller and managed to meet the 42” requirement.

DD and I stood outside watching as the cars went past, and when we saw our group riding, we headed into the gift shop to meet them.


DS was being carried out by FiL.

And had no interest in being put down.

I had told him that there was a Yeti before he rode. Again, trying to at least make sure there are no surprises. We even showed him the video on Youtube. But when he saw the silhouette of the Yeti on the wall tearing out the track, that was apparently it. He was done and wanted out of there.

I asked him if he wanted to ride again, even though I knew the answer. DW and I instead headed into the queue. Despite not having a rider switch pass, we still only waited maybe 5 minutes.

On our way out of Asia, we stopped and bought a small stuffed Yeti for DS as a reminder that he rode a scary ride and survived it. He loves his little Yeti, and I think he’s proud of himself now, but he made sure that it was perfectly clear that he didn’t want to ride any more rides with a Yeti in them.

Our first FP+ for the day was for the safari, so when we finished up at EE, we made our way over to Africa. It was no time at all before we were on a truck and enjoying our safari.

And look! We actually have an attraction that has some photographic evidence!!!!

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When we got back to civilization, we started to get the stroller, but a CM was standing there directing people over to the gorilla habitat near the exit. We didn’t get to see any babies, but there were a couple of mature gorillas out playing and putting on a bit of a show. We stood and watched them for a while, but it was getting close to time for our next FP+, so we had to get going.

After a quick restroom break, we were off to do a new attraction for us… Festival of the Lion King.

I have to say, it was a good show. I’m definitely glad I finally saw it. I might be villified for saying this, but it didn’t really live up to the hype, to me. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoyed it, but I don’t think it is something that we’ll need to do every trip, by any means.

But part of my opinion may be a little bit clouded because of the kids. They weren’t into this show at all, and it was getting a little frustrating trying to keep them distracted. It reached a point where I just wanted the show to end so we could get out of there and move on to something else. I think anybody who is a parent, can totally relate to this.

When the show ended, I went to get the stroller and met everyone else next to Tusker House to load the kids back up and head off to our next adventure. Nobody was really in the mood to walk the animal trails, and it was just about time for the restaurants to open for lunch. We decided since we wanted to take a long break, we’d just grab some lunch and then probably head out of the park.

Our usual lunch spot in AK is Flame Tree BBQ. But that is also the only place I’ve ever had lunch at AK. We thought we’d change it up and try something different. I always thought that Dinoland was a fun area, so we headed over there to check out Restaurantosaurus. It just made sense because we also had FP+ for Dinosaur if we felt like riding after lunch.

And let me just say, this turned out to be a mistake. Wow…. Definitely should have stuck with Flame Tree.

We were in the restaurant early in the day. It hadn’t been open for lunch more than 15 minutes or so. There was hardly anyone in there at all. But the service left something to be desired.
When the CM gave me our tray, there was no drink for the kids meal. I pointed it out and he turned to go get it for us. At this point, I figured I should take inventory of our tray. I found that they also left off a dessert, and they didn’t put any fries in the bucket with the kids meal. I pointed this out to the CM manning the line and he grabbed our dessert and went to the meal prep area and asked for an order of fries.

Apparently, it takes a direct order from Mickey Mouse himself to get an order filled that isn’t given to them through the automated system. The CM helping me kept asking for another order of fries. The guy who was putting the orders together told him he couldn’t do it. A manager came over to the CM helping me and told him to forget about it and get filled trays to other customers. I don’t know if they thought someone was just asking for a side of fries that wasn’t actually paid for or what, but the CM helping me seemed to be the only one interested in filling our order. The manager never came and talked to me, but I heard her comment and I might have taken it the wrong way. Either way, I was determined to stand in that spot and hold up a line if I had to until I had my full order on my tray. I might have been “one of those guests” at that point in time to others behind me… Although, I never resorted to rudeness or name calling or anything like that. And I was still polite with the CM the whole time.



I promise.

Eventually, the trays started stacking up on the counter, because the CM helping me was appareantly taking the same passive aggressive stance I took and refused to move until they gave him the fries he’d asked for about 900 times. Once he finally got them, he put them on my tray, I smiled, said thank you and went to find a seat.

I have a hard time picking on the CM who was helping me. He was earning his ears and you could see he was visibly flustered by everything. He was nothing but polite and kind to me, so I certainly appreciated his effort. In the end, he did take care of me, but it was a much longer process to get our food than it should have been.

I found everyone else sitting at a table. MiL and FiL had gone to another line and I think they were about half done eating by the time I got there. The meal itself though, wasn’t bad at all. I had a burger, which I enjoyed. It was definitely on par with Pecos Bills and they had a small toppings bar in there as well. I think we all enjoyed our meals, and DS loved getting a bucket and shovel, but the service definitely made us wish we had gone somewhere else for lunch.

After we finished eating, we headed off to ride Dinosaur. We had FP+ so MiL and FiL went to ride first while we kept the kids occupied. DD was getting antsy so we thought of taking the kids to ride the prehistoric Dumbo, but we were also afraid to leave MiL and FiL to have to look for us when they got off the ride, so we stayed and waited. Thankfully it didn’t take long at all. Then DW and I completed the hand off and went in to ride.

DW is somewhere in that seat next to me... I'm not sure she looked up that entire ride.

When we came out, the kids were just being whiny and grumpy and clearly needed naps. We decided to call it a day at AK and head back to AoA for a nice long break before our evening at MK. AK definitely lived up to its half day reputation for us, as we were out of there by just after noon.

We got back to the resort and just like the day before, everyone, including me, laid down to take a nap. I think we all slept at least a couple of hours. And we'd need it for this evening!

 

[SarahDisney]

Congrats on getting to AK early ... I'm sure by that time you were thrilled to finally get to the park when you wanted to!

How hysterical that the people you were chatting with live so close ... what a coincidence!

Aw, poor DS - that Yeti can be a little scary! At least a got a cute souvenir out of the experience.

You got some great pictures from the Safari! I like the one of the hippos - I never see them out of the water.

Personally, I love the Lion King show. But I understand why people would not, especially if you have kids who aren't enjoying it. Not every kid gets interested in the show, and I'm guessing it's not easy to sit through something that long when the kids don't want to be there.

Wow ... who knew you had to go through so much just to get the fries that come with your order? I can imagine it wasn't easy to stay polite, so kudos to you for being able to keep your cool.

I totally don't blame DW for refusing to look up during Dinosaur ... she's already better than me, I refuse to even go on it!

Another nap ... looks like you're becoming a regular Disney midday napper! And I totally understand AK being a half-day park ... but it makes it easier to go back to the room for naptime!

 

[Steppesister]

Congratulations! You're going through the aging process!

So, you're saying he's gonna grow up? I guess we all have to sooner or later.

Andy,

GREAT 3 updates! Yeah, I was a bit behind.

What was that skipper THINKING?! Sheesh!! Seriously. That could have ended up as a late night news story for sure.

AK is my 2nd favorite park! So many great details and story.

I stink at a reader right now... wish I had time to kill multi-quoting and all that. (Spring Break is coming, right?) But do know I really, REALLY enjoy reading it all and taking mini-vacations through your TR.

 

[jecskc]

I understand what you are saying about the Lion King Show. My kids weren't into it either.

My kids love Restuarantasaurus. I agree that sometimes the QS locations can have some sketchy service.

Susan

 

[MissMaryQC]

Your poor son! I'm glad he's proud of himself for conquering the Yeti.

Sorry Restaurantasaurus (I'm positive that's not spelled right ) wasn't so great. We ate there many years ago when AK first opened and it was meh, never been back. I'm kind so appalled at the CM behavior I've been reading about. You'd think that a person who has agreed to work for the Mouse would try and uphold the standards associated with WDW. *rant over*

Naps are the best, looking forward to your MK evening, something tells me it wasn't uneventful

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Hi there! Joining in!

Kudos to you for lasting as long as you did in HS that first night! I'm not sure my Zen mode would have lasted much past being purposely run into while DH was knocked over.


How funny that your son is already reaching the girls are cooties stage. Its funny what they latch on to!

And you just have to love how 2yr olds latch on to phrases.

THEY TRY TO SEPARATE 2YR OLDS FROM THEIR PARENTS?!?! Thanks for that warning! I guess I don't want to encourage DD to get a part afterall.

"Princess powered cootie factory"

I can't say I'm surprised at how the swinging works on the mine train. Good to know all the same.

Bummer that they directed you backstage. I agree backstage does ruin the magic a bit.


Okay I don't know if its because I have reached a punch drunk exhausted parental point where everything is just that much funnier or what but the boat story had me cracking up! I'm glad no one but the skipper's ego was hurt though!

There I think I'm all caught up now! Looking forward to following along with the rest of the trip!

 

[Leshaface]

I would love to make RD but know that that is quite impossible with my family. We did however see the ending to the opening show on our last park day though at MK!

Cool that you got no one in the row in front of you for 7DMT! Good clear shots of you and DS.

The guy in front of you in Space...

Who’s the idiot who came up with this idea?

I had no idea there was a play area near Splash Mountain! I looked it up and it's called The Laughing Place. Cool! Wish I had known about that while we were waiting for DM and DH on BTMRR.


Gotta admit, I like the Possums too.

Can you say Beeotch?

After Elsa finished freezing the castle, it was time for our Pirates FP+. We headed over and holy cow… I don’t think I’d ever seen as big of a line as there was then. I think the standby was posted at 30 minutes, but we’d just walk right past those suckers with our FP+.

Or so I thought. We ended up waiting 20 minutes to get on a boat in the FP line. It was nuts. I’d assume it was partially due to the ride being closed earlier, maybe? But I did notice the lines tended to be fairly long there the whole week. FP+ has not been kind to this ride, that is for certain.

Oh my gosh, we had the exact same experience. Three times, it was closed after I checked the app that it was up and running and when it finally was running, FP took us close to 30 minutes.

The CM who came through the boat was hanging over the back, apparently surveying the damage, while the other was still upstairs with Skipper. FiL caught my attention and asked if we were ok. I just nodded my head and started laughing. That is when I nodded towards the front of the boat and said “ I think somebody’s gonna get to go pee in a cup tonight.”


So, now you have the TR title story. I’m sorry to disappoint some of you.

Love it! Didn't disappoint here! But that is quite a story, holy moly. Would definitely make me think twice before getting on a boat again.

On our way out of Asia, we stopped and bought a small stuffed Yeti for DS as a reminder that he rode a scary ride and survived it. He loves his little Yeti, and I think he’s proud of himself now, but he made sure that it was perfectly clear that he didn’t want to ride any more rides with a Yeti in them.

That is a great idea

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Ick! Wouldn't want to smell that finger!

Apparently, it takes a direct order from Mickey Mouse himself to get an order filled that isn’t given to them through the automated system. The CM helping me kept asking for another order of fries. The guy who was putting the orders together told him he couldn’t do it. A manager came over to the CM helping me and told him to forget about it and get filled trays to other customers. I don’t know if they thought someone was just asking for a side of fries that wasn’t actually paid for or what, but the CM helping me seemed to be the only one interested in filling our order. The manager never came and talked to me, but I heard her comment and I might have taken it the wrong way. Either way, I was determined to stand in that spot and hold up a line if I had to until I had my full order on my tray. I might have been “one of those guests” at that point in time to others behind me… Although, I never resorted to rudeness or name calling or anything like that. And I was still polite with the CM the whole time.

Seriously, we had the exact same trip. I ordered a bottle of chocolate milk over at the American Pavilion at Epcot and from the time I got my receipt to walking out of the building it took 11 minutes.

 

[princessbelle2015]

The whole family did wonderful to make rope drop at AK. Your DS did go going on EE as there are many adults who won't go on it. At least he loes the stuffed yeti.

Your pics of the animals came out great. It is very frustrating dealing with managers of restaurants when they act like they could care less about their customers.

 

[shan23877]

Stupid, stupid Yeti. As you know, I've been there. (and also bought the stuffed animal )She'll go on it now so there is hope for you in the near future!

That lunch ordering sounds like a nightmare. Wow. I wish that you'd at least raved about the food after that.

The safari is always a nice break in that park. Honestly after all these trips I could skip it though. I'm with you guys. AK is a half day for me.

 

[afwdwfan]

Congrats on getting to AK early ... I'm sure by that time you were thrilled to finally get to the park when you wanted to!

Yeah, it was great to actually be out the door on time!

How hysterical that the people you were chatting with live so close ... what a coincidence!

I know... small world, huh?

Aw, poor DS - that Yeti can be a little scary! At least a got a cute souvenir out of the experience.

Yeah, he was pretty proud of it. He still says he doesn't want to ride the yeti ride though.

You got some great pictures from the Safari! I like the one of the hippos - I never see them out of the water.

It was still kind of cool that morning. I think that might have had something to do with it?

Personally, I love the Lion King show. But I understand why people would not, especially if you have kids who aren't enjoying it. Not every kid gets interested in the show, and I'm guessing it's not easy to sit through something that long when the kids don't want to be there.

It was a good show, and I thought a very well done production. But it just wasn't something that I felt like I need to see every time. And no, the kids not wanting to sit through it definitely didn't help.

Wow ... who knew you had to go through so much just to get the fries that come with your order? I can imagine it wasn't easy to stay polite, so kudos to you for being able to keep your cool.

I know... and it wasn't that bad. The CM helping me seemed to be a genuinely nice guy. He was nothing but helpful and polite and he really seemed to be trying, which really goes a long way. But a couple of his co-workers just didn't seem to want to help him, nor did they care.

I totally don't blame DW for refusing to look up during Dinosaur ... she's already better than me, I refuse to even go on it!

I've always wondered how the carnotaurus at the picture scares everyone so much. You can see it coming from a mile away.

Another nap ... looks like you're becoming a regular Disney midday napper! And I totally understand AK being a half-day park ... but it makes it easier to go back to the room for naptime!

I love the theming of AK... but theming just isn't enough to keep us there all day long. My body was letting me down that week. I don't nap in Disney World... there's no time for sleeping. What's going on?????

So, you're saying he's gonna grow up? I guess we all have to sooner or later.

Well, since Peter Pan never took me away so I could just be young and fight pirates forever...

GREAT 3 updates! Yeah, I was a bit behind.

I think you've got a legit reason.

What was that skipper THINKING?! Sheesh!! Seriously. That could have ended up as a late night news story for sure.

Yeah... if the angle had maybe been a bit off and he snagged something to puncture the hull. That was my concern, but when my feet stayed dry, it just became something that was instantly hilarious.

AK is my 2nd favorite park! So many great details and story.

I will agree with you on the details and story. But details and story just aren't enough to keep us in the park all day. I like AK, but we just never can seem to hang around there for more than a few hours. DW hates how spread out everything is there. She just groans whenever we talk about going there, but in her defense, we went in 2011 when she was pregnant and just walking around that park for a few hours had her feeling miserable so I think that is the first thing she thinks of when she thinks about AK.

I stink at a reader right now... wish I had time to kill multi-quoting and all that. (Spring Break is coming, right?) But do know I really, REALLY enjoy reading it all and taking mini-vacations through your TR.

Thanks! And don't worry about it. Just pass those tests!

I understand what you are saying about the Lion King Show. My kids weren't into it either.

It was a neat show, but I don't know, it just didn't quite do it for us.

My kids love Restuarantasaurus. I agree that sometimes the QS locations can have some sketchy service.

I didn't think there was anything wrong with the food. But getting it was a frustrating experience. I noticed a lot of the service issues on the trip. Don't get me wrong, we experienced some of the best CM's we've ever come across on this trip. But we also saw some things, like this, that really seemed very un-Disney like.

Your poor son! I'm glad he's proud of himself for conquering the Yeti.

He certainly is proud to show his yeti off. But he has no desire to ride the Yeti's ride again.

Sorry Restaurantasaurus (I'm positive that's not spelled right ) wasn't so great. We ate there many years ago when AK first opened and it was meh, never been back. I'm kind so appalled at the CM behavior I've been reading about. You'd think that a person who has agreed to work for the Mouse would try and uphold the standards associated with WDW. *rant over*

I thought the food there was fine. I wouldn't have a problem eating it, but Flame Tree will likely be revisited by us next time.

As I mentioned above, we had a few CM's on this trip that really went above and beyond and were some of the best we'd ever experienced. But we also had some of the worst service we'd had on Disney property in some other cases. I really think the service, and more specifically, food quality and service, have been going downhill significantly over the past few years.

Naps are the best, looking forward to your MK evening, something tells me it wasn't uneventful

Well, it really was uneventful. Just a very late evening with a lot of fun packed in.

 

[amazingact21]

All caught up!


You guys got a lot done at MK that morning. Normally, I'm a big proponent of driving to the parks, but the more I stay on property, the more I appreciate that direct drop off to MK. It can save a ton of time not having a hop a tram and then a monorail/ferry.


Cutting in line at the treehouse? Really, Andy, you should be more considerate.



Your visit to WL sounds wonderful. Nothing like seeing your favorite resort decked out for the holidays to make you feel "at home."


I couldn't believe your boat dock adventure. What was that skipper thinking? Crazy!
Glad it wasn't more serious. Nothing like a small boating snafu to wrap up your MK night.



Poor DS. Expedition Everest is a pretty intense ride from a kid's perspective. And online videos don't really do it justice. But, at least now he can say that he did it. I' sure it'll be something that makes him proud down the road.
But, yeah, it probably was a good thing he couldn't go on Space. That ride makes EE look tame as far as darkness and intensity goes.



I don't blame your DW one bit for her reaction on Dinosaur. I'd be the exact same way.




Geez, how hard is it to get some fries? It's not like you were asking for extra. You just wanted what you ordered. I feel like the quick service restaurants have gone downhill over the last few years. Not enough CMs that care trying to serve more and more guests on a daily basis. Either way, still shouldn't have been that hard. By that point, I'd have been grumpy because my other food was getting cold.

Oh well...it was what it was.



Afternoon naps are a must sometimes!

 

[afwdwfan]

Hi there! Joining in!

Hi! Welcome to the nut house.

Kudos to you for lasting as long as you did in HS that first night! I'm not sure my Zen mode would have lasted much past being purposely run into while DH was knocked over.

I think I was just so tired and worried about losing people that there was just too much on my mind at the time to really get frustrated. It definitely caught up with me though.

How funny that your son is already reaching the girls are cooties stage. Its funny what they latch on to!

I'm telling you, pre school kids are growing up way too fast!

And you just have to love how 2yr olds latch on to phrases.

THEY TRY TO SEPARATE 2YR OLDS FROM THEIR PARENTS?!?! Thanks for that warning! I guess I don't want to encourage DD to get a part afterall.

Ok, the separation happened in the workshop area. If it were me, I'd make sure to either hold her or make sure we're right behind her when they have the kids come front and center.

In the next room, they hand out parts. At that point, anyone with a part will then be led into the storytelling room, and they'll sit down on the floor in the front row while the audience sits on benches in rows behind them.

I really didn't mind the separation between the wardrobe room and the story room because CM's were leading the kids single file into the room and placing them where they were needed for the performance and everyone filed into the room in an organized manner. When our separation occurred between the workshop and the wardrobe, they basically opened the gate and it was more of a mass stampede and a free for all with our kids somewhere near the front of it while we couldn't fight through the crowd to get through ourselves.

Moral of the story, the kids who get a part get some one on one attention from Belle and their parents will most likely enjoy the show more than other adults in the room. Just keep her close in the workshop and make sure she's in clear view of the CM in the wardrobe room so she can get a part!

I can't say I'm surprised at how the swinging works on the mine train. Good to know all the same.

I didn't expect much swinging anyway... but when there's a significant weight difference like that, it definitely eliminates the swinging.

Bummer that they directed you backstage. I agree backstage does ruin the magic a bit.

I probably wouldn't have minded under different circumstances. But at that time, backstage isn't where I wanted to be.

Okay I don't know if its because I have reached a punch drunk exhausted parental point where everything is just that much funnier or what but the boat story had me cracking up! I'm glad no one but the skipper's ego was hurt though!

Yeah, Skipper's ego was probably pretty black and blue that evening. It at least gave us a memorable and funny story to tell.

There I think I'm all caught up now! Looking forward to following along with the rest of the trip!

Thanks!

I would love to make RD but know that that is quite impossible with my family. We did however see the ending to the opening show on our last park day though at MK!

Just go without them. They know where they can find you.

Cool that you got no one in the row in front of you for 7DMT! Good clear shots of you and DS.

Yeah, most of the ride pictures of DS it just looks like someone is sitting next to an empty seat!

The guy in front of you in Space...

That was certainly interesting. I wanted to do something funny, but clearly you can see the look on my face as I was thinking "Oh poop, I forgot."

I had no idea there was a play area near Splash Mountain! I looked it up and it's called The Laughing Place. Cool! Wish I had known about that while we were waiting for DM and DH on BTMRR.

It's a decent area. Very small though, not for the bigger kids.

Gotta admit, I like the Possums too.

I like the goat.

Oh my gosh, we had the exact same experience. Three times, it was closed after I checked the app that it was up and running and when it finally was running, FP took us close to 30 minutes.

I saw a rumor a while back about a possible long term refurb for pirates due to all the down time it has been experiencing. I'm thinking... it's a basic boat ride. How can it be that hard to keep it running?????

Love it! Didn't disappoint here! But that is quite a story, holy moly. Would definitely make me think twice before getting on a boat again.

It really didn't make me second guess taking a boat. It was really kind of funny. I would imagine there was a boat captain position that was going to become available soon though.

Ick! Wouldn't want to smell that finger!

Seriously, we had the exact same trip. I ordered a bottle of chocolate milk over at the American Pavilion at Epcot and from the time I got my receipt to walking out of the building it took 11 minutes.

Frustrating when something simple takes so long like that.