Worst Ending to a Disney Trip EVER! (and other things that happened) - UPDATE 6/22!

[DexLabDeeDee]

Just found your report, I'm really enjoying it! I love child free TRs. Nothing against kids, I just don't have any myself so I relate better to the reports without them in it.

On my 2011 trip, my first trip as an adult, I brought a backpack that had 12 zippers to open! I only know this because one of the security guys actually counted them! He said the most zippers on one bag he had to open was 15 so my bag was pretty up there in zipper count! I am one of those overpacker types, ha ha! Though I don't see it as overpacking...to me it's just being prepared for anything! It quickly got annoying though, and every Disney trip after that I used a bag that only has 5 zippers! The bag itself is a pretty fat bag though so it still allows me to overpack. Ha ha!

ive tried to write TRs twice in the past but have stopped midway because like you, I too get the Disney Blues! The TR would be fun to write for a while but then I would get sad knowing there would be no Disney trip in the future so I drop off the face of DIS completely. I'm currently writing one now and what keeps me going is knowing that I'll be at Disneyland next year. So no Disney blues!

Welcome!

I'm glad you are enjoying my TR! I'll have to go and check out yours - I know I could for sure get my DH to go to Tokyo Disney!

That's a good way of thinking about it - prepared for anything! I am totally like that. I'm so glad that you saw the light and went down to five zippers! 12 is...yeah...wow!

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

Okay, so, 3rd times the charm here. I've tried to do this twice already and the Boards keep freezing on me.

This update is going to be sloppy, so I apologize in advance.


Day 5 Part 1 – Ahoy!


We slept in a bit and had breakfast on the balcony once again. Today was going to be another newer experience for all of us. We were going to Typhoon Lagoon!




The last time we were at Typhoon Lagoon (or any Disney waterpark) was in the early 90s. I remember the wave pool…and that’s about it. Oh! And getting really scraped by the rough bottom. We chose Typhoon over Blizzard Beach because we wanted a more tropical feel.


We got to TL just before open (10am). The parking lot was not that busy at all. We still needed to get tickets so we got in line. Our tickets cost $55 each because we got one of the blackout dates tickets which cost cheaper because of the blackout dates but today wasn’t a blackout day so it didn’t matter. I also learned that the ticket is good for hopping between both TL and BB. For a half a second, I toyed with the idea of popping over to BB later in the day but I figured we’d just stick with figuring out TL.


I knew that we probably needed to find a place to sit first and then get towels and lockers, etc. I didn’t think that it would be all that busy but I wasn’t sure if there was going to be a rush for shady spots or not. I really did not know what to do. And I felt responsible for my parents so I was a little stressed this morning. I really need to jettison this sense of responsibility I have for everyone and everything. It’s nothing but trouble!


We found a sort of shady spot next to some palm trees near one of the inlets of the wave pool. It was to the right, near one of the equipment rental places. At least I think it was. Dad stayed in our spot and Mom and I went to rent towels and put our phones and money in the locker. Dad didn’t want to leave his phone so he kept it.


Then we set up our chairs and decided where to go. I thought we should do Crush n Gusher first – like you would for any headliner in a park. Dad wanted to stay. I was pretty sure he wanted to do that so no one would take our stuff. It was starting to get crowded in the area but I didn’t think that people would want my sandals, bag, and books. I had nothing to steal.


Mom and I were wearing water shoes. It was recommended in a couple of places for the hot pavement, the rough bottom in the wave pool, and the stairs up to the water slides. Crush n Gusher was located in a very strange spot. You can definitely tell it was added later. We got our two-person tube and picked a line. It wasn’t that long. We got to the top and we were told to take off our water shoes and sit on them. I looked around and we were really the only ones wearing them.


I liked Crush n Gusher. I thought it would be a little more thrilling and a little longer but it was good. We went back and did all three slides with minimal wait. We thought that we should go and see how Dad was doing.


He was fine. People were really starting to crowd around and he was looking a little wary. We asked if he wanted to come and he said no. Hmmmm….. So we left him to go check out Mayday Falls. They were inner tube slides. The lines were longer here. We had to hold our watershoes in our hands. The slides were fun. Very very short, though. I thought Crush n Gusher was short but these seemed even shorter.


We returned to our spot. There were a lot of people getting really cozy near us. It was kind of weird. There especially was this large family who was practically sitting in between our chairs. I was feeling like Dad was staying just because of our stuff. I asked him and he said yes. I told him that I didn’t think that anyone would do anything to them. He didn’t answer but eyed the family who were practically on top of us.


Point taken.


Mom was completely unconcerned and went to Castaway Creek. I knew that Dad would not leave our stuff so I said that I would stay. He went to check out the wave pool. I took out my book and began to read.


Before long, I looked up and the family was even closer than before! I was practically nose to nose with one of them. I kind of gave her a glare, moved my chair a bit and went back to reading. Not too long again, I look up and they are moving our chairs around. I protest and they start talking to me but unfortunately, I can’t understand them. I think it was Portuguese but I’m not sure. They gesture to the long chair that they kept pushing into our area and I notice that there is a sleeping child underneath the blankets. Through gestures, I gathered that they were following the shade right into our area. At this point, I didn’t know what to do. I felt very annoyed with them. We had deliberately got here early to stake out our spot. On the other hand, it was a child that they were trying to protect and I felt like a bad guy for being annoyed with them. We eventually came to a compromise but we had to rely on the kindness of the people behind me to move some of their stuff so we could all be super cozy under the shade.


I am a little introverted in that I don’t really like to get close to strangers or have strangers sit near me. I can handle it in movie theaters, buses planes, etc. because we’re all facing forward and there is a set time limit. Though I do prefer a one seat buffer between me and the next person. I have noticed that people on the coasts and in Europe seem a little more comfortable being really close to others – has anyone else noticed this?


I sat trying to read, very uncomfortable for quite some time. These people were really in my bubble and I felt way outnumbered. Mom came back and was surprised to see what had happened. I explained about the kid and she said she’d sit with the stuff for awhile while I went to the body slides.


The body slides were on the other side of the “mountain” from where we were sitting. It was a fun and pretty walk. And the swimsuits that I saw! Whew! Some of them were quite revealing and others were definitely wearing suits for the body they wished they had.


The lines at the body slides were practically non-existent. I had to hold my shoes again. The slides were generally fun, nothing too exciting. The seams kind of pinched a little as you went over them. I wandered about a little bit, enjoying the scenery and decided to do Humonga Cowabunga, the vertical body drop. I knew that it wasn’t as big as Summit Plummet but it definitely looked intimidating. As well as wedgy-producing.


In the spirit of my new motto – you only regret what you don’t do – I decided to just do it. Once again, my heart was pounding while I stood in a short line but if the kids in front of me could do it, I could do it. I swear it felt like ages as I sat at the top of the slide waiting for the green light. When it changed, I propelled myself forward into the darkness. My stomach rose for a split second and I screamed all the way down and into wedgy-ville. It was quite a trick to fix my suit while also getting out as quickly as possible but also not looking like I had my hand down the back of my suit.


It was not a bad drop at all! I went back to do it again so that I could really experience it without the nervousness and screaming. I definitely liked the rush and the dropping sensation was over very quickly.


I went back to our spot and Mom was still there. She said that Dad went to find a new spot. Which really was best. The shade was moving and the family was taking over everything in the immediate area. We needed a quieter spot.


Dad came back and we grabbed all our gear and started walking. And walking. And walking. We ended up going waaaay around to the complete other side of the park by the shark reef. We could not see the wave pool which bummed Mom a bit but it was a lot less crowded here. Dad went to the lockers to get something and we sat down. Mom immediately popped back up and said there is a speaker right next to her chair blasting in her ear. Sure enough, in the bushes was a speaker. So much for a quieter spot.


She refused to sit back down so we looked for a non speaker bush in the shade. We found one around the corner, near the picnic shelter area. I realized we were right near the body slides. I did like this spot better. I got out some snacks and ate a little. I realized I was getting quite hungry. I walked over to Typhoon Tilly’s and asked for a GF menu. The CM there said that the only GF place was Lowtide Lou’s on the complete opposite of the park. I didn’t want to go all the way to the other side and have to wait awhile for my GF food so I just skipped it.


Dad was okay with leaving our stuff so my parents went to Castaway Creek and I went to the wave pool. My water shoes got knocked off twice so I left and decided to leave them with our stuff. I grabbed my waterproof video camera and decided to film Humonga Cowabunga and the body slides.




After that, I went back to the wave pool with my camera. I had a 20min wait before the wave pool started again. I gave my best shot at body surfing. I am not good at all. I felt like I was just on the verge of really riding the wave but never quite got there. On my very last wave, I tumbled a bit, stood up, and IMMEDIATELY sat back down. My suit bottoms had stayed with the water as I stood. I quickly pulled them back up and got out of the wave pool as fast as possible without making any eye contact with anyone. Unfortunately, it is not fast getting out of the wave pool and I had to suffer longer than I’d have liked.


Mom wanted to try the Humonga Cowabunga so we went over. She did the same thing, nervously sitting and then screaming the whole way down and then wanting to go again to really experience it. The second time we went down at the same time. I lay back in the shoot, quickly adjusting my suit and quickly sitting up again and I see my mom’s bare behind!


Whoops! I have no idea what that’s like….


She quickly fixed the problem and basically ran out of the area. I was hysterically laughing inside but trying to show concern on the outside because I did know how she felt. It was just such a shock to look up and see such a view!


HAHAHAHAHA


Mom fled the scene, grabbed my Dad and ordered him to Crush n Gusher. I noticed the open popcorn bag had been knocked down to the ground. I tidied up a bit and grabbed my book to read and munch. The popcorn was quite salty. I was really surprised but kept eating….only to realize that the “salt” was actually sand! All of that fine sand had gotten into the popcorn bag and spread alllll over the popcorn. Yuck!!


Completely hungry and getting annoyed, I was glad when my parents came back and said that they wanted to get going soon. Mom wanted to go around Castaway Creek once more and then we could go. I joined her.


It was very lovely. She had a tube and I had one of the noodle-like things and we just floated through the tropical trees. Apparently, it had been quite crowded before but it was pretty empty now. It was getting close to 4pm and the park closed 5pm.


We went around once, got out, grabbed our stuff and walked out.


Selfies to mark our day!




Then off to the Swan to change for a “quiet” dinner!



**My mom wanted me to share our thoughts on water shoes. They really did not end up being necessary for the most part. They were really nice to have in the bathrooms. I felt that sometimes sandals in the bathroom still get some splashing up onto your feet. There also was a part of the path through the mountain that went over a bridge that had the black rough material to make sure you don’t slip. And that stuff hurt a lot. Disney is pretty good about keeping the walkways wet so it’s not so hot but there were a couple of spots, especially by the shark reef, that were toasty on your feet.


My recommendation would be to bring watershoes if you already own some and just use them in certain cases. I also recommend packing a beach bag. It was really nice to have at the waterpark and at the resort pool.**



Up next….


Day 5 Part 2 – Guess who is sitting next to us!

 

[BellaBaby]

WHAT was with that family?! I'm not comfortable in those situations either so I feel your pain. i would not have been happy to get there early for a spot and then have it taken over! Sounds like the rest of the day was better tho...LOL at you and your mom losing your suits!! I guess that's why we don't go to the water parks!

 

[Raeven]

And I felt responsible for my parents so I was a little stressed this morning. I really need to jettison this sense of responsibility I have for everyone and everything. It’s nothing but trouble!

I always feel responsible for everyone. Maybe that's because we're the planners of the group.

He didn’t answer but eyed the family who were practically on top of us.

Before long, I looked up and the family was even closer than before! I was practically nose to nose with one of them. I kind of gave her a glare, moved my chair a bit and went back to reading. Not too long again, I look up and they are moving our chairs around. I protest and they start talking to me but unfortunately, I can’t understand them. I think it was Portuguese but I’m not sure. They gesture to the long chair that they kept pushing into our area and I notice that there is a sleeping child underneath the blankets. Through gestures, I gathered that they were following the shade right into our area. At this point, I didn’t know what to do. I felt very annoyed with them. We had deliberately got here early to stake out our spot. On the other hand, it was a child that they were trying to protect and I felt like a bad guy for being annoyed with them.

Even if they had a kid I still think it's rude. There's better ways to handle it than creeping slowly into your personal space even if they don't speak the same language.

On my very last wave, I tumbled a bit, stood up, and IMMEDIATELY sat back down. My suit bottoms had stayed with the water as I stood. I quickly pulled them back up and got out of the wave pool as fast as possible without making any eye contact with anyone. Unfortunately, it is not fast getting out of the wave pool and I had to suffer longer than I’d have liked.

Whoops! I have no idea what that’s like….


She quickly fixed the problem and basically ran out of the area. I was hysterically laughing inside but trying to show concern on the outside because I did know how she felt. It was just such a shock to look up and see such a view!


HAHAHAHAHA

everyone is losing their bottoms.

I was really surprised but kept eating….only to realize that the “salt” was actually sand!

oh no

**My mom wanted me to share our thoughts on water shoes. They really did not end up being necessary for the most part. They were really nice to have in the bathrooms. I felt that sometimes sandals in the bathroom still get some splashing up onto your feet. There also was a part of the path through the mountain that went over a bridge that had the black rough material to make sure you don’t slip. And that stuff hurt a lot. Disney is pretty good about keeping the walkways wet so it’s not so hot but there were a couple of spots, especially by the shark reef, that were toasty on your feet.

Yeah at Discovery Cove we ended up not even using ours.

 

[KathyM2]

I have noticed that people on the coasts and in Europe seem a little more comfortable being really close to others – has anyone else noticed this?

This is the truth, but they come by it honestly. The population density in most European cities is such that well, the concept of personal space just does not exist. It takes some getting used to, to be sure!

 

[xlsm]

I am so sorry...you had me laughing until I was crying!! I feel really bad about it!!

Everything that happened to you is why I avoid water parks at all costs!! I have promised my kids that the next trip we take in the summer will include water parks...and I'm dreading it!

Note to self...wear a one piece!

I also relate to feeling responsible for everyone...I always feel like I have to ensure that everyone else has a good time. This is something I am working hard to move past. It does help that I have a 13 year old. I have become very good at telling him if he wants to be miserable, he can just go be miserable by himself and let everyone else have a good time. Luckily, he's pleasant a solid 80% of the time, but that other 20% has taught me a lot! I was a pretty angsty kid, and he doesn't even come close to the level of brattiness I was able to achieve. Thank heaven for small favors!

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

I hear you on people being a little too close for comfort. They really have plenty of seating all around the water parks. No need to be on top of one another.

I love how you said "you only regret what you don't do. That's a great statement.

 

[Poohlove]

I just read all 12 pages of your trip report and I live it!!! I know where you are coming from on many fronts, feeling responsible for others, wanting others to respect the bubble, only regretting what you don't try. I can't wait to read more.

 

[ArielSRL]

Ok, so I read the entire PTR for this trip and am now on pg 4 of this TR! I had to comment bc of the Dawson gif! So awesome! Love it!

Glad you had safe travels, even though they weren't that pleasant. Glad you got to the hotel fine and ended up with a nice room. How cool was it to see that wedding and to see two wedding parties! I would've loved that!

Beach Club is definitely on my list....maybe for our trip after June 2017 (probably June 2019 as we need to take a break to put some money into some house repairs). Btw, I frequently travel to Disney with my folks and I had lots of problems with my dad not sticking with the program this past trip. Next trip is without the folks but including my DH, so I think he will be a better travel companion bc he knows to defer to me when it comes to Disney!

Will finish reading the rest soon!

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

WHAT was with that family?! I'm not comfortable in those situations either so I feel your pain. i would not have been happy to get there early for a spot and then have it taken over! Sounds like the rest of the day was better tho...LOL at you and your mom losing your suits!! I guess that's why we don't go to the water parks!

Or if you go - wear a one piece!

Even if they had a kid I still think it's rude. There's better ways to handle it than creeping slowly into your personal space even if they don't speak the same language.

I think that there are quite a few people out there who use their kids to get advantages of all sorts. Like last minute parade spots, for example...

This is the truth, but they come by it honestly. The population density in most European cities is such that well, the concept of personal space just does not exist. It takes some getting used to, to be sure!

I wonder if I lived in a big city for several years if I would get used to it. Or if I lived in it from birth if it would just be normal. Or if there is something in my genetic make-up/personality that would always make me uncomfortable.

I am so sorry...you had me laughing until I was crying!! I feel really bad about it!!

Everything that happened to you is why I avoid water parks at all costs!! I have promised my kids that the next trip we take in the summer will include water parks...and I'm dreading it!

Note to self...wear a one piece!

I also relate to feeling responsible for everyone...I always feel like I have to ensure that everyone else has a good time. This is something I am working hard to move past. It does help that I have a 13 year old. I have become very good at telling him if he wants to be miserable, he can just go be miserable by himself and let everyone else have a good time. Luckily, he's pleasant a solid 80% of the time, but that other 20% has taught me a lot! I was a pretty angsty kid, and he doesn't even come close to the level of brattiness I was able to achieve. Thank heaven for small favors!

haha. Looking back, it is pretty hilarious.

It was mostly fun but definitely wear a one piece!

I am also working to move past it. I really think that this Disney trip helped me in a variety of ways - I learned somethings about myself that I would really like to change.

Good thing you lucked out with your son! I know some truly awful teenagers!

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

I hear you on people being a little too close for comfort. They really have plenty of seating all around the water parks. No need to be on top of one another.

I love how you said "you only regret what you don't do. That's a great statement.

Thank you - I am really working to make it my life philosophy!

I just read all 12 pages of your trip report and I live it!!! I know where you are coming from on many fronts, feeling responsible for others, wanting others to respect the bubble, only regretting what you don't try. I can't wait to read more.

Thanks for joining me! It's nice to know that there are others out there!!

Ok, so I read the entire PTR for this trip and am now on pg 4 of this TR! I had to comment bc of the Dawson gif! So awesome! Love it!

Glad you had safe travels, even though they weren't that pleasant. Glad you got to the hotel fine and ended up with a nice room. How cool was it to see that wedding and to see two wedding parties! I would've loved that!

Beach Club is definitely on my list....maybe for our trip after June 2017 (probably June 2019 as we need to take a break to put some money into some house repairs). Btw, I frequently travel to Disney with my folks and I had lots of problems with my dad not sticking with the program this past trip. Next trip is without the folks but including my DH, so I think he will be a better travel companion bc he knows to defer to me when it comes to Disney!

Will finish reading the rest soon!

WOW! That's a lot of reading. I'm impressed!!

I love the little extra things that just sort of happen at Disney that really make your trip stand out, like those weddings. It's what keeps me coming back!

Haha. I think it must be hard for dads to give up the control they've mostly had their entire lives. I know my dad is used to being in charge, which is fine at home but at Disney, I'm the boss!

 

[ArielSRL]

All caught up! I'm so glad you stayed and had alone time at MK. I am maybe going to do a PM EMH in June, alone, after the boys are settled. But we shall see.

Oh my on the bathing suit thing, but I think I've had that problem before. I did Summit Plummit in a 2 piece! But it's been awhile.

And that family. I don't know what I would've done. I would've wanted to give them a piece of my mind, but then I probably would've felt bad for the child, as well.

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

All caught up! I'm so glad you stayed and had alone time at MK. I am maybe going to do a PM EMH in June, alone, after the boys are settled. But we shall see.

Oh my on the bathing suit thing, but I think I've had that problem before. I did Summit Plummit in a 2 piece! But it's been awhile.

And that family. I don't know what I would've done. I would've wanted to give them a piece of my mind, but then I probably would've felt bad for the child, as well.

Looking forward to reading more!

I hope you get your alone time, it's really great!

I hear that Summit Plummet is even higher. I had a dream that I did it but I got stuck in ice!

It's when it's a child that I don't really know where the line is...am I being unfeeling towards a child or rightly calling out a rude family??

A new post is up next!

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

Day 5 Part 2 – Guess Who’s Sitting Next to Us!

It was actually kind of hard to leave Typhoon Lagoon because we had had such a good time (minus that family!) and it was so relaxing! But we had a fun dinner planned and I was looking forward to it!


On the way out, we stopped at one of the gift shops to see if there was anything super cool there. My mom and dad were checking out the shampoos and stuff so I wandered out. The CMs were playing “volleyball” with a beach ball in a circle. They passed it to me so I joined them for a little bit until my parents were done. I play volleyball so extra fun for me. I love the little things that make your trip just a little more special.


We drove back to the Swan and the room key wasn’t working to lift the arm again so we took another ticket. Luckily, it worked to use the key to get out of the lot so we just amassed a pile of tickets instead of paying then getting it reversed at the front desk.


Everyone took a shower and got ready in nicer (but not super nice) clothes. And then we went back to the car and drove to Wilderness Lodge and Whispering Canyon Café!


This was a sort of last minute addition to our ADRs due to @TheLittleKatie’s very positive take on the restaurant. I was a little nervous because my dad doesn’t like loud places and the “whispering” part of Whispering Canyon Café is very tongue-in-cheek. She does recommend asking to be seated in the back and then no participating in the revelries. My dad really likes barbeque so I was hoping that the food would overshadow the (what he would consider) over-exuberance.


On the way over, I was reminded of the episode of the Disney vlog SeeYaReelSoon where Joe surprises Ashley with a stay at Wilderness Lodge. You see the video of them driving up and her getting really excited.

Cutest couple ever!!

I think that might have been a ten day or two week trip so throughout the video series you see the various parts of Wilderness Lodge.


We were a bit early for our reservation so we wandered about a bit. I hadn’t been in Wilderness Lodge before so I was glad to be able to check it out. We walked out to the pool, then to the dock, and then back through by the food court.








I kind of got excited because I remember Joe and Ashley walking along the inclined hallway on their last day eating Mickey bars. I was right where they had walked!

As you can tell, I’m a big fan of SeeYaReelSoon. I like to watch them on a tablet while I’m doing chores. It helps motivate me. And I just think that they are two really neat people who also share a passion for Disney World. I like that they video as they are touring the parks. You see everything that you would see if you were really there. They’re also a bit silly and they love the Muppets too. If you watch often enough, they’ll reference back to past trips that you’ll also remember and it’s almost like you are on vacation with them too.

At the top of the inclined hall is the lobby and Whispering Canyon to the right. It looked like the back seating wasn’t open. Uh oh. I started to get nervous at this point. We were still early so my parents sat in the lobby and I went up to the podium to check in. They weren’t ready for us and said that they were actually behind. The CMs looked busy and annoyed so I chickened out about asking for the back room. Especially since it seemed like it was closed.

Of course, as I take the pager back to my parents, the restaurant starts hootin’ and hollerin’ and whipping their napkins around. My dad gives me a Look.

I smile weakly back at him and tell him that I heard the food was really good. He kind of mutters something like “it better be for all that ruckus.” He noticed the back area and asked me if we could sit back there. I said that it looked closed so I didn’t ask. He looked seriously annoyed and my stomach knotted even further.


Oh no.


By the time the pager went off, my upset about my Dad’s reaction trumped my fear of the crabby CMs so when I handed over the pager, I asked if there was a back area we could sit. The CM gave a huge sigh (I know, I’m being difficult and I should have said something earlier) and she said that it would take longer for us to sit somewhere else. I said that that was fine. A server had come up to grab the ticket and the host CM grabbed it back and said “This one is no longer going out!” The server must not have heard (it was kind of loud again) and tried to grab the ticket back. The host CM slammed her hand down on the ticket and said “Don’t touch!” She told us she’d page us again and I scooted out of there!

We sat back down in the lobby to wait. I was feeling better that I had done what I could to get a seat away from the commotion but I was feeling bad that I had made things worse for the CMs. I went to Facebook for a distraction.

And oh, I got one.

On my FB feed, I saw that SeeYaReelSoon had posted. Funny! I was just thinking about them. They had said that they appreciated all the great feedback they had gotten from their last video. Since I had been in WDW and prepping the week or two before, I was way behind on their videos. I went out to their latest one and started watching.

Ashley was pregnant! Yay!


But…..


They were stopping SeeYaReelSoon. It was just becoming too much. And they wouldn’t be traveling to WDW from Vermont for a long while.


No.


No.


Nonononononono!

I was devastated.

I totally understand where they were coming from and I was really happy for them but I was sooooo unhappy for me. I told my parents (who know how much I love Joe and Ashley) and tried not to cry.

It was ridiculous. I don’t even really know these people. And they aren’t dying! But it just sucked.

Luckily, they were going to keep their channel open so everyone can watch their old videos but still. End of an era for me. I still haven't watched their last trip. Too painful.


I was already in a bad mind-space over the seating and this just added another spin. Looking back on that and other situations, I wonder if my dad has some sort of sensory issue. Or he’s just a whiner and needs to suck it up the once in awhile we make him do something he doesn’t like.

Anyway, we actually get called up sooner than we had thought. I wondered if the dire predictions of a long wait were designed to discourage us from wanting to be seated elsewhere. Whatever.

The back room was closed but we were put as close to the back room as possible. As we were walking to the table, I see Katie (@TheLittleKatie) seated at the table next to us! I smiled and started to call out a greeting when the look of non-recognition on her face registered. Of course. She has no clue who I am.

I swallowed the greeting and tried not to look crazy as I sat down at the table. I know my face lit up like a Christmas tree when I saw her. And there is no way she didn’t see me because we made eye contact. I tried to discreetly look her way and saw she was kind of looking at us with a little frown on her face.

What is wrong with me? I’m waaay too intense sometimes. I’m sure I looked like a maniac.

My parents could definitely tell something was up. I hissed across the table that I knew the girl sitting next to us from the Boards. She’s from England and she’s eating with her boyfriend Jamie. Of course, they both look over at her. I can see her looking at us from the corner of her eye.


Smooth, Jenna. Really smooth.

My parents said that I should go over and say hi. I shook my head. Nope. Not happening. I was way too chicken and self-conscious to do that. Not after the weirdness vibe I had just given out. My mom said that if I didn’t, she would.

I gave her a hard look and told her to sit down.

Our server came and we explained our food allergies and we decided on the All-You-Care-to-Enjoy skillet. That was the one thing that everyone consistently said was awesome. Mom was going to get her own skillet but Dad and I were able to share. She also gave us a little coaster thing that we could flip up or down to join in on the fun in the restaurant. I quickly flipped it over to the non-participation side.

While we waited, my parents tried to get me to say hi to Katie but I wasn’t having it. This is one of the times were I failed to follow my “you only regret what you don’t do” axiom. I did however, get a covert pic of Katie. Along with a lovely pic of my butter knife and the table.




There she is! (Does this officially make me a stalker now??)

I was able to have some gluten free corn bread. It was so amazing. I’m not normally a corn bread fan so gluten free corn bread sounded like the worst but it was sooooooo good. Mom, with her tapioca allergies, couldn’t have any. Boo. But she pretended to eat some because the server made a big deal about us both being able to eat the cornbread. Which was super nice. We just didn’t mention the tapioca allergy because it always throws everyone for a loop. (I had looked up the cornbread mix in the allergy guide from Disney and that brand contained tapioca.)

Here are our drinks. Mom had root beer, I had an alcoholic blackberry lemonade, and Dad had a beer.



Here are our meals:



Instead of mashed potatoes, Mom got roasted potatoes.




It was delicious. Just as advertised. I especially liked the sausages which aren’t usually my favorite thing on a plate like this. The brisket usually is my favorite. The brisket was good but a little dry. It had been under a heat lamp too long, I think. The chicken was also only okay. But the rest was awesome.

Dad liked it too. He’s not sure he would deal with the rowdiness again for it but he just might. We took leftovers home and he enjoyed it even more the next day. Probably because he was eating it in the quiet of his room.


Katie and Jamie were still there when we finished eating because they had gotten dessert. We decided to skip dessert because we were so full. Katie and Jamie were sitting at a table for two in front of the fireplace eating their desserts when a family with two young boys came up to them. They wanted to see the hidden mickey that was apparently in the grille work of the fireplace. I thought that they would just see it from afar but no. The kids climbed up on to the fireplace practically on top of the table to get a closer look. Katie and Jamie were super nice. The parents apologized for their kids (but didn’t make them get down) and Katie and Jamie just smiled. After a couple of minutes, they left and they were able to finish their desserts.


See? If you have kids you can get away with a lot of stuff! (I’m being super general here. I know lots of kids (and parents!) who are well behaved.)


CONTINUED ON NEXT POST

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST

We got our food packed up and drove back to the Swan. I felt like I needed a break so I decided that I would go to Disney Springs. Dad parked near the entrance to the Swan and I got in the driver’s seat (finally!). I hadn’t even driven to Disney Springs before so this was going to be a first for me. Dad had told me about the ramps so I knew I would be able to park. And I knew about the handy dandy parking spot lights. Each level told you how many parking spots for that level and then once you got to that level, it told you in which direction the spots were, and then each row has lights above the spots so you just look for a green one! I wish every parking ramp had that.


There was actually quite a bit of construction to Disney Springs but nothing really at Disney Springs. I followed the signs to the Lime ramp. Which was good because that took me out to the “Town Center” near the Marketplace.


I liked the parking. I didn’t really like the Town Center. It definitely felt like a regular outdoors FL shopping mall with very expensive stores. It didn’t feel like Disney. It felt weirdly sterile. Except for the hanger (?) portion connecting the Town Center to the West Side. That was kind of cool. It took me a couple of trips to realize that the Town Center portion of Disney Springs is located where the old surface parking lots used to be.


I liked the general theming of the rest of Disney Springs. I am so glad that they kept the Marketplace mostly like it was before. So it was some warm fuzzy familiar with some cool new stuff. (Minus Town Center.)


I walked around a little bit but my main focus was going to the Marketplace Co-Op. My favorite store in all of Disney Springs! And inside the Co-Op, I especially like the dining area. I have several things from here in my house. I love that it’s Disney but doesn’t scream Disney, if you know what I mean. I like the Fab 5, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t need their faces over everything. Just a subtle Mickey head or some attraction reference is more my style.


There were so many good things, how am I going to choose? Ahhhhhh!!!




(Too bad this isn't a citrus swirl!)


(I didn't go home with either of these. I should have though! Maybe in May...)


(This is both sides of the same glass. I did go home with these.)














I just looked but didn’t buy anything. I knew I would be back.


I walked through the World of Disney but it was quite busy so I didn’t stay long.



I took this pic for my dad – Mr. Grumpy Gills himself!


They were having fun at the stage outside the store and I danced a little bit with the crowd. It was a cooler evening and it just felt so wonderful. I was so glad that I got some time to myself. It was rejuvenating for me and reminded me again why Disney is my happy place!


Next up….



Day 6 Part 1 – Chewbacca…I’m coming!!

 

[ArielSRL]

Great update! For one, we are staying at WL in June...my first time, though I have always wanted to! Second, we are planning to eat at WCC. My DH loves BBQ and I think my boys will like the antics. I'm a little annoyed though, bc when I first decided to eat here they had a crab cake appetizer that I had planned to order, along with a side, an adult drink, and a dessert. But its gone off the menu now. Boo! The next thing on my list would be the steak but that is so much more food and it's a lot more expensive. I'm hoping the crab cake was seasonal and maybe comes back.

Oh and I'm also a huge SeeYaRealSoon fan and I did watch that particular blog where he surprised her with a stay at WL but I haven't watched any more of that trip. I will definitely have to do that before our trip. I have only watched the most recent trip and I'm still going through that one. I watch when I walk on the treadmill but I also watch a few others, so it's taking me awhile to get through them. I did watch the Pregnancy Announcement video, as well as the video announcing no more videos and trips. So happy for them but sad for me and their other fans. Fortunately I have tons of their videos still to watch!

Food looks great and I'm so glad they were able to accommodate yours and your Mom's allergies. Glad you got some alone time at DS. I agree with you that I don't really like the new parts. It's nice they have added so many food options though, but I prefer the original Marketplace area, myself.

Yay for Chewy (upcoming)!

 

[Raeven]

She does recommend asking to be seated in the back and then no participating in the revelries.

Do you want to participate in May? I think it would be (possibly) fun. But I could go either way.

On the way over, I was reminded of the episode of the Disney vlog SeeYaReelSoon where Joe surprises Ashley with a stay at Wilderness Lodge. You see the video of them driving up and her getting really excited.

I think I saw that one! I don't watch their vlogs though. I have a hard time getting into vlogs, I have to really really like the person's personality. I'm really picky. The only ones I watch regularly are the ohyeahdisney, gillianatdisney, and the disunplugged podcasts/videos.

I hadn’t been in Wilderness Lodge before so I was glad to be able to check it out.

I can't wait to see the Wilderness Lodge for the first time!

Of course, as I take the pager back to my parents, the restaurant starts hootin’ and hollerin’ and whipping their napkins around. My dad gives me a Look.

I smile weakly back at him and tell him that I heard the food was really good. He kind of mutters something like “it better be for all that ruckus.”

I kind of think my dad would not be happy with "ruckus" either, but he also will leave any restaurant that tells him there's a wait though.

We sat back down in the lobby to wait. I was feeling better that I had done what I could to get a seat away from the commotion but I was feeling bad that I had made things worse for the CMs. I went to Facebook for a distraction.

I think they were kind of rude about it. I bet people ask for different seating all the time.

But…..


They were stopping SeeYaReelSoon. It was just becoming too much. And they wouldn’t be traveling to WDW from Vermont for a long while.

Aw I heard about this even though I don't watch them. It's so sad when something like that happens (obviously the pregnancy is happy), but when someone you enjoy watching/following on social media goes off it. This isn't as bad, but sometimes the people I watch don't vlog every trip so they can have more time to themselves, and I'm always kind of disappointed we don't get to see every trip. (I always think this emoji looks weird, but I'm offering you hugs for your sadness).

I was already in a bad mind-space over the seating and this just added another spin. Looking back on that and other situations, I wonder if my dad has some sort of sensory issue. Or he’s just a whiner and needs to suck it up the once in awhile we make him do something he doesn’t like.

My dad is definitely a whiner.

I swallowed the greeting and tried not to look crazy as I sat down at the table. I know my face lit up like a Christmas tree when I saw her. And there is no way she didn’t see me because we made eye contact. I tried to discreetly look her way and saw she was kind of looking at us with a little frown on her face.

What is wrong with me? I’m waaay too intense sometimes. I’m sure I looked like a maniac.

Oh no! That's true she might not know what you look like. There's a lot of people on here that I don't know what they look like. I've never met anyone from the disboards or that I know for instragramming on disney, but I assume I'd look similarly crazy if I did. So if when we met we both look crazy it'll be okay

My parents could definitely tell something was up. I hissed across the table that I knew the girl sitting next to us from the Boards. She’s from England and she’s eating with her boyfriend Jamie. Of course, they both look over at her. I can see her looking at us from the corner of her eye.

Like this?

My mom said that if I didn’t, she would.

I gave her a hard look and told her to sit down.

I picture this looking so funny.

Each level told you how many parking spots for that level and then once you got to that level, it told you in which direction the spots were, and then each row has lights above the spots so you just look for a green one! I wish every parking ramp had that.

I do like that about the parking garage.

I liked the parking. I didn’t really like the Town Center. It definitely felt like a regular outdoors FL shopping mall with very expensive stores. It didn’t feel like Disney. It felt weirdly sterile. Except for the hanger (?) portion connecting the Town Center to the West Side.

Yeah we skipped a lot of the stores. I like some of them, but we can go to a lot of them around here and then a lot of them are places I don't even go to.

I love that it’s Disney but doesn’t scream Disney, if you know what I mean. I like the Fab 5, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t need their faces over everything. Just a subtle Mickey head or some attraction reference is more my style.

Same.

(I didn't go home with either of these. I should have though! Maybe in May...)

I love the attraction plates! I'm always afraid they'll break on the trip home though.

I took this pic for my dad – Mr. Grumpy Gills himself!

I got my dad a Grumpy shirt the first time we went

 

[KathyM2]

Sorry about the family drama at WC...what can you do. The food looked awesome though. OMG I want those Epcot plates!! So cool!

 

[cinderkelly]

First, I promise I haven't been ignoring you! I've still been reading along, just haven't had a whole lot of time to comment

drove to Wilderness Lodge and Whispering Canyon Café!

Yea!! Can't wait to hear how you liked it! I'll be checking into Wilderness Lodge in 4 days!!! Eeeekkk !!

On the way over, I was reminded of the episode of the Disney vlog SeeYaReelSoon where Joe surprises Ashley with a stay at Wilderness Lodge. You see the video of them driving up and her getting really excited.

Love, love, love SeeYaRealSoon. I think I've watched that exact episode 4 or 5 times..."Are you serious????" They are adorable

As you can tell, I’m a big fan of SeeYaReelSoon.

Me too, like geek status fan

I like to watch them on a tablet while I’m doing chores.

I always watched them while walking on the treadmill. It's like I was walking along with them ....see total geek

He kind of mutters something like “it better be for all that ruckus.

I have a Dad who can be a grumpy gills at times too, so I totally get this. I always feel like I have to be the one to smooth over things for everyone while I'm quietly freaking out inside.

Ashley was pregnant! Yay!


But…..


They were stopping SeeYaReelSoon. It was just becoming too much. And they wouldn’t be traveling to WDW from Vermont for a long while.

I have to tell you I was so sad too. Epically bummed

who know how much I love Joe and Ashley) and tried not to cr

K, I did! I'm walking on the treadmill crying, it wasn't pretty. It was like an end of an era for me or something ... They were the first Disney travel vlogs I ever watched. Now I have others to creep on

As we were walking to the table, I see Katie

So cool! It's like seeing a celebrity or something!

I did however, get a covert pic of Katie. Along with a lovely pic of my butter knife and the table.

She's adorable. And sitting so proper and everything!

It was delicious. Just as advertised.

I'm so glad to hear this! That's where we are eating our first night there

Each level told you how many parking spots for that level and then once you got to that level, it told you in which direction the spots were, and then each row has lights above the spots so you just look for a green one! I wish every parking ra

That's so cool!!

I was so glad that I got some time to myself. It was rejuvenating for me and reminded me again why Disney is my happy place!

Sometimes all we need is a little alone time to make everything right again.

 

[xlsm]

The Wilderness Lodge is my faaaaavorite!! Our trip in a couple weeks will be my first time NOT staying there, and it feels really weird. We're going by to check out the holiday decorations, though.

I'm loud and unaware of my weirdness, I'd probably have yelled across the room at Katie like, "I'm on the Disboards and I recognize you!" <--- But I wasn't always comfortable doing things like that. It's situational.

Actually, I did that on our last trip...there was a woman who had a running TR about leaving her life behind and becoming a photopass CM at WDW. I saw her out taking pictures and initially didn't stop, but then I went back to speak to her and tell her who I was and I followed along with her. She was so nice and gave me a hug, and took some fun pictures for us
I was going to keep walking, we were headed out of the park, but my husband encouraged me to go back. I'm glad he did, it was a nice experience.

I'm glad the food was good, even though there was some grumpiness!

I just want to walk into Disney Springs and throw money in the air screaming, "Take it all!!" I love the glasses, and I plan to pick up some of the coasters in a couple weeks.